Ao Tian stopped the axe and looked up at Yang Yan with some confusion.

A strange feeling of danger suddenly arose in his heart without any warning.

With no time to think, Ao Tian cursed inwardly and immediately retreated rapidly.

"The Great Dao contains three thousand paths, and life hangs by a thread. This sword, slashes through space, gazes upon life and death. The future grand scenario, all hinges upon this sword."

"I don't have ambitious aspirations, but I also have a man's spirit! This sword shall be called the Azure Vault Third Technique—Life and Death Floating Sword!"

"Life and Death Floating Sword!"

"Life and Death Floating Sword!!"

"Life and Death Floating Sword!!!"

As the enormous echo spread out, a tiny sliver of light initially appeared, then expanded infinitely, as if the entire space was swallowed.

Even in Ao Tian's eyes, distantly avoiding it, there was only the silver light that engulfed him.

The entire space resonated with Yang Yan's last words.

Although seemingly ordinary, Yang Yan didn't even shout it with full force, yet the name of this sword technique still announced its existence to the space with its unique unveiling!

It is him!

This move embodies Yang Yan's beliefs and obsessions.

If someone can break this move, they must first break Yang Yan's convictions and obsessions!

Boom!

Thunderous rumblings echoed as if thousands of thunders in a cave suddenly went chaotic, creating a sky-shaking disturbance.

"Pop..."

When this imposing sword struck the colorful passage, it made only a faint sound.

After a slight noise, the passage that Yang Yan and Ao Tian had partially destroyed instantly collapsed from the outside inward, like a domino effect.

Pieces of colorful fragments fell, and in the blink of an eye, disappeared without a trace.

On this day, everyone in the Hidden World, be they powerful factions, families, or ordinary people, witnessed a scene that would be recorded in history.

After a earth-shattering sound, countless rays of radiant light cascaded down from the endless sky.

As they approached the ground, some tried to reach out and grab them, only to find it was just an empty radiance.

Like the wind, you can sense and feel it, but you can't grasp it in your hands.

These radiant lights fundamentally belong to the category of space, and no one in the Hidden World can manipulate space or touch these things.

In truth, if one could keep pieces of these space origin-like things, they would be invaluable treasures for cultivators in comprehending the Path of Space.

"We can go now."

Seeing the just existing colorful radiance obliterated by his sword, Yang Yan smiled at Ao Tian, who was still standing there in a daze, unable to recover for a long time.

Ao Tian swallowed unconsciously, looking at Yang Yan in disbelief, and said with some difficulty:

"What is this sword technique? Passed down from ancient times?"

Yang Yan shook his head slightly, very composed, or perhaps showing off calmly as he replied:

"I created it myself, just had a sudden insight."

Ao Tian's mouth twitched immediately.

After a long while, he finally looked at Yang Yan and spat out two words:

"Freak!"

Whether he's a freak or not, Yang Yan doesn't know, but the urgent crisis in the Hidden World was an undeniable fact for everyone there.

When the Ten Swords went to convey the message to those powerful factions, almost no one hesitated, let alone refused.

In a very short time, several rays of radiant light sped towards where Yang Yan was.

Eventually, Yang Yan and Ao Tian found temporary shelter with a nearby faction in the east.

It was the Ouyang Family, which had been slaughtered almost completely by Chiyou.

The Ouyang Family was now in ruins, with only a few halls still stubbornly standing, speaking of past glories and the ferocity of that battle.

The dozen or so disciples who were luckily outside that day returned to repair these few remaining buildings.

Although the Ouyang Family was all but extinct, they still left a bloodline.

Moreover, no family rises to greatness from the start.

The leftover Ouyang Family disciples were thrilled upon seeing the arrival of the Second Emperor, eagerly taking on the roles of attendants.

They respectfully served tea and water to Yang Yan, Ao Tian, and others arriving one after another, even preparing whatever fruits they could find.

However, Yang Yan soon sent them all out with a single remark.

When Jing Hong was the last to return, he brought along with him people from three Hidden Clan families who also seated themselves in the hall.

This hall was originally the Ouyang Family's reception room, so it was spacious.

It could easily accommodate the hundreds of people present.

"Moonlight Emperor!"

Once everyone was gathered, the Ten Swords stood scattered behind Yang Yan.

Yang Yan sat alone at the head, with Ao Tian seated to his immediate right.

Ao Tian noticed a hint of disdain appear on the corners of his mouth when everyone rose and formally addressed Yang Yan as Moonlight Emperor.

Some of these people had been hostile to Yang Yan before.

Of course, now each one pretended to have forgotten it completely, as if it never happened.

Could it be that in the face of the impending threat from the Demon Race, they chose selective amnesia?

Ao Tian disliked such behavior.

Even though he clearly understood that when faced with a formidable enemy, past grievances should be temporarily set aside; unity against an external foe was crucial.

"Alright, alright! You didn't treat me this respectfully before, so why bother now?"

Yang Yan said, glancing with burning eyes across the crowd of hundreds, a slightly disdainful smile on his face.

Everyone responded with awkward smiles, but no one spoke.

The ancestors of the major family clans, including the patriarchs, had all perished while trying to stop Chiyou.

Currently, most sitting before Yang Yan were the clan elders.

A few were young people with considerable strength.

At least for their age, having such strength was quite impressive.

Yang Yan didn't need to think twice to realize these people were likely the successors to become future patriarchs.

Or more accurately, they were probably about to assume their patriarchal positions now.

No nation can go a day without a king, and similarly, these Hidden World families cannot remain leaderless for too long.

Moreover, with the Demon Race about to arrive from beyond the realm, any clan without a leader would be doomed to fall apart, which is absolutely unacceptable.

Even if lacking ability, the clan elders would still diligently assist.

So, securing the patriarchal positions under such internal and external pressures wasn't something anyone in the clan would oppose or obstruct.

However, among these people below, Yang Yan noticed a familiar face.

It was none other than the man from the Buzhou Space who had miraculously survived despite losing both legs. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

He now had something else replacing his legs, with several layers of bandages wrapped around.

No matter how, at least he could walk now.

And with strength approaching the Emperor-level, flying in the sky wasn't difficult, so he wasn't entirely a cripple.