This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

Dragon City Pass has fallen.

The Heart Demon Clan's target is not Dragon City Pass, but the entire Central Spirit Domain.

However, the Bright Moon Formation is at Dragon City Pass, so they have no reason to give up the pass.

Thus, under the orders of the Rinsing Spirit Sect or, more accurately, from two sovereigns of the Demon Race, the demonic cultivators began to clean up Dragon City Pass, wiping away the scattered blood, tidying the broken walls, and handling the corpse remnants.

Whether the corpses belonged to demonic cultivators or human cultivators made little difference to the demonic cultivators; all were burned cleanly with an indifferent fire, chilling the heart.

The city gate of the southern wall finally opened completely, leading directly to the Central Spirit Domain.

This battlefield was the most intense.

Atop and below the southern wall, corpses lay everywhere—those of South Sword Pavilion's sword cultivators, those of the demon race, and several bodies dressed in the uniform of the Rinsing Spirit Sect.

The blood, not yet fully dried and coagulated, trickled down the wall's stone surface like a gentle stream.

Seeing this horrific scene, the demonic cultivators who arrived midday and did not participate in last night's battle at Dragon City Pass had visibly changed expressions.

Especially when they saw the mottled sword marks on the wall and the corpses of South Sword Pavilion's sword cultivators full of wounds, they were secretly astonished.

They could not imagine how these sword cultivators, whose physical bodies were weak and frail, could possess such terrifying determination in a desperate situation like this.

This battlefield was entirely different from the other battlefields within Dragon City Pass.

In other areas of Dragon City Pass, demonic cultivators were everywhere, and the human cultivators had no means of escape, unable to retreat, only able to fight to the death.

However, beyond the southern wall lay the vast Central Spirit Domain.

This meant the sword cultivators of South Sword Pavilion had a means of escape if they wanted to survive; they need only abandon the city and flee.

Yet they chose to firmly hold their ground without retreating.

A desperate fight with an escape route is entirely different from a fight forced by circumstance.

The demonic cultivators believed that if they placed themselves in the positions of these South Sword Pavilion sword cultivators, they could never perform such self-sacrificial heroism.

It is precisely for this reason that, despite this unprecedented victory after twenty thousand years highly worthy of mention, the demonic cultivators responsible for cleaning the aftermath at the southern wall couldn't feel elated, instead stewing in an unusually eerie and discordant atmosphere.

Their expressions somber as they cleaned the blood from the wall, summoned demon fire to reduce the broken corpses to ashes, and gathered the scattered sword artifacts they could not burn, piling them together.

At midday.

At the central travelling palace of Dragon City Pass.

The White Tiger Sovereign, Vermilion Bird Sovereign, and East Qi Demon Lord appearing in demonic form stepped out of the travelling palace.

The three of them did not choose to fly but instead walked step by step, as if inspecting the army, through the streets of Dragon City Pass towards the southern wall.

The streets were bustling with an endless stream of the newly arrived demonic cultivators, lively and busy.

"In the past, these streets were filled with human cultivators...." White Tiger Sovereign softly remarked, as if the shadows of last night had been entirely dispelled.

"The demon race has finally reached a time when they can walk openly upon it." Xuanwu Sovereign's voice was low.

Wherever the three passed, the omnipresent demonic cultivators parted out of the way.

"The bravery of human cultivators is indeed extraordinary, but regardless, things continue as we had planned." White Tiger Sovereign stated firmly, strengthening his resolve.

They continued forward and eventually reached the southern wall.

East Qi Demon Lord squinted as he glanced toward the wide-open southern gate. Light angled in through the gateway, making the road leading out appear like a sunlit avenue.

Indeed, it was a sunlit avenue.

This was the sunlit avenue upon which the Heart Demon Clan successfully "snatched souls" to become the premier of the Eight Great Holy Demon Clans.

East Qi Demon Lord spread his arms wide as if embracing the sunlight, utterly enraptured.

At that moment, the thin clouds in the sky suddenly parted, and a clear light poured down, moving sunlight.

His eyes were suddenly dazzled by a golden light.

"What is that?" he asked.

The golden light came from a corner of the city gate where many sword artifacts were piled up.

The nearby demonic cultivators trembled and quickly stepped forward to explain, "These are the magic artifacts collected from the human cultivators, temporarily piled here, awaiting final inventory."

East Qi Demon Lord frowned, not listening to the demonic cultivator's further words, merely flicked his hand indifferently, and demonic qi rolled out.

The heap of sword artifacts, piled like a small mountain, was immediately pushed aside by the demonic qi, falling onto the ground with a clanging sound.

At the very bottom lay the object emitting a golden glow.

It was actually a stele, resembling a crouching dragon coiled upon the ground.

The stele was crafted from strange obsidian, with some golden characters inscribed on it.

The golden light was emitted from these characters on the stele.

The nearby White Tiger Sovereign carelessly glanced at the stele and remarked blandly, "It's merely a small trick used by the human cultivators for brainwashing."

"An Oath Stele. Every cultivator is brought here to swear an oath upon their first arrival at Dragon City Pass." Xuanwu Sovereign added more patiently, explaining to East Qi Demon Lord.

The southern wall was the obligatory passageway for all Central Spirit Domain cultivators entering Dragon City Pass.

The human race erected this Oath Stele here.

Thus, every Central Spirit Domain cultivator saw this stele upon entering Dragon City Pass.

"Oh?" East Qi Demon Lord's lips curled into a mocking smile, his gaze casually sweeping over the stele....

"Every Dragon City Pass cultivator, sincerely pledges to the spirits of the mountains and rivers."

"I am now a proud defender, guarding the hard-fought land bequeathed by my human race."

"Right and proper, demons and spirits bow."

"With unwavering determination, sworn unto death."

"Humans and demons stand irreconcilable, as taught by ancient lessons."

"The distinction between civilization and barbarism must be rigorously discerned, righteousness preserved through the ages."

"In life, a cultivator of the Sky Dome, in death, a soul of the Sky Dome,"

"Posterity views the present as we view the past, why then should I be anxious!"

"Now, as invaders trespass, resolve to utterly destroy them, exhaust our strength, and sacrifice myself."

"Yet I firmly believe that the majestic heavens will surely protect the loyal."

"As we engage in the bloodstained battle, victory is within our grasp."

"This is my oath."