Sect Master Xingjin and Ancestor Zhao reacted instantly.
Their auras exploded outward as they stepped forward, preparing to unleash their strongest techniques. Liu Xin also tightened his grip on his sword, spiritual qi surging wildly through his meridians as he forced himself to stand firm despite the overwhelming pressure.
But before any of them could move—
Boom!
An invisible force slammed down from above.
The False God's pressure erupted like a collapsing mountain.
Sect Master Xingjin's knees bent violently as cracks formed beneath his feet. Ancestor Zhao was forced to stab his blade into the ground to keep himself upright. Liu Xin felt his chest tighten as if thousands of hands were crushing him at once.
They were pinned.
Unable to advance.
Unable to retreat.
Lin Xuan hovered slightly above the ground, his figure bathed in golden light, the miniature sun still spinning violently in his palm.
His gaze swept across the three of them.
A slow, satisfied smile formed on his lips.
"I'm happy…" Lin Xuan said calmly, his voice echoing across the ruined battlefield, "…to see you all showing a despair."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"I hope we will meet again but," he continued, "Unfortunately this will be the last time we meet."
He laughed.
Not loud.
Not mad.
But cold.
Deep.
Carrying absolute dominance.
"Farewell."
His arm swung forward.
The sun-like sphere shot out.
The heavens trembled.
Space warped violently along its path as the blazing sphere descended, dragging destruction behind it. The temperature skyrocketed. The ruins began to melt. The air burned.
Sect Master Xingjin's face turned pale with horror. "No… this level of power—!"
Ancestor Zhao's pupils shrank. For the first time in centuries, fear appeared clearly on his aged face. "This is beyond our limit…!"
Liu Xin's mind went blank.
Is this… the end?
Shock, terror, disbelief—every emotion crashed into his consciousness at once as he stared at the approaching sphere of annihilation.
Seconds passed.
One heartbeat.
Two.
Three.
But—
Nothing happened.
The expected explosion never came.
"What…?" Sect Master Xingjin muttered in disbelief.
They looked up.
The blazing sun-like sphere… was gone.
Vanished without leaving even a ripple.
Their gazes snapped toward the False God.
His body was changing.
Golden light began to peel away from his form like fading flames. His figure became translucent, spiritual particles drifting into the air as if he were being erased by the heavens themselves.
Lin Xuan chuckled softly.
"Well…" he said, his voice growing faint yet still carrying divine authority, "you're lucky."
He looked at Liu Xin, then at Sect Master Xingjin and Ancestor Zhao.
"The summoning ritual is over."
A faint smile curved his lips.
"But don't celebrate too early…"
His body continued dissolving into streams of light.
"We will meet again."
His eyes gleamed one last time.
And then—
The False God vanished completely.
The pressure disappeared.
The sky returned to normal.
The battlefield fell into dead silence.
Only shattered ruins and trembling cultivators remained.
Liu Xin dropped to one knee, breathing heavily, his mind still unable to process what had just happened.
Sect Master Xingjin stared at the empty space where the False God once stood, fists clenched tightly.
***
Seven days later…
Phoenix Crest City remained restless.
The defeat of the False God had shaken the entire cultivation world, and the name Liu Xin of the Liu Family was now spoken with reverence wherever cultivators gathered.
Inside a crowded teahouse, voices overlapped in heated discussion.
"I swear on my dao heart! I saw the False God with my own eyes get defeated by the Young Master of the Liu Family!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"So it's really Liu Xin?!"
"It was said that if you were struck by the Heaven-Piercing Void Slash, your spiritual qi would be completely drained."
"The Liu Family's future is limitless now!"
But not all conversations were about glory.
At a nearby table, an older cultivator lowered his voice and leaned closer.
"Have you heard about the Han Family?"
The surrounding listeners stiffened.
"The Han Family?"
"What about them?"
The man glanced around cautiously before continuing. "Ancestor Zhao personally led the investigation. They found a forbidden cultivation manual hidden inside the Han Family's ancestral vault."
A sharp breath was sucked in.
"What manual?" someone whispered.
The man's expression turned grim. "It's called the Abyssal Sin Devouring Art."
The name alone sent chills down spines.
"That technique…" an elderly scholar muttered, face pale. "That's a heretical cultivation method from ancient times… a method specifically designed to perform large-scale sacrificial rituals…"
Another cultivator's eyes widened. "You don't mean—"
"Yes," the man nodded heavily. "It's the cultivation method used to summon the False God."
The teahouse erupted into hushed chaos.
"So the Han Family was behind it?!"
"They dared summon such an existence?!"
"That's treason against the cultivation world!"
Far above Phoenix Crest City, within the City Lord's Grand Hall, Ancestor Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the confiscated cultivation manual floating before him. Dark mist seeped faintly from its surface, carrying traces of corrupted energy.
"The Abyssal Sin Devouring Art…" he said coldly. "So this is the root of it all."
Sect Master Xingjin stood beside him, expression stern. "The evidence is complete. Blood sacrifice arrays, hidden formations, and this manual… the Han Family can no longer deny their crimes."
Ancestor Zhao's eyes narrowed.
"Strip them."
His words were calm.
But they carried the weight of absolute authority.
"Revoke their cultivation resources. Seize their spiritual mines. Dissolve their alliances. Remove their elders from sect positions. From today onward… the Han Family will no longer be one of the great powers."
News of the verdict spread like wildfire.
Within a single day, the Han Family's influence collapsed. Allies distanced themselves. Branch families defected. Their reputation turned to dust.
Meanwhile, inside a quiet teahouse room, the hooded figure by the window slowly lowered his cup.
Lin Xuan's faint smile deepened.
Good… very good.
Let the Han Family take the blame. Let the world believe the False God was summoned through forbidden arts.
No one will suspect the truth.
***
Three days later
Outside, Phoenix Crest City continued celebrating heroes and condemning villains.
But far beyond mortal sight…
The true architect of the chaos was already preparing the next act.
A quiet mountain ridge far from Phoenix Crest City
The wind brushed gently against ancient trees as Lin Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, gazing toward the distant horizon. The mortal world lay spread beneath the clouds, noisy, chaotic… and amusing.
Beside him, a young woman in flowing robes crossed her arms, her brows tightly furrowed.
"Master," Yue said with clear displeasure, "you caused far too much chaos this time."
Lin Xuan chuckled softly, eyes still fixed on the sky. "Chaos? I merely gave them a story to remember."
Yue shot him a sharp look. "You pretend to be a False God projection, manipulated three major powers, destroyed an entire arena, and turned Liu Xin into a so-called hero. And you call that a story?"
She took a step closer.
"Do you want to meet Liu Xin?" Yue asked suddenly. "He's been searching everywhere for traces of you."
Lin Xuan finally turned his head.
"No need," he replied calmly. "My goal has already been achieved."
Yue blinked. "That's it? You toy with fate itself and then just walk away?"
She sighed deeply. "Then where are we going now?"
Before Lin Xuan could answer, Yue suddenly stopped, eyes lighting up with realization.
"Master… let's go back to the Upper Realm."
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Yue folded her arms again, her tone half-serious, half-exasperated. "Because you've had enough fun here. Your boredom should be cured by now. The mortal realm is fragile. If you stay any longer, you'll accidentally break something else."
Lin Xuan stared at her for a moment.
Then he smiled.
A slow, relaxed smile.
"No," he said softly. "Let's travel through this mortal realm."
Yue's eyes widened. "Travel?! After everything you've done?!"
She pointed at him angrily. "You left behind legends, ruined a noble family, created a false hero, and now you want to go sightseeing?!"
Lin Xuan turned away, already walking forward, his robe fluttering in the breeze.
"This world is interesting," he said calmly. "And I haven't finished observing it yet."
Yue hurried after him, clearly furious.
"Master! You're impossible! Absolutely impossible!" she scolded. "One day you'll really push this realm into disaster and still call it 'entertainment'!"
Lin Xuan merely laughed softly.
Above them, the clouds drifted slowly.
Below them, the mortal world continued unaware—
That two beings far beyond their understanding had just begun a casual journey… one that could change destiny itself.