For a time, it became a legendary tale.

At this moment,

In the sky, the 'Demon Monarch' appeared, riding the clouds and mist.

At first glance, he saw the middle-aged swordsman before the high cliff, missing an arm, with hair streaked gray.

Then dispersed the sea of clouds, with laughter full of mockery and disdain:

"Tantai Yao of Zither Sword Mountain?"

"Sixty years ago, I didn't kill you, letting you drag on with a pathetic life, luckily forming your Primordial Pill, but instead of being grateful for leaving you alive, you dared to kill my subordinates with Primordial Pill twice!"

"Who gave you the courage?"

Gua Hua, clad in a black cloak, slightly opened his eyes, and with a long howl, shook the crowds of demons and demoralized the disciples of Zither Sword Pavilion, causing them to tremble in fear while rallying demons to charge the gate!

"Back then, whether wanting to capture Xie Wei or abduct that rather appealing little disciple by your side, it was all done on a whim."

"Even now, do you..."

"What do you have to contend with me?!"

Xu Qin was paralyzed under the 'True Master's pressure', her head buzzing, unable to stand.

At this time, Tantai Yao shielded her with half of his body, gazing at the heavens, looking towards the silhouette of that Demon Monarch.

Just like back then, as if nothing had changed, the gap seemed even larger, so great that even if his sword were broken and he died, he could not harm him a bit.

At the foot of the mountain.

The bodies of Zither Sword Pavilion disciples were strewn around.

Buried in the tide of demons.

"What, have you found new affection?"

Seeing Tantai Yao's graying hair, guarding the youthful Xu Qin, looking around twenty, Gua Hua stepped forward as if to crush his backbone, with a smirk:

"But I, the monarch, am not easily impressed by just anyone."

"How about this, take your own life."

"This woman, being Great Innate, planting a 'Slave Seal', entering my Demon Mansion, isn't unworthy to serve as a servant for my offspring."

He carried his head high, condescendingly.

Tantai Yao gripped his sword hilt without uttering a word.

Yet the Sword Intention in him... grew more intense.

Then, he stepped forward heavily!

"You say,"

He whispered.

"What kind of person is fit to knock on the Celestial Gate?"

Gua Hua frowned slightly:

"You..."

He began to speak.

Tantai Yao's eyes suddenly opened like swords, with not a hint of life intention, only the Primordial Pill spinning madly, almost on the verge of exploding!

"Zheng zheng zheng zheng zheng!!"

Zither Sword Mountain, famous for its zithers and swords.

At this moment,

The broken zithers all over the mountain, under the influence of Tantai Yao's Celestial Human Domain, suddenly started to resonate with zither sounds!

Simultaneously,

"Clang clang clang clang clang!!"

Swords began to howl!

Strings and swords intertwined.

Sword Gallbladder and Zither Heart, as if playing a song with the sword, causing the entire 'Zither Sword Mountain'... to slowly condense an 'illusion'!

Tantai Yao's one arm had broken.

The other arm raised the sword, questioning the heavens.

He looked at 'Xuanqing Demon Monarch' Gua Hua.

As if looking at a shadow blocking his 'Celestial Gate', a nightmare impossible to dispel in a lifetime.

"You want to break the 'Celestial Gate' at the brink of life and death?!"

"A colossal joke!"

"Throughout history..."

"How many have managed it?"

"The Celestial Gate is to be opened with 'obsession', with the 'Dao'!"

"You think betting your life could achieve success casually?"

Gua Hua's voice suddenly rose, disdainfully sneering, as a palm suddenly descended from the sky.

Directly,

It struck a cliff corner of Zither Sword Mountain, making it wobble precariously.

Falling upon Tantai Yao, it pressed him to a half-kneel on the ground, barely holding on to life, as if his internal organs and even his Primordial Pill were about to shatter.

"Grandmaster, run! That's a True Master, how can a Primordial Pill fight a True Master!"

Seeing Tantai Yao's once straight spine collapsed, kneeling on the ground, his blood-stained hand clutching that page of a letter...

Xu Qin cried, trying to grab Tantai Yao's cloak, but at this moment————

That middle-aged one-armed swordsman, with tattered clothes, still fixated his eyes upon the heavens, looking at the cold, indifferent Flood Dragon Demon Monarch clad in black, suddenly burst out laughing!

Then, shakily, he stood up, his laughter growing louder, even...

Accompanied by the clanging sword in his hand, in Tantai Yao's eyes, a phantom 'Celestial Gate' seemed to overlap with Gua Hua's shadow in the sky!

At this moment, he raised his sword!

In his mind, his life's struggles flashed by.

In his youth, unchallenged in swordsmanship, no rival!

Until Xie Wei, whom he admired, was taken by a Great Demon, he trained relentlessly, confronted them, only to find her perished, this was the first 'blemish' on his heart.

Decades later.

The Great Demon of Xuanqing Lake came seeking revenge at Zither Sword Mountain, severed an arm, teaching him there are always those stronger, leading to the shattered gate and exile, this was the second 'blemish' on his soul.

Decades of honing, in Tongye State's Ten Extremes Pass, desperately trying to break the 'Celestial Gate', constantly haunted by the shadow of falling before that Great Demon.

Countless failures, all stemming from him.

But by then, he wished to reach the peak by defeating others with their swords, by practicing their Dao.

Only then did he dare face that Great Demon with a sword!

Because he believed, if he couldn't achieve this, he wouldn't even dare to face 'Gua Hua' with a sword, for he would be defeated undoubtedly!

The moment he broke the Celestial Gate...

Tantai Yao's mind flashed this scene.

Therefore, inevitably failed.

"Only now do I understand..."

"Gua Hua!"

Bam!

Tantai Yao's eyes exploded, as if harboring divine intent, his hair and beard bristled, defiant in expression!

Massive sword light surged with his one arm, pointing to the sky!

That phantom Celestial Gate seemed split open by him with a sword!

Tantai Yao's once sleeve drifting...

Suddenly, an arm began to grow!

"Why shouldn't I, Tantai Yao, draw my sword before you and kill you?!"

"Today, this True Master will open the 'Celestial Gate' with a sword, within ten miles of Zither Sword Mountain, then slay you!"

"I ask you,"

"Dare you face it?!"

Instantly,

The sword light soared to the sky, a human swordsman ascended to the heavens, cleaved the phantom Celestial Gate, turned his arm into a sword, and slashed at that era's Demon Monarch!

Simultaneously,

The shower of 'Sword Rain' scattered through the sky...

Covered the gate of Zither Sword Mountain.

All the demons climbing the mountain path, whether the first or second step...

Turned to ashes, all of them!

All the Zither Sword disciples stared in astonishment at the swordsman fighting the Demon Monarch in the sky, as if witnessing a deity.

The second 'Great Chaos of the Treasure Bottle'.

Wutong Prefecture, Zither Sword Mountain.

After a journey of fifty-seven years, Elder Tantai Yao confronts the nightmare within his heart, before the age of one hundred...

Opens the Celestial Gate with a sword, attains the Truth of the True Master!

...

At the same time.

Outside Black Mountain, in the Celestial Abyss!

The 'Immortal Nirvana Palace' finally took shape.

Layers of 'crimson mist' gradually spread across Black Mountain, turning its deepest regions into restricted zones.

It was said that,

Hunters within the mountains, seeing the catastrophe befalling Black Mountain City, hid deep in the mountains, fearing death by demons, witnessed this with their own eyes.

In the crimson mist, strange beings appeared, rising from coffins, reviving from death!

Until Black Mountain was purged of demonic calamity, gradually restored.

This news,

Slowly spread and became known!