He slowly drew the Treasured Sword from his waist, a weapon that bore the scars of its years, even fine notches visible on the blade.

Yet it was this very sword that caused the Ghost Spider to feel an unprecedented pressure, making its body tremble uncontrollably.

The White Ape, advancing with the sword in hand, instilled a sense of invincibility in the Ghost Spider’s heart, a feeling fatal to a peerless Swordsman, likely to leave deep psychological scars and hinder future advancement in realm.

A nameless roar surged in the Ghost Spider’s heart, its anger at the present cowardice undeniable. To a Swordsman, defeat was acceptable, but never cowardice, for that would cost one the right to wield a sword.

With sheer willpower, it suppressed its inner fear and once again became the cold and powerful Sword Cultivator it once was.

Seeing this, the White Ape nodded quietly to himself, admiring the Ghost Spider’s spirit, will, and dedication to the Sword Dao.

To the White Ape, obsessed with the Sword Dao, the Ghost Spider was an uncut jade, which with some meticulous carving, would soon shine brilliantly.

"It seems you are ready to face death," the White Ape said softly. His voice remained calm, as if nothing could stir his inner peace.

The Ghost Spider replied softly, "Make your move, I would have no regrets dying by your sword!"

As soon as these words fell, the White Ape drew out the Treasured Sword, and its resplendent light, filled with the most terrifying intent to kill, struck towards the Ghost Spider.

In that moment, the Ghost Spider’s eyes seemed to witness the end of all things, the destruction of the cosmos, the annihilation of the world. This was the Sword of Destruction, the Sword of Slaughter, and the pinnacle of the Sword Dao.

Upon seeing this sword, the Ghost Spider showed no trace of fear but lifted a brilliant smile instead.

Having heard the Dao in the morning live without regret in the evening. That was what he felt at this moment. Glimpsing the Supreme Sword Way at this time made death seem inconsequential.

The dreadful Sword Qi rushed towards him, and in that moment, the Ghost Spider calmly welcomed his own death.

However, as the terrifying Sword Qi was about to touch the Ghost Spider’s face, it mysteriously vanished into thin air, as if it had never existed in this world.

All at once, everything seemed to have calmed down suddenly.

"That sword just now?" the Ghost Spider murmured to himself. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"That was the Sword Dao I realized from the Venerable Shangqing Taoist’s Sword Qi," the White Ape replied without concealing the truth from the Ghost Spider but rather disclosed the origin and details of his Sword Dao.

"Why didn’t you kill me?"

"You have a good talent, and the Sword Dao should not be so lonely."

Upon hearing this, the Ghost Spider suddenly knelt on the ground, pleading, "Please let me follow you!"

But the White Ape shook his head and said, "That won’t do, I too am a follower."

After saying this, he turned his gaze to Lin Fang, standing among the crowd—then the Ghost Spider understood that even the powerful White Ape was a follower of this man.

But he hadn’t sensed the other’s strength at first—there was only one explanation: the other’s power was not on the same level as his own.

He slowly knelt before Lin Fang, which amounted to accepting his offer to join.

Lin Fang said with a smile, "Get up, you will soon realize that this is a good thing for you!"

With the Ghost Spider subdued, Lin Fang had achieved his purpose for coming here and slowly walked into the strange temple, taking a private look around.

The Ghost Spider explained to him, "I don’t know how many years this temple has existed; I accidentally discovered it can suppress the outbursts of my bloodline, and so I settled here."

The Ghost Spider spoke slowly of the temple’s magical aspects. Although he had never seen a divine statue inside, he always felt the place to be extremely mysterious.

Lin Fang paced slowly within the temple, attentively sensing the mystery of it.

On the surface, the temple appeared ordinary, without a trace of anything special, and devoid of any mysterious runes or the like, yet it exuded a mysterious aura that could stabilize one’s mind.

"This is Dao Intent!" Lin Fang murmured to himself.

He had recognized the origin of the mysterious temple; it must have been the place where a great practitioner of the Divine Way once cultivated. Although nothing special was apparent, the remarkable individual had realized the Dao here, leaving behind a profound Dao Intent.

Even after innumerable years, that Dao Intent could still suppress the bloodline within the Ghost Spider, for even the most diluted was still the bloodline of Ancient Spirits, particularly potent in powerful beings like the Ghost Spider, rendering their own bloodlines increasingly concentrated.

Upon hearing this, the Ghost Spider looked brightly at Lin Fang, marveling that though he had lived here for years without a clue, Lin Fang had swiftly recognized its origin.

"This must be where a powerful practitioner of the Divine Way from ancient times realized the Dao and left behind his unique Dao Intent," Lin Fang softly explained to the Ghost Spider.

At the same time, he inexplicably thought of the incomplete divine seal in his hand; taking it out, the entire temple suddenly burst into dazzling light.

Endless Dao Intent emerged, like a flowing stream gradually entering the incomplete divine seal in Lin Fang’s hand, rendering it whole in an instant.

When the Dao Intent had completely dissipated, the divine seal in Lin Fang’s hands became more mysterious, seeming to swirl with endless splendor within it – clearly, a rare treasure.

"Just as I thought!" Lin Fang murmured to himself.

The great practitioner who had realized the Dao was the same one who had opened the path of the Divine Way, and this divine seal was the product of his enlightenment. It was precisely why the Dao Intent that could not be comprehended or absorbed entered the divine seal in its entirety.

This was an unexpected gain for him.

"Congratulations, Master, on obtaining a treasure," the others said with smiles as they congratulated Lin Fang – after all, who wouldn’t want the person they followed to become stronger?

Lin Fang, feeling great with his new treasure, smiled and said to the Ghost Spider, "It’s time to introduce you to the others. Don’t resist!"

The Ghost Spider hadn’t quite registered what was said before feeling a powerful force engulf him, almost causing him to lose control over his body. His instincts urged him to fight back, yet he suddenly remembered Lin Fang’s words and relaxed.

The scenery changed before his eyes, and in an instant, he found himself in a strange new world, filled with abundant Spiritual Energy and teeming with life. Not far away stood an immense celestial tree, its leaves glinting with starlight, making the deep blue leaves speckled with stars strikingly beautiful to behold.

The two little demons at his side were also astonished by the sight, their mouths agape as they muttered, "What kind of tree is this? How can it be so big, so beautiful?"

"That is a Starry Sky Tree, a rare treasure of the Three Realms, and this is the only one!" proclaimed the Bashan Tiger proudly.