war

Inside the camp near Qishan Never Sleeps City.

A massive Qishan sand table stretched across the center, hastily crafted overnight by Lan Clan cultivators skilled in Qimen Dunjia. The mountain range's orientation, the Wen Clan's defenses, and suspected points where Yin Iron resentment gathered were all marked with faint lights of different colors.

The core of this battle stood around the sand table. Qinghengjun had a serene face and calm eyes like an ancient well. He pointed his finger at an area on the main peak that was flashing with scarlet light.

Nie Mingjue stood with his arms crossed. Although the Baxia Blade was in its sheath, its fierce and powerful aura, capable of splitting mountains and cleaving peaks, already emanated from it. He stared at the several puppet gathering points marked on the sand table and let out a cold snort.

Jiang Fengmian looked serious, while Jin Zixuan, dressed in a spotless golden-sparkling robe, had a tense expression.

The real driving force behind this offensive strategy was the younger generation standing on the other side of the sand table.

"Wen Ruohan used Yin Iron as the core to refine countless souls into a puppet army, which was then scattered across the main peak and various passes." Lan Xichen's voice was gentle yet clear. "To force our way through would be to fill the resentment with flesh and blood. Our advantage lies in quality, not quantity."

Xie Linyang stood beside Jiang Cheng, and upon hearing this, he raised his hand and pointed to several relatively sparse connection points of resentment aura on the sand table. A faint golden light flashed from his fingertip: "The Yang Sha Marrow has completely merged with the Blazing Radiance. Its power is extremely Yang and pure, and it has a natural annihilation effect on the resentment of Yin Iron. I can act as the spearhead, using the golden light of the Blazing Radiance to clear a path and forcibly purify a passage that leads directly to the outer perimeter of the main peak. However, this method consumes a great deal of energy and will be like a beacon in the dark, instantly attracting the siege of all the puppets and high-level cultivators of the Wen Clan."

“Therefore, you need absolute protection and cooperation to tear a sufficiently deep opening before your strength is exhausted.” Jiang Cheng interjected, his sharp gaze sweeping across the pre-designed assault route on the sand table. “The disciples of the Yunmeng Jiang Clan will follow me to protect your flanks. Mother’s Purple Lightning can clear the area.”

Yu Ziyuan nodded.

“Purifying the passage alone is not enough to win,” Lan Wangji’s cool voice rang out.

He exchanged a glance with Lan Xichen, who nodded slightly. Lan Wangji continued, "My brother and I used the resonance of the Shuoyue and Wangji Qin to guide the power of the Yang Sha marrow. This superposition of two sounds can cause a large-scale vibration, weakening the Yin Iron links within the puppet's body, making its movements sluggish and its resentment energy stagnant. This will create an opportunity for Wei Ying."

All eyes turned to the corner.

Wei Wuxian leaned against the tent pillar, his Chenqing flute slowly turning between his fingers, while his other hand unconsciously caressed the cold, heavy Yin Tiger Seal in his bosom.

Upon hearing his name, he smirked: "Understood. Don't worry, leave the large-scale control to me. I'll make sure those puppets see who's in charge."

Everyone had different thoughts, especially the Nie and Jin clans, who were very wary of Wei Wuxian at this moment.

Qinghengjun's gaze swept over the young men, and he said slowly, "A frontal assault will draw their attention and create an opportunity for your vanguard. If Wen Ruohan doesn't come out, then attack Nevernight. If he does come out..." He paused, exchanged a glance with Nie Mingjue and Jiang Fengmian, "then we will proceed with the second plan, combining our strength to temporarily block their advance, buying you time to eliminate their wings and ultimately encircle them."

Nie Mingjue's voice boomed: "That's it! Dawdling is useless, let's go!"

The war began with a piercing horn blast that seemed to cut through the clouds of resentment.

The allied forces of the immortal sects surged towards the outer defenses of Nevernight City like a tidal wave.

Sword energy, the light of magical artifacts, and the brilliance of the Five Elements techniques instantly illuminated the dim foothills, colliding fiercely with the scarlet spiritual power of the Wen clan cultivators and the eerie green ghost fire in the puppets' eyes. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, metal clashed, and roars and screams tore through the heavens and earth in an instant.

But the real trump card suddenly reveals its sharpness at the most critical moment of the battle.

"Now!" Jiang Cheng shouted, and his sword light exploded, knocking back several of the approaching puppets.

Behind him, Xie Linyang took a step forward, and the radiance of the Blazing Staff hanging in front of him dimmed for a moment.

An unprecedentedly dazzling golden light erupted from her center!

The light was not dazzling, but it carried a majestic and righteous meaning that penetrated the darkness and cleansed the filth, as if a miniature blazing sun had descended upon the place.

Where the golden light passed, the resentment hissed and dissipated rapidly. The black energy swirling around the bodies of the several puppets charging towards them boiled and evaporated violently, their movements instantly halting.

"Form ranks! Charge!" Jiang Cheng pointed his sword forward, and the Three Poison Swords transformed into a bolt of purple lightning, closely following the golden pillar of light that had cleared the way.

Dozens of elite Jiang family disciples formed a tight formation, weaving together to fiercely repel and annihilate the enemies rushing in from both sides.

Xie Lin Yang stood at the center of the formation, her face ashen. She could clearly feel the Yang Sha Marrow essence and her own spiritual power surging into Zhuo Yao like a rushing river, the consumption of energy with each breath being extremely astonishing.

The purifying light field formed by the supreme Yang power carved out a pure passage about three zhang wide, extending forward continuously, amidst the dense sea of ​​puppets and the barrier of resentment.

At the edge of the passage, the purified resentment clashed violently with the black energy that surged in afterward, emitting a shrill, ghostly wail.

However, as expected, her conspicuous presence immediately made her the target of everyone's criticism.

Amidst a sharp whistling sound, dozens of scarlet figures exuding powerful auras rushed out from various fortresses, including several high-level puppets that were clearly twice the size and whose eyes were filled with tangible ghostly flames, carrying raging resentment as they charged straight into the formation!

"Protect Xie Keqing!" Jiang Cheng's pupils contracted, and the Three Poisons Sword Light surged, meeting a Wen clan guest who was wielding an axe. With a loud bang, it sent the guest flying backward, axe and all.

But more enemies came from all directions.

Wielding Purple Lightning, Yu Ziyuan swept through the Wen clan's territory, shouting angrily, "A bunch of scum!"

Just as the pressure on the formation suddenly increased and the golden light domain swayed slightly, the sound of a zither and a flute playing together rang out between heaven and earth.

The sound was initially like a gentle breeze and a flowing spring, clear and pure, instantly drowning out all the noise of the battlefield.

Lan Xichen stood on a slightly higher cliff, and beneath his slender fingers, faint golden sound patterns rippled outwards. At the same time, slightly lower down, Lan Wangji sat cross-legged, his Wangji Qin resting on his lap. His fingertips traced patterns, and clear, melodious notes rose up, perfectly harmonizing with the sound of his xiao.

This is not an ordinary melody for calming the mind or breaking through obstacles.

This was a melody infused with the essence of Yang Sha marrow, possessing tangible purifying and resonating power. Pale golden sound waves spread out from the two of them, and wherever they touched, the ghostly flames in the puppets' eyes flickered erratically, and the black aura on their bodies rippled and dissipated violently as if being kneaded by an invisible hand.

Especially the high-level puppets, their momentum clearly faltered, and they let out angry roars, as if they were stuck in an invisible quagmire, their movements becoming heavy and sluggish.

The music not only weakened the enemy, but also subtly resonated with Xie Linyang's blazing golden light, making the purifying light domain more stable and even slightly expanding outward!

With the pressure relieved, Jiang Cheng's spirits lifted, and his sword strikes became even more ferocious. Xie Linyang was also able to slightly reduce his spiritual energy output to maintain the passage.

"Now, Wei Ying!" Lan Wangji's clear, cold voice traveled precisely through the harmonious sounds of the qin and xiao, reaching the rear.

Wei Wuxian, who had been hovering to the side and behind, suddenly raised his head.

The last trace of nonchalance in his eyes vanished, leaving only a cold sharpness and an unfathomable darkness. He brought the flute to his lips.

The very first note of the flute was unlike anything before!

It was a strange, piercing shriek that defied description, as if ten thousand ghosts were howling in unison, or as if a wind was rising from the deepest hell.

As the flute music began, strange changes occurred on the battlefield, especially in the areas where the music enveloped the battlefield and the resentment was dissipated by the vibrations!

The earth trembled slightly, not because of any magic, but because the residual resentment and death energy from the countless fallen cultivators and even the broken puppets that had not been completely purified were being frantically drawn in and drawn by the flute music, turning into a visible gray-black stream of air that roared toward where Wei Wuxian was!

His aura instantly turned icy and chilling, and a thin layer of black frost condensed on the ground beneath his feet.

What's even more unsettling is that the puppets weakened by the music and slowed down, especially the low-level puppets, suddenly had chaotic ghostly flames in their eyes. Many of them even stood frozen in place, with black energy churning on their bodies, showing signs of breaking free from control and turning against their masters!

Angered shouts rang out among the Wen clan cultivators as they tried to regain control, but to little avail.

Wei Wuxian's hand gestures changed, and the flute music suddenly became urgent, like the clanging of metal and the sound of battle.

The overwhelming aura of resentment and death that gathered was not indiscriminately attacked under his precise control. Instead, it transformed into black arrows, chains, and giant hands that were as solid as a substance. These attacked the puppet joints and energy cores that were exposed by the rhythm, as well as the Wen clan cultivators who tried to attack the side and rear of the formation!

The power of the Yin Tiger Seal is beginning to show its ferocity!

It is a way of controlling and amplifying all the ready-made death on the battlefield, using its own methods to inflict harm on the enemy!

With the Lan Clan's music providing extensive weakening and crowd control, and Wei Wuxian's Yin Tiger Seal delivering precise and terrifying kills, the pressure on the formation was greatly reduced. Xie Lin Yang's purification channel was able to continue and steadily extend towards the main peak.

Jiang Cheng and his Jiang disciples were in high spirits, their swords flashing and unstoppable, constantly slaying and repelling the invading enemies.

The tacit cooperation of the younger generation is beginning to reveal its amazing power.

Xie Lin Yang's ultimate yang purification, the Gusu Twins' yang evil sound domain, Wei Wuxian's control of resentment and harvesting, and Jiang Cheng's thunderous charge—all these interlocked and complemented each other, actually managed to tear open a deeper and deeper wound that pierced straight to the heart within the Wen Clan's seemingly impregnable defense and endless sea of ​​puppets!

The main force led by Qinghengjun, Nie Mingjue, Jiang Fengmian, Jin Zixuan and others also launched an unprecedented fierce attack on the front, holding back most of the Wen clan's living forces and high-level cultivators, making it impossible for Wen Ruohan to easily mobilize the core forces to block that extremely sharp arrow.

The battle situation seems to be developing in the direction the Allied forces had anticipated, and the Allied forces are even gaining a slight advantage.

However, just as they broke through to the foot of the main peak, less than a thousand feet from the majestic gates of the Never-Sleeping City, and the dawn of victory seemed to be breaking—

The entire Qishan area suddenly trembled!

A terrifying resonance originating from the depths of the earth's veins, and even more so from the core of all the Yin Iron Golems!

"boom--!!!"

A torrent of resentful fire, over ten feet in diameter and composed entirely of dark red to almost black, condensed to the extreme, erupted like a hellish volcano, shooting into the sky from the "Blazing Sun Palace" at the highest point of the Never-Night City and piercing the sky stained with resentment!

The dark purple of the sky was instantly transformed into an extremely oppressive, blood-red hue!

An indescribable pressure, like a massive mountain of immense weight, crashed down upon the hearts of every living being!

Those with weaker cultivation levels turned deathly pale on the spot, spitting out blood, their minds nearly collapsing. Even figures like Qinghengjun and Nie Mingjue swayed slightly, their pupils shrinking sharply.

On the battlefield, all the remaining Yin Iron puppets, regardless of their rank, had their ghostly flames burning intensely in their eyes at the same moment, and their black qi churning like boiling water. They temporarily broke free from the weakening effect of the Lan Clan's music and the interference of Wei Wuxian's Chenqing flute, and let out a unified, earth-shattering roar, their offensive suddenly becoming several times more frenzied!

The pressure on the allied forces surged instantly, their newly gained advantage vanished, and their lines even began to be pushed back.

Amidst the torrent of dark red flames, a figure emerged, stepping out of the fire.

He did not ride a sword, nor did he rely on anything; he simply stood suspended in mid-air, like a demon god descending to earth.

He wore a long robe with a black background and red patterns, his hair and beard stood on end, and the raging resentment around him was thick as liquid. The violence, gloom, and grandeur of his aura far exceeded the imagination of anyone present.

Its mere existence seemed to drain all life and vitality from the surrounding area, leaving only endless resentment and destruction.

Wen Ruohan!

He did not make a move immediately. His eyes, burning with dark red flames, indifferently swept over the battle below, where people were fighting like ants. Finally, his gaze settled on the younger generation who were still fighting tenaciously and shining with golden light, especially Xie Lin Yang and Wei Wu Xian, for a moment.

"Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot." The cold voice, though not loud, clearly drowned out all the noise of the battlefield, resounding in everyone's ears, carrying a kind of indifference and mockery that looked down on the world.

Before he finished speaking, he simply raised his hand and pressed down gently.

There were no fancy moves, no complicated incantations.

As he pressed down, a stream of dark red resentful fire split off from the sky, transforming into a gigantic dark red hand that blotted out the sun. The palm's lines were as clear as ravines, burning with flames that could freeze the soul, and slowly pressed down toward the location of the arrowhead formation!

Even before the giant hand arrived, the terrifying pressure had already caused the space around the formation to distort and groan.

The purification light field outside Xie Linyang vibrated violently, shrinking and dimming at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Jiang Cheng groaned, feeling his bones creaking all over. For the first time, the harmonious sounds of Lan Xichen and Lan Wangji's qin and xiao clapping became disordered, the pale golden sound waves shattered by the invisible pressure.

Wei Wuxian's flute music stopped abruptly. He looked up sharply, staring at the giant hand that was slowly pressing down. His face was ashen, and a solemn expression appeared in his eyes.

The Yin Tiger Talisman sensed the Yin Iron resentment contained within the giant hand, which far surpassed anything it had seen before and was almost primordial. It felt a slight restlessness and...greed? But more than anything, it felt an irresistible tremor.

With just his appearance and a casual press of a button, he completely reversed the battle, placing the young main force, who were originally expected to break through, into an overwhelming and hopeless situation!

Qinghengjun, Nie Mingjue, and the others' expressions changed drastically. They shouted angrily and tried to rush to their aid, but were held back by more frantically counterattacking puppets and Wen clan assassins.

The golden light domain crumbled inch by inch under the dark red giant hand, and the shadow of death descended.

At this critical moment, when the hearts of the allied forces were gripped by an endless chill, no one noticed that in the shadow of the towering city walls of the Never-Night City, a slender figure dressed in the Wen Clan's Flaming Robe, unremarkable in appearance, quietly raised his lowered eyelids.

Meng Yao's gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, landing precisely on the back of Wen Ruohan, who resembled a god or demon in the air. It then quickly swept over the people trapped in dire straits below, especially Xie Linyang's pale yet resolute profile.

His gentle and respectful expression remained unchanged, except that his right hand, almost imperceptibly hidden in his sleeve, gently grasped Qingyang at his waist.

Master, it seems... you still need me in the end.

A cold smile and a desperate madness flickered deep in his eyes.