Chapter 149 The Great War Begins This pure white hand, cradling billions of lives…

The person was shrouded in a hazy pillar of light, dressed in a black gauze robe, with a tall and slender figure. Even though Bai couldn't see the face clearly, he still recognized the person instantly.

There was no way around it; she would still recognize some enemies even if they were reduced to ashes, after all, they were the women who had blown her head off a thousand times.

"Hei Yang!!! How are you still alive???"

"What? Is the little tiger really hoping for his sister's death?"

A voice, tinged with laughter, emanated from within the pillar of light; the tone of that voice made Bai want to explode.

"What are you doing here? What do you want?" Bai Ye was no longer dizzy at this moment, staring at the petals where Hei Yang was with wary eyes.

The hazy pillar of light enveloping Hei Yang dissipated, and she rose from the lotus petals, stepping towards the two of them.

"If you can come, why can't I?" She raised an eyebrow at the sulking little white tiger. "I haven't even complained about you making such a racket as soon as you came in, interrupting my seclusion."

"Hey, hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Bai was startled by her sudden approach, its fur standing on end. "I'm warning you, my cultivation is much higher now. If you dare to lay a hand on me, I'll flatten you with one paw."

Hei Yang ignored the howling tiger cub and instead focused his gaze on Zhong Jiuli. "Little Candle Dragon, long time no see. It seems you've also had a good opportunity and your cultivation has improved a lot!"

Zhong Jiuli was also sizing up Hei Yang. In the past, she couldn't even figure out his cultivation level. Now, she understood why she and the others were powerless to fight back in the underwater secret realm.

The opponent's cultivation had already reached the half-step Immortal Emperor realm, and was only one step away from the supreme Emperor realm.

“Senior Hei seems to be in much better condition,” Zhong Jiuli replied. “I just wonder, how did Senior find out about this place?”

Hei Yang chuckled and glanced at the little tiger who was still baring its teeth. "I have to thank your little tiger for this. Back in the sea, she helped me clear the shadow demon from my sea of ​​consciousness, allowing my mind to return to clarity. Once my memories returned, I remembered that there was a secret realm here suitable for seclusion."

"Then hurry up and thank me," Bai muttered softly.

"Alright, thank you. Since you're also here for seclusion, then hurry up and go." Hei Yang waved to the two of them, turned around and returned to the lotus petal. The pillar of light rose again, enveloping her.

Zhong Jiuli patted Bai Ye's little bottom, "Alright, go find a place to sit down and cultivate, carefully sense, and find a lotus petal that resonates with your Dao."

"I know, you rascal, don't pat my butt." Bai also joked, leaping onto a lotus petal in the distance and sitting down. Instantly, a dazzling pillar of starlight rose from the lotus petal, completely enveloping her.

Seeing that she was truly focused on her cultivation, Zhong Jiuli turned and left. Since this secret realm could accommodate many people cultivating and comprehending at the same time, she would go back and bring Liu Xianyue and the others to cultivate in seclusion together.

After Bai sat down, she sensed the extraordinary nature of the lotus platform. The celestial energy in this space rushed towards her almost impatiently.

The stellar body spontaneously rotated, and its 365 major acupoints transformed into stars, echoing the vast nebula outside the lotus platform.

Strands of starlight overflowed from the nebula, like the Milky Way pouring down, continuously flowing into her dantian (energy center).

At the same time, golden light poured down from above, condensing into countless illusory images of divine weapons. Swords, spears, halberds—everything imaginable—was present, each weapon containing an incomparably sharp and deadly intent, forming a massive killing array around her.

Bai was multitasking, simultaneously activating his cultivation technique to refine the origin of the stars and strengthen his stellar body, while also focusing his mind on comprehending the supreme battle intent contained within the weapons.

Gradually, star patterns and golden weapons began to appear on her body. The aura of weapons and the Dao of the stars began to merge, condensing behind her into a magnificent scene of star array patterns and ten thousand soldiers paying homage.

The scene was incredibly grand, and the oppressive aura it exuded was terrifying to the extreme. Even the black dragon on another petal was disturbed by this aura, opened its eyes, glanced over, and muttered softly, "What a formidable little fellow."

She didn't look for long before closing her eyes again, immersing herself in cultivation.

The space fell silent, with only the flowing celestial light, a scene of peace and tranquility.

After a long while, Zhong Jiuli returned with dozens of people.

The group was mainly composed of powerful figures such as Liu Xianyue, Jiang Lian, and Old Lady Bai, followed closely by young geniuses like Ming Wushuang and Chu Sanniang. There were also a number of unfamiliar faces with extraordinary bearing who had arrived at the scene.

As soon as everyone entered this secret realm, they were so shocked by the scene before them that they could hardly breathe. Thirty-six lotus platforms stood tall, with star rivers flowing within them, and the laws of the Dao manifested as if they were tangible. Cultivators from all over the Nine Provinces had never seen such a scene before.

Several young cultivators couldn't help but gasp in surprise, and the two people cultivating on the lotus platform were awakened once again.

Bai looked up and saw the large group of people, and couldn't help but show a surprised expression.

She leaped up and arrived in front of Zhong Jiuli and the others. After greeting Jiang Lian, Liu Xianyue, and her own mother, she looked curiously at the unfamiliar faces: "Why is everyone here? And who are these people...?"

Before Zhong Jiuli could introduce them, the group clasped their hands in greeting. The leader, a cultivator in a light blue Daoist robe, smiled and said, "Mu Qingyin, the top genius on the list a thousand years ago."

Another dashing swordsman carrying a long sword followed up: "Lin Jinghong, the top genius on the list five hundred years ago."

“Guan Yun was the top genius on the list a hundred years ago,” the female cultivator in white robes, holding a jade flute, replied.

As they introduced themselves one by one, Bai realized that these people were all the top performers on the previous Genius Ranking. Judging from their auras, most of them had already entered the Mahayana Realm; indeed, each of them possessed extraordinary talent and lived up to their reputation as geniuses.

"Bai Ye is the number one on this year's genius list!" Bai Ye returned the greeting with his hands clasped.

Mu Qingyin smiled sweetly: "We've all heard of your reputation as the troublemaker."

Lin Jinghong examined the lingering killing intent emanating from Bai Ye's body, a hint of fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. "It seems that this year's champion truly lives up to his reputation."

"Not at all, you are all quite remarkable as well." Bai Ye twitched his mustache and exchanged pleasantries with the group.

"Time is precious, everyone should choose a place to cultivate as soon as possible." Liu Xianyue waved to the crowd and then took the lead in flying towards the lotus platform.

Upon hearing this, everyone dispersed, each searching for a suitable lotus petal. Ming Wushuang chose a petal next to Bai Ye, while Chu Sanniang found a petal with extremely abundant moisture.

In the blink of an eye, the lotus-shaped platform was filled with people, with celestial energy flowing through it and dazzling light.

Only the flower's heart in the very center remained empty, and Zhong Jiuli flew into that spot.

The moment she sat down cross-legged, the entire lotus platform trembled slightly, and all the lotus petals burst forth with an even more dazzling light, enveloping everyone in seclusion.

Countless laws of the Great Dao descended and entwined around the lotus platform, and the place where the light shone brightest was where Zhong Jiuli was located.

The laws of time and space envelop her, the river of time manifests itself, fragments of time emerge within it, and each wave that rises is the most brilliant mark of an era.

One of the marks was particularly dazzling, attracting Zhong Jiuli's attention. She stared at it and realized it was herself.

She raised her finger and tapped lightly, and the mark shone with brilliant light, revealing a series of images in the river of time.

Zhong Jiuli is like an observer, watching another version of herself from the past.

Zhong Jiuli, her white robes stained with blood, had survived a catastrophic war. She watched helplessly as the White Tiger Immortal Emperor was shattered by the siege of demons, the Vermilion Bird burned the heavens, and the dragon roared across the sky... Her former close friends fell one after another, leaving only numb despair in her eyes.

The scene shifted, and she saw herself and several Immortal Emperors working together to seal the Nine Provinces Continent into the Kunxu Jade Bottle. The woman in white, stained with blood, embraced the jade bottle and vanished into the void, drifting in endless darkness, severely wounded and in a deep slumber.

Zhong Jiuli awoke again because a small-scale demon invasion had occurred inside the jade bottle.

During the heyday of Lizhou, the new generation of cultivators fought desperately to resist the calamity and finally quelled the war, but the sight of corpses strewn across the land made her feel unbearable.

Zhong Jiuli saw that version of herself, split her soul in two, and summoned a younger version of herself from the river of time. She sent her soul into that body, bestowed upon it unparalleled fortune, severed the karmic ties between them, and sent it into the Kunxu Jade Bottle.

"Go... protect that land." Her voice was weary, yet full of expectation.

Zhong Jiuli watched as she exhausted herself and fell into a deep sleep.

"So, this is the reason for my existence?" she murmured softly.

The knot in Zhong Jiuli's heart that had troubled her for tens of thousands of years was finally untied at this moment, and she learned where she came from.

Buzz!

The blue lotus mark between Zhong Jiuli's brows burst forth with an eternal light, and a huge blue lotus phantom bloomed beneath her, lifting her up from the lotus platform.

Chaotic mist swirled around her, and the thirty-six-petaled lotus platform unfolded layer by layer. The people sitting cross-legged on each petal woke up, and everyone turned their gaze to Zhong Jiuli at the center of the flower.

The supreme Dao sound flowed through this space, causing the heavens and earth to tremble and all Daos to resonate in harmony.

Outside the lotus platform, nebulae descended, and the river of time flowed around, as if welcoming the birth of a supreme being.

An immense pressure emanated from her, and although it had not reached the true realm of an Immortal Emperor, it had already surpassed that of an Immortal King.

"Has the sect leader broken through?" Ming Wushuang's eyes widened, filled with astonishment.

The scene was truly shocking. At this moment, Zhong Jiuli seemed to be the master of this world. Everyone had the feeling that he could easily annihilate them with just a thought.

Bai's eyes sparkled as he muttered softly, "My wife... she's become an Immortal Emperor?"

Zhong Jiuli opened her eyes, and deep within them flowed a river of time and space, witnessing the birth and death of all things. She looked at Bai Ye and smiled.

That laugh made everything in heaven and earth pale in comparison.

Bai felt a buzzing sound in her mind, and the whole world went silent. She didn't know if she was laughing or not; she felt like she was sitting on a cloud, floating, and even forgot to breathe.

Zhong Jiuli was amused by her silly appearance and laughed even harder. She nodded slightly to the crowd, and her figure turned into specks of light and disappeared from the spot.

The tribulation of a half-step Immortal Emperor is no small matter; she needs to find another void to face this life-or-death test alone.

Only after her figure disappeared did everyone breathe a sigh of relief, as if waking from a dream. The oppressive aura just now was so strong that no one dared to breathe.

They exchanged glances and saw the fighting spirit in each other's eyes. Sect Leader Zhong had already broken through first, and they didn't want to fall behind.

The space fell silent once more, and everyone closed their eyes, focused their minds, and began their cultivation.

......

I was so engrossed in my studies that I lost track of time; ten years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Bai also woke up from his meditation several times, and the first thing he would do was look towards the center of the lotus platform to see if Zhong Jiuli, who had gone out to undergo tribulation, had returned.

Seeing that she had not returned, she drooped her ears and ran to the spirit spring, gulping down a bellyful of spirit spring water until she was completely drunk. Then, shaking her head, she climbed back onto the lotus petal to continue her cultivation.

The others followed her example, and whenever their spirits were weary and their progress was slow, they would take a handful of the spiritual spring water and drink it.

The spring water not only instantly restores energy, but also contains powerful immortal energy, which can help these Mahayana cultivators better comprehend the Great Dao.

Through such tireless and relentless practice day and night, everyone's cultivation level improved.

Bai Ye's progress was even more terrifying, breaking through all the way to the peak of the Mahayana stage, making him an unparalleled figure among many geniuses.

This incredible speed was due to two factors: firstly, the abundant spiritual energy within the secret realm, and secondly, the Dao Seed condensed by the White Tiger Immortal Emperor within his body.

What is a difficult path of cultivation for others is like running on a smooth road for Bai Ye. As long as he runs fast enough, he can keep reaching higher realms.

Everyone is racing against time in this secret realm, but unfortunately, time is running out for Kyushu.

......

The Void Demon Realm, deep within the Ancient Mountains.

This is an absolute forbidden area for the Void Demon Clan. Even the Demon Emperor dares not set foot here casually, because this place is the slumbering place of the ancient ancestors of the Demon Clan.

The entire mountain range is piled with the skeletons of countless demonic beasts, stretching for millions of miles. Each skeleton was at least a terrifying being at the half-step Demon Emperor realm in life, and the remains still retain the Dao patterns of laws.

These mountain-like skeletons, piled together, exuded a pressure powerful enough to distort space and time. If an ordinary low-level demonic beast were to arrive here, its body and soul would be crushed by this terrifying pressure before it even reached the edge of the mountain range.

At the very heart of the mountain range, a dark red blood lake, like the heart of a colossal beast, slowly flows with viscous blood. This blood lake has existed for countless ages, and it still boils and churns, with ferocious beast shadows occasionally struggling to emerge from its depths, emitting silent roars.

Deep within the Blood Lake, a skeleton slowly awoke, and two clusters of soul fire lit up in its empty eye sockets.

The moment the ancient corpse awoke, the entire blood lake began to boil, with countless phantom beasts bursting from the surface and roaring at the heavens and earth, creating an extremely terrifying scene.

The ancient remains themselves looked extremely ordinary. They wore a tattered bronze armor, and on their hairless head was a broken crown. In their bony hands they held a rusty bronze sword.

"What is it?"

An old, hoarse voice rang out, each word causing the Great Dao to hum and the entire ancient mountain range to tremble.

Outside the mountain range, the three demon emperors bowed in unison, saying, "Welcome, Ancient Ancestor. We have been blocked by the Candle Dragon and have been unable to enter the Nine Provinces for a long time. The spatial passage that we finally opened has also been sealed. We earnestly request the Ancient Ancestor to lend us your assistance."

"Zhulong, a remnant of ancient times...? He's still alive?"

The Shadow Demon Emperor hurriedly reported, "That Candle Dragon has touched the origin of the Dao of Time and Space. Our cultivation levels are similar to hers, and even if we join forces, we cannot defeat her."

Upon hearing this, the bronze skeleton raised its skeletal hand and gently tapped the void.

In an instant, the entire sky became transparent, and the image of the Sea of ​​Nothingness appeared on the sky.

Zhong Jiuli, who was meditating with her eyes closed, seemed to sense something and looked up.

Two gazes pierced through the endless void and collided.

The soul fire in the eye sockets of the bronze skeleton flickered slightly, and the terrifying pressure of an unparalleled being transformed into a raging torrent, tearing through the void and crushing towards Zhong Jiuli, who was far away in the Sea of ​​Nothingness.

Zhong Jiuli's eyes narrowed slightly, and she made a sweeping motion with her hands in front of her, creating a wheel engraved with time and space patterns.

With a flick of her finger, the wheel spun, and countless laws moved in response. She did not choose to withstand it head-on, but instead used the wheel of time and space as a guide to direct the spiritual impact, powerful enough to crush stars, into the turbulent flow of time and space.

"You do have some tricks up your sleeve."

The bronze skeleton remained calm and unconcerned, having failed to defeat this junior with a single blow.

The next moment, its eyes shone brightly with soul light, piercing through eternity and locking onto the Kunxu Jade Bottle hidden deep within the river of time.

The world of the Nine Provinces, hidden within the jade bottle, and the countless living beings, were all exposed before it.

It chuckled cryptically, "There are quite a few people here. After sleeping for so long, it's time for them to eat."

Upon hearing this, the three demon emperors were overjoyed and said, "Congratulations on the Ancient Ancestor's emergence from seclusion. With the Ancient Ancestor personally leading the expedition, all living beings in the Nine Provinces will surely submit to the Ancient Ancestor's divine might."

The blood lake began to boil violently, and the wails of countless vengeful spirits resounded throughout the heavens and earth. The bronze skeleton rose up, and at this moment, the entire Void Demon Realm trembled.

......

The Sea of ​​Nothingness.

Zhong Jiuli sat cross-legged, holding a small jade bottle in her pale palm.

The world within the bottle was clearly visible, depicting the mountains and rivers of the Nine Provinces, with wisps of smoke rising from chimneys. Cultivators were diligently cultivating within their sects, while mortals lived peacefully and contentedly in the marketplace, completely unaware of the impending calamity.

Her gaze lingered on this land that had been protected for millions of years.

In the end, it still came to this.

She slowly closed her fingers, gathering the Kunxu Jade Bottle in her palm. Having already enlisted the help of an ancient ancestor, hiding this item in the river of time was no longer meaningful.

......

The once silent sea of ​​nothingness has become lively again.

The demon army returned with renewed force, countless surging demonic figures appearing and disappearing in the gray mist, and colossal beasts, as large as mountains, trampled the wreckage of stars, letting out earth-shattering roars.

The ancient creatures that once lived in this desolate land now fled in terror, as if they had foreseen the coming of the end times.

In the center of this massive army of billions of demons, a figure in white sat serenely as before.

Zhong Jiuli lowered her eyes, her hair and clothes swaying slightly. She created a world of her own within a ten-foot radius, isolating herself from the noise outside. The small jade bottle lay quietly in her palm.

This simple white hand holds countless lives.

The three demon emperors surrounded her in a pincer movement, their imperial might radiating outwards and their killing intent soaring to the heavens.

"Even now, you still dare to put on airs like this!" The old ape was short-tempered and roared to the sky. It had been injured by Zhong Jiuli and its resentment towards her had reached its peak.

Its body swelled up dramatically, revealing its true form, a giant ape with three heads and six arms, surrounded by dark, malevolent energy. Its black fur stood on end, resembling halberds.

With a sudden, muscular thrust, he casually grabbed a few stars from beyond the realm and hurled them at Zhong Jiuli.

Zhong Jiuli didn't even lift her eyelids, and those few stars, powerful enough to shatter a great world, froze in mid-air, unable to get even a fraction closer to her.

But this attack was just an appetizer.

The old ape moved all six arms at once, its fists tearing through the sky, its star-shaped staff shattering the heavens, and its giant palms covering the sky and the sun. Each strike contained the power to shatter the entire world, bombarding the white-clad figure from all directions.

Almost simultaneously, the other two demon emperors also unleashed their killing moves.

The Shadow Demon Emperor's figure dispersed, transforming into a black shadow that covered the star field. From within the shadow, countless twisted and venomous creatures shrieked, emitting curses that struck straight at the soul, pointing directly into the depths of Zhong Jiuli's sea of ​​consciousness.

The demon mountain opened a gaping maw like an abyss, unleashing its innate divine power to devour all things in heaven and earth.

A massive vortex formed above Zhong Jiuli's head, and a terrifying suction force emanated from above. This pressure was not only directed at her, but also aimed at refining her along with the bottle.

Three deadly moves, sealing the heavens and earth. More importantly, these three demon emperors are all supreme experts of the Void Clan. The moment they made their move, their attacks had already crossed the entire battlefield and arrived in front of the enemy.

Anyone facing the combined might of these three demon emperors would be terrified and unable to muster any thought of resistance.

However, this person was Zhong Jiuli, the last protector of Kyushu, and she had nowhere to retreat.

She raised her jade-like hand, pointed her fingers like a sword, and gently slashed at the empty space in front of her.

"laugh!"

A faint ripping sound seemed to echo in the void, like the sound of cloth being torn.

As she lightly traced a line with her fingertips, the entire sea of ​​nothingness seemed to be divided into several pieces, and time and space became disordered in this place.

When the old ape's iron fist and star-studded staff fell, it was as if he had struck into a time and space from eternity ago, and all the power vanished into nothingness in the river of time.

The Shadow Demon Emperor's attacks, which directly struck the soul, fell into the spatial-temporal turbulence and were thrown into some unknown era.

The gaping maw of the Demon Mountain sucked in countless demon soldiers who couldn't dodge in time, turning them into a rain of blood in the vortex.

With a flick of his finger, the combined killing blow of the three demon emperors was completely neutralized.

It's understated, yet effortless.

Zhong Jiuli held the jade bottle in her hand and slowly rose, her clothes perfectly in place. She looked up at the three demon emperors, whose faces were grim, and said, "If you have no other options, you can summon your ancient ancestors."

The three demon emperors were both shocked and furious; they were truly helpless against this Candle Dragon. Every time, no matter what supernatural powers they used, she would easily block them.

The feeling of punching cotton is utterly powerless.

"Stop being so arrogant!" the old ape roared, his blood and qi surging, and his giant palm condensed again, bringing down with the power to shatter galaxies.

Zhong Jiuli swung her hand back, her large, silvery-white palm lightly meeting the attack.

Bang!

The old ape's devastating palm strike instantly dissolved upon colliding with Zhong Jiuli's hand. The old ape's arm exploded into a bloody mist, and its massive body flew backward, crashing into and killing countless members of the demon army before finally stopping.

A single blow severely injured a demon emperor.

Zhong Jiuli withdrew her palm and stood up, her white robes fluttering in the wind. She raised her eyes and looked into the deepest part of the Void Sea, asking calmly, "You've been watching for so long, aren't you going to make a move? Could it be that your old bones are no longer useful?"

As soon as she finished speaking, an indescribable terror spread through the void.

Click! Clang!

A crisp sound, like ice shattering or metal clashing, echoed from the depths of the void. The sound seemed to come from eternity ago, carrying a chilling aura that sent shivers down one's spine.

Amidst the fervent gazes of the entire demon army, a skeleton clad in tattered bronze armor emerged from the void.

With each step it took, the void cracked, and dark fissures appeared in this space.

The three demon emperors and their massive army knelt down in unison with a "crack" sound, welcoming the arrival of their supreme being with the utmost piety and fervor.

The soul fire deep within the eye sockets of the bronze skeleton flickered slowly as it gazed at Zhong Jiuli. "You are quite good. Are you willing to submit? In the Void Demon Realm, you will be... second only to one person."

Zhong Jiuli scoffed, her gaze sweeping over the bronze skeleton from head to toe, and sneered, "You? A human?"

"presumptuous!"

The soul fire in the bronze skeleton's eyes surged, and its skeletal hand raised the rusty bronze sword. Before the sword could fall, the world seemed to freeze.

The opponent's sword did not fall, but Zhong Jiuli seemed to have already seen the power of that sword. She formed hand seals and fully activated her cultivation technique.

boom!

A silvery light shot into the sky, transforming behind her into a timeless river that stretched across eternity. The river surged, its waves crashing high.

Within each wave, the figure of an early inhabitant is hidden. At this moment, all of them leap out.

Among those people were ancient ancestors clad in animal skins and wielding stone axes, as well as ancient war gods who rode bronze chariots. These were all outstanding and powerful individuals who left their mark on a certain era.

At this moment, they were summoned by Zhong Jiuli with supreme divine power, transforming into streaks of light that charged forward fearlessly.

"Innocent."

The bronze skeleton let out a low whistle, gripped the rusty bronze sword tightly, and slashed down towards the river of time.

When this sword struck, the world lost its color.

The sword light, carrying an indescribable power, pierced through the void, dispersing the gray mist wherever it passed, as if the entire universe was about to be cleaved in two by this single sword strike.

The figure leaping from the river of time, an ancient war god wielding a stone axe, dissipated before even touching the sword light. Immediately following was the ancient spirit riding a chariot.

These phantoms, bearing the most glorious imprint of a certain era, rushed one after another toward the sword light, like moths to a flame.

One figure after another disintegrated, and with each disappearance, the power of the sword light diminished.

When all those imprints of time and space disappeared, the earth-shattering sword light finally drew near.

Zhong Jiuli stood above the river of time, her white robes fluttering in the raging sword energy. Behind her lay the endless flow of time, and before her stood a sword sharp enough to slay an Immortal Emperor.