Chapter 178: Prelude to the Decisive Battle, the Land of Falling Stars
The Bone-Eroding Venerable was annihilated, the sinister blood sacrifice of Black Nightmare City utterly interrupted, and the demonic forces entrenched there were leaderless. Under Qin Yixuan's purifying light, like the Milky Way descending from the sky, the stubbornly resisting demons melted away like ice and snow, and the remaining demonic energy was completely purged. Though this ancient city, ravaged by vicissitudes and soaked in blood and tears, was now shattered and devastated, it had finally dispelled the suffocating, mind-bending demonic aura, leaving behind a faint but precious ray of hope for reconstruction, like a touch of green struggling to emerge from the ruins.
However, before Ye Li and Qin Yixuan had a chance to calm down and carefully sort out and analyze the shocking information that was enough to subvert their cognition, which was obtained from the shattered memory of the Bone Erosion Venerable, about the secret contact between the Temple and the top leaders of the Demon Abyss, a communication symbol with the highest level emergency mark of the Youge and the runes on the surface that were almost burning, suddenly tore through the void and hovered precisely in front of Ye Li with a shrill scream.
Runes swirled on the talisman, and the light flashed rapidly. There were only a few words, but each word seemed to contain a tremendous weight, hitting the hearts of the two people hard:
"Urgent! The main forces of the Holy Temple and the Demonic Abyss are moving on an unprecedented scale! They have now gathered at the 'Starfall Plain' in the western border of Zhongzhou. Based on cross-validation of intelligence from multiple sources, their target is highly suspected to be fragments of the 'World Core' left behind from ancient times! The two sides are in a standoff, and a decisive battle is imminent! This is a matter of life and death for the spiritual world. Request the Pavilion Master and Xuannv to return quickly and make a decision! — Sun Xiaohou's urgent and tearful submission."
Fragments of the "core"!
Ye Li and Qin Yixuan's eyes met instantly, each witnessing an unprecedented solemnity and awe in the other's deep eyes. The Realm Core—that was no ordinary celestial treasure, but rather the core of a world woven through countless ages, its fundamental laws condensed and interwoven to a point where they were even beginning to nurture the vague essence of a world's will! Contained within it was an unimaginable, vast energy capable of creating the universe, as well as the mysteries of laws that pointed directly to the very origins of the Great Dao! Even a mere fragment held such value that it would drive any power or any powerful being madly infatuated! Controlling it would not only instantly enhance the controller's power, but also allow them to influence, interfere with, and even, within a certain range, manipulate the fundamental laws of the spiritual world! Its strategic significance was truly decisive for both sides mired in the Holy Demon War!
The Falling Star Plain, situated at the junction of the vast Zhongzhou of the Spirit Realm and the desolate Western Desert, is an ancient wasteland shrouded in countless legends and taboos. Legend has it that in ancient times, too distant to be traced, a giant star imbued with incredible power crashed here. Its core fragments violently collided and strangely fused with the essence of the Spirit Realm, creating this unique and chaotic environment and burying countless relics that hold ancient secrets. The spatial structure there is as fragile as glass, the laws of heaven and earth are in chaos, and energy storms are frequent, making ordinary cultivators dare not venture into it. Now, it seems that the ancient legend is not groundless. The core of that fallen "giant star" is very likely the fragment of the "realm core" that has shaken the world!
The main forces of the Temple and the Demon Abyss have come out in full force for this thing and gathered here. Their purpose is obvious - everyone is eager to firmly control this supreme thing in their own hands, which is enough to completely change the current situation of the war and even determine the fate of the spiritual world for billions of years to come!
"We must stop them! No matter what!" Qin Yixuan's beautiful face was covered with a layer of frost. Her tone was as firm as iron, and there was no room for doubt. "Whether the rigid and cold order of the Temple obtains the fragments of the core, or the all-destructive chaos of the Demon Abyss pollutes it, it will be an unbearable disaster for the billions of creatures in the spiritual world! The Temple will use it as the foundation to build an even more solid and suffocating 'cage of order', turning all living things into puppets under their dogma; and the Demon Abyss will use it as a fuse to accelerate the corruption and collapse of the essence of the spiritual world, dragging this vibrant land into the abyss of eternal darkness!"
Ye Li nodded slowly, her black robes fluttering slightly in the turbulent air currents. Her eyes were so sharp that they seemed to be able to cut through the void. "Not only that. The environment of the Starfall Origin itself is extremely special and unstable. The main forces of both sides have come out in full force, and there are powerful people everywhere. If a decisive battle were to be launched there without any scruples, the energy storm it would trigger would be enough to tear apart the already fragile spatial structure, causing the vast area centered on the Starfall Origin to be completely annihilated and transformed into absolute nothingness! Even more terrifying is that this level of spatial collapse is very likely to cause a chain reaction, like toppling dominoes, shaking or even destroying the spatial structure of the entire spiritual world! By then, the resulting devastation and disruption of civilization will far exceed any war we have experienced before!"
They instantly reached a consensus, their eyes meeting without further words. This planetary fallout wasn't just about fighting for the crucial fragments of the World Core; it was also about preventing a catastrophe that could lead to the collapse of the spiritual world's very foundations, wiping out countless lives! They must do their utmost to contain this impending, devastating battle to the minimum possible extent, and do everything in their power to prevent the World Core fragments from falling into the hands of either side.
Without any delay, the spatial laws around the two of them rippled, their figures blurred in an instant, and they rushed back towards the direction of Xuanyun Sect at a speed faster than the flow of light.
The Xuanyun Sect, now devoid of its former peaceful celestial atmosphere, was now filled with a solemn and tense atmosphere, like a fully drawn bowstring. The Youge's vast and efficient intelligence network was operating at full capacity, countless channels, both overt and covert, channeling information from all corners of the spiritual world like rivers flowing into the sea. After layers of screening, analysis, and verification, the most crucial intelligence was finally extracted. Within the main hall, the cultivators in charge of intelligence hurried along, their faces solemn. The air was filled with a sense of oppression, a sense of impending storm.
Intelligence indicates that the Temple, led by three Cardinal Archbishops of unfathomable power and esteemed status within the Temple, has dispatched its absolute main force, including the "Holy Tribunal," directly under the Temple Master and known for its purifying power of all heretics, and the "Knights of the Light of Order," symbolizing the pinnacle of the Temple's military might and its strict discipline. Even more alarming, secret reports have surfaced that even several of the legendary ascetics, known for their years of seclusion in the Holy Light Realm, detached from the world and possessing unfathomable strength, have emerged to join the army!
The Demonic Abyss also threw its all-out effort. At least five notorious demon lords, each possessing uncanny powers, had confirmed their arrival. Their demonic armies resembled a boundless black tide, mingling with terrifying creatures left over from the ancient demon wars, nourished by demonic energy for millennia. These massive, low-intelligence creatures possessed combat power comparable to that of a Saint Realm. Both sides deployed their forces on either side of the Falling Star Plain, their camps stretching for thousands of miles. A murderous aura permeated the air, tensions reached a fever pitch, and a war was imminent. It seemed as if a single spark could detonate this powder keg of accumulated hatred and desire.
Upon hearing the news of Ye Li and Qin Yixuan's timely return, Mr. Mu Yun, Palace Master Yaoguang, Sun Xiaohou, and the core representatives and sect elders of the major affiliated forces in the alliance, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately gathered in the Qingtian Palace, which symbolizes the core of power.
The atmosphere in the hall was so solemn that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone's eyes were focused on Ye Li and Qin Yixuan who had just stepped into the hall.
"The situation is critical. We cannot afford any hesitation or delay." Ye Li set the tone without any unnecessary greetings or opening remarks. His cold voice echoed in the silent hall, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness. "Xuan Nu and I will immediately go to the Falling Star Plain. Our primary purpose is not to fight for the Realm Core Fragment, but to, first, do our utmost to prevent it from falling into the hands of either the Holy Temple or the Demonic Abyss; second, to control and quell the war as much as possible, minimizing the damage caused to the Spirit Realm by this decisive battle and avoiding irreversible catastrophic consequences."
Her deep gaze slowly swept over the solemn faces of each ally present, and she continued, "The Alliance needs to immediately dispatch its most elite forces. But it must be made clear that our primary mission is not to directly intervene in the decisive battle between the Holy and Demonic factions—that is beyond our current capabilities. Our elite forces' mission is to establish a solid defense line at key peripheral nodes, evacuate any living beings in areas potentially affected by the conflict, and respond to any chaos and secondary disasters that may result. At the same time, we must demonstrate the existence, resolve, and strength of our 'Balanced Symbiotic Faction' to the entire spirit world!"
"We will obey the command of the Holy Land!" Everyone in the hall, regardless of seniority or strength, responded with a chorus of emotion, their voices coalescing into a torrent of resolve. No one questioned this decision. Everyone understood with unwavering clarity that the battle for the Falling Star Plain was no longer a simple struggle for resources; it was a pivotal battle that would determine the future of the spirit world, a head-on clash between the three paths of light, darkness, and balance.
The order was as strong as a mountain, and it was passed down quickly and efficiently. Within the Youge, the most elite "Shadow Guards" who excelled in lurking, spying, sniping, and special operations, as well as the "Patrol Envoys" who were responsible for patrolling the four directions and handling emergencies, had all their leave and tasks cancelled and assembled immediately. They were led by the now independent and calmer Sun Xiaohou. The Jiuxiao Palace sent the "Starlight Envoys" team, who were famous for their expertise in arranging various large-scale formations, stabilizing space, and purifying evil energy. They were the ones who stabilized the battlefield. , an important guarantee to reduce damage; Xuanyun Sect is led by the highly respected Mr. Muyun who personally sits at the center to coordinate the overall situation, and at the same time sends the core elders and true disciples with the deepest cultivation and the richest experience in the sect; in addition, other forces of all sizes in the alliance also know the truth that the lips and teeth are cold, and they have drawn out their most powerful masters and elites at all costs to form a coalition force that may not be as large as the Saint and Demon sides, but with high morale and firm belief, fighting to protect their common home!
There was no time for a grand and lengthy oath-taking ceremony, nor was there any impassioned pre-war mobilization. Under the calm yet powerful gazes of Ye Li and Qin Yixuan, this force, carrying the hopes of countless beings from the "third camp" of the spiritual world, transformed into streams of light of varying colors, yet equally resolute, like a retrograde meteor shower, rushing unhesitatingly towards the distant and perilous Starfall Field.
The closer one approaches the area where the Starfall Field lies, the more bizarre and unsettling the surrounding environment becomes. The once clear sky now takes on a sickly, unnatural crimson hue, as if stained by the foul blood of some invisible beast, tinged with an unholy presence. The spiritual energy between heaven and earth is no longer gentle and peaceful, but has become violent and chaotic, at times thick and viscous like liquid, at others thin and barren like a desert. The violent fluctuations of energy make it extremely difficult for ordinary cultivators to even maintain their mana. The spatial structure is shockingly fragile. Everywhere one looks, tiny cracks in space can be seen, flashing like black lightning. They emit a terrifying suction that threatens to devour anything that comes near. Vegetation has long since vanished, leaving the landscape desolate and desolate. Everywhere one looks, there are bottomless craters, suspected to have been formed by ancient impacts, and countless twisted and deformed rocks that gleam with a cold, metallic sheen, creating a deadly and eerie landscape.
When the alliance forces finally arrived at the outer area of the Falling Star Plain and saw the scene clearly, even Ye Li and Qin Yixiuan, who had been prepared for a long time, were shocked, not to mention those alliance monks who saw such a scene for the first time. Many of them turned pale and gasped.
The vast, desolate and silent Starfall Field seemed to have turned into a stage for the collision of two completely different but equally terrifying worlds.
To the east lay the Temple's camp. Pure white tents, inscribed with countless sacred runes, rose and fell like a snowy mountain, appearing from thin air. They emanated a gentle, pure, yet cold, aura of order that could not be questioned or violated. Hundreds of thousands of Knights of Light, clad in gleaming mithril armor etched with holy runes, wielded sharp spears and massive shields. They formed a vast, meticulously coordinated battle formation. From afar, the scene resembled a boundless, living steel jungle, a murderous aura reaching the heavens. In the sky, dozens of massive, ornate, and ancient-looking ships, forged entirely from sacred trees and rare metals, hovered silently. Their figureheads resembled angels, wings flapping, their faces blurred but imposing, like majestic angels. Like moving fortresses, they cast vast shadows, their flailing rune-emblazoned cannon muzzles radiating a frightening surge of energy. In the very center of the camp, three figures were like three shrunken, burning pure white suns, emitting a vast ocean-like divine power of order that seemed to be connected to the will of the entire Temple Legion. The pressure was so strong that the sky in that area appeared a strange, almost solidified pure white - they were the supreme commanders of the Temple Army, three powerful cardinals!
To the west lay the demonic abyss's army, a nightmare incarnate. There lay a sea of demonic energy, a thick, swirling, seething black aura that seemed to possess a life of its own, constantly twisting and morphing into hideous and terrifying illusions. Countless grotesque monsters, creatures only conceived from the deepest nightmares, crawled, squirmed, and roared. Their forms varied: some multi-eyed and multi-legged, some covered in bone spurs, others a mere mass of writhing shadows or flesh. Together, they formed a chaotic, terrifying front radiating a primal, brutal aura. Even more terrifying were the war beasts, like moving mountains, forcibly constructed from the bones of countless living beings and the twitching flesh. Every step they took shook the earth, and from their mouths spewed no more breath but a dark green or pale suffocating breath that could corrode metal and stone and annihilate spiritual energy. In the deepest depths of the swirling demonic clouds, five figures of varying shapes loomed, some as massive as mountains, some as treacherous as shadows, and some as twisted as snakes. Despite their diverse forms, they all exuded a suffocating, terrifying demonic might that seemed to emanate from the very depths of the Nine Netherworlds. These were none other than the five great demon lords dispatched from the Demonic Abyss! Their auras were closely connected with the boundless demonic army below, their demonic thoughts intertwined, transforming into a tangible realm of chaos that continuously eroded the laws of reality. This formed a stark opposition and counterpoint to the pure and cold radiance of order from the Eastern Holy Temple!
Between the two camps, a core region of utterly chaotic energy distorted and folded space like a shattered mirror, revealing countless bizarre shadows. The earth there had long since lost its soil form, revealing a strange, crystallized state, as if forcibly fused together by countless multicolored crystals, fragile and dangerous. At the very center of this region, a faint, yet incredibly pure, emerald green light, seemingly imbued with the mysteries of the world's primordial vitality and origin, flickered tenaciously and faintly within a naturally formed barrier of runes so complex it transcended mortal comprehension. That was the fragment of the "realm core" that had drawn the two giants, the Temple and the Demonic Abyss, to their utmost resolve and determination!
The atmosphere of a decisive battle was intense and oppressive to the extreme, filling every inch of the air in the Falling Star Plain, so heavy that it was almost impossible to breathe. It seemed as if only a tiny provocation, an unintentional misfire of a spell, or even an overly loud shout would be enough to completely and utterly detonate this massive powder keg of accumulated hatred, greed, and destructive desire, dragging everything into an abyss of no return!
Ye Li and Qin Yixuan led the coalition forces to a halt at a relatively high, heavily weathered rock formation, some distance from the main Holy and Demonic camps, avoiding the dangerous core area. Their presence was like dropping a pebble into a calm (but turbulent) lake, immediately drawing the attention of both the Holy Temple and the Demonic Abyss's high-ranking officials.
In an instant, countless gazes, some as cold as ten-thousand-year-old black ice, some scrutinizing like an eagle locking onto an enemy, some curiously sizing up this "third party" that suddenly intervened, and some containing a subtle fear and hostility towards unknown variables, were like tangible searchlights that instantly crossed the space and focused on this coalition with clear-cut banners and auras different from those of the saints and demons, especially on Ye Li and Qin Yixiuan who were leading them.
However, unlike the completely consistent and naked hostility that was expected, Ye Li, with his extremely mysterious and extremely keen perception of the emotions and causal lines of living beings in the Sanctuary of Samsara, clearly captured that within the seemingly solid camps of both sides, there were actually some strange and complex emotional fluctuations.
Amidst the solemn, rigorous, pure-white formations of the Temple, seemingly cast from a single mold, she sensed a few gazes directed at her that weren't simply hostile or repulsive. The elderly men standing silently behind the three cardinals, clad in simple, washed-out ascetic robes, clutching ancient rosaries, their faces impassive, seemed to conceal, beyond their unwavering commitment to the "order" they believed in, a hint of... inexplicable fatigue, and perhaps even unconscious doubts and uneasiness about the increasingly extreme and inhumane purification practices of the Temple. Even one of the old monks, who was holding a seemingly ordinary wooden staff and whose aura seemed a bit gentler than the others, blinked his old eyes almost imperceptibly when his eyes made extremely brief contact with Ye Li in the air. The amplitude was so slight that it was almost non-existent, but Ye Li clearly sensed that it was not hostility, but an extremely complex emotion that seemed to contain some kind of apology and helplessness that was difficult to express, and... a hint of implicit expectation for some kind of change.
Within the chaotic, tyrannical Demon Abyss, filled with chaotic roars and mad will, the situation was even more bizarre and unpredictable. Not all Demon Lords reacted to their "uninvited guests" with undisguised, naked murderous intent, eager to tear them apart and devour them immediately. One Demon Lord, shrouded in a constantly twisting, shifting shadow, possessed an aura more inclined toward cunning, calculation, and mental manipulation than pure physical destruction. His veiled gaze swept over the coalition forces, particularly resting on Ye Li and Qin Yixuan. It carried a calm, almost cold, assessment and weighing of factors, like a shrewd businessman calculating the benefits and risks of this new batch of "cargo," rather than simply viewing them as enemies to be eliminated. Even with the mysterious perception of the power of reincarnation, Ye Li could vaguely sense that the interior of the Demon Abyss camp did not seem to be a monolithic entity, and undercurrents were surging. There were other deeper ideas and differences on how to deal with their suddenly emerging "third force", whether to work together to eliminate it, to drive it away and use it, or...
These extremely subtle but absolutely not to be ignored discoveries caused ripples in Ye Li's calm heart.
The warning the Star God had delivered across eons of time and space, exhausting his final strength—"Beware the darkness within the light, order can also become a yoke"—resurfaced with uncanny clarity in her mind. Indeed, not everyone within the temple blindly believed in and followed the rigid, exclusive, and individualistic absolute order! Beneath the radiant facade, dissenting voices existed, concealing an imperceptible undercurrent.
The alluring whispers from the Demon Abyss hinting at the existence of "fellow believers" within the Temple seemed to be more than just lies fabricated to sow discord. Within the Demon Abyss, it seemed, there existed a faction that wasn't solely focused on destruction, but rather on calculation, exploitation, and even the possibility of seeking "cooperation" under certain circumstances.
"It seems that the situation we are facing on this trip is far more complicated than we expected." Ye Li tilted his head slightly, and his cold voice echoed directly in Qin Yixuan's mind, "It's not outright hostility, but it's definitely not pure kindness either. This pool of water is even deeper than we see, and the undercurrent is turbulent."
Qin Yixuan's naturally flowing starlight rippled gently, invisibly dispelling and deflecting the countless gazes directed at her, each laden with various implications. Her beautiful face remained radiant with holiness and majesty. She replied in a voice transmission, "As expected. Ultimate order and ultimate chaos will inevitably produce internal conflict and reflection. But no matter what, our core goal remains unchanged. Prevent the fragments of the world core from falling into the hands of any extremes, and do our best to quell this war that could destroy the spirit world. If there are those willing to communicate and with good intentions, we will naturally open the door to dialogue; but if there are those who are determined to destroy and are stubborn and unyielding..."
She didn't finish her words, but the unquestionable and determined light shining from her beautiful eyes that seemed to carry the stars of eternity said it all.
Above the Falling Star Plain, three factions clash, their energies tug, collide, and test each other, forming an extremely delicate, fragile, and tense balance. A fateful storm, swirling across this ancient land, steeped in ancient secrets, reaches its climax, poised to erupt. Ye Li and Qin Yixuan, and the philosophy of "balanced symbiosis" they embody, become the greatest wild cards. Will they lead this devastating storm to utter collapse, or... offer a glimmer of hope? No one can predict. Only the wind whistling across the wasteland, reeking of sulfur and blood, speaks silently of the deadly silence before the storm.
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