As the sun sets, it paints half the sky red.
On the land of Cangxuan Realm, the stench of blood and spiritual energy intertwined, yet a faint aura of new life was revealed—the spiritual energy lost from the Nourishing Realm Array was quietly nourishing this war-torn land.
Xiao Chen, Jiang Li, and Shi Tou stood in the setting sun, their shadows stretched long. They knew that this victory was not the end, but a new beginning.
The threat from the upper realms remains, and the path of cultivation is still long.
But this time, their eyes showed only determination, not fear.
As the smoke cleared, the last rays of the setting sun shone on the ravaged battlefield, and the stench of blood was gradually diluted by the fresh scent of grass and trees.
The surviving cultivators collapsed to the ground, gazing at the "World-Nourishing Array" that had trapped the Upper Realm Lord, and finally breathed a long sigh of relief—this great battle concerning the survival of the world was finally over.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the four regions of the Cangxuan Realm at an astonishing speed.
"We won! We defeated the beings from the upper realm!"
"I heard that Senior Lin killed the Upper Realm Domain Lord with a flick of his finger and sealed up the rest, using their spiritual power to nourish our spiritual veins!"
"The cultivators of the Alliance are too powerful! Xiao Chen broke through to the Tribulation Transcending Realm and killed three Upper Realm Dao Inquiry Realm cultivators with a single spear thrust!"
In teahouses and taverns, storytellers recounted the details of the battlefield with great enthusiasm, while the audience gasped in surprise and slapped their hands on the table, their eyes sparkling with the relief of surviving a calamity and reverence for the heroes.
The forces involved in this battle were overjoyed—not only had they protected their homes, but they could also share spiritual energy from the "Nurturing Realm Array" and gain an advantage in subsequent resource allocation. This benefit was enough to make their sects prosper for a hundred years.
In contrast, there were those forces that had initially chosen to remain secluded and refuse to participate in the war.
In a secret chamber of a powerful family in the Central Region, the patriarch stared at the message on the communication talisman, his face ashen: "It's over...it's really over..."
He recalled Qian Gan's warning before the war—"If we win this war, the Alliance will hold those who refuse to fight accountable"—which he had taken as mere intimidation at the time, but now it had become a death knell.
In the main hall of a sect in the Southern Region, the elders were arguing incessantly: "We should have listened to Alliance Leader Qian! What are we doing now? The alliance members are probably already on their way!"
"What else can we do? Run!"
"Where can we escape to? Is there anywhere in the entire Cangxuan Realm that the Alliance wouldn't dare to go?"
Regret and fear became the dominant themes for these forces.
The order to clean up was personally issued by Qian Gan.
"Issue my order: the allied forces of the four regions shall divide their troops to wipe out the rebellious forces that refuse to participate in the war. Anyone who colludes with the enemy or stays indoors during the war shall be eliminated without exception, leaving no future trouble!"
Upon receiving the order, the allied forces of the four regions moved swiftly to their respective locations like blades drawn from their sheaths. The first to bear the brunt was the Purple Extreme Pavilion of the Central Region.
On the eve of this battle, Ziji Pavilion not only refused to participate, but its leader also publicly declared that "fighting against the Upper Realm is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, so it is better to surrender early," which caused many forces to waver and can be regarded as a typical example of "rebellion."
Outside the gates of Ziji Pavilion, Gui You stood with his hands behind his back, black mist slowly swirling around him; Zhao Wu of the Three Saints Sect stood to the side, spear in hand, his righteous aura as sharp as frost. The allied forces had completely surrounded the gates, the dark mass of cultivators arrayed in neat rows, exuding a murderous aura.
"Listen up, people of the Purple Extreme Pavilion! Open the gates and surrender, and we'll guarantee you a whole corpse!" the allied general shouted.
The mountain gate was silent, except for the ever-growing light of the protective array—the Purple Extreme Pavilion had chosen to resist.
"Stubborn fools." Gui You sneered and said to the cultivators behind him, "Break the formation."
Dozens of cultivators at the Tribulation Transcending Realm attacked simultaneously, their spiritual power coalescing into a giant axe that slammed into the array's light barrier.
The protective array of Ziji Pavilion was not top-notch to begin with, and it was only presided over by a Dao Inquiry Realm expert. The light screen trembled violently and cracks appeared quickly.
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, the great formation shattered, and the allied forces surged into the mountain gate like a tidal wave.
Although the cultivators of the Purple Extreme Pavilion fought desperately, they were no match for the allied forces that had experienced the baptism of war.
Screams and the clash of weapons rose and fell. In less than an hour, the once powerful Ziji Pavilion was completely razed to the ground.
When Gui You and Zhao Wu stepped into the main hall of the Ziji Pavilion, it had already turned into a sea of fire. The former plaque "Ziji Pavilion" crackled in the flames and eventually turned to ashes.
"Clean it up, leave no survivors." Gui You left these words behind and turned to leave.
Similar scenes were playing out all over the Cangxuan Realm.
Some sects resisted stubbornly, only to be wiped out; some noble families offered treasures to beg for mercy, but were still stripped of their cultivation and expelled from the sect; and some even tried to escape, only to be caught up by the allied forces and killed.
The purge, though brutal, thoroughly eliminated the internal threats within the Cangxuan Realm. After this battle, the alliance's authority was firmly established, and no one in the four regions dared to disobey it.
The pills from the Dan Ding Sect were sent into the allied forces' camp like a flowing river. The wounded recovered quickly under the nourishment of the elixirs, broken bones regenerated, and injuries healed. The wounds on the battlefield receded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Xiao Chen, Jiang Li, and Shi Tou became the most talked-about figures after the battle.
Wherever you go, people will respectfully bow and call out "Senior Xiao", "Senior Jiang", or "Senior Shi".
At the victory celebration banquet in the Southern Region, Ancestor Pan Shi personally poured wine for Xiao Chen, speaking with humility: "Young friend Xiao, you have such strength at such a young age. Your future achievements will surely far surpass ours."
In the Chamber of Commerce in the Central Region, Qian Duoduo grabbed Shi Tou's arm and enthusiastically introduced, "Brother Shi, this is Xuan Iron that flowed down from the Upper Realm. It's three times harder than the one in our Cangxuan Realm. How about we make you a new suit of armor?"
In the Eastern Region, the leader of the Green Wood Alliance personally accompanied Jiang Li to visit the ancient tree and asked him for advice on swordsmanship: "Young friend Jiang's sword intent is agile and ever-changing, and I have benefited greatly from it."
Once unknown figures, they are now honored guests in the Cangxuan Realm. This is not only because of their bravery on the battlefield, but also because behind them stands Lin Zhou, who "shattered the path to enlightenment with a flick of his finger".
No one knew Lin Zhou's exact cultivation level, only that he was terrifyingly strong and the guardian deity of the Cangxuan Realm. As Lin Zhou's disciples, Xiao Chen and his two companions were naturally treated with utmost respect and deference by various forces, and dared not show the slightest negligence.
On this day, Xiao Chen and his two companions stood atop the Hidden Dao Mountain, gazing down at the Cangxuan Realm, which was gradually regaining its vitality, filled with emotion.
"I never expected it to turn out like this," Jiang Li said softly, her red dress fluttering gently in the wind.
Shi Tou scratched his head: "Everyone is being too nice to us, it's a little hard to get used to."
Xiao Chen gripped the rusty iron spear, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. He knew that this reverence didn't belong entirely to them; it was more of awe for their master. And the road ahead of them was still long.
"Become stronger," Xiao Chen said softly. "One day, we will rely on our own strength to protect this world."
Jiang Li and Shi Tou exchanged a glance, their eyes flashing with the same determination.
A mountain breeze blows, carrying the scent of distant lands. The rebirth of the Cangxuan Realm has only just begun.
(Thank you so much everyone, please give me a gift and a five-star review, thank you all.)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com