Xiao Chen and his three companions were completely unaware of Lin Zhen's thoughts at this moment.
They listened silently to the discussion, each lost in their own thoughts. Xiao Chen pondered the strength of the five major sects, wondering if his master, Lin Zhou, could contend with them if he were here, since he had never seen his master go all out!
Jiang Li gripped her longsword tightly, a fighting spirit flashing in her eyes. No matter what the Xuanqiong Realm decided, she would stand shoulder to shoulder with her senior brother.
Su She pondered whether "righteous energy" could withstand the power of the five sects; Shi Tou, on the other hand, simply felt that the five major sects were too domineering, and if war broke out, he would definitely be at the forefront.
They were completely unaware of the frequent glances Lin Zhen cast at them, and even less aware that this strongest being in the Xuanqiong Realm had placed his hopes on their master, who was far away in another realm.
In the hall, the decision to fight to the death had been basically finalized. Lin Zhen took a deep breath.
He stood up, his voice filled with unprecedented determination: "Alright! Since everyone agrees to fight to the death, then let's prepare!"
"Within three days, we must integrate all available forces, strengthen our defenses, and find the weaknesses of the Five Sects! Even if we die, we will die standing, and we will never allow the Xuanqiong Realm to become a colony of others!"
"yes!"
The leaders of the various factions responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with a fearless determination.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, the sky above Sunlight City distorted, and five familiar figures appeared without warning.
Qi Lanzhi of Dingtian Sect, Silver-Armored Cultivator of Poyuan Sect, Giant Axe Expert of Zhanshen Sect, and Monk Robe Elder of Duanyue Sect
The Wuwei Sect cultivator with the folding fan maintained his aloof demeanor, but his aura was even more terrifying than it had been three days prior.
This time, their oppressive aura was no longer confined to Sunlight City, but spread like a tide to every corner of the Xuanqiong Realm.
The rogue cultivator who was practicing in the deep mountains suddenly opened his eyes, feeling the suffocating power, and crushed the spiritual herb in his hand.
The young disciples within the sect were forced to their knees, not even daring to look up; even in towns thousands of miles away, the people could feel the earth trembling, as if the world was about to collapse at any moment.
"What...what kind of power is this? It's terrifying!"
"It's the powerful figures from that day! They've arrived!"
Terrified whispers arose throughout the Xuanqiong Realm, and countless people gazed towards Sunlight City, their eyes filled with despair.
That power far exceeded their comprehension, as if it could crush the entire Xuanqiong Realm at any time if it so desired.
On the sunlit city walls, even cultivators at the Creation Realm couldn't help but grip their weapons tightly, their bodies trembling slightly—not out of fear.
Rather, it was because the oppressive aura was too domineering, causing even the flow of spiritual energy to become sluggish.
Qi Lanzhi hovered in mid-air, his gaze sweeping across the city wall as if it were a tangible object, his tone devoid of any warmth.
As if inquiring about a trivial matter: "Three days have passed. Are the territorial map and power structure details I requested ready?"
His aura was not suppressed in the slightest, and even Lin Zhen, who was at the peak of the Nirvana Realm, felt a tightness in his chest, as if a mountain was pressing down on him.
This is not a test, but a blatant threat; if the answer is even slightly unsatisfactory, the other party will take immediate action.
Lin Zhen took a deep breath, stepped forward, his voice slightly hoarse, yet still maintaining his last shred of dignity: "Senior, the regional map contains records of the Xuanqiong Realm's thousand-year-old territorial heritage."
"The details of the factions also need to be verified by checking the number of disciples in each sect, which will take a few more days to complete. Could you... grant us another five days?"
He knew it was wishful thinking, but he still wanted to buy himself a moment. Although the cultivators in the city were prepared to fight to the death, they had not yet completed their final defensive deployment. Every extra day meant a greater chance of resistance.
Upon hearing this, a hint of mockery flashed in Qi Lanzhi's eyes, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips: "Oh? It seems you still haven't made your choice."
He slowly raised his right hand, and azure spiritual energy began to condense around him. Countless tiny runes appeared in the air, each carrying an aura of destruction: "Since you are unwilling to cooperate, then die."
"After slaughtering all of you stubborn resisters, I will have the inner disciples of the Dingtian Sect take over the Xuanqiong Realm. At that time, someone will naturally organize the regional map. As for resources... the dead don't need resources."
These words were like a poisoned blade, piercing through everyone's hopes. From the very beginning, the five major sects had no intention of leaving the Xuanqiong Realm a way out. Either they obediently became slaves, or they were completely annihilated.
"Make your move!" Qi Lanzhi shouted coldly without the slightest hesitation.
The monk-robed elder of the Duan Yue Sect and the folding-fan cultivator of the Wu Wei Sect standing beside him immediately responded.
A dense, earthy-yellow spiritual energy surged from the elder monk's body; the moment the energy landed, the ground around Sunlight City began to tremble violently.
Countless sharp stone spikes emerged from the ground and rushed towards the city wall. The defensive array on the city wall lit up instantly, but was knocked by the stone spikes and flickered, the runes swaying like candles in the wind.
The Wuwei Sect cultivator with the folding fan gently waved his fan, and pale blue spiritual energy condensed into countless ice crystals in the air. The ice crystals grew larger and larger, eventually transforming into ice cones tens of feet long, which fell into the city like a torrential rain.
The icicles carried a biting chill, freezing the air wherever they passed; the monks on the city walls could even hear the cracking sound of their own hair freezing.
"Defend now!" Lin Zhen shouted sharply, his golden spiritual energy surging and condensing into a huge light shield that blocked the city wall.
Lin Jingxing, Luo Qingyang, and others also made their move at the same time. Dragon flames, spatial power, and fire intertwined to form a defensive line, which collided with the ice cones and stone spikes, producing a deafening roar.
However, the power of the five major sects was too strong, and the defense line was torn apart instantly. Several cultivators were grazed by the ice spikes and instantly frozen into ice sculptures, which then shattered on the ground.
The situation on the city wall instantly spiraled out of control. Many cultivators with lower cultivation levels collapsed in fear from the oppressive aura and attacks. Some knelt on the ground, crying out, "I'm willing to hand over resources!" and "Please spare my life, senior!"
But many more cultivators gripped their weapons tightly, and even with trembling arms, they did not retreat a single step.
They spent their lives cultivating the Tao, pursuing freedom and dignity; even in death, they would rather live like slaves.
"Kill! Even if I die, I'll take someone down with me!" a white-haired elder roared, wielding his longsword as he charged towards the ice spikes in the air, only to be pierced through the body by one of them.
Yet, with his last ounce of strength, he hurled the longsword at the Wuwei Sect cultivator. Though it caused no harm, it demonstrated the backbone of the Xuanqiong Realm cultivators.
Xiao Chen and his three companions stood side by side, showing no sign of retreat. Xiao Chen's rusty iron spear emitted a rich azure light, its spear intent swirling like a dragon, shattering all the approaching stone spikes.
Jiang Li's longsword condensed into red sword energy, and she unleashed the "Star River Magpie Bridge" technique, her figure weaving through the ice spikes, shattering each one as it fell.
Su She unfurled the scroll, and golden spiritual energy condensed into a protective shield for the young cultivators behind him. Simultaneously, he recited poetry, and golden characters flew into the air, attempting to deflect the spiritual energy attack.
The stone's body surged with blood and energy, its muscles bulging, making it stand like an iron tower, blocking the way with its bare body. The stone spike struck its chest, but only left a shallow white mark.
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