Chapter 406 What Was Inevitable Has Arrived
Under the deep darkness of night, the core area of the sacred site of the ancient sages.
The Heavenly Academy Hall Master Zuo Qiuyang, the Dao Asking Sect Vice Sect Master Shang Xingkong, the Mountain and Sea Pavilion Vice Sect Master Huo Jin, and the Chen Clan Immortal Clan Vice Clan Master Chen Longxing stood side by side behind the Pill Sect Master Yuan Li, gazing at the night sky high above.
The previously smoothed space began to fold again, and the layers of folds instantly crushed the already collapsed cliff, causing the entire valley to rumble and fill with dust.
Before long, two gaps were opened in the wrinkled void, revealing itself to everyone.
Upon seeing this, the group couldn't help but frown slightly.
Following the sound, the Palace Master Zuo Qiuyang, the Vice Sect Leader Shang Xingkong of the Dao Asking Sect, and other important figures looked up and frowned deeply as they gazed at the void that was constantly being distorted by the pressure.
"It's cracked again, how could this happen?"
"Space is a holistic concept. It is torn because it cannot withstand the internal forces, so it needs to be torn to release the pressure. Repairing is not restoring it, but forcibly pulling the torn space together. Therefore, the repair of each crack will cause the surrounding area to enter an unstable period. Smaller cracks are easier to control, but these last three extremely large cracks are indeed difficult to grasp when to stabilize."
"It needs to be torn apart," Zuo Qiuyang narrowed his eyes after hearing this: "Can Sect Leader Yuan determine the current situation inside the Holy Land?"
"Perhaps it's a clash of energies, or perhaps it's a violent outburst of laws, but the true answer can only be found by opening the Holy Land."
"Will the repair work be completed on schedule?"
"Based on the previous progress, it will be difficult to meet the schedule, because of the unstable period. Only by extending the time can we ensure that such a situation will not occur again."
Upon hearing this, Shang Xingkong couldn't help but ask, "So, the time is going to be postponed?"
Yuan Li looked at the two cracks: "Postponing is indeed more prudent, but there is still a problem, that is, the Holy Land itself is still expanding, and I don't know how long it can hold on."
After hearing this, Zuo Qiuyang also looked up at Shang Xingkong: "Moreover, the demon race is ambitious and will definitely take advantage of this time to attack. The longer it drags on, the more disadvantageous it will be for us. Delaying is not a good idea."
“Actually, there is another way,” Yuan Li said after thinking for a moment. “I can divide all the alchemists in the sect into two teams and repair these two cracks at the same time. This will not only make up for the lost time, but also prevent the two cracks from affecting each other.”
"If Sect Leader Yuan puts this option at the end, then there must be a 'but'?"
"Indeed, this method can greatly shorten the repair time, but if the repair fails, it may cause more serious cracks in the holy land, and it is not impossible that the phenomenon of loss of fortune will occur again."
What are the chances of failure?
"In this world, success and failure are always only fifty-fifty."
Upon hearing this, the crowd under the cover of night suddenly fell silent.
Faced with two options—one of proceeding cautiously but prolonging the process, and the other of seeking speed at the risk of causing more consequences—they were instantly caught in a dilemma, and for a moment, no one spoke up.
After all, both methods have a chance of failure. If they succeed, that's fine, but if they fail, nobody wants to go down in history for it.
Just then, a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion flew over from above the circular valley and knelt down on one knee with a bang.
"Deputy Sect Leader, intelligence from the Northern Border: traces of the demon race have been discovered!"
Hawking frowned upon hearing this: "They've really come. Where are they now?"
The disciple looked up at the sound: "They used the Hengduan Mountains as cover and moved through the dense forest. All the teams we sent were killed, and we can't confirm their whereabouts now."
"Investigate again!"
"yes!"
The disciple gave a low shout, immediately turned around, and flew away into the distance.
At this moment, the leaders of each sect looked at each other, all revealing solemn expressions.
Sure enough, as the restoration work came to an end, this inevitable thing happened.
Fortunately, they were prepared, otherwise the sacred land of the human race might have been occupied by the demon race, and the human race's fortune would have been taken away.
However, there is still a problem: the sacred sites of the ancestors cannot be moved, which means they will always be in a passive defensive state, while the demon race can launch surprise attacks flexibly and mobilely. Therefore, the longer the time drags on, the greater the risk will be.
They will need to open the Holy Land later to use the sacred artifacts to repair the connection of destiny, so they must speed up the repair process.
However, the consequences of the sacred site of the ancestors further cracking and the loss of its fortune are extremely serious.
Just then, a rustling sound of footsteps came from the dense forest.
Ding Yao came from the eastern mountain range and finally stopped on the hillside facing the valley, looking at the important figures of the immortal sects.
In fact, she had come here once before. After seeing the situation of the holy site, she immediately went to Dongshan. This time, she came with the imperial decree of the Emperor.
"Everyone, my master said that hesitation will not solve the problem, and it is impossible for everyone to stay here for a long time. As the saying goes, one should strike while the iron is hot, but then the momentum will weaken and eventually be exhausted. It is better to resolve the problems as soon as possible. She also said that all consequences can be remedied, but the lost time cannot be recovered. Therefore, she chose the second option: to repair at the same time."
Upon hearing this, Zuo Qiuyang turned to the three people around him and said, "What the Master says makes sense. I agree to repair both paths simultaneously. What do you all think?"
Upon hearing this, Hawking, the deputy head of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, looked at Yuan Li and asked, "If it were Headmaster Yuan, which would you choose?"
“I would also choose the second option. That way, when the two gaps heal, even if the space is unstable, we will have a chance to directly open the Holy Land.”
"Won't there be any risks?"
"If both cracks can be repaired, it won't be difficult to open the holy land while we have the chance."
Upon hearing this, Shang Xingkong turned his head and exchanged a glance with Hawking and Chen Longxing. Then the three of them nodded slightly: "Then let's repair it together."
Under the thick darkness of night, following Yuan Li's order, more than two thousand alchemists were quickly divided into two groups, and then sat cross-legged on the ground with their hands facing the sky.
In an instant, several beams of seven-colored light shot into the sky, converging under the night sky and instantly condensing into a rushing river of light that surged toward the two huge cracks in the sky, directly filling the void of darkness.
As the two cracks began to heal simultaneously, Dan Xunzi and Dan Yangzi, along with eight elders from the sect, stood on the east and west sides, using their divine light to imprison the sky that had already been healed, trying their best to keep out the unstable fluctuations caused by the repair of the cracks.
Meanwhile, Fang Ruoming, with thousands of armored guards, stood on a cliff not far behind the alchemists, silently watching them.
Because of the gathering of spiritual energy, crosswinds frequently rose around the sacred site of the sages, one after another, causing his moon-white robe to flutter and rustle in all directions.
"Commander Cen, what was that loud explosion just now?"
Bai Rulong, Cao Jingsong, Ban Yangshu, and Wen Zhengxin had drunk half a jar of wine when they saw the military captain leading troops on patrol, so they asked him a question.
Upon hearing this, Commander Cen turned his head, glanced at Bai Rulong, and said, "It's nothing serious. There was a problem with the restoration of the Sacred Site of the Sages. The Sect Leader of the Pill Sect has just discussed with the Vice Sect Leaders and decided to use a better restoration method."
"So that's how it is."
Commander Cen nodded, then led the armored guards behind him, their eyes fixed on the south-facing valley.
Seeing this, Cao Jingsong gently raised his head: "Is that a captain in the Zhenbei Army?"
"yes."
“They are only required to guard the core of the holy land, while the outer perimeter is guarded by us immortal sects and aristocratic families. Why do they seem more nervous than us? In the first half of the night alone, I have already seen him patrol back and forth three times.”
Bai Rulong turned to look at Commandant Cen, his brow furrowing slightly.
If Cao Jingsong hadn't brought it up, he wouldn't have noticed that the high-ranking generals of the Zhenbei Army seemed far more tense since entering the Holy Land than when they were in the Northern Territory.
Before he could think about it, he suddenly saw the sand under his feet bouncing around, and at the same time, the spiritual energy seemed to be accelerating in the northwest direction.
Emperor Rulong was slightly taken aback and subconsciously looked up at Cao Jingsong and the other two, only to see that the three of them also raised their heads at the same time.
boom--
In an instant, a mysterious light mixed with rolling wind and thunder suddenly exploded in a very distant direction inside and outside the mountains.
The sudden brightness was like a flash of lightning, tearing apart the thick, inky darkness of the forest and illuminating the faces of everyone stationed there. At the same time, a fierce aura rushed into the forest, instantly stirring up a whirlwind of dust and sand.
The next moment, a long and high-pitched horn sound suddenly rang out from the direction from which the light came.
Those positioned in the middle of the mountain forest defenses involuntarily stood up, their expressions instantly becoming serious.
The demon race has attacked.
Buzz—!
Outside the mountains and forests, to the northwest, on the ancient North Plain where the human race's training ground was located, the originally quiet night was suddenly shattered by a heavy thud.
A massive cavalry of demons suddenly burst forth from the cover of night, accompanied by the deep sound of war drums, like a black tide crashing down.
Amidst the surging roars of passion, the beasts, galloping on all fours, instantly reached the first line of defense of the human race. They were all clad in heavy iron armor and waved banners that looked as red as blood, colliding fiercely with the human cultivators who had taken to the skies.
Amidst the clash of blades and the shadows of swords, the stench of blood immediately began to spread across the turbulent plains.
"For the destiny ordained, for the next millennium!"
"For His Majesty, for our people!"
The Heavenly Demon General Chaocang leaped from the beast's back, crashing down into the forest like a meteorite from outer space.
At the same time, the silver spear in his hand trembled and rang out, thrusting out with a bang as its master landed.
The gleaming, cold light exploded like sparks from iron, piercing through countless oncoming human cultivators. The thick crowd was instantly torn open, leaving a deep gap, and limbs and flesh flew everywhere.
As this brutal and powerful spear fell, countless demon soldiers swarmed in, their iron hooves landing with a thunderous roar, instantly sending the human cultivators crashing back.
The imminent battle was incredibly fierce from the very beginning, drawing the support of the powerful families who had been surrounding the area.
At this moment, the demon soldiers, who had dealt a heavy blow to the human defenders through a surprise attack, suddenly turned around and began to charge south.
Viewed from a distance, the pursuing human cultivators formed an arc.
The cultivator in the middle kept pursuing, while those around him sped forward rapidly, forming an encirclement that roared in.
"Restrict their advance and spread out their lines."
"Huo Yue, come quickly and help me behead the general!"
An elder of the Boundless Realm from the Mountain and Sea Pavilion swung his sword and killed several charging demon soldiers. He then stomped down on the plain and charged towards the figure wielding the silver spear.
At his angry shout, another figure with a similar face appeared from the other side of the crowd.
The two traversed thousands of miles, their figures swiftly arriving at the front of the demon army amidst a tremor of spiritual energy. Then, two iron swords, entwined with wind and thunder, crashed down, directly slashing at the Heavenly Demon General.
Clang!
Asakura reacted quickly, transforming into a beast and doubling in size as he swung his spear to block, colliding fiercely with the two longswords.
Amidst the flying sparks, Asakura used the Water-Splitting Melody to deflect most of the slashing force, propelling himself sideways, while the demonic beast beneath him was directly shaken, bleeding from all seven orifices.
Upon seeing this, the two Boundless Realm experts once again drew their swords and launched a fierce attack, giving chase.
At the same time, the encirclement formed by the Shan Hai Pavilion as the main force and the Yongzhou aristocratic families charging on the left and right flanks has begun to tighten.
They planned to use their numerical advantage to surround and kill these demon soldiers.
But at that moment, an even larger army suddenly burst out from their southeast direction, charging towards the sacred site of the sages and directly crossing the first mountain ridge.
Upon seeing this, the disciples of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion looked back in shock, only to realize that it was a feint attack.
boom!
Under the cover of the melee, the first main force of the demon race directly clashed fiercely with the cultivators guarding the outside of the mountains and forests, instantly penetrating ten miles into the area.
The same thing happened in the northeast, on the east side of Risheng City, which is protected by the Daowen Sect.
It was also a feint attack to lure the enemy, and then the main force went deep into the mountains, and the flames of war directly spread to the edge of the vast forests.
At this moment, at the heart of the sacred site of the ancient sages, Zuo Qiuyang and the others watched as the flames of war raged, their eyes becoming even more profound as they gazed at the two cracks.
"Focus on what's in front of you, don't get distracted!"
Under the cover of night, Yuan Li let out a loud shout.
In the work of repairing the cracks, Yuan Li plays the role of the guide.
He needed to guide the alchemists' emitted alchemical light to precisely repair the areas that needed repair. Therefore, he could easily sense that many alchemists were distracted by the sounds of battle coming from afar. So he immediately spoke up to bring their scattered attention back.
As expected, under this rebuke, the previously scattered river of cinnabar light instantly became solid and stable.
Yuan Li then looked at the leaders of the immortal sects behind him and said, "My Dan Sect was restricted by other sects in the past and could not cultivate immortality, so we could not protect ourselves. I ask you all to do your best and not let the demon race get close. Otherwise, I, Yuan, also have the ability to make this sacred land of the sages impossible to repair."
Seeing this, Zuo Qiuyang said, "The fate of the clan is a matter for the whole clan, so please rest assured, Sect Leader Yuan."
Shang Xingkong narrowed his eyes slightly: "The demon race cannot compare with the human race in terms of the number of strong people. Sect Leader Yuan does not need to worry too much."
Yuan Li silently surveyed them, then focused his attention on repairing the two cracks.
From midnight to dawn, and from dawn to night, as the alchemists took turns in two shifts and the light of their pills continued to emanate, the two newly opened gaps began to gradually shrink. However, during this process, the battle reports transmitted from the outside were not as ideal as they had imagined.
"Report!!"
"The demon army advanced another ten miles. My Chen clan members went to support the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, but then two more main demon armies circled around to the south and advanced another ten miles."
"..."
"Report!"
"Another demon army was discovered in the southeast. Its leader was killed by the elders of our Heavenly Academy. However, a fourth main force suddenly appeared from the east, cutting off the reinforcements from the Qingzhou and Zhongzhou families."
"..."
Report!
"The main force of the demon race on the north flank has joined forces with the main force on the east flank. The Mountain and Sea Pavilion is overwhelmed, and Elder Huo Yue of the Boundless Realm has perished!"
The bad news kept coming, causing the eyes of the Immortal Sect's leader to tremble violently.
Humans do indeed have more powerful individuals than demons. Logically speaking, even if they are unable to move and are forced into a passive defensive position, they should not be unable to suppress the demons' offensive. Just like the difference between a thousand-year-old family and a hundred-year-old family, the difference lies in the number of powerful individuals.
The problem is that they overlooked the differences between humans and demons.
Since the ancient war, the human race has never truly fought side by side. Even when conquering the thousand-year-old clans, they fought in separate camps. Their only cooperation was to jointly attack the ruins. However, the demon race has always had a clear military system and is extremely united. Even though the law allows private fights, they have cultivated their bloodthirstiness and bravery for thousands of years.
They were used to obeying the strong, so the orders given by their generals were immediately and perfectly executed by the demon soldiers.
Just as they launched a feint attack, then launched a main attack, and then changed directions, coordinating so closely, their generals had an almost superhuman control over their troops.
Humans have never had such efficient communication between superiors and subordinates. They are even afraid of being betrayed by their enemies when discussing the direction of defense.
This is not simply a matter of life and death; it is war. Human cultivators who have never participated in war simply cannot figure out what they should do in such a massive battle.
So in just one direct confrontation, everyone's true colors were revealed.
At this moment, as the war intensified, Zuo Qiuyang, Shang Xingkong, Hawking, and Chen Longxing moved forward. At the same time, Chai Hu, Lü Fengchuan, who guarded the four directions, and other elders of the immortal sects who had reached the peak of the fifth realm also suddenly took to the air from the night.
With a deafening roar, as if a tsunami were surging in, an endless and magnificent pressure filled the mountains and forests.
At the edge of the forest where the two sides were fighting, as the night sky seemed to boil like hot oil being poured into water, a blazing golden palm suddenly pressed down.
On the east side, countless demons who were charging at the forefront were crushed into a bloody pulp.
High in the sky, Shang Xingkong sneered, and then a pair of huge hands crashed down from the sky, instantly unleashing a thousand miles of wind and waves across the plains.
But just as the palm print was about to land, a pair of iron fists came crashing down from the ground, carrying a violent aura, like a muffled thunderclap, and smashed through the void amidst the sound of wind and explosions.
Shang Xingkong suddenly narrowed his eyes and saw three elderly demons approaching side by side in the blood-red forest, their demonized bodies pressing down on the void with a creaking sound.
At the same time, Zuo Qiuyang, Hawking, and others turned their heads or looked back and saw almost the same powerful aura suddenly rising in the night.
(End of this chapter)
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