CHAPTER 607: CHAPTER 261 REALM GATE_2

Because the foundation of the Demon Clan is far deeper than that of the Human Clan.

The Flying Boat slowly descended, Lu Jin’an gazed into the distance at the Two Realms Pass, concluding his introduction of the young junior brothers and sisters.

What he spoke of was history, but such history occurs every day at the Two Realms Pass.

A thousand years later, although no large-scale warfare has been reignited at the Two Realms Pass, small-scale conflicts continue to occur every moment beyond these peaks.

Lu Jin’an was the first to step off the Flying Boat, leading the disciples from the Wandao Sect who came this time toward their stationed location.

Some of the direct disciples, inner sect, and outer disciples of the Wandao Sect are to be rotated for defense, but the newly admitted disciples this year do not need to go to the battlefield.

This is not only irresponsible to them but also to the warriors on the front line.

Disciples who have not yet matured cannot be exposed to danger, nor should the front-line cultivators be put at risk because of them.

The ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine peaks of the Two Realms Pass are divided into nine major defense zones, with the Wandao Sect responsible for four of them, while the new disciples are arranged into the relatively safer Southern Mansion Defense Zone in the south.

This is certainly not a mere sightseeing tour, and the Two Realms Pass is not a place for sightseeing.

This group of new disciples will undergo practical combat training from veterans here.

Many veterans vie for this job, as it is considered a rare form of leisure and entertainment for the rotating cultivators.

Lu Jin’an led the group forward, soon arriving in a valley surrounded on three sides by majestic peaks piercing the clouds, at least one hundred and fifty thousand feet high.

Though they seemed high, they weren’t exceptionally so.

For many demon beasts with powerful bloodlines, when they revert to their original form, they reach lengths of tens of thousands of feet.

The outer disciples trailing behind the group led by Lu Jin’an widened their eyes, observing their surroundings, witnessing the Two Realms Pass, which appeared much more majestic and grandiose than what was recorded in books or the Capturing Stones.

To their eyes, even the sky here seemed different from the outside, though similarly sunny, there seemed to be something else.

What they couldn’t see were the intertwined arrays looming overhead.

Without them, the endless stretch of the Two Realms Pass would have been leveled by war long ago.

Passing through the valley, a wide training ground came into view, countless soldiers practicing cooperative attack skills within.

The overall strength of the Human Clan is inferior to that of the Demon Clan, but the cooperative attack skills within the military formations enable the cultivators with lower cultivation to exert greater combat power.

This is a ’technique’ utilized by the Human Clan to resist the Demon Clan.

Three figures clad in armor stood at the main gate of the training ground, one Immortal, and two Tribulation Crossing Realm Practitioners.

Lu Jin’an had met these three, as they all hailed from the Wandao Sect.

However, at the Two Realms Pass, their faces remained calm, always with a stiff expression.

Lu Jin’an first bowed: "Junior greets General Pang."

The Wandao Sect cultivators stationed at the Two Realms Pass are not elders or deacons, but members of the Military Pavilion, one of the five pavilions of the Wandao Sect, possessing considerable authority at the Two Realms Pass.

Thus, although the Military Pavilion is one of the subordinate institutions of the Wandao Sect, it holds the highest status at the Two Realms Pass.

"I have seen the Saint Heir."

Pang Chenan returned the courtesy, though the task of training new disciples did not require his direct involvement, the personal leadership of the Saint Heir in light of the battle with the Demon Clan outside the border prompted his personal intervention.

Apart from the matter of training the new disciples, the participation of the Saint Heir in the battle outside the border is of utmost importance, allowing no room for error.

Lu Jin’an followed Pang Chenan into the training ground, where some handover documents needed his personal signature, as these new disciples must adhere to the Southern Mansion Defense Zone’s orders for the foreseeable future.

The management of the sect differs greatly from that of a battlefield.

Having been to the Two Realms Pass before, Lu Jin’an was familiar with the procedures.

He asked for intelligence on the captured Lin Yuan Sword Sect disciples while walking into the tent with Pang Chenan, who handed him the documents.

Pang Chenan spoke about the information regarding the group of Demon Emperors, watching the Saint Heir sign and seal the documents, while the new disciples outside were being taken over by the local cultivators for a detailed introduction.

Jiang Wuya and others outside the tent did not leave either, as they too were to head out of the pass.

In times when the Two Realms Pass had not yet ignited major conflicts, the confrontations between the Human and Demon Clans apart from small-scale military engagements involve the clashes of the younger generation of both clans.

It compares the present as well as the future.

Mu Qingyue knew her junior brother would not be coming out anytime soon, so she asked Zhu Nanzhi beside her: "It’s your first time at the Two Realms Pass, right?"

Zhu Nanzhi nodded. Qingmiao Palace had always been responsible for the Spirit Clan front in the Northern Boundary, so she had only been to the battlefield between the Human and Spirit Clans, never here.

"Does your husband have a position here?" Zhu Nanzhi inquired softly.

"Not in the Southern Mansion Defense Zone," Mu Qingyue said, "My junior brother often operates in the Shenwu Defense Zone after arriving at the Two Realms Pass."

The Shenwu Defense Zone is the main battlefield at the Two Realms Pass, where the Human and Demon Clans invest the most combat forces.

"But my junior brother doesn’t have any official position." Mu Qingyue said softly, "Mostly he leads scouts, but most of the time he’s fighting against groups alone.

Back then, when my junior brother first entered the Tongsheng realm, he ventured out and chased five Demon Kings beyond the pass, achieving his best record here."

Zhu Nanzhi’s lips curled into a faint smile: "As expected of my husband."

As she spoke, she glanced up at the towering peaks, knowing well that such achievements were already remarkable.

Although she hadn’t been to the Two Realms Pass, as a member of the Human Clan, how could she not understand it?

The Human Clan has always been on the defensive at the Two Realms Pass, and even when fighting beyond the pass, they never venture too far, so chasing five Demon Kings beyond the pass and returning unscathed signifies its high value.

The Demon Clan wishes to stop such things, but is powerless to do so.

This isn’t because the top-tier combat forces like Demon Saints and Demon Emperors are unwilling to act, as there’s no rule at the Two Realms Pass to prevent higher ones from acting against lower ones.

Given a chance, who wouldn’t want to crush the opposing Heavenly Pride?

But precisely because the higher-ups of both clans monitor each other, a tacit understanding forms ensuring higher opposes higher, and lower opposes lower.

If the balance of power among them were disrupted, neither side would adhere to this understanding.

A thousand years ago at the Two Realms Pass war, the Human Clan’s strength was far less than it is now, and in the early stages of the war, ten Demon Saints stalled Zheng Dongliu, leading to other Demon Saints slapping down millions of Human Clan cultivators.

If it weren’t for the Human Clan managing the Two Realms Pass for years, more cultivators would’ve been killed.

Today such terrible situations are unlikely, thanks to the emergence of numerous Immortals from the Human Clan, drastically reducing the pressure on Zheng Dongliu.

Currently, the Wandao Sect alone possesses nearly forty Immortals, enough to make the Demon Clan’s Upper Realm’s Ancient Court (Imperial Court) hesitate to act recklessly.

During the Two Realms Pass war a thousand years ago, nine Demon Saints fell to Zheng Dongliu, four of whom were from the Upper Realm’s Ancient Court.

Hence, the entire Demon Clan wishes for Zheng Dongliu to quickly meet his end.

Thus, they refrain from reigniting large-scale conflicts at the Two Realms Pass, hoping to bide time.

To wait for the day Zheng Dongliu can no longer exert his full strength.

Over twenty thousand years, Zheng Dongliu has endured significant damage, both physically and mentally, hence appearing prematurely old.

Eliminating each Saint Heir cultivated by Zheng Dongliu is one way for the Demon Clan to undermine him.

It is clear to any discerning eyes that Zheng Dongliu favors Lu Jin’an more than his previous Saint Heirs, so...

"Please be extra cautious upon exiting the pass, Saint Heir."

Inside the tent, Pang Chenan said slowly: "The Demon Emperors in this batch of Demons are not here with good intentions, and we have yet to ascertain what methods they might employ."

Lu Jin’an nodded: "I understand, I’ll return immediately after rescuing the people."

"It’s alright if you can’t save them," Pang Chenan lowered his voice: "Even the Lin Yuan Sword Sect doesn’t care much..."

Lu Jin’an grunted in acknowledgment, bowed, exited the tent, and looked at Jiang Wuya and the others.

"Let’s go."

······