CHAPTER 81: CHAPTER 80: MOVING MOUNTAINS!

In the Human Domain’s northern part, a sudden beast attack.

At the edge of the Wu Chen round dome, Wu Wang, Ling Xiaolan, Ji Mo, and Lin Qi stood in a line on the northernmost side, looking over the formation wall at the gloomy northern sky.

The sun was sinking in the west, but its rays couldn’t penetrate the thick clouds.

As far as Wu Wang could see, flock after flock of birds hurried southward, panicked livestock trampled the crops in the fields, Cultivators found their Dao hearts unsettled, mortals were flustered and frantic, and a dark haze had settled over the entire camp.

Even from such a great distance, Wu Wang could vaguely sense the oncoming tide of beasts, like a tsunami.

They had only been standing there a short while when they saw dozens of scattered Liu Guang racing northward and Sect ships, emblazoned with flags, crossing the sky toward the north.

Because traces of the Beast Tide had already been detected, the Human Domain’s leadership had arranged a response. The various factions did not show panic; military orders were passed methodically to all domes.

In a location Wu Wang could not see, enlistment orders from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion had also reached all major Sects.

Just then, a shout came from behind the four:

"Report! Urgent message from the Northern Border!

Forty-six beast tides have appeared along the entire northern front! The number of beasts is incalculable, and the border is already engaged in a bitter battle!

A directive from the northern command: all second-line domes are to reinforce the front line! Third-line domes are to dispatch half their troops and immediately provide support to the north!"

"Form ranks! Form ranks!"

A General roared the command several times. Drums thundered against the clouds, and scintillating Liu Guang flickered. Thousands of Cultivators atop the domes quickly formed ranks. Shuttle-shaped flight Magic Treasures slowly expanded in size, lining up abreast at the edge.

Their position was part of the third line of defense and was required to dispatch half its forces.

Wu Wang and the other three could only stand at a distance and watch, each with a different expression.

Ji Mo whispered, "Let’s not be hasty. A Beast Tide occurs every sixty to a hundred years, usually lasting from several years to over a decade. The Human Domain is well-practiced in handling them."

"I’m not in a hurry," Wu Wang replied calmly. "We aren’t even Immortals, and the front lines aren’t short of foot soldiers."

Lin Qi frowned slightly. "The Yan Emperor’s Order I carry might bring trouble."

Ling Xiaolan said softly, "The Ten Evil Gods wouldn’t go to such lengths, directly launching a Beast Tide, just to eliminate a single holder of the Yan Emperor’s Order."

Wu Wang countered, "What if the Beast Tide was already prepared, and it’s simply starting a few months or half a year earlier, timed perfectly to coordinate with a simultaneous offensive from both inside and outside the Ten Evils Hall?"

"That still doesn’t make sense."

Ling Xiaolan said, "Lin Qi isn’t the only holder of a Yan Emperor’s Order. To my knowledge, among those practicing the Cultivation Methods of the Yan Emperor, the one with the highest cultivation level has possessed their Yan Emperor’s Order for over three hundred years. This is no secret among the major Sects.

His Majesty the Human Emperor dispersing the Yan Emperor’s Orders this time seems more like intentionally setting up targets for the Ten Evil Gods."

Lin Qi raised his hand to cover his chest.

There, it hurt.

This old senior truly is a ’Master of Empty Promises,’ Wu Wang couldn’t help but scoff internally. However...

He looked at Ling Xiaolan and said seriously, "Fairy Ling, some information shouldn’t be casually spoken, not even to Brother Ji and me."

"Mm, got it."

Ling Xiaolan responded perfunctorily, slightly averting her gaze from Wu Wang.

Wu Wang pondered for a moment before explaining further, "Often, when assessing the gains and losses between two powers, one cannot merely look at the immediate benefits.

Lin Qi’s current position is quite unique. He’s the only holder of a Yan Emperor’s Order who has voluntarily revealed himself, even appearing directly at the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, all to ridicule Ji Mo."

Ji Mo and Lin Qi both turned their heads away awkwardly, their expressions somewhat embarrassed.

Wu Wangdao: "Lin Qi is quite well-known in the Human Domain right now. If the Ten Evils Hall captures him and takes him to the Northern Border, humiliating him in various ways before His Majesty the Human Emperor and all the Human race experts, our battle lines could easily lose control out of anger.

This would significantly impact our side’s morale.

For the Ten Evil Gods, a Beast Tide is something they can cultivate over time; it’s not a major expenditure. However, if it can further deplete the Human race’s vitality, they can claim more credit from the Heavenly Emperor.

Given the current situation, the Ten Evils Hall will undoubtedly attack, and they will ensure Lin Qi is captured alive."

Ji Mo frowned in contemplation. "This..."

Ling Xiaolan blinked and whispered, "I’m suddenly realizing it would be quite terrifying to be Brother Wuwang’s enemy."

Ji Mo and Lin Qi deeply agreed, the latter having more authority to speak on this matter.

"Brother Wuwang," Ji Mo managed an unsightly smile, "I finally understand why the Demonic Sect is so dead set on making you their Sect Master."

Wu Wangdao: "Stereotypes are uncalled for."

Ji Mo calmly changed the subject. "Let’s not be too pessimistic. At the very least, there are still many experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion hidden here.

We just need to stay put and avoid causing trouble for everyone."

Just then, almost as soon as Ji Mo finished speaking, men and women, old and young, began appearing from within a three-hundred-mile radius of the dome. They shot straight up into the sky, then veered north, transforming into streaks of Liu Guang that vanished without a trace.

Ji Mo: ...

Ling Xiaolan said, "In critical moments, we still have to rely on ourselves."

"I’m going to ask my teacher for a storage Magic Treasure!"

Ji Mo turned and rushed toward a nearby military formation, his retreating figure showing extreme urgency.

Lin Qi also sighed, gazing at the Liu Guang heading north, a hint of relief in his eyes.

"Teacher," he looked at Wu Wang and said in a low voice, "if we set aside my status as a son of the Lin Family and the Yan Emperor’s Order, to the Human Domain, am I just a Cultivator in the Ascending Immortal Realm, right?"

"Don’t belittle yourself," Wu Wangdao, "becoming a Heavenly Immortal in the future is not a difficult task for you."

"Thank you for the encouragement, Teacher."

Lin Qi exhaled softly, his eyes regaining their calm. He said in a low voice, "I can be a despicable person, but I cannot be a shameless one. If things become impossible later, Teacher, please don’t concern yourself with me."

Wu Wang raised his hand and patted Lin Qi’s shoulder, saying nonchalantly, "Rest assured. I cherish my life greatly. We aren’t truly master and disciple; our bond isn’t that deep. If it’s time to leave, I’ll definitely leave."

Lin Qi wore a mournful expression, shaking his head and sighing, unsure how to respond.

Suddenly, Ling Xiaolan said, "The experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion around us haven’t completely withdrawn."

"Correct," Wu Wangdao, "Right now, the higher-ups of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion are engaged in a strategic game against the Ten Evils Hall.

A great battle will inevitably break out here soon. The outcome will depend on whether the forces of the Ten Evils Hall or the remaining experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion stationed here are superior.

Normally, the Ten Evils Hall isn’t much to fear. But with the Beast Tide attacking, the Human Domain’s forces must gather at the borders, making the Ten Evils Hall a hostile power that cannot be ignored.

Everyone, do not underestimate our opponents, and do not act rashly on your own.

This place remains temporarily calm because the Ten Evils Hall is waiting for those experts to move further away. In less than one hour, a great battle will surely erupt here."

Ling Xiaolan and Lin Qi nodded simultaneously.

Ling Xiaolan asked, "What should we do now?"

"Wait," Wu Wangdao, "We cannot afford to move recklessly now. There’s an art to being bait; one must learn to keep the fishing line taut.

If we act rashly, we’ll only give the enemy an opening, easily cause trouble for our own experts, and it will be difficult to preserve our own lives."

Ling Xiaolan and Lin Qi had just nodded in agreement when Xu Mu, leading Ji Mo, flew swiftly toward them from a distance.

Xu Mu’s expression was relatively calm as he first returned the storage Magic Treasure to Lin Qi. Immediately, Immortal Swords began to float around Lin Qi, and his entire aura seemed to grow more profound.

Next, Xu Mu said, "You all must be thinking..."

Ling Xiaolan interjected, "General, there’s no need for explanations."

Xu Mu continued, "Alright then, no explanation. But now you must..."

"We will follow the General’s arrangements!" Lin Qi stepped forward and declared loudly, "General Xu, please give us your orders without hesitation! Those who disobey military commands shall be executed; this is the iron law of the army!"

Xu Mu: ...

Well, so much for the speech I prepared. Completely useless, he thought.

"Alright then, follow me."

This True Immortal, who usually preferred the attire of a scholar, now exuded some of the heroic spirit of a military man. With a grand wave of his hand, a white cloud lifted the four of them and immediately carried them toward a corner of the dome.

Xu Mu didn’t forget to add via voice transmission, "The experts of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion must rush to reinforce the Northern Border. Nine of the Ten Evil Gods have already appeared in the north; it’s been thousands of years since so many Evil Gods have manifested simultaneously.

His Majesty the Human Emperor has already gone to the Northern Region to suppress them. Half of the Human race’s Transcendent experts have converged in the north. Of the experts who were originally lying in ambush here to intercept the Ten Evils Hall, only just over thirty remain.

The course of the war is unpredictable, and the Ten Evils Hall has many tricks up its sleeve. We must be prepared for any eventuality."

As he spoke, Xu Mu had already led the four of them to a large tent, from which three male and one female Cultivator immediately emerged to greet them.

"Exchange clothes with them, and be quick about it!

Fairy Ling, don’t worry; we’ve already prepared new clothes for you. The situation is urgent, so please bear with us for a moment.

Later, I’ll use the troop deployment as an opportunity to send you away from this place."

Both Wu Wang and Ling Xiaolan looked as if they wanted to say something but hesitated. Neither spoke. Wu Wang wore a thoughtful expression, while Ling Xiaolan frowned slightly. Both let out a quiet sigh.

「...」

In a desolate region of treacherous mountains and unruly rivers, far from the domed encampment where Wu Wang was stationed...

Figures amidst black and blood-red winds shot into the sky, swarming northward at high speed.

At the Annihilation Sect’s headquarters, numerous old demons of the Immortal Realm and True Immortal Realm soared into the air. Each called out the names of Disciples they intended to take north, quickly assembling a force of three hundred Demonic Cultivators.

Sects had complete, standardized procedures for supporting the border. They dispatched varying numbers of experts based on the directives received from His Majesty the Human Emperor, avoiding impulsive actions like committing the entire Sect at once.

This approach allowed them to prepare for multi-front warfare and ensured their Dao lineages would not be severed.

Similarly, the inspection immortal envoys of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion could not easily go to the front lines unless the battlefront was on the verge of collapse; otherwise, they had to remain stationed in their assigned areas to patrol and inspect.

The stability of the rear was the guarantee of victory at the front.

For the Human Domain, combating the Beast Tide was an enduring, great war that dated back to ancient times.

"What’s going on?"

Lin Suqing stood on the balcony of the Sect Master’s pavilion, watching the figures gathering outside the Sect’s formation. She couldn’t help but grip the Short Sword in her hand tightly.

For some reason, Lin Suqing felt a vague sense of unease, yet she didn’t know the source of this anxiety.

「In the Northern Wilderness, in the Star Sea deep within the azure sky.」

Inside the Star God Temple, Cang Xue, who had been standing as still as a statue, opened her eyes. The cyan-blue Divine Light in their depths slowly faded as she calmly gazed toward the southern starry sky.

There, the Stars shifted, and a baleful energy surged to the heavens.

She pondered for a moment but did nothing further. Once again, she closed her eyes and stood in silence.

At her feet, wisps of starlight continuously converged and dispersed, while the seemingly natural patterns on the wooden staff in her hand grew ever clearer.

「...」

In the northwestern part of the Human Domain, at the military encampment designated Wu Chen.

Wu Wang and his three companions, dressed in light armor, followed Xu Mu, blending into the large army of Cultivators about to depart.

All four of them maintained their composure, remaining calm and collected even in such an atmosphere, which made Xu Mu look at them with newfound respect.

Xu Mu’s plan was simple: have Wu Wang and his three companions blend into the northward-bound contingent of over two thousand Cultivators and directly rendezvous with the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion’s experts in the north. This meant abandoning the current plan to lure the snake from its hole.

The Northern Region might seem perilous, but in reality, most of the Human Domain’s Transcendent experts had already gathered there.

If even that place couldn’t protect a holder of the Yan Emperor’s Order, the Human Domain would likely have ceased to exist long ago.

Xu Mu positioned the four of them near the front, disguised as his trusted aides. Except for Ling Xiaolan, who kept her head bowed, Wu Wang, Ji Mo, and Lin Qi were all looking up at the person with the highest cultivation level within the grand formation:

Commander Zhong Lin.

Upon seeing Xu Mu’s return, this elderly man immediately donned his armor and emerged from the ranks, hovering in mid-air. His resonant voice, like a great bell, boomed throughout the grand formation!

"The battle situation is urgent, so I, this General, will be brief.

Every Human Cultivator, throughout their cultivation journey, will inevitably experience several, perhaps even a dozen, Beast Tides.

The Evil Gods’ ambition to destroy the Human Domain has never died. The Human Domain is a land where Gods were slain, regarded as taboo by all other Gods!

Today!

Beasts are again running rampant in the Northern Region! Nine of the rumored Ten Evil Gods have appeared—their offensive is the largest seen in thousands of years!

If even one section of the Northern Border is breached, hordes of beasts will pour into the Human Domain, annihilating everything in their path, slaughtering our Human race, and destroying the lands we depend on for survival!

You have come from all corners of the land; some of you have even walked step by step from the villages and towns of the Northern Region to be here today.

Today is the day for you to demonstrate what you have learned! Today is the moment to display your Dao to the Hundred Races of the Great Wilderness!

This Dao defends the Human race! This Dao protects all living beings!

With this Dao standing firm at the border, do not let the beasts take even half a step into the Human Domain!

Our ancestors blazed a trail through hardships, step by step, carving out this Human Domain, this mortal world, from amidst the claws and fangs of beasts!

We, their descendants, must use our flesh and blood, our very cultivation, to guard the borders of this mortal world!

Where is the Dao?!"

Thousands of Cultivators released their auras in unison, an imposing presence that nearly broke through the grand formation, surging straight towards the heavens!

"Excellent!"

Zhong Lin’s face was filled with fervor. He turned, raised his large hand, and thrust it forward. "Board the Magic Treasures! Reinforce the Northern—"

Just then, the unexpected occurred!

Zhong Lin’s words caught in his throat. He looked up to the southwest, where the clouds had split open, revealing what looked like a falling sun.

But Commander Zhong Lin, as a Heavenly Immortal Realm Cultivator, quickly discerned that it wasn’t the sun. In that direction, a mountain peak had appeared out of thin air!

The mountain was tens of thousands of feet tall, wreathed in boundless flames, and it was hurtling straight for the dome-like grand formation!

The Mountain Moving Method!

A Transcendent expert from the Ten Evils Hall had made their move!

Zhong Lin bellowed, "Which despicable rat dares?!"

Almost in an instant, a vast shadow appeared over the dome. It expanded rapidly, swiftly engulfing the entire structure.

The Cultivators all stared towards the direction of the falling sun, most of their faces bloodless, their lips pale with terror.

All they could see was that impossibly magnificent mountain, wreathed in a layer of fire, tumbling and shuddering as it hurtled down from the sky towards them!

A General suddenly roared, "Quick, scatter in all directions!"

Thousands of Cultivators instantly fell into chaos, each scrambling towards the nearest edge of the formation.

Commander Zhong Lin leaped into the air, shouting, "All those in the Immortal Realm, join forces to reinforce the grand formation! With its power, we can withstand this mountain!"

Dozens of figures followed Zhong Lin, rushing towards the inner side of the grand formation’s light barrier. Each raised their hands, channeling immortal power into the formation, causing the dome-like structure to blaze with brilliant light!

The colossal mountain was about to crash down!

Suddenly, from outside the grand formation, dozens of Liu Guang soared into the sky. Expert after expert from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, exuding powerful auras, launched a sky-filling barrage of attacks at the giant mountain.

Almost simultaneously, dozens of figures leaped from the hurtling mountain. As they charged forward, they uniformly tilted their heads back and consumed droplets of variously colored Essence Blood. Their robes instantly tore apart under the strain!

In that instant, the very sky and earth seemed to shift, and the auras of dozens of ferocious beasts filled the air.

Wu Wang stared at this scene, his eyes seemingly reflecting a vast Blood Sea, as if time itself had frozen.

He saw them clearly: dozens of Cultivators—a mix from the Immortal Realm, True Immortal Realm, and Heavenly Immortal Realm—charging from atop the mountain.

This was not the full strength of the attacking enemy, but compared to the few dozen experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion who met their charge, they were on a completely different level.

Yet, as these Cultivators from the Ten Evils Hall consumed the Essence Blood of Evil Gods, their auras skyrocketed. Their bodies transformed into half-human, half-beast forms, their presence turning cold and savage, and they actually managed to overpower the experts from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion.

That instant.

In that very instant, Wu Wang felt as if he were witnessing scenes from countless great battles. He saw humanoid, ferocious beasts rampaging across the vast plains of the Northern Wilderness, slaughtering wantonly, his own kinsmen falling, unable to resist...

The Human Domain cannot fall! It absolutely must not fall!

The peace of the Northern Wilderness is partly due to the Human Domain diverting most of the Gods’ attention!

The Star God is in a weakened state. If the Star God truly collapses one day, the Gods will not spare the Northern Wilderness, that succulent piece of meat!

And these were the other major reasons, which Wu Wang had never told anyone, why he had felt compelled to come to the Human Domain.

「Returning to the battle at hand.」

Thunderous rumbles descended from high above as the two groups of experts clashed violently before the giant mountain!

Immense swords swept through the air, and blood-red claws tore through Heaven and Earth!

Several of their own powerful Body Cultivation experts, ignoring the surrounding attacks, roared as they charged toward the plummeting mountain. The hideous, Scale-Armored fiends from the Ten Evils Hall immediately moved to intercept them.

Inside the grand formation, the dozens of Immortals reinforcing it had pale faces; the figures hidden atop the mountain were already poised to charge into the encampment and begin the slaughter.

Wu Wang clenched his fists, starlight igniting in his eyes...

"Wuwang, don’t be reckless!"

Xu Mu’s voice transmission came from the side just as Ji Mo grabbed Wu Wang’s left arm, pulling him into a sprint towards the edge of the grand formation.