A Bet on Whether We Ascend Today!

At this moment, the outer Six Domains had descended into chaos, as had the Ancient Clan and the Misty Immortal Domain. Yet because Guanyun Pavilion had provided advance warning, many clans and sect factions had prepared their defenses at the first opportunity. The Abyss Demons rampaged wildly, but they did not inflict catastrophic devastation on the scale of their first emergence. Still, their power was bizarre and exceedingly difficult to kill outright, leaving many sect forces struggling in their encirclement of the beasts. Within the Great Xia Sword Sect, however, the demon-suppressing barrier held remarkably firm. Lu Kangnian made a decisive move, calling upon the sword qi left behind by Ye Feng and the others!! In an instant, beneath the reluctant gazes of every disciple, three thousand wondrous peaks across the sect grounds burst apart with a deafening roar!! Yet... Suspended within every shattered mountain hung a terrifying aura—some were searing sword lights, others spear radiances, and still others fist gales! A full three thousand in total!! Lu Kangnian took a deep breath. He had never anticipated that these hidden reserves would be spent here. Three thousand disciples of the Great Xia Sword Sect stepped forward in unison. His expression grave, Lu Kangnian said in a heavy voice, "Each of you will take a sword light and head to a demon-suppressing site!" "People from Guanyun Pavilion will direct you to your destinations. Move out!!" The Great Xia Sword Sect could have stayed aloof, looking only to its own survival. Yet Lu Kangnian would never choose to do so... Nor would Li Guanqi and the others! The spirit of the Great Xia Sword Sect forbade such cowardice! Watching the shattered peaks reduced to rubble across the sect grounds, Lu Kangnian felt a pang like a knife twisting in his chest, yet his face remained calm and composed. Disciples surged into the sky, clutching yellow inscribed talismans. Among the three thousand, over two hundred were in the Soul Formation Realm. The rest were in the Nascent Soul Realm. All wore the robes of the Great Xia Sword Sect, bearing a colossal sword light behind them as they streaked across the sky! Around the Great Xia Sword Sect square, six massive cross-domain teleportation arrays flashed ceaselessly! Within Guanyun Pavilion, Ji Yuchuan assisted Yu Hua, issuing order after order. With the Great Xia Sword Sect at its core, the Great Xia Domain was the first to stabilize. Guanyun Pavilion designated the strongest sects across the domain, dispatching disciples to assist them. The instant the sword lights descended, the Abyss Demon rifts were obliterated on the spot!! Granted a moment of respite, the relieved clans and sects rallied alongside the Great Xia Sword Sect disciples to reinforce other factions. *** In the Seventh Domain. The wind shrieked like howling wraiths, and fragments of shattered space drifted everywhere. The cultivators gathered on the Seventh Domain's side barely numbered two hundred, with around forty in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm. And only one... in the Ascension realm. Every person stood on edge. Sun Changlin donned his silver armor, gripping his spear with a calm expression, as though this were merely an ordinary patrol to guard the realm. Kong Ming produced a jar of aged wine, tilted his head back, and emptied it in great gulps!! His eyes were resolute. Without a word, he tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword. Everyone harbored different thoughts. Some felt a surge of excitement, knowing they could break through the barrier and ascend once this battle was won. Others carried heavy hearts, feeling that their odds of victory were slim. Still others watched with flickering eyes, their intentions concealed. Dragon King Wen Guyan gazed at Li Guanqi's back, his primal energy surging while an azure dragon coiled across his shoulders. Wen Guyan slowly turned his head, casting a chilling glance at Bai Su. "If you dare flee this battle... I will kill you." His voice was devoid of emotion, biting and cold. Even after thousands of years of acquaintance, Wen Guyan showed not the slightest hint of sentiment. Bai Su's face hardened, his eyes fixing on Wen Guyan in silence. Ignoring Bai Su's venomous glare, Wen Guyan looked back toward the firmament. "Glaring won't kill me. But... I can kill you." "Don't run. If you run... I really will kill you." With that, Wen Guyan paused mid-stride. "And not just Bai Su. If anyone in the Seventh Domain tries to take advantage of the chaos to ascend, I will strike them down." Those words were not meant for Bai Su alone; every soul in the Seventh Domain heard them. The cultivators frowned, their thoughts veiled. More than a few swept their gazes over the burly man with intrigued expressions. Bai Su's face darkened completely, his voice sharp with anger. "Wen Guyan!!!" By speaking out like that, Wen Guyan had laid Bai Su's private intentions bare before everyone, humiliating him beyond measure. Li Guanqi merely cast a cool, indifferent glance in Bai Su's direction—a look that made the fury within Bai Su flare even hotter!!! Wen Guyan stepped up beside Li Guanqi and sent a grave voice transmission: "Now that the Human-Immortal Realm Barrier is broken, more than a few people harbor petty schemes of their own..." "A show of force is necessary." Li Guanqi nodded slightly. If such a thing truly came to pass, he would not hesitate to strike either. Yet... Things were no longer the same as before... With the Human-Immortal Realm Barrier gone, so long as a cultivator at or above the Mahayana Realm communed with heaven and earth to summon the reception heavenly tribulation, cultivators from the Immortal Realm could neither interfere nor descend. Only the former Ascension Platform could have allowed immortals to come down along the conduit. In other words, any cultivator at or above the Mahayana Realm could ascend to the Immortal Realm now! Provided... the battle in the realm's void had ended. Otherwise, calling upon the reception power at this moment was pure suicide! The chaotic laws of the Heavenly Dao and the aftershocks of battle would tear the reception force to pieces. Now, everyone was waiting... Once the battle on Su Xuan's side settled, the entire Human Spirit Realm would undergo a momentous upheaval! Wen Guyan understood this, as did Li Guanqi. Yet for now, they had to devote every ounce of their attention to the battle right before them. Ye Feng's gaze was sharp as a blade. He knew this would be a grueling fight. Many might even lose their lives here. Exhaling a breath of turbid air, he saw Gu Li reach out to offer several inscribed talismans. Ye Feng shook his head, murmuring, "Save them for those who need them more... In this battle, you and Fifth Brother must both be careful." Gu Li shook his head resolutely and slapped several talismans onto Ye Feng's back. Keeping his head down as he sorted through his storage ring, Gu Li muttered, "I have other talismans for the rest. You guys... have to wear these!" Tang Ru did not dare perform a divination on the outcome. He only wanted to focus on the present, refusing to ponder what the future might bring. He looked back at the companions beside him and grinned. Who cared about the future? Standing together with his brothers was the best moment there could be! The brothers stepped forward together, standing steadfastly behind Li Guanqi. All of them knew this might very well be their final battle in the Human Spirit Realm! As for the outcome... None of them had stopped to consider it. Ye Feng glanced at Li Guanqi beside him, the corners of his mouth curling upward. Suddenly, he spoke in a low voice: "Eldest Brother, want to make a bet?" Li Guanqi grinned, teasing in an easy tone, "Betting on whether we win?" Ye Feng laughed and shook his head, his eyes ablaze. Staring into Li Guanqi's eyes, he burst out laughing. "Betting on whether we... ascend today or not!!!" Li Guanqi froze slightly. Ascending today was something he had truly never considered. He felt there was still far too much left undone in the Human Spirit Realm, and his strength and cultivation had not yet reached Emperor Chen's level. Nor had he broken through to the Mystic Immortal Realm while still in the Human Spirit Realm.