What Transpired

Yucheng. Struggles over the plains had raged for years. More than once, formidable foes had pushed Sin Abyss back to the very foot of Yucheng's walls, yet time and again, its defenders had fought fiercely with their backs to the city and kept the enemy out. Since ancient times, Yucheng had been a crucial stronghold of Sin Abyss, guarding its northern gateway. Having resolved to fall back on Yucheng, Sin Abyss had long since made exhaustive preparations. The city's defenses could rightly be called impregnable. Yet at this very moment, panic and confusion gripped the cultivators within. Though they obeyed orders, deep in their eyes lay fear and bewilderment. Months ago... The Two Domains Alliance had launched its counteroffensive. Unable to withstand them, Sin Abyss was pushed back step by step, yet the cultivators had felt no real dread. They knew that as long as their three top masters remained, the Two Domains Alliance held only a temporary upper hand. At most, Sin Abyss would have to surrender what it had seized; its homeland remained safe. Over the years, Sin Abyss had conquered nearly half of the Tianxing Plateau. Every cultivator who had survived the battlefield had accumulated wealth beyond their previous imagining. Falling back for a period of rest and recuperation gave them the perfect chance to digest these gains. Now, however, everything was different! The great retreat, dragging on for months, had finally concluded this morning. The various armies of Sin Abyss had withdrawn smoothly, gathering in Yucheng. Though they had lost the plains and suffered heavy losses, their core vitality had not been dealt a mortal blow. Furthermore, Sin Abyss had reached an accord with the desert factions. The cultivators previously pinned down on the western front had all hurried to Yucheng to join forces, standing ready in tight formation for the Two Domains Alliance's main host. The cultivators of Sin Abyss had been brimming with confidence, certain they could halt the alliance outside the walls. None could have foreseen that before the enemy even arrived, chaos would erupt from within—and among the Nascent Soul Patriarchs themselves! At the time, the cultivators of Sin Abyss were following orders, systematically setting up their defenses. Everything had been proceeding normally. Vetted through countless battles, they were thoroughly adept at such work. Suddenly, Yucheng shook to its foundations! Right after that, they witnessed a terrifying sight. From the inner city palace that served as the temporary residence of the Nascent Soul Patriarchs, beam after beam of spiritual light shot into the sky. Mingled with them came agonized screams and furious shouts. The shrieks were not coming from a single person. Rising and falling one after another, each was shrill beyond measure, sounding like the desperate death rattles of those on the verge of doom, dripping with bone-deep hatred. Chills ran down the spine of every soul who heard them. What proved even more horrifying was that these voices were all too familiar—every single one belonged to a Nascent Soul Patriarch. The next instant, those beams collided and tangled together in midair, bursting into brilliant, multicolored hues. It was a breathtaking sight, yet fraught with dreadful murderous intent! The sharp-eyed noticed that within the streaks of light were human figures. The Nascent Soul Patriarchs were locked in a chaotic brawl. Rumble... The Nascent Soul cultivators of Sin Abyss clashed furiously in the sky above Yucheng. Soon, onlookers realized this was not a free-for-all at all—they were besieging a single man! The shouts that followed confirmed their suspicion. "Old Demon Ye! Have you lost your mind?!" "How dare you butcher so many fellow Daoists?!" "Kill him!" ... The Nascent Soul cultivators roared in fury. Hearing these cries, the cultivators throughout Sin Abyss blanched as they vaguely pieced together the truth. Old Demon Ye had slaughtered fellow Nascent Soul masters, inciting the wrath of all! How could this be? In the past, Old Demon Ye's conduct had indeed earned him the moniker "Old Demon." He was mercurial, ruthless, and shunned by the righteous factions. Yet ever since the righteous and demonic factions allied to face external enemies, Old Demon Ye had exercised great restraint, behaving like a venerable senior worthy of respect. Time and again, he had led from the front. Under his guidance, Sin Abyss had prospered by leaps and bounds, leading even the righteous sects to view him in a new light. Could that have all been a facade, a disguise maintained until today, when the dagger was finally revealed? While the masses stood dazed, more screams drifted out from the inner city. Each cry marked the fall of another Nascent Soul Patriarch. Most horrifying of all, the Nascent Soul Patriarchs butchered by Old Demon Ye did not even seem to have a chance for their Nascent Souls to escape. The shrieks were cut short abruptly, replaced by dead silence. Though Old Demon Ye was hailed as the foremost master of the Beichen Realm, he was not even a great cultivator. How could his power be so terrifying, allowing him to slaughter Nascent Soul cultivators so effortlessly in plain view of everyone? In an instant, the entire city was shaken, and panic spread like wildfire. At long last, the screaming ceased. In the end, Old Demon Ye could not withstand the siege of so many opponents. Unwilling to drag out the fight, he transformed into a streak of bloody light and shot toward the city perimeter, about to break out of Yucheng. Daoist Canghong and the others fought desperately to stop him, but to their dismay, Old Demon Ye destroyed the Nether Crystal Pagoda, allowing him to pull off a clean escape right before their eyes. Faced with such an atrocity, they could never let Old Demon Ye get away. Daoist Canghong led a group in hot pursuit, though fortunately, he had not forgotten to leave people behind to stabilize the situation; otherwise, Yucheng would have dissolved into utter pandemonium already. Yucheng's gates were now shut tight, and the city protection formation was activated. It resembled an immense lotus gleaming with azure light, enveloping the entire city. Three figures hovered in midair—the Nascent Soul Patriarchs left behind to hold the line. The cultivators of Sin Abyss went about their duties, their faces blank and numb. Had these three not stayed above to keep watch, many would likely have fled the city by now. After a disaster like this, how could they hope to defend against what was coming? Every face was grim, weighed down by heavy thoughts, their will to fight completely drained. High above Yucheng. The three remaining Nascent Soul cultivators openly remained in the sky to steady morale. One was an elderly man who looked doddering and decrepit, his face lined with deep wrinkles, his entire being exuding an aura of profound decline as he sat motionless in midair. Outwardly, the old man appeared to be meditating, yet his aura fluctuated violently as though he had suffered severe internal injuries, even though his body showed no visible wounds. The other two stood to his left and right, acting as his protectors. Even as they barked out commands, they conferred through voice transmissions, the shock and fury lingering on their faces. At long last, the situation in Yucheng stabilized. The two glanced down at the old man, and their faces fell in horror. In just this short span, the wrinkles on his face had deepened further, and his breath was considerably feebler than before. It seemed his vital essence was draining away with every passing moment. He was the founding patriarch of a sect, once possessing an imposing, majestic presence. Yet now his hair had turned white in the blink of an eye, reducing him to a frail, withered elder in his twilight years. Fortunately, his aura had now stabilized. Though there was no sign of improvement yet, at least it seemed it would not deteriorate any further. The two exchanged a glance, then turned their gaze toward the direction in which Old Demon Ye had fled, their eyes filled with deep anxiety. "Where on earth could Old Demon Ye be fleeing to?" "Right now, no one can fathom what he's after. It all depends on whether Daoist Canghong and the others can catch up to him." "Daoist Canghong still hasn't returned! We acted quickly to seal the city gates, but there's no guarantee spies from the Two Domains Alliance haven't leaked the news. If they..." Before the words had finished leaving his mouth, the lotus formation outside Yucheng violently trembled. ... Daoist Zhenyi told them not to rush. He glanced left and right as if searching for something, then said moments later, "Follow me!" Figures flickered as the group followed Daoist Zhenyi, silently flying toward a nearby mountain peak.