"Old Ox-Nose, the hour is up and the battle remains undecided. Looks like we must proceed by the old rules once more."
Several figures appeared indistinctly in midair, divided into two camps.
Two stood to the north.
One was a burly, red-haired elder.
Standing atop the clouds, the red-haired elder cut an extraordinary figure with a ruddy complexion and the majestic bearing of a tiger, his gaze carrying an overwhelming presence as though he could swallow the universe itself.
His spiritual power was thoroughly restrained, showing not the slightest ripple around his person.
Little did anyone know that this red-haired elder was in truth the Chunyang Sect Master—not only the leader of the righteous path, but also the universally acknowledged number one expert of the Lesser Cold Domain!
The others were much the same.
Beside the red-haired elder stood a mysterious figure cloaked entirely in rolling demonic energy, showing only an outline of their physique with their facial features completely obscured.
Opposite the red-haired elder and the mysterious figure, three people hovered in midair.
In the middle stood an emaciated old Daoist in a green robe, holding a horsetail whisk. He carried an air of transcendent detachment, his presence yielding nothing to the red-haired elder. Even so, his expression was exceedingly grim as he looked silently down at the two battlefields below.
Behind the old Daoist stood two battle generals side by side. Not only were their faces similar, but their weapons and armor were identical, like a pair of twin brothers.
All five were Nascent Soul experts.
Five Nascent Soul Patriarchs—legendary figures rarely glimpsed in ordinary times—had appeared all at once!
It was the red-haired elder who had spoken.
The old Daoist withdrew his gaze, looked at the red-haired elder, and pointed his whisk toward the Core Formation battlefield, saying coldly, "It has only been ten hours, yet you have been pushed back this far! Give us a few more hours, and our side will surely annihilate you all!"
The red-haired elder laughed heartily, his voice and laughter booming resoundingly in sharp opposition to the old Daoist. "You old ox-nose, you grow more shameless by the day! Do you truly think this is all the manpower my Lesser Cold Domain possesses? If you aren't afraid of the Sin Abyss exploiting the opening to sever your lineage, then by all means bring it on! This old man will see it through to the end! When that happens, I'd like to see whether an old ox-nose stripped of all his followers still has the leisure to hunt for treasures in Ziwei Palace!"
"You!"
"Insolent!"
The two battle generals roared in unison and took a violent step forward, their halberds pointing straight at the red-haired elder, their fighting spirit soaring to the heavens.
In the next instant, with a long, resounding cry, the red-haired elder's aura surged violently. A thick red vapor erupted from his body, radiating an aura of supreme yang and unyielding vigor. His crimson hair danced wildly, making him resemble a heavenly god descending to the mortal realm.
The mysterious figure seemed to be watching a show.
Without needing any help from the mysterious figure, the red-haired elder resisted the two Nascent Soul cultivators single-handedly. The red vapor surged and crashed, yet he did not yield an inch. Instead, it was the two battle generals, gripping their halberds with grim expressions, who appeared to bear immense pressure.
Towering above them, the red-haired elder looked down upon the two generals with contempt in his voice. "Where did such arrogant juniors come from, daring to shout before my face! What? Do you want to fight this old man first to decide a round?"
"Old Red-Haired Ghost, to think that after decades apart, your strength has progressed yet again! Fall back, you two!"
The old Daoist let out a soft sigh and flicked his whisk. Specks of stardust drifted down upon the two generals. He gave the red-haired elder a deep look. "We will proceed by the previous rules: Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul—best two out of three."
The crimson vapor pressing down on the two generals vanished. Relieved, they exchanged shocked glances and quietly retreated behind the old Daoist.
The red-haired elder withdrew his aura and nodded. "Indeed! The old rules: best two out of three, with the formation materials as the wager. The first match will take place at Heaven-Pointing Peak. Old Ox-Nose, you had best prepare well, lest you lack sufficient materials and end up with an incomplete formation, missing the prime opportunity to open Ziwei Palace."
"No need to trouble yourself. However poor the Heaven-Traversing Alliance may be, we can still afford a mere Lesser Beichen Star Element Formation! Let's go!"
Before his voice finished echoing, the old Daoist and the two battle generals vanished from the spot.
At the same time, the Heaven-Traversing Alliance forces on both the Foundation Establishment and Core Formation battlefields received orders. After a brief commotion, they retreated in good order.
When Qin Sang noticed the Heaven-Traversing Alliance withdrawing, he finally set his mind at ease, only to feel an overwhelming exhaustion wash through his entire body.
Regardless of appearances, he sat cross-legged on the water's surface to recover, and everyone else did the same.
While adjusting his breath, Qin Sang gazed at the distant figures above. Though no one had introduced them, he could easily guess that they were undoubtedly the Nascent Soul experts from both sides.
*I wonder if the two Nascent Soul cultivators I saw back in Wuya Valley are among them?*
After the three Nascent Soul figures of the Heaven-Traversing Alliance left, Qin Sang stared at the two remaining figures, musing to himself.
He did not recognize a single Nascent Soul expert. Even having been in his sect for so long, he had never once seen his own sect patriarch, Dongyang Bo.
What were the identities of these two?
Throughout three years of standoff, neither side's Nascent Soul experts had ever shown themselves. Why had they suddenly gathered here all at once?
Could it be because of that beam of light?
Qin Sang shifted his gaze to the beam of light and noticed it seemed slightly thicker than it had been the previous night, though the mirror at its end remained unchanged.
*I hope no massive upheaval occurs.*
*At least... not until I break through to False Core.*
Qin Sang prayed silently.
The more mighty figures he saw, the more powerless he felt, and the more urgent his desire to raise his cultivation became.
At this moment, he was like rootless duckweed, able only to drift with the surging tide of grand events, struggling bitterly. One stroke of bad luck would smash him to pieces.
Only by becoming strong enough could he stand aloof from it all and take control of his own fate!
***
After the old Daoist and his companions departed, the mysterious figure suddenly snorted coldly. "It seems that old ox-nose remains unconvinced! If it were up to this monarch, we would have poured all our strength into sealing off the Yuncang Great Marsh long ago, located Heaven-Pointing Peak, and claimed the Star Element Stones for ourselves. I'd like to see how they could enter Ziwei Palace without Star Element Stones!"
The red-haired elder shook his head slowly. "Fellow Daoist Tongyou, there is something you do not know. Word has it that the Sin Abyss has grown increasingly active and aggressive. We must not push that old ox-nose too far, lest they act out of desperation and invite the wolf into the fold. If that happens, things won't be easy for us either."
The mysterious person was actually the sovereign of the demonic sects, Demon Monarch Tongyou!
One was the leader of the righteous path, and the other a demonic sovereign. Yet listening to their conversation, not only did they show no hostility toward each other, but they even seemed to share a deep rapport.
"The Sin Abyss..."
Demon Monarch Tongyou murmured under his breath, and his figure flashed, vanishing in an instant.
The red-haired elder cast a glance downward, his lips moving.
Moments later, he vanished as well.
***
The vast lake waters had long since swallowed every trace of blood.
After an entire night of bitter fighting, aside from the wounds upon their bodies, it was as if nothing had been left behind.
Before Qin Sang had fully recovered, the signal gongs sounded the order to withdraw. Dragging his exhausted body, he returned to the True Water Thousand Illusions Formation.
Upon entering the Luandao Waters, Qin Sang dismissed his squad. Just as he was about to return to his cave dwelling to rest, he suddenly noticed that the Core Formation experts had not dispersed; instead, they were entering Stargazing Island together.
*Could there be something else?*
Thinking of that strange beam of light, Qin Sang felt that matters would certainly not end so simply.
Unfortunately, there was no one to give him answers.
Fraught with doubt and worry, he rode his cloud back to his cave dwelling, sealed the restrictions, and entered secluded cultivation to await the next battle.
Chapter 453