"Same as usual," said the female cultivator Cao Yingyue with a sigh. "I barely fought off a batch, but I expect they'll be back in about seven days."
Duan Yuxiao comforted her. "You've worked hard, junior sister. From what I've seen, the situation at other outposts is no better. This place isn't even the front lines..."
The two exchanged glances and both fell into silence.
"But there's good news too. It's said that, through the combined efforts of all sides, they've finally pinpointed the exact location of that thing. They're preparing a strike operation to settle it once and for all in one battle..." Cao Yingyue transmitted privately.
Duan Yuxiao, hearing this, felt somewhat relieved. "Hopefully this time we can completely end this war. We've already shed too much blood on this land."
"But even if that thing is destroyed, the enemy's final counterattack will only grow crazier. Junior sister, you need to be careful." Duan Yuxiao reminded her.
"I understand that principle well enough." Cao Yingyue nodded.
The two communicated secretly, but even with voice transmission, it did not escape Li Fan's nearby eavesdropping.
"As the saying goes, success depends on secrecy. Yet something as confidential as a direct strike on the Taiyuan Furnace was leaked just like that. After fighting for so long, the Ten Sects' front line is still at this level..." Li Fan silently snarked in his mind.
Suddenly, his thoughts came to an abrupt halt.
"Not right!"
"At this point in time, the Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao had joined forces to rule over the entire Xuanhuang Realm as a colossal entity, and they were at their absolute peak before the great calamity's destruction. Furthermore, they possessed immortal artifacts like the Furnace of Burning the Dao. If they truly wanted to keep something secret, it was impossible for them to fail."
"So they deliberately spread it, making it known to all."
Li Fan's thoughts shifted, and he immediately understood.
"The Ten Sects could never determine the location of the Taiyuan Revival Furnace, so they released the news, deliberately spreading the news to draw them out."
"Hoping the Taiyuan Realm would move the Taiyuan Furnace, thereby exposing..."
"It's come to the point of executing this plan; it seems the Ten Sects' situation is indeed not optimistic."
Just from a corner of the battlefield, Li Fan had already glimpsed the full picture of the war.
But at this moment, Li Fan still pretended to be completely ignorant, with a hint of anxiety and fear on his face.
After seeing Li Fan to his destination, Duan Yuxiao soon took his leave.
Cao Yingyue watched her senior brother's flying figure depart, her expression somewhat complex.
Just then...
A streak of radiance, swift as thunder, shot out from deep within the Taiyuan Realm. In an instant, it pierced through Duan Yuxiao's body!
Without even uttering a cry of struggle, Duan Yuxiao turned into a puddle of flesh and blood, exploding with a thunderous bang.
His soul and spirit scattered; he perished, body and Dao extinguished!
Cao Yingyue was first stunned, and then only realized what had happened.
"Senior brother!"
A heart-rending cry escaped her throat, and Cao Yingyue rushed toward the scene of the tragedy.
But she had only flown halfway into the air when she abruptly stopped.
"Enemy attack!"
"Form ranks!"
Cao Yingyue's voice spread throughout this Xuanhuang Realm fortress. She seemed to have recovered her calm in a short time, but her slightly trembling body still exposed her inner turmoil.
Not long after Cao Yingyue issued the order, Li Fan saw that, covering the sky and earth, about several hundred thousand cultivators, fearless of death, surged out together from deep within the Taiyuan Realm.
Countless streaks of radiance spilled forth, charging at the defense line set up by the Xuanhuang Realm.
The fortress where Li Fan was located also became one of the insignificant ones struck by this terrifying wave.
The situation changed so quickly that Cao Yingyue and the cultivators in the fortress had no time to spare for Li Fan at all.
Furthermore, with the empowerment of the Illusion is Reality divine ability, Li Fan now seemed forgotten by the battlefield.
But Li Fan's situation was not exactly pleasant.
Because of him, Duan Yuxiao had met an unexpected violent death. And the backlash from the river of time brought by this chain reaction was even more intense than he had anticipated.
"It seems that this Taishang Sect's Duan Yuxiao held a pivotal position in the original future. But it's understandable; after all, the war had reached such a critical juncture, yet he Duan Yuxiao was still able to stay in the far rear without going to the battlefield." Li Fan watched as the surroundings suddenly plunged into turmoil, buffeted by wind and rain, and he could barely stabilize his figure with great effort.
Fortunately, he had laid the foundation at Changqing Valley beforehand; otherwise, he might not have been able to withstand the erosion of this wind and rain.
"If all goes as expected, the Xuanhuang Realm should suffer a great defeat in this battle and ultimately retreat in disgrace."
"Then erase all records of this humiliating defeat."
"From then on, the fortune of the Ten Sects would turn from prosperity to decline. After experiencing calamities such as the rise of the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, dharmas cannot be practiced concurrently, and the immortal-mortal miasma, they would ultimately be completely submerged in history."
"This critical juncture is exactly where I lay my foundation!" A gleam of sharpness flashed in Li Fan's eyes.
If it were an ordinary person, having just narrowly escaped death in the waves caused by the river of time changing course, they would next first use a steady method to solidify an anchor, and then plan other things.
But Li Fan did the opposite; from this, he glimpsed a method to quickly forge a solid anchor.
"If this anchor is completed, even if the river of time changes course and creates a completely different future, I can remain safe and sound amidst the upheaval. Because all Xuanhuang cultivators of later generations will remember my deeds."
"Not just establishing an anchor for one era and one world. But spreading fame for ten thousand ages, spanning the ancient and modern of the long river!"
The power of the Great Dao of Longevity that Li Fan had seen in the river of time, like towering lighthouses standing firm, had given him inspiration.
And in the blink of an eye, he made his decision.
"But it's not appropriate to make sweeping moves right from the start."
"The wings of the butterfly should first start flapping from this very fortress."
Li Fan looked at the distant battlefield, where Cao Yingyue was besieged by three Taiyuan Realm cultivators, her situation growing worse, and was about to follow in her senior brother's footsteps.
He flicked his finger.
Cao Yingyue, originally seriously injured and her consciousness somewhat blurred, suddenly saw before her eyes the tragic scene of Senior Brother Duan she admired meeting his miserable death.
She should have had a limitless future, yet now she died a wrongful death on this battlefield. A surge of murderous energy suddenly arose in Cao Yingyue's heart. Accompanied by boundless power burning fiercely like raging fire.
Her body and soul seemed to be burning; Cao Yingyue, fallen into a state of madness, with a swipe of her blade, counter-killed the three Taiyuan Realm cultivators besieging her.
Then she continued fearlessly, launching a counterattack against the cultivators attacking this fortress.
The Ten Sects cultivators stationed here, after seeing Cao Yingyue's valiant performance, were all infected and fought to the death.
After half a day of bitter defense, the Taiyuan Realm cultivators attacking like locusts were finally temporarily driven back.
The cultivators thought it was the reward for their perseverance.
But they never expected this was Li Fan's secret arrangement.
Not only this fortress, but if one raised their gaze to look at the entire Taiyuan Realm, they could see that the originally unified Great Dao of the Taiyuan Realm, as if someone had mixed in some impurities, began to become turbid.
An invisible fine line like a ravine spanned across the entire Taiyuan Realm, dividing the battlefield.
The Taiyuan Realm cultivators who sensed the anomaly were thus forced to retreat.
The Ten Sects cultivators, having survived the catastrophe, lay weakly on the ground, enjoying what might be their last moments.
And Li Fan was just like them, almost completely exhausted.
Not only because of the influence he exerted through his own comprehension of the Dao, and the formations he secretly laid down. This great move that changed the overall situation of the Taiyuan Realm.
But more importantly, because he also had to simultaneously face the waves stirred up again by the river of time.
"This is the limit of what I can do now."
"The foundation laid before is no longer enough in the face of such winds and waves."
Li Fan, sensing his own precarious state, deliberately released a strong fluctuation.
Instantly attracting the attention of the surrounding surviving cultivators.
For a moment, it drew everyone's sideways glances: "This, is he breaking through?"
"Heh, Nascent Soul stage. It merely barely increases the probability of survival."
"However, to survive at the Golden Core realm in the previous surprise attack, and then have an epiphany and breakthrough after the battle... This person is not simple! What's his background? Seems like he hasn't been seen before."
"Between life and death, there is great terror. But also great opportunity. Master truly did not deceive me!"
...
Amidst everyone's discussion, rumors about "Li Ping" of Changqing Valley gradually spread.
Just the fact that he volunteered to go to the battlefield was enough to make these Ten Sects cultivators who had personally experienced life and death in the war look at him with new eyes.
Before the anomaly of heaven and earth was completely resolved, the Taiyuan Realm side did not dare to continue launching attacks.
Everyone was able to spend a relatively peaceful night.
At night, Cao Yingyue, who was in a deep sleep, suddenly fell into the nightmare of Senior Brother Duan's miserable death again.
"Senior brother!" she cried out instinctively.
Senior Brother Duan seemed to sense her cry; before vanishing, he looked at her with deep affection.
Then, a point of light flew out from him, gradually entering Cao Yingyue's mind and spirit.
Boom!
The nightmare was instantly swept away; a scene as brilliant as a starry sky suddenly appeared before Cao Yingyue's eyes.
This incomparably magnificent sight made her temporarily forget the pain in her heart.
"Supreme Dao Scripture?"
Before this breathtaking sight, Cao Yingyue couldn't help but stare blankly.
...
After Cao Yingyue woke up, Li Fan took the initiative to visit and apologize.
"Guilt? What guilt do you have?" Cao Yingyue said very coldly.
"If it weren't for sending me to the battlefield, Senior Brother Duan also wouldn't have..." Li Fan said very guiltily, lowering his head.
...
Actually, Cao Yingyue had indeed had such thoughts in her heart originally. But she also knew this couldn't be blamed on him; life and death are unpredictable. On the battlefield, life does not belong to oneself. It all depends on the will of heaven.
His Duan Yuxiao's life is a life, but aren't the lives of countless disciples of the Ten Sects of the Immortal Dao also lives? Besides, Li Fan is also a loyal cultivator who voluntarily went to the battlefield.
If she made trouble using this as an excuse, the countless Ten Sects cultivators on this battlefield would not agree.
Cao Yingyue naturally understood this principle; she had originally already let it go.
Now Li Fan took the initiative to speak it out, making it even more like a breeze passing by, wiping the slate clean.
"Live well."
"Together, for Senior Brother Duan."
Cao Yingyue said expressionlessly.
...
For the following half year, dozens of battles large and small occurred again between the Taiyuan Realm and the Xuanhuang Realm.
The Ten Sects side, although still suffering heavy losses, backed by Xuanhuang with the means to sustain their forces, could barely hold on.
And although Taiyuan Realm cultivators could be resurrected after death, the Taiyuan heaven and earth would occasionally act abnormally, greatly affecting their resurrection efficiency. Before they completely figured out the source of this anomaly, they didn't dare launch a full counterattack.
Thus the war situation reached a temporary stalemate.
Facing the direction of the upcoming war, divisions had gradually begun to arise within the Ten Sects.
Looking at it now, the immortal spiritual energy inside the Taiyuan Revival Furnace was obviously not going to be exhausted in a short time. Though unwilling, they had to admit they had previously made a fatal wrong judgment.
But since things have come to this, they could only wait until after the war ended to pursue responsibility from all sides. The key now was what to do next.
Having already made a mistake once, the Xuanhuang Realm could not afford the price of making another mistake.
Those holding the opinion to retreat were not few.
And among those who remained silent, many more held this same thought, too numerous to count.
But the reason that could make all the Ten Sects still maintain a fight-to-the-death stance openly was the Grand Star-Crossing Array inherited from the ancient Xuantian Sect.
Originally serving as a reliance for escaping the Immortal Ruins, the golden chains of Grand Star-Crossing brought them hope.
But unexpectedly, it was a quagmire of misfortune.
And now, they were stuck in this quagmire, unable to extricate themselves.
The so-called quagmire referred not only to the war itself, but also stood in for those golden chains!
The Xuanhuang Realm side naturally also sensed the anomaly of heaven and earth occurring in the Taiyuan Realm.
They weren't clear on the specific situation of the Taiyuan Revival Furnace, but they saw the changes in the Grand Star-Crossing Array.
The Golden Chains Across the Sky, originally at their limit and about to shatter completely, actually slowly recovered!
This should have been a happy event worthy of celebration by the Ten Sects.
But up and down the Ten Sects, no one could be happy.
Because the price of the Golden Chains Across the Sky recovering was that they were slowly merging into this heaven and earth of the Taiyuan Realm!
Why such a strange thing would happen, including the sect masters of the Ten Sects, all the cultivators were at a loss.
An established fact lay before them: now even if they wanted to withdraw, they couldn't.
The Golden Chains Across the Sky, as part of the Grand Star-Crossing Array, connected to the Xuanhuang Realm.
Even if they withdrew from the Taiyuan Realm, if they didn't retrieve the Golden Chains Across the Sky, Taiyuan cultivators could also follow the chains to attack and invade.
And if the chains were severed...
The Grand Star-Crossing Array had already reached the level of an immortal array; although the Ten Sects usually regarded themselves as inheritors of the Immortal Realm, they had not achieved the ability to freely remodel an immortal array. All they could currently do was activate and manipulate the array.
More importantly, the Xuanhuang Realm was still in the Immortal Ruins. If they forcibly severed the chains, it was very likely to cause the Xuanhuang Realm to suffer heavy damage and fall into the Immortal Ruins. Therefore, the Ten Sects collectively rejected this plan.
So there was only one path before the Ten Sects.
From now on, even if they didn't continue attacking the Taiyuan Realm, they had to set up defensive fortresses to prevent the Taiyuan Realm's counterattack.
For this, more fighting forces needed to be invested.
"Fellow cultivators. Have you heard that an organization called the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals has emerged in various places of the Xuanhuang Realm?"
"Just a bunch of loose cultivators making trouble."
"Originally thinking to suppress them after the Taiyuan Realm matter is finished. But now looking at it..."
"Perhaps they can be pulled into the battlefield."',
Chapter 1536