47: The prelude to the unification of the southwest

"True Person Yanling has passed away?"

"That old fellow is finally dead!"

"Hahaha, good riddance!"

"Sigh... the Dharma Ending Age, the Dharma Ending Age. What use is there for me to cultivate?"

"Alas! Farewell, Senior Yanling—"

"The Cultivation World is finished! Hahahaha!"

"..."

The news of True Person Yanling's passing spread across the entire continent.

Some sighed with regret, while others were overcome with grief.

Some looked at the declining Cultivation World and felt despair.

Yet others were ecstatic.

"Steady now! Let's test the waters first."

"Right, let's see the reaction of the Qingyuan Sect first. We mustn't be reckless."

"We can start contacting Fellow Daoists now."

"Excellent!"

...End of October.

Kang Country, Qingyuan Sect.

Amidst a somber atmosphere of mourning, over five hundred Disciples from the entire Sect gathered to hold a grand funeral for True Person Yanling.

This was also the final curtain call for the last Immortal Master of this realm.

November.

After the funeral, the Qingyuan Sect's sphere of influence began a deliberate and slow contraction.

Many spirit mines and resource points on the borders, and even several Spiritual Veins, were abandoned one after another.

Following that.

November 11th.

The Qingyuan Sect announced to the public that due to the vibration of the mountain gate's Spiritual Vein, there were signs of it dropping in rank.

Combined with the Immortal Master's last command, it was decided:

From this day forward, the Qingyuan Sect will seal its mountain!

The duration is indefinite!

During the seclusion, the Qingyuan Sect will no longer concern itself with any affairs of the Cultivation World, nor does it wish for anyone to disturb its peace.

Once the news broke, the Cultivation World was in an uproar.

Everyone understood that the Qingyuan Sect was decisively giving up its former transcendent hegemon status in the Cultivation World!

They were even willing to cut their own flesh while their strength was intact and their prestige was at its peak.

At this point, even the most stubborn and skeptical people had to accept the fact that True Person Yanling had truly passed away.

However, would those watching them from the shadows simply accept the benefits offered by the Qingyuan Sect and let them land safely?

Late November.

Shortly after the Qingyuan Sect announced the sealing of its mountain.

A large Sect located on the border of Kang Country, overseen by a Dao Foundation Ancestor, boldly struck and directly destroyed two nearby Qi Refining level Sects.

Not only did they slaughter all the Disciples and plunder all cultivation resources, they even excavated the Spiritual Veins entirely!

When the news came out, the entire Kang Country was shaken.

This was a blatant provocation of the Qingyuan Sect!

Because such things were absolutely forbidden back when True Person Yanling was still around!

Everyone was watching the Qingyuan Sect's next move.

And the Qingyuan Sect, just as they had said, acted as if they knew nothing and ignored it.

They were serious about Sealing the Mountain.

Kang Country, and even the entire Central Continent Cultivation World, began to fall into chaos... January of the Sixth Year of Huangtian.

After receiving intelligence from the Central Continent Cultivation World, especially the news of the Qingyuan Sect's seclusion, True Man Huang Tian finally felt at ease.

Even the Central Continent is in chaos; who would care about this small pond in the Southwest region?

January 10th.

The twenty thousand strong Huangtian Great Army of the Yellow Heaven Celestial Kingdom grandly crossed the border and, led by hundreds of Cultivators, aggressively invaded the Yu State.

Bringing Mortal soldiers into battle, the Yellow Heaven Cult was likely the only exception in the Cultivation World.

A war sweeping across the Southwest region officially began.

The Huangtian Great Army rampaged through the Yu State, invincible and unstoppable.

The various preparations made by the Yu State after receiving prior intelligence proved to be incredibly fragile.

January 25th.

Yu State, outside the capital city.

Over thirty Cultivators from the Wind Fire Gate came out in full force, led by Sect Head Venerable Lie Feng, to face the Yellow Heaven Cult.

They also had help.

Realizing that if the lips are gone the teeth will be cold, he persuaded the Dark Water Sect of the neighboring Yun State.

Together, the two Sects had seventy or eighty Cultivators.

Adding their respective Peak Qi Refining Sect Heads and Second-tier Magical Artifacts, they barely mustered the courage to resist the Yellow Heaven Cult.

Most importantly, it was True Man Huang Tian's Second-tier Lightning Talisman that made Venerable Lie Feng very wary.

That was something that could take his life at any moment.

Venerable Lie Feng stood on the city wall of the capital, watching the approaching yellow tide of Huangtian in the distance, his expression solemn to the extreme.

Beside him was the Sect Master of the Dark Water Sect.

"Sect Head, the people from the Yellow Heaven Cult are here! It looks like there are at least three hundred Cultivators!"

A Late Stage Qi Refining Elder said in a low voice, his tone trembling slightly.

Venerable Lie Feng took a deep breath, suppressing his unease: "What's there to panic about? Our two Sects have joined forces. As long as we show our determination to fight to the death, we might be able to repel the Yellow Heaven Cult!"

Although he said this, he had no confidence in his heart.

However, it was impossible for him to just give up the foundation of the Wind Fire Gate.

It would be best if they could negotiate.

"Thump~ Thump~ Thump~"

Soon, the dull sound of iron boots trampling the ground echoed from afar.

The earth began to tremble.

A bright yellow tide washed over the horizon.

Two hundred thousand iron-clad figures tore through the horizon, a forest of spears gleaming coldly in the sunlight, quickly surrounding the entire city.

A suffocating pressure swept over them.

Venerable Lie Feng and the Dark Water Sect Master flew directly into the sky, took a deep breath, and shouted loudly: "Fellow Daoist Huang Tian, could you come out for a meeting?"

They intended to talk first.

Especially Venerable Lie Feng; he planned to give up the Yuan Country he had occupied not long ago, including the Spiritual Vein of White Lotus Mountain, to the Yellow Heaven Cult.

Perhaps it could exchange for their withdrawal.

He believed that True Man Huang Tian's second-tier Talismans would definitely not be too many and wouldn't be used recklessly.

What they didn't expect, however, was that True Man Huang Tian was already a Dao Foundation Cultivator; why would he bother talking to them?

"Ants."

True Man Huang Tian sneered and struck out with a palm.

"Boom—!!!"

At this moment, the aura of the Dao Foundation Stage on him was no longer hidden.

The Liquid Mana surging in his Dantian erupted, transforming in the blink of an eye into a giant Golden Palm thirty zhang in size, slamming fiercely toward the two in the sky.

"You!!!"

Venerable Lie Feng's eyes widened instantly, his expression changing wildly.

But before they could react, the giant Golden Palm struck across the sky.

"Bang~"

The two instantly exploded into a mist of blood.

Immediately after, the giant palm's momentum remained undiminished as it crashed directly into the capital's city wall.

"Rumble——————"

Along with the deafening roar, the earth trembled violently.

The nearly ten-zhang-high city wall collapsed for hundreds of zhang, and billowing dust rose into the sky like a Dragon, blotting out the sun.

With just this one strike, at least over twenty Cultivators perished, and the number of Mortal soldiers was unknown.

"The Cult Leader is mighty!!!"

The two hundred thousand strong Huangtian Great Army instantly boiled with excitement, their fanatical shouts intertwining and soaring into the clouds like a torrent.

"Roar— Roar— Roar—"

Meanwhile, the Yu State capital had fallen into complete silence.

"Kill!"

With an order, the Yellow Heaven Cult Disciples attacked simultaneously.

Densely packed Talismans were activated, and fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades, and golden blades bombarded the capital like a violent storm.

"Boom— Boom— Boom—!"

Under the bombardment of Spells, the Mortal army collapsed like paper, soldiers crying out as they fled in all directions, trampling each other, suffering heavy casualties.

Although many Cultivators remained from the Wind Fire Gate and the Dark Water Sect, the disparity in strength was vast, and soon more than half were dead or injured, leading to a complete collapse.