154: The Second Prince was moved

Although on the surface this first major clash between the Righteous and Demonic Paths appeared to be over, no side relaxed their vigilance. Instead, through this battle, all parties began to feel a sense of wariness toward one another.

Maintenance day for the Secret Realm was always dull. Many Cultivators, after receiving their Spirit Stones, headed straight to Seria's place to exchange them for Vouchers, waiting for the Secret Realm to open so they could immediately purchase gift packs and Class Advancement Tickets.

The big shots gathered around Kelli again, boisterously pulling out their Soul-bound Magical Artifacts to begin strengthening them.

Kelli, who hadn't had business in a long time, was happy today. Watching the steady stream of Spirit Stones brought by the guests, her grin grew wider and her smile more radiant.

After the Grand Elder finished his busy work, he finally managed to rest for a while, sitting in the courtyard to drink tea with Elder Yang.

The Grand Elder picked up his teacup and suddenly asked, "Old Yang, help me think—is there anything I've forgotten?"

Elder Yang took a sip of tea and said, "There shouldn't be anything left."

At this time, on the outskirts of the Spirit Realm Sect, the Second Prince remained clad in armor, standing tall with an army of five hundred thousand.

"Elder Shen, the combat power of these Cultivators is truly high! After fighting for so long, not a single Demonic Cultivator has been let out," the Second Prince sighed with emotion.

Elder Shen nodded and said, "Indeed. Did you hear that massive explosion just now? The battle inside must be extremely fierce."

Captain Yang stood beside the Second Prince leading a team of guards and asked, "Second Prince, we could hear shouting just now, but why is there no movement inside now? It couldn't be that the fighting is over, could it?"

The Second Prince scolded, "Shut up! Do you think this is a game? Over so quickly? They must be tired from fighting and have called a temporary truce. Tell the soldiers to stay alert; this is the easiest time for enemy scouts to sneak out!"

"Yes!" Captain Yang took the order and left.

Elder Shen was puzzled. "Speaking of which, even if there's a temporary truce, isn't it a bit too quiet?"

The Second Prince smiled. "Elder Shen, although this Demonic Cultivator attack is just a vanguard force, their numbers must be massive. Do you think it could end so quickly?"

Elder Shen nodded. "That's true. Unless an all-powerful being appeared to crush everything, it really wouldn't end this fast. It seems I'm overthinking it, but I still think it's better to send a few scouts up to check!"

The Second Prince said, "Let's not go up and cause trouble now. What if the scouts are killed and the Demonic Cultivators disguise themselves as our scouts to sneak in? Let's wait a bit longer. If there's still no movement in a while, we'll send someone up."

Night soon arrived. With nothing to do, many Cultivators held a bonfire party on Tianquan Peak. The big shots also joined in the fun, undoubtedly adding more fuel to the atmosphere.

Spiritual Void Master and Elder even went on stage to perform a duet dance, causing both the big shots and the Disciples to cheer and jeer.

Many Cultivators who were good at singing and dancing let loose completely, taking the stage to show off their talents while the audience below shouted with excitement.

Outside the Spirit Realm Sect, the Second Prince pointed at the firelight on Tianquan Peak in the distance and said, "Elder Shen, look, I told you that you were overthinking it. Look at that fire lighting up the sky on Tianquan Peak; they must still be fighting. After fighting for so long, Tianquan Peak hasn't fallen. These Cultivators are truly tough; they are all good men!"

Elder Shen looked at the firelight on Tianquan Peak, occasionally seeing flickering shadows, and nodded. "It seems that is indeed the case."

Captain Yang approached again and said, "Second Prince, why do I hear not only shouting but also singing coming from up there?"

The Second Prince turned and slapped Captain Yang's helmet. "What do you know? Singing? You might as well say they're having a bonfire party up there! Even if there is singing, it must be a battle song! People are risking their lives up there, and you're down here speculating about them like that?"

Elder Shen pricked up his ears and listened, but indeed heard no singing, so he didn't speak.

By now, the bonfire party had evolved into a sparring match. Countless Prodigies from various Sects took the stage to spar, stopping before any harm was done. Below the stage, many Cultivators even started betting pools on which Sect's Prodigy would win.

The Cultivators who had placed bets shouted excitedly as the Disciples they favored took the stage. Cries of 'Hit him!' and 'Kill!' were incessant.

Hearing the sounds coming from Tianquan Peak again, Elder Shen immediately pricked up his ears and listened carefully.

The Second Prince pulled Captain Yang over and said, "Come, listen. Is that the sound of shouting and killing?"

Captain Yang listened for a while and nodded. "It's the sound of shouting and killing, alright. But why do I also hear laughter?"

The Second Prince slapped Captain Yang's helmet again. "Nonsense! That means our Righteous Path has the upper hand! If you had the upper hand in a battle, would you laugh or not?"

Captain Yang nodded. "I would laugh!"

"Then it matches up! Quick, order the troops: the battle ahead is going smoothly. Everyone stand straight, no sleeping, to prevent any remnants of the enemy from breaking through!" the Second Prince ordered.

Captain Yang took the order and left to convey it to all the soldiers.

Hughes was hidden in the crowd, his eyes welling up as he watched the singing and dancing Cultivators.

Suddenly, he noticed Meilin in the crowd. When he first met her, she was just a little girl following him around. After all these years, he hadn't expected her to be the Saintess.

At this point, the martial arts sparring had come to an end. Group Leader Iron Hammer suddenly took the stage and announced, "I've brought the fine wine of the Dwarf Clan. Everyone, drink your fill today! No one leaves until they're drunk!"

Upon hearing this, the Cultivators cheered again and happily stepped forward to get their wine.

Hearing the cheers from Tianquan Peak, the Second Prince's eyes welled up with emotion. "Look at the Cultivators of my Canglan Continent. From the sounds of it, they must have repelled another wave of attacks from the Demonic Path. Truly indomitable!"

Elder Shen smiled. "Hehe, Second Prince, although we haven't joined the battle, it doesn't mean we haven't contributed. You are the last line of defense for the Southern Border!"

The Second Prince nodded. "Exactly. I and these 500,000 troops are their backbone. As long as we are here, we won't let a single Demonic Cultivator escape. I must be worthy of their bloody battle!"

"Where is the Historian? Come and record this. Today, in the great war between Righteous and Demonic Paths, I lead an army of five hundred thousand as the final backbone of the Righteous Path. Today, I make a great oath: as long as I and my soldiers live, we will not let a single Demonic Cultivator escape!" the Second Prince said.

The Historian was also moved and quickly wielded his brush to record the Second Prince's words.

The night passed quickly. Tianquan Peak was covered with drunken Cultivators, sprawled out across the ground in all directions.

The Second Prince said, "Half the night has passed, and not a single sound has come. Could something have happened? Someone, assemble fifty thousand soldiers and follow me up the mountain to check!"

Captain Yang personally assembled the troops and followed the Second Prince toward Tianquan Peak. First, they saw the monster corpses that hadn't been cleared away yet.

"Look at these monster corpses. How many monsters did the wretched Demonic Cult send?" the Second Prince said heavily.

Reaching the peak, they saw countless Righteous Path Cultivators lying on the ground in disarray. Many were even propping each other up in a semi-seated position, refusing to fall even in death.

The Second Prince roared in grief, "Captain Yang! Look, look at the corpses of these Cultivators! They gave their precious lives and refused to fall even in death. Shouldn't we pay our respects?!"