318: Chapter 318: Despair

The news of the Great Qian Dynasty's fall hit the heart of every Cultivator of the Righteous Path like a heavy hammer.

Within three days, the Great Qian Dynasty, which had a ten-thousand-year Legacy, completely vanished from the map of the Northern Territory.

The imperial clan, according to the genealogy, was left with no survivors.

As for the court officials, those who surrendered lived, and those who resisted died.

Upon the ruins of the imperial capital, the flags of the Demonic Path fluttered high.

But this was not the end.

The Demonic Path did not stop its advance.

Xiao Ran did not stay long in the imperial capital.

He left a detachment from the Blood Fiend Sect to clean up the battlefield, while he led the main army, marching majestically toward the Supreme Dao Palace.

The carcass of the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor hovered above the army, followed closely by three Grand Elder Puppets, their steps uniform, shaking the ground with every stride.

Two thousand Yellow Spring Army soldiers marched in formation, silver-white ghost fire flickering in their eye sockets, their killing intent soaring to the heavens.

The Body Integration Stage Cultivators of the six great Demonic Sects stood on both sides, each exuding a profound aura.

There were also thousands of Yao Beasts, blotting out the sky, with Demonic Qi permeating the air.

Along this journey, no force dared to obstruct them.

The Sects along the way either closed their mountain gates, relocated their entire Sect, or voluntarily surrendered.

Xiao Ran paid no heed to those small fry.

His target was the Supreme Dao Palace, the banner of the Righteous Path.

As long as that banner fell, the Righteous Path would be completely finished.

...

At this moment.

The protective formation of the Supreme Dao Palace was crumbling under the frenzied attacks of the Yao Beast army.

The golden light flickered on and off, like the breathing of a dying person.

Runes extinguished one after another; with each one that vanished, the hearts of the Cultivators on the city walls sank further.

Daoist Master Qingxu stood on the city wall, his white hair fluttering in the wind, his Daoist robe stained with blood.

Behind him were the exhausted Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi and Fairy Xuanbing.

The three at the Peak Integration Stage appeared unusually disheveled at this moment.

"Grand Elder, how much longer can the formation hold?"

Daoist Master Qingxu asked.

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi closed his eyes to sense for a moment, then opened them, his gray eyes filled with exhaustion.

"One hour at most. There are too many Yao Beasts, and besides..."

He did not continue.

Daoist Master Qingxu understood.

Moreover, Xiao Ran's main force had not yet arrived.

Once Xiao Ran arrived with the Demonic Path army, the formation wouldn't even last for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

"Daoist Master Qingxu, what should we do?"

Suddenly, the voice of Emperor Qian came from behind.

He landed on the city wall, disheveled and covered in dirt, accompanied by a few remnants of his defeated troops.

His dragon robe was tattered, his crown was lost somewhere, and his hair was disheveled, making him look like a destitute beggar.

This old guy, Emperor Qian, had escaped from the imperial capital.

Xiao Ran's army had slaughtered the clan of the Great Qian Dynasty, killing them according to the genealogy, leaving not a single one behind.

His sons, brothers, and nephews were all dead.

Now, he had become completely isolated.

Daoist Master Qingxu looked at him, a trace of pity flashing in his eyes.

"Emperor Qian, you..."

"Don't call me Emperor Qian!"

"The Great Qian Dynasty is gone. I am a ruler of a fallen nation."

Emperor Qian's voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot.

The Cultivators on the city wall looked at him, a sense of sorrow rising in their hearts, as if a rabbit were grieving for the death of a fox.

The Great Qian Dynasty, one of the four transcendent powers, with a ten-thousand-year Legacy, had just vanished like that.

Would the Supreme Dao Palace be next?

"Report—"

A Disciple flew in from afar, landed in front of Daoist Master Qingxu, and knelt on one knee.

"The Demonic Path army has reached the mountain gate, less than a hundred miles from the Dao Palace!"

Daoist Master Qingxu's expression hardened.

What was bound to come had finally arrived.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

Daoist Master Qingxu took a deep breath, and his voice echoed throughout the entire Dao Palace.

On the city wall, the Cultivators gripped their Magical Artifacts tightly.

Some were trembling, some were gritting their teeth, and some were silently praying.

In their eyes, there was fear, despair, anger, and unwillingness.

But not a single person fled.

Su Qinghan stood at the edge of the city wall, her long sword dripping with blood.

Her white clothes were already soaked with blood, and it was impossible to tell if it was from the Yao Beasts or herself.

At this moment, Su Qinghan was numb; there was no expression on her face, but in her heart, she was thinking of one person.

Xiao Ran.

The man who fought side by side with her on the Ancient Battlefield, the man who entangled with her for a night in the underground palace, the man who stared at her from afar in the Far North Land.

Now, he was going to destroy the Supreme Dao Palace.

They would ultimately become enemies.

"Junior Sister, what are you thinking about?"

Ling Jianxin walked to her side, his body also covered in wounds.

Su Qinghan shook her head.

"Nothing."

Ling Jianxin was silent for a moment, then whispered: "Junior Brother Li... still no news."

Su Qinghan did not speak.

She didn't know where Li Changsheng was, or what he was doing.

She only knew that even if Junior Brother Li appeared, he could not save the overall situation.

"They're here!"

Someone shouted, and everyone's eyes turned toward the distance.

On the horizon, a black line slowly emerged.

The black line grew wider and closer, finally transforming into a black ocean.

The Demonic Path army, covering the sky and earth, stretched as far as the eye could see.

Disciples of the six Sects, Disciples of the Eternal Night Demon Sect, and the Yellow Spring Army.

A dense, black mass extending from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, every step landing in perfect rhythm, shaking the ground with every stride.

At the front of the army, the carcass of the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor flew at a low altitude, its five heads drooping, its vertical pupils hollow.

Standing on its back was a young man in black robes.

Xiao Ran.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his black robes fluttering, a faint, imperceptible smile hanging on the corners of his mouth.

The Nine-Headed Snake Emperor landed in front of the Dao Palace, and Xiao Ran leaped down, standing at the forefront of the army.

Behind him followed the three Grand Elder Puppets and the Sect Masters of the six great Demonic Sects.

"Daoist Master Qingxu, we meet again."

Xiao Ran's voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed throughout the entire Dao Palace.

Daoist Master Qingxu stood on the city wall, looking down at him.

"Xiao Ran, you destroyed the Great Qian Dynasty; your actions have incited the wrath of both gods and men."

"Do you think you can kill the entire Righteous Path?"

Xiao Ran laughed.

"What I want is the entire Northern Territory; the Righteous Path, the Demonic Path, and the Yao Race shall all be used by me."

"Daoist Master Qingxu, I will give you one last chance."

"Submit or die."

Daoist Master Qingxu took a deep breath.

"Xiao Ran, the Righteous Path would rather die than submit."

Xiao Ran shook his head.

"Then it shall be a fight to the death."

He raised his hand, and the three Grand Elder Puppets charged toward the city wall simultaneously.

The five heads of the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor also opened their giant mouths, spitting out dark red beams of light.

The Yellow Spring Army marched with uniform steps, pressing toward the mountain gate.

"Engage!"

Daoist Master Qingxu roared, swinging his horsetail whisk, and the white spiritual power transformed into countless threads, entangling one of the Puppets.

Supreme Elder Xuan Qingzi pointed his cane, and a gray beam of light blasted toward another Puppet.

Fairy Xuanbing drew her long sword, and silver-white sword light slashed toward the third Puppet.

Emperor Qian struck with his palm, and a golden palm shadow met the beam of light from the Nine-Headed Snake Emperor.

Within the Dao Palace, four Grand Elders at the Fusion Stage Early also flew out, joining the battle.

Boom—!

The collision of five Peak Integration Stage powers erupted with an earth-shattering roar.

The entire Dao Palace trembled, cracks on the city wall grew more numerous, and rubble fell with a rustling sound.

Xiao Ran fought five Fusion Stage Early Cultivators alone and did not fall at a disadvantage.

The Guixu Vortex circulated around him, devouring, transforming, and converting all attacks into his own power.

His aura did not weaken; instead, it grew stronger.

"Too weak." Xiao Ran shook his head.

He raised his hand, and the yellow spring banner flew from his waist, its black light shining brilliantly.

The banner surface unfolded, and two thousand corpses at the Void Refinement Stage rushed out from the banner, dense and overwhelming.

They charged toward the city wall, clashing with the Disciples of the Righteous Path.

"Damn it!"

Daoist Master Qingxu gritted his teeth, waving his horsetail whisk, shredding several corpses into fragments.

But there were too many corpses; after killing one batch, another came.

Moreover, they did not fear pain, death, or fatigue.

The Disciples of the Righteous Path were retreating step by step.

Some were pierced by Long Halberds, some were torn apart by the corpses, and some were dragged into the horde of corpses and disappeared.

Screams, cries, and the sounds of slaughter intertwined, turning the entire Dao Palace into a living hell.