951: Chapter 952 On the Eve of the Great Battle

Before her lay a massive spiritual power sand table depicting the entire western territory of the Xuan Ye Dynasty.

On the sand table, the dark regions representing the territory controlled by the Nine Nether Sect and the blood-colored regions representing the advance of the Sun Moon Divine Cult were interlocked like dog teeth.

The advance, which was originally expected to be unstoppable, was now at several key nodes,

as if it had hit an invisible iron wall; progress was sluggish, and there were even reversals!

Xin Yingying's slender fingers brushed across the sand table, pointing at several battlefield markers where fierce fighting was in progress, her enchanting brows tightly furrowed.

In those places, powerful auras of unknown origin had appeared, either harassing from the shadows,

or blocking them head-on, greatly tying down the elite forces of the Divine Cult.

Although these people acted covertly and tried their best to disguise themselves, in the eyes of a seasoned figure like Xin Yingying,

that technique, that aura... it was simply a case of 'the more they tried to hide, the more they were exposed'!

“Moyang Sect... Myriad Sword Valley... Yin Yang Sect...”

Xin Yingying's red lips parted slightly as she spat out these three names, her voice bone-chillingly cold,

“What a fine 'Three Great Immortal Sects'! They really are everywhere!”

Zhu Wuneng, the Hall Master of the Ten Thousand Demon Hall who had been standing by, now put away the solemn wariness he showed towards Yao Delong,

recovering the composure of a top expert of the Heavenly Demon Sect. He bowed slightly and said in a deep voice:

“Young Miss, there is no need to worry. Lord Demon Lord has long seen through the intentions of these hypocrites.

Reinforcements have already been personally mobilized by the core Elders of the Sect and are rushing here through special channels.

This time, we will surely sweep through Xuan Ye in one go and completely sever the claws of the Three Great Sects!”

Hearing the words 'Lord Demon Lord,' the gloom in Xin Yingying's eyes dissipated slightly.

That was her Elder brother, who had absolute control over her and was also her greatest backer.

“That is good then.”

Xin Yingying nodded slowly, but then her gaze became sharp as a knife again, fixed dead on the location of Blood Sea City on the sand table,

“It's just... that gray-robed old ghost who suddenly appeared at Blood Sea City is a big problem!”

Zhu Wuneng's expression also turned solemn as he recalled that world-shaking punch and palm strike, still feeling a lingering fear:

“That person... is indeed unfathomable. On the surface, his spiritual power cultivation is only at the Void Refining Peak, but the terror of his Physical Body is simply unheard of!

Breaking Laws purely with strength, he can actually faintly suppress or even distort the surrounding Laws!

What's even more terrifying is that Three Suns Divine Wheel, which devours the energy of all things for his own use, making him nearly inexhaustible!

His Physical Body strength... has likely reached the Middle Stage of Body Integration, or even higher!”

He paused and concluded, “To break Blood Sea City, a Body Integration Realm expert must take action, and they must give it their all!”

Xin Yingying's fingertips unconsciously tapped on the marker for Blood Sea City, making a faint clicking sound.

Body Integration Realm experts... they are the true foundation of a Sect. Unless it is a matter of life and death or great interest, they will not easily be deployed.

But Blood Sea City, this nail stuck at a key node on the western front, if not pulled out, the strategic encirclement of the core Tianlan City cannot be achieved!

“Wait!”

A cold light flashed in Xin Yingying's eyes, her voice decisive, “Wait until the Body Integration Realm Elders of the Sect arrive!

Immediately concentrate our forces and launch a general offensive! Pull out this nail of Blood Sea City at all costs!”

Zhu Wuneng bowed and took the order: “Yes!”

As Xin Yingying's decision was handed down, an even more oppressive and murderous atmosphere,

like an invisible dark cloud, shrouded the sky above the Sun Moon Divine Cult's stronghold.

Encrypted demonic rune messages, carrying bone-chilling killing intent,

were rapidly transmitted through special channels toward the unfathomable heartland of the Heavenly Demon Sect in the rear.

Meanwhile, in Blood Sea City, at several other strongholds of the Nine Nether Sect, and in the corners where the Three Great Immortal Sects were active in secret...

The gazes of all powers were focused, whether intentionally or not, on this blood-stained battlefield in the west of the Xuan Ye Dynasty.

Old Black Mu directed the Cultivators and Mortal laborers, racing against time to repair the collapsed city walls and re-engrave the shattered array runes.

Massive bone stakes were driven back into the earth veins, and thick bone marrow mixed with precious Materials

was smeared layer by layer onto the city walls, attempting to reshape the broken protective bone light.

Qiong Shuang stood quietly beside Yao Delong, watching the last trace of the setting sun in the distant sky being swallowed by blood-colored clouds.

The night, like thick ink, slowly soaked the broken mountains and rivers.

The wind, carrying the scent of gunpowder and blood, blew through the broken walls and ruins, making a wailing sound.

Scattered fires surviving on the battlefield were still stubbornly burning, making faint crackling sounds.

A deathly silence.

It was so oppressive it was suffocating.

There was no clamor celebrating victory, no wailing after the battle.

There was only the intermittent sound of hammering, the friction of moving stones, and the heavy, vigilant footsteps of night-patrolling Cultivators.

Whether it was the exhausted Nine Nether Sect Cultivators on the city walls, the dark-eyed Sun Moon Divine Cultists in the strongholds,

or the various spies hidden in the shadows with flickering gazes... everyone on this scorched earth felt it with absolute clarity in their hearts:

This brief, unsettling peace was merely the short-lived silence in the eye of the storm.

A larger storm, enough to tear apart the sky of the entire Xuan Ye Dynasty, was beneath this facade of silence,

amidst the silent games and military preparations of various powers, slowly but unstoppably brewing.

Calm was merely an illusion before the arrival of the storm.

For the next half month, the entire western front of the Xuan Ye Dynasty fell into a silence so eerie it caused heart palpitations.

Both sides were like slowly increasing force on a taut bowstring; an invisible pressure permeated every inch of scorched earth, so oppressive it made people unable to breathe.

The Nine Nether Sect gave its all! All the effective forces the entire Sect could mobilize, like a black iron torrent,

were fully deployed, densely stationed along a massive battle line centered on Tianlan City and stretching for tens of thousands of miles.

This grand city, crouching like a giant beast in western Xuan Ye, had now become the Nine Nether Sect's final fortress and the center of the decisive battle, gathering the Sect's strongest combat power.

And Blood Sea City, this frontline fortress that had just experienced a bloody battle, was also reinforced once again,

becoming a key nail driven into the outskirts of Tianlan City.

Although the high-level members of the Nine Nether Sect were grateful to the mysterious gray-robed man for turning the tide last time,

they could not bet an entire important stronghold completely on an outside helper of unknown identity!

Several core Elders at the Void Refining Stage, with powerful auras and eyes as sharp as eagles, quietly arrived at Blood Sea City,

bringing not only elite reinforcements but also representing the Nine Nether Sect's high regard for this place.

What made everyone even more reassured was that, following closely behind, was an old man dressed in a gray hemp robe with a withered face and an aura as obscure as an abyss—

one of the Grand Elders of the Nine Nether Sect, Mo Wentian, known as the 'Demon Bone Venerable'! A terrifying existence at the Early Stage of Body Integration!

On the day Mo Wentian arrived, his gaze, which seemed able to pierce through the netherworld, swept across the city walls,

finally landing on the gray-robed figure lazily leaning against a battlement and watching the wind and sand outside the city, lingering for several breaths.

He did not step forward to converse, but merely nodded slightly before heading straight to the core array eye of the city,

where he began to close his eyes and regulate his breathing. This was a silent recognition and a clear signal—Blood Sea City must not be lost!