96: Seven days of bloody battle, the sword opens up the Eastern Region

The air inside the Holy Hall was frozen stiff.

On the myriad ages demon suppressing star chart, the Scarlet Triangular Formation Diagram covering the Eastern Domain was like a bleeding shackle, slowly contracting every second. Three "blood streams," composed of billions of red dots, were injecting into the edge of the diagram from different directions—these were the allied armies of the three Corrupted Star Domains, frantically slaughtering the stars along the way to collect blood and soul energy.

"In seven days, the Formation will complete, and the Eastern Domain will perish." Lu Qingxuan's voice was calm, yet it sent chills down the spines of everyone in the hall.

"Holy Lord, we..." The voice of a Grand Elder was dry and strained.

"Fight." Lu Qingxuan interrupted him, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Pass down my Xuan Emperor's Decree—"

With every sentence he spoke, a Chaos Talisman Seal flew out from his palm and hovered in the hall.

"First Decree: All Disciples and Elders of the Grand Void Holy Land above the Nascent Soul stage, excluding those severely injured and immobile, are to prepare for battle. The chaos reincarnation pagoda's tenth floor is open, and all resources will be supplied without limit. How much they can Breakthrough depends on their own fortune."

The Talisman Seal transformed into a golden light and flew toward the pagoda region.

"Second Decree: Send word to all Sects in the Eastern Domain—Purple Heaven Sect, Ice Spirit Valley, Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Vajra Temple, the Zhao Family of Flowing Cloud City... Those willing to participate in the war must assemble at the 'Skyfall Star Gorge' within three days. This battle is not for Sects or private gain, but for the survival of the Eastern Domain. Those who fear battle will be settled with after the war; those who die in battle shall have Eternal Rest for Heroic Souls."

The second Talisman Seal pierced the Void Realm and departed.

"Third Decree: Jin Wanxiang, Moyuan."

"Here!" The two stepped forward solemnly.

"Activate all cross-Domain teleportation Formations of the Myriad Realms Merchant Alliance and Star Sea Pavilion, and distribute the 'Chaos Purification Formation Plate' I prepared to every important star stronghold in the Eastern Domain. At the same time, use your connections to contact all external allies you can reach—tell them that if the Eastern Domain falls, their Star Domain will be next. The Void Abyss... never stops."

Jin Wanxiang and Moyuan nodded emphatically, took the Talisman Seal, and turned to make arrangements.

"Fourth Decree: Sword Dust."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"You will lead all the Soul Transformation elites of the Holy Land, depart immediately, and along the way, rendezvous with the assembling teams of the various Sects and clear out the allied army's peripheral scouts. Remember, focus on harassment and delay; do not clash head-on with the main force."

"As you command!"

"Fifth Decree..." Lu Qingxuan looked at Su Linger. "Ling'er, you will guard the Hall of Rebirth, using the reincarnation sapling as a guide to communicate with the complete Divine Thought of Purple Firmament Sovereign Lord. I need to know which current forces those three traitorous Ancient Gods from back then are most likely disguised as."

Su Linger nodded seriously, "I will do my best."

"Finally..." Lu Qingxuan looked at Lu Mingdao. "Father, the internal affairs of the Holy Land are entrusted to you. The Great Circumference Star Formation needs to be reinforced again, and I will fuse a wisp of the Origin of the Chaos Sword Divine Body into the Formation's core. Furthermore..."

He paused, "If the final battle situation is unfavorable, you may activate the Holy Land's 'Ultimate Void Escape' plan and evacuate the Core Disciples."

Lu Mingdao's expression changed. "Qingxuan, you..."

"Just the worst-case scenario." Lu Qingxuan's eyes were profound. "In this battle, I must win."

Once the orders were given, the entire Eastern Domain began to operate frantically, like a precise war machine.

---

Day One.

At the Grand Void Holy Land, the tenth floor of the chaos reincarnation pagoda completely solidified.

The flow of time inside the pagoda reached a ten-to-one ratio compared to the outside world, and the Chaos Dao Rhyme was so dense it materialized into liquid Spiritual Rain. Hundreds of Disciples and Elders stuck at a Bottleneck immediately achieved Breakthrough upon entering the pagoda floor.

The Lightning Tribulation for advancing from Golden Core to Nascent Soul was absorbed by the pagoda structure and converted into pure energy to feed back into the system.

The Dao Rhyme fluctuations of Nascent Soul advancing to Soul Transformation rose and fell continuously.

In just one day, the Holy Land gained twenty-seven new Soul Transformation Cultivators, over a hundred Nascent Soul Cultivators, and countless Golden Core Cultivators. All Disciples' equipment was upgraded, uniformly sporting the "Chaos Star-Pattern Armor" and "Purification Talisman Sword," and all bore the [ten thousand ruins Purification Mark (Simplified Version)] that Lu Qingxuan had mass-imprinted on their foreheads.

Skyfall Star Gorge.

This was a natural asteroid belt spanning three stars, with complex terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack, serving as the gateway to the core Star Domain of the Eastern Domain.

Su Mu, the Sect Head of the Purple Heaven Sect, was the first to arrive with his followers. Three thousand Disciples formed the Zixiao Sword Formation, their Sword Qi soaring into the sky.

"The Purple Heaven Sect is willing to serve as the Xuan Emperor's vanguard!"

Immediately after, the Snow Maiden of the Ice Spirit Valley led eight hundred Ice Spirit Guards, arriving atop the snow, their chilling Qi freezing the Void Realm; Ling Tian of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect carried nine swords on his back, with ten thousand swords chiming behind him; the Vajra Elder of the Vajra Temple brought the Eighteen Arhats, their Buddhist light illuminating everything; and the Zhao Family of Flowing Cloud City poured out all their forces, even their Old Ancestor crawled out of his coffin, vowing to live and die with the Holy Land.

Day Two.

External reinforcements began arriving successively.

The Starry Sky Battleship Fleet of the Myriad Realms Merchant Alliance tore through space and descended, each ship equipped with psionic cannons capable of annihilating Soul Transformation Cultivators; the Star Sea Pavilion's "Star Orbit Teleportation Great Formation" directly transported three Small War Fortresses, whose surfaces flashed with runes, capable of withstanding attacks from Early Stage Undergoing Tribulation Cultivators.

What was even more surprising was that forces that had previously held grudges against Lu Qingxuan, such as the Star Sword Pavilion and Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, also sent envoys.

"The past grievances were due to our shortsightedness." The envoy from the Star Sword Pavilion bowed and presented a Sword Casket. "This is our Pavilion's treasure, the 'Star Core of the Sword.' We wish to present it to the Xuan Emperor to aid in slaying the demons."

Ten Thousand Beast Mountain even sent three hundred pure-blood Vicious Beast cubs, along with a Star Domain map: "This is the location of a secret cultivation base of the Void Abyss that we detected. We wish to lend the Xuan Emperor a helping hand."

When the wall falls, everyone pushes it, but when the great edifice is about to collapse, these forces finally understood—if the Eastern Domain perishes, they will suffer the same fate.

Lu Qingxuan accepted everyone, took everything, and coordinated them uniformly.

Day Three.

The harassment troops led by Sword Dust returned the first battle report.

"Reporting to the Holy Lord! Your subordinate led the troops and encountered the enemy vanguard in the 'Black Annihilation Star Belt,' approximately three hundred thousand strong. They have been completely annihilated! However, the enemy's main force seems to have changed its strategy—they are no longer slaughtering the stars along the way, but are directly using blood and soul secret techniques to extract the stars' Origin. The speed of the sacrifice... has accelerated!"

On the star chart, the advancement speed of the three "blood streams" indeed surged, and the Scarlet Triangular Formation Diagram's contraction visibly accelerated.

"The estimated completion time of the Formation has been reduced to five days." Lu Qingxuan's eyes were cold. "They are anxious."

This was because the Seal of the Guixu Sea Eye showed unexpected signs of "self-repair" after being struck by the Chaos Sword Light. The awakening process of the Corpse Spirit Yin was delayed, forcing the Void Abyss to complete the sacrifice faster.

"Pass the order to the entire army: accelerate the assembly speed. All defenses must be completed before dusk tomorrow."

Day Four, Dusk.

On the periphery of the Skyfall Star Gorge, the allied army had largely finished assembling.

The Eastern Domain Sects, external reinforcements, merchant alliance fleets, Star Sea Fortresses... the total military strength exceeded eight hundred thousand. Although far inferior to the Void Abyss's two million allied forces, they were superior in having gathered elites and possessing high morale.

Lu Qingxuan stood in the Void Realm, looking down at the endless camps, battleships, and Formation light barriers below.

Behind him was the latest message transmitted by Su Linger:

"Qingxuan, the Divine Thought of Purple Firmament Sovereign Lord Senior has fully awakened some memories. She mentioned that among the three traitorous Ancient Gods back then, one wielded the Law of Destiny, specializing in altering Karma and disguising identity; one wielded Devour, capable of Incarnating into all things; and the last one wielded Decay, specializing in corroding the mind."

"The Sovereign Lord suspects that the one wielding Destiny... may have infiltrated the highest level organization of the current myriad heavens, the 'Star Alliance Council.' And the one wielding Devour might be hidden deep within the Void Abyss, manipulating everything under the identity of the 'Lord of the Abyss.' As for the one wielding Decay... their whereabouts are unknown, but they are highly likely related to the 'ten thousand ruins Sacrifice Great Formation.'"

Lu Qingxuan noted this information.

The Star Alliance Council? That was the supreme organization governing the order of the myriad heavens and myriad realms. If one of their council members was a traitorous Ancient God... the thought was terrifying.

He suppressed his thoughts. For now, he had to deal with the sacrifice great Formation first.

"Holy Lord, the enemy vanguard has reached three million miles away!" A scout reported urgently.

Lu Qingxuan nodded, took a step, and his figure appeared on the "Broken Blade Star," the forefront of the allied forces.

This star resembled a broken sword, acting as a natural barrier. Currently, eighteen layers of interconnected great Formations had been deployed on its surface, and one hundred thousand Cultivators were waiting in Formation.

In the distant starry sky, a dark, overwhelming "tide" was slowly surging forward.

That was the Void Abyss allied army—corrupted star beasts, twisted creatures, legions formed of skeletons, and monsters piled up from flesh and blood... They had no organized Formation, only the most primal desire for slaughter. Wherever they passed, even the starlight was devoured.

Standing suspended in the air at the very front of the tide were three colossal figures.

On the left flank was a dried corpse draped in tattered star robes, holding a black wooden staff inlaid with seven eyeballs—[Apostle: Star Curse], an Undergoing Tribulation Middle Stage Cultivator, who governed the "Curse Resentment Star Domain," specializing in large-scale curses and sacrifice rituals.

On the right flank was a constantly expanding and contracting tumor, from whose surface stretched countless tentacles, each tipped with a beating heart—[Apostle: Heart Devour], at the Peak of the Early Stage of Undergoing Tribulation, who governed the "Flesh and Blood Star Abyss," specializing in life extraction and blood-soul conversion.

The one in the center was the most bizarre.

It had no fixed form, appearing as a constantly shifting mass of gray mist. Faces of billions of wailing creatures occasionally surfaced within the mist, and at times it transformed into a black hole that devoured everything—[Apostle: Shadow of the Ruined Market], an Undergoing Tribulation Late Stage Cultivator, the leader of the three Apostles, who wielded the "Ruined Market Projection," capable of directly borrowing a portion of the power of the Corpse Spirit Yin.

"Lu Qingxuan..." Star Curse's dried lips parted, his voice like the grinding of bone fragments. "You cannot stop the return of the Ruined Market. The sacrifice is a done deal. The Eastern Domain... will ultimately become the offering for the awakening of His Majesty Yin."

Heart Devour's tentacles danced wildly. "Your flesh and blood... is very delicious... I will savor it properly..."

The Shadow of the Ruined Market remained silent, but the gray mist merely rotated slightly, and a suffocating pressure enveloped the entire Broken Blade Star.

Lu Qingxuan's expression was calm as he slowly raised his hand.

"Try me."

As his voice fell, he stepped off the Broken Blade Star, facing the three Apostles alone!

"Arrogant!" Star Curse waved his staff, and the seven eyeballs opened simultaneously. "Curse Resentment: Ten Thousand Spirits Weeping Blood!"

Billions of blood-colored curse runes appeared in the Void Realm. Each rune represented the resentment of a sacrificed creature, gathering into a river of blood that washed toward Lu Qingxuan.

Heart Devour's tentacles shot out violently, forming a giant net that covered the sky. Every tentacle carried the Law of devouring vitality.

The Shadow of the Ruined Market's gray mist expanded. Wherever it passed, space "decayed," and even Laws began to disintegrate.

The combined strike of the three Apostles surpassed the might of an ordinary Undergoing Tribulation Late Stage Cultivator, pushing straight toward the Peak!

On the Broken Blade Star, all the Cultivators held their breath.

Lu Qingxuan, however, merely drew his sword slowly—it wasn't a physical sword, but the "Chaos Heaven-Opening Sword" condensed based on the Chaos Sword Divine Body.

The sword body was gray and hazy, seemingly circulating scenes of the dawn of Chaos.

"Domain, open."

He softly uttered three words.

Buzz—!

Centered on him, the Void Realm within a radius of ten thousand miles suddenly "solidified."

It wasn't time stopping, but everything transforming into Sword Intent!

Star fragments were swords, meteor dust was swords, scattered Spiritual Qi was swords, and even the enemy's incoming river of blood, tentacles, and gray mist... were forcibly "swordified" the moment they entered the Domain!

The river of blood turned into a crimson sword rain and rolled back, the tentacles transformed into a sword forest of withered vines and pierced back, and the gray mist became tens of thousands of small gray swords, shooting back toward the Shadow of the Ruined Market!

The Chaos Heaven-Opening Sword Domain—everything can be a sword, and all Laws can be severed!

"Impossible!" Star Curse's seven eyeballs burst simultaneously. It retreated frantically, but the crimson sword rain had arrived, piercing its dry body into a thousand holes.

Heart Devour's tentacles suffered a backlash from its own "swordified tentacles," its tumor body was pierced, and it screamed continuously.

Only the Shadow of the Ruined Market rapidly contracted its gray mist, turning into a gray shield to block the sword rain, but cracks quickly appeared on the shield's surface.

"Ruined Market Projection: Heaven Devour!" It roared, the gray mist exploding and transforming into a massive mouth, which forcibly "bit off" and devoured a corner of the Chaos Heaven-Opening Sword Domain!

Lu Qingxuan's eyes shifted slightly.

It could devour his Sword Domain? Truly worthy of being an Apostle borrowing the power of Yin.

But a cold smile curled up the corner of his mouth.

"Can you swallow it, and can you digest it?"

He pointed his sword finger, "Explode."

The devoured section of the Sword Domain suddenly detonated inside the gray mist's massive mouth! Countless Sword Intents burst open, tearing the gray mist from the inside out!

The Shadow of the Ruined Market groaned, its gray mist dispersed by thirty percent, and its aura plummeted.

The confrontation lasted only a few breaths, yet all three Apostles were wounded!

On the Broken Blade Star, earth-shattering cheers erupted.

But there was no sign of joy on Lu Qingxuan's face.

Because he saw that in the dissipating gray mist, at the core of the Shadow of the Ruined Market, floated a piece of a pitch-black key—one of the seven fragments.

At this moment, the fragment was frantically drawing blood and soul energy from the two million allied forces behind it, and a heart-palpitating fluctuation emanated from within the fragment.

It was... forcibly activating the fragment!

At the same time, the star chart showed that the Apostles in the other two battlefields were doing the same thing.

The completion time for the ten thousand ruins Sacrifice Great Formation was shortened again—

[Estimated Remaining Time: Three Days]

Lu Qingxuan's eyes were stern.

The real bloody war has only just begun.