104: Chapter 104 Alliance Purge, Turbulence Rises Again

One night at the Imperial Mausoleum, quiet and silent, yet sufficient to change the landscape of the Tiannan Continent.

When Lin Wan, Sword Master Jian Wuming, and Fairy Yaoxi returned to Tian Du City with concrete evidence and detailed records regarding the "Tianwu Evil Corpse" and the "Void Church" behind it, and secretly presented them to Emperor Yan, this Human Emperor, who was always as steady as a mountain and seemingly in control of everything, rarely fell into a long silence. The Dragon Qi of the imperial path around him fluctuated violently, revealing the turbulent waves and fury within his heart.

The Imperial Mausoleum, a critical site for the Human Race, the resting place of successive Human Emperors, and a Holy Land symbolizing the Luck and legitimacy of the Human Race, had actually been eroded to such an extent by the power of "the end." Even the remains of the founding Holy Emperor had been transformed into an Evil Corpse, becoming a "Anchor Point" for the enemy to lurk! This was not only an insult and provocation to the Human Emperor Palace but also a fatal threat and a wake-up call to the entire Tiannan Human Race, and even the Alliance opposing "the end"!

This indicated that the infiltration by the "Void Church" had already gone deep into the bone marrow, possibly even reaching the most core power circles of the Human Race and the Central Region! If not for Lin Wan's timely discovery and eradication with thunderous means, the consequences would have been unimaginable once this "Tianwu Evil Corpse" fully awakened or made a move at a critical moment!

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for this Emperor! From top to bottom, from inside to outside, turn the Human Emperor Palace and the entire Central Region upside down for this Emperor! Anyone connected to 'the end' or the 'Void Church,' regardless of status or position, is to be killed without exception!"

Emperor Yan's cold decree, filled with the aura of iron-blooded slaughter, swept through the entire Tian Du City like the biting north wind of winter, blowing into every corner of the Five Regions.

A grand purge and investigation against the "Void Church" and its internal collaborators began. It was initiated by the highest levels of the Alliance, with the Human Emperor Palace as the core, led by the new "Five Directions Council Elder" Lin Wan, with the "Demon-Slaying General Corps" as the sharp blade, and fully supported by giants such as Sword Master Jian Wuming, Fairy Yaoxi, Master Liaoyin, Great Elder Danchenzi, and Elder Xingshu.

This time, the Alliance was serious. It was no longer just "discussing" or "formulating detailed rules," but raising the butcher's knife with thunderous momentum.

Under Lin Wan's personal command, the "Demon-Slaying Special Operations General Corps" quickly completed its initial Formation and integration. It drew from major forces across the Five Regions, selecting one hundred elites—Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation Cultivators—who had been strictly screened, possessed relatively clean backgrounds, and held deep-seated hatred for "the end." Among them were fifteen Soul Transformation Cultivators, making it the most elite and powerful special unit in the Alliance's history.

With the deterrent power of the "Eye of Samsara" and the "Samsara Seal," as well as the absolute authority brought by the Imperial Mausoleum incident, Lin Wan possessed unquestionable prestige within the General Corps. He directly divided the team into several squads, using the insight of the "Eye of Samsara" as the core, combined with Alliance intelligence, heavenly machine deductions, and suspicious clues reported by various regions. He launched carpet-style, no-dead-end surprise inspections and thunderous sweeps across the Central Region against all forces, individuals, and locations that might have "the end" erosion, "Void Church" strongholds, or connections to Emperor Yan, Old Ancestor Guyou, Tiangongzi, and the Imperial Mausoleum incident.

In this purge, Lin Wan's "Eye of Samsara" displayed astonishing power. No matter how clever the concealment Formation or how bizarre the disguise secret technique, under the divine light of the "Eye of Samsara" that could see through the essence and reflect falsehood, nothing could hide. Those hidden auras of "the end," eroded Cultivators, set-up evil Formations, and even personnel who had only had indirect contact with the "Void Church" were all ferreted out one by one.

For a time, the land of the Central Region was filled with blood and wind. Countless hidden "nails" were removed; several second and third-rate Sects and Families associated with the "Void Church" were uprooted; and several "internal collaborators" lurking within the Alliance, even those in high positions, were ferreted out and executed. These included a Central Region representative of the "Detailed Rules Formulation Council" (who had secret dealings with Emperor Yan and Tiangongzi), two powerful Elders of the Human Emperor Palace (involved in the lax Imperial Mausoleum guards and the suppression of abnormal records), and it even implicated an outer Sect deacon of the Danding Pavilion (suspected of providing special Medicinal Pill raw materials to the "Void Church").

The scale and intensity of the purge, and the high levels involved, made the entire Central Region, and even the Five Regions, tremble. Countless forces were terrified, and people were panicked, fearing they would be implicated. However, more discerning people applauded, believing it should have been done long ago; only by scraping the bone to remove poison and clearing internal troubles could they unite as one to resist external enemies.

Emperor Yan, Venerable Dan, Fairy Yaoxi, Jian Wuya, Elder Xingshu, and other Void Refining giants gave unprecedented firm support to this purge. They understood that this was a moment of life and death, and there was no room for any soft-heartedness or Luck. Any internal friction or hidden danger could become a fatal flaw in the future decisive battle against "the end."

In just half a month, the atmosphere in the Central Region became solemn. Although undercurrents were still surging, at least most of the "nails" and "tumors" on the surface had been cleared. The Alliance's cohesion and execution power were also greatly enhanced by this iron-fisted action.

However, Lin Wan and the Alliance's high-level members knew that this was only the beginning. The core power of the "Void Church," its true high-level "Lords," and those large "Anchor Points" hidden everywhere were still hidden in deeper waters and had not yet been truly exposed. The destruction of the "Tianwu Evil Corpse" in the Imperial Mausoleum must have alerted the enemy, and they would certainly not sit still and wait for death.

Sure enough, just as the purge in the Central Region was coming to an end and the Alliance was breathing a sigh of relief, several thunderbolt-like pieces of bad news arrived simultaneously from all over the Five Regions!

In the Western Desert, beneath the "Great Leiyin Peak" guarded by the Vajra Temple, the "Eight Divisions Heavenly Dragon Demon-Subduing Formation" that suppressed the entrance to the ancient "Wan Mo Cave" was, at midnight three days ago, without warning, forcibly blasted open at one corner from the inside by a sudden, pitch-black beam of light containing the terrifying Origin power of "the end" and "death"! Although Master Liaoyin and the high monks of the Western Desert Buddhist Kingdom reacted immediately and temporarily sealed it with supreme Buddhist dharma, a large number of monsters and evil spirits, eroded by "the end" and undergoing bizarre mutations, poured out from the gap, rampaging on the Western Desert border, causing heavy casualties. Several Nascent Soul high monks even fell during the suppression! The source of that pitch-black beam of light was suspected to come from the depths of the "Wan Mo Cave," from some terrifying existence related to "the end" that had been sealed for who knows how many years!

In the Southern Region, on the border adjacent to the "Heavenly Ruins," outside the "Five Elements Barrier," several small, unstable spatial rifts suddenly appeared, continuously spewing out monsters of various shapes, all exuding a thick aura of "the end," launching continuous, suicide-style attacks on the barrier's defense line! Although they were stubbornly repelled by the Southern Region Anti-Calamity Alliance and those guarding the Five Elements Barrier, such as Han Lingtian and True Monarch Daoxuan, relying on the Formation, the number and strength of those monsters seemed to be constantly increasing, and there was even a faint trend of forming an encirclement and summoning more powerful existences! True Monarch Daoxuan sent a message, suspecting that the "Void Church" had discovered the existence of the Five Elements Barrier and regarded it as a thorn in their side that must be removed, and was currently gathering power to prepare for a larger-scale attack!

In the Eastern Wasteland, after the destruction of the Skyfire Sect, the Eastern Wasteland Branch Alliance, jointly supervised by Lihuo Palace and Master Liaoyin of the Western Desert, encountered a surprise attack by mysterious Cultivators of unknown identity and extremely formidable strength while receiving and investigating the Skyfire Sect's legacy and territory. Deep within the Forbidden Ground of the Sect, at the entrance of a Secret Realm named "Burning Heaven Purgatory," which had been sealed by Emperor Yan with layers of Formations, the attack occurred! The Palace Master of Lihuo Palace and two Western Desert high monks guarding the entrance were one dead and two seriously injured, and the entrance to the Secret Realm was forcibly opened! According to survivors, those mysterious Cultivators were covered in pitch-black cloaks that seemed to be able to swallow light, their auras were cold and dead, completely consistent with the characteristics of "the end," and the leader among them was likely no weaker than the Late Stage of Soul Transformation, perhaps even higher! Inside the Secret Realm, it was suspected that the true secret of the deal between Emperor Yan and the "Void Church" was hidden, as well as another possible "Anchor Point" or resource of "the end"!

In the Northern Plains, the newly established and already fragile "Yin Sha Alliance," after losing Old Ancestor Guyou, its only Soul Transformation Middle Stage pillar, completely fell apart internally. Several larger Ghost Path and Demonic Path forces broke out in fierce infighting to compete for dominance. Just when their infighting was at its most intense and their defenses were at their emptiest, a powerful and bizarre, terrifying power filled with the will of "death" and "enslavement" awakened from the depths of the Northern Plains, in that Forbidden Ground known as the "Yongji Ice Plain," and swept across most of the Northern Plains at an alarming speed! Countless low-level Cultivators, Mortals, and even some small and medium-sized forces, upon contacting that power, lost their sanity one after another, turning into walking corpses that only knew how to kill and obey, joining that terrifying "Army of Death"! Cultivators who managed to escape brought back news that in the depths of the "Yongji Ice Plain," they saw a huge, profane-aura-exuding phantom of an altar built from countless bones and ice, as well as a thousand-foot-tall phantom of a... Frost Giant sitting on the altar, seemingly condensed from ten-thousand-year black ice and the Origin of death! Its aura had reached... the Peak of Soul Transformation! Perhaps even more!

Fire on four sides, distress signals from all directions!

The counterattack of the "Void Church," or rather, its true fangs, were finally fully revealed at this moment! They were not passively taking a beating, but had been accumulating power in the dark, simultaneously launching a long-planned, comprehensive, and fierce offensive against the Tiannan Continent from multiple directions! Their goal was obviously not just revenge, but to take advantage of the fact that the Alliance had not yet established a firm foothold, internal troubles had just been cleared, and power was scattered, to defeat the Alliance's resistance in one fell swoop, seize those key "Anchor Points" and resources, and completely open the channel for the arrival of "the end"!

An emergency meeting of the "Five Directions Council" was convened again, and the atmosphere was extremely heavy.

"Everyone, the situation is clear." Emperor Yan sat high in the main seat, his voice steady but carrying an unquestionable iron-blooded aura, "The 'Void Church' has finally shown its true colors and launched a comprehensive attack. This is a battle of life and death for our Tiannan Continent. There is no retreat; we can only fight to the death!"

"The Seal of the 'Wan Mo Cave' in the Western Desert has been broken. We must immediately reinforce it, strengthen the Seal, exterminate the monsters that have poured out, and investigate the source of the mutation in the depths. Master Liaoyin has already sent a request for help."

"The Five Elements Barrier in the Southern Region is an important Foundation of our Alliance and must not be lost. We need to send elites to support the Southern Region, must hold the barrier, and repel the invading enemies."

"The 'Burning Heaven Purgatory' Secret Realm in the Eastern Wasteland has been breached by minions of 'the end.' The secrets hidden within may concern the core transactions between Emperor Yan and the 'Void Church,' and may even contain things coveted by 'Lord'-level existences. It must be retaken, or at least must not fall into the hands of the enemy!"

"The mutation in the 'Yongji Ice Plain' in the Northern Plains is suspected to be the awakening of a 'Lord'-level existence related to 'the end,' and it is rapidly eroding the Northern Plains. It must be contained as soon as possible; otherwise, the Northern Plains will completely become a dead zone and become a forward base for the invasion of 'the end'!"

"Fighting on four fronts, our forces are stretched thin. However, there is no other choice; we must divide our forces to provide support!"

Emperor Yan's gaze swept over everyone present and finally landed on Lin Wan.

"Elder Lin Wan, your 'Reincarnation' Dao rhyme has the strongest restraint against 'the end,' and your strength and prestige are also sufficient. This Emperor intends to appoint you to command the main elite force of the 'Demon-Slaying General Corps' and coordinate the Alliance's mobilizable Soul Transformation power to take overall command of this comprehensive anti-calamity war! The four battlefields of the Western Desert, Southern Region, Eastern Wasteland, and Northern Plains will be coordinated and dispatched by you. You may act at your discretion and execute first before reporting! You must... hold our Tiannan territory and thwart the conspiracy of the 'Void Church'!"

"The rest of you, including this Emperor, must all obey Elder Lin's orders and cooperate fully without any errors! This battle concerns our survival; I hope you all... work together to face the national crisis!"

Handing over the military command of the entire Alliance almost entirely to Lin Wan, this new and youngest "Five Directions Council Elder," showed the trust and reliance that Emperor Yan and others placed in Lin Wan, and also showed how critical the situation was—it had reached the point where all power had to be concentrated and coordinated by the person most adept at confronting "the end."

"This Junior accepts the order!" Lin Wan took a deep breath and stood up abruptly. Chaos and emerald light swirled in his eyes. There was no shirk or fear, only unparalleled firmness and determination.

He knew that the most difficult and cruel test had finally arrived.

But he was fearless.

"Pass on my orders!"

Lin Wan's voice was calm and powerful, resounding through the great hall.

"The first, second, and third squads of the 'Demon-Slaying General Corps' will be commanded by Senior Sword Master Jian Wuming to immediately rush to the Western Desert to assist Master Liaoyin in suppressing the 'Wan Mo Cave.' You must find out the source of the mutation and re-Seal the entrance!"

"The fourth, fifth, and sixth squads will be commanded by Fairy Yaoxi to rush to the Southern Region to assist Sect Head True Monarch Daoxuan and Elder Han Lingtian in holding the Five Elements Barrier, repelling the invading enemies, and seizing the opportunity to counterattack and clear the surrounding spatial rifts!"

"The seventh and eighth squads will be personally led by me to the Eastern Wasteland to retake the 'Burning Heaven Purgatory' Secret Realm, find out the truth about the deal between Emperor Yan and 'the end,' and exterminate the infiltrating enemies!"

"The ninth and tenth squads, along with the rest of the Alliance's mobile Soul Transformation power, will be coordinated by Senior Danchenzi and Senior Xingshu to go to the Northern Plains to contain the erosion of the 'Yongji Ice Plain' and investigate the reality of that Frost Giant. If necessary... you may request His Majesty Emperor Yan or other Seniors in seclusion to take action and suppress it!"

"Each unit, upon receiving the order, must depart immediately without delay! Anyone who obstructs the way or is suspected of being associated with 'the end' along the way, the 'Demon-Slaying General Corps' has the right to execute first and report later!"

"In this battle, there is no retreat! Only by... fighting to the death can there be a chance of survival!"

"For Tiannan! For the common people! Fight!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

In the hall, all the Soul Transformation True Monarchs, regardless of what they had thought before, in this moment of life and death, under the full support of Emperor Yan and the unquestionable majesty of Lin Wan, were all boiling with hot blood, their Battle Intent soaring to the heavens, roaring in unison!

The war has fully erupted!

And Lin Wan, this young Elder who carried the "Chaos Reincarnation Dao Fruit" and wielded the "Demon-Slaying" sword, would also officially step onto this grandest and most tragic battlefield that concerned the fate of the heavens and myriad worlds, to meet the craziest and most brutal challenge from "the end."

His legend, in this war of the end that swept across Tiannan, would write the most colorful and magnificent chapter.