Chapter 631 354: Total Annihilation

The Yuzhou Coast.

At the Shengyun Sect's main gate, Sect Leader Xu Tianyou and more than a dozen high-ranking Elders stared up at the celestial vault in stunned silence, their faces ashen.

After days of relentless attacks from their enemies, the Sect's Mountain Protection Array had been worn down to a thin, shimmering azure screen. It wavered precariously, on the verge of collapsing at any moment.

Outside the Grand Array, tens of thousands of masked Female Cultivators were arrayed for battle, continuing their relentless siege.

All sorts of Magical and Spiritual Treasures, powerful Divine Techniques, and high-grade restriction-breaking Talismans rained down like a tempest. From deep within the black clouds that blotted out the sun, hurricanes howled as violent dragons of lightning merged into an ocean, continuously draining the Mountain Protection Array's energy.

Although many Disciples were stationed at the array's various hubs—desperately repairing damaged Array Patterns and Array Bases while replenishing Spirit Stones—their efforts were barely better than nothing.

"...How much longer... do you think we can hold on?"

After a long silence, Xu Tianyou finally swallowed hard, his voice raspy as he spoke.

The Elders exchanged glances, and it was a long moment before one of them answered, "Two hours... at most!"

"Then what... what are we supposed to do?"

Xu Tianyou demanded through gritted teeth, his voice trembling slightly.

The Shengyun Sect was a Divinity Transformation power with a legacy stretching back several thousand years. As one of the Cui Family's vassals, they had once lived a relatively comfortable existence.

But just a few days ago, the Ling Family's Female Cultivators had gone on a rampage, hell-bent on seizing the Sect's entire foundation. The three Divinity Transformation Ancestors who had gone out to fight them had all fallen. 'What can I possibly do now?'

An Elder said with a bitter expression, "Sect Leader, the Cui Family's reinforcements were intercepted en route. We've had no word from them since, which clearly means they've met a grim fate.

"We... can no longer hope for any outside aid. I'm afraid we have no choice but to surrender!"

"..."

The muscles in Xu Tianyou's face twitched, and his gaze turned cold, looking as if he were about to erupt with rage at any second.

In the end, however, he suppressed his fury and said through gritted teeth:

"Very well. Send them a message. Tell our people to deactivate the Array Restrictions."

There are far fewer people than one might imagine who, knowing a path leads to certain death, would still walk it to the bitter end. Sect Leader Xu was simply being pragmatic.

...

The Xinghan Mountain Range, located in the south-central region of Yuzhou, was the ancestral stronghold of the Cui Family, one of the Nine Great Cultivation Families.

Even though the family ranked among the lower half of the nine, it still possessed a formidable foundation and a legacy that had endured for tens of thousands of years.

Within a Secret Hall on the majestic main peak, protected by layers upon layers of Array Restrictions, the family's upper echelon had gathered.

Of course, in addition to the influential figures of the Cui Family, a significant number of seats were occupied by High-Rank Cultivators from the Taiqing Divine Dynasty of Yaozhou.

It was no longer a secret that the Cui Family's leadership had become vassals of the Taiqing Divine Dynasty, and the same was true for the Mu Family.

Therefore, as the Ling Family's legion of Female Cultivators swept across Yuzhou, crushing all opposition, the Taiqing Divine Dynasty was the first major external power to grow restless.

After all, the Ling Family had recently devoured half of the Cui Family's vassal powers, and some of the family's own territories had even fallen into enemy hands.

The Mu Family's situation was slightly better. For now, only seven or eight of their Nascent Soul-level vassal powers had been absorbed, and their core territories remained secure.

For the Taiqing Divine Dynasty, which had long regarded the two families as its private property, this was absolutely intolerable.

"...According to the special envoy's report, the Ling Family, and Lu Hua Palace backing them, have once again rejected our proposal for peace talks."

Seated upon the main throne, the current Patriarch, Cui Qianyou, spoke with a wooden expression, as if recounting matters that had nothing to do with him:

"From the looks of it, they intend to see this through to the very end. They want to not only swallow all of the Cui Family's vassal powers but also seize our family's entire foundation."

A heavy silence fell over the hall as the gazes of the Cui Family's upper echelon turned in unison to the twenty-odd Cultivators from the Taiqing Divine Dynasty.

The one in the lead, an elderly man in a feathered robe and starry crown with a handsome, otherworldly face, was the Grand Elder of the Taiqing Divine Dynasty stationed in Yuzhou: Lu Qingyang, a powerful expert at the Late Stage of Void Refining.

The handsome, red-robed young man carrying a longsword on his back was the Divine Dynasty's Fifteenth Prince, Lu Yunlong. He held the title of Prince and possessed a cultivation at the Divinity Transformation Peak.

The reinforcements sent by the Taiqing Divine Dynasty were under the command of these two individuals. Their mission was not only to protect the foundations of the Mu and Cui Families but also to thwart the ambitions of the Ling Family and Lu Hua Palace.

However, it was now apparent that both of these goals were far from being achieved.

The Ling Family—or rather, Lu Hua Palace behind them—had displayed a level of strength that was unexpectedly formidable, far exceeding the Taiqing Divine Dynasty's previous assessments.

In an effort to protect their vassal powers, the Cui and Mu Families had sent reinforcements on more than one occasion, each contingent stronger than the last. Unfortunately, every expedition was a one-way trip, ending in total annihilation.

By now, the Cui Family had lost over twenty Divinity Transformation Cultivators and an even greater number of Nascent Soul Cultivators. Tragically, even a Supreme Elder at the Void Refinement Realm had fallen.

The Ling Family's momentum grew ever stronger, and under the mounting pressure, the Cui Family was left with no other choice. Cui Qianyou had to appeal to the Taiqing Divine Dynasty for aid.

As all eyes in the hall focused on him, Lu Qingyang snorted and slowly asked:

"Those women from Lu Hua Palace... exactly how many forces have they mobilized? With this kind of offensive, don't tell me they intend to conquer all of Yuzhou?"

'In my opinion,' Lu Qingyang thought, 'the Ling Family itself is no threat. They're merely a vassal force that Lu Hua Palace has pushed to the front lines.'

'Therefore, this strategic clash is a matter between Lu Hua Palace and the Taiqing Divine Dynasty. It's obvious our opponents have no intention of backing down.'

After a few moments of silence, a Cui Family Elder spoke softly, "According to the reports from clansmen who managed to escape, more than twelve different Void Refinement Realm Female Cultivators have appeared on the battlefield so far.

"However, they were all masked and had concealed their identities, so we are unsure which powers they belong to..."

The number of Void Refinement Realm experts in Lu Hua Palace was public knowledge. Even if they had concealed some of their true strength, it was impossible for them to have as many as twelve. Another major power must have gotten involved.

Lu Yunlong frowned and interjected, "Lu Hua Palace has always been close to the Liu Ying Clan, and also Xianyin Pavilion. Could it be that their forces have joined together?"

"That seems highly likely at this point. As for whether other families are involved, we are still investigating," Cui Qianyou said in a low voice.

As fellow powers comprised of Female Cultivators in the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm, Lu Hua Palace, Xianyin Pavilion, and the Liu Ying Clan had always been strategic allies—they were as thick as thieves.

Of course, they were on good terms with plenty of other powers as well, such as the Deep Sea Dragon Race, the Yu Family, and the Tang Family.

Lu Qingyang sneered. "It's not surprising that those three would join forces. But to think they could devour the foundations of the Cui and Mu Families with their strength alone is the height of arrogance."

The Cui and Mu Families weren't particularly powerful, certainly no match for Lu Hua Palace, Xianyin Pavilion, and the Liu Ying Clan combined. But they weren't weak enough to be devoured so easily, especially with the Taiqing Divine Dynasty backing them.

In Yaozhou, Shenluo Celestial Palace was unquestionably the top power, occupying nearly forty percent of the vast region's territory and resources. The remainder was divided primarily between the Beichen Family and the Taiqing Divine Dynasty.

Although the Taiqing Divine Dynasty was the weakest of the three in Yaozhou, in the context of the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm, it was an absolute behemoth that dwarfed Lu Hua Palace, Xianyin Pavilion, and the Liu Ying Clan.

At least, that impression held true three hundred years ago, a fact to which neither the Taiqing Divine Dynasty nor the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm would have objected.

Lu Yunlong mused, "It seems I'll have to report to my Father, the Emperor, and request another contingent of reinforcements. Since they dared to initiate this conflict, they won't back down until they've secured significant gains."

The Taiqing Divine Dynasty's forces currently stationed in Yuzhou were not substantial—fewer than fifty cultivators at the Divinity Transformation Stage and only three experts at the Void Refinement Realm. It was nowhere near enough.

If they were to declare open war now, these forces might end up being permanently left behind in Yuzhou, never to return.

However, the Taiqing Divine Dynasty had lost a considerable number of experts during the demonic calamities of recent years, making it difficult to estimate how many more forces they could spare for reinforcements.

Lu Qingyang nodded slightly. "Then it is settled. Patriarch Cui, rest assured. Those women's ambitions will not be realized."

No matter what, they couldn't lose the war of words. 'The Taiqing Divine Dynasty has been laying groundwork in the Yuzhou Cultivation Realm for many years,' he thought. 'We've invested an immense amount of effort and resources. How could we possibly abandon it all so easily?'

"Then we shall be in your debt, Daoist Lu!"

A faint smile touched Cui Qianyou's lips. 'From my perspective,' he thought, 'the best possible outcome would be for the Taiqing Divine Dynasty and their opponents to cripple each other. That would be most beneficial for the Cui Family.'

However, the way events unfolded would far exceed Lu Qingyang's expectations.

Following the fall of the Shengyun Sect, the Ling Family did not halt its advance. Merely a month later, they set their sights on several of the Mu Family's vassal powers.

At this point, the Grand Palace Master of Lu Hua Palace, Qin Mengxuan, finally made a public statement. She clarified that the Ling Family's expansion was its own affair, that Lu Hua Palace had never been involved, and that it would not interfere in any way.

The leadership of the Taiqing Divine Dynasty didn't believe a word of it, and of course, Lu Hua Palace never expected them to.

Half a month later, Elder Lu Qingyang finally received the reinforcements from the Taiqing Divine Dynasty.

Including eight Void Refinement Realm experts, himself among them, the force also contained over two hundred fifty Divinity Transformation Cultivators and as many as two thousand Nascent Soul Cultivators. It was an undeniably powerful contingent.

The next day, a supremely confident Lu Qingyang led this force out, intending to teach the Ling Family's legion of Female Cultivators a lesson.

Before departing, Lu Qingyang cautiously used a Celestial Secret Technique to shield his contingent's movements, lest the Female Cultivators of Lu Hua Palace detect them in advance and set a targeted ambush.

Unfortunately, they were discovered the moment they left the Cui Family's core territory.

High in the celestial vault.

"...The Taiqing Divine Dynasty really spared no expense!"

Ling Changqing mused, watching the seven colossal Tianzhou Skyboats speeding below.

"If this entire force is annihilated here in Yuzhou, even the Emperor of that Divine Dynasty will feel the sting, won't he?"

"Without a doubt. For at least the next five hundred years, they won't have the power to interfere in the affairs of Yuzhou."

Bai Qingyi, standing beside him, smiled. She was clad in an intricate and splendid crimson-gold palace gown that accentuated her stunning beauty and regal grace.

"There's no time to waste. Shall we make our move now?"

Qin Mengxuan asked in a soft voice, secretly offering a breath's moment of silence for the poor souls below.

'With a Child of Destiny present, no Celestial Secret Technique, no matter how profound, would ever work. Their fate is sealed—only death awaits them.'

"Let's make our move. Once we've dealt with them, the Mu and Cui Families will be nothing more than meat on a chopping block, ours for the carving!"

Nearby, Immortal Venerable Doumu, who was wreathed in magnificent starlight and holding the Circulation Star Seal, spoke with eager anticipation.

Ling Changqing nodded. In the next instant, the void itself trembled, and the celestial vault for hundreds of miles around suddenly went dark.

As countless stars blazed to life, a great net woven purely from starlight materialized, blanketing the seven Tianzhou Skyboats that sped onward below.

"You bastards..."

Lu Qingyang's enraged curse died in his throat, replaced by a wave of indescribable terror.

'Integration Realm? This... How is this possible?!'

"Fellow Daoists of the Taiqing Divine Dynasty, I have come to see you on your way!"

Ling Changqing's elegant and serene voice echoed between heaven and earth.

One day later, news that the Taiqing Divine Dynasty's reinforcements had been utterly annihilated spread throughout all of Yuzhou.