Chen Chang'an's words rang out like a great bell, shattering the last traces of hesitation and confusion, igniting the unyielding spirit and determination buried deep within everyone's hearts!
After a brief silence came an eruption like a volcano!
"I, Lingzhou's Heavenly Derivation Sect, willingly obey the Immortal Venerable's decree! We pledge our entire sect's strength to assist the Heavenly Alliance in setting up the formations! All sect resources are at your disposal!"
An elderly white-haired elder with profound cultivation was the first to rise, his voice ringing with iron determination.
He represented the will of Lingzhou's premier sects.
"I, Youzhou's Ghost Spirit Sect, willingly obey the Immortal Venerable's decree! The cultivators of Youzhou will never retreat! We will fight to the last man for the survival of the lower realm!"
A figure whose face was hidden within black robes rose to respond, his cold yet unwavering presence commanding respect.
The cultivators of Youzhou had always walked their own path, yet now they held nothing back.
"I, Pingzhou's Mountain River Sword Sect, willingly obey the Immortal Venerable's decree! The millions of cultivators of Pingzhou will serve as the vanguard for the Heavenly Alliance! Where our swords point, we will die without regret!"
A middle-aged sword cultivator carrying an ancient sword on his back shouted, his sword qi soaring to the heavens, his eyes filled with resolve.
"I, Lanzhou's Blue Sea Tide Pavilion..."
"I, Yanzhou's Burning Heaven Valley..."
"I, Leizhou's Nine Heavens Thunder Control Sect..."
"I, Fengzhou's Listening Wind Tower..."
...
One after another!
The leaders of the strongest sects, the heads of ancient families, and the reclusive rogue cultivator giants from the thirteen great prefectures of Xuan Ying Continent all rose to their feet!
Their voices might be aged, powerful, or clear, but they all carried the same firmness and fervor!
They represented every inch of land and every force of the Xuan Ying Continent.
In this moment, all grievances, enmities, and calculations dissolved into nothingness before the greater cause of the realm's survival!
"Willingly obey the Immortal Venerable's decree! Willingly follow the Heavenly Alliance's command!"
"United in heart and purpose, together facing the great tribulation!"
"Protect our lands, defend our people!"
"We will die without regret! We will die without regret!"
The sound waves surged like the tide, rising higher and higher!
The boundless battle spirit and determination to fight to the death soared into the heavens, gathering into an unprecedented, vast and incomparable torrent!
Seated upon the jade steps, Chen Chang'an clearly felt an indescribable, immensely powerful force of destiny rushing toward him from all directions of the Xuan Ying Continent!
It rose from every mountain and river, from every sect and family, from every cultivator who held faith in their heart!
These forces of destiny crossed through the void, ignoring distance, like hundreds of rivers returning to the sea, finally converging upon the Immortal Spirit Sacred Land, upon the Heavenly Alliance, and upon him—the one whom everyone regarded as their final hope and banner!
In this moment, he seemed to bear the weight and expectations of the entire lower realm!
His will had become the will of the lower realm!
His determination had become the determination of the lower realm!
Chen Chang'an slowly closed his eyes, feeling that vast destiny, deep as a star ocean and heavy as ancient mountains, settle upon him.
He knew the time had come!
The moment of the decisive battle... had arrived!
Just as he opened his eyes—
"BOOM—!!!"
From above the nine heavens, without any warning, came a deafening resonance that seemed to come from another world!
A dazzling pillar of pure golden light, containing supreme majesty and the power of laws, suddenly broke through the clouds!
Like a sword of heavenly punishment, it descended directly, precisely enveloping the entire sky above the Immortal Spirit Sacred Land!
Within the pillar of light, countless runes flickered in and out of existence, celestial sounds swirled, and an oppressive pressure that made hearts tremble radiated outward!
Then, before countless horrified gazes, the void beneath the pillar began to violently twist and expand!
One magnificent immortal palace after another, resplendent with carved beams and painted rafters, impossibly vast, emerged from thin air like a mirage!
The palaces stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see, radiating ten thousand rays of light and a thousand streams of auspicious energy, emitting ancient and boundless immortal spiritual qi!
Even more chilling—
Beneath those endless immortal palaces, dense masses of cultivator armies, arranged in countless neat formations, appeared like divine soldiers descending from the heavens!
They wore standardized immortal armor and battle robes, holding immortal artifacts that flickered with spiritual light, their banners fluttering, their battle spirits soaring to the clouds!
Each formation emanated a suffocating aura of murderous intent!
Their numbers were as countless as the sands of the Ganges, covering the entire sky!
Immortal majesty like a prison!
Divine soldiers like an ocean!
This was a true army of heavenly soldiers and generals from the upper realm!
Their imposing presence far exceeded anything lower realm cultivators could have ever imagined!
A terrifying pressure crashed down like a material tsunami!
The grand hall that had just been filled with soaring battle spirit instantly fell into deathly silence!
Countless cultivators turned pale, struggling to breathe!
Those with weaker cultivation even felt their legs go soft, nearly collapsing to their knees!
Despair and powerlessness, like cold water, instantly drowned everyone's spirits!
The upper realm... had truly arrived!
And with such an unmasked, crushing posture!
Chen Chang'an slowly rose from the main seat.
His movements were unhurried, yet they instantly drew everyone's attention.
Beneath that overwhelming immortal majesty, he remained as calm as a deep abyss, as if the terrifying army above his head that could crush an entire world was merely a gentle breeze.
His gaze swept across the panicked crowd below, and the corner of his mouth even curved into a faint smile, as if he had expected this all along.
His voice was calm and clear as it spread across the entire hall:
"Fellow daoists, there is no need to panic."
"The guests from the upper realm have arrived."
"Follow me... let us go welcome our guests."
His voice seemed to carry a strange magic, instantly dispelling the fear and panic in everyone's hearts, rekindling the fighting spirit that had been crushed!
If the Immortal Venerable is this composed!
What does the Heavenly Alliance have to fear?!
"We obey the Immortal Venerable's decree!!"
"Welcome the guests!!"
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
After a brief silence came an even more fervent roar and eruption of battle spirit!
"BOOM—!!"
The dome of the grand hall slowly opened!
Countless streaks of light shot into the sky like a meteor shower in reverse!
Chen Chang'an took a single step and appeared in the sky above the Immortal Spirit Sacred Land, standing with hands behind his back, facing the endless immortal palaces and heavenly soldiers!
Behind him, led by core disciples of the Immortal Spirit Sacred Land—Xiao Chen, Han Yu, Jiang Che, Ji Lingxiu, Lu Xiaoluo, Chen Xingcai, Li Hanzhou, and others—all cultivators at the Long Life stage and above from the thirteen prefectures of Xuan Ying Continent rapidly assembled in formation!
Though their formation was far less uniform than their opponents', their magical artifacts and battle armor far less refined and dazzling, their numbers were far more vast!
And in their eyes burned the same determination, the same conviction, and the towering battle spirit to fight for their homeland!
Two completely assembled armies of cultivators—one from the lofty Nine Heavens Immortal Court, golden and magnificent, suppressing eternity; one from the resisting lower realm, battle spirit like a rainbow, yielding not an inch of ground!
Above the Immortal Spirit Sacred Land, they stood in confrontation!
The sea of clouds solidified, heaven and earth fell silent!
A battle that would determine the fate of both realms, unprecedented in scale, was ready to erupt at any moment!
Chen Chang'an stood at the forefront, his robes fluttering in the surging immortal majesty, his gaze calmly fixed on the deepest part of the immortal palaces, as if waiting for something.
In this moment, though he had long anticipated this, when it truly appeared before him, he still felt a momentary daze.
All those years ago, had his father faced all of this as well?
...
[
Dear Readers,
I am currently posting two chapters every day across two active fictions, along with bonus and extra chapters. The workload is steady, and I am putting in the effort to keep the schedule consistent for everyone.
Right now, the financial situation is not great. Patreon support is what keeps this translation work sustainable. If you have been following the stories and want to help, joining a tier makes a direct difference.
Here is what membership offers:
$3 per month
10 chapters in advance for all works
$7 per month
20 chapters in advance for all works
$10 per month
30 chapters in advance for all works. This tier also includes access to character images.
Important note: Subscribing through the Apple App adds an extra 30 percent fee because of Apple and Patreon policy. Subscribe through your browser to avoid the extra charge. Apple also processes payments very late, around 2 to 3 months, which makes it much harder to receive money quickly after you subscribe.
If you can support, it would genuinely help continue the daily releases and early access content. If you cannot, reading and sharing the work is also appreciated.
Thank you for your time.
Patreon: patreon.com/Alex_Cruise
]