Close to a hundred cultivators had gathered in a discussion hall in Jade Gate Pass's Kaiyuan Park.
All the cultivators present were at the Eighth Realm.
Among them were sword cultivators from the Sword Sect, as well as cultivators from other top-notch sects in the eastern region. They were all high-level cultivators in Jade Gate Pass.
Once a cultivator's cultivation reached Tribulation Transcendence, they would be endlessly busy. They would either be busy preparing for the next Heavenly Tribulation or searching for ways to comprehend the Dao of Heaven and Earth to fuse. Every single person was extremely busy. It was rare for so many people to gather together and talk.
The reason for this situation today was self-evident.
Something big had happened!
The atmosphere was extremely solemn.
"You should have all heard," said the Sunset Swordmaster, a Realm Eight sword cultivator on the main seat, solemnly.
He was the Sword Sect's cultivator in charge of managing the battles in the outer realm battlefield.
The handling of this kind of large-scale battle had always been extremely profound and complicated.
How to prevent it, how to target it, how to deploy troops, how to allocate resources, how to return the favor … There were countless ways to do it. Not only did it require the cultivator in charge to have a certain level of strategic insight, they also needed to have abundant experience.
As the saying went, there were specializations in every field. The Sunset Swordmaster's cultivation might not be particularly outstanding in the Sword Sect, but his experience in large-scale battles was extremely rich.
That was why the peak lords had given this heavy responsibility to him.
Hearing the Sunset Swordmaster's question, the others all nodded silently.
"The Demons have split into seventeen groups this time. They've set off at the same time. Their targets are the seventeen city passes of our outer realm battlefield." The Sunset Swordmaster's expression was solemn. "This is a major movement that the Demons have never made in the past twenty thousand years of Chang 'an."
In the past twenty thousand years, the Demons had launched countless sieges against the human city passes, but most of them had targeted a single city.
Of course, the human race had also attacked the Demons' cities from time to time.
However, this was the first time that the Demons had launched sieges against all the human city passes at the same time. It was no wonder that the Sunset Swordmaster's expression was dark from beginning to end.
"The Demons are causing trouble again," someone in the hall scolded.
"Are the Demons preparing to start the second Daoist-Devil War?" A cultivator of the Constellation Sect frowned and asked worriedly.
"It doesn't seem like it. Although the Demons have made a big move this time, they have been very restrained.
Although the number of devil cultivators they sent out is terrifying, they still abided by the unspoken rules of our two sides. There wasn't a single devil cultivator above the Seventh Stage that participated in the battle.
The Demons still don't seem to be willing to expand the scale of the war, so they're still limiting the battles to those below Realm Eight, "the Sunset Swordmaster explained.
"The Demons didn't send out any Eighth Stage Devil Cultivators, but they did send out close to 40,000 Seventh Stage Devil Cultivators." Another Tribulation Transcending Stage body cultivator who knew about the situation spoke out the thoughts of the other cultivators present.
"The siege they've launched this time isn't a small one. Like before, it's just to exhaust our strength. They're determined to win.
They want to wipe out all of our bridgeheads in the alien battlefield and turn Jade Gate Pass into an isolated city. "
"The Demons must have some other plan."
"Such a large force … Even if the Devil Race's strength far surpasses ours in the Extraterritorial Battlefield, the Devil Race would have to use up most of the manpower in the cities to gather forty thousand Seventh Grade Devil Cultivators."
"Such a large mobilization of manpower, and we actually didn't notice any clues beforehand …
If I'm not wrong, most of the Demons' manpower this time shouldn't be drawn from the cities in the alien battlefield, but from the Abyss, "another Tribulation Transcending Stage body cultivator added.
After confronting the Demons for so many years, the humans couldn't possibly not have made any preparations and passively waited for the Demons to arrive at their city before reacting.
Jade Gate Pass had always placed great importance on paying attention to the mobilization of devil cultivators in the Demons' cities and warning them about it.
The reason why they hadn't noticed at all this time was most likely because of this.
The Demons ordered most of the devil cultivators in the cities to hold back and numb the humans. At the same time, they drew Seventh Stage Devil Cultivators from the Abyss' Burning Moon Domain to the alien battlefield.
"But no matter what, since the Demons didn't send out Eighth Stage Devil Cultivators to attack the city, we can't send out Eighth Stage cultivators and take the initiative to expand the war," the Sunset Swordmaster said in a low voice.
This had always been one of the most important principles the humans had when dealing with the Demons. They couldn't easily expand the war and should drag it out as long as possible.
This put the humans in a passive position. Because they didn't want to easily expand the war, they could only wait quietly for the Demons to break the unspoken rules and start a second Daoist-Devil War. It was foreseeable that they would definitely suffer a great loss when the time came.
But on the other hand, this was also a choice they had no choice but to make.
Adhering to this principle also bought precious time for the humans to rest and recuperate.
After all, in the first Daoist-Devil War twenty thousand years ago, the humans suffered great losses and their vitality was greatly damaged. Their overall strength was too weak compared to the Demons.
Once the second Daoist-Devil War started, if the Dao Ancestor didn't appear, the humans would be exterminated. It wasn't just the Demons who didn't know whether the Dao Ancestor had fallen. The humans were the same.
Twenty thousand years had passed, and the humans' vitality gradually recovered. Prodigies even appeared in large numbers and showed signs of flourishing development.
Although there was still a huge gap in strength between the humans and the Demons, compared to twenty thousand years ago, the situation was already much, much better.
There were pros and cons to avoiding the war, but looking at the current situation, the pros outweighed the cons.
The humans' choice to endure and not expand the war was the best choice after weighing the pros and cons.
"How many of the seventeen human city passes can we save?" the spell cultivator from the Constellation Sect asked.
In the Jade Gate Pass, although the Sword Sect was the leader and was the strongest, in terms of the total number of cultivators, his Constellation Sect had the most.
Spell cultivators were the largest group in the cultivation world. As the strongest spell cultivator sect in the eastern region, it wasn't strange that the Constellation Sect had the most people.
But it was also because of this that almost all of the seventeen human city passes had cultivators from the Constellation Sect occupying high positions.
Once all of these city passes fell, the Constellation Sect would suffer the greatest loss.
It was no wonder that he was the most concerned about this matter.
"The Demons moved too quickly. By the time we reacted and sent reinforcements, sixteen of the seventeen human city passes had already fallen.
Currently, the North River Pass, which is the furthest away from the Jade Gate Pass, is still unknown. Our men are already on the way, and I think they'll be here soon. "The Sunset Sword Master tossed out another piece of important news.
Sixteen of the seventeen city passes had fallen within a day …
The breathing of the cultivators present quickened slightly at this moment, but that was all.
It wasn't that they were cold, but at their level, they were already used to seeing death and would not easily lose their composure.
When something happened, they were more concerned about how to deal with the aftermath and how to take revenge.
In short, the humans were bound to suffer this loss.
The problem now was how to minimize the losses to the greatest extent.
"The North River Pass has most likely fallen as well." The Constellation Sect's tribulation cultivator shook his head and sighed.
This was already a tactful way of putting it.
In his eyes, the North River Pass had already completely ceased to exist.
"The North River Pass is the city at the forefront of the human front line. Its formation is also the most powerful of all the city-protecting formations. Is there really no hope of defending it?"
A tribulation cultivator was unwilling to accept the loss of all the small and medium-sized city passes. He still asked the Sunset Sword Master, "Could it be that the Sword Sect didn't secretly plant one or two Cauldron-Carrying Cultivators in the North River Pass?"
He knew very well that with the strength of the North River Pass' formation, it could only buy some time for the North River Pass at most. It would be very difficult to turn the situation around.
If they wanted to do this, they could only hope that the Sword Sect had secretly planted one or two Realm Eight cultivators in the North River Pass.
After all, the North River Pass was the most important of the seventeen human cities in terms of status.
"They didn't." The Sunset Sword Master gave a negative answer.
His heart was filled with anger, but also helplessness.
The so-called Cauldron-Carrying Cultivators referred to cultivators who were experienced in doing things, had reached Realm Eight cultivation, profound cultivation, rich battle experience, and had the ability to lead.
The Sword Sect had a shortage of sword cultivators. They had always been extremely precious.
Apart from the seven peak lords, the Sword Sect had a total of two hundred and sixty-seven Realm Eight cultivators, less than three hundred.
Among them, there were no more than twenty who could be called Cauldron-Carrying Cultivators. It was not enough at all.
The Sunset Sword Master paused for a moment before saying solemnly, "After encountering such a situation, there was no warning in advance, and now there's no news at all. Whether or not the various city passes can last until our reinforcements arrive can't depend on them. They can only rely on themselves."
"The reason why I've called all of you here today is because all of you are the people in charge of coordinating matters in the various sects."
The Sunset Sword Master swept his gaze across the faces of all the cultivators present. He spoke indifferently, but his voice was filled with a chilling battle intent. "The Demons have been acting strangely frequently in the past, and they've made such a big move this time. I've already reported this matter to the peak lords."
Seventeen city passes being attacked at the same time was clearly not something he could deal with alone. He needed to contact the various peak lords and come up with a set of regulations.
At this moment, he was bringing the regulations that the peak lords had agreed upon to inform the cultivators of the various sects.
"The peak lords have asked me to inform all of you that the various sects are to make preparations for war immediately."
"It's time to wake up the cultivators who are still in seclusion and have them come out of seclusion to prepare for war."
"Because … the war is about to begin!"
The Sunset Sword Master said coldly, "If it's not today, then it'll be tomorrow."
There was complete silence.
The cultivators of the various sects looked at each other. Clearly, they had not expected that a large-scale siege without the participation of Eighth Grade Devil Cultivators would rise to such heights in the eyes of the peak lords of the Sword Sect.
The Jade Gate Pass had always followed the Sword Sect's lead.
As a result, even if they were surprised, doubtful, or even grumbling about making a mountain out of a molehill, they all responded in unison after an instant, "The Constellation Sect receives the order!"
"The Seamless Tower receives the order!"
"The Crimson Radiance Sect receives the order!"
"…"
A series of resolute and resounding responses resounded throughout the hall.
… …
A while later.
Almost a hundred cultivators had retreated from the hall. The Sunset Sword Master sat alone in his seat, deep in thought.
The moment he thought of the Daoist and Devil War that had once turned the human race into a region of ghosts, he felt a heavy weight in his heart.
The Sunset Sword Master was unsure if the Seven Great Dao Sects and the Da Xia Kingdom would be able to defend their borders and the Human Domain without the Daoist Ancestor.
He was only certain that the Sword Sect would fight for the human race until the very end.
If the Demons wanted to pass through the Jade Gate Pass and set foot in the Human Domain, they would first have to destroy the Sword Sect.
"If only … if only another Sword Immortal could appear in the Sword Sect before the war begins," the Sunset Sword Master murmured before sighing deeply.
This sigh was for himself.
That was because even though he was unsure of his future accomplishments, he understood that a Sword Immortal was not something he could achieve.
In the Daoist and Devil War, as long as one did not become a Sword Immortal, there was a limit to what one could do.
'Sword Immortal Chang' an has obtained 30% more fate from the Heavenly Dao for the sword cultivators of the world. With such a huge increase in fate, it's only natural for another Sword Immortal to appear … 'the Sunset Sword Master thought.
From what he knew, if the human race could produce another Sword Immortal, it would definitely come from their Sword Sect.
There was no other possibility.
.....
North River Pass.
The Demons who had been on the rise suffered a heavy blow. For the first time … they started to feel afraid.
Two of their commanders had been killed by Lu Qingshan. At this moment, they were like headless flies without a leader. They did not know what to do.
"Kill!" The North River Pass' general Wu Yan's voice resounded in every cultivator's ears.
The experienced Wu Yan understood that the Demons were currently at a loss.
If they attacked the Demons now, as long as they gained a slight advantage, they might be able to start a prairie fire and cause the Demons to crumble, causing the entire situation to collapse.
This was a chance for victory!
A chance for victory created by Lu Qingshan.
He acutely sensed it and tried to grasp it.
The North River Pass cultivators' blood was boiling. When they heard Wu Yan's shout, their eyes turned red and their fighting spirit overflowed.
They were clearly not in their best condition, but they did not fear death. They charged toward the Demons who were superior in both numbers and strength.
On the other side, Lu Qingshan mobilized the remaining 30% of his Origin Power and charged over as well.
It was as if two huge torrents were surging toward each other on the riverbank, ready to converge.
Lu Qingshan led the 8,000 strands of Sword Qi around him and charged outward from the center of the Demons' camp.
If he counted the 3,000 cultivators he crossed two days ago, he had already entered and exited the Demons' camp twice.
However, this time, it was the most relaxed.
Because in this charge, the Devil Cultivators no longer blocked his path without regard for their lives. Instead, they instinctively retreated and dodged.
— Lu Qingshan's power after killing the Xuandu Demon Marshal was still lingering. At this time, there was no commander commanding them to stop Lu Qingshan. How could they take the initiative to throw their lives away?
Devil Cultivators were also afraid of death.
Lu Qingshan's current condition was actually not good.
The enhancement of the Army Character Art had ended, and his combat strength had returned to normal. Although he was still powerful, he was definitely not as invincible as before.
More importantly, he had less than 30% of his Origin Power left. It could not support him for too long.
As long as the Devil Cultivators were willing to sacrifice their lives, they would be able to deplete his Dharmic powers in no time.
The problem was, how could the Devil Cultivators know the current state of Lu Qingshan's Dharmic powers?
Lu Qingshan had shown endless trump cards since the beginning, as if there was no limit to them.
Once bitten, twice shy.
The Devil Cultivators had already regarded Lu Qingshan as an unstoppable Demon King. They no longer had the courage to face him directly.
"Dodge!"
"Dodge!"
Wherever Lu Qingshan went, the Devil Cultivators retreated.
Occasionally, one or two Devil Cultivators who were indignant would come forward. Lu Qingshan was not stingy with his Origin Power. He would charge forward with his sword in hand and sweep out. Sword Qi would shoot out, instantly splitting their bodies into two as black blood splattered.
Or he would slash down vertically, slicing the Devil Cultivators that were charging at him at the waist, causing them to explode into a bloody mist.
In fact, Lu Qingshan would expend a lot more Origin Power if he insisted on killing his enemies in one strike.
However, he had chosen to conserve his Origin Power despite doing so.
The reason was simple. Lu Qingshan could sense the fear the Devil Cultivators had for him. They viewed him as invincible.
Therefore, he had to deepen this impression and not expose himself.
In other words, he was acting like a pig with a scallion in its snout — pretending to be an elephant.
.....
Mt. Lightning Roar.
This was a mystical mountain near North River Pass. Thunderous roars reverberated throughout the day, giving it its name.
The void distorted as a large army of cultivators suddenly flew over from afar.
This army of cultivators numbered more than a thousand, infinitely close to two thousand. All of them were Realm Seven cultivators and their leader was an extremely powerful and famous Realm Seven sword cultivator, Li Xixing.
They were the cultivators sent by Jade Gate Pass to reinforce North River Pass.
"North River Pass will be near after we reach Mt. Lightning Roar. We should be able to arrive in an hour," shouted Li Xixing, appearing extremely anxious.
In his heart, he believed that the North River Pass should have already fallen after two days, given the Demon Race's current strength.
However, whether North River Pass had fallen or not was one matter. Whether they had tried their best to reinforce it was another matter.
Perhaps they could not change the outcome, but they had to do it with a clear conscience. They had to do it with a clear conscience for all the cultivators in North River Pass.
"Speed up!" He gave the order again.
More than a thousand streaks of light crisscrossed and instantly flashed past the rumbling Mt. Lightning Roar, heading straight for North River Pass!
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