Chapter 888: The Wan Dao Mountains Have Fallen

Not only did the Three Dao Ancestors have objections to Ding Huan's words, but even if they did, none dared voice them now.

"Thank you, Brother Ding. We several are currently negotiating this matter, but Daozu Qingsha and Zihé are too timid and have made no progress."

Daozu Fengyu was the first to speak in agreement.

Daozu Fengpu and Yiqi regarded Fengyu with contempt.

"The one truly timid is you, Zhuo Qingfeng! How dare you accuse others of timidity—you're utterly shameless."

Regardless of whether Fengyu had thick skin, Fengpu and Yiqi both expressed agreement with Ding Huan's proposal.

Ding Huan looked at the deep sword-cut he had carved into the ground, feeling a sense of helplessness.

If he'd known he'd have to negotiate with these Daozu here, he'd have shattered the Dao Lord's mansion's protective array and gate instead.

Now, by splitting Wan Dao City in half, he had no place left to hold negotiations.

Daozu Yiqi saw Ding Huan's helplessness and quickly said: "In my Dayi World, there is a Wan Dao Trading Tower. Let us move our talks there."

Ding Huan had no objection.

Reception Hall of the Wan Dao Trading Tower.

At this moment, only six people and one pig sat here.

Ding Huan, Ling Zhuzhen, Jia Baihe, and Yijie were present.

The others were Daozu Yiqi of Dayi World, Daozu Zhuo Qingfeng of Fengyu World, and Daozu Fengpu of Tianzi World.

As for Yan Zhuo, he was currently calming his daughter Yan Jiuyue and had not come.

But no one cared that Yan Zhuo hadn't come.

Yan Zhuo was a Dao Fifth Step.

But his Dao Fifth Step was vastly inferior to Ling Zhuzhen's Dao Fifth Step—they were not even on the same level; whether he came or not made no difference.

Ding Huan got straight to the point: "Daozu Fengpu, explain the situation first."

Fengpu stood and bowed with a Daozu's salute before speaking gravely: "If not for Zihé and Qingsha's selfishness, the Grand Universe would not have sunk to this state..."

He did not mention one other name: Daozu Fengyu.

That fellow was just as despicable.

But he was still sitting here, so it was hard to openly humiliate him.

Ling Zhuzhen and the Tianmeng Clan had fought before—he had witnessed

the brutality and terror of the Tianmeng Clan.

Upon hearing Fengpu's words, he immediately asked: "Daozu Fengpu, has the Tianmeng Clan invaded the Grand Universe?"

Fengpu sighed: "Though full-scale invasion has not yet begun, both I and Daozu Yiqi know it is merely a matter of time.

I estimate they will launch a full assault within one or two years and seize the Wan Dao Mountains."

When we held the Wan Dao Abyss back then, we decided it would be our absolute bottom line—no Tianmeng cultivator was allowed to break out.

But in that battle, Yiqi and I fought desperately, and countless Eternal Saints of the Grand Universe perished in that war.

Yet Zihé and Qingsha hid behind us, greedily draining Dao veins, refusing to advance. This left Yiqi and me severely wounded, and we have not fully recovered since...

Because of that battle, the Tianmeng Clan seized the Wan Dao Abyss. The human cultivators of the Grand Universe retreated, and later we could only rely on a single artifact to construct a defensive array.

But compared to the Wan Dao Abyss, it was vastly inferior. We had to commit far more personnel, yet still lived in constant dread."

Ding Huan knew the Wan Dao Abyss—it was the boundary between the Tianmeng Clan and humanity.

For the Tianmeng cultivators to seize human lands and claim the Wan Dao Mountains, they must break through the Wan Dao Abyss.

For humans to enter Tianmeng territory, they too must pass through the Wan Dao Abyss.

Logically, the Wan Dao Abyss was the Grand Universe's most critical frontline—without exception.

Qingsha and Zihé, as Daozu, not only refused to fight for the Wan Dao Abyss, but actively drained Dao veins and hindered the effort—they deserved death long ago.

From Fengpu's tone and his contemptuous gaze, Ding Huan could tell that Fengyu, too, had hidden behind others and refused to fight, alongside Zihé and Qingsha.

But Fengyu was as spineless as they come, and his survival skills were extraordinary.

Otherwise, back at the Dao Lord's mansion, he would have already slashed this fellow to pieces.

Just as Ding Huan was about to find an excuse to punish Fengyu, the fellow suddenly stood up himself:

"Daozu Fengpu, I bear great responsibility in this matter. I was truly afraid back then, so I never dared to confront the Tianmeng powerhouses."

If we fight the Tianmeng cultivators now, I volunteer to be the vanguard, leading from the front. If I retreat even one step, strike me in the back—I will not complain."

His voice rang with strength, projecting an aura of fearless determination.

Ding Huan sighed inwardly.

He knew the fellow was lying, yet he was powerless to act now.

This fellow's survival skills were truly formidable.

But when the battle with the Tianmeng Clan came, if this fellow dared retreat even one step, he would slash him without hesitation.

He was not Fengpu or Yiqi.

"Brother Ding, the Tianmeng Clan now controls nearly half of the Wan Dao Mountains. Though they have not yet sent their strongest..."

Before Fengpu finished speaking, a blood-soaked figure burst in: "Daozu Yiqi! The Tianmeng army has shattered the last protective array of the human cultivators on the Wan Dao Mountains.

They have slaughtered countless human cultivators—the entire Wan Dao Mountains is now under Tianmeng control..."

The Daozu all leapt to their feet in alarm.

Unlike Ding Huan, they were Daozu of their own worlds—if the Tianmeng Clan swept through the Grand Universe, their own worlds would fall to the Tianmeng as well.

No one in their worlds would survive.

Ding Huan smiled and said: "Daozu Ju Jun, long time no see."

The blood-drenched cultivator was someone he recognized—Ju Jun, whom he had met just after emerging from his seclusion.

It was Ju Jun who had pointed him toward Yu Xing to save Yan Zhuo.

"Friend Ding Dao..." Ju Jun stared blankly at Ding Huan.

He pointed toward Ding Huan's path, and not long after, he encountered the Tianmeng tribe's full-scale invasion of the Wanda Mountains.

After enduring a life-or-death battle, he barely managed to return to Wanda City using a teleportation talisman.

Seeing the ruined state of Wanda City, he thought the Tianmeng tribe had breached the city itself.

After asking around, he learned that a powerful cultivator had arrived and fought several Dao Ancestors.

Hearing that several Dao Ancestors were meeting in the Wanda Trading Tower, he immediately came to report the Tianmeng tribe's full-scale invasion to Dao Ancestor Yi Qi.

As for Ding Huan killing the Dao Ancestors Zi He and Qing Sha, he truly had no knowledge of it.

Ding Huan nodded at Ju Jun, then turned to the three Dao Ancestors: Feng Pu, Feng Yu, and Yi Qi.

"What puzzles me is that the Tianmeng tribe launched a full-scale invasion, yet the defense lines in the Wanda Mountains were built by you—why didn't you learn of it at the first moment, and instead had to rely on Daoist Ju to report it?"

Feng Pu smiled bitterly: "Myself and Daoist Yi Qi are both severely wounded, so all matters in the Wanda Mountains were first reported to Qing Sha and Zi He…"

"Then Qing Sha and Zi He would inform us and decide how to respond."

"But there are still people from my Tianzi World in the Wanda Mountains—if I'm not mistaken, anyone in my Tianzi World who could directly contact me is already in danger, otherwise I would have received word."

Yi Qi remained silent; clearly, his situation was the same as Feng Pu's.

They had no way to protest—Qing Sha, that woman, was ruthless and would never show mercy just because they were Dao Ancestors.

Their greatest regret was that, while fighting the Tianmeng tribe, they exhausted themselves and were gravely injured by Tianmeng powerhouses.

Ding Huan's gaze turned to Feng Yu.

Feeling Ding Huan's killing intent, Feng Yu Daozu shuddered and hurriedly said:

"At the time, Qing Sha and Zi He indeed intended to let me also control part of the Great Universe cultivators to resist the Tianmeng tribe."

"But I felt my abilities insufficient and voluntarily relinquished this authority to Dao Ancestor Qing Sha…"

Hearing this, even Ding Huan sighed—Feng Yu Daozu Zhuo Qingfeng's will to survive was truly extraordinary.

On the surface, he took no responsibility for these matters; in reality, should anything go wrong in the Wanda Mountains, it had nothing to do with Feng Yu Daozu.

Now his little scheming was finally useful.

"Feng Yu Daozu, I assign you a task: immediately

go with Daoist Ju to organize all the defeated human cultivators outside Wanda City.

Then build a protective array around Wanda City to hold the Tianmeng cultivators outside—can you do it?"

Ding Huan said without any courtesy.

Feng Yu immediately stood and bowed to Ding Huan: "Brother Ding, rest assured—even if I, Zhuo Qingfeng, die outside Wanda City, I will complete this task."

Saying this, Feng Yu turned and left, radiating an unstoppable determination.

Ding Huan felt deep admiration.

Feng Yu surely knew Ding Huan wanted to kill him, yet he acted without the slightest hesitation.

One could say this man's instinct for self-preservation was unparalleled.

Ding Huan didn't even need to think—he knew this man would build the protective array outside Wanda City as solid as iron.

And this man, for the sake of his life, would care nothing for any external factors.

Otherwise, how could a Dao Ancestor bow respectfully to him and call him "brother"?

One could say Zhuo Qingfeng had no principles…

No—rather, when his own life was at stake, he had no principles whatsoever.

"Sigh, if only these fellows hadn't been so cowardly back then, how could the Wanda Abyss have been lost?" Seeing Feng Yu Daozu's demeanor, Feng Pu sighed and shook his head.

Ling Zhuzhen suddenly spoke: "Though they were cowardly and willingly abandoned the Wanda Abyss, this was not necessarily bad for all of you."

Hearing this, Feng Pu and Yi Qi Daozu stared at Ling Zhuzhen in shock—what kind of statement was that?

But Ding Huan nodded; he felt Ling Zhuzhen spoke the truth.

"Daoist Ling, I beg your guidance," Yi Qi rose and bowed.

Ling Zhuzhen spoke calmly: "Dao Ancestors Feng Pu and Yi Qi—you both are at the Seventh Step of the Dao. Ask yourselves honestly—have you truly comprehended the Seventh Step of the Dao?"

What did that mean?

Feng Pu and Yi Qi exchanged bewildered glances.

You, Ling Zhuzhen, are powerful—you can challenge a Seventh Step cultivator with only a Fifth Step—but that doesn't mean our Seventh Step is inferior!

Ling Zhuzhen spoke slowly: "Before the Great Universe's Great Calamity, I too was a Dao Ancestor—I was at the Eighth Step of the Dao."