Chapter 742

On Wangyue Island, Wei Wuyi received Qin Ming’s orders and immediately set out to rally the four nations’ sects for preparation.

This demonic invasion differs from past ones—it is the largest in the history of the Southern Wastes.

The fact that Qi Yuanmo’s mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, the Seven Sorrows Demon Lord, personally led the other two demonic sects through the realm breach speaks volumes.

What stunned Wei Wuyi even more was that Qin Ming’s intelligence included the exact location of the Void Anomaly’s descent—as if he had uncovered the entire demonic plan.

Even so, the Four Nations Alliance still faced immense pressure; whether they could withstand this onslaught remained uncertain.

Even with knowledge of the demonic attack plan, Wei Wuyi had no confidence.

Qin Ming sat in his cave for a long while in deep thought, then sent a mental message to the Devouring Rat.

…

On the other side.

In the sacred grounds of the Silver Moon Fox Clan, Muxia Mountain.

The Devouring Rat, transformed into a plump white child, rode the wind like a galloping steed, holding a wine cup and chatting boastfully under the moon with the young silver fox.

“Elder Rat Sage, so does that mean your current strength can easily annihilate demonic Nascent Soul cultivators? I am truly in awe!”

The young silver fox, dazzled by his eloquence, stared at him with nothing but adoration in her eyes.

The Devouring Rat, delighted, sighed, “Alas! The only regret is that though I’ve ascended to the Fourth-Stage Spirit Saint, my current form is that of a child—I’ll likely need centuries more of cultivation to grow into an adult.”

“You don’t mind, do you, Young Silver Fox?”

As he spoke, he stole a glance at her reaction.

The young silver fox’s heart pounded like a startled deer; without answering, she darted off in a flash. The Devouring Rat was about to chase after her when he received Qin Ming’s long-distance mental message—his expression changed instantly.

He dared not delay matters of great importance, so he transformed into a streak of black light and flew toward the main peak, recounting the entire situation to Yue Lingyan.

“The Southern Wastes are about to change—this matter is no trivial affair. We must summon the other Spirit Saints to deliberate together.”

Not long after.

Deep within the Beast Roar Mountains, inside a grand demonic palace, several Spirit Saints of profound cultivation gathered.

The Devouring Rat glanced around, proudly lifted his head, and found a seat.

Now, he had earned the right to sit at the top table of the demonic clans.

“Oh! Congratulations, Devouring Rat Daoist, on your transformation!”

“Congratulations, Rat Sage! I visited the island to pay respects last time but failed to meet you.”

“How many centuries has it been since the Rat Clan produced a transformed Spirit Saint? Devouring Rat Daoist, your talent is extraordinary—truly cause for celebration!”

The Devouring Rat clasped his tiny fists and bowed in turn to each of them.

Then.

Under the leadership of the Ancient Mountain Spirit Saint of the Mountain Ape Clan, the major demonic clans convened an emergency meeting.

Among the demonic clans, opinions on aiding the Southern Wastes split into two factions.

One side supported aid.

The other, led by the Black Wind Spirit Saint, opposed it.

After heated debate, given the need to continue cooperation against the Blood Ring World’s demons, they ultimately agreed to dispatch a portion of their forces to aid the Southern Wastes.

“Hmph! You may go if you wish—I won’t. The Seven Sorrows Demon Lord is no easy foe; many of our kin will die.” With that, the Black Wind Spirit Saint swept his sleeve and stormed off in displeasure.

The Black Wind Spirit Saint still harbored resentment over the events on Wangyue Island.

The Devouring Rat’s gaze settled on the Black Wind Spirit Saint, his teeth grinding in fury as he silently cursed: ‘Old bastard, one day you’ll fall into my hands.’

Meanwhile, the Nascent Soul forces of the Western You Cultivation Realm and the Central Zhou Dao-Defending Alliance also received Qin Ming’s request for aid.

This was an order issued by Zhiyang Shiren during the Longyuan Island Alliance.

The old masters Tianji Zi and Han Ya Shiren had no choice but to urgently mobilize cultivators to reinforce the Southern Wastes.

Tianjizi and Han Ya Shangren, these two old devils, were forced to urgently deploy cultivators to reinforce the Southern Wastes.

All of this occurred within barely half a month.

The Southern Wastes’ cultivation realm grew tense, suffused with the atmosphere of a storm about to break.

Qin Ming sat leisurely beneath a spirit peach tree, sipping spirit wine.

Since the invading force was led by the ‘Seven Sorrows Demon Lord,’ there was no need to panic.

Still, he had to play the part thoroughly, lest Tianhen Mojun grow suspicious.

Even if Tianhen Mojun himself arrived, Qin Ming could simply mirror him. ‘What am I? Fighting myself?’

Qin Ming lifted his gourd, took a swig of spirit wine, and muttered bitterly.

Yet several days later,

Tianji Zi and Han Ya Shiren arrived in a hurry, confronting Qin Ming.

“Daoist Qin, the situation is dire!”

“We just received word from the Tianhai Alliance: half a month ago, the Second Crown Prince of the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace betrayed them, secretly colluding with the Blood Ring World demons and ambushing the Crystal Palace and Dongji Island of the Eastern Sea’s four major sects.”

“Both Nascent Soul cultivators of these two sects have perished, and the sects have fallen into demonic hands—massive casualties.”

Qin Ming had already known this, but Tianhen Mojun had moved too swiftly on his Eastern Sea plan—he had acted immediately after giving the order, leaving no time to notify the Tianhai Alliance.

“What? This really happened?” Qin Ming feigned shock.

“Didn’t the Nascent Soul elder of the Starlight Palace intervene?”

Han Ya Shiren’s face darkened. “We cannot fathom the actions of a Nascent Soul elder. Unless the mortal realm faces annihilation, they won’t intervene lightly.”

“However, the Tianhai Alliance’s late-Nascent Soul cultivator, the White Crane True Person, battled Tianhen Mojun for seven days and seven nights. He reportedly lost by a hair’s breadth and nearly perished.”

“This has dealt a crushing blow to the morale of the Eastern Sea’s cultivation realm.”

“I’ve always said—these damned sea clans are all turncoats, especially those cursed dragon palace worms; their intentions are vile!”

Han Ya Shiren clenched his teeth in fury.

“Who would have thought Tianhen Mojun’s strength is so immense? Aside from Nascent Soul cultivators, no one in the mortal realm can stand against him.” Tianji Zi spoke with grave solemnity.

Qin Ming sighed deeply too, though he had already known the outcome.

“Daoist Qin, you truly have connections—you managed to obtain inside information on the demons’ plans. If Great Jin and Great Zhou had your access, we wouldn’t be so helpless.” Han Ya Shiren spoke with genuine admiration.

“It’s still you, Brother Qin, who has the connections—you managed to obtain intelligence from within the demonic sects ahead of time. If Great Jin and Great Zhou had someone like you, our situation wouldn’t be so passive.” Han Ya Shangren said with considerable admiration.

Several days later.

Near a marketplace on the border between Wei State and the Beast Roar Mountains.

The Four Nations Alliance’s cultivators had long been lying in ambush, fully prepared.

“Stay alert! As soon as the Void Anomaly appears, activate the Shadow-Cracking Array immediately and destroy it—don’t give the demons a chance to descend!”

A squad leader instructed the hidden cultivators around him.

A squad leader spoke to the cultivators hidden around him.

No sooner had they finished speaking than a violent Void fluctuation erupted in the sky above the marketplace, the air twisting violently.

A massive dark vortex instantly formed midair—before the Four Nations Alliance cultivators could react,

a flash of black light erupted from within, and over a dozen demonic vessels from the Ghost Realm Palace and Wuliang Mountain descended instantly.

Without hesitation, they unleashed demonic light cannons toward the human cultivators in the marketplace.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Screams of the Four Nations Alliance cultivators rose in a chorus.

Without another word, he began firing demonic light cannons at the humans within the marketplace.

Though they had prepared, their strength was clearly not on the same level.

Two figures appeared atop the demonic vessels: a robed old monk leaning on a black staff, and a pale-faced middle-aged man with a cold expression.

Both radiated late-Core Formation cultivation.

“Hahahaha! Brother Fu, the Eastern Sea has been reporting victory after victory—we’ve seized two major Nascent Soul sects!” The robed monk laughed wildly. “Now it’s our turn to shine and make our names known in the Southern Wastes!”

“Even if we fail to win, we’ll gather enough flesh and soul essence for alchemy.”

He flung his black staff skyward—it expanded into a thirty-zhang behemoth, crashing down like a mountain upon the Four Nations Alliance cultivators.

BOOM! With a sound like mountains collapsing and earth splitting, human cultivators were torn apart—dead and wounded everywhere.

“Master Du’e, beware of being undone by a small oversight—they say the Southern Wastes isn’t a gentle place; even three Demon Lords have perished here.” The pale-faced Fu chuckled as he warned.

The robed monk paid no heed, continuing to unleash his staff in slaughter as he turned to him: “Brother Fu, you worry too much. I haven’t feasted on so much flesh and soul essence in ages—when else but now?”

“The human Nascent Soul cultivators? Let the Seven Sorrows Demon Lord and his kind handle them.”

The Fu demonic cultivator nodded, then summoned a Ghost King Banner, releasing countless specters into the fray.

ZZZZ~ Just as the two were reveling in battle,

a blue light barrier suddenly flared around them, engulfing every demonic cultivator present.

Original text in view!

The great array shimmered with dazzling talismanic runes, then unleashed a golden rain of arrows, each as potent as a Core Formation strike, targeting the demonic vessels.

Instantly, the demonic cultivators began to fall in droves—the tide turned.

“No! A Rank-Three Superior Binding Array—we’ve been ambushed!” The pale-faced Fu gasped, parrying several golden arrows, his qi surging violently.

SHH! At that moment,

a blue lightning streak shot from the distant horizon, arriving in an instant, piercing through layers of demonic aura and cleaving straight into the robed monk’s chest—spraying a cloud of blood.

“Ahh!” The Wuliang Mountain monk clutched his chest, stunned and enraged, staring across.

The light faded, revealing Wei Wuyi’s towering figure—like a divine sword unsheathed, he gazed at the two demonic Core Formation cultivators as if they were already dead.

With his arrival, countless Four Nations Alliance cultivators surged from all directions, surrounding the Ghost Realm Palace and Wuliang Mountain demons—no escape possible.

The fleeing light dispersed, revealing Wei Wuyang’s towering figure, as if a divine sword had been drawn from its sheath, gazing at the two demonic Golden Core cultivators as if they were already dead.

With his arrival, countless cultivators from the Four Nations Alliance surged from all directions, surrounding the demons of Ghost Realm Palace and Wuliang Mountain on all sides, leaving them no escape.

Moreover.

Li! From the direction of the Beast Roar Mountains, countless flying demonic beasts surged through the sky, diving straight for the demonic cultivators.

One of them, a massive avian demonic cultivator, had a body so huge its wingspan stretched fifty zhang.

With a single flap of its wings, it unleashed a storm of wind blades, sweeping toward the pale-faced middle-aged man.

“Th-this is—”

“A high-level third-rank demon beast.”

“This is a trap! How could you possibly have known our plan in advance!”

The situation reversed instantly; the two Golden Core demonic cultivators stared in disbelief.

“Ask your Buddha then,” Wei Wuyan sneered, his gaze blazing as he unleashed his ultimate sword art, instantly slicing the opposing demonic cultivator midair.

Such scenes unfolded repeatedly across the Southern Wastelands’ cultivation world.

…

On Wangyue Island.

Qin Ming sat in the Great Hall of Qingmu Pavilion, scanning jade slips continuously.

One after another, good news reached Qin Ming’s ears.

“Report! My Lord, a spatial anomaly has appeared in Chu Prefecture of the Wei Kingdom—two Golden Core demonic cultivators have descended, along with over a dozen ghost realm and Wuliang Mountain demonic vessels, all eliminated by the Wei Alliance Leader and his forces!”

“Report! A major spatial anomaly has appeared near Taihu in the Liang Kingdom—the Xuanyi Valley destroyed the spatial passage before the demonic sects could descend!”

“Report! A large force of Blood Refining Sect demonic cultivators has surged within the Jin Kingdom—they’ve been repelled by the combined efforts of True Person Gu and the Dao Defense Alliance!”

“Report! A Nascent Soul demonic lord from the Ghost Realm has descended into the Beast King Valley of the Wu Kingdom—he has been slain by the combined assault of the Devouring Heaven Demon Saint and the Dao Defense Alliance’s Cold Crow Elder. Both elders are already returning!”

…

At that moment.

Mo Lingwei, clad in a black gauze long dress, hurried in and bowed respectfully to Qin Ming at the upper seat.

“My Lord, the demonic invasions across the four kingdoms unfolded exactly as you predicted, yet many fugitives still slipped through and joined forces with the demons from the Beast Roar Mountains.”

“Should we organize cultivators to press the advantage?”

“With support from the demonic beasts and the Dao Defense Alliance, now is the perfect chance to crush the demons’ arrogance.”

Qin Ming held the jade slip, sipped tea, then nodded indifferently: “Do as you see fit.”

“Yes!”

Mo Lingwei hadn’t expected Qin Ming to agree so readily.

Qin Ming’s gaze flickered—he didn’t care, because the key figure in this invasion was about to arrive.

It was his turn to step onto the stage.

Boom! At that moment.

While Mo Lingwei was still puzzled, a violent explosion echoed from outside.

Her Golden Core spiritual sense instantly sensed what had occurred.

Above Wangyue Island, three pitch-black spatial vortices appeared without warning, expanding like black holes, twisting and spinning.

Ziraa!

The three vortices drew closer, merging instantly—suddenly, a ten-zhang-wide spatial tear ripped open.

Within it, endless void abysses could be seen, streaked with lightning and storm winds.

Immediately after,

A vast torrent of demonic energy burst forth like a dam breaking, spreading and corrupting the surroundings.

The lake water turned pitch-black in an instant; countless fish and shrimp flipped belly-up, floating to the surface.

As the demonic energy erupted, the spiritual energy in the sky trembled violently.

Suddenly,

A savage, icy spiritual sense swept across Wangyue Island, treating the fourth-rank defensive array as if it didn’t exist.

Then, rolling demonic energy parted, and a burly man stepped forth—his spiritual pressure so immense that every cultivator present paled and trembled.

Merely being looked upon by him felt like certain death.

Mo Lingwei’s spiritual sense recognized him—her face turned deathly pale: “Qi Shang, the Demon Lord!”

The Southern Wastelands and Dao Defense Alliance had his portrait on record.

A mid-stage Nascent Soul Demon Lord had personally descended upon Wangyue Lake—she herself nearly lost her composure.

Yet when she turned to Qin Ming, she found him calm, unruffled, as if nothing had happened.

Tianjizi, the old man, rushed in from outside, breathless and terrified: “Qin Daofriend, disaster!”

“Qi Shang, the Demon Lord, has come to our door!”

The next instant,

Qin Ming rose, gazed outside, and said lightly: “Qi Shang, is it? I’ll go out and meet him.”

“You all find cover.”

Mo Lingwei nearly thought she’d misheard.

Tianjizi was stunned—but then he recalled how Qin Ming had escaped Qi Shang unscathed last time. Could he still have some hidden trick?

At that moment,

Qi Shang’s thunderous voice boomed across the entire Wangyue Lake:

“The Holy Ancestor’s descent is the inevitable tide!”

“Wangyue brat, come out and beg for death before me!”

…

(End of Chapter)