Chapter 626: War Begins

"Black and White Protectors!"

The Poisonous Hand Scholar called out, and the Black and White Protectors immediately entered, their expressions tinged with disappointment.

They had thought the Poisonous Hand Scholar would destroy Fang Xing outright for his insolence…

The White Law King had even prepared to recommend several sect tortures—now it seemed none would be needed.

"Starting today, the Natural Ancestor has joined our side—prepare for the final battle against the Sect Alliance!"

The Poisonous Hand Scholar cleared his throat and said: "The two of you, when you meet the Natural Ancestor, must show him the same respect as you show me…"

"What?"

The Black Law King and White Law King exchanged glances, both feeling disbelief.

Especially the White Law King!

She had always been ashamed of losing to Fang Xing—how could she now turn around and have him become her superior?

Yet this woman and the Black Law King were both clever; after a glance, they guessed Fang Xing had secretly joined the sect.

As for this former remnant of an ancient Daoist lineage from beyond the borders suddenly becoming a Divine Chosen of the Great Destroyer, their minds simply could not process it—they did not consider such a possibility.

"Very well, next let us review the battle plan…"

The Poisonous Hand Scholar, receiving Fang Xing's signal, spoke: "Currently, the Seven Sect Alliance bases itself at the Blood Shadow Sect's mountain gate and maneuvers against our forces… Their high-end combat strength includes seven Yang Shen True Lords… The Upper Divine Hall can perform the 'Invoking the Divine' technique to summon a puppet ancestor of Yang Shen Post-Stage, to tie me up."

"While the Flying Immortal Sect, Haoyang Palace, and others have only Yang Shen Early-Stage ancestors, they each possess sect-protecting treasures… Together they've assembled the 'Six Pacifying Heaven Treasures,' sufficient to entangle divine artifacts…"

"Our side has six Grand Sacrificers, but they must perform rituals in advance to barely attain Yang Shen combat power…"

"In terms of military formations, our professional squads hold absolute superiority, but their numbers are few—forcing an assault on their array would still cause excessive losses…"

Fang Xing nodded repeatedly as he listened.

In the cultivation world, arrays function like ancient city walls—no matter the era, attacking an enemy protected by walls always demands heavy casualties.

Hence the saying: to conquer the heart is superior; to conquer the city is inferior.

Of course, in the cultivation world, the outcome ultimately hinges on the victory of the top-tier combatants.

"We refrained from launching a decisive battle before simply because we lacked the final decisive strike—now that the Natural Ancestor has joined us, his cultivation rivals Yang Shen Post-Stage and is sufficient to slay several Yang Shen True Lords, securing the overall situation…"

Said the Poisonous Hand Scholar.

"Yang Shen Post-Stage?"

The Black Law King was startled; the White Law King sighed inwardly, knowing she might never, in all eternity, avenge herself.

…

The true great battle loomed, and for both sides, nearly everything was laid bare.

The various movements of the Killing Life Sect's army were quickly relayed to the Sect Alliance via spies.

Whether true or false, the defensive alliance had no choice but to follow suit and prepare for war.

Even prepare for the final confrontation.

During this process, how many heroic deeds occurred among intelligence operatives, how many casualties mounted across every front—ultimately, all were reduced to numbers, summarized on the desks of those in command.

…

Blood Shadow Sect's mountain gate.

Inside a theater.

The True Lord of Pity personally took the stage to sing, while a troupe of colorful leather shadows and paper puppets clanged cymbals and drums, lively and bustling.

But to the Yang Shen True Lords below, this was merely amusement.

Though they appeared to enjoy the banquet, their divine senses rapidly interwove in discussion:

"The Killing Life Sect is stirring… thirty percent chance it's reinforcements from Great Zhou arriving again!"

"Damn Great Zhou—aren't the Three Absolute Passes and the Long Wall defenses blind?"

"Hmph, Great Zhou wishes to exile every heretic here—none of us are unaware…"

"What's the other seventy percent?"

The Blood Shadow Ancestor looked like a porcelain doll, with two upward-sprouting braids and a bright red padded robe, appearing exceedingly festive.

He replied: "Seventy percent chance—that the Natural Master has joined them… This man is extremely formidable; I even suspect he has ascended to Yang Shen Post-Stage!"

"Impossible…"

A fat old man in a gray beggar's robe shook his head: "Resources beyond the borders are limited—just one more Yang Shen True Lord would already astonish us… Yang Shen Post-Stage? How did he cultivate?"

"And under the watchful eyes of the Green Wood Demon? Hmph… That old devil truly is useless…"

The Haoyang Palace Patriarch, dressed as a Confucian scholar with a noble, imposing face, shook his head: "Green Wood's spiritual arts are good only for survival—no other special abilities. No wonder Green Wood Ridge was the first driven beyond the borders…"

"Now that Green Wood has perished, let us discuss the coming battle."

A withered, bark-like old monk clasped his hands: "We have already offered our flesh to feed the eagles, dedicating the incense and worship of six sects to the Upper Divine Hall—can we summon even more Yang Shen combat power?"

The Upper Divine Hall's Lord, dressed like an ancient shaman, spoke in a hoarse voice: "Beyond the borders is too small, its population too few… The accumulated incense and devotional power recently gathered can barely rouse our third-generation ancestor for a short while…"

The Upper Divine Hall was famed for its Invoking the Divine technique, best at summoning various 'deities' as aid—actually, these were preserved Yang Shen spirits of their own ancestors, the term 'deity' merely a pretentious embellishment.

In Great Zhou Shenchao, such practices would be crushed by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau.

Moreover, these preserved Yang Shen consciousnesses could not be considered true resurrection or immortality—they were more akin to 'spirit-crafted corpses,' requiring extremely strict activation conditions.

Even so, the Upper Divine Hall's reserves were deep; if given sufficient faith and incense power, it might even summon a semi-divine spirit—if any of its ancestral masters had ever reached such a realm!

"Hehe…"

A Daoist in a black feather robe and Daoist cap shook his head: "Brother Wu, you're not being honest. My 'Three-Eye Observation' has dealt with your Upper Divine Hall for nearly a thousand years—I know your reserves are deep. Every time you witness pacts, you demand incense tokens… Now, the 'Incense Gold Coins' in your Eight Treasures Merit Devotion Pool—how much have you hoarded? We've been driven to the brink, even donated our ancestral treasures to form the 'Six Pacifying Heaven Treasures'—are you still holding back?"

The Divine Path could continuously accumulate reserves through faith and incense.

In truth, it was strange that the Upper Divine Hall, so ancient, would let the Sword Flying Sect take the lead.

The several Yang Shen True Lords exchanged glances, all sensing the Upper Divine Hall was concealing its strength.

"Alas… the Incense Gold Coins are our sect's final capital. If we expend too much, we cannot sustain the Incense Spirit Realm—our ancestors' divine forms may even dissipate…"

One word, one phrase, one line, one content, one look!

The Lord Wu's face darkened: "Those are the reserves our Upper Divine Hall brought out from Great Zhou Shenchao—we never dared use them even when facing annihilation!"

"Do we still have any retreat left?"

The porcelain-doll Blood Shadow Ancestor snapped: "After this battle, I will grant your Upper Divine Hall a hundred years to preach on my territory! Also… I have several leather shadow and paper puppet combat units—these are also sect reserves; I will unleash them all now…"

"Good. Blood Shadow has spoken—I cannot be stingy."

The beggar-like Yang Shen True Lord said: "My sect possesses several ancient jade talismans—when the time comes, we will unleash them all, enough to throw the enemy into chaos…"

"Amitabha… the Golden Body Temple has three hundred Golden Body Arhats ready to support this great battle."

The withered monk clasped his hands.

"If so, my observatory also has one ancestral relic—this old Daoist will bring it along."

The black-feathered Daoist gritted his teeth: "The Killing Life Sect is leaving us no choice. If our sects are destroyed, do you think yours will survive?"

Lord Wu looked around and realized every sect had been forced to reveal their final trump cards.

The Blood Shadow Ancestor knew full well he was squeezing the last drops of profit—but his territory had already been half-destroyed, so he was the most generous.

He sighed: "Then I, too, shall make no further excuses. When the time comes, we will expend the Incense Gold Coins without restraint—enough to awaken one more Yang Shen Post-Stage ancestor… If the Natural Ancestor dares come, he shall receive a surprise."

…

Several months later.

Blood Shadow Sect's mountain gate.

Fang Xing flew over a Paper Slave Valley, his heart filled with reflection.

A hundred years ago, he had struggled for survival here.

Now, over a century later, he himself led the army to level this place.

He stilled his mind and arrived at the front line.

The Blood Shadow Sect relied on a grand array, with a Paper House Cave and a theater standing outside the formation, forming a pincer position.

To Fang Xing's eyes, they resembled outlying citadels and fortresses during a siege…

Together, they inflicted greater casualties on the attacking side.

Fang Xing's gaze grew deep as he saw the dense ranks of Blood Shadow disciples within the array, and within the theater, one after another leather shadow, and within the Paper House Cave, layer upon layer of paper puppets…

Yet the Killing Life Sect's enemies were far more than just the Blood Shadow Sect!

The Killing Life Sect's army was similarly arrayed in formations, with its core being five thousand Guardian Soldiers.

In addition, there were the subjugated Sword Flying Sect, Corpse Driving Sect's vassal troops, and mercenary bands of lone cultivators…

Ten thousand men are boundless—how many tens of thousands did the Killing Life Sect's army now number?

"Begin."

The Poisonous Hand Scholar stood atop a high platform and gave a calm order.

Boom!

One by one, ancient siege engines were pushed forward, each equipped with counterweight trebuchets.

A line of Killing Life Sect disciples in Grand Sacrifice robes stood before massive stones, polished into spheres, praying.

"Kill!"

Moreover, captives were slaughtered after the prayers, their blood inscribed with incantations upon the giant stone spheres.

Fang Xing saw faint spiritual light emanating from the siege engines and the stones.

Clearly, after ritual enhancement and blood sacrifice, these siege weapons had become temporary divine artifacts, capable of inflicting greater damage upon the array.

"Launch!"

At the command, countless trebuchets roared.

One by one, stone projectiles streaked like meteors, crashing into the Blood Shadow Sect's array—then exploding violently!

Countless terrifying energies and shockwaves swept across, causing Fang Xing to think of the "Meteor Explosion"!

The war has begun!

(End of Chapter)