Chapter 430: Challenge Issued

A mighty sound erupted in the sky, with air explosions like thunder that scattered the clouds until they lost all form and substance.

After the final three Great Feather warriors were cleanly slapped to death by a single palm, Chen Heng withdrew his magic power, floated down from the high heavens, and exchanged bowed greetings with Shen Cheng and the others who had rushed over.

"Had the True Person not specifically acted to save me, I fear my life would have ended here in Ge Lu; truly, I do not know how to express my gratitude, and only now have I witnessed with my own eyes the terrifying power of the Gang Sha martial path, proving it indeed worthy of being called a orthodox transmission of the Profound Tribulation!"

After Chen Heng exchanged pleasantries with the four True Persons of the Profound Whale Sect, Shen Cheng shook his head, unable to suppress a sigh, and looked at Chen Heng to speak with sincere emotion:

"Although the True Person has only recently formed his Golden Core, he was able to suppress Cui Ju during today's duel; judging by this, at the upcoming Golden Core Grand Assembly, the True Person will surely defeat the geniuses of the Nine Provinces and claim first place in the great competition.

"Even Yin Yin Wuji of the Xiantian Mo Zong, who has long dominated the top of the Suidan Review and whose fame spreads far and wide, should not be a match for the True Person!"

Chen Heng smiled and said, "Brother Shen took great pains to come specifically to Xiping Land to aid me; this was merely my duty, so why speak so much? As for Cui Ju..."

Speaking to this point, Chen Heng slightly straightened his expression and stated:

"I observed that this individual did not exert his full strength just now; if it were truly a life-and-death struggle, his methods would be far more fierce than what was displayed today, and that final Quan Yin seemed to be the Zhu Yang Seal from the Zhen Wu Jiu Yin."

Upon hearing this, Shen Cheng was surprised, while Wei Wei Yuanzhong and those several True Persons of the Profound Whale Sect also pricked up their ears, eager to hear Chen Heng's insight.

However, Chen Heng had not spoken many words before he suddenly stopped.

He lowered his eyes to look at the ground, his face showing signs of deep thought.

The hills and earth here were entirely dark red, as if dyed with blood.

From the cracks in the ground, scorching smoke occasionally flew out in wispy threads rising straight to the clouds, and apart from some sparse withered trees and decaying grass, no sign of life could be seen.

Following Chen Heng's line of sight, the cultivators saw that the ground seemed to be trembling slightly.

At first, only scattered soil fragments and gravel bounced up and down, splashing to knee height.

Shortly after, the tremor grew increasingly intense, and the ground began to crack with audible creaks.

Finally, accompanied by a booming roar, endless turbid smoke billowed out, covering the sky for dozens of miles and abruptly blocking all vision!

"This is bad! That Fire Sha is about to break out of its seal!"

A True Person of the Profound Whale Sect with a broad face, thick eyebrows, and completely red beard and sideburns realized the situation and was greatly alarmed.

Although this Fire Sha underground was merely a fragment of the Taisui Great Demon's spirit soul, it was by no means easy to deal with; back then, it required the personal intervention of the previous generation's ancestor of the Profound Whale Sect to capture it, using great magic power in conjunction with sixteen Dharma altars to seal it beneath the earth.

During the recent disturbance caused by Ban Su, more than half of these sixteen Dharma altars were destroyed by him, and it was only thanks to Shen Cheng and Wei Wei Yuanzhong arriving to assist that the situation was stabilized.

Logically, after another half-month, the Fire Sha underground would be suppressed into slumber once again, causing no further trouble, allowing the Profound Whale Sect to slowly re-establish the Dharma altars.

But coincidentally, Cui Ju came to cause trouble as well, destroying quite a few of the Dharma altars too.

This was like adding oil to the fire; the Fire Sha finally broke free from its suppression and was about to fully manifest in the world!

"This demon is extremely vicious; we—"

The Red-Bearded True Person, filled with terror, subconsciously wanted to call upon the cultivators to retreat temporarily.

But seeing that neither Shen Cheng nor Wei Wei Yuanzhong moved a step, their eyes holding only a trace of curiosity, while Chen Heng appeared even more calm and composed, treating the danger as nothing.

The Red-Bearded True Person exchanged glances with his three fellow sect members, a trace of embarrassment appearing on their faces, before finally forcing down the fear in their hearts and remaining in place.

The ground shook with increasing violence, and finally, accompanied by a thunderous "Boom," a long crimson shadow tore through the earth and rocks, its tail instantly shattering a nearby low hill before it shot into the sky, emitting cries of joyful shrieking.

Chen Heng saw that the crimson shadow was over forty zhang long, with flames coiling around the horns on its head, resembling a bull-horned centipede.

However, the lower half of this demon's body was completely different from the upper half; it was crystal clear and lustrous, as if it had transformed into jade-like cinnabar, faintly emitting a fragrant aroma from within that made one's mouth water.

"It is said that the previous generation's ancestor of the Profound Whale Sect sealed the Fire Sha underground intending to refine this demon's remnant body into a great medicine; seeing it now, he must have been trying to refine a Shao Yan Xue Xuan Dan, and judging by its appearance, the work is more than half complete."

Chen Heng fixed his gaze, pondered carefully for a moment, and then achieved clarity in his heart.

After breaking free from its confinement, the Fire Sha's primary task was naturally to devour flesh, blood, and spiritual vitality to make up for the deficits accumulated over the years.

Seeing Chen Heng and the group nearby, it twisted its body in delight, opened its mouth wide, and bit down fiercely!

"You damned beast!"

Wei Wei Yuanzhong shouted explosively and raised his hammer to meet the attack.

Although this Fire Sha could fight the previous generation's ancestor of the Profound Whale Sect to a standstill a thousand years ago, and the Profound Whale Sect expended considerable effort to successfully capture it.

After all, a thousand years have passed, times have changed, and now half of the Fire Sha's body has been refined into great medicine; furthermore, having suffered great damage to its primordial energy from years of sealing, it long ago lost the ferocious might of its past.

"Wei Jun is injured; let me handle it."

Chen Heng shook his head slightly, and five-colored light flew out from behind him, forming a giant hand that firmly grabbed the attacking Fire Sha as if pinching a small snake.

Unwilling to stretch its neck for slaughter, the demon twisted its body desperately, spewing fierce fire and poisonous smoke from its acupoints and pores while its roars surged like a tide, yet no matter how hard it struggled, it could not easily shake off the giant hand.

This scene deepened the awe in the hearts of the several Profound Whale Sect True Persons, steadying their minds as they quietly lowered the magic power they had secretly raised.

A few breaths later, a spiritual curtain suddenly crossed the sky, and Yang Yang Kezhen, Cai Qing, and Dong Qu, the Fuchan Fuchan Laozu of the Profound Whale Sect, arrived together.

Upon seeing the scene of the Fire Sha being firmly pinched in mid-air by the giant hand, Dong Qu, the Fuchan Fuchan Laozu of the Profound Whale Sect, was startled.

His eyes flickered with light, and a look of hesitation appeared on his face, as if he were pondering something.

Yang Yang Kezhen opened his mouth and called out:

"True Person!"

Chen Heng smiled in understanding, and the five-colored giant hand suddenly exerted force, violently hurling the Fire Sha in its palm toward the cloud canopy, tossing it straight up hundreds of zhang into the sky.

Yang Yang Kezhen flicked his horsetail whisk, and the silver threads grew instantly with the wind, resembling a white waterfall pouring down from the heavens; before the Fire Sha could react, it was bound tightly.

After being securely bound, the demon involuntarily lifted its head, slowly exhaled a wisp of faint white breath from its mouth, and then lowered its head, falling into a deep sleep.

Having accomplished all this, Yang Yang Kezhen did not delay further but hurriedly descended from the clouds to greet Chen Heng, with Cai Qing and Dong Qu following closely behind.

After exchanging greetings with one another, Yang Yang Kezhen recounted the events that had just transpired in detail.

When the conversation reached the point where Cai Qing had nearly killed Jin Jin Zongchun outright with a strike of Luo Li Fierce Smoke, Chen Heng's eyes moved, and he bowed in greeting:

"Had Jin Jin Zongchun not suddenly met calamity, Cui Ju would not have lost his composure; regarding today's events, we truly must thank Cave Master Cai for his assistance."

"How can I bear such courtesy from the True Person! The True Person embodies the essence of water and fire, where liquid mercury transforms, turbidity returns to clarity, and with each turn, brilliance increases until finally attaining the First Grade Dragon-Tiger; such a supreme Dao-body has already transcended material form and knows no obstacles, so even without this old man's aid, that Cui Ju would never have been a match for the True Person!"

Cai Qing, his face beaming with smiles, patted his chest and flattered:

"Ever since the True Person's Dharma carriage arrived in Ge Lu, this old man has intended to come pay respects and witness the bearing of an Upper Sect's true transmission, but alas, the time was not right, and I dared not rashly visit; now that I have finally heard the heavenly sounds with my own ears, even if this old man were to die, I would have no regrets!"

Hearing these words, Dong Qu, standing aside, could not help but think sarcastically in his heart:

"The Cai family of Yunci Cave truly has no shame, just as always! Claiming to be Yuchenshang Sect—do you think you are also a Dao lineage under Yu Yuchen?"

Just as Cai Qing droned on endlessly, Dong Qu hid a heart full of worries, wanting to speak but hesitating.

After a long while, he sighed inwardly and finally made up his mind.

But just as he was about to clasp his hands and offer advice, Cai Qing's mouth had not yet stopped moving.

This made Dong Qu curse that old Daoist hundreds of times in the dark, while simultaneously lamenting that Chen Heng was indeed gentle and easygoing; had their positions been reversed, he would have long since beaten Cai Qing to his knees and forced him to shut up.

"True Person, allow this poor Daoist to report: I have a request!"

After a long while, Dong Qu finally found an opportunity, stepped forward, and quickly bowed, saying:

"My Profound Whale Sect has suffered heavy casualties from this battle; I fear we no longer have the strength to seal the Fire Sha. To prevent this demon from breaking the seal again, spreading poison among humans, and increasing the karma of killing, this poor Daoist wishes to present this demon to the True Person; please, True Person, accept it."

As soon as these words were spoken, the scene fell silent for an instant.

Cai Qing opened and closed his mouth, his expression strange.

"The Fire Sha is already a precious treasure of the Profound Whale Sect, and now that you and I are allied friends, I do not wish to be an unwelcome guest in this matter."

Chen Heng glanced at him, shook his head, and said in a light voice:

"True Person Dong need not overthink it; just be at ease. Moreover, when I achieve the Dao, I will not need this object."

Hearing this, Dong Qu could not help but be stunned; he froze for a moment, then subconsciously looked toward Shen Cheng.

Shen Cheng likewise shook his head and said, "I also have no use for this object; True Person Dong need not be polite."

The Shao Yan Xue Xuan Dan was indeed a rare divine pill; if not for this, the previous generation's ancestral master of the Profound Whale Sect would not have risked capturing the Fire Sha at its peak strength and painstakingly laid out plans for a thousand years.

This is because the pill is greatly beneficial for achieving the Yuan Shen Fa phase; once a cultivator reaches Jin Dan San Chong and their root nature is perfected, if they can consume one Shao Yan Xue Xuan Dan at that time, there will be a fifty percent chance to cross the Primordial Spirit barrier, smoothly and easily proving a medium-grade Dharma Aspect.

However, although the Shao Yan Xue Xuan Dan certainly possesses infinite benefits, it ultimately has one flaw.

That is, if a cultivator's aptitude is extremely high, holding hope to prove an upper-grade or even the legendary Zhi Deng Fa aspect recorded in ancient texts.

Then, if they consume this pill, its effect will be negligible, almost ignorable, and it might even disturb the water and fire within their body due to the excess pill force, adding an unnecessary trouble.

"It seems I thought poorly; both of these individuals possess superior-grade Jin Dan, and True Person Chen is even listed among the true disciples; a mere possible medium-grade Dharma Aspect naturally holds no interest in their eyes..."

At this moment, Dong Qu turned his thoughts and finally understood, realizing that his unease throughout the journey had merely created a joke for nothing.

The people of Ge Lu only knew that the previous Profound Whale ancestral master had captured the Fire Sha for the purpose of refining a pill, but they did not know exactly which pill the previous Profound Whale ancestral master intended to refine.

And if they had known earlier that it was a Shao Yan Xue Xuan Dan, even Cui Ju would likely have been too lazy to make the trip.

After all, this person follows the path of Gang Sha martial arts.

A miraculous pill that aids in proving the Primordial Spirit Dharma Aspect is even more useless to him...

"It is only reasonable that the elites of the Upper Sect look down on the Shao Yan Xue Xuan Dan, but that fellow Dong Qu is so generous; why didn't he ask this old man? Did I not contribute to the Profound Whale Sect preserving the pill?" Cai Qing clicked his tongue secretly, muttering a sentence in his heart.

Afterwards, not long after Yang Yang Kezhen personally acted to reseal the Fire Sha deep within the earth's crust, the Dun Dun Jiesuo suddenly transmitted a message via mental sense.

After listening, Chen Heng's facial expression showed no change; he only said to the crowd:

"During the recent fighting, Ban Su led troops out of Northern Pingshan, intending to retake Qi Fang, but has already been forced back by True Persons Xue Jing and Wang Yun."

"A futile effort," Yang Yang Kezhen said, shaking his head.

"Now that Cui Ju has personally come here, the situation is clear; as the saying goes, when two armies contend, it is not solely about fighting with strength but also about strategy. Since both the Profound Whale and Yunci sect mountains are quite far from Qi Fang, I fear Cui Ju will not let today's matter rest," Chen Heng said, turning his gaze.

Cai Qing heard that Chen Heng intended to merge their armies and camps; just as he was about to smile, Dong Qu beside him moved faster, already bowing deeply in salute and nodding repeatedly.

Rarely did anyone outshine Cai Qing in taking the lead on such matters; Cai Qing could not help but be startled, but his reaction was not slow in the slightest, and he immediately followed suit to express his loyalty.

"With the assistance of you two, what worry is there that Ge Lu will not be pacified!"

Chen Heng smiled slightly, helped the two men up, and said:

"I hope we may converse in the tent at Qi Fang; allow me to introduce you to all the worthy heroes present. Please."

Just as Cai Qing and Dong Qu returned to their respective sect gates, busy organizing troops and supplies to rush to Qi Fang for the joint camp.

In another place, within Northern Pingshan.

After Cui Ju wrapped Jin Jin Zongchun's pure body in a layer of Puyun Baoxia to stop the injuries, and instructed his subordinates to settle Jin Jin Zongchun properly.

He also came to the Zhudian, sat down, raised a hand, and sent out a talisman message.

Shortly after, a group of cultivators ascended the hall, threw themselves down in prostration, and repeatedly cried out, "My Lord."

The man leading those below the steps had thick eyebrows and leopard-like eyes, wore his hair hanging to his knees, was clad in chainmail black-gold armor, and had two pairs of halberds hanging at his waist; he radiated an implicit killing intent, and his qi mechanism was the strongest among all the cultivators below, resembling a Dharma-protecting Golden Vajra Divine General, majestic and grand.

"Ban Su, it seems your Mei Mei Gongxing has increased quite a bit."

Cui Ju swept his gaze across, looked at the leading cultivator, and nodded slightly.

Being able to stir up an entire continent with one's own strength, even if this inevitably involved the support of Cui Ju's retinue behind the scenes, was sufficient to show Ban Su's extraordinariness.

In fact, even within Cui Ju's command, Ban Su was one of the few with the strongest cultivation.

In his youth, this man had personally received Shou Fa from the previous Earth Lord of Bo Lu; from beginning to end, he followed the Gang Sha path rather than the Shen Mo martial way, and after the old Earth Lord died, he decisively defected to Cui Ju, gaining Cui Ju's appreciation and being granted many precious medicines and divine abilities.

To this day, Ban Su is already a practitioner of the Martial Golden Body, comparable to those of the orthodox Immortal Dao who have reached the Primordial Spirit.

Whether it be the far-famed Wang Yun of Lingying Temple or that Primordial Spirit Fuchan Fuchan Laozu from Tongxu Mountain who has already fled beyond the heavens.

In a one-on-one duel, no one in this vast Ge Lu has ever been able to defeat Ban Su; at most, they could only reach a stalemate!

"Without the deep love of the Supreme Lord, how would this servant dare to hope for today?" Ban Su, having been called by name, buried his head deeply, his demeanor extremely respectful.

Unlike his rough appearance, his mind was extremely delicate.

Seeing Jin Jin Zongchun's miserable state just now and the slightly gloomy expression on Cui Ju's face in the hall, although Cui Ju had not yet spoken, Ban Su vaguely guessed the situation and could not help but sigh inwardly.

Eradicating the Yu Yuchen Dao lineage and attacking Ge Lu were indeed Cui Ju's orders, and he, Ban Su, was merely following commands, but the blood on his hands and the benefits in the treasury were real and undeniable.

If Yu Yuchen were to pursue accountability, he would inevitably be the first to bear the brunt and unable to escape guilt!

Matters have come to this; Ban Su could only hope that Cui Ju would drive Chen Heng away from this region, so that he could then sit securely in Tuanyang Kingdom, free from worry.

But looking at it now, Cui Ju seemingly did not gain any advantage and even appeared to have suffered a slight loss.

This inevitably weighed heavily on Ban Su's heart, adding a touch of anxiety...

Meanwhile, after Cui Ju had gathered the cultivators, he merely took out several sets of formation flags, instructed Ban Su to arrange them personally, inquired briefly about Cai Qing of the Yun Ci Cave, and then, saying nothing more, waved his hand to dismiss the assembly.

Ban Su carefully accepted the order, bowed, and withdrew from the Zhudian; only after traveling several li outward did he take up the formation flags, leap onto the clouds, and gaze in all directions.

Within his vision, although this "Earth Palace Stagnant Flavor Transforming Scenery Great Formation," connected to the Northern Pingshan earth pulse and seemingly capable of obscuring the sky, appeared intact, cracks faintly manifested within, its formation patterns were dim, and it could barely restrain the earth qi anymore.

Not long ago, the great formation had been forcibly blasted open by Yu Yu Yuchen's troops, causing the flag gates to collapse.

Although the Wu Xiu within the mountain had later struggled desperately to seal it, it was ultimately inferior to its former state, suffering a loss of primordial qi.

If this formation were broken, there would be no need to speak further of any opportunity for a counterattack.

Apart from fleeing to the Kingdom of Tuanyang to bind their hands and await death, Ban Su and the others had no other path...

"If Cui Ju loses, he at least has True Martial Mountain backing him from behind... but when things truly go awry, will this man stick his neck out for me?"

Just as Ban Su stood atop the clouds pondering, several blood-colored long rainbows sliced through the sky, landing before him to reveal the figures of several Martial Dao Furnaces.

The few exchanged glances, all wearing faces full of worry, yet none spoke first.

Finally, a man in green armor shook his head, bowed to Ban Su, and was the first to break the silence:

"Why must the Lord of the Kingdom be so despondent! Although the Northern Pingshan Great Formation is currently damaged, with these sets of formation flags brought by True Heir Cui, the situation can at least be temporarily stabilized; moreover, since Chen Heng has brought such a vast force, there is no reason for True Heir Cui not to have prepared a response.

I believe the mighty army of True Martial Mountain is already en route; let everyone not forget that this Xiping Land is ultimately closer to the True Martial Heavens!

Among the nearby several earthly continents, all host major True Martial Dao lineages residing in the world, and even within that Third Eon Heaven, there exists a True Martial Dao lineage, the Profound Water Temple!

Even if Chen Heng possesses extraordinary methods, within this patch of territory, his foundation simply cannot compare to that of True Heir Cui; if True Heir Cui truly flies into a rage and requests aid from his fellow disciples at True Martial Mountain, what use would Chen Heng's meager troops be!"

These words began merely as comfort, but by the end, even the man in green armor, not knowing what he had thought of, could not help but become invigorated, his heart surging with excitement.

Ban Su watched coldly as the cultivators joyfully echoed these sentiments, secretly sighing.

He had personally visited True Martial Mountain, witnessing just how grand and prosperous the Yang World Great Heavens truly were, and how majestic the true heirs of the great sects appeared.

A mere slice of Ge Land would not stand out even within the Xiping Land; the several great sects of Bo Land regarded it as chicken ribs, paying it little mind.

Yet now, this very territory had attracted two true heirs of great sects and several elders, with tens of thousands of Daoist soldiers and warriors arrayed against each other, war drums thundering!

Since they had not come solely for profit, it could only be for the sake of fame.

But if the latter were true, Cui Ju would absolutely not take the initiative to request aid from his fellow disciples.

That would imply Cui Ju acknowledged himself no match for Chen Heng, bowing his head in secret.

"It is not yet time to lose heart; the reputation of True Martial Mountain for refining Dharma-protecting Daoist soldiers reached my ears even before I attained the Dao; perhaps..."

At this moment, several Martial Dao Furnaces beside him were discussing heatedly; Ban Su, not wishing to dampen their spirits, merely clenched his fist and spoke silently to himself.

However, Ban Su clearly understood that this thought of his was merely self-consolation.

Observing the situation.

In this current state of affairs, it would likely be difficult to conclude matters peacefully in the end...

And indeed, developments unfolded exactly as Ban Su had feared.

Soon after, tens of thousands of troops from True Martial Mountain broke through the boundary to arrive; among them were not only Elder Duan Gui, Chen Ya, Du Zhan, and other True Martial elites, but even Zhu Zhu Jingtian's Han Han Yinjue had brought many family generals and retainers to assist.

However, Cui Ju seemed to feel a hidden helplessness regarding the latter's arrival; while he treated Han Han Yinjue with respect, from beginning to end, he never allowed his people to step forward and join the battle.

The two sides fought bitterly for over a month, sustaining losses on both sides, yet ultimately failing to determine a victor.

Although the Yu Yu Yuchen side held the upper hand, they had failed to completely breach Northern Pingshan.

And thanks to the protection of the mountain's great formation, the True Martial cultivators managed to barely withstand the tidal assault.

However, if one were to speak of who felt most stifled, it was undoubtedly Cui Ju.

During this period, he and Chen Heng had clashed no fewer than ten times; regardless of what methods he employed, he found it difficult to gain even a slight advantage over Chen Heng.

On the contrary, during these repeated clashes of magic, observing that Cui Ju's self-created Ge Yuan Yin possessed the ability to pierce through most dharma robes' spiritual light and strike directly at the flesh and organs, Chen Heng, sensing something, significantly improved that "Dragon-Tiger Golden Robe" divine art as well.

If the previous Dragon-Tiger Golden Robe was a type of body-protecting spiritual light—high in conception and possessing some nature of undifferentiated yin and yang—it absolutely could not block the assault of the Ge Yuan Yin.

The current Dragon-Tiger Golden Robe, however, seemed like a mouthful of innate primordial qi accumulated from within oneself and diffused outside the body.

When the Ge Yuan Yin struck with full force, the majority of its power was dissipated and deflected by the golden robe, with only forty or fifty percent landing solidly, yet this amounted to little.

Furthermore, the more they clashed, the clearer Cui Ju's realization became: if Chen Heng were given a few more years to refine this, I fear even that forty or fifty percent would be difficult to achieve, leaving at most ten percent.

This clearly treated Cui Ju as a type of whetstone to temper his own divine arts.

Seeing this, Cui Ju naturally grew angry, deeply displeased...

On this day.

In the central command tent of the Yu Yu Yuchen side.

A Martial Dao Furnace who had come as an envoy, after delivering the talisman letter, dared not linger in this place; bowing in salute, he hastily exited the camp.

Chen Heng saw that the talisman letter had a base of plain brocade with gold thread edging, appearing exceedingly magnificent.

Upon opening it, the hundreds of fly-head small characters seemed to suddenly come alive, leaping ceaselessly on the paper surface like warriors holding spears and halberds; moreover, a surge of Martial Dao thoughts rose up, yang and fiery, vast and turbulent, pressing down until the spines of several cultivators with slightly weaker cultivation in the tent tightened and their minds went blank!

Chen Heng flicked his finger, and instantly a clear, resonant sword cry shattered those Martial Dao thoughts into dust.

After finishing reading the talisman letter, he smiled slightly, handed it casually to Xue Jing seated at his lower left, and said:

"It seems Cui Ju can no longer wait."

Xue Jing took it, looked, and a smile also appeared on his face; shaking his head slightly, he passed the talisman letter down the line.

Shortly after, once everyone in the tent had read it through, the atmosphere had changed greatly from before.

Some were joyful, some doubtful, some surprised, but most wore expressions of understanding.

"Cui Ju has formally sent an envoy and delivered a letter this time, differing from his usual ways; although it appears to be a challenge, could there not be deception hidden within?"

Cai Qing, his face full of suspicion, muttered:

"For instance, halfway through the duel, the True Martial Mountain side might rush forward all at once?"

Wang Yun laughed softly: "True Person Cai jokes; how could a true disciple of a great sect be so devoid of decency? In my view, since Cui Ju is being so formal this time, he must be aiming for a decisive victory. Whether he wins or loses, the struggle between Ge and Lu will likely reach a conclusion!"

"The foundation of Wushan has not yet been shaken to the bone, yet Cui Ju can no longer wait?"

Cai Qing grew even more skeptical and shook his head.

Chen Heng pondered for a moment before speaking:

"Whatever Cui Ju plans, it is futile. If he wishes to settle the score openly and fairly, I will gladly accompany him; and if he intends to use underhanded tricks, I fear them not."

Having said this, he turned to the cultivators in the tent, bowed solemnly, and said:

"At noon three days from now, I shall engage Cui Ju in a direct battle. If this campaign can determine the situation between Ge and Lu, that would be best; even if it cannot, it will at least dampen the enemy's morale. At that time, I must trouble you all to form a battle array for me."

Upon hearing this, the crowd of cultivators in the tent straightened their expressions, rose, and returned the bow in unison, saying:

"We respectfully obey your orders; how dare we not give our lives!"

Time flashed by, and on this day, Chen Heng, seated within the central army tent, suddenly opened his eyes.

He flicked his sleeve, transforming into a sword rainbow that instantly soared into the clouds; nearby, Xue Jing, Yang Yang Kezhen, and others drove their light to follow closely behind him.

At this moment, with the broad Tuocopper River at the foot of Northern Pingshan as the boundary, the two forces had formed a stalemate.

Banners and war boats were densely packed with a rumbling sound, like two huge painted screens unfolding, so vast that one could hardly see their edges; under the stagnant spiritual pressure, even the river water beneath the clouds seemed to flow sluggishly, lagging half a beat.

"He has arrived."

Seated calmly on the Cangguang Cangguang Xuantai, Cui Ju, who had been closing his eyes to rest his spirit, suddenly lifted his eyelids and spoke.

Han Han Yinjue, not far away, followed Cui Ju's gaze and suddenly saw a sword rainbow emerge from who knew where, instantly crossing layers upon layers of troops to arrive before the formation.

The sword rainbow landed upon the clouds, revealing the figure of a Daoist clad in black robes and a golden crown, possessing a lofty and penetrating demeanor.

He looked toward this place, his eyes shining with brilliant divine light like radiant flowing mist, which caused Han Han Yinjue to frown slightly and unconsciously stroke the precious tripod hidden within his sleeve.

"The Bapailiu Sect is truly annoying! Yu Yu Yuchen already lost one Jun Yao; now another such figure emerges? I hear that even Ji Fa Kai has escaped from the demonic cave and returned to Yu Yu Yuchen. This sect, this sect..."

Han Han Yinjue did not know what matter he had recalled, but a trace of coldness surged between his brows.

At this moment, after exchanging a brief salute, Chen Heng and Cui Ju flew away toward the distant sky.

The two parties flew straight for several hours until they reached a desolate wilderness rarely visited by humans, whereupon they each halted their clouds and stopped.

"Not far beyond this place lies the Sea of Clouds, and crossing the Sea of Clouds leads to Bo Lu."

Cui Ju spoke these words, then looked at Chen Heng:

"How is this place?"

"Excellent." Chen Heng nodded, extending a hand to gesture: "Please."

Seeing this scene, Cui Ju pressed his hand against the long blade at his waist, suddenly stirred by a surging battle intent in his heart.

Although he wished to speak clearly, stating that with this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, neither side need entangle themselves further, thereby settling the struggle between Ge and Lu once and for all!

Yet, recalling the talisman decree sent down from the sect several days ago due to their prolonged lack of success, and the expressions of unrestrained joy on the faces of Chen Ya, Du Zhan, and others upon seeing that decree.

Cui Ju fell silent, closed his eyes to mask the complex emotions within them, and upon opening them again, merely said "Please" in return, his gaze cold and sharp as a blade.

Though their figures remained still, azure-violet Lei Ting and bloody Jin Jin Guang suddenly erupted, colliding violently together!

Boom—!

In the sky, only the tremendous roar of mountains toppling and walls collapsing was heard.

Spiritual energy shattered, cloud light collapsed, and surging turbid smoke instantly spread out, obscuring vision so that the four directions became indistinguishable!