Eastern Divine Immortal Domain. Yaoguang Sacred Ground.
Countless experts had gathered here. Powerful attacks, raging like a storm, hammered against the guardian grand formation that gleamed like a starry sky.
Days of relentless assault had reduced the formation’s original seven layers to just one.
Cracks had appeared across its surface. It was on the verge of collapse.
“Yaoguang Sacred Lord! Your only remaining defense, the guardian grand formation, is crumbling. Why cower inside it making a pointless last stand!”
“If you know what’s good for you, open the formation and lead the Yaoguang Sacred Ground into our ranks. It’s not a bad way out!”
“If you remain obstinate, once the formation falls, every man in the Yaoguang Sacred Ground will be a slave, and every woman a whore!”
“Heh. This old man has heard the Yaoguang Saintess is an immortal jade spirit body, a rarity seen once in ten thousand years. The first to dual cultivate with her is certain to become a great emperor. This old man has been stuck at the ninth layer of the nirvana realm for centuries, and I intend to borrow your Yaoguang Saintess to break through to great emperor!”
“Everyone, waste no more breath on them! This Yaoguang Sacred Lord Su Yunhai is a stone in a latrine pit, stinking and hard! Let’s join forces, break this final layer of the formation, and once we’re inside, whatever we seize is up to fate!”
“Amitabha. This poor monk was thinking exactly that!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
Outside the guardian grand formation, the experts howled and jeered, their attacks growing ever more ferocious.
Yet within the Yaoguang Sacred Ground, even facing near-annihilation, the ranks were far from united.
“Su Yunhai, this is all your fault, you fool! Picking a fight with these lunatics! Look at us now. Even if we wanted to surrender, the chance is gone!”
“When the Yaoguang Sacred Ground falls, you, Su Yunhai, are the root of all this!”
“Hmph. Talking about sending someone to the Heavenly One Immortal Sect for help. Who the hell are you? Why would the Heavenly One Immortal Sect even bother with you?”
“This old man actually believed your nonsense, and now we face total disaster!”
“If you want to hold out, then hold out. I’m not dying alongside you idiots. I’m opening the formation right now and making peace!”
“I have several close friends in the Tianxuan Sacred Ground. Out of respect for this old man, they probably won’t wipe us out completely…”
Several respected elders of the sacred ground, seeing the situation deteriorate, harbored thoughts of betrayal.
“Elders, you’re being foolish!”
“You don’t actually believe that if we open the formation and surrender, they’ll spare us, do you?”
“Surrendering will only make these bandits even more brazen!”
At one of the formation’s nodes, a stunningly beautiful woman of ethereal bearing and cool elegance spoke with unwavering resolve.
This was the Yaoguang Saintess, Su Moyan.
One of the elders sneered at her words.
“Hmph. A mere girl dares lecture this old man?”
“Earlier, the Tianxuan Ancestor took quite an interest in you. This old man will just tie you up and present you to him. That way, even if the Yaoguang Sacred Ground falls, this old man still has a chance to become an elder of the Tianxuan Sacred Ground!”
With that, the elder abandoned the formation node he had been guarding and charged toward Su Moyan with murderous intent.
Seeing this, everyone within the formation was stunned.
“Elder Fang Chang!”
“Elder Fang Chang, you mustn’t!”
“Fang Chang, you traitor, how dare you!”
But at that very moment—
BOOM!
A deafening roar tore across the sky.
The sound was like the cry of a bird, like the roar of a dragon.
In an instant, the shockwave of sound swept across the entire battlefield.
Everyone present clutched their ears involuntarily. Those with lower cultivation grimaced in pain and spat blood.
Then, overlapping roars of dragons echoed one after another. On the distant horizon, auspicious clouds gathered, and radiant light cascaded in a thousand streams.
This grand spectacle immediately caught everyone’s attention.
“Pure-blooded jade flood dragons pulling a carriage! What an imposing display! Which power is this?”
“Heavenly One Divine Guards… the Jade Emperor Carriage…”
“That… that’s the Heavenly One Immortal Sect’s carriage!”
“So majestic! Has the empress come in person?”
“The empress is the strongest in the Eastern Divine Immortal Domain. The Yaoguang Sacred Ground isn’t worth her making a personal visit.”
“Even if it’s not the empress herself, it’s certainly a great figure from the Heavenly One Immortal Sect. Don’t act rashly. Let’s see what they do…”
In an instant, the chaotic battlefield fell silent as the Jade Emperor Carriage arrived.
And just then—
Nanpo’s figure emerged from the Jade Emperor Carriage, red robes and silver armor, his bearing commanding.
At his side stood a golden-haired man, the Dragon Peng Venerable in human form.
“The imperial son of the Heavenly One Immortal Sect has arrived in person at the Yaoguang Sacred Ground.”
“All of you, cease fighting and clear the path.”
“After ten breaths, any who violate this order, or who come within a hundred zhang of the Jade Emperor Carriage… die. No exceptions.”
The instant his voice fell, the battlefield went deathly silent.
Inside the guardian grand formation of the Yaoguang Sacred Ground.
Su Yunhai watched all this from afar, trembling with emotion.
“The imperial son has come! The Heavenly One Immortal Sect… hasn’t abandoned us!”
“The Yaoguang Sacred Ground… is saved!”
Su Yunhai clenched his fists, tears of joy in his eyes.
Nearby, Fang Chang sneered with contempt.
“Some imperial son. Just a wet-behind-the-ears boy.”
“The Heavenly One Immortal Sect sent a mere junior. It’s pure brush-off. Nothing to celebrate.”
“Smart men like this old man, who know which way the wind blows, are the ones who survive!”
Hearing this, Su Yunhai’s gaze turned cold.
“Bah! You traitor! As an elder of the sacred ground, you’d trade the saintess for your own career. And now you disrespect the imperial son? I’ll never forgive you!”
“Everyone! Open the formation and welcome the imperial son!”
Su Yunhai bellowed.
“Yes!”
Under the collective shout of the crowd, the Yaoguang Sacred Ground’s final line of defense, the guardian grand formation, was lifted.
Inside the Jade Emperor Carriage, Jiang Wuhen saw the scene and nodded inwardly.
This Yaoguang Sacred Lord is a smart man…
Meanwhile, the forces of the Tianxuan Sacred Ground and the others watched the guardian grand formation dissolve. They were equal parts thrilled and alarmed.
But they couldn’t just charge in now.
They had hammered away for so long to carve up the Yaoguang Sacred Ground. Though they had broken through six layers of the formation and seized some outer resources, the casualties had been significant.
Now, just as they were about to swallow this juicy prize, Jiang Wuhen had swept in and blocked everything.
To say they were displeased would be an understatement.
At that moment, the three ancestors of the Tianxuan Sacred Ground, the Tianji Sacred Ground, and the Qin Clan exchanged glances, then nodded in unison and stepped forward.
“The imperial son graces us with his presence, yet we failed to welcome him properly. Please forgive us!”
The three cupped their fists.
As their words fell, Jiang Wuhen’s figure emerged from the Jade Emperor Carriage, with Xiao Chen and the others behind him.
“No need for pleasantries. Take your people and clear the way.”
Though Jiang Wuhen’s tone was mild, the words brooked no argument.
The three exchanged glances.
“Imperial Son, before we came, we reported this matter to the Heavenly One Immortal Sect and reached an agreement with the second elder of your council of elders. Once the Yaoguang Sacred Ground falls, fifty percent of the spoils go to the immortal sect…”
But before they could finish, Jiang Wuhen waved his hand to cut them off.
“Whatever the second elder agreed to is the second elder’s business. Me telling you to stop fighting and clear the way is mine.”
“Nanpo. How much time is left of the ten breaths?”
Jiang Wuhen said lightly.
“Three breaths!”
Nanpo cupped his fists.
Jiang Wuhen smiled. With a raise of his hand, the flood dragons roared, and a hundred Heavenly One Divine Guards raised their weapons, killing intent brimming.
Clearly, Jiang Wuhen had no intention of giving these three ‘seniors’ any face.
Seeing this, the three exchanged uncertain looks, hesitation on their faces.
But just then—
A young man in white robes, long hair flowing, an ancient sword slung across his back, strode forward. He pointed at Jiang Wuhen and roared:
“Jiang Wuhen, who the hell do you think you are, running your mouth here!”
“This juicy prize, the Yaoguang Sacred Ground, if you want a share, then jump in and fight! How much you grab is up to your own skill!”
“But instead, you throw around the Heavenly One Immortal Sect’s name to strut and swagger! What kind of man are you!”
“In my book, this so-called ‘Youth Supreme’ is nothing but hot air and bluster. You’re all flash and no substance, a useless fop who hides behind someone else’s power…”
But before his words finished, his eyes met Jiang Wuhen’s.
In that instant, the voice… fell silent!
