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"Damn, the weather is annoyingly good."
The head of the Gongmyo Clan, Gongmyo Ryeong, frowns as she looks at the sky.
The sky is so clear that celestial energy is distinctly visible just by looking up.
And the celestial energy she sees is a great omen of misfortune.
"Damn it, even if they are green and inexperienced, over 200 Core Formation cultivators have gathered, bringing all the power accumulated by the numerous clans and factions... Despite our meticulous plan and prepared traps, the celestial energy still shows great misfortune."
"It can't be helped. Isn’t that just how fearsome Nascent Soul cultivators are?"
Byeok Cheon-gi clicks his tongue as he speaks.
In the middle of the Heaven-Treading Desert, at the sealing site of Yuan Li.Around the black castle, hundreds of Core Formation cultivators are positioned.
On the outskirts, Qi Building cultivators carefully selected from each clan surround the area.
Above them are warships, massive dharma treasures requiring multiple operators, cannons, and battering rams prepared by each force.
War dharma treasures are also abundantly set up.
"Prepare the Yin Guiding Summoning Wind formation for the Qi Building cultivators!"
At the command of Makli Clan head Makli Hwang-cheon, the Qi Building cultivators of the Makli Clan began to gather energy at the back with formation flags.
Rumble, rumble!
Within their formation, terrifying yin energy began to gather, creating a ferocious wind.
"We of the Jin Clan can't be inferior! Prepare the White Dragon Spreading Wings Formation and the Yang Blazing Red Flame Formation. Show who’s superior to those Makli brats!"
Qi Building cultivators of the Jin Clan gathered to form their formation.
And within, blood-red, fiery flames began to emerge.
The flames of the Jin Clan, fed by the heat of the scorching Heaven-Treading Desert, grow even larger than the yin wind collected by the Makli Clan.
Seeing this, Makli Hwang-cheon's eyes twitch, and an elder of the Makli Clan notices it.
The elder of Makli Clan gestures to a lower-ranked elder, who, with a flushed face, turns and shouts.
"Expand the yin wind larger than the Jin brats! If you properly increase the yin wind, each of you will receive three Life Spirit Pills! But if you fall behind them, expect something very interesting to happen!"
Rumble, rumble!
As soon as he finished speaking, the yin wind of Makli Clan shook off the desert's heat and grew even larger.
In response, the Jin Clan also increased their flames, and both clans competitively enlarged their unique formation methods.
Seeing this, Cheongmun Jung-jin chuckles.
"Those two clans, when put together, are never boring."
"Oh my, Cheongmun Orabeoni speaks the truth. If our two clans join forces, there would indeed never be a dull moment…"
"…Jinlu Clan head, please choose your words carefully."
"Hmph, there's still time before Serving Command Palace appears, can't we relax and chat a bit?"
Jinlu Clan head, Jinlu Yeon-cheon, a voluptuous beauty dressed in a black robe with blue eye makeup, retorts.
"And how is the union of clans a personal matter? Isn’t it a matter of public interest? Orabeoni?"
"Hmm, Yeon-cheon. The heads of the six clans of Shengzi are glaring at us. What will you do if internal strife breaks out before the war?"
"Hmph, Ha Clan, Geo Clan, Jun Clan, Yeoljeon Clan, Ori Clan, Jeon Clan. Even combined, they can’t match the Jinlu Clan, so what do they know? Let's not talk about such trivial matters, Orabeoni. Can't you treat me as you used to?"
Cheongmun Jung-jin rubs his forehead as if in pain, then hardens his face and speaks.
"…Jinliu Clan head, please return to your position."
"Think about it, Orabeoni. The bloodline of the great Cheongmun Clan, descended from Azure Tiger Saint Cheongmun Sunwoo, combined with Jinlu Clan, the founding ancestors of Shengzi…"
"Enough! I will not permit further idle talk. As the Alliance Leader, I order the Jinlu Clan head to return to her position. Any further and it will be dealt with as a military matter!"
"…Hmph. Very well, Alliance Leader. I hope you think it over."
Jinlu Yeon-cheon winks at Cheongmun Jung-jin and returns to her position with a broad smile.
Cheongmun Jung-jin presses his head as if in pain.
"Anyway, why isn’t Cultivator Seo here yet…"
He asks Byeok Cheon-gi, who had been subtly sticking close to Gongmyo Ryeong.
"Byeok Clan head, didn’t a Core Formation cultivator of the Byeok Clan go to fetch Cultivator Seo?"
"Ah... About that."
Just then.
Kugugugugu!
From the east of the Heaven-Treading Desert, a shadow enveloped in a mass of darkness flies towards the sealing site of Yuan Li.
Wo-woong!
Dark curse spells burst out in all directions.
Within the center of those curse spells, the shadow looks around.
[It seems I'm not too late.]
Poof!
Following the shadow, Byeok Mun-seong promptly approaches Byeok Cheon-gi and greets him respectfully.
"I greet you, Clan head. The mission has been accomplished."
"Oh, is that so? Well done. Haha, Alliance Leader. It looks like everyone we were waiting for has arrived."
"That's right..."
The shadow wrapped in dark curses, Seo Eun-hyun.
The Eastern Lord, wrapped in white bandages, Manli Min-lap.
The confident head of the Byeok Clan in a blue and white robe, Byeok Cheon-gi.
The three stepped forward in front of Cheongmun Jung-jin.
"You all must be familiar with the plan, so I have nothing specific to tell you. However, I would advise all three of you to keep visualizing the situation in your minds."
"Understood."
Byeok Cheon-gi replies, but Seo Eun-hyun and Manli Min-lap just nod their heads.
"And also… as Serving Command Palace will appear soon, accept this in advance."
Cheongmun Jung-jin hands over storage artifacts to Byeok Cheon-gi and Manli Min-lap.
"I have put the liquor in the storage artifacts."
"Ha, truly immortal liquor. Just drinking it temporarily enhances all sorts of abilities."
Byeok Cheon-gi admires the liquor inside the storage artifact, and Manli Min-lap, without a word, immediately takes out the liquor and drinks it on the spot.
Kooong!
After drinking all the renowned immortal liquors, Manli Min-lap's momentum transforms.
Koong!
His cultivation seems to surge momentarily, and he takes a deep breath.
"Good, it's only for a short time, but…"
"Then, Byeok Clan head…"
"Ah, I'll drink mine before activating the Heaven-Striking Talisman."
"Do as you wish."
Cheongmun Jung-jin's gaze turns to Seo Eun-hyun.
"Cultivator Seo, are you drinking it now?"
Seo Eun-hyun, within the curse spells, nods his head.
[I've been drinking while waiting.]
"Let’s hope the plan proceeds well…"
Cheongmun Jung-jin finishes speaking and gathers his energy with a solemn expression.
Then he looks up at the sky.
All the Core Formation and Qi Building cultivators present are looking up at the sky.
Seo Eun-hyun gazes not at the sky but at Yuan Li's castle.
Manli Min-lap takes out a large cannon from his storage artifact and begins inserting spirit stones into the back of it.
Byeok Cheon-gi infuses his energy into the Heaven-Striking Talisman.
While everyone is calculating the celestial energy and timing while looking up at the sky,
"It's time!"
Gongmyo Ryeong shouts loudly.
"Liberation Palace…"
One of the Eastern Lords mutters in a low voice.
"Serving Command Palace appears."
One of the tribal chiefs from the Northern Grasslands hardens their face.
Kugugugugu!
The void distorts, and a cylindrical palace, drifting through another dimension, enters the physical realm.
Kugugugugu!
Simultaneously, numerous cultivators present feel the surrounding heaven and earth energy shift.
The energy of Liberation.
What is blocked opens up.
What is sealed is released.
The being confined is set free.
The one sleeping awakens.
Creak, creak, creak!
Gongmyo Clan's secret formation.
The Eight Trigrams Spirit Absorbing Sealing Formation that connected and sealed the nearby dragon veins.
Within the formation, streams of red energy begin to burst forth.
Rumble!
Simultaneously, numerous cultivators feel the pressure of spiritual energy and stiffen their faces.
The entity within is striving to break free from its confinement
Liberation Palace fully enters the physical world, anchoring itself.
And with it, the nearby heaven and earth energy begins to assimilate more of the energy of Liberation.
Crack, crack!
Blood-red light begins to crack and break through the formation.
The entire arid desert starts to resonate with the scent of blood.
Ssshh...
Blood mist flows through the cracks.
Crack, crack, crack!
Gradually, the sealing formation begins to crumble.
A Core Formation cultivator swallows hard.
Kugugugugu!
The formation breaks into pieces, and the heaven and earth spiritual energy that formed it visibly scatters in all directions.
And finally.
Wo-woong!
The sealing formation is completely broken.
A blood-red hue spreads across the world, and the entire desert becomes soaked in the smell of blood.
Swoosh!
The black castle is shrouded in a chilling bloodmist.
From within its depth, a figure emerges step by step.
A blood-red robe.
Grayish-white hair.
Hands with deep, wrinkled skin.
And a face still hidden behind a bizarre, translucent black mask.
It’s Yuan Li, the Bloodwood Practitioner.
[Have you been well?]
Kugugugugugu!
The 400 Core Formation and Qi Building cultivators gathered in the area felt suffocated from just that one sentence.
"Nascent Soul…"
Cheongmun Jung-jin trembles as he tries to gauge his cultivation level.
"Middle stage…"
Byeok Cheon-gi's face darkens.
"Did he form both the Yin Spirit and Yang Spirit? Has he managed to freely merge and separate Yin and Yang Spirits in the middle stage of Nascent Soul…?"
[No need to fear.]
Seo Eun-hyun interrupts Byeok Cheon-gi.
Ssssh...
Dark curse spells spread around him.
The blood mist could not penetrate the world formed by the black curses.
[He boasted he would reach the late stage of Nascent Soul, but he only managed to reach the middle stage. Isn’t he ashamed to not keep his word as a Nascent Soul cultivator?]
Kugugugugu
The dark curse spells bubble and, upon touching the blood mist, causes it to rot and fall to the desert.
[Come at me, Yuan Li. Today you die.]
[What's this? It doesn't feel like devilish arts, but it certainly looks like it. Has he mastered a method derived from devilish arts?]
Yuan Li paid no attention to Seo Eun-hyun's words and just observed him.
[Interesting, an impudent fellow. But there seems to be a misunderstanding…]
I speak to Manli Min-lap.
[Begin the attack.]
Manli Min-lap nods and aims his cannon at Yuan Li, who is in the midst of his speech.
The hundreds of spirit stones he had inserted into the cannon glow at once.
And then.
Flash!!!
A blue beam shoots towards Yuan Li.
For a moment, the world turns into night as the beam draws in all the rays of the sun.
Boom!
Sound follows belatedly, shaking everything around.
Ssssh...
A cloud of dust rises.
Manli Min-lap speaks as if hopeful.
"We got him…"
[That’s unlikely. Makli Clan and Jin Clan, and all other clans, unleash your attacks!]
Cheongmun Jung-jin conveys my words all around.
Then, the Qi Building cultivators of Makli Clan release their prepared Yin Guiding Summoning Wind Formation towards Yuan Li.
Jin Clan also simultaneously launches their Yang Blazing Red Flame Formation at him.
Several Qi Building cultivators use the power of their formations to launch a wide-area attack at the lone entity.
"We hit…”
[No, we didn’t. The real battle starts now, so everyone, be ready.]
I pour out more curse spells while looking into the dust cloud.
And then, blood-red pierces through the dust.
Cheongmun Jung-jin's voice echoes from behind.
"Disperse!!!"
Boom!
A bloody red beam shoots towards our location.
And as the dust settles.
Kugugugug!
Above the black castle.
There stood Yuan Li, unharmed, with thousands of black and red jiangshi lined up beneath him.
All his dharma treasures and artifacts are naturally on display, exhibiting their might.
Standing there,
Yuan Li holds an unfamiliar blood-colored leaf fan in one hand.
[200 years was not a short time for me or for you. Let's have some fun…]
Whir!
He raises the blood-colored leaf fan.
And then.
Boom!
As he waves the leaf fan, a bloody wind mixed with the blood mist spreads in all directions, pushing back the entire alliance of Core Formation cultivators.
Translator Notes: And so it begins… Extra donated chapter by mjspixel and Heavenly Sword Demon. Thanks for the support!
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