This Cultivator was a Direct Disciple of the Immortal Palace.
He was also a Golden Core Stage Cultivator.
He spoke much more methodically and logically than the last Cultivator, and he seemed far more self-assured when laying out his conditions and grand promises.
When Li Chang’an said nothing, the Captain of the Law Enforcement Hall team couldn’t help but add a sinister threat. "That Soul-Calling Banner is merely a Foundation Establishment Stage Magical Treasure. At most, it can only threaten others at that stage. You think you can use it to kill me? That’s far too simpl—"
Li Chang’an didn’t let him finish.
Mid-sentence, he gave a slow, deliberate wave of his hand.
The Cultivator thought he had agreed. A flash of joy crossed his face, but in the next moment, he was stunned to find that his eyes were somehow looking at his own body.
’What’s going on?’
’When did he strike?’
’Even though I’m heavily injured, I’m still a Golden Core Stage Cultivator!’
’How could I not even know when he struck?’
Even at the moment of his death, the disciple had no idea what had just happened to him.
He had no clue how he had died.
Li Chang’an took his life, then used the Soul-Calling Banner to collect his soul. He smiled faintly. "You made a great offer. Don’t make it again."
After killing their strongest leader, Li Chang’an rushed to the other battlefields to prevent any unexpected developments, finishing off the remaining Cultivators one by one.
There were twelve disciples in total.
Li Chang’an personally killed five. Another six died under the combined assault of the Martial Artist army and a barrage of heavy weaponry.
Li Chang’an was just about to head over and check on the last disciple.
But when he arrived, he saw that the disciple had already used the last of his strength to rush to the Immortal Gate and light a piece of talisman paper. Normally, it would take some time for the talisman paper to burn before the gate would open.
This time, however, those in the Cultivation World had apparently sensed that their disciples were in trouble. The moment the Immortal Gate detected the talisman paper’s aura, it swung wide open.
A gigantic arm reached out from the Immortal Gate.
As everyone watched in stunned silence, the arm fumbled around the area near the Immortal Gate. After finding the collapsed Cultivator, it retracted and the gate quickly slammed shut.
The battle was won.
And it was a one-sided victory.
Ordinarily, the Martial Artists would have been cheering, but after witnessing that terrifyingly massive arm, no one felt like celebrating.
The Cultivators’ power ran too deep.
To this day, they still had no clear idea just how powerful the so-called Cultivation Realm truly was.
Li Chang’an hadn’t expected one to escape, but since it had already happened, there was no use dwelling on it.
He gathered the Martial Artists and held a banquet that lasted for three days and three nights.
Immediately afterward, he began interrogating the remnant souls of the Cultivators.
He had to admit, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner refined by that first Cultivator was an excellent item. After refining the souls of several more Cultivators, the Magical Treasure had been upgraded. Now, it could imprison even Golden Core Stage Cultivators with ease.
With so many souls, their testimonies could be cross-referenced, making this interrogation process much simpler than the last.
Li Chang’an asked for more information about the Cultivation World, and only then did he learn that what he knew as the Cultivation Realm was not the true Cultivation Realm. It was merely one of many strongholds established by Cultivators.
The strongest Cultivator in their stronghold was the Sect Leader of the Immortal Palace.
And he was merely a Cultivator at the Divine Splitting Realm.
The Immortal Palace controlled only a few hundred insignificant minor worlds.
The true Cultivation Realm, however, controlled hundreds, even thousands, of medium and large-sized worlds. They farmed countless natives like livestock, and within it existed true, undying immortals.
Such beings were clearly beyond Li Chang’an’s comprehension.
After finishing the interrogation, Li Chang’an’s feelings were complicated.
He thought back to his second reincarnation.
At that time, he had reached the absolute limit of what the Great Derivation World could withstand. After settling all his affairs, he had chosen to ascend.
But not long after his ascension, before he could even notice anything was amiss, he was devoured by some unknown monster.
’Does this mean the Great Derivation World has also been targeted by Cultivators?’
Li Chang’an didn’t know if his speculation was correct.
But that didn’t stop him from remaining highly vigilant toward the Cultivation Realm.
...
「Emperor Calendar, Year 1346.」
Li Chang’an was now over 2,400 years old. A single white hair had appeared on his head, but he paid it no mind.
Under normal circumstances, a long time should have passed before the Immortal Gate opened again.
But Li Chang’an had killed so many disciples from the Immortal Palace’s Law Enforcement Hall, including the Direct Disciple of one of its Elders. The matter clearly wouldn’t be dropped so easily.
The Immortal Palace was not about to wait that long.
Li Chang’an was mentally prepared for this.
But the speed at which war came still exceeded his expectations. One day, the Immortal Gate began to tremble violently. Several thousand Cultivators pushed their way through it and descended upon the Li Yang Continent.
Nuclear bombs detonated once more.
This time, however, the Cultivators were clearly prepared. They wore special Magical Treasures that protected them from even the fatal force of the nuclear blasts.
The Liyang Empire was thrown into a bitter struggle.
Empress Su Ying had become the Mother of the Nation over a century ago and no longer concerned herself with the Liyang Empire’s daily affairs. But now, she had no choice but to step forward, personally raise the war banner, and mobilize the entire nation for war.
The Cultivators were temporarily repelled.
But the Liyang Empire also suffered devastating losses.
Li Chang’an personally cut down dozens of Golden Core Stage Cultivators on the battlefield and delivered their bodies to his laboratories to study their Cultivation Techniques and weaknesses.
「For nearly the next millennium.」
Clashes between the Liyang Empire and the Immortal Palace were incessant.
The Immortal Palace opened more Immortal Gates across the Li Yang Continent, allowing them to dispatch an ever-increasing number of disciples whose strength grew with each wave. Millions of Martial Artists fought back with all their might.
But they still suffered catastrophic casualties.
...