“Continue hence,” the ancient utterance echoed in his mind, “Lay waste to the Rain-Below Starfield, and I shall bestow upon thee a fleshly form, delivering thee from thy prison. This is the essence of the Old God’s decree.”

The gaze of Wangyue grew clear, the mists of confusion banished by sudden understanding. The primordial roar subsided to a guttural rumble. With a surge, the beast surpassed even the towering Sky-Wood Tree, lunging toward the fore.

From afar, Wangyue’s colossal form, with its myriad, ten-thousand-丈 tentacles thrashing, resembled a vast, boundless storm cloud engulfing the starry expanse. Its passage stirred a tempestuous howl no less formidable than that of the Sky-Wood Tree.

Lie Yunzi cast a sidelong glance at Wang Lin, a flicker of suspicion crossing his features at the shift in Wang Lin’s countenance when the jade slip shattered with a ‘ping’ sound.

Wang Lin, with a millennium of cultivation honing his cunning, offered a wry smile. “Who would have thought the beast held such a grudge? I merely sought refuge within it from the Yao Clan’s pursuit. Yet, upon seeing me, it remembers.”

Lie Yunzi nodded curtly. “Once this conflict reaches a lull, forget not to seek me out regarding the remaining war-rune charts!”

Wang Lin bowed his head respectfully. “This one understands.”

Shen Gong, the ancient patriarch, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. “Xu Mu, deliver unto me Shen Gong Hu’s Dao-Essence!”

Wang Lin hesitated but a moment. Then, without further contemplation, he tapped his brow. Instantly, Shen Gong Hu’s Dao-Essence flew forth, seized by the old patriarch. After a cursory glance, it was absorbed into his being. He paid Wang Lin no further heed, instead fixing his gaze upon the path ahead, hands clasped behind his back.

Wangyue forged onward, its speed unparalleled. The ubiquitous tentacles lashed out, ensnaring any alliance cultivator in their path. With a single contraction, their bodies withered, reduced to desiccated husks in the blink of an eye. As their empty vessels fell, Luotian cultivators would descend swiftly to claim their storage bags and arcane artifacts.

Close behind, the Sky-Wood Tree hurtled forward, shadowing Wangyue’s advance toward the northern reaches of the alliance!

The swiftness of Wangyue and the Sky-Wood Tree exceeded even the most potent of cultivator’s enchanted tools, rivaling teleportation. Their passage was marked by sonic booms and a resounding roar that echoed far and wide.

At this moment, in the northern territories of the alliance, a grand battle unfolded!

Initially, the alliance cultivators, under the command of the Black Wraith Demon Lord, one of the alliance’s Four Supreme Lords, held a commanding advantage. They had devastated the western starfield, inflicting grievous losses upon the Luotian cultivators and severing their retreat, leaving those who had ventured into the north isolated.

With the balance of power tipped thus, the alliance seemed poised to claim victory in this opening clash of the war.

However, Yan Leizi’s desperate counterattack, unleashing the Eighteen Luofu Blood Orbs, reversed the tide in this northern theatre. The alliance cultivators were hampered by the orbs’ influence, yet this was not the fulcrum of the change. More crucially, the western blockade had been shattered by the Sky-Wood Tree!

Thus, the Luotian forces were no longer isolated, and should they hold for but a time, reinforcements would arrive, granting them a decisive advantage!

The Black Wraith Demon Lord’s visage darkened, unwilling to allow Yan Leizi to succeed. However, the Blood God, who opposed him, was an individual of great power. Their clash was cataclysmic, the echoes of their spells rending the fabric of the cosmos.

The shockwaves alone were deadly, instantly slaying any hapless cultivator caught within their grasp!

“Fellow cultivators,” the Black Wraith Demon Lord cried, a grim smile upon his face, “Let us not allow this lord to become an object of mirth! Lend your strength!” With a gesture of his right hand, a noxious wind billowed forth. With a flourish of his hands, the wind coalesced into a gargantuan whale, which with a thunderous roar, lunged at the Blood God, its maw gaping wide.

In that instant, the very essence of the cosmos was drawn into the whale’s form.

Simultaneously, a violet beam of light descended from the heavens, an endless pillar manifesting from the void.

A prolonged peal of laughter erupted from within the light, and a figure emerged – a man of middle years, clad in resplendent yellow robes, his countenance handsome and regal. As he stepped forth, two majestic dragons materialized, coiled around him, their roars reverberating.

“Yan Leizi, your reputation precedes you! I am Yunlong, newly appointed Alliance Lord!”

Yan Leizi’s eyes flashed, yet he did not move. However, three ancient patriarchs, inheritors of lineages that spanned back to the Immortal Realm, strode forward to confront the Yunlong Demon Lord.

“The Four Supreme Lords of the alliance are all in the Shattered Nirvana middle stage. The Blood God’s cultivation is unfathomable and can contend with one, but the others are only in Shattered Nirvana initial stage. They need to join forces to have a slight chance! But none of these are the strongest!” Yan Leizi’s gaze flickered, not towards the robed Demon Lord, but focused on the void before him, and spoke calmly. “The Four Lords have never struck alone, Ji Xian Heaven, why keep hiding?!”

As Yan Leizi spoke, he moved forward a step and appeared next to the eighteen Luofu Blood Orbs. He pointed towards the void!

A piercing shriek suddenly rang throughout the heavens, and the area that Yan Leizi pointed to cracked apart! From within those cracks, a snow white, almost luminescent hand reached out and collided with Yan Leizi’s fingers!

*Bang!*

The entire northern starfield quaked. Yan Leizi’s eyes flashed with killing intent and he retreated several steps. A figure in the cracked void retreated at the same time; it appeared to be a woman who immediately let out a sharp scream!

“Yan Leizi, you still dare to come back!!”

The voice was so piercing and contained an unimaginable amount of primordial energy.

As it echoed, all the Luotian cultivators trembled. Some of them spurted out blood and died as the energy in their bodies was being pulled out!

Even one of the eighteen Luofu Orbs in the sky immediately collapsed in response to the scream!

A boundless amount of energy suddenly rushed in from all directions to be absorbed by the woman!
“Thrice-Cursed Xian, ages have passed, yet your androgynous form remains unchanged!” The Flame Thunder Patriarch spoke with unnerving calm. With a flick of his right sleeve, an inferno erupted, swallowing the surroundings. The surging firestorm generated a colossal force, scattering the Rotian warriors like leaves before a gale, hurling them beyond ten thousand fathoms.

Though a vast distance, it was still within the confines of the Luo Floating Realm. Thus, the bloody fray commenced anew. The Alliance’s legions engaged the beleaguered Rotians in a dance of death!

A chaotic melee ensued, where a single misstep meant the shattering of flesh and the annihilation of the soul. Initially, the Rotians were no match for the prepared Alliance forces, still reeling from the sudden assault. However, the very presence of the Luo Floating Realm evened the odds with arcane vigor.

A stalemate was forged, though a subtle advantage remained with the Alliance.

Gleaming artifacts flashed in the chaotic light, and death claimed warriors from both sides. In the distance, an Alliance soldier coughed up blood, retreating desperately. Before he could escape ten paces, a whirlwind of swords tore through his chest. His nascent spirit, barely escaping the ravaged husk, was consumed by a nearby burst of arcane energy, collapsing into nothingness.

Before him, three Rotian warriors, eyes bloodshot with desperation, channeled their energies in a frenzy, unleashing spells and wielding enchanted weapons. But in that very instant, a streak of pure light pierced through them, their bodies convulsing as life drained away.

The light resolved itself into a single figure in the distance. His eyes, dark with malice, licked his lips, eager to resume the slaughter. But at that very moment, a crimson tide washed over him. His screams were short-lived, as the warrior dissolved into a pool of blood, swept away by the wake of the Blood Ancestor and the Black Fiend Demon Lord, locked in their titanic duel.

With each fallen warrior, the monstrous entity’s blood surged, drawn into the seventeen crimson orbs of the Luo Floating formation. Even fleeting souls, weakened by their mortal wounds, were ensnared and consumed by the hungry spheres.

The toll was relentless. Tens of thousands locked in a battle that echoed through the heavens, their blood painting the eight surrounding realms.

A blinding spectacle of arcane light shone above their heads, and a chorus of enraged roars and dying wails transformed the battlefield into a domain of pure despair!

The vast quantities of blood and souls drawn into the seventeen Luo Floating spheres fueled their sinister glow. As the conflict intensified, the very fabric of the cosmos tore asunder. Though the icy winds from beyond the rifts sought to quench the flames of war, they only served to stoke the fury of the struggling warriors.

At the heart of this carnage stood the Flame Thunder Patriarch, his very being ablaze, casting a fiery glow across half the celestial dome. Facing him was the Thrice-Cursed Xian, emanating a frigid aura and a chorus of cracking sounds. The sound, though small, was clear amongst the chaos.

The earth turned white and crystallized, causing a mass of ice shards and glaciers to form, reaching towards the sky, like a hand reaching for its saviour. The earth was filled with ice glaciers like swords, ready to strike and fight with the Flame Thunder Patriarch.

“Flame Thunder Patriarch, tens of thousands of years ago you escaped my grasp, but today, even without the intervention of Grand Master Xuan, I shall end you here!” Thrice-Cursed Xian’s voice, sharp as ice, carried a chilling malice and a thirst for vengeance.

The Thrice-Cursed Xian appeared as a woman of captivating beauty, but a closer look revealed a flat chest and a subtly pronounced Adam’s apple. A man trapped in a woman’s facade!

The Flame Thunder Patriarch met his gaze with unflinching resolve. He raised his right hand, and the surrounding energies swirled violently, condensing into a ball of pure white flame in his palm. He fixed his gaze upon the Thrice-Cursed Xian and spoke, “When I departed this realm, I swore that upon my return, the entire Alliance would face annihilation, even if it meant my own blood would flood the heavens!”

Meanwhile, in the western reaches of the Alliance, with the Moon Gazing Hound leading the way and the colossal Ancientwood Tree lumbering behind, they raced toward the northern front, their destination drawing ever closer.

Upon the towering branches of the Ancientwood Tree, Wang Lin observed the landscape ahead, his gaze frequently returning to the Moon Gazing Hound, a flicker of calculation in his eyes.

“The last child of the Ancient God…” A chilling glint, barely perceptible, flashed within Wang Lin’s eyes.