Chapter 131 : Signing the Covenant

"You are different from the rest."

A glimmer of amusement sparkled in Lyra's (Person Name) eyes as she remarked nonchalantly, "With your 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Ark (Magic Treasure), you can assemble an elite force for rapid reinforcement during critical moments while maintaining full tactical flexibility. Remaining beyond Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) might actually yield greater strategic advantages."

After hearing her out, Eldrin fell into a brief silence. He understood perfectly well that Lyra had left things unspoken.

His 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Ark, if placed within the Celestial Ruins Mountain, would still be a considerable combat asset.

However, the Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) would undoubtedly face the main force of the demonic tribes, and might even be attacked by demon kings at the Golden Core Realm. The pressure they would confront would be unprecedented.

If they managed to hold their ground, all would be well. But if they failed, it was likely that aside from a select few, the vast majority of cultivators would perish in the beast tide composed of several 100 1000 demonic beasts.

Lyra had him remain in Yu County. With the 7 Stars Demon-Slaying Ark in his possession, should the situation become truly untenable, he would likely be among the few most capable of escaping.

"Do not trouble yourself with further thoughts."

"With me here, even if the Celestial Python Demon King (Demon Beast) arrives in person, I shall not fear him."

"Here," Lyra said as she retrieved a white jade treasure bracelet and handed it to Eldrin, her expression turning solemn.

"This is the Icy Heart White Jade Bracelet, imprinted with a wisp of my sword intent."

"If you ever face a life-or-death crisis, let this blade clear your path—it can sever all that stands before you, save for Golden Core Demon Kings!"

Eldrin received the treasure bracelet, his heart trembling faintly. To slay a cultivator at Purple Palace, Late Stage with a single strike—1 need not ponder to understand this was forged by Lyra at a tremendous cost.

This bracelet was crafted from Heart-Cooling White Jade, a third-order heaven-and-earth spiritual treasure valued at over 30,000 spirit stones. Yet it had been forged into a single-use magical artifact—this alone demonstrated its extraordinary preciousness.

The hardest debt to bear is a beauty's affection. He had incurred far too many favors from Lyra (Person Name) along his journey, debts already beyond repayment.

Eldrin (Person Name) pondered for a moment before finally speaking up, "This treasure is far too precious. You should keep it for yourself, as it would serve as an excellent trump card."

"With my level of cultivation, I require no external aids."

Lyra shook her head in refusal, her expression tinged with a hint of pride.

Some words she couldn't bring herself to speak, yet in her heart she thought, if he was safe and well, then she would be free from worry.

Eldrin finally took the treasure bracelet and discovered that the white jade treasure bracelet fit his wrist perfectly, as if it had been custom-made specifically for him.

His lips parted slightly, but in the end, he swallowed back the torrent of words and merely said with tranquil composure,

"This time, without the assistance of the Green Sun Sect, the beast tide will likely prove more challenging than in previous years."

"To single-handedly hold back Celestial Python Lake (Location), Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) will bear immense pressure. Please take good care of yourself."

He had a 1000 words left unspoken, but in the end, lacking the strength, he could not voice them.

In the end, I was still not strong enough—unable to share her burdens, unable to hold up the heavens for her. All I could do was silently pray for her safety and well-being.

The 2 trekked for a long while across the summit of Celestial Ruins Mountain before Eldrin eventually took his leave.

At the moment of parting, he glanced back to find her standing atop the mountain peak, silently watching him. Her figure was slender and flawlessly graceful, like a peerless celestial maiden from a painting—utterly detached from the mortal world.

"This is the final time."

"1 last time, I let you face a formidable foe alone."

Eldrin murmured inwardly, urging the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss to carry him down from the Celestial Ruins Mountain.

Returning to the Celestial Ruins Mountain market, Eldrin continued consolidating his cultivation base. Harnessing the power of the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss, he refined his vital essence with renewed intensity.

Upon reaching Foundation Establishment, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), the energy required far surpassed that of the early and middle stages. Even with the aid of spirit peaches, he estimated it would take 8 or 9 years to break through to the eighth level of Foundation Establishment.

The beast tide was now just over 3 years away—clearly not enough time for another breakthrough. However, with his lifebound immortal sword nourishing his body, it could refine his true essence by 30 percent.

After the refinement of his true essence, both his divine abilities and the third-tier immortal sword would unleash greater power in his hands, and his overall strength would be further enhanced.

However, this period of secluded cultivation lasted a mere 7 days before being interrupted—the day had arrived to sign the blood oath with Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location).

All the major powers across the 3 Prefectures of Bianzhou—19 Foundation Establishment clans and 2 Purple Manor immortal families—dispatched key representatives to Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) to sign the covenant.

Eldrin and Lior arrived at the cultivation dojo on Celestial Ruins Mountain, only to find over a 100 cultivators already gathered here.

All of them had at least reached the Foundation Establishment realm. Among them were rogue cultivators from Celestial Ruins Mountain, Foundation Establishment practitioners from the 3 prefectures of Bianzhou, representatives of various major clans, and delegates from the 2 prominent Foundation Establishment immortal families—the Xu and Yang clans.

Even the 2 Foundation Establishment Patriarchs, Yang Yuanhe of the Yang Family and Xu Daoyuan of the Xu Family, had personally arrived, each wearing expressions of grave solemnity.

Before long, Elders Lyra and Elara, the 2 Violet Manor Ancestors, soared to the center of the dao field.

Elara cast a glance at the assembly, her expression grave as she spoke, "Esteemed colleagues, 1 100 years ago during the Great Beast Calamity, our cultivation world of the Chu Kingdom suffered devastating losses."

"Although we have now recuperated for 1 100 years, the Azure Sun Sect is already overwhelmed with its own troubles. This time, they will no longer dispatch troops to support our Border Province."

"Thus, we must renew our alliance pact here upon the Celestial Ruins Mountain, joining forces to withstand the invasion of the demonic tribes."

After Elara finished speaking, she presented a copy of the covenant before everyone.

Eldrin took it and glanced over it, finding that the terms of the covenant were no different from what had been discussed earlier.

In truth, the 3 counties of Bianzhou had negotiated with Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) numerous times over the past few years. The alliance pact had long been revised and discussed repeatedly—what remained was merely a formality.

This pact was largely similar in substance to the Eldrin Accord, though many of its specifics diverged significantly.

According to this covenant, during the beast tide invasion, all major immortal clans shall deploy their forces under the unified command of Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location). Any unauthorized violation resulting in missed battle opportunities will lead to joint retaliation from fellow cultivators across the Border Provinces.

Facing the pressure from Celestial Python Lake (Location), Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) would bear the brunt of the demon clan's main forces.

The great immortal clans naturally could not stand idly by. They had to contribute both personnel and funds to aid Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location).

For instance, if over a 100 immortal clans from Yu Prefecture joined forces, they would need to pool 50,000 spirit stones. These stones would be used to activate the formation array once the spiritual energy in the Celestial Ruins Mountain’s spirit pool was depleted.

In addition to the tribute payment, each of the 3 prefectures of Bianzhou must contribute 30 percent of their cultivators to form a cultivator army in support of Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location).

For the past 1 100 years, Bianzhou has been recuperating and rebuilding. Both mortals and cultivators have now returned to their peak numbers from a century ago.

Currently, Yu County alone boasts over 10,000 cultivators, with more than 30-some having reached Foundation Establishment. Combined, the 3 armies can provide support to Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) with approximately 40 Foundation Establishment experts and around 10,000 Qi Refining cultivators.

Aside from the cultivators supporting Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location), the remaining forces of the 3 prefectures were divided: half guarded the spiritual veins of their respective clans, while the other half assembled to protect the critical spiritual veins across the 3 prefectures, ready to reinforce 1 another when necessary.

Yu County was the closest to the 100,000-li Great Wilderness, bearing the greatest pressure among the 3 counties, yet it lacked a Purple Mansion Immortal Clan to guard its territories.

Thus, both the Xu and Yang clans were required to dispatch a Purple Mansion Elder each to oversee the situation, while Feng County needed to deploy 1,000 Qi Refining cultivators as reinforcements.

Chapter 1 The biting cold wind howled through the mountain pass, carrying with it the scent of frost and decay. Lin Feng tightened his worn robe, his breath misting in the chill air. His gaze, however, remained fixed on the distant peak where the Sect's main hall stood shrouded in clouds. "1 100 years," he murmured, the words barely audible. "1 100 years since I last set foot there." He remembered the day vividly—the day he had been expelled from the Azure Cloud Sect. His meridians had been shattered, his cultivation base destroyed. They had called him trash, a disgrace to the sect. But now, after countless nights of bitter struggle and hidden cultivation, he had returned. A faint glow emanated from his chest, where the mysterious artifact—the Stellar Pendant (Magic Treasure)—rested against his skin. It had been his salvation, the key to mending his broken meridians and unlocking a path of cultivation far beyond anything the Azure Cloud Sect could offer. "Eldrin (Person Name) must be waiting," Lin Feng thought, a cold smile touching his lips. Eldrin, the former senior brother who had betrayed him, now sat comfortably as the sect's young master. Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the wind. "Well, well, if it isn't the trash who crawled away years ago." 3 figures emerged from the shadows, clad in the distinctive blue robes of the Azure Cloud Sect disciples. The leader, a tall youth with a sneer, stepped forward. "The sect grounds are forbidden to outsiders. Scram, before we teach you another lesson." Lin Feng's expression remained placid. "I have come to reclaim what is mine." The disciples laughed. "Yours? You have nothing! You're nothing but a cripple!" In a flash of movement too quick to follow, Lin Feng's hand shot out. A pulse of energy, invisible yet palpable, sent the sneering youth flying backward to crash against a jagged rock. The other 2 stared, stunned. "H-how...?" Lin Feng didn't bother with explanations. He simply walked past them, his steps steady and sure, heading toward the mountain path that led upward. The time for hiding was over. The time for reckoning had begun. --- Deep within the sect's archives, Eldrin (Person Name) felt a familiar energy signature and frowned. He set down the ancient scroll he had been studying—a manual detailing the profound 9 Revolutions Nirvana Art (Cultivation Method). "He's back," Eldrin whispered, his eyes narrowing. "After all these years." A flicker of unease stirred within him, but he quickly suppressed it. He was different now—stronger, more powerful. He had the resources of the entire sect at his disposal. What could 1 lone, broken cultivator do against that? He reached for the communication talisman, ready to summon the elders. Let them deal with this nuisance. Lin Feng's return would be short-lived. This time, he would ensure the trash was permanently erased.