Chapter 293 Bustling Crowds

After reading the letter, Xavier furrowed his brow and said with concern, "The Earth Lion Demon King has advanced to Golden Core, Late Stage, and the Golden Lion Mastiff has also broken through to the Demon King realm."

"With the addition of the Black Flood Dragon (Demon Beast) overlord from Celestial Python Lake (Location), wouldn't we be dealing with 3 Golden Core demon overlords?"

Everyone’s expressions turned grave. Since the information in the letter had been obtained through Lyra’s investigation, there was no doubt about its accuracy.

The strength of the demonic race is likely even greater than what is recorded on paper, and will only be more, not less.

"Though the demon race is powerful, we are not weak either."

Eldrin spoke, conjuring a topographic map with his magic power. His gaze rested upon Scorched Sun Mountain and Celestial Ruins Mountain as he said,

"As long as we hold the strategic positions at Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) and Scorched Sun Mountain (Location), utilizing these 2 crucial spiritual veins as interlocking horns, it should be sufficient to weather this beast tide uprising."

Scorched Sun Mountain (Location) and Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location).

Everyone furrowed their brows upon hearing this. After a moment of contemplation, Patriarch Fang inquired, "Then how should we arrange our personnel?"

"Let's leave Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) to the major immortal clans of Bianzhou."

Lyra spoke, her gaze turning towards the contingent from Bianzhou. "With the 3 False Core combatants from the Chen and Xu families stationed in Bianzhou, and the fourth-tier formation array at Celestial Ruins Mountain, it is sufficient to hold off the Black Flood Dragon Demon King."

"To withstand the pressure from the Earthlion Ridge, the Jiao Yang Ridge still requires my presence, leading the immortal clans of the 2 Qingyang provinces to hold the line."

After finalizing their strategy for the upcoming battle and deliberating over the tactical details, the assembly finally concluded.

After the crowd had dispersed, Eldrin and Lyra gazed at the map before them, sinking into deep contemplation.

After a long moment, Lyra spoke, "With the covert support of the Emerald Mist Lake, the demon clan must have made thorough preparations. The spiritual energy of a Grade 3, Superior-grade spirit vein is finite after all. It's highly likely we won't be able to hold our ground."

"Spreading our forces thin to defend multiple fronts might not yield any gains even if we prevail. We ought to concentrate our strength and crush 1 of their divisions outright."

Eldrin smiled faintly, a glimmer of light flashing in his eyes as he said, "I suspect those few demon kings are most likely thinking the same thing."

As the words faded, the 2 exchanged a knowing smile, their gazes turning toward Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location).

Without lingering at Green Sun Mountain, Eldrin (Person Name) rode his sword directly back to Yu County, beginning his preparations for the upcoming battle.

After returning to Spirit Isle Lake (Location), he began taking advantage of the remaining 2 years to occasionally refine various recovery-focused pills such as Purple Aura Pill (Spiritual Object) and Qi Replenishing Return Pill (Spiritual Object), which restored both physical wounds and spiritual energy.

His alchemy skills had now reached a remarkable level, with a decent success rate in refining these low-to-mid-tier third-grade pills. For the Purple Aura Pill (Spiritual Object), his refinement success rate had even reached 70 to 80 percent.

Meanwhile, the Chen Clan’s cultivators began to be summoned continuously. Most of those who joined the war headed to the front lines at Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location), while a portion remained in Yu County to guard the Yuyang Market.

The entire war machine of the Sky Ruins Alliance began to mobilize. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. Practitioners from the 3 provinces—whether rogue cultivators or those from noble clans—almost universally received conscription, poised to partake in this great war that occurs once in a 100 years.

In the blink of an eye, 1 year had passed. Eldrin finally made his way to Celestial Ruins Mountain ahead of schedule.

When he arrived at Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location), he discovered that the mountain engaged in battle had already gathered 50,000 cultivators.

It could be said that for this battle, the major immortal clans of the 3 border prefectures had nearly exhausted their full strength, mobilizing over 70% of their cultivators.

The remaining 30 percent simply could not be mobilized, as every major clan needed to retain personnel to guard their respective enterprises.

1 100 years had passed since the last Beast Tide, and most of the Qi Refining cultivators who had fought in it had already exhausted their lifespans.

Those who remain alive today have either broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm, or have only a few years of lifespan left, rendering them utterly incapable of participating in this war.

Even many of the Foundation Establishment realm cultivators who participated in the battle back then have mostly perished by now, and those still alive do not have much lifespan remaining.

Eldrin stood atop the Celestial Ruins Mountain, gazing down at the bustling cultivators below with a trace of emotion stirring in his heart.

This was both a war and a cultivation gathering that occurred once in a 100 years.

As cultivators typically spent most of their time in secluded training, it was already rare to see over a 100 practitioners gathered for trade in a single market town. Now, with tens of thousands of low-level cultivators assembled, this was truly a spectacle seen once in a 100 years.

Everyone seized this opportunity to sell off unwanted treasures, while others took the chance to seek out coveted artifacts.

In the past, many items were exceedingly difficult to find. Low-level cultivators without influential backgrounds would often traverse over a 100 1000 miles and spend several years just to acquire a single treasured artifact.

Yet now, Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) had gathered tens of thousands of cultivators. For Qi Refining practitioners, there were virtually no treasures 1 could not acquire here—only those they could not afford.

Even the Violet Mansion Ancestors and Foundation Establishment cultivators seized the opportunity to host numerous exchange gatherings, hoping to trade for treasures that would satisfy their desires.

"Truly, time flies."

Eldrin sighed at how swiftly time slipped away, his heart filled with nostalgia for bygone days.

A hurried 100 years had passed, yet the mortal realm remained as bustling as ever—only the faces in the crowd had changed.

The great war from a century ago seemed as if it were just yesterday. Back then, Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location) was just as bustling, with cultivators from all corners of Border Province gathering to trade treasures in the same lively fashion.

Beside them, the old clan leader, Xavier, and the others also felt a touch of emotion. Now that 1 100 years had passed, they had weathered 2 or 3 beast tides themselves, and could well understand Eldrin’s feelings.

Just then, a streak of flowing light shot over from the distance and landed before the crowd.

The newcomer was none other than Meng Xingwan. The Meng family had exhausted centuries of accumulated resources, depleting their foundational reserves to purchase 2 5 Elements Treasure Crystals from the Chen family. This finally enabled her cultivation base to break through to the Violet Mansion realm.

As she landed, Eldrin asked, "How did it go?"

Meng Xingwan had cultivated an aura-concealing art, making her perfectly suited for intelligence gathering. This time, she was tasked with investigating the movements of the demonic beasts.

"The Black Flood Dragon (Demon Beast) has already dispatched its troops, their advance aimed directly at Celestial Ruins Mountain (Location)."

She cast a glance at Eldrin and offered a slight bow before speaking.

Eldrin pondered for a moment before asking again, "How many troops has Celestial Python Lake dispatched this time? Approximately how long until they arrive?"

"The beast horde is currently 100,000 li away from us. At their speed, it will take at least 3 months for them to reach us."

Meng Xingwan added, "To avoid alerting the Demon King, I didn't venture deep into the heart of the beast army. But by preliminary estimation, there should be no fewer than 300,000 demonic creatures."

Among them, I discovered a dozen Purple Mansion beasts. Their main forces consisted of 3 from the 6-Winged Golden Butterfly lineage, 2 from the Golden-Horned Savage Bull lineage, and another 2 from the Demonic Wolf tribe.

The remainder consisted of the serpent-demon tribes from Celestial Python Lake (Location) and the Purple Mansion demon crocodiles, among which was 1 at Purple Palace, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm).

Eldrin nodded. At the peak of Celestial Python Lake's prosperity, the Celestial Python Demon King had commanded over 30-some Purple Mansion demon beasts.

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. He had been climbing the Azure Mist Mountain for 3 days, his body pushed to its limits. "Just a little further," he muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the distant peak shrouded in ethereal clouds. "The legacy of the Flowing Cloud Sect must be there." Suddenly, a faint golden light caught his eye. Following the glow, he discovered a hidden cave behind a cascade of ivy. The entrance was sealed by an ancient stone door, covered in intricate carvings of celestial dragons and phoenixes. Lin Feng's heart raced. He recalled the ancient texts he had studied - this was indeed the rumored secret sanctuary of the Flowing Cloud Sect's founder. With trembling hands, he pressed his palm against the cold stone, channeling what little spiritual energy he possessed. The carvings began to glow with a soft blue light, and the massive stone door slid open without a sound. The air that rushed out was thick with the aroma of rare herbs and the accumulated spiritual energy of millennia. Inside, the cave expanded into a magnificent hall. Jade pillars lined the path, each inscribed with profound cultivation techniques. At the center stood a stone platform, upon which rested 3 objects: a pristine jade slip, a small porcelain bottle, and a sword sheathed in a scabbard that seemed to drink the light around it. Lin Feng approached reverently. His fingers brushed against the jade slip, and immediately, vast amounts of information flooded his mind - the complete cultivation method of the [9 Revolutions Mysterious Art], along with the personal insights of generations of sect masters. He then examined the porcelain bottle. Removing the stopper, he found it contained 3 Perfect Grade Foundation Establishment Pills, each radiating tremendous spiritual power. These pills alone would be enough to cause a frenzy among cultivation families across the continent. Lastly, he reached for the sword. As his hand closed around the hilt, the blade slid out with a clear ring that seemed to vibrate through his very soul. The sword was dark as night, with faint crimson patterns swirling along its length - the legendary Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure). A deep voice echoed through the hall, "After 10 1000 years, someone finally inherits my legacy. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. The fate of the cultivation world may 1 day rest upon your shoulders." Lin Feng knelt and bowed deeply toward the voice's source. "This junior will not disappoint Senior's expectations." He remained in the cave for 7 days and 7 nights, comprehending the profound mysteries within the jade slip. When he finally emerged, his cultivation had reached the peak of Qi Refining, just half a step away from Foundation Establishment. Looking down from the mountain peak, Lin Feng's eyes shone with newfound determination. The world of cultivation was vast and treacherous, but now he had the means to carve his own path. The journey of an immortal, filled with countless trials and tribulations, had just begun.