Chapter 660. Eastern Barrens Assembly
"Much obliged."
Eldrin nodded, then led the group into the courtyard.
At this moment, the courtyard was filled with over 300 Nascent Soul True Lords, each of extraordinary status. Among them, the number of late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators alone reached 20-some individuals.
Among them were many familiar faces to Eldrin, such as the 9-River Daoist and the master of the Heavenly Abode Sect, all gathered here. Several Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) Ancestors were also present.
As the group arrived, the Heavenly Abode Sect Master smiled faintly and said, "You've come at the perfect time. We were just discussing the matters of the great war."
"My apologies for keeping you all waiting."
Eldrin (Person Name) cupped his hands in salute before stepping forward.
Among the many True Monarchs, the leaders were the Master of Feathered Wings Hall, Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name), and Mysterious Void Daoist—3 Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) experts—along with Magnus the Virtuous Lord (Person Name), who possessed a Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure.
Among these 3 individuals, Magnus the Virtuous Lord (Person Name) and Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) commanded the highest reverence, for the power of a Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure was far beyond what a Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) could ever hope to match.
Magnus the Virtuous Lord gave a slight nod to Eldrin, gesturing for them to stand behind him before speaking. "Since all are gathered, this lord shall begin."
"The War of the Demonic Abyss Tribulation is no trivial matter. When the time comes, we from the 3 Ancient Domains must unite to confront the Outer Realm Demons."
As Magnus the Virtuous Lord recounted the plan, Eldrin swiftly grasped the arrangements for this battle.
The War of the Demonic Abyss was no trivial matter. Generally, each ancient domain of the Eastern Wasteland would be responsible for a section of the defensive line.
As 1 of the 6 Great Ancient Domains, the 3 Veins Ancient Domain bore immense responsibilities and faced considerable pressure.
Typically, such matters were presided over by the local ancient domain's Immortal Alliance. However, the newly ascended Primordial Immortal Clan Ji of the 3 Veins Ancient Domain had only recently achieved their breakthrough and did not intend to remain in the region long-term, thus they refrained from taking the lead in establishing an Immortal Alliance.
Thus, this battle necessitated a gathering where they could convene once more to deliberate on strategies, before selecting a few esteemed and more powerful True Lords to take charge.
In the 3 Veins Ancient Domain of today, only Magnus the Virtuous Lord and Maris the Sea Steader are qualified to preside. Though the masters of the Feathered Pavilion and the Mysterious Void Daoist possess formidable cultivation, their lack of a Pure Yang Spirit Treasure relegates them to secondary positions beneath these 2.
After hearing this, the Daoist Xuanxu looked at Magnus the Virtuous Lord and said, "In that case, for this battle, we shall follow the arrangements of Brother Dinghai and Brother Haoran."
Maris the Sea Steader (Person Name) nodded with a faint smile. "The war arrangements shall still follow the Eastern Desolation Immortal Alliance (Organization)'s unified deployment. Our gathering here merely aims to consolidate our strength, so we may support each other when calamity strikes."
"So it is."
1 after another, the True Monarchs nodded in agreement. Faced with such a grand-scale battlefield, even a Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) expert could face the risk of falling. Only by supporting 1 another would they have a greater chance of survival.
Eldrin listened quietly, yet in his heart he knew all too well that when the true battlefield arrived, those he could truly rely upon were his own clan members, Master Zixu, and longtime comrades like Yan Ziji.
In times of crisis, those willing to endure severe injuries or even pay the ultimate price to aid me would likely only be beloved dao companions like Lyra (Person Name) and Lila (Person Name).
As for the others, when it truly comes to a life-or-death situation, they would likely hesitate to take grave risks and pay a steep price for someone with whom they share only a passing acquaintance.
After the group had sworn a 3-part oath and resolved to support 1 another, this gathering swiftly came to an end.
Soon after, an Eldrin (Person Name) from the Riverlong Holy Land arrived in the courtyard. With a light smile, he cupped his hands and said, "The assembly is about to begin. Please follow me."
The group arrived at a dojo veiled in swirling mists, where over 2,000 True Monarchs had already gathered. 1 could say nearly 60 to 70 percent of all True Monarchs in Eastern Wastelands (Location) had converged here.
Eldrin scanned his surroundings and saw 3 figures seated high in the sky as if they were celestial beings or demons. Their eyes rested upon the group with tranquil indifference.
Among the 3, 1 was Riverlord Chang (Person Name), whose ethereal aura and divine countenance resembled that of an ancient celestial.
The second figure was clad in a gown woven of starlight, her aura as aloof and transcendent as a celestial being's. With features and form approaching flawless perfection, she was none other than Xuan Yue the Celestial Enchantress (Person Name).
The last individual was a youth with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes. His tall, slender frame stood erect, his aura completely withdrawn within. At a casual glance, 1 might mistake him for an ordinary mortal.
Eldrin had never met this man, but he knew of his origins well enough—that he was Lin Tianqi, Patriarch of the Lin Clan, the foremost immortal lineage of the Eastern Wastelands.
After all, Lin Tianqi’s might shook the 8 directions. As the foremost true sword cultivator of the Violet Realm, his strength ranked among the top 5 of all humankind within its bounds.
Before them stood only 3 individuals, yet they shone as brilliantly as 3 suns and moons, eclipsing the radiance of 2,000 True Monarchs.
"1 day, I too shall stand among your ranks."
Eldrin murmured inwardly, meeting Lyra's gaze, and only then did he realize that the same light shone in both their eyes.
They exchanged a faint smile, and without a word, Eldrin lowered his gaze once more to await the commencement of the assembly.
No 1 knew how much time had passed, but all those summoned to the meeting had finally gathered.
The Dao Lord of Heavenly Abandonment from the 9 Heavens Above (Time & Distance) opened his eyes and slowly began to speak, "The Zhang Clan of Tianmo Province, the Wu Clan of Linhe Province, the 3 Stars Province..."
Lin Tianqi listed 7 names in succession, then declared, "These 7 immortal clans have fled the Great Abyssal Cataclysm, refusing to shoulder their responsibilities."
"Upon your return, you may absorb them to strengthen your foundation."
Hearing this, the crowd's hearts trembled, and many could not conceal their ecstatic expressions.
Since Lin Tianqi had spoken, those 7 Celestial Clan members could not possibly survive. Those nearby clans would likely get a chance to share the spoils.
Lin Tianqi seemed oblivious to the varied expressions of the crowd.
He merely cast a faint glance at the crowd, then swept his hand across the sky, scattering a shower of starlight that drifted before them.
As the starlight flew before the crowd, it transformed into contracts, materializing right in front of them.
Eldrin picked it up and glanced over it, finding the contract to be exceptionally stringent and tailored. Once signed, it required a Soul Oath of Reincarnation, binding him to follow all deployment orders from the Eastern Sea Immortal Alliance without exception.
However, this contract clearly stipulated the compensation for casualties and the rewards for military merits. Moreover, even several Primordial Spirit Dao Lords would swear a Cycle of Reincarnation Oath, so there was no need to worry about being deceived.
"The Cataclysm of the Demonic Abyss is no trivial matter. To unite the strength of the Eastern Wastelands against this calamity, you must still sign the contract."
Eldrin picked it up and glanced over it, finding the contract to be exceptionally stringent. Once signed, it required a Soul Oath of Reincarnation, binding him to follow all deployment orders from the Eastern Sea Immortal Alliance.
However, this contract clearly stipulated the provisions for casualty compensation and military merit rewards. Moreover, even several Primordial Spirit Dao Lords would swear a Cycle of Reincarnation Oath, so there was no need to worry about being deceived.
"The Cataclysm of the Demonic Abyss is no trivial matter. To unite the strength of the Eastern Wastelands against this calamity, you must still sign the contract,"