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Translator: Fate
Translation Checker: Silavin
“Charge!” Countless battle cries rang out from the edge of the horizon far away, as dark silhouettes stormed over like roaring waves. Even heaven and earth nearly overturned under such an erratic and dark atmosphere, bringing deep devastation like a pair of massive, galaxy-concealing hands that came from afar.
“What a devastating day it is to smell the rotten air of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains so many years later,” sighed an incredibly blurry figure with bloody eyes. He stood on a golden path that stretched from the depths of the universe. His eyes contained great contempt as many terrifying visions appeared behind him. He was a True Daoist from the Upper Realm with immensely deep cultivation.
Next to him stood similarly terrifying beings who finally showed up in their true bodies, unlike before. Behind them were several even more terrifying ancient beings, who stood silently with impassive gazes, appearing to exist beyond time.
“Wonder what the Sky Deer Goddess thinks of this battle?” Asked an ancient being hidden in a red glow while looking enigmatically at the Sky Deer Goddess, who stood silently at the far back.
He was part of the Ancient Royal Family, the same some which had crossed paths with the Sky Deer Goddess in the past. In fact, she had killed one of their supreme experts. It could be said that the two had an irreconcilable feud. However, he dared not insult the Sky Deer Goddess when the latter was now Gu Changge’s concubine.
That said, his tone was full of ridicule and mockery. Who knew what the Sky Deer Goddess, the guardian of Sky Deer City, would think to witness the downfall of the city?
Meanwhile, the gazes of the other supreme experts twinkled and gazed over. It was already a surprise to them that the Sky Deer Goddess would yield to the Upper Realm, let alone as Gu Changge’s concubine. As hard as it was to believe the news, they had a feeling the Sky Deer Goddess had made a pact with Gu Changge after mulling over it.
“The Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains is no match for the Upper Realm. It will eventually fall,” commented the Sky Deer Goddess impassively as she glanced at the supreme expert from the Ancient Royal Family and the other supreme experts.
“Oh? Sounds to me that you decided to surrender to us in advance because you knew it would come to this. You’re a smart one; I’ll give you that,” said the supreme expert as he smiled in revelation, clearly ridiculing the Goddess for being a coward and choosing to side with the Upper Realm after knowing the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains would eventually fall.
Those around were Ancestral level figures from various forces with fearsome authority. Of course, they caught the supreme expert’s implication, but none said anything. After all, the Sky Deer Goddess was from the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, a different realm from theirs. There would inevitably be a gap between them.
The Sky Deer Goddess, on the other hand, frowned. She didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble, but the supreme expert was evidently bitter about the incident from the past, as his words were filled with ill-concealed malice and ridicule. However, just as the Goddess was about to refute, Gu Changge, who stood beside her, raised his hand, signalling to her it was unnecessary.
“You seemed to have gotten one thing wrong, Senior. She hadn’t yielded to the Upper Realm but to me,” said Gu Changge with a slight smile as he glanced at the True Daoist. “So that makes her mine. If it’s still unclear to you, I don’t mind helping you sear the notion into your mind.”
Despite his monotonous voice, many True Daoists’ countenances turned slightly unpleasant while their hearts skipped a beat as they sensed the unexplainable intimidation.
[He is as protective of his close ones as ever.]
Meanwhile, the supreme expert who had spoken up eventually remained silent, even though a storm brewed beneath his eyes, and he felt somewhat indignant, he chose to relent. He didn’t want to cross Gu Changge when the final battle was just ahead of them. Besides, the man had made it clear that the Sky Deer Goddess was his. Hence, only death would await him if he dared lay a finger on the woman. More importantly, there were rumours that the Gu Family’s Ancestor, who had annihilated Purple Mansion, had arrived. He just hadn’t shown himself, and it worried the supreme expert.
After all, the Great Elder of Purple Mansion was one of the best there was. In fact, some believed he would have long advanced into the Immortal Realm if heaven allowed it. However, the mighty Great Elder of Purple Mansion eventually died from one attack from the Gu Family Ancestor.
As a True Daoist, the supreme expert naturally took such incidents seriously, never daring to fool around with his own life.
Meanwhile, the Sky Deer Goddess looked somewhat stupefied at Gu Changge, for she, too, was surprised that Gu Changge would stand up for her at this time. An indescribably peculiar feeling arose within her.
[Well, it looks like he’s not entirely heartless after all, or is it just that the issue happened to have upset him? After all, that True Daoist from that Ancient Royal Family was also inadvertently provoking him.]
“Remember who you are now. You’re part of the Gu Family. They’re making nothing of the Gu Family if just about anybody can bully you,” said Gu Changge plainly as he gently held her hand.
The Sky Deer Goddess nodded as her eyes twinkled. Though she knew he was mostly saying it to the other True Daoists present, she still couldn’t help feeling touched. To the outside world, she was Gu Changge’s concubine, which in turn, made her a member of the Gu Family, and even though Gu Changge made nothing of this role, it still had to do with the Gu Family’s pride and dignity.
*Rumble!* Up ahead, the rolling mist was ripped apart, and an immense pressure appeared above the sky.
The Upper Realm Army breached the Aether Abyss and descended from above the sky. The phenomenon of soldiers unceasingly arriving was even more terrifying than the boundless mist, as it shook those from the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.
If one were to look down from the sky, one would find ancient battleships and soldiers within tens of millions of kilometres radius, consisting of the Ancient Clan that travelled with stars on their backs, with massive war beasts as large as mountains – monsters from the Godly Behemoth Clan.
These clans were born for war, innately aggressive beings with unimaginable power. Just a stomp of their feet would shake the sky and cause the earth to split, creating a rift as thick Chaos Qi burst out, engulfing the world.
After the massive mist arrived outside Sky Deer City, the grave-looking soldiers overlooked the place on the ancient battleships.
Millions of kilometres from the Sky Deer City erected a city wall that stretched as tall as the sky and spanned beyond the horizon, shielding everything behind them.
As stars spun, illuminating the great army, countless runes flickered on the blue-grey walls before finally glowing and bursting out into massive waves of energy. Like the Upper Realm, the forces of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains gathered their men and rushed towards Sky Deer City after learning that the Boundary Marker Sea had dried up.
*Boom!* Rays of unimaginable divine light appeared from the depths of Sky Deer City, which pierced through the sky, causing the entire galaxy to shake while immensely powerful cultivators showed up floating in the sky. They were enveloped in Chaos Qi and a colourful aura. While one might not be able to make out their appearances, it was evident they were ancient.
In fact, some of them were Ancestors of various clans, while others included Domain Masters and leaders of the Eight Wastelands. Just when many thought they had already fallen, they suddenly made themselves known to the world on this day, causing a massive stir.
Meanwhile, many cultivators in armour and weapons stood at the city wall. The weakest of them were even in the Sacred Lord Realm. The young ones had no chance to fight this time, for once the final battle broke out, it would be the supreme experts who battled out. The others who got caught up in it would eventually be crushed into dust. Nothing of them would remain.
“The Sky Deer Goddess is siding with the Upper Realm, and for all we know, she has a lot to do with the Nine Great Mountains’ obliteration.”
“That traitor! I will never accept her as the guardian of Sky Deer City, ever! Who’d have thought she’d abandon us and surrender to the Upper Realm at the most important time?!”
Many Elders grimly cussed as halos emitting powerful waves glowed on their heads. It was a sign of their immense mental strength.
The supreme experts of the Four Powerful War God Clans of the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains had shown up as well, and every one of them possessed high cultivation levels. Meanwhile, many of their clan members stood silently behind them as blood-stained flags swayed in the air, shining brilliantly.
They were clan flags that were stained with blood, which the Four Powerful War God Clans passed down from generation to generation. Right then, all clan members were kneeling before them, sincerely praying.
Countless runes appeared on the flags and eventually merged into terrifying shapes of the Black Tortoise, True Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger, looking as though they wanted to traverse space and reemerge into the world.
Now, their army waited gravely for the Upper Realm Army to charge towards them.
“Master must have a good reason for her actions. There’s no way she will abandon Sky Deer City and us.” The current Sky Deer Goddess, Song Chan, stood among the countless soldiers with disbelief and bitterness. Even until now, she refused to believe the Sky Deer Goddess had betrayed Sky Deer City.
“The Sky Deer Goddess isn’t someone like that. She must have a plan. Perhaps she wants to use herself as a bargain tool to lessen the deaths in Sky Deer City or even the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. After all, we have zero chances of winning this battle,” comforted Lin Wu, who stood beside her.
He was just as appalled at the beginning when he heard the Sky Deer Goddess had yielded to the Upper Realm. But after mulling over it, he thought he and the goddess shared the same idea—this was the only possible thing to do was to keep deaths to a minimum in the face of a hopeless battle.
“Are you saying Master did it for a reason?” Song Chan mumbled while overlooking the quickly darkening sky where the Upper Realm Army had arrived but had yet to descend upon the land.
“Yes, I’m sure she had no choice but to give in. After all, the city can’t take much of the Upper Realm’s attacks. Once the city is breached, we’ll all be slaughtered. Do you think the Goddess can bear witnessing such an end?” Lin Wu sighed. He had already told his clan about it, but his Elders made nothing of it and were too proud to yield to the Upper Realm. They prided themselves too much as the Blood Dragon War Clan. If it weren’t that they were facing a great war, he would probably still be serving detention.
“I knew Master had a legitimate reason. She did it all for us.” Song Chan pursed her lips and looked into the distance, seemingly having thought of something. She didn’t know if this was right, but it didn’t matter to her as long as she could help her Master.
“The Upper Realm Army has arrived. Alas, we stand no chance at all…”
The young prodigies behind Lin Wu mumbled as they sensed bone-chilling despair. Despite being positioned far away from the city wall, they still sensed the seismic waves that rolled over from afar, shaking the heavens and earth so much that even the runes were on the verge of shattering.
Just like Lin Wu, all the youths wore graveness on their faces.
The Upper Realm had come.
Right then, many Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains cultivators rushed to the city wall and gazed gravely afar.
Meanwhile, countless Dao runes lit up and gathered above Sky Deer City and transformed into a defence array with powerful celestial light. Even the stars were as delicate as dust under such energy, crumbling at any given time.
It was the strongest defensive array the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains have had in aeons, and it could withstand attacks from True Daoists and beyond once it was activated. Since no one could achieve the Immortal Realm in this day and age, it would be difficult to break through.
“We here burn the ancestral scripts and ignite the ancient decree to fend off the Upper Realm,” roared a supreme expert as he looked at the Upper Realm Army charging over with great force from afar.
Very quickly, booming chants came from the depths of Sky Deer city as ancient and mysterious scripts were ignited one after another, transforming into mighty, unfathomable energy to fend off the army afar.
“So, these are the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains’ ancestral scripts? Too bad they’re imperfect. To think you people now take pride in betraying your kind back then. How ridiculous,” said a True Daoist who stood like a mountain within a black mist. Evidently, he had an in-depth study regarding the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains’ origin.
Meanwhile, others silently and impassively watched the ancestral scripts burn.
“The Eight Wastelands’ and Ten Domains’ origin?” the Sky Deer Goddess asked in utter bewilderment. She knew that the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains were indeed once a part of the Upper Realm, but for some reason, it split off. And according to the records in Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains, the Upper Realm had always played the role of invader while the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains kept resisting.
As for why? The reason stated was the Upper Realm took an interest in the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains’ cultivation resources and territory.
But the way she saw it now, the Upper Realm was far more vast than the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains. The trillions of Lower Realms collected to it alone were filled with countless resources. Hence, that reason was clearly invalid.
Gu Changge shook his head casually with an enigmatic gaze. “Looks like you don’t know. In forgotten times, the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains actually used to be called the Barren Realm. It was a wasteland surrounded by void and stars. There was even a saying that the realm was a dedicated place to exile members of the Upper Realm who had committed terrible crimes that were not yet deserving of death… With time, the exiled settled down and formed their own families until the Upper Realm fell apart one day. An absolute being born from the Barren Realm used the chance to steal some of the Upper Realm’s Fortuity to nurture the Barren Realm. Because of this, no Upper Realm cultivator had been able to advance to the Immortal Realm for aeons. Of course, it’s only a legend the Upper Realm had recorded. I don’t know how valid it is.”
A chuckle escaped Gu Changge towards the end of his words. Be it the Upper Realm or the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains; they ultimately had their own reasons and stances. However, at the end of the day, history was written down by the victor. They would inevitably beautify the story. Just like the many in this day and age who weren’t certain why the Upper Realm would constantly invade the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains.
“So… this is the reason? Only by merging both realms can the Celestial Gate emerge and form the Celestial Path?” The Sky Deer Goddess suddenly felt glum, suddenly realising it wasn’t about who was right. Rather, each party just had different stances.
[If the Eight Wastelands and Ten Domains cultivators can’t advance into higher realms because of another’s fault, we would likely do as the Upper Realms have been doing all this while…]
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Meanwhile, several Upper Realm True Daoists from ancient races launched their attacks first.
“Let’s see if the Sky Deer City’s array can withstand my attacks after so many years!”
They attacked with terrifyingly powerful techniques that launched forward, causing the world to dim at once. Followingly, a ceaseless blood-red storm surged with terrifying energy, floating there like the sea, and inside the blood-red storm emerged various seismic blood-red beings that roared thunderously. They took the form of Taotie, Qiongqi, Bifang, Denglong, even True Dragon, Celestial Phoenix, Vermilion Bird, and Qilin to name a few.
Such a phenomenon was enough to shake even the bravest True Daoists to the core.
All these ancient atrocities roared thunderously to the sky inside the bloody storm like they had risen again.
Right then, the world overturned as though it had blown apart, and all the stars and planets crumbled to dust as planet debris scattered while the galaxy dried up. The faces of all in Sky Deer City blanched as fear overcame them, worried that the barrier outside Sky Deer City wouldn’t be able to withstand such power.
“Worry not! Our array can withstand even an attack from an Immortal. Mere True Daoists won’t be able to breach it,” reassured a few True Daoists from several powerful clans with grave countenances to stabilise their soldiers’ morale.
*Rumble!* The next second, the blood-red storm rained countless roaring beasts, wanting to engulf the place.
It was a phenomenon caused by angering the world, and all the beasts charged towards the Sky Deer City’s barrier, where a vast light emerged above it. It was an ancient and mysterious rune, forming and developing absolute power.
Suddenly, countless runes exploded like a torrent and gathered into slivers of rays to attack ahead, wanting to annihilate those ancient atrocities.
