Chapter 83
The Ten Thousand Mountains.
This region was located in the southwest of the Great Xia Dynasty.
As the name suggested, it was a vast area formed by countless interconnected mountains.
The mountains were layered and endless, hiding numerous demons and spirit beasts.
Even a Golden Core cultivator would not have dared to guarantee a safe return upon entering.
But today, this fearsome region had been largely flattened.
The so-called “Ten Thousand” mountains might now only number around fifty thousand.
This was the result of the Great Xia Dynasty’s efforts over the past nine years.
At this moment, in the center of the newly opened territory, a spatial rift, five meters wide and over ten meters long, stood suspended in mid-air.
The rift was filled with a mysterious purple-black hue, with particle-like light dots floating within, resembling a wound viewed under a microscope.
In fact, a space-time rift was indeed a wound in the fabric of the world.
…
In front of the space-time rift, several Daoist priests, dressed as sorcerers, held compasses, seemingly calculating something.
On the cleared land around them, tens of thousands of cultivators from various sects and the Great Xia Dynasty’s army had gathered, ready for battle.
Everyone was waiting, anticipating that moment.
Finally.
The Daoist priests at the front changed their expressions, quickly retreating back to the Great Xia Dynasty’s ranks.
In the next moment.
A deep, bell-like resonance echoed across the land, as if announcing the arrival of an unwelcome guest.
The previously empty wound of the space-time rift was now replaced by a blue, water-curtain-like surface.
Within the Great Xia Dynasty’s ranks, a young general clad in armor tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his palm sweating, before drawing it with a swift motion.
His eyes were fixed on the space-time rift, surrounded by the masses.
“Form the battle array!!! Prepare to engage the enemy!!!” he roared, his voice infused with spiritual energy, slightly cracking but still clearly heard across the open area.
The soldiers, holding their long spears upright, responded in unison, their weapons pointing directly at the space-time rift.
Following this, the head of the Yuan Tan Academy, Tianxin Zhenren, nodded to his junior brother, Tianyue Zhenren.
Tianyue Zhenren then stepped forward.
“Yuan Tan Academy, form the array!”
Three thousand academy disciples drew their swords in unison, the cold gleam of their blades reflecting the bright sunlight, their momentum awe-inspiring.
As the representative of the sect forces, the Yuan Tan Academy took the lead.
Other sects followed suit.
“Qinglian Sect, form the array!”
Among them, the voice of Liu Ruyan, one of the few female sect leaders, was particularly clear.
“Yes!”
A thousand female cultivators responded with spirited voices, their graceful figures forming a striking scene, drawing the gazes of many young disciples from other sects.
Unfortunately, the Qinglian Sect did not accept male disciples.
Otherwise, being the lone green among a sea of flowers would surely have brought peace to one’s Dao heart!
But while outsiders admired appearances, insiders saw the substance. Many elders and sect leaders from the twelve sects furrowed their brows.
Such strong momentum, especially from a few disciples—were they already at the peak of the Golden Core realm?
Wasn’t it said that after the Qinglian Sect reformed into a female-only sect, it suffered greatly, its status among the twelve sects further weakened, and that it would surely be demoted in the next Three Thousand Sects Grand Competition?
Why did it seem even stronger than before?
Feeling the curious and probing gazes around her, Liu Ruyan remained expressionless, exuding an air of aloofness.
Her heart remained unperturbed.
It wasn’t that she was putting on airs.
Her vision had never been limited to the small confines of the Great Xia Dynasty. These people were merely spectators witnessing the Qinglian Sect’s glorious journey.
…
All cultivators stood ready.
As time passed.
No movement came from the other side of the space-time rift.
Gradually, impatience began to stir among the ranks.
“Weren’t we told there would be demons? Why haven’t they appeared?”
“Indeed, could it be empty inside?”
“Are we just wasting our time here?”
…
In the gathering area of the Great Xia Dynasty’s army, the leading general turned his horse and approached two young men not far away. He dismounted and bowed respectfully, cupping his hands. seaʀᴄh thё NovelZone.fun website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
“Your Highness, Crown Prince. Your Highness, First Prince.”
Indeed, these two were the strong contenders for the future throne of the Great Xia Dynasty.
One of them wore a light yellow robe embroidered with golden dragons, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding an aura of righteousness and integrity.
From his attire, his identity was clear.
Crown Prince of Great Xia, Duanmu Yan.
The man beside him appeared slightly older, tall and broad-shouldered, with strong features. He wore a dark black robe with python patterns, giving off a tough, masculine vibe, though a closer look revealed a hint of hidden cunning and calculation.
By process of elimination, this was the First Prince, Duanmu Cheng.
Both were bloodline awakeners of the Golden Dragon Body. They were here not as representatives of their sects but of the dynasty.
After rising from his bow, the general did not lift his head but quickly stated his purpose.
“The space-time rift has shown no activity. Should we defend or advance? I await Your Highnesses’ decision.”
This was a matter that could easily lead to blame, and he was not about to take responsibility.
Better to let those who could bear the consequences make the call, so if something went wrong, there was someone to shift the blame to.
“Continue to defend,” Duanmu Yan said without hesitation.
Duanmu Cheng, standing beside him, glanced sideways and said in a deep voice, “Advance.”
At these words, Duanmu Yan glared at him.
“The space-time rift can only be traversed by those at the Nascent Soul realm. With multiple Divine Transformation realm sect leaders and elders stationed here, the enemy cannot cause any trouble.”
“If we rashly advance, who knows if there are Divine Transformation realm demons inside?”
“What will happen to the cultivators who enter? You are disregarding the lives of our Great Xia soldiers!”
However, Duanmu Cheng remained unfazed by Duanmu Yan’s angry accusations. He coldly replied, “Opportunities are for those who seize them. If we just sit here waiting, and the space-time rift shifts or disappears again, how will we compensate for the years of effort and resources spent clearing the Ten Thousand Mountains for this battlefield?”
“Crown Prince, with your indecisiveness, how can you become a wise ruler?” Duanmu Cheng sneered, emphasizing the title “Crown Prince” heavily, clearly expressing his long-standing dissatisfaction.
Duanmu Yan’s face darkened, and a pressure from the Golden Dragon bloodline emanated from his body.
“Elder Brother, with important matters at hand, I have no time to argue with you. In any case, it’s a no!”
Duanmu Cheng snorted, also releasing his bloodline power. Though slightly weaker, he managed to withstand the pressure. He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, “Who said I would sacrifice Great Xia’s soldiers?”
His gaze swept over the assembled forces of the various sects.
“Let these sects scout the path first. Isn’t that fine?”
“No!” Duanmu Yan rejected again.
Even if the sects were somewhat independent from the dynasty, they were still subjects of Great Xia.
He didn’t understand why, in a situation where victory was assured, they should take unnecessary risks.
Just to oppose him?
To undermine him?
Duanmu Cheng chuckled coldly, leisurely taking out a token from his storage space.
The token was golden, engraved with a fierce and majestic dragon head.
“Although you are the Crown Prince, in command of the entire army, before we left, the Emperor also assigned me the role of overseer.”
“I, too, have the authority to mobilize the army!”
With that, he ignored the person beside him, raised the token, and ordered, “Go and relay my command. Starting with the second-tier sects, enter in sequence!”
The general hesitated upon hearing this, glancing first at the Crown Prince’s stern expression, then at the token in the First Prince’s hand.
Well.
Better to follow whoever was in charge now.
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