I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 673 Solely for the Path of the Dao!
"If that's the case, what are Fellow Daoist Ning's plans?" Gu Yuanqing asked.

Ning Xuxuan's gaze fell on the boundary gate, and he said, "We are already caught in the middle, with no way out. Besides, these are just speculations. My Hidden Radiance Alliance dares not retreat. Otherwise, regardless of whether the Demon Clan can break through this defense line, my Hidden Radiance Alliance will become a sinner, with no chance of recovery."

Gu Yuanqing understood Ning Xuxuan's meaning.

If the Hidden Radiance Alliance withdraws and the defenses are breached, and the Linglong Realm is attacked by the Demon Race, the Linglong Realm will be in grave danger, and the Hidden Radiance Alliance will naturally lose its foundation.

If the Ancient Divine Sect wins, many cultivators from the Linglong Realm will come to its aid. If they witness the Hidden Radiance Alliance fleeing in the face of battle, they will have no place to stand in the Linglong Realm.

The most direct point is the authority of the Ten Directions Token. Last time, the Ancient Divine Sect wanted to seal off the Qian Yuan Realm, but only about 70% of the realms ultimately agreed. The remaining three realms were somewhat related to the Hidden Radiance Alliance, and it was these factors that limited the power of the Ten Directions Token.

If the Hidden Radiance Alliance were to leave in full view of everyone, they would naturally be branded as having betrayed the Linglong Realm. When the Ancient Divine Sect were to exercise the power of the Ten Directions Decree again, how many people in the Linglong Realm would still oppose them?
Having seen through all this, they naturally understood the schemes of the Ancient Divine Sect. Even if the Hidden Radiance Alliance guessed that the Ancient Divine Sect had something to do, they had no choice but to leave before the sect truly revealed its purpose.

Gu Yuanqing chuckled and said, "So, the Ancient Divine Sect summoned me to this Demon Clan battlefield with the same intention. If I come, I will naturally be involved. If I don't come, they can use this as an excuse to settle scores later. At that time, they can even use the Ten Directions Token to freeze my Qian Yuan Realm directly."

"Perhaps we're overthinking things, but we have to prepare for the worst," Ning Xuxuan sighed.

Gu Yuanqing then asked, "Was the Spirit Abyss Realm like ours in the previous era?"

Ning Xuxuan shook his head and said, "I don't know. More than 100,000 years has passed, which is too long. I only know that every Yuanhui (a period of the lunar calendar) is plagued by demons. Back then, almost all the experts in the alliance disappeared. I also know nothing about the Lingyuan Realm. I have searched everywhere, but there are no records. I only know that the Lingyuan Realm was sealed for more than 20,000 years. After the seal was broken, no experts were seen. The past has long been buried cleanly."

"Fellow Daoist Ning, may I ask, is the Forbidden Land of the Hidden Radiance Alliance something acquired in this era, or something passed down from before this era?"

"Before this era."

"With the forbidden area protecting it, and the Hidden Radiance Alliance's lineage never broken, how could such an important matter not be recorded?" Gu Yuanqing asked.

"I have the same doubts as you, fellow Daoist, but the truth is just as it is. In truth, what kind of protection in this world is truly airtight? Didn't you also attack Mu Tianheng inside the Divine Forbidden Mountain? And not long ago, didn't Qi Yichen from the Wind God Forbidden Land almost die?"

Ning Xuxuan smiled bitterly and sighed softly, "The Ancient Divine Sect has existed for too long. Who can know what methods they have hidden? Who can know if there were any great cultivators from previous generations who had mastered the power of divine artifacts to an extremely deep level and did not truly die by relying on the power of divine artifacts? Did you not 'see' the eyes of a living being in the Netherworld Edict Stele on Ye Xuanxiao?"

Gu Yuanqing felt a little solemn. He had entered this place precisely to gain a better understanding of the Ancient Divine Sect, so as to prepare for future battles.

Yes, the Ancient Divine Sect has existed for so long that it is difficult to trace its origins. Over such a long period of time, there have been many top experts. It would be surprising if they did not have any hidden methods after all this time.

Ning Xuxuan seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, "In fact, even regarding the matter of the Realm Gate and the Dharma Source Realm, who knows how much of it is true or false, or perhaps it was just bait released by the Primordial God Sect!"

"Perhaps, the most likely scenario is that it's a mix of truth and falsehood," Gu Yuanqing replied.

"We'll know in time. If nothing unexpected happens, the outcome will be clear at the time of the Yuanhui Festival," Ning Xuxuan said calmly.

"What if it really is bait?" Gu Yuanqing asked.

"We must fight for even the slightest chance. If it's bait, we must try to take it!" Ning Xuxuan's tone was calm, but his words were firm.

In the Exquisite Realm, at his level, there is almost no way forward. Even if the road ahead may be a trap, he has no choice but to fight.

Gu Yuanqing was silent for a moment before saying, "Then I wish you success."

Ning Xuxuan turned around, clasped his hands and said, "If unfortunately I perish, please keep the matter I asked for that day in mind."

Gu Yuanqing nodded slightly, then a wisp of his divine soul dissipated and returned to his clone.
He stood in the void and glanced back at the boundary gate.

In fact, both he and Ning Xuxuan could guess that there was at least a 70% chance that what happened here was a trap set by the Ancient Divine Sect.

Gu Yuanqing, however, had a clear path to enlightenment and a way out, so he could take it all in stride. With the help of Beiquan Cave Heaven, he could advance or retreat at will.

However, Ning Xuxuan could not do it. He became the Undying Chaos and stood at the peak of this world, but there was almost no way forward. Suddenly, he saw a road leading to the sky. No matter if there were endless abysses or mountains of knives and seas of fire on both sides of this road, he could only leap with all his might. Only in this way could he be considered to have lived up to his life of hard work.

……

The attacks from the demons never ceased, but Gu Yuanqing rarely faced attacks from demons or magical beasts.

However, ever since that Hun Tian Undying clone was suppressed by him, no Hun Tian Great Demon has come here again, as if it knew that this place was dangerous and avoided it.

This is normal. Even for a powerful cultivator like the Undying Chaos Immortal, losing one of his clones would significantly damage his cultivation.

Even if the demons are powerful and wealthy, they wouldn't dare to expend so much resources.

Unable to ascertain Gu Yuanqing's background, they had no choice but to avoid him for the time being.

The demons who broke through from directly in front of Gu Yuanqing would detour around them.

Standing tall in the void, Gu Yuanqing exuded an aura of unyielding strength, as if he were a one-man army holding off ten thousand.

Elsewhere, the fighting was fierce, with magical treasures and supernatural powers flashing like dazzling fireworks in the void.

Gu Yuanqing had no intention of leaving to help. He stood there quietly, observing his surroundings with his Heavenly Eye of Insight. He would only strike and kill a demon at the Yin-Yang Zhou Tian level if it got too close.

This also meant that the Yin-Yang cultivators in the array behind Gu Yuanqing had a much easier time than those in other places.

After all, the defenders in other directions were just ordinary Chaotic Heaven cultivators. Even with the advantage of terrain and the assistance of the Heavenly Mirror, it was not easy for them to defeat demons of the same level. With the Chaotic Heaven cultivators being restrained, they naturally could not take care of ordinary Yin-Yang level demons.

The tranquility of this area seemed to be completely detached from the battlefield, forming a stark contrast to the bustling scene around it.

Mu Tianheng naturally noticed this scene as well. He once again created an opening on Gu Yuanqing's side, allowing the demon cultivator to enter.

The Demon Lord Ming Shang smirked, his lips twitching slightly as he secretly communicated with his subordinates. The Demon Clan's Undying Chaos Demon clone pretended to follow the Demon Army towards Gu Yuanqing, but secretly concealed the power of the Heavenly Mirror using a secret technique, and took a different route.

This almost resulted in the death of an elder of the Primordial Divine Sect. Fortunately, the power of the Celestial Mirror helped to prevent a major disaster, but the elder was seriously injured and caused chaos in a defensive line, almost causing it to collapse.

It was only through Li Lingyun's intervention that the crisis was averted. It took a great deal of effort, combined with the power of the Heavenly Mirror, to surround and intercept the demon, and they were only able to force the avatar of the Undying Chaos Demon to escape from the Eight Desolations Demon Suppression Formation.

Upon seeing this, the Demon Lord laughed loudly: "Mu Tianheng, how could I not know that the northwest side was a flaw you deliberately left behind, intending to use it as a trap? What a pipe dream! How could I fall for your trick!"

Mu Tianheng's face was gloomy. If he denied it, it would mean that he had failed in his defense and allowed the undead demon cultivator to break through the defense line. If he agreed, it would be an admission, which would make him even more suspicious.

So he didn't say anything at all, he just kept making moves to deal with the demons' attacks.

In the distance, Gu Yuanqing's lips curled into a mocking smile. He had been wondering how the Undying Chaos clone could break through the forbidden area's defenses last time, only to find out that someone had done it on purpose. Now, however, the Demon Lord had exposed him, and he had lost face.

Just then, a beam of light appeared, and a figure stepped out, appearing not far away. It was Zhang Cheng, who had tried to seize the Chaotic Demon Blood from him earlier. He shouted sternly, "Gu Yuanqing, you clearly saw the Chaotic Undying enter the defensive line, why didn't you come to its aid?"

Gu Yuanqing sneered: "If I leave, and the demons take the opportunity to break through this defense line, will you take responsibility for that? Besides, who do you think you are, daring to yell at me and make such a racket!"

With a thought, the sword formation hidden in the void stirred, and the figure was immediately torn to pieces.

Inside the forbidden area of ​​the Heavenly Surveillance, beside the altar, Zhang Cheng's true form was ashen-faced. He hadn't expected Gu Yuanqing to be so ruthless, directly killing one of his clones.

At the center of the altar, the Celestial Surveillance Elder frowned slightly, but ultimately said nothing.

Although he was his disciple, he had long since become estranged from him. He was more of a pawn placed by Mu Tianheng, waiting for him to take over the position of the master of this forbidden land after Mu Tianheng's death.

After that, things became completely quiet on Gu Yuanqing's side.

The demons avoided him, and no one from the Ancient Divine Sect dared to disturb him.

He stood leisurely in the void, quietly watching the great battle.

Time passed slowly, and the demons' attacks came wave after wave like a tide. They had been preparing for this great battle for countless years, gathering all sorts of elixirs, magic crystals, and rare treasures, and now they had brought them all out.

With the Yuanhui Festival drawing ever closer, they naturally didn't want to fail at the last minute.

The battle intensified, with countless demons and magical beasts perishing in the area. Even with the protection of the forbidden area and magical formations, human cultivators also suffered significant casualties.

Demons are inherently fearless, and with the sound of demonic drums from behind, they become even more frenzied, often exchanging death for injury.

Moreover, various insidious and vicious methods, such as blood curses, poisons, mind control techniques, and the tainting of magical artifacts and spirits, are impossible to guard against.

Even a glance across a forbidden area; a wound in a fight; a wisp of demonic energy touching a magical artifact can plant a demonic seed in a cultivator's heart.

Even in the small worlds, which are heavily guarded, demonic calamities often arise suddenly.

With so many lives lost, even though both sides were collecting blood essence, the entire battlefield was becoming increasingly eerie. The aura of death was gradually beginning to affect the living.

Both the demons and humans seemed to be in a bloodthirsty frenzy, their spirits and wills imbued with a violent aura.

Within the forbidden land of Guiji.

The Demon Lord's face held an air of enjoyment as he chuckled softly, "Kill them all. The more they die, the stronger I become. Death, the end for all living beings, what a wonderful feeling."

Liao Hanchuan, the demon strategist who was once an elder of the Ancient Divine Sect, asked, "My lord, there is less than a month left until the Yuanhui Festival. When should we begin our actual operations?"

"Then let's do it in seven days. Have all the altar artifacts been delivered?"

Liao Hanchuan said, "There are only two places that haven't been set up yet: one is beside the boundary gate, and the other is in the northwest. Someone will take action on the side of the boundary gate when the time comes. The person guarding the northwest side should be Gu Yuanqing. His strength is comparable to Mu Tianheng. Unless you, my lord, take action yourself, it will be difficult to set up an altar under his nose. Moreover, even if you, my lord, take action yourself, it will attract the power of the forbidden area. Under the full-scale search of the Sky-Gazing Mirror, there is also a risk of being exposed."

"Does that mean a corner needs to be missing?"

"It seems that this is the case now. Taking risks will only affect the overall situation."

"That's enough. Nothing in this world is perfect. As long as the Nine Nether Altar can exert 60% of its power, it will be enough to temporarily transform this world into a demon realm, suppress the power of the forbidden area, and the Eight Desolations Demon Suppression Formation can be broken! However, the side of the boundary gate is the center of the altar, and there must be no accidents here."

"Rest assured, my lord, there are some people who may be even more eager than we are for the Ancient Divine Sect's formation to be broken." Liao Hanchuan's smile was sinister.

"That's for the best. The rest will depend on each person's own methods." The Demon Lord's lips curled up, his sharp teeth gleaming coldly, his vertical pupils radiating a blood-red light, and his eyes revealing the interest of a ferocious beast lurking in the abyss suddenly appearing before its prey.

……

Within the forbidden mountains.

Lei Fuyue, Kuang Mingyue, Elder Jiantian, Li Lingyun and other powerful cultivators all separated a wisp of their divine souls to enter it.

Mu Tianheng's sharp gaze swept across the faces of the elders before he finally spoke slowly: "Only half a month remains. The Demon Clan will surely have other methods. If we can hold out until then, everything will be back under the control of my Ancient Divine Sect. For this battle, I broke through my seclusion, sacrificing a thousand years of painstaking effort. Whoever makes a mistake or dares to prioritize personal matters over public duty, don't blame me, Mu Tianheng, for being ruthless and punishing them according to the sect rules!"

Lei Fuyue said in a deep voice, "Sect Master, rest assured, we have already made preparations, and the Demon Clan cannot cause any trouble!"

"That's right! Sect Master, please rest assured!" all the elders echoed in unison.

Mu Tianheng smiled and said, "This Yuanhui is both a test and an opportunity for us! I have said all I have to say. Fellow disciples, please keep my words in mind and do not go astray, or you will regret it!"

(End of this chapter)