Chapter 1289: Changes in the Situation

Wangdong City was easy to defend and difficult to attack.

True Monarch Canghong spared no expense, committing almost all his forces. Meanwhile, Demon Lord Tongyou had long prepared for a brutal battle and remained steadfastly within the city walls.

The fierce battle raged for a day and a night, exceptionally brutal.

Wangdong City remained untaken despite the prolonged assault.

True Monarch Canghong sighed deeply, knowing the tide had turned and he had to abandon the attack.

Shuangjing Mountain.

Upon receiving an urgent report, Lord Qing immediately launched a full-scale assault.

This time, they aimed to exploit the enemy's terror and low morale, vowing not to stop until Shuangjing Mountain was breached!

Their attacks were repelled repeatedly, but after brief rests, they launched new assaults. While fighting, Lord Qing also ordered the widespread dissemination of news regarding Old Demon Ye's defeat and flight, aiming to disrupt the morale of the Sinful Abyss army.

Qin Sang bore a heavy responsibility.

Lord Qing managed the Xunfeng Grand Array, deciphering the patterns of Shuangjing Mountain's spirit array. Qin Sang, meanwhile, was tasked with intercepting the Sinful Abyss's top experts.

Immortal Fairy Qiuzhi, confident that her divine powers could restrain Qin Sang, handed control of the great array to the cultivator surnamed Shan and personally entered the fray, seeking an opportunity to slay Qin Sang.

While battling Immortal Fairy Qiuzhi, Qin Sang remained vigilant and employed almost all his techniques. Although he faced danger, he managed to stay safe, though the immense drain on his energy left him struggling to hold on.

Fortunately, as night fell, Jing Yu, having received the news, finally arrived and joined the battlefield, allowing Qin Sang to breathe a sigh of relief.

The momentum gradually shifted in favor of the Two Domains Alliance.

The fighting continued throughout the night, and the arrival of reinforcements sent by True Daoist Zhen Yi became the final straw.

"We can only take this much," the cultivator surnamed Song said, handing over a jade slip. He had been arranging their escape route when the battle erupted.

The jade slip detailed what they could salvage, which was a mere drop in the ocean compared to the resources in Shuangjing Mountain's treasury. However, due to the suddenness of the situation, there was no other choice.

Upon seeing the list on the jade slip, the Sinful Abyss's Nascent Soul cultivators all felt a pang of pain, but they had no better option.

Old Demon Ye's defeat was unexpected by both sides. The Sinful Abyss had originally planned a leisurely retreat, but now all their arrangements were completely disrupted.

The battlefield situation, due to this unexpected turn of events, headed in an unforeseen direction.

"Retreat!"

Immortal Fairy Qiuzhi was exceptionally decisive, though her slightly furrowed brows betrayed her reluctance.

*Boom! Boom!*

One after another, Dark Crystal Towers rose from the ground.

Within the Xunfeng Grand Array, Lord Qing detected unusual activity from the Sinful Abyss. His gaze narrowed slightly, and with a light flick of his jade-like finger, several streaks of light vanished into the battlefield. Simultaneously, his incantation abruptly changed, causing nine thick wind pillars to erupt from the ground, crashing towards the Sky Lake with a roar.

*Rumble!*

The mountains shook.

The Xunfeng Grand Array tore through the Sky Lake. Lord Qing had now deciphered the patterns of the mountain-protecting array and launched a full assault. Immortal Fairy Qiuzhi and the cultivator surnamed Shan jointly controlled the great array, while the others activated the Dark Crystal Towers to cover the army's retreat.

"Kill!"

Unlike the demoralized Sinful Abyss, the cultivators of the Two Domains Alliance were immensely invigorated and charged bravely forward.

Qin Sang was looking for an opportunity to destroy a few Dark Crystal Towers when he saw a streak of light flying towards him. He grabbed it, revealing an order from his senior sister.

The Sinful Abyss still possessed Dark Crystal Towers, making a complete annihilation unrealistic. The most pressing matter now was the treasury on Shuangjing Mountain; they had to locate it quickly and prevent its destruction.

Jing Yu had been following Qin Sang, and the others also converged.

With Lord Qing's coordination, everyone jointly attacked Shuangjing Mountain.

Seeing the scene on the mountain, Jing Lin's gaze was complex.

Shuangjing Mountain had been transformed into a fortress by the Sinful Abyss, with encampments stretching along the entire mountain range. It was utterly unrecognizable, bearing no trace of his memories.

"There!"

Jing Yu's gaze swept over the area, locking onto a cluster of palaces.

Dust billowed everywhere. Palaces were collapsing one after another, either blown up or engulfed in flames. It was clear someone was deliberately destroying them.

According to information from their insider, that was precisely the location of the treasury!

"Quick!"

Seeing this, everyone swiftly flew towards the treasury.

The Sinful Abyss cultivators, seeing Qin Sang and the others clearly, were greatly alarmed. They frantically activated protective barriers to buy time, while simultaneously destroying the treasury.

Just then, the treasury's restrictions suddenly dimmed, and a cultivator rushed out, shouting, "Junior Fang Qi, seniors, please come in quickly!"

It turned out this person was an insider from the Two Domains Alliance who had sneaked in amidst the chaos and seized the opportunity to disable the restrictions.

"Traitor!"

"So it was you!"

The Sinful Abyss cultivators cursed Fang Qi in anger, but it was too late to salvage anything, so they scattered and fled. Qin Sang and the others rushed in, secretly feeling fortunate that only a small portion of the treasury had been reduced to ruins.

Ultimately, the Sinful Abyss was powerless to turn the tide and abandoned Shuangjing Mountain.

However, under the protection of the Dark Crystal Towers, the Sinful Abyss's battle formation remained largely intact. The Two Domains Alliance pursued them for a distance, but upon exiting the range of the Xunfeng Grand Array and seeing that further gains were unlikely, they sounded the retreat and returned to the mountain to rest.

Shuangjing Mountain had changed hands.

All the Nascent Soul cultivators gathered in the grand hall at the mountain peak, their faces alight with joy.

"We must quickly proceed to Wangdong City," said the cultivators who had come as reinforcements, bidding farewell. "The rest of the matters will be left to you all."

Wangdong City was currently vulnerable, and Demon Lord Tongyou and his allies were struggling to defend it. They needed to return quickly to reinforce them; Wangdong City absolutely could not be allowed to fall.

"My thanks to all fellow Daoists."

Lord Qing clasped his hands in greeting and invited the Lord of Yinshan Pass and others to accompany them to Wangdong City. Although sending Qin Sang and Jing Yu would have guaranteed success, considering the past grievances between Qin Sang and Earl Dongyang, they had to choose others.

After the great battle, Shuangjing Mountain was in ruins.

After inventorying the treasury's resources and taking a brief rest, Lord Qing ordered the army to set off!

Swiftness was essential in war, and the opportunity was fleeting.

Old Demon Ye was severely wounded, the Sinful Abyss had fled for a thousand miles, and their morale was low. They intended to relentlessly pursue their opponents during their most chaotic state, denying them any chance to reorganize.

Thereafter, they advanced like a hot knife through butter. Three armies launched simultaneously, pushing forward triumphantly.

Defeat spiraled rapidly.

Old Demon Ye and True Monarch Canghong repeatedly attempted to rally their routed soldiers and regroup by holding passes. However, before they could establish a firm footing, the Two Domains Alliance army would follow closely, launching fierce and relentless assaults.

The Sinful Abyss suffered successive defeats. Old Demon Ye's words had come true: they would likely have to flee all the way back to Yucheng without pause.

After several months of bitter fighting, the Heavenly Path Plateau finally recovered all its lost territory, forcing the Sinful Abyss into the plains.

Between the Heavenly Path Plateau and the Sinful Abyss lay a long, narrow plain, serving as a buffer zone. Though sparsely populated, it was rich in spiritual ore resources.

The Heavenly Path Alliance and the Sinful Abyss had constantly fought over these resources for years, leading to a deepening accumulation of conflict.

In the vast plain.

It was late spring, early summer. Gentle breezes softly stroked the tender green grass blades. Insects began to stir, and birds, beasts, and insects together performed the symphony of nature.

Everything seemed so peaceful.

Just then, a cluster of white clouds rapidly approached from afar, skimming low over the ground.

Some birds noticed the white clouds and looked up for a moment, but found nothing special about them. Unable to detect any abnormality, they continued to chirp cheerfully.

Within the white clouds, however, were several human figures, including Qin Sang, all of whom were Nascent Soul Ancestors.

The two armies were engaged in battle elsewhere; these figures had infiltrated here to reclaim the ore veins occupied by the Sinful Abyss.