Chapter 1306: Siege

The Abyssal Ruin.

It was the time of the Abyssal Ruin's most violent tremors, and not a single soul was in sight.

A blood-red streak of light, moving with lightning speed, burst into the Abyssal Ruin and plunged into a sea of mist.

Shortly after, four more streaks of light arrived, one after another. These were True Monarch Cang Hong, Fairy Qiu Zhi, and others, while the preceding blood-red streak belonged to Old Demon Ye, who had been fleeing all the way to this spot.

"His target was the Palace of Sinful Deities!"

The entrance to the Palace of Sinful Deities lay deep within the sea of mist.

"Quick!"

Without hesitation, the four rushed into the mist. Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted from deep within the mist, deafening them and shaking their very souls.

Immediately afterward, a terrifying wave swept forth, emanating immense pressure.

Rumbling...

The sea of mist plunged into complete chaos. Innumerable turbulent currents surged wildly, each possessing astonishing power.

This was, by nature, the epicenter of the Abyssal Ruin's tremors.

At this very moment, the tremors intensified even further. Though all four were top-tier experts, they felt a sense of suffocation. They exerted all their strength to stabilize themselves, fearing they would be swept away by the mist currents and lost within the sea of mist.

Just then, the four suddenly halted, staring blankly ahead.

Through the haze, deep within the dense mist, the faint silhouette of an immortal gate subtly emerged.

The immortal gate was colossal, reaching from earth to sky.

The moment the immortal gate appeared, various anomalies unfolded.

However, these anomalies did not possess the aura of celestial beings; instead, they were projections akin to the most horrific punishments of the eighteen layers of hell: mountains of knives, seas of fire, heavenly thunder, pools of blood—any terrifying torment imaginable manifested here in rotation.

The condemned writhed in agony, condemned to eternal damnation.

Although they knew these were illusions, they still sent shivers down their spines.

The immortal gate was tightly sealed, and at its very center, a blood-red ancient character, 'Sin', was emblazoned!

Surrounded by these myriad anomalies, the blood character appeared incredibly crimson!

The next moment, the immortal gate trembled and slowly opened a crack, to the four's astonished gaze. But it was not yet time for the Palace of Sinful Deities to fully emerge; with a 'boom', the immortal gate abruptly slammed shut.

In that fleeting instant, an inconspicuous blood shadow flashed and darted into the immortal gate.

"Old Demon Ye went in!" the cultivator surnamed Shan exclaimed in disbelief.

The group fell into a daze, only then realizing why Old Demon Ye dared to defy the world so brazenly: he had long secured an escape route, an absolutely safe sanctuary!

This was unprecedented throughout history. The immortal gate of the Palace of Sinful Deities had always opened only when the Ziwei Palace emerged; no one had ever been able to open it independently.

Old Demon Ye was the first!

Before the next emergence of the Ziwei Palace, no one would be able to enter and pursue Old Demon Ye.

The silhouette of the immortal gate gradually faded.

The four inwardly cursed their misfortune and rushed towards the immortal gate's location. By the time they arrived, the gate had vanished, leaving only a colossal vortex of mist.

Standing at the edge of the vortex, the four displayed varied expressions, but none dared to enter.

The vortex was filled with turbulent currents, capable of effortlessly tearing any intruder to shreds.

The entrance to the Palace of Sinful Deities, that immortal gate, usually lay hidden deep within the vortex. It would only manifest and open when the Ziwei Palace emerged, triggering ancient prohibitions.

"How did Old Demon Ye do that?" True Monarch Cang Hong muttered to himself, disbelief etched on his face.

They began to try as well, attempting to coax the immortal gate to appear, but no matter what methods they employed, the mist vortex remained unresponsive, showing no sign of the gate.

All four felt somewhat deflated. Old Demon Ye had accumulated countless blood debts, yet they were utterly helpless against him.

"Old Demon Ye's intentions are unclear; we must guard against his potential return. However, the situation in Yucheng is urgent, and Daoist Qi and his group alone are no match for Old Daoist Zhenyi."

A trace of weariness appeared between True Monarch Cang Hong's brows. This was truly a situation of internal strife and external aggression. Elder Tian Zheng was still recovering from severe injuries, and he alone could not manage everything.

After a brief contemplation, True Monarch Cang Hong instructed: "Daoist Shan, you two temporarily remain here and keep a close watch. Fairy, I recall your sect's Heaven-Net Soul-Locking Array has the effect of trapping individuals. Set it up here to prevent Old Demon Ye from forcing his way in; it can serve as an emergency measure. Once the current chaos is resolved, we can make further arrangements."

Fairy Qiu Zhi nodded. "I will go retrieve the Heaven-Net Soul-Locking Array disc immediately. True Monarch, please return to Yucheng quickly to stabilize morale. The chaos in the city cannot escape the notice of the Two-Domains Alliance; they surely won't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity..."

Having weathered many storms, they did not panic even in the face of this unprecedented upheaval. They meticulously sorted through the myriad complexities, discerning priorities.

As True Monarch Cang Hong and Fairy Qiu Zhi flew out of the Abyssal Ruin, they saw a Golden Core stage youth pacing frantically like an ant on a hot pan, his face etched with anxiety.

"Seniors, something has happened..."

Upon seeing the two, the youth hastily flew to them and spoke a few urgent words.

True Monarch Cang Hong's expression changed dramatically, his previous composure completely vanished.

Yucheng.

The lotus had vanished.

The city's protective grand array was broken!

The cultivator surnamed Qi led his troops to retreat into the inner city.

By now, the outer city, having been ravaged by war, had become a ruin, with no trace of its former prosperity. The grand army of the Two-Domains Alliance was arriving one after another, assembling here.

A massive army was pressing down!

The inner city was the original Yucheng, and it possessed a complete ancient defensive array, which the cultivator surnamed Qi had already activated.

At this moment, golden light shimmered above the inner city. The grand array had transformed into a golden hemispherical light barrier, inverted over the city like a tortoise shell, firmly protecting the inner city.

The Two-Domains Alliance was not in a hurry to attack the city. All their Nascent Soul cultivators gathered to discuss their next moves.

With the internal conflict within Sin Abyss, more than half of their experts were dead or wounded. Defeating them was only a matter of time, but they also needed to guard against Sin Abyss's desperate counterattacks. They certainly didn't want to fall on the eve of victory.

Inside the inner city.

The Nascent Soul cultivators of Sin Abyss were also gathered in the grand hall, but unlike the Two-Domains Alliance, they were not in high spirits. The atmosphere in the hall was extremely oppressive. Especially those who had taken the Withered Essence Pill and suffered backlash, their vitality, energy, and spirit were still slowly declining. The thought of their own and their sect's uncertain future made their faces grim, and they remained silent.

The cultivator surnamed Qi silently observed everyone's expressions, clearly aware that his side's morale had plummeted to its lowest point. He could also guess what these people were thinking.

Previously, it was for the sake of refining the Withered Essence Pill that they were willing to actively make enemies and personally go to battle. Now that they knew the Withered Essence Pill was a trap, what benefit was there in continuing the fight?

However, the situation had now reversed, and the Two-Domains Alliance was powerful.

Putting themselves in the opponent's shoes, if they had been suppressed and fought for over a hundred years, they too would want to vent their accumulated resentment. Whether or not to cease hostilities was no longer up to them.

The reason no one had yet expressed their opinion was that they were all waiting for news from True Monarch Cang Hong.

A glimmer of hope still lingered in their hearts: if True Monarch Cang Hong could capture or kill Old Demon Ye, there might still be room for a comeback, a way to resolve the hidden danger of the Withered Essence Pill.

Of course, it would be even better if Old Demon Ye could be captured alive and forced to reveal his schemes.

Old Demon Ye had laid out his schemes for centuries, calculating against all beings in the world. His machinations were so profound, and what he sought was immense. It was likely some unimaginable supreme treasure, or an opportunity to break through to the late Nascent Soul stage, or even higher realms. Compared to these, the outcome of this war was of less importance.