Chapter 716: The Swordbearer, Where Are You

The vast and endless Wanggu world contained the Sheng'lan Grand Territory in its southern reaches. From a broader perspective, this territory was just a small corner of the entire continent, far from the core of Wanggu.

Before the divine catastrophe, this region was relatively well-known. Though remote, it bordered the Lingtian Territory to the north and the Wangyue Territory to the west. An ancient desert path also connected it to the Yanxuan Territory in the northwest.

Its southeast borders also met the Endless Sea, making it incredibly rich in maritime trade and resources. At its peak, it was even ranked among the top ten human cities.

However, the arrival of the divine remnant changed everything. The boundless Forbidden Sea no longer brought prosperity to the Sheng'lan Grand Territory; instead, it unleashed endless anomalies and crises.

As this continued, the Sheng'lan Grand Territory's former splendor rapidly faded. Coupled with the decline of humanity and successive changes in Human Emperors, it eventually dwindled into insignificance, becoming a mere shadow of its former self.

The Wangyue Territory became Wangyue City.

The Lingtian Territory also became the Black Spirit Territory of the Black Heaven Race.

The ancient desert path connecting to the Yanxuan Territory became an impassable area, as the Yanxuan Territory no longer belonged to humanity but had become the frontier of the Yan Yue Xuan Tian Race.

It was not until the emergence of the Purple-Green Upper Kingdom that this vast territory rekindled its dazzling light. Its brilliance, like a star river, struck awe into all races across the Wanggu Continent.

Yet, it was merely a fleeting moment. With the tragic death of the Purple-Green Crown Prince, all its glory vanished like smoke.

Even with the arrival of the Seventh Prince, the battle between the Human Emperor and the Black Heaven Race released the Sun of Dawn, leading to the defeat of the Black Heaven Race.

The current Grand Duke of Sheng'lan chose to return, yet all these events were merely localized disturbances.

For the entire Wanggu Continent, there was no significant upheaval.

To truly ignite a storm, these events were clearly insufficient.

No one knew that in the future, the Sheng'lan Grand Territory would once again shine with a brilliance that would resonate throughout Wanggu, much like the Purple-Green Upper Kingdom once did.

And now, in the northern part of the Sheng'lan Grand Territory, within what was once the Lingtian Territory and is now the Black Spirit Grand Territory, war raged intensely.

A closer look revealed that amidst the intensely bright heavens and earth, the Black Heaven Race's defenses were steadily collapsing.

Though the Black Heaven Race boasted many powerful individuals, the omnipresent Sun of Dawn inflicted immense damage upon them. Furthermore, the Black Heaven Emperor and several peak experts from various tribes were gravely wounded by mysterious assassins, forcing the Black Heaven Race into a passive position.

The moment the Red Moon disappeared, while it would take time for the outside world to know and confirm the truth, most devout members of the Black Heaven Race sensed it immediately.

This sensation, adding insult to injury, plunged the Black Heaven Race into sorrow.

In stark contrast to the Black Heaven Race's unprecedented weakness, the human race launched this war with overwhelming momentum. Not only did King Tianlan mobilize his forces, but the human imperial capital also dispatched thirteen Heavenly Kings to the two grand territories of the Black Heaven Race.

Invading the two Black Heaven Race territories from thirteen directions, King Dongguanjing, as the Heavenly King of the Third Princess's maternal clan, possessed astonishing combat power and personally led the charge. He exerted immense pressure on the Black Heaven Race, and no small amount of pressure on King Tianlan as well.

His clan had paid a great price to support the Seventh Prince, thereby gaining the Human Emperor's tacit approval. One condition of this price was that he had to conquer half of the Black Spirit Territory.

This was why King Tianlan conscripted all cultivators in the Sheng'lan Grand Territory upon his arrival. For him, the fate of the Sheng'lan people was irrelevant; he could simply allow for recovery and recuperation in the future.

What was important now was to win this war so that the Seventh Prince could truly establish this as his fiefdom. To achieve victory, his current forces were insufficient; he also needed to perform a forbidden immortal art.

This art required the blood and souls of all beings. Thus, conscription orders were continuously issued by the Seventh Prince, and groups of conscription officers forcibly drafted soldiers across the entire territory under the banner of righteousness.

Those who disobeyed would be reported to the Seventh Prince, who, overseeing the rear's political affairs, would then arrange for his guards to suppress them.

This practice had been ongoing for half a year.

The myriad races and beings of the Sheng'lan Grand Territory, sacrificing their lives and flesh, gradually expanded the battlefield against the Black Heaven Race, with Fenghai County among them.

Facing such righteousness and a Heavenly King, Fenghai County could not possibly disobey. Even knowing that King Tianlan was preserving his own elites and attempting to unleash forbidden arts using their flesh and blood, they were powerless.

In just half a year, five contingents of troops had been sent to the battlefield.

Half of the fifth contingent consisted of Sword Holders.

For Fenghai County, which had recently endured a major war, this was a time of great instability. Most of the county's sects and clans chose to defect and join the Seventh Prince.

Fenghai County was also unable to organize a sixth large army.

Unless... they sent out the remaining Sword Holders and the 'seeds' from all the various sects.

But if they did that, Fenghai County would have no future.

However, the disparity in status and power between the two sides left Fenghai County powerless to resist.

At this moment, outside Fenghai County Capital, a group of cultivators bearing the Seventh Prince's conscription order arrived in the sky.

This group numbered in the tens of thousands, divided into two parts. The first, at the front, wore black robes embroidered with golden swords and soared through the sky.

Humans comprised the majority of this group, though there were also some foreign races. All were cultivators from Fenghai County's various sects and clans who had previously defected.

Having chosen to defect, they had joined the Seventh Prince, their identities transformed. Now, under the Seventh Prince's orders, they acted as imperial envoys, forcibly conscripting soldiers here.

At this moment, they all appeared relaxed, chatting and laughing. Their gazes toward Fenghai County mostly carried disdain, while some smirked coldly.

Behind them were thousands of battle cultivators in blood-red armor and robes. Each had a cold expression and an intense murderous aura; wherever they passed, they were like an ominous cloud, their presence extraordinary.

These were not cultivators from the Sheng'lan Grand Territory, but rather from the imperial capital, part of the Seventh Prince's personal guard corps. Each rode a black giant lizard clad in battle armor, and as they approached the county capital, an incredibly strong sense of dominance and destruction permeated the air.

Amidst these tens of thousands of cultivators, a grand canopy was held high, beneath which a white flying elephant was particularly conspicuous.

On the white elephant sat a middle-aged man in armor. He was unremarkable in appearance, but his wide-open eyes occasionally gleamed with a chilling light.

Surrounding him were more than ten figures in golden armor, each exuding terrifying fluctuations. The aura of Gui Xu spread across the heavens and earth, causing the sky to change color and form dark clouds.

As they advanced, this dark cloud also rolled forward.

Beside the white elephant stood an old man.

The old man's face was covered in wrinkles, and lines like streaking meteors darted through his eyes. As he accompanied them, he looked towards Fenghai County Capital in the distance, held aloft by the hands of the Xuan'you Ancient Emperor statue, and a hint of malice and hatred surfaced in his eyes.

"Xuelianzi, Zheng Kaiguai, and that wretched boy Xu Qing."

The old man gritted his teeth, the fire of hatred intensely burning in his heart.

The middle-aged man on the white elephant glanced at the old man and smiled faintly.

"Lingyun, there are many old acquaintances of yours here."

Upon hearing this, the old man immediately bowed respectfully, clasping his fists.

"Supervisor, please allow me to catch up with my old acquaintances later."

He uttered the words "old acquaintances" through gritted teeth.

The middle-aged man smiled and nodded.

This old man was none other than Sheng Junzi's grandfather, Old Ancestor Lingyun of the Lingyun Sword Sect, part of the Eight Sect Alliance.

He had once been punished with sixty years of seclusion due to Sheng Junzi. After King Tianlan appeared, the Grand Alliance released him before their defection. Once everything was explained, Old Ancestor Lingyun chose to follow and join the Seventh Prince.

Today, he had strongly requested to accompany them here.

He was not worried that Fenghai County would resist, as in the current situation, resistance would only hasten their demise. Indeed, he even harbored some expectation in his heart.

"If they resist, they will surely die. If they don't resist, they will wait for death!"

"My poor grandson, who possessed the potential of an ancient emperor, was viciously persecuted by that wretched boy Xu Qing, who was jealous of his talent!"

"My son also met a tragic end because of Zheng Kaiguai, and the root of all this is Xuelianzi."

"Your entire lineage will die!"

Old Ancestor Lingyun's eyes burned with intense killing intent as he looked at Fenghai County Capital. He raised his right hand and waved it, and immediately, the dark clouds in the sky churned at his command, forming streaks of lightning that crisscrossed the heavens, converging into a gigantic thunder dragon.

With a deafening roar, it charged directly towards Fenghai County, as if to tear it apart.

In an instant, the thunder dragon reached mid-air above Fenghai County Capital. Just as it was about to descend, a figure appeared before it and pressed a hand forward.

The thunder dragon was halted. No matter how it struggled, it was futile, and it ultimately exploded, forming an arc of lightning rain that covered Fenghai County Capital.

At this moment, the entire Fenghai County Capital, its streets and alleys, was utterly silent. All mortals had been asked to stay indoors and not venture out.

Only the cultivators from the Three Palaces and the elite members of the various sects, who had sworn to stand with Fenghai County, looked towards the sky with anger from within the county capital. Among them were Yao Yunhui, Li Shitao, disciples of the Seven Blood Eyes, and many others Xu Qing knew well.

However, his second senior brother was not present, nor was Kong Xianglong.

In the sky, as the massive, dark army arrived, the surrounding black clouds grew even more immense, their aura potent. From a distance, Fenghai County Capital looked like a solitary boat amidst raging waves, liable to capsize at any moment when compared to them.

Within the army, the middle-aged man on the white elephant yawned and casually uttered a sentence.

"You know best how much Fenghai County has in reserve. I'll give you the time it takes for one stick of incense to burn to complete the conscription. I have another stop to make."

As he spoke, he picked up an ancient scroll and began reading, seemingly indifferent to the events that would follow.

The surrounding military cultivators were also indifferent. Only those cultivators at the front, who were originally from Fenghai County, clamored loudly, including Old Ancestor Lingyun.

He looked down from above at the person who had shattered his thunder dragon, his killing intent pervasive.

"Zheng Kaiguai."

The old man in mid-air was none other than Seventh Master.

He looked at the army, his expression grim, and lightly waved his hand to dispel the arc of electric light from his palm. Meanwhile, behind him, figures appeared one after another amidst the shimmering void.

First was Marquis Yao, followed by the newly appointed Palace Masters of the Three Palaces, and the various palace stewards, along with strong individuals from different sects.

Anyone with Gui Xu cultivation appeared in the sky.

Xuelianzi, Yanyan's grandmother, and three sect masters from the Eight Sect Alliance were also present.

Each had a grave expression.

However, compared to before Xu Qing's departure, significantly fewer people were present now; those missing had either defected or died in battle.

Among the crowd was a woman in a purple long dress, breathtakingly beautiful, like a purple blossom unfurling across the sky. It was Zi Xuan.

She stood there, very conspicuous, and judging by her position, her status was clearly different and more exalted than others.

However, a hint of sorrow seemed to linger between her brows, making her appear somewhat melancholic. Now, with a cold gaze, she looked at Old Ancestor Lingyun and the army behind him.

The entire Fenghai County fell silent.

The army's arrival created immense pressure, enveloping every person in Fenghai County. It wasn't that they didn't want to send more troops; it was that they had already reached their limit.

"Yao Tianyan, Zheng Kaiguai, how dare you!" Old Ancestor Lingyun stepped forward, standing in front of the army, his eyes filled with killing intent. An unprecedented sense of pleasure rose in his heart as he sneered.

"The Seventh Prince's conscription order for you has been out for seven days. Fenghai County, witnessing the crisis on the battlefield and the heavy casualties of our human race, yet you only know how to protect yourselves, unwilling to send even a single soldier."

"Such actions from you are collusion with the enemy, a disgrace to humanity!"

"Today, the Supervisor himself has arrived. If you still refuse to see reason, then is this Fenghai County still human? Do you still acknowledge the Human Emperor? Do you still hold righteousness for humanity in your hearts?"

Old Ancestor Lingyun had experienced too much in his life, long having cultivated shrewdness and cunning. Every word he spoke carried the weight of righteousness, never straying from the human race, far surpassing ordinary individuals.

As his impassioned words echoed, even the middle-aged man on the white elephant in the army looked up, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

On Fenghai County's side, upon hearing this, they were filled with grief and rage. Most of the Three Palaces' cultivators within the county capital turned ashen, gritted their teeth, and their eyes blazed with fury.

In the sky, Marquis Yao stepped forward, his expression sorrowful and indignant.

"You say Fenghai County only knows self-preservation and is unwilling to send a single soldier. In the past half year, Fenghai County has sent five contingents, millions of our sons, and even the Palace Master of the Fengxing Palace and several stewards from the Three Palaces!"

"These millions of young men are the hope for Fenghai County's future, and our only remaining source of troops!"

"Our various sects, especially the human race in Fenghai County, are already at their last gasp."

"Now you come here, twisting black and white, constantly speaking of human righteousness. May I ask how many of Fenghai County's five contingents, these millions of young men, are still alive? The Palace Master of the Fengxing Palace died in battle, and many stewards are buried in foreign lands. Were their deaths not for the great cause of humanity?"

"Fenghai County has endured numerous events in recent years. We ourselves bore the brunt of the Sheng'lan invasion, losing three Palace Masters and having our County Governor die mysteriously. The Seventh Prince's arrival seemed like a rescue, but in reality, he was plundering the fruits of our victory. Who doesn't know the truth of the matter?"

"Are the deaths of Fenghai County's five contingents, millions of young men, not enough? Do you mean to extinguish even our last spark of hope?"

Marquis Yao straightened his back, not looking at Old Ancestor Lingyun, but at the army behind him, speaking each word with a clear conscience.

Beside him, Seventh Master also stepped forward, looking at the white elephant within the army, and spoke calmly.

"We hold righteousness for humanity in our hearts, and we are willing to sacrifice, but it must be worthwhile. I want to ask the Supervisor: how many forces under the Seventh Prince have been sent to the battlefield?"

The middle-aged man on the white elephant in the army did not put down the ancient scroll in his hand; he merely spoke faintly to Old Ancestor Lingyun.

"You have half an incense stick left."

Old Ancestor Lingyun's eyes flashed at his words. He swept his gaze over the county capital city, finally looking at Seventh Master and Marquis Yao, and spoke with a cold voice.

"The Sword-Wielding Palace, the Fengxing Palace, and the Silyu Palace: how many Palace Masters, Deputy Palace Masters, stewards, and other cultivator Sword Holders remain, and how many will be deployed?"

"From each sect, the Sect Master must participate in the battle."

"Furthermore... in the Seventh Prince's first conscription order half a year ago, Xu Qing was specifically named to participate. You used his seclusion as an excuse to cover it up, but this time, Xu Qing must participate!"

"Within half an incense stick's time, all of you, including Xu Qing, must be assembled!"

After Old Ancestor Lingyun finished speaking, he stepped forward. This single step, surpassing heavenly thunder, rumbled in all directions, causing the wind and clouds to change color and the sky to form a gigantic vortex.

Amidst the rumbling rotation, the people on Fenghai County's side were enraged, their auras swelling with fury.

Marquis Yao's eyes showed determination. After exchanging glances with Seventh Master, a touch of decisiveness joined his resolve, and his voice echoed with murderous intent.

"Three Palaces!"

In an instant, the three Palace Masters behind him soared into the sky, each uttering low roars of summons. The Sword-Wielding Palace, responsible for combat, with its former Deputy Palace Master now serving as Palace Master, let out a solemn, killing cry that resonated throughout the heavens and earth.

"Where are the Sword Holders!"

His words echoed throughout the county capital, and figures rose from within the city, followed by solemn voices.

"Sword Holder Sun Chenwu, here!"

"Sword Holder Zhang Hao, here!"

"Sword Holder Lu Tao, here!"

Among these many voices, one was exceptionally clear, like thunder exploding in everyone's ears, stirring endless ripples.

"Sword Holder Xu Qing, here!"