Chapter 153: Cangming Mountain

Half a day later, at the main peak of Cangming Mountain, nine chimes rang out, and the mountain gate opened wide. Led by Meng Dancheng, the Sect Master of Cangming Mountain, a group of Cangming Mountain elders, guardians, and deacons lined up on both sides, waiting respectfully.

When the Sect Master appeared with the woman named Shui Yuan, everyone bowed in greeting.

Without further ado, Meng Dancheng went straight to the point: "Elder Tang, everything is ready. Please come in!"

The Sect Master's expression was complex as he nodded: "You've worked hard."

Meng Dancheng smiled and shook his head: "Cangming Mountain has been waiting for this day."

A short while later, the Heavenly Mechanism stirred. Under its witness, the Sect Masters of the two major sects established a Sect Alliance Pact. Although Cangming Mountain had tried its best to seal off this news, it still spread uncontrollably as watchful eyes observed.

In a hidden spot on the Spirit Creek Battlefield, Lu Ye sat cross-legged, taking pills to recover. Amber lay beside him, its blood-stained belly rising and falling rapidly. Despite its exhaustion, it was devouring beast meat, knowing that only by eating its fill would it have the strength to escape.

Without resting for too long, Lu Ye once again mounted Amber and set off.

They hadn't traveled far when a beam of light, hovering in mid-air, suddenly swooped down. Before approaching, it proactively displayed its battlefield mark to Lu Ye; it was a cultivator from the Haotian Alliance.

"Get on!" The person stopped their flying spiritual artifact in front of Lu Ye, who hesitated.

Since parting ways with Lan Yudie, he had received assistance from several Haotian Alliance cultivators along the way; otherwise, with his current cultivation level, he wouldn't have been able to reach this point.

However, the cultivators who helped him couldn't accompany him for too long. Along the journey, they would be hindered and intercepted by the Myriad Demon Ridge faction. Each time this happened, those cultivators had to confront the enemy, leaving Lu Ye to continue his journey alone.

Previously, a Ninth-level cultivator had given Lu Ye a ride on a flying spiritual artifact. It flew incredibly fast, but they were spotted by Myriad Demon Ridge members not long after, and were nearly shot down.

If they had fallen from that height, the cultivator might have survived, but Lu Ye and Amber certainly wouldn't have.

So, upon hearing the new arrival ask him to get on, Lu Ye felt a slight trepidation. While flying spiritual artifacts were fast, they also made for obvious targets and were easily singled out.

However, he had no other choice at the moment. He could only bite the bullet and step onto the other person's flying spiritual artifact with Amber.

The person formed a hand seal and softly commanded: "Ascend!"

The small boat-shaped flying spiritual artifact soared into the air. The person was smart; they didn't fly too high, ensuring that even if struck, there would be no life-threatening danger.

While keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings, he quickly informed Lu Ye: "The Blood Stream Sect has already established a Sect Alliance Pact with Cangming Mountain, so you no longer need to go to the Blood Stream Sect's outpost. You'll be safe as long as you can reach Cangming Mountain's outpost."

"Cangming Mountain?"

"Cangming Mountain!"

Lu Ye quickly took out his map to check. He didn't know what a Sect Alliance Pact was, but from the information revealed in the other person's words, it seemed to be the key to his escape.

He quickly located Cangming Mountain's outpost. It was a Seventh-grade sect located at the border between the outer and inner circles. Although not extremely far from their current position, it certainly wasn't close either.

However, it was much closer than traveling to the Blood Stream Sect's outpost.

He immediately understood that this must be the result of the Sect Master's efforts; otherwise, there would be no reason for the Blood Stream Sect to establish a Sect Alliance Pact with Cangming Mountain at such a critical moment.

"Several Myriad Demon Ridge factions near Cangming Mountain have already declared war on them. Remember, the closer you get to Cangming Mountain, the more dangerous it becomes. Do not be careless before you reach it!"

"Understood!" Lu Ye nodded heavily. Turning back, he saw Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators had already discovered his trail and were pursuing him with beams of light, though some Haotian Alliance members were also intercepting them.

"I can't get away. Head towards Cangming Mountain; someone will meet you ahead." The person said this, lowered their beam of light, and after Lu Ye and Amber jumped off, immediately turned back to confront the pursuing Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators. Instantly, the two beams of light collided, and spiritual power buzzed.

Lu Ye didn't look back. He couldn't help at that level of cultivator engagement. Riding on Amber's back, he sped towards Cangming Mountain with all his might.

The Spirit Creek Battlefield became even more lively.

The news of the Blood Stream Sect and Cangming Mountain establishing a Sect Alliance Pact had spread, its purpose self-evident. This turned Cangming Mountain into the focal point of the two factions' struggle. Cultivators from both sides, countless in number, converged from all directions. Within a thousand-mile radius of Cangming Mountain, chaos reigned supreme.

Although Cangming Mountain had long since recalled all its disciples, the successive declarations of war from neighboring sects still left them powerless to fight back.

Currently, many Cangming Mountain disciples were forced to huddle within their protective grand array. Even so, they found no peace, as numerous Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators gathered outside Cangming Mountain, continuously attacking the array, appearing poised to conquer the outpost.

Upon hearing the news, many Haotian Alliance cultivators also began converging towards Cangming Mountain's outpost. They had to protect Cangming Mountain at all costs, for if its outpost were breached, the entire factional struggle would be lost.

In just one day, the area around Cangming Mountain had turned into a meat grinder, claiming the lives of countless cultivators.

Even more despairing news reached the Haotian Alliance: numerous cultivators from the Sacred Fire Sect had arrived, gathering a large force of Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, and had established layers of defenses between Lu Ye and Cangming Mountain's outpost!

Although the Sacred Fire Sect was only a Fourth-grade sect now, decades ago, it was a First-grade one. Its fall in rank was entirely due to the Blood Stream Sect. In that era, not only the Sacred Fire Sect but several other sects also saw their ranks plummet because of the Blood Stream Sect.

Hundred Refinements Valley, whose outpost gate was blocked by Feng Yuechan, was another such sect, as were several others.

Their enmity with the Blood Stream Sect ran far deeper than that of other sects.

During the Blood Stream Sect's glorious and powerful era, they cowered in the shadows, not daring to show their faces. But decades later, the Blood Stream Sect had completely declined. If Lu Ye were killed, the Blood Stream Sect would be delisted in the next sect ranking assessment.

It could be said that those sects, which had suffered greatly at the hands of the Blood Stream Sect, had been waiting for this day.

How could they allow Lu Ye to easily enter Cangming Mountain's outpost?

This was also why the Sect Master was reluctant to easily establish a Sect Alliance Pact with Cangming Mountain, knowing that doing so would inevitably thrust Cangming Mountain into the eye of the storm. Even though Cangming Mountain was now a Seventh-grade sect, it might not emerge unscathed from the tide of confrontation between the two factions.

In Kyushu, within Cangming Mountain's main hall, in front of the Heavenly Mechanism Pillar, Shui Yuan raised her hand and placed it upon the pillar.

Meng Dancheng's expression was solemn: "Senior Sister, please be very careful."

Shui Yuan smiled: "The Blood Stream Sect's matters can't always rely solely on your efforts."

The Sect Master stood nearby, also gravely advising: "If things become impossible, do not push yourself too hard!"

"Understood!" Shui Yuan respectfully replied, then activated her battlefield mark.

The next instant, her figure blurred and soon vanished.

On the Spirit Creek Battlefield, at Cangming Mountain's outpost, layers of ripples continuously emanated from the protective grand array. Many Cangming Mountain cultivators rushed about, reporting urgent news. Despite their full efforts to maintain it, too many Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators had come to attack the outpost this time, including numerous powerful individuals from the inner circle.

Even with the garrison commander, who was stationed there, pushing the protective grand array's power to its limit, the defensive strength was rapidly weakening.

"How much longer can it hold?" the garrison commander asked gravely.

"Given the current situation, the grand array will be breached in less than two hours!" the deputy commander replied.

"Two hours!" The garrison commander scoffed, "This is not good. Issue the order: everyone prepare for a desperate fight!"

The deputy commander's face changed: "Senior Brother!" In such a situation, shouldn't they abandon the outpost and return to Kyushu before the array was broken? Fighting to the death here would mean countless fellow disciples would perish, and if things went badly, Cangming Mountain would suffer a devastating generational loss.

The garrison commander calmly stated: "This is a direct order from the Sect Master! I don't care what entanglements our elders had with the Blood Stream Sect, but since it's the Sect Master's command, we must obey! You will personally guard the Heavenly Mechanism Pillar. Anyone who dares to cower or flee will be executed without mercy!"

The deputy commander gritted his teeth: "Understood!"

However, before the deputy commander could turn and head towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pillar, an unusual movement suddenly emanated from the protective grand array.

The garrison commander frowned: "Who opened the grand array?"

That movement just now was clearly due to the array being opened for an instant.

The two flashed out of the main hall together and looked up, and the sight before them left them stunned.

Outside the grand array, a black stream of light darted back and forth. As it moved, Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators screamed and fell from the sky. The black stream of light was like a death wind, spreading the aura of death wherever it blew.

Even the powerful cultivators from the inner circle, who practiced Heaven-grade cultivation techniques, couldn't withstand the onslaught of this black stream of light.

"Who is that?" The garrison commander was stunned. His sect didn't have anyone this formidable...

The deputy commander also looked shocked, strongly suspecting if Feng Yuechan, the top-ranked cultivator on the Spirit Creek List, had arrived. But Feng Yuechan was a spell cultivator, which didn't match the person before them.

In just a short moment, more than ten Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators were killed, all of whom were powerful individuals who had rushed over from the inner circle.

Instantly, the pressure on Cangming Mountain's protective grand array greatly reduced.

Faint purple lightning energy began to gather near the black stream of light, and the garrison commander instantly understood: "Which senior master has forcefully broken in?"

Only cultivators of the Spirit Creek Realm could safely enter the Spirit Creek Battlefield. While cultivators above the Spirit Creek Realm could forcefully enter by paying a tremendous price, their power would be suppressed to the Spirit Creek Realm level, and they could only employ techniques of that realm.

Furthermore, if such a person killed anyone on the Spirit Creek Battlefield, the omnipresent Heavenly Mechanism would impose certain punishments on them.

That faint purple lightning energy was a symbol of that punishment! The more people killed, the denser the lightning energy would become. With such accumulation, there would come a point when the intruder would be unable to bear it and would perish under the bombardment of purple lightning.