Chapter 714: Great Battle Begins

Below the Sky Rift, a river of blood churned, its腥 stench pervading an area of a hundred miles, thick and palpable. Bubbles burst in the river, as if resentful souls were wailing.

Tiansheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing upwards. Even during the previous encirclement and killing of Fahua and Liu Tianyi by numerous Sky Rift Sect experts, he had not participated. Decades of planning had finally reached their culmination. Now, his eyes saw nothing but the Sky Rift spanning the void; nothing else mattered. Nothing and no one in this world could interfere with his grand plan.

A light cough approached from a distance. Elder Xing Mo walked over, looking even more ancient than his already wizened self. In the previous battle, although only a few elders of the Sky Rift Sect had died, many were injured. Xing Mo, who had directly faced Fahua's wrath, was severely wounded. He couldn't understand how that old monk, seemingly on the brink of death, could unleash such terrifying power. But ultimately, two fists were no match for four hands.

What he found even harder to comprehend was why Fahua and Liu Tianyi chose to fight to the death here. With their strength, plus Huang Liang, they might have had a chance to escape if they had intended to. But in fact, from beginning to end, neither of them had any intention of fleeing. Only at the very last moment did they work together to create an escape route for Huang Liang.

Thinking about it now was pointless, so Xing Mo composed himself, stood beside Tiansheng, and spoke softly. "Sect Master, Elder Six, Elder Nineteen, Elder Twenty-Seven... and all those who pursued them, are dead."

Over a hundred people were lost in an instant, including more than a dozen elders. When Xing Mo received this news, he could barely believe it, but it was confirmed that they had indeed met unfortunate ends. How could they all have died just chasing a heavily wounded Huang Liang? Who in this world could annihilate so many people in such a short time? Even if Fahua and Liu Tianyi were reborn, they might not possess such ability. So he rushed over to report the matter.

"Hmm." To his surprise, Tiansheng merely responded with a faint "Hmm" to such grim news, showing no other reaction.

After waiting for a moment, Tiansheng still gave no further instructions. Xing Mo then asked, "Sect Master, should I send someone to investigate the situation?" Regardless, they needed to know how those people died and by whose hand, so they could respond accordingly.

"No need. If they're dead, they're dead," Tiansheng replied indifferently. His tone suggested the death of insignificant animals rather than a dozen elders.

A chill ran down Xing Mo's spine. While the Sky Rift Sect didn't boast the long heritage or camaraderie of the Three Overlord Sects, they were supposed to be united, not so cold-hearted. Xing Mo vaguely felt that Tiansheng seemed to be acting strangely. He had actually sensed this feeling since Tiansheng began implementing his current plan, but it hadn't been so obvious before.

After a moment of silence, Xing Mo asked, "Sect Master, can we truly glimpse the path beyond the Cloud River?" Even as the Grand Elder of the Sky Rift Sect, second only to one and above thousands, he was unclear about Tiansheng's plan. He knew nothing about the true purpose of the massive formation before them, which spanned dozens of miles and was forged with countless lives and blood. However, Tiansheng had publicly stated that this grand formation was the key for them to break free from the shackles of the Dragon Ascension Realm and embark on the path beyond the Cloud River. For years, the elders had diligently assisted Tiansheng, enduring hardships without complaint. At their level of cultivation, this was the only thing they yearned for.

"Are you questioning this Sect Master?" Tiansheng, who had been utterly indifferent to the deaths of over a dozen of his elders, abruptly turned his head, fixing Xing Mo with a sinister gaze.

Xing Mo quickly bowed his head. "This subordinate dares not!" His heart was filled with dread... He had never seen such an eerie gleam in the Sect Master's eyes.

Tiansheng stared at him intently for a moment before saying flatly, "Do your duty."

"Yes." Xing Mo, still bowing his head, then reported another matter. "The Three Overlord Sects have issued a manifesto, and cultivators from all sides have responded. A large number of people will arrive in Snow Province in a few days. How should our sect resist? Please instruct us, Sect Master."

"Ignore them. They're just a bunch of rabble," Tiansheng scoffed, dismissing them. Even facing cultivators from an entire realm, he held them in utter contempt.

Xing Mo, however, felt very uneasy. While the Sky Rift Sect had a good foundation, it was not strong enough to resist the entire cultivation world alone. Once the allied forces led by the Three Overlord Sects arrived in Snow Province, the Sky Rift Sect would be powerless to resist. Where did the Sect Master get the confidence to ignore them? Should he leave this dangerous place as soon as possible? However, he already had a notorious reputation, and with the Sky Rift Sect acting as it was, if he left Snow Province, there would be nowhere in the vast world for him to hide. Although he was old, he did not want to die so soon; he could still cling to life for some years.

After he withdrew, he saw Cheng Henfeng, who was waiting for him. "What did the Sect Master say?" Cheng Henfeng asked.

Xing Mo shook his head. "He said to ignore them, and there's no need to block the news."

Cheng Henfeng frowned. "If we don't block the news, there will certainly be chaos within the sect." In fact, some rumors were already circulating within the Sky Rift Sect, leaving many cultivators in a state of panic.

Xing Mo said calmly, "Perhaps... this is what the Sect Master wants to see?"

Cheng Henfeng initially didn't understand, then his body trembled as he realized, "You mean, the Sect Master he..."

Xing Mo lowered his eyes. "At this point, if we want to survive, we can only go all the way. Those obscure individuals who flee and hide their names might find a way out, but for us elders, what choice do we have but to live and die with the Divine Sect?"

Cheng Henfeng fell silent.

As time passed, the blood in the river grew thicker. One by one, captured mortals were killed, their blood flowing into the river. Not only that, but many Sky Rift Sect cultivators who had heard rumors and tried to flee Snow Province were also captured and executed by the blood river. The surviving elders of the Sky Rift Sect personally carried out the executions, and heads rolled for a time. The quality of cultivators' blood was far superior to that of mortals. As a large amount of Sky Rift Sect cultivators' blood flowed in, the blood river, spanning dozens of miles, seemed to gain sentience. It surged and rolled, emanating an ominous aura.

"Soon, it will be soon!" Tiansheng gazed at the Sky Rift, his eyes filled with fervent madness. For countless years, he had studied the mysteries of the Sky Rift up close. One day, he gained an epiphany, and from that moment, he began plotting today's grand scheme. Years of preparation, unleashed in a single strike, akin to a thunderbolt. Though the Dragon Ascension cultivation world reacted swiftly, it was already too late to stop him. The grand formation was almost ready. Once it was complete, he could execute his final plan, break the shackles of this world, and peer into the mysteries beyond the Cloud River.

"Sect Master, the allied cultivator army led by the Three Overlord Sects has entered Snow Province and will attack within a day," Xing Mo rushed to report again.

"Let them come!" Tiansheng responded with a domineering tone.

Xing Mo opened his mouth, somewhat speechless. As the allied cultivator army drew closer, the atmosphere within the Sky Rift Sect grew increasingly tense. Had it not been for the elders executing a group of defectors earlier, the Sky Rift Sect might have collapsed from within by now. Even so, morale was scattered. With their Sect Master taking no action, and many elders utterly confused, the Sky Rift Sect was completely at a loss on how to resist such an impending disaster.

Three thousand miles...One thousand miles...Five hundred miles...

Reports flowed in, indicating the allied army was drawing ever closer to the Sky Rift Sect's location. Until a vast fleet of airships appeared in sight, the Sky Rift Sect cultivators, who had been arrayed and waiting for a long time, all turned pale. The three leading large ships bore the distinct insignias of the Three Overlord Sects. Following them were hundreds, if not a thousand, more airships... Almost all cultivation sects in the entire Dragon Ascension Realm were participating, a testament to the influence of the Three Overlord Sects.

"Amitabha!" A resonant Buddhist chant echoed. On the Vajra Temple's airship, the figure of a venerable monk appeared. It was the current abbot of Vajra Temple, Monk Guangjing. Gazing at the towering bloody aura ahead, even from nearly a hundred miles away, the distinct scent of blood was palpable. Even a highly cultivated monk like Guangjing felt intense rage surge within his chest. Over the years, the Dragon Ascension Realm had seen its share of malicious and wicked individuals, but never before had there been an entity like the Sky Rift Sect that massacred an entire province's population. Along their path, the entire Snow Province was eerily silent. Not to mention living people, even wild beasts were rarely seen. And looking at the surging river of blood ahead... how many people must have been killed to create such a massive scale? Furthermore, Guangjing knew that Fahua had died here. With personal vengeance burning, Guangjing knew that today, he might have to subjugate demons and eliminate evil.

On the Imperial Heaven Sect's airship, a highly cultivated individual stepped forward, holding a manifesto. He read it aloud, condemning the Sky Rift Sect's atrocities and enumerating their crimes. All the cultivators who had come to suppress the rebellion listened with righteous indignation and surging fury. As the manifesto was read, the heavens and earth seemed to respond. An inexplicable momentum gathered with the allied cultivator army, solidifying their resolve and boosting their morale.

"The Sky Rift Sect has acted against the natural order, their crimes unforgivable. Now, the Imperial Heaven Sect, Vajra Temple, and Haoran Academy unite with fellow cultivators across the land to vanquish evil, restore peace to the cultivation world, and bring justice to this realm. The nine hundred and eighty-four sects of the Dragon Ascension cultivation world bear witness!"

There was no call for surrender, no negotiation. For such heinous acts by the Sky Rift Sect, surrender or discussion was unnecessary. Only by thoroughly eradicating them, by wiping out the Sky Rift Sect completely, could they honor the souls of a whole province. The morale of the allied cultivator army that had rushed here soared to an unbelievable degree.

"Kill!" A battle cry, originating from unknown depths, erupted. From the airships, figures soared out, rushing towards the Sky Rift Sect to attack.

The great battle began!