Chapter 715: The Road Ahead

War raged, and the peace that had reigned in Xuez for many years was shattered by endless slaughter.

Although the Sky Rift Sect had been entrenched in Xuez for many years, with deep roots and immense power, how could it withstand the combined might of the entire Soaring Dragon Cultivation World?

As soon as the cultivators from both sides clashed, the Sky Rift Sect's forces collapsed like a landslide. Defense lines were breached, and cultivators fell one after another.

By this point, even if the Sky Rift Sect cultivators wished to flee, there was no escape route.

The entire headquarters of the Sky Rift Sect was surrounded by cultivators from the Soaring Dragon Realm, completely cut off.

Wei Zhongze's expression was one of panicked disarray. He deeply regretted joining the Sky Rift Sect and, even more, listening to their deceptive words, which had left him with no way out but to await death.

He hailed from the Huangfeng Sect in Zhangzhou, the sect leader's most favored disciple, and was originally destined to inherit the sect leader's mantle and pass on the Huangfeng Sect's legacy.

However, everything changed when the sect leader, who was like a father and mentor to him, discovered his secret affair with one of his concubines.

Pursued by the Huangfeng Sect's cultivators and with nowhere to go, he sought refuge in the Sky Rift Sect.

For the past two years, he had often thought that if he had honestly confessed his mistake to his master when their affair was exposed, given his master's temperament, he would have likely only received a lecture, not true harm.

Yet, in his panic, he had instinctively stabbed his master with a sword.

He heard that after his escape, his master, who had raised him for many years, fell gravely ill and was never the same mentally.

Amidst the sounds of battle and the chaotic crisscrossing of spiritual energy fluctuations, Wei Zhongze couldn't understand why his mind was filled with so many random thoughts at such a critical moment.

A figure suddenly descended from the sky. The upper body was bare, revealing bronze skin over clearly defined, powerful muscles, brimming with vigorous qi and blood. The figure was bald and roared at Wei Zhongze, "Halt, fiend! Where do you think you're going?"

A monk from Vajra Temple! Wei Zhongze's eyes twitched. Feeling an immense crisis engulf him, he instinctively thrust his sword towards the monk.

"A stubborn fiend!" the monk roared, his qi and blood surging as he violently slammed a fist down at Wei Zhongze.

A short while later, the battle ended. Wei Zhongze lay on the ground, eyes wide, life ebbing away, with only one thought swirling in his mind.

The monks of Vajra Temple truly live up to their reputation; each one is as tough as a monster.

In a daze, he felt his blood seeping into the ground, connecting with an unknown entity.

Many others shared Wei Zhongze's sensation, and all of them were on the verge of death.

The Sky Rift Sect suffered heavy losses, and the allied cultivator army also sustained casualties.

Even a cornered beast will fight, let alone these accomplished cultivators. Faced with the formidable allied cultivator army that had come to encircle and annihilate them, the Sky Rift Sect cultivators had no choice but to resist desperately to survive.

But everyone knew that the Sky Rift Sect was doomed; after today, there would be no Sky Rift Sect left in this world.

"Sect Leader, we can't hold on!" Xing Mo, covered in blood, rushed to Tian Sheng, pleading as if weeping, "Please, Sect Leader, intervene and save our lives!"

Even at this moment, Tian Sheng's expression remained as calm as ever, which instilled a strange confidence in Xing Mo. If Tian Sheng had been as panicked as him, then there truly would have been no turning point.

He didn't know what his Sect Leader intended to do, but since he wore such a confident expression, Xing Mo presumed he had a good strategy for dealing with the situation.

He had followed Tian Sheng the longest and knew his character. Although the Sect Leader had seemed arrogant in recent days, he was, in fact, an extremely cautious person. This was evident from how he had held back for so many years, only suddenly implementing his plan when everything was meticulously prepared.

Cheng Henfeng also flew over. The swordsman now lacked an arm, and his face was ashen, clearly indicating severe injuries.

At present, fewer than two out of ten Sky Rift Sect members remained; most had already fallen in battle, and those still alive would not survive the day.

"It's time!" Tian Sheng said calmly, finally making a move.

He stepped out, walking on air as if invisible stairs supported him, carrying his body forward.

His destination was the hundred-zhang altar that had stood nearby the entire time.

As if aligning with a grand trend, each of Tian Sheng's steps resonated like a muffled war drum.

All sounds in heaven and earth vanished, and the noisy battlefield fell silent in that instant. Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to Tian Sheng, looking up.

Tian Sheng's steps appeared unhurried, but in just two breaths, he was already seated on the altar. He swept aside the hem of his robes, gently sat cross-legged, and his gaze calmly surveyed his surroundings. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips as he softly spoke, "Greetings, esteemed guests, you have traveled far."

Though his voice was soft, empowered by his spiritual energy, it resonated across the entire battlefield. In that instant, the altar seemed to become the center of the world.

"I must thank you all for providing me with enough blood sacrifice to activate this grand formation. I will remember you, and the Soaring Dragon Realm will also remember you. Without further ado, I shall begin. This is the path I painstakingly sought out for all of you!"

"Tian Sheng, you old scoundrel, face your death!" A furious roar echoed, accompanied by a breathtaking sword light.

Furthermore, a magnificent display of formidable power, a spell soaring like a dragon, also arrived.

And a bald monk, qi and blood surging, charged forward, raising his demon-subduing staff high. With boiling spiritual energy and qi, he brought it crashing down on Tian Sheng.

Kui Yuanshan, Deputy Sect Master of Huangtian Sect; Yuan Changcun, current Dean of Haoran Academy; and Guangjing, abbot of Vajra Temple, all made their move together.

With Li Sa having passed away, Fahua and Liu Tian having perished, and Huang Liang not appearing, these three were the strongest existences in this realm and the most powerful cultivators in the allied army.

Their combined, daring attack arrived, and no one under heaven could withstand their joint strike.

The eyes of countless cultivators were drawn to these three figures, seemingly anticipating the scene of Tian Sheng being annihilated by their pincer attack.

However, Tian Sheng, seated on the hundred-zhang altar, merely smiled faintly.

This smile appeared incredibly eerie.

Facing the combined assault of these three powerhouses, he showed no intention of dodging.

A layer of blood-red light suddenly emerged from him, so dense it seemed unnatural. In an instant, Tian Sheng appeared as if clad in a garment of blood.

The breathtaking sword light struck the blood-red aura, unable to even slightly shake it. The spell, soaring like a dragon, also hit the blood-red aura without causing a ripple.

Grandmaster Guangjing's demon-subduing staff smashed down.

With the pinnacle cultivation of the Cloud River Ninth Realm and the explosive power of his meticulously refined physical body, this strike distorted the very void. Let alone a person, even solid metal would be pulverized.

Yet, under this blow, Tian Sheng remained unharmed. The formidable strike did not even emit a sound.

Only the thick blood-red aura enveloping Tian Sheng's body rippled faintly.

"How is this possible?"

Countless cultivators who witnessed this scene froze in disbelief, unable to trust their eyes, wondering if they were experiencing an illusion.

Could such a person truly exist in this world?

Although it was long rumored that Tian Sheng, the Sect Leader of the Sky Rift Sect, possessed profound cultivation, he could not possibly have such power.

However, many people, especially the three who had attacked, noticed something amiss.

Tian Sheng himself naturally lacked the ability to directly withstand the combined attack of the three. The problem lay with the layer of blood-red light around him.

Grandmaster Guangjing, who had charged forward to fight Tian Sheng, clearly perceived an anomaly at that moment.

The Great Blood River Formation, covering an area of a hundred li, was raging, and the altar was its core, with the entire formation's power concentrated on Tian Sheng.

No one had noticed when he activated this mysterious grand formation.

The sound of rushing river water filled the air, and alongside the churning blood-river came a heart-palpitating aura.

"What kind of wicked art is this?" Grandmaster Guangjing's eyes widened in fury.

Tian Sheng smiled faintly, "A gift from heaven. How could a monk like you comprehend its mysteries?"

This was not a lie. Tian Sheng had never cultivated the path of formations in his life, and his ability to set up such a grand formation was indeed a profound method he had comprehended from within the Sky Rift.

However, whether it was truly a heavenly gift was known only to Tian Sheng himself.

"Mere demons and ghosts dare to play at being gods!" Grandmaster Guangjing roared like a lion, raising his demon-subduing staff high once more and smashing it down.

"Before my Lord's divine might, do not show off your meager skills," Tian Sheng scoffed, flicking his finger. A streak of blood-red light shot out suddenly, striking Grandmaster Guangjing in the chest.

Though it was just an unremarkable streak of blood-red light, the moment it struck him, Grandmaster Guangjing felt as if he had been hit by a mountain. His muscular frame was sent flying backward uncontrollably, and he spat out a mouthful of blood mist while still in mid-air. His face was pale, his eyes wide with fury and utter disbelief.

"Grandmaster!" Yuan Changcun of Haoran Academy swiftly flew over, catching Guangjing. The two figures tumbled back several hundred feet before finally stabilizing themselves.

However, Guangjing's appearance at this moment was horrific. His chest was a bloody mess, covered by the blood-red light, which seemed extremely corrosive, emitting a sizzling sound.

His meticulously refined physical body, along with the protective golden aura he had cultivated his entire life, proved utterly vulnerable before this blood-red light.

A deathly silence fell.

When Tian Sheng sent Guangjing flying with a mere flick of his finger, all eyes watching him changed.

The surviving cultivators of the Sky Rift Sect felt invigorated, while the cultivators of the Soaring Dragon Realm's allied army looked on in terror.

"He... has truly taken that step?"

In that instant, an unbelievable thought surfaced in countless minds.

Even if Tian Sheng was powerful, as a fellow cultivator of the Cloud River Ninth Realm, it should have been impossible for him to flick Grandmaster Guangjing away with just one finger.

But in fact, he had done it.

If he could achieve this, there was only one explanation.

Tian Sheng had taken the step that the Soaring Dragon Cultivation World had yearned for countless years, breaking the shackles of the Cloud River Realm and ascending to a higher level.

At this moment, Tian Sheng was enveloped in a dense aura of blood-qi, making it impossible for anyone to discern his true cultivation.

Thus, no one knew if he was still in the Cloud River Realm.