Chapter 1598: Wind and Rain Are Coming

The woman in the golden dress was only at the early Nascent Soul stage; her strength wasn't particularly high. The main difficulty came from the Fourth-Tier demonic beasts. Daoist Ziyang and the others were busy dealing with these beasts. In a one-on-one fight, the demon cultivators might not be a match for Daoist Ziyang and his allies.

Meng Tianzheng looked at the gray-robed man and asked, "Fellow Daoist Chen, are you alright? How did the demon race defeat the allied forces on the front lines so quickly?"

The gray-robed man sighed and explained with a grim face, "The demon race deployed a large number of Fourth-Tier demonic beasts; we were no match for them. This invasion by the demon race is comparable to their counterattack over four thousand years ago. They have already captured more than ten countries."

Over four thousand years ago, a major counterattack by the demon race led to the destruction of the Jinyang Sect. In the intervening millennia, the demon race launched several invasions, but none were as forceful as this one. This current invasion is very intense; they have captured over ten countries, resulting in over ten thousand cultivator casualties and more than a million mortal casualties.

If the war continues at this pace, the Six Great Immortal Sects might be reduced to five, or even four.

The human race's defense line is too long, making it difficult to hold back the demon race. Humans must dispatch a large number of elites to infiltrate the demon territory, draw their attention, and only then can they slow down the demon race's offensive.

"Our defense line is too stretched," Daoist Ziyang lamented. "Formations cannot cover such a vast area. We are too spread out, making us vulnerable to being defeated in smaller groups by the demon race. If we gather, we risk being besieged by them."

Daoist Ziyang sighed. The demon race controls vast numbers of demonic beasts. A single Second-Tier demonic beast isn't terrifying; a Nascent Soul cultivator can easily crush one. However, if hundreds of thousands of Second-Tier demonic beasts cast spells and attack a Nascent Soul cultivator simultaneously, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would have to retreat a significant distance, unwilling to face the assault directly.

"By the way, where is Fellow Daoist Huang?" Wang Qingshan asked curiously, putting away his flying sword. "Didn't he rush here to provide support first?"

"He was targeted by a mid-Nascent Soul demon cultivator," Daoist Ziyang said with a light chuckle. "I don't know where he ran off to; that guy runs faster than anyone."

Huang Fugui was responsible for transporting supplies. He had made a fortune in the South Sea and was targeted by multiple Nascent Soul demon cultivators, but he was incredibly fast.

"Was Bai Ling'er really killed? How could she have been killed, especially within demon territory?"

Wang Qingshan questioned, this matter having bothered him for a long time. He had fought Bai Ling'er in the Core Formation stage; honestly, her divine abilities were not weak. After she advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, her strength must have become even greater. If she had been killed elsewhere, it might be understandable, but for her to be killed deep within demon territory was truly intriguing.

Daoist Ziyang shook his head. "I'm not sure. That's what the demon race is saying. If Bai Ling'er hadn't been killed, Bai Xin of the Celestial Fox clan wouldn't have been so enraged, and the demon race's offensive wouldn't be so fierce."

The human race in the Eastern Barren Land only occupies a small area, and the demon race has ample living space. There's no need for such a massive display of force. If the demon race truly intended to wipe out the Six Great Immortal Sects, the Northern Borders and the South Sea wouldn't stand by idly and watch the demon race exterminate the human race of the Eastern Barren Land.

"Let's first gather the scattered cultivators," Meng Tianzheng said gravely. "We'll establish a defensive line here. I will immediately send someone to inform the sect master and request him to send more reinforcements."

Meng Tianzheng's tone was grave, as the demon race's offensive this time was incredibly aggressive.

Daoist Ziyang and the others had no objections.

Millions of miles away, within a vast, undulating mountain range, lay a narrow valley.

A small mound of earth swelled from the ground, and Huang Fugui abruptly burst out from beneath. He was covered in dirt, his magical robe had several holes, and there were terrifying bloodstains on his left shoulder, making him appear quite disheveled.

"Good thing I ran fast, or I would have lost my life," Huang Fugui muttered to himself, a look of relief on his face. He didn't know what happened, but two Nascent Soul demon cultivators had targeted him. Fortunately, he was swift, or he would have been in grave danger.

Huang Fugui seemed to sense something; his expression shifted slightly. A yellow light enveloped his body, and he burrowed into the ground.

Shortly after, a streak of white light tore through the sky, soaring over the mountains.

Half a quarter of an hour later, two silver lights appeared in the sky. After a few flashes, they stopped above the mountain range. The light receded, revealing a robust young man in a silver robe and a strikingly beautiful young woman in a silver dress. Both had a pair of silver wings, five to six zhang wide, on their backs, with numerous silver electrical arcs flickering across them.

"Damn it, they're faster than our Lightning Escape Technique. It must be a flying spirit treasure," the silver-robed youth said bitterly, his face filled with unwillingness. "We thought they were Core Formation cultivators. Who would have thought they were hiding their identities? Fellow Daoist Hu was killed by them in a single encounter. Such individuals shouldn't be unknown; I haven't heard of such masters in the Eastern Barren Land!"

Flying spirit treasures are not common; even the Six Great Immortal Sects might not possess one, and if they do, they wouldn't use it lightly. Three Nascent Soul cultivators disguised themselves as Core Formation cultivators. They were discovered by the demon race, revealing their true cultivation. Logically, to kill a Nascent Soul demon cultivator in a single encounter, even with a sneak attack, indicates they are not ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

He couldn't understand why they would disguise themselves as Core Formation cultivators.

The young woman in the silver dress sighed. "They have a flying spirit treasure. We can't catch them even with our Lightning Escape Technique. Let's not pursue them further. We've already ventured deep into human territory, and there are still many masters among the human race."

The two transformed into two streaks of silver light and returned the way they came.

An hour later, Huang Fugui emerged from the ground, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Killed a Nascent Soul demon cultivator in one encounter? And with a flying spirit treasure? Who could it be?" Huang Fugui mumbled to himself. He had assisted the Taiyi Immortal Sect in transporting supplies many times and had some understanding of the Six Great Immortal Sects. He had never heard of any Nascent Soul cultivator possessing a flying spirit treasure.

"Never mind for now. I'll slowly inquire about it when I get back; I'm sure I'll find out eventually."

After speaking, Huang Fugui vanished into the ground.

Tens of thousands of miles away, in a boundless, verdant mountain range, was a hidden underground cave.

Situ Mei, Shen Haoran, and Song Yuzhen were gathered in the underground cave. Shen Haoran's face was pale, and all three looked unwell.

"The demon race in the Eastern Barren Land is so powerful; I'm afraid the Sea Race of the South Sea and the Barbarian Race are even stronger," Song Yuzhen remarked with a frown. If they hadn't had a flying spirit treasure, they would have lost their lives.

"Hmph, I advised you, but you didn't listen," Situ Mei said indifferently. "If we hadn't had a flying spirit treasure, we would all be dead."

Shen Haoran nodded and said to Situ Mei, "Our mission is complete. We're preparing to return to the Central Plains. You go to the South Sea, spread the news that the Azure Lotus Immortal Couple are descendants of the Zhenhai Sect, and make some backup arrangements while you're there."

"Aren't you afraid I'll run off? Or reveal to other cultivators that your Tianlan Realm intends to invade the Dongli Realm?" Situ Mei asked, her eyes full of suspicion.

"When employing someone, trust them; when in doubt, don't employ them. I believe you wouldn't be so foolish. As I said before, we also don't know how many of our fellow disciples are in the Dongli Realm," Shen Haoran said meaningfully.

Situ Mei's expression flickered between shades of uncertainty before she smiled enchantingly. "What a fine saying: 'When employing someone, trust them; when in doubt, don't employ them.' I hope you don't regret it."

After speaking, Situ Mei transformed into a streak of silver light and flew out of the underground cave.

"Senior Brother Shen, what if she really leaks the information?" Song Yuzhen asked, frowning.

"Don't worry," Shen Haoran said confidently. "I already have a backup plan. If she truly dares to betray us, she will certainly not come to a good end. I believe she still has many secrets she hasn't told us. To make her genuinely work for us, we must trust her. A selfish person like her doesn't care about chaos in the Dongli Realm."

Shen Haoran was full of confidence. After some interaction, he had gained a certain understanding of Situ Mei. Given her selfish nature, Situ Mei would not betray them unless a God Transformation cultivator from the Dongli Realm helped her advance to the God Transformation stage.

Situ Mei had been hunted by multiple factions and had become like a rat crossing the street. She deeply resented the major powers of the Dongli Realm.

Song Yuzhen nodded. "That's true. Her desire for revenge is very strong. After all the suffering she endured, she already hates forces like the Sun-Moon Palace, the Nine Nether Sect, and the Great Yan Dynasty. Only with chaos in the Dongli Realm will she have a chance for revenge."

A quarter of an hour later, the two left the underground cave and headed back to the Central Plains.