Chapter 1609: Welcome to the Dongli Realm

“Sister Long, if there’s truly an ambush, Junior Nephew Zhao and his group won’t detect it. Don’t forget, this is the Eastern Glaze Realm, where they have the home-field advantage in combat. To make the fish bite, we need to offer some bait. I’ll go myself! My lifespan is already limited. If I die, your full support in cultivating my descendants will be the greatest repayment to me.”

Yang Tianhai voluntarily stepped forward. As a former rogue cultivator with existing old injuries and just over two centuries of lifespan remaining, he knew his participation in this military operation was his only chance to carve out a path to survival. He understood that with such limited time, achieving the late Spirit Transformation stage was an impossible dream.

His descendant, Yang Zongli, who had already reached the late Nascent Soul stage, remained in the Sky Tide Realm.

Learning from the fate of several Spirit Transformation cultivators from the Sky Tide Realm who had died attempting secret passages, Yang Tianhai was determined not to follow their path. He had been the first to advocate for the Sky Tide Sect’s unification of the Sky Tide Realm. Regrettably, this ambitious plan took over six centuries to implement. The first spatial passage, opened years ago, was sealed before anyone from the Sky Tide Realm could even traverse it. This was now the second attempt to open such a passage.

“Senior Brother Yang, I’ll accompany you! My true form is a flood dragon, and even a Transcendent Spirit Treasure would struggle to kill me.”

Long Hanyi also volunteered. After more than six centuries of shared experience, the Sky Tide Sect’s Spirit Transformation cultivators were exceptionally united. They were determined to carve out a path to survival for themselves, or failing that, at least for their descendants. As the saying goes, ‘ancestors plant trees for descendants to enjoy the shade.’ Some things simply had to be done.

“When it comes to reaction speed, no one surpasses me. I’ll go as well. With the three of us united, it won’t be easy to eliminate us unless at least ten Spirit Transformation cultivators attack simultaneously.”

Feng Wu also stepped forward. Her true form was a fourth-tier demonic bird, and in terms of speed, she was unmatched.

With the three Spirit Transformation cultivators leading the way, others eagerly volunteered. After over six centuries of military preparation and the unification of language, script, and currency, the Sky Tide Sect disciples displayed exceptional unity. If there was a drawback, it was that the younger generation of high-level cultivators had not yet faced many life-or-death battles, having largely focused on arduous cultivation.

Long Hanyi and the two other Spirit Transformation cultivators took charge, selecting a hundred cultivators: twenty Nascent Soul and eighty Core Formation.

They cautiously patrolled the Fallen Immortal Cave but found no other cultivators. Instead, they triggered several restrictions. Fortunately, with the three Spirit Transformation cultivators present, there were no casualties.

Two days later, they appeared above an endless black dense forest, carried by a massive blue cloud.

In the void ahead, a black hole several zhang in size shimmered with spiritual light; it was the exit of the Fallen Immortal Cave.

Long Hanyi and her two companions fully extended their divine sense, exploring a thousand-mile radius. However, the Fallen Immortal Cave, originally an ancient battlefield, was riddled with numerous restrictions that somewhat limited their divine sense.

After the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, they retracted their divine sense. The three exchanged glances, shaking their heads in unison.

They used unique treasures for observation but still found no other cultivators. They did, however, discover many restrictions, though it was unclear whether these were original to the Fallen Immortal Cave or more recent additions. Even native Eastern Glaze Realm cultivators were not entirely familiar with all the restrictions within the cave.

“Forget it. Even if someone is hiding in the Fallen Immortal Cave, they’re likely using a Transcendent Spirit Treasure for concealment. Given the numerous restrictions and their home-field advantage, continuing our search is pointless; it will only grant them more time to prepare. Let’s go out! If necessary, I will stay behind to cover our retreat.”

Yang Tianhai flipped his hand, and with a flash of blue light, a shimmering blue trident appeared in his grasp. The trident was entirely crystalline, misty with vapor, clearly a spiritual treasure.

Transcendent Spirit Treasures were not commonplace; the Sky Tide Realm could not provide one to every Spirit Transformation cultivator. As a former rogue cultivator, Yang Tianhai naturally did not possess a Transcendent Spirit Treasure.

The blue cloud carried them towards the black hole, and soon after, they flew out of the Fallen Immortal Cave.

“It’s exactly as it was when we entered; nothing seems amiss.”

Shen Haoran muttered to himself, carefully observing everything nearby.

Long Hanyi and her two companions fully extended their divine sense, meticulously scanning a thousand-mile radius, yet found no anomalies.

Yang Tianhai frowned, then lightly waved the blue trident in his hand. A dazzling blue light shot forth, striking a nearby mountaintop.

A thunderous rumble!

Accompanying the deafening roar, the mountaintop exploded, sending dust flying everywhere.

“Senior Brother Yang, let’s use that precious item. No matter how valuable it is, it’s far less important than our lives.”

Long Hanyi said, her gaze solemn.

Yang Tianhai nodded. He flipped his hand, and a shimmering silver talisman appeared in his grasp. Its surface was covered with profound silver runes that resembled continuously wriggling tadpoles, like living creatures. The silver talisman emitted astonishing spiritual energy fluctuations.

This was the Nine Heavens Illusion-Breaking Talisman, a fifth-tier talisman specifically designed to dispel illusions. Spirit Transformation cultivators in the Sky Tide Realm had only managed to refine two such talismans.

If the cultivators from the Eastern Glaze Realm intended to ambush them, the most strategic location would be the Fallen Immortal Cave’s entrance. By securing the entrance, even if Eastern Glaze Realm Spirit Transformation cultivators caused disturbances inside the cave, they wouldn’t be able to create significant chaos. After all, there were still three Spirit Transformation cultivators within the Fallen Immortal Cave, whose combined strength was greater than Long Hanyi and her group.

Yang Tianhai cast the Nine Heavens Illusion-Breaking Talisman forward. With a flash of silver light, the talisman transformed into a beam that soared high into the sky before erupting. A blinding silver light appeared in the void, enveloping an area of a hundred miles in radius. It resembled a silver sun suspended high above, visible for a million miles around.

Soon after, the silver sun vanished, and the environment before them abruptly changed, revealing one hundred thousand cultivators.

These one hundred thousand cultivators were dispersed across a three hundred thousand-mile radius, within which over 360 sets of formations had been laid. The most formidable was the fifth-tier Ten Directions Demon-Slaying Formation. The cultivators' cultivation levels ranged from Foundation Establishment to mid-Spirit Transformation.

“Fellow Daoists, welcome to the Eastern Glaze Realm.”

Zhou Xingguo smiled faintly, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

Beside him stood a fair-skinned maiden in a green skirt and a red-robed elder with a hawk-like nose.

The green-skirted maiden, adorned with a vermilion hairpin and a misty green jade pendant at her waist, possessed a slender and graceful figure. Hailing from the Great Han Dynasty, she was Liu Xiuyun, a mid-Spirit Transformation cultivator.

The red-robed elder, Niu Kun, an early Spirit Transformation cultivator from the Myriad Demon Valley in the Central Plains Cultivation World, bore a pair of crimson ox horns on his head.

To counter the cultivators from the other realm, the Eastern Glaze Realm had this time mobilized seven Spirit Transformation cultivators, over a hundred Nascent Soul cultivators, several thousand Core Formation cultivators, and tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The remaining Spirit Transformation cultivators were either in secluded death-defying cultivation, occupied with other matters, or stationed in their strongholds, as no one knew if the cultivators from the other realm had any hidden trump cards.

Similarly, the Sky Tide Realm cultivators did not send all their Spirit Transformation cultivators, opting instead to dispatch their elites to spearhead the assault and seize the bridgehead.

Facing a common enemy, the Eastern Glaze Realm's Spirit Transformation cultivators had united to resist the invaders. In contrast, the Sky Tide Sect had unified the Sky Tide Realm specifically to invade other realms.