Tianlan Island lay in ruins, strewn with countless corpses. Tianlan Palace had been split in two, its shattered remnants revealing more bodies amidst the debris.
Most of the island's buildings had been razed to the ground, and fragments of magical artifacts littered the landscape.
Sun Tianhu stood atop a low hill, his body drenched in blood, making it impossible to tell if it was his own or his enemies'.
The cultivators from Dongli Realm held a significant advantage. Empowered by several sets of spirit treasures, they gained the upper hand, though the battle remained fiercely contested for some time.
Ye Yan arrived with the Nine Nether Bell, the treasured artifact of the Nine Nether Sect. As a Heaven-Reaching Spirit Treasure, its addition by Ye Yan became the final straw, leading to the crushing defeat of the Tianlan Sect cultivators.
Four Soul Transformation cultivators from the Tianlan Sect perished, as did Dongfang Yulin from Dongli Realm. Qin Tianlong and two other Perfected Nascent Soul cultivators, having used secret techniques and elixirs to temporarily elevate their cultivation to the early Soul Transformation stage, sacrificed themselves after the battle, dedicating their final strength to Dongli Realm. Several other Soul Transformation cultivators were wounded: Granny Black Butterfly's physical body was destroyed by Lei Yunbin, True Monarch Seven Flames lost an arm, and Sun Tianhu's contracted spiritual beast sustained minor injuries.
Lei Yunbin, Long Xiaoyao, and Li Shuo fled into the Buried Immortals Sea. Due to the presence of spirit-negating qi, no one dared to pursue them.
Dongli Realm achieved a significant victory in this battle, though their sets of spirit treasures sustained damage. Notably, two of Liu Ye's flying swords, part of his set of spirit treasures, were destroyed, greatly reducing their power.
They acquired numerous treasures from the Tianlan Sect cultivators. However, the scarcity of elixirs that could enhance magical power was a drawback; most of what they found were crafting materials. This was not surprising, as elixirs capable of significantly boosting the magical power of Soul Transformation cultivators were inherently rare. Had the Tianlan Sect cultivators possessed an abundance of such elixirs, there would have been no need for them to invade Dongli Realm in the first place.
A streak of light appeared from afar and landed before Sun Tianhu. It was Liu Ye, his face pale but his expression excited.
Two of his life-bound flying swords had been destroyed, and he himself had suffered repercussions.
"Lei Yunbin and the others fled into the Buried Immortals Sea. They possess special talismans that can temporarily block the spirit-negating qi."
Liu Ye said with a frown.
"They can block the spirit-negating qi?"
Sun Tianhu was surprised. After a moment's thought, he said, "It must only be a temporary block, otherwise, the Tianlan Sect's reinforcements would have been pouring in endlessly. Still, we mustn't let our guard down. We need to station people here and, as soon as the spirit-negating qi dissipates, immediately enter and seal the entrance."
Liu Ye nodded and added, "Based on what the captives revealed, some Tianlan Sect cultivators are still unaccounted for and might be hiding elsewhere in Dongli Realm. We must find them all and eliminate them completely to prevent future trouble."
Sun Tianhu hesitated. He knew that cornering the remaining Tianlan Sect cultivators would make them desperate. He had initially wanted to object, but given their recent great victory and the cultivators' high morale, voicing opposition now would not be wise.
He, personally, was unconcerned, as he would be returning to garrison Myriad Beasts Island, thus having no need to worry about the Tianlan Sect attacking it.
"This matter requires our collective effort. First, let's gather our forces and station heavy troops here. This is the most crucial location. As for the remaining Tianlan Sect cultivators, they are nothing but small fry, not worth worrying about."
Sun Tianhu was more concerned with the spatial channel deep within the Buried Immortals Sea. By sealing its entrance, it would be difficult for Tianlan Sect cultivators to cross over.
Liu Ye nodded, expressing his strong agreement.
A month later, news of Dongli Realm's decisive victory over the Tianlan Sect cultivators spread rapidly, and major powers across the realm held grand celebrations to commemorate the event.
Dongli Realm mobilized significant forces: seven Soul Transformation cultivators, fifty Nascent Soul cultivators, and hundreds of Core Formation cultivators were stationed on Tianlan Island. Once the spirit-negating qi dispersed, they would immediately enter the Buried Immortals Sea to seal the spatial channel, eliminating future threats.
Concurrently, major powers throughout Dongli Realm posted notices, offering substantial rewards for the capture or elimination of Tianlan Sect cultivators.
In the Eastern Barrens, at Green Lotus Manor.
Inside the council hall, Wang Qingshan, Wang Qingling, Wang Mengbin, and Fairy Cailian were discussing something.
"Master Uncle Sect Leader hopes we can take shelter at the Taiyi Immortal Sect for a while," Wang Qingshan said gravely. "Many Tianlan Sect experts are still alive, including several Soul Transformation cultivators. If they were to act, we wouldn't be able to stop them."
Wang Qingshan's expression was solemn; the fact that not all Tianlan Sect cultivators had perished posed a huge hidden danger.
Returning to Green Lotus Island at this time would not be safe. With Dongli Realm vigorously hunting down Tianlan Sect cultivators, there was a risk that cornered Tianlan Sect cultivators might retaliate by destroying a few factions as a show of force.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang's considerations are not unreasonable," Wang Qingling countered. "However, we are not disciples of the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Seventh Brother, you can go alone. We should head to the Zhenhai Sect ruins! That's our territory, and we already owe the Taiyi Immortal Sect far too much."
Wang Qingling expressed her objection, stating that Green Lotus Manor only needed a small garrison. Under the current circumstances, the Zhenhai Sect ruins had become an excellent place of refuge.
The Zhenhai Sect had been rebuilt, but its strength was too weak to protect its ruins. The Wang family had temporarily taken control of the Zhenhai Sect ruins, with the intention of returning them once the Zhenhai Sect's strength improved in the future.
Neither Wang Mengbin nor Fairy Cailian objected. Wang Mengbin, having suffered severe injuries, needed a safe place for secluded cultivation and recovery.
"Alright then, but don't leave immediately. Wait a while; things are still chaotic outside. By the way, how is Tianwen doing?"
Wang Qingshan inquired about Wang Tianwen's condition.
"We've already found a suitable body for him to possess," Wang Qingling truthfully replied. "He's currently cultivating. If all goes well, he should recover his cultivation base within a century."
Wang Qingling explained that Wang Tianwen's physical body had been destroyed, and the family had helped him find a suitable body for possession. Since Wang Tianwen already had a Nascent Soul, he didn't need to break through to the Nascent Soul stage again; it was merely a matter of time before he recovered his Nascent Soul cultivation through steady practice.
Soul possession was a rather troublesome process. Ideally, the spiritual root of the possessed body should be identical to the original body to maintain cultivation speed.
Situ Mei herself possessed a spiritual body, but when her split soul possessed Zhang Wuchen, Zhang Wuchen did not have a spiritual body. This caused Situ Mei to take a significant amount of time to recover her cultivation. Had it not been for the longevity elixir bestowed by Long Hanji, Situ Mei would have already died.
"What about Murong Yuyao? Is she still at Green Lotus Manor?"
Wang Qingshan asked about Murong Yuyao, knowing she was only temporarily residing on Green Lotus Island and would surely depart now that the great war had concluded.
Wang Qingling shook her head. "She has already returned to the Central Plains, intending to rebuild the Murong Royal Clan. If she hadn't gone back, the Murong Royal Clan's territory and interests would have been completely divided among others. She said she would repay our Wang family in the future, but she didn't specify how."
With the war over, everything was in ruins, and major powers needed time to recover. Naturally, smaller factions would be swallowed up. If Murong Yuyao had not returned to the Great Yan Dynasty, the Murong Royal Clan's territory and interests would undoubtedly have been completely seized.
Wang Qingshan was not surprised. After giving a few instructions, they went together to pay respects to their ancestors before parting ways. Wang Qingshan headed to the Taiyi Immortal Sect, intending to seek guidance on swordsmanship from Liu Ye, while Wang Qingling and the others traveled to the South Sea to seek refuge at the Zhenhai Sect ruins.
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