Chapter 3329: Battle Situation

Ye Tongtian, as the host of the gathering, was the first to present items for exchange. He brought out hundreds of materials. These included spirit wood over a hundred thousand years old, the hides of seventh-tier demonic beasts, shells of seventh-tier spirit turtles, seventh-tier refining materials, 30,000-year-old spirit medicine, seventh-tier spirit water, Dharma Idol materials, seventh-tier talismans, and even Sky-Reaching Spirit Treasures, among many other dazzling varieties. The most valuable items were an 80,000-year-old Dongyi Divine Wood and a Flying Frost Transformation Talisman. The Flying Frost Transformation Talisman was similar in effect to the Thunder Transformation Talisman, capable of weakening the power of a cultivator's Great Tribulation during the Integration stage.

Wang Changsheng and the other three were greatly impressed, seeing many items for the first time. They had attended numerous exchange gatherings among Integration-stage cultivators, but this one was of the highest caliber. Ye Tongtian sought to exchange for materials of equivalent value, with priority given to ice-attributed materials. Spirit medicines, beast hides, refining materials, spirit water, and demonic cores were all acceptable. Many cultivators coveted the Dongyi Divine Wood and the Flying Frost Transformation Talisman. However, acquiring these two items required offering tribulation-transcending materials or even rarer substances. Wang Qingshan exchanged two ice-attributed seventh-tier demonic cores for two pieces of seventh-tier ore, intending them for the Stone Golem's refinement. Wang Changsheng traded a 30,000-year-old Ice Marrow Grass for two drops of Xuanming Heavy Water.

The cultivators presented various items for exchange, including talismans, pills, treasures, and spirit wine that could weaken a cultivator's Great Tribulation during the Integration stage. However, the items they sought in return were equally precious, such as Nine-Light Divine Clay, seven-star divine wood over a hundred thousand years old, and rare eighth-tier refining materials. Grandmaster Miaode exchanged two sets of seventh-tier formation talismans for materials used in crafting Buddhist treasures.

After about the time it takes to steep a cup of tea, Yang Shuo stood up and presented hundreds of materials, mostly refining materials, predominantly ores and jade.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, what's in that jade box?" Wang Qingshan asked, pointing to a black jade box. The Stone Golem reacted, clearly showing great interest in its contents.

Yang Shuo opened the jade box, revealing some black sand, glimmering with dark light.

"Ghost Soul Sand, from the Netherworld," Yang Shuo introduced.

"Ghost Soul Sand? I heard this material originates from the Underworld. Where is this 'Netherworld' you speak of, Fellow Daoist Yang?" Luo Shijie asked curiously.

"Naturally, it's the Netherworld Cave of our Jade Core Realm. It's teeming with ghosts; some have even encountered Mahayana-stage ghosts there," Yang Shuo explained.

"Netherworld Cave? Fellow Daoist Yang, there are also several places in the Profound Sun Realm with many ghosts, and Underworld materials like Styx River Water and Heavenly Nether Stone appear there too. Is there any connection between these places?" Wang Changsheng asked, full of curiosity.

"I'm not sure. The Netherworld Cave has existed for a very long time. Some say it's an ancient battlefield, others claim it connects to the Underworld," Yang Shuo was also uncertain.

"I've heard that with a world-breaking treasure, one can travel to the Underworld from these locations," Jiang Haoyun stated.

"That's just hearsay. Who knows if it's true? Even with a world-breaking treasure, traversing other realms is dangerous. The Blood Vine Divine Monarch from the Heavenly Demon Realm encountered a True Spirit Hundred-Headed Worm while realm-traveling and was severely wounded," Luo Shijie dismissed the idea.

"Blood Vine Divine Monarch, True Spirit Hundred-Headed Worm!" Wang Changsheng was secretly astonished.

"I heard the Blood Vine Divine Monarch is a blood vine that took human form after over 200,000 years, cultivating with great difficulty to the Mahayana stage and mastering blood-path divine abilities. His luck was truly terrible to encounter a Hundred-Headed Worm," Ye Tongtian sighed.

"Speaking of luck, I doubt anyone here can compare to Fellow Daoist Jiang. Fellow Daoist Jiang, if the Thousand Spirits Secret Treasury opens, would you be interested in joining me to seek treasures?" Yang Shuo said with a playful smile.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, you jest. I know my own limitations," Jiang Haoyun chuckled, subtly deflecting the topic.

Wang Qingshan exchanged two 30,000-year-old Golden Sun Grasses for this box of Ghost Soul Sand, intending it for the Stone Golem's refinement. The exchange continued. Wang Changsheng acquired a seventh-tier Five-Thunder Beast's inner core from Jiang Haoyun. With this core, it could be given to Liu Hongxue to refine Five-Thunder Spirit Transformation Pills. Wang Ruyan traded with Luo Shijie for a seventh-tier Essence-Devouring Beast hide, which could be used to refine Thunder Transformation Talismans. After more than two hours, the cultivators gradually departed.

On the Profound Spirit Continent, within the Five-Light Mountain Range, a large number of human cultivators could be seen active. After Wang Yidao and the other vanguard troops fired the first shot, the main human forces and their allied races launched an assault on the subsidiary races of the Fiery Essences and the Yaksha. The human race, well-prepared, caught the Yaksha and Fiery Essences off guard. They captured a large amount of territory and established ten strongholds on the front lines for stockpiling resources. All ten strongholds were equipped with large-scale teleportation formations, connecting them for easy reinforcement.

The Five-Light Mountain Range and the Heaven-Kun Mountain Range were two of these strongholds. The Wang family's first battle was remarkably successful, satisfying Chen Yueying, who entrusted both strongholds to the Wang family's command. These two strongholds collectively controlled billions of miles of territory, rich in resources such as spirit stone veins, spirit medicine gardens, and spirit wood. The human race had seized all of them, with the Wang family taking the lion's share. The Wang family mobilized fifty Void Refinement cultivators and one thousand Spirit Transformation cultivators from their allied forces to participate in the war, assisting the Wang family's advance.

Inside the Five-Light Palace, Wang Yingjie sat on the main seat, while Wang Yidao, Liu Hongxue, Wang Lihe, Wang Huayue, Seven Gourd Rogue Cultivator, Song Yunlong, Song Huizu, Lan Fukong, Ximen Lang, Gongsun An, Sun Tianhu, Wang Dafei, and others sat on either side. Wang Dafei had already advanced to the Integration stage and also participated in this major conflict. The Song family currently had three Integration-stage cultivators, with Song Yunlong leading their contingent into battle. Originally, Wang Yidao was supposed to be the head of this stronghold, but due to his solitary nature, he declined and let Wang Yingjie take the position, indicating that he would simply follow orders.

"The Beastkin race has deployed four Integration-stage cultivators to guard Golden Tiger Valley. Fellow Daoists Sun, Gongsun, Song, Lan, along with Lihe, Yidao, and Huayue, you will be responsible for capturing Golden Tiger Valley. You may draw upon a portion of our cultivators to assist you," Wang Yingjie stated gravely. The Fiery Essences had established six strongholds on the front lines to resist the human invasion. Golden Tiger Valley was a stronghold managed by the Beastkin race, with at least five Integration-stage cultivators. Wang Yingjie planned to dispatch eight Integration-stage cultivators to capture Golden Tiger Valley in one swift move. Wang Yidao, Gongsun An, and Song Yunlong were all Spirit Body cultivators at the mid-Integration stage, while Sun Tianhu and the others were at the early Integration stage. With three mid-Integration stage cultivators leading, five early-Integration stage cultivators accompanying, and a contingent of high-level cultivators, taking Golden Tiger Valley should not be an issue.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, in that case, the defense of this stronghold would be too weak. Please stay behind!" Gongsun Yang suggested.

"Fellow Daoist Song should stay; I will go," Wang Yidao said in a deep voice.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, please stay! You contributed significantly in the first battle; it's time for me, Song, to get some action," Song Yunlong said with a smile, also eager to achieve merits and expand the Song family's territory.

"All of you go! Don't worry about this place; the five of us can hold it. Even if powerful enemies attack, we can request assistance from other strongholds. All of you, be extra careful," Wang Yingjie instructed. Wang Yidao and the others agreed, leading hundreds of cultivators away from the Five-Light Mountain Range.

Wang Yingjie and Liu Hongxue left the Five-Light Palace and returned to their residence.

"I wonder if the family has repelled the Silver Shark clan's attack," Wang Yingjie said with some concern.

"Ancestor Qingcheng and the others are quite powerful, and they have seventh-tier formations and seventh-tier puppet beasts. There shouldn't be any problems," Liu Hongxue reassured him.

Wang Yingjie nodded, "I hope so. I'm just afraid the Golden Scale clan might join the war." The Golden Scale clan had been quite peaceful for the past tens of thousands of years. If not for Jin Jiao occasionally showing himself, the outside world might have assumed he had perished. If the Golden Scale clan didn't join the conflict, the pressure from the sea would be significantly reduced.

"The Golden Scale clan likely won't participate. Last time, Xuan Qingzi injured Jin Jiao, and there was no significant benefit for them. So, the Golden Scale clan probably won't join the war!" Liu Hongxue analyzed.

Wang Yingjie nodded and returned to his private chamber to meditate and recuperate.