Chapter 4123: Wang Changsheng Returns

Crimson Sun Market, Crimson Sun Sea. Blue Lotus Pavilion, seventh floor.

Wang Maowen was speaking with a shapely young woman in a purple dress. Both were True Immortal cultivators. "It's settled then, Fellow Daoist Wang. Please notify me as soon as the puppet beast arrives."

"Absolutely!" the young woman in the purple dress said.

Wang Maowen agreed. The Wang family owned many shops in the Crimson Sun Sea region, and he was responsible for managing the family's business there.

As the Wang family's strength grew, they began selling Immortal Puppets, low-grade Immortal Extermination Cannons, low-grade Chaos Armor, and low-grade Immortal Extermination Arrows. All transactions required settlement with Chaos Beast Cores or could be exchanged for rare spiritual materials.

The young woman in the purple dress nodded, then stood up and left. Just as she departed, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan arrived.

They had traveled by taking turns controlling their flying immortal artifact and cultivated by taking turns consuming Golden Lotus Immortal Fruits. After many years of cultivation, they had successfully reached the peak of the True Spirit realm, significantly enhancing their strength.

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

Wang Maowen quickly stood up and bowed. "There haven't been any major incidents within the clan, have there?"

Wang Changsheng asked.

After returning to the North Sea Immortal Realm, they had used a sea region teleportation array to travel back to the Crimson Sun Sea. Wang Maowen, not daring to conceal anything, provided a detailed report on the family's situation in recent years.

"The Immortal Annihilation Catastrophe! The Murong family is privately buying strategic materials at high prices!" Wang Changsheng frowned, his expression solemn.

"Ancestor Qingshan suspects that a larger-scale Chaos Beast Tide will occur on the Chaos Continent. They are purchasing strategic materials at high prices to refine Immortal Extermination Arrows, Immortal Extermination Cannons, and Chaos Armor, and to train the Immortal Armored Army," Wang Maowen said.

"In that case, we should first go to the Chaos Continent. It won't be too late to return to the Heaven's Dawn Sea region later," Wang Ruyan suggested.

Wang Changsheng nodded and said, "Send someone to inform Yongqian that we have returned and that we are heading to the Chaos Continent first." After giving a few instructions, Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan departed for the Chaos Continent.

Chaos Continent, Yunlang City.

The east city wall had collapsed, and numerous buildings were destroyed. Cao family cultivators were clearing the battlefield.

Inside Yunlang Hall, Cao Mingjing sat on the main seat, his face pale, his right leg missing, and his aura weak.

Four Grand Unity Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beasts led the assault on the city. Even without mutated Grand Unity Golden Immortal Chaos Beasts, Yunlang City could not withstand the attack and was breached. Cao Mingjing and Cao Mingxue fought desperately to break through the encirclement. The Chaos Beasts pursued them relentlessly, forcing them to scatter and break out.

Only after the Chaos Beasts retreated did Cao Mingjing dare to return. He couldn't contact Cao Mingxue, indicating she had likely met with misfortune. Cao Yuanxing entered, his expression sorrowful.

"Ancestor Mingjing, we just received a message from the clan: Ancestor Mingxue's soul lamp has extinguished," Cao Yuanxing reported.

Cao Mingjing sighed deeply and asked, "What is the extent of the losses among the affiliated Profound Cities?"

"They were almost completely wiped out. According to reports from the affiliated Profound Cities, ninety-five Golden Immortal cultivators were captured by Chaos Beasts, over twenty Golden Immortal cultivators are missing, and more than ten Golden Immortal cultivators were killed. Over two thousand True Immortal cultivators were lost. Our family alone lost seventeen Golden Immortal cultivators: three were killed on the spot, and fourteen were taken captive by the Chaos Beasts. The soul lamps of some Golden Immortals have already extinguished, suggesting they have likely been used as sacrifices by the Chaos Beasts," Cao Yuanxing reported.

Yunlang City had seventy-two affiliated Profound Cities, with the Cao family directly controlling twelve of them. While this arrangement increased their revenue, it also placed immense defensive pressure on the Cao family during a Chaos Beast Tide. This time, their losses were considerable.

Cao Mingjing frowned deeply. The Cao family had suffered heavy losses this time; it would take an unknown number of years to recover their strength. "Ancestor Mingjing, is the Nangong Immortal Clan not intervening?" Cao Yuanxing asked.

"The Nangong Immortal Clan sent Grand Unity Golden Immortal reinforcements, but only to repel the Chaos Beast attacks. Their previous experience is still fresh in their minds; the Nangong Immortal Clan doesn't want to repeat past mistakes, as the Chahar Tribe's strength is considerable," Cao Mingjing said.

The Chahar Tribe was quite powerful, possessing multiple Great Luo Golden Immortals, and was in a standoff with the Nangong Immortal Clan's Sky Phoenix City. The Nangong Immortal Clan had previously launched a large-scale war against the Chahar Tribe but could not defeat them and suffered heavy losses.

It was a fight of soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals.

Kunlun Immortal City confronted the Hunxie Royal Tribe, the Nangong Immortal Clan faced the Chahar Tribe, and the Cao family dealt with the Hulan Tribe. The Hulan Tribe, located in the Hulan Mountains, was a newly emerging tribe.

The Nangong Immortal Clan did not want to escalate the conflict, as it would be difficult to end then.

Cao Yuanxing frowned, sighing, "With this ebb and flow, the Chaos Beasts' strength will only grow."

Chaos Beasts capture immortals to sacrifice them to the Ten Directions Mother-Child Pagoda, which facilitates the cultivation of mutated Chaos Beasts. During this Immortal Annihilation Catastrophe, the Chaos Beasts captured many immortals, ensuring the emergence of new mutated variants.

If this continues, the strength of immortals will weaken, while the Chaos Beasts will grow ever stronger.

"The losses from that war back then were too great. Several Dao Ancestors perished, and immortals still haven't fully recovered their vitality. The number of Dao Ancestors is too small, while Chaos Beasts have more. If immortals had a few more Dao Ancestors or a few more Dao Artifacts, the pressure would be much less," Cao Mingjing said, his tone somewhat powerless.

"Oh, by the way, what about the losses for the Murong family and the Wang family?" Cao Mingjing asked, remembering something.

"Their losses were not small either, but much better than other forces. Most Profound Cities were breached, suffering heavy casualties. While their Profound Cities were also breached, their losses weren't as significant. This is actually an exaggeration of their losses; their true losses wouldn't be that great," Cao Yuanxing said.

This Immortal Annihilation Catastrophe severely depleted the Cao family's vitality and also led to a major reshuffling of power.

"It seems they knew some inside information, especially the Murong family, managing to only defend two Profound Cities," Cao Mingjing said with a frown.

"They did warn us, so we can't blame them," Cao Yuanxing said with a wry smile.

Both the Murong family and the Wang family had warned the Cao family that the next Chaos Beast Tide might be on a larger scale. The Cao family had heeded this warning and had been collecting strategic materials at high prices. However, in a short period, the Cao family couldn't acquire anything capable of severely wounding Grand Unity Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beasts. They only managed to refine some more mid-grade Immortal Extermination Arrows; otherwise, their losses would have been even greater.

Even if this particular Chaos Beast Tide hadn't erupted, the Cao family was already collecting strategic resources. However, items capable of severely wounding Grand Unity Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beasts were extremely rare. Despite spending heavily, the Cao family only managed to acquire one high-grade immortal artifact, which was utterly incapable of severely wounding Grand Unity Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beasts.

"What about the Ye family's losses?" Cao Mingjing asked further, recalling something.

"It's unclear for now. We heard that Fairy Liuyun is also on the Chaos Continent; we don't know if she's alright," Cao Yuanxing replied.

"Issue orders to strengthen our defenses. I hope the Immortal Annihilation Catastrophe passes quickly; we cannot withstand another one," Cao Mingjing instructed.

Cao Yuanxing acknowledged and turned to leave.

Deep within the Hulan Mountains, in a colossal valley encircled on three sides by mountains, three Grand Unity Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beasts were gathered. Leading them was an eight-colored Chaos Beast in the form of a giant.

"You've done well, acquiring so many sacrifices. Lei has already escorted a batch of them back. Your contributions will be truthfully reported," the eight-colored Chaos Beast praised.

"It's all thanks to Envoy Cobalt's excellent leadership; we merely assisted," said a seven-colored Chaos Beast resembling a magnificent horse.