Chapter 419: Black Mountain Pass Situation

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Five years ago, when the Netherblood Sect Master regained his senses, he set an overarching strategic direction: to overcome the unconventional with the conventional, crushing opponents with overwhelming strength, no matter how cunning they were.

This was a truly reckless approach, the premise for victory being that the Netherblood Sect could genuinely suppress the siege of multiple forces and achieve an honorable win.

However, if all the strong cultivators from multiple forces were considered, pursuing this path would almost certainly lead to failure.

Yet, considering only the powerful cultivators appearing on the Fengzhou and Yunlingzhou battlefields, the subsequent reinforcements were sufficient to create an overwhelming advantage.

Even if the Yellow Spring Temple and the Underworld Mountain Sect sent one or two Grand Cultivators, it wouldn't alter the situation. Their strategy was to slowly boil the frog, gradually eroding the Netherblood Sect's territory.

This strategy had been in effect for over thirty years.

The Sacred Sect, however, besides aiming for direct overwhelming force, also intended to exploit information asymmetry.

That is, to launch a sudden attack at a point where opponents couldn't unleash their full power, decisively winning the battle like autumn winds sweeping fallen leaves—essentially a high-level lightning war.

Unfortunately, there was a problem here.

Although the Young Sect Master had been brought back by Wang Yu, he himself had connections with the Yellow Spring Temple, and Wang Yu had openly captured him back in Fengzhou Prefectural City.

This meant the element of surprise crucial for a lightning war was negated.

With their opponents already on guard, how could the situation unfold as planned?

Therefore, the war in Yunlingzhou was not going smoothly.

Instead, the sudden appearance of Grand Cultivator-level experts escalated the war's intensity by several notches, leading to a fierce stalemate that remained unresolved.

The situation in Fengzhou was considerably better, with numerous minor forces pacified, leaving only the invading armies of major powers like Taihu, Yellow Spring Temple, and Underworld Mountain Sect.

Having barely achieved their initial strategic goals, they eagerly transferred more personnel to the Yunlingzhou battlefield to further intensify the conflict there.

While the Netherblood Sect appeared to be completely outmaneuvered in this wave, their true focus was actually on Black Mountain Pass and their secret cooperation with the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect!

It was a true display of layered schemes, a plan within a plan.

Half a month later, accompanied by four trusted subordinates of varying abilities, Wang Yu met with Savage Demon Lord Youmo and Demon Lord Minghu.

He maintained a good personal relationship with the Wei clan. Although Savage Demon Lord Youmo was the ancestor of the Weishanze bloodline branch, and they appeared to be two separate families, their relationship remained very close.

The purpose of splitting the family was to appear weak, and also to redistribute resources. This allowed them to evade the covetousness of rival clans of the same rank, like the Yougu Feng clan, and to rationally allocate their clan members, who were seen as an "asset."

In the event of a major disaster affecting the entire clan, they could conveniently sever ties to preserve one lineage, preventing the entire clan from being wiped out.

The benefits were endless.

It's often said that the Wei clan produces many intelligent people, and there's a good reason for that.

Wang Yu played a significant role in Wei Hao's ability to turn his fortunes around and rise again from a disgraced true disciple, not to mention the favor of gifting him the corpse.

Although the demonic corpse was ostensibly sold to Wei Hao, its rarity meant that encountering it was a matter of luck and destiny, so the favor was still owed.

Furthermore, if Wei Hao hadn't failed in the Corpse Fighting Grand Meeting, he wouldn't have obtained this destined corpse. It's truly a testament to how fate plays its hand.

His future instantly brightened by several degrees, giving him the chance to reach the Nascent Soul stage.

Therefore, Savage Demon Lord Youmo's attitude towards Wang Yu was very friendly.

"Hahahaha, I've long heard of Fellow Daoist Xuandan's great name, and seeing you today, it truly lives up to its reputation."

Upon their first meeting, Savage Demon Lord Youmo immediately praised him.

Although he had adopted the title of Extreme Law Profound Pill Demon Lord, only "Profound Pill" was widely recognized, becoming his primary appellation. Only closer friends would address him as "Brother Wang" or "Fellow Daoist Wang."

Wang Yu chuckled and exchanged a few pleasantries. Savage Demon Lord Youmo's Six Forms of Youmo Fist followed a semi-body refinement path; although he lacked divine marrow spiritual bones, he had the aid of a Nascent Soul.

His physique was nearly ten feet tall, even more exaggerated than Blood Axe.

His skin was a dark bluish-green, his brow bones protruded, and he had no eyebrows or hair. He looked rather ugly, yet he possessed a heroic spirit, which was the origin of his name, Youmo (Savage Demon).

An ugly yet handsome, muscular old man.

As for the other individual, Demon Lord Minghu, he followed the path of Yin Beasts. As is well known, the true lineage of Yin Beasts originated from Underworld Mountain, and Xiongming Peak, one of its nine peaks, did not have a Grand Cultivator at the late Nascent Soul stage.

Demon Lord Minghu and Mountain Master Xiongming had always maintained a low profile within the Sacred Sect.

The Yin Beast he controlled was a Nether Tiger at the peak of the early Fourth Rank. Yin Beasts are born from the netherworld, said to be pure Yin ghost beasts from the land of reincarnation.

They are actually quite similar to ghost cultivators, but the path of Yin Beasts focuses on quality over quantity. Practitioners cultivate no more than six Yin Beasts, typically with only one or two serving as primary combatants, while the others play auxiliary roles.

Compared to the orthodox lineage of the Underworld Mountain Sect, Demon Lord Minghu was slightly less powerful. Only this Nether Tiger could contend with a Nascent Soul cultivator, and combined with his own strength, he could actually fight a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

He was not considered weak.

Coupled with fifty Golden Core elites, their combined journey to support the Black Mountain Pass battle represented a significant force.

Demon Lord Minghu was slender, sitting astride his Nether Tiger. His demeanor was rather aloof; a mere nod to Wang Yu sufficed as his greeting.

After incorporating the four followers into the team, everyone boarded a medium-sized fast flying boat and hastened towards Black Mountain Pass.

Outside Black Mountain Pass, a gigantic black banner, towering like a mountain, was planted in the desertified ground. Skulls hung from its surface, their hollow eye sockets emitting an eerie green glow.

A figure stood atop the black banner, their withered white hair braided into a pigtail that loosely fell over their shoulders.

Although their face was covered in wrinkles, one could vaguely discern that they had once been a person of remarkable grace in their youth.

He was Old Ancestor Evil Soul, a Grand Perfection Nascent Soul from the Zuoqiu clan.

A titan of the Ghost Dao!

His true name had long been unknown; only his name, Old Ancestor Evil Soul, was recognized. During the righteous-demonic war five hundred years ago, he had displayed exceedingly formidable war tactics.

Today... it was no different!

"From Hehuan to Yellow Spring, and then to Fengzhou, nearly thirty years of accumulation have ensured that my Ten Thousand Souls Banner has gathered enough living souls. If not for being held back by my cultivation realm, its ascent to a Fifth-Rank spiritual treasure would have been a natural progression."

He spoke these words to his side, his voice extremely low.

There was clearly no one there, yet a response came to him.

"Evil Soul, you know what needs to be done regarding Soul Transformation. Capturing Black Mountain Pass is the real priority."

"Youdao is suppressed by that old woman from Wangyue Palace, making victory difficult. My Ten Thousand Evil Ghost Division is also restrained by the Grand Righteous Sword Qi. Is your Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect truly unwilling to act until you see the rabbit?"

"Don't speak so harshly. If you want to follow our sect's path, you must know that incantation."

"Refine Gu, refine people, and refine the heavens."

"Attain Dao and transform into a deity in an instant!"

"To avoid demonic corruption, you must refine this pollution. Since you sought assistance from our sect, a small price is to be expected."

"—Hmph! "

Old Ancestor Evil Soul said no more. He both yearned for Soul Transformation and hoped to break free from the shackles of the Ice Prison Realm. If not for the Yellow Spring Temple's methods being too extreme and the Joyous Demonic Sect simply following the old path of their predecessors, the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect would not have been a suitable partner. The disparity in top-tier cultivators could easily lead to becoming cannon fodder without receiving due returns.

It was only after the righteous-demonic war five hundred years ago that the Crimson Heaven Demon Venerable of the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect gained the opportunity for Soul Transformation through the Crimson Heaven Life-Absorbing Demonic Art he cultivated, a technique closely related to a refining secret method.

This technique also required finding the ancient demon who was the source of the cultivation method's lineage.

The combination of both could unleash the best effect. And since the three clans of the Netherblood Sect were united, his Zuoqiu clan was responsible for deeply cultivating cooperation with the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect to obtain the refining secret technique.

The Yu clan followed the Sect Master's lineage, continuing their efforts towards becoming "jailers."

The Zhuo clan's mission was the most unique, and even he only knew the bare minimum about it.

But if successful, the Zhuo clan's secretly implemented plan would yield the most benefits.

At this moment, further contemplation was useless.

A fierce aura erupted from Old Ancestor Evil Soul. Dark clouds enveloped the sky, instantly transforming the world into a ghost realm where chilling winds howled and evil spirits wailed!

On the thousand-zhang high ramparts of Black Mountain Pass, numerous figures appeared.

The two leading figures were:

One was the Silver Moon Elder of Wangyue Palace, who had consumed numerous longevity-extending elixirs. Her age exceeded one thousand seven hundred years, already surpassing the lifespan limit for Nascent Soul cultivators.

However, due to her unique cultivation method, every 120 years, she would transform into a child and sleep for 60 years, causing her lifespan to diminish slowly. According to rumors, this old woman's lifespan limit was around two thousand years, making her currently the oldest known person with Grand Perfection Nascent Soul cultivation.

The second was the Grand Righteous Sword Sovereign, Dean of the Righteous Qi Academy of the Void Heaven Sword Sect. Also a Grand Perfection Nascent Soul cultivator, his Grand Righteous Sword Art specialized in countering Yin, ghosts, demons, evil, and all manner of malevolent spirits.

His condensed Grand Righteous Nascent Soul possessed the characteristic of being immune to all spells, fearing no curses, no corpse-ghost evil arts, no soul possession, and was immune to illusions.

Its numerous functions and powerful abilities earned him the title of the strongest combatant below the Soul Transformation stage!

With these two grand cultivators stationed at Black Mountain Pass, Old Ancestor Evil Soul and Demon Lord Youdao were heavily suppressed. Even attempts to force through the pass, regardless of casualties, had failed.

Otherwise, given their temperaments, they would not have called for reinforcements.

At this moment, Old Ancestor Evil Soul, in cooperation with the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, unleashed his "Ten Thousand Evil Ghost Division," referring to the countless wicked ghosts within the banner.

As dark clouds obscured the sun, countless evil spirits surged out from the Ten Thousand Souls Banner.

Roaring as they charged towards Black Mountain Pass.

On the thousand-zhang cliff, numerous runes lit up, forming a pale yellow spiritual light barrier. Array masters actively rushed to various nodes of the formation, personally controlling it to defend against the siege of countless evil spirits.

At that time, the black-haired, black-clad Demon Lord Youdao appeared in mid-air. A ruthless man of few words, he drew his blade and delivered a cleaving strike.

The inky black blade light, as if splitting heaven and earth, tore and distorted space itself, effortlessly slicing the spiritual light barrier in two.

A single strike broke the formation, unparalleled in offense!

Old Ancestor Evil Soul snorted coldly. The gigantic banner, tall as a mountain, stomped the ground, and nine blue-faced, fanged Fourth-Rank mid-stage ghost kings suddenly appeared, tearing larger gaps in the spiritual light barrier.

This single move alone revealed the profound heritage of both the Zuoqiu clan and Old Ancestor Evil Soul!

This had not been revealed in previous attempts to breach the pass.

On the Taihu side, the Grand Righteous Sword Sovereign, whose temples were streaked with white, sighed helplessly. The formation at Black Mountain Pass had been compromised during the previous attack, secretly altered by demonic array masters.

This rendered the defenders unable to strike through the formation, forcing them to watch helplessly as it was destroyed.

It was like a bunker with its firing ports sealed with cement.

There were many similar cunning stratagems, a constant back-and-forth of counter-schemes. However, the compromised array remained the most severe lingering after-effect.

"We can only let the disciples fight to the death."

Hearing this, the Silver Moon Elder waved her hand, showering down a dense, viscous moonlight. All the Wangyue Palace disciples were covered in a layer of moon-white gauze, and their overall strength surged significantly.

"Kill!"

"Kill!!"

"Kill!!!"

The Ten Thousand Evil Ghosts surged through the gaps, directly clashing with the defending disciples of Black Mountain Pass, engaging in a life-and-death struggle upon contact.

However, the Ten Thousand Evil Ghosts were as numerous as stars, seemingly endless.

Yet, each fallen disciple could not be regenerated. If not for the formation's assistance in collecting their souls, they would have been devoured by the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and transformed into new ghosts within a few breaths, thrown back into the war.

The more they fought, the more numerous they became—this was the role of Ghost Dao cultivators in warfare, though there were also many ways to counter them.

The battle entered a white-hot stage.

Seeing the nine ghost kings widening the breach and preparing to attack the elite defenders, the Grand Righteous Sword Sovereign could no longer hold back.

"Righteous Qi Sword: Exterminate Evil!"

In an instant, clear qi filled the heavens and earth.

A seven-colored light shot straight into the sky, piercing through the eerie ghost realm. A warm sun shone down, bringing warmth and courage, as Grand Righteous Qi could inspire the noblest qualities in people's hearts.

Cultivating both mind and sword, the magnificent seven-colored sword light seemed poised to completely eradicate a ghost king. Demon Lord Youdao seized the opportunity to strike, also unleashing a deep, inky black blade light.

When it collided with the Grand Righteous Sword Qi, it was utterly suppressed.

The blade qi dissipated, and the seven-colored sword light left a deep, bone-deep wound on the ghost king's chest before finally dissipating, its power partially offset by the blade qi.

"Damn it."

Demon Lord Youdao frowned deeply. He felt like a low-tier version of the Grand Righteous Sword Sovereign; it was bad enough that he couldn't win in a direct confrontation of raw power, but his power attribute was also countered.

As for the Silver Moon Elder, he didn't even want to think about her.

However, events do not unfold according to one's own will. Since he had made his move, the Silver Moon Elder would not remain uninvolved.

The Elder's silver hair was coiled into a peony bun, and her demeanor was exceptionally noble and elegant. Although she was maliciously called an "old hag," female cultivators typically consumed youth-preserving pills.

Thus, the Silver Moon Elder's appearance was seductive but not demonic, mature like a peach, graceful and elegant, yet imbued with the vicissitudes of age, like an immortal who had observed the mortal world for countless years.

The moment Demon Lord Youdao moved, a vast, watery expanse of moonlight appeared, severing external space and trapping him within this sea of moonlight.

This viscous, pulp-like moonlight would become harder than metal or stone if struck with brute force, yet turn sticky if slowly pulled away.

Even if he used his demonic blade to cleave it, he couldn't cut through the seemingly endless sea of moonlight.

This was the Silver Moon Elder's innate divine ability.

Although it could trap him, it couldn't kill him. This feeling of extreme frustration, of being unable to unleash his full power, was utterly unbearable for him.

"Old hag, if you've got the guts, let your dad out!"

"You unfilial daughter, constantly drowning me with your mother's foul water!"

With no one nearby and the space sealed off, Demon Lord Youdao cursed loudly, displaying extremely poor conduct. Yet, the Silver Moon Elder appeared unfazed, controlling countless moonlit waters to form drills, continuously attacking Youdao.

Outside, Old Ancestor Evil Soul expressionlessly glanced at the large, silvery-white orb of light. This was not the first time; every battle saw Youdao effectively "disconnect."

This left him alone to contend with the Grand Righteous Sword Sovereign's Righteous Qi Sword. The bitterness of this situation was hard to explain to outsiders; if Youdao weren't an ancestor of the Yu clan, he would have suspected him of being a spy.

With a cold expression, he clutched the miniature Ten Thousand Souls Banner tightly and engaged in battle with the Grand Righteous Sword Sovereign.

Meanwhile, the team of Wang Yu and his fifty-seven companions suddenly changed direction.

"Fellow Daoist Youmo, are you sure this message is from Senior Youdao?"

"Yes, the code matches."