Chapter 428: Black Mountain Pass Falls, Returning to the Mountain Gate

They showed him no respect.

Old Fiend Fire Ghost looked displeased, but Nether Demon and Dark Tiger didn't acknowledge him, continuing their own conversation.

"Since that's the case, I'll go south. What about you, Brother Dark Tiger?"

"I'll go north."

Wang Yu had departed towards the east, the front of Black Mountain Pass, leaving the task of a sneak attack from the far rear to Fire Ghost.

This position was somewhat dangerous. If Sword Saint Haoran and Silvermoon Matron withdrew, they would certainly escape from the rear. If those two passed overhead, there was no telling if they might launch a vicious attack. Who could say for sure?

However, the three acted too quickly, vanishing in a flash and showing little respect for him, an elder.

Since things had come to this, he could only blame his poor judgment for not realizing the trio had secretly reached an agreement. Moreover, he still harbored a private grudge against Moon-Gazing Palace and dared not expose his methods to attract Silvermoon Matron's attention. He could only hope his disguise spell was effective enough. Without revealing his techniques, Silvermoon Matron shouldn't recognize him based on appearance alone.

Once the four were in position, the accompanying demonic cultivator teams remained hidden further away. They were incapable of participating in battles of this level, their primary role being post-battle reception. Once Black Mountain Pass was captured, the Nascent Soul experts would naturally disperse, and their time would come.

Meanwhile, on the main battlefield of Black Mountain Pass, Old Ancestor Evil Soul, who had transformed into a thousand-zhang Ghost Emperor Aspect, stirred. He sensed the arrival of Wang Yu and the others.

"Now, only the Blood God Guard Commander is missing. Just a little longer..."

His gaze fixed on Sword Saint Haoran, who had broken free from the gap. The Sword Saint's mouth was bleeding, and one leg was unnaturally twisted; he was in a very sorry state. The Divine Might Aspect did not inherently belong to the Nascent Soul stage. It was a technique only available to Spirit Transformation Venerables. For Evil Soul to use it as a trump card was quite remarkable, but for him, it was still slightly insufficient.

"Evil Soul, since you refuse a toast and prefer a penalty, today I shall show you what Grand Righteous Qi truly is!"

"What's that barking?" Evil Soul's sarcastic reply made the Sword Saint's face stiffen. The suppressed rage was palpable. "—Arrogant!"

"Grand Righteous Qi? A bunch of hypocrites seeking fame and praise, claiming to be righteous? Those who know the truth would laugh their heads off!"

When the conversation went nowhere, and he found himself outmatched in a verbal spar with Evil Soul, Sword Saint Haoran let out a long roar, looking up at the sky. A seven-colored pillar of light abruptly pierced through the gloomy, sun-obscuring clouds. Midday sunlight poured down, inherently weakening ghosts and specters. The sun's essence naturally radiates, embodying the Great Dao's order. It could be blocked, but not altered. The "special effect" of pervasive dark clouds might well have been deliberately cast by Evil Soul; he was quite the shrewd individual.

After reversing the environmental disadvantage, the seven-colored Grand Righteous Qi condensed into multiple giant treasure swords. In a sword formation, they successively plunged into the Ghost Emperor Aspect's body. As if drawing a prison on the ground, the sword qi established its dominion. A cage instantly formed!

Evil Soul's heart jolted. Since Sword Saint Haoran dared to claim the title of the strongest below Spirit Transformation, his skill was naturally not simple. Myriad souls howled, condensing into the Ghost Emperor's Fist. It struck the sword qi cage fiercely. Though it made the cage tremble violently, there were no signs of shattering, showcasing the Sword Saint's formidable power.

"Even the power of my Aspect cannot overcome it?"

His Natal Artifact, the Myriad Souls Banner, appeared in the Ghost Emperor Aspect's hand at some unknown moment. Wielding the banner like a spear, just a few swings seemed to summon thousands of malevolent souls. He pierced the sword qi cage a second time.

The two attacks were closely spaced, but they still allowed Sword Saint Haoran to complete his charge-up. It was still the Great Sword Art, but this time, the sensation was different. The seven-colored great sword, as if intending to cleave the heavens, vertically slashed downwards. The Grand Righteous Dharmic Intent amplified its power severalfold, with the Righteous Qi Sword being the main focus.

—Boom!!!

With a thunderous explosion, the Ghost Emperor Aspect fell to one knee, its shoulder almost completely severed. The great sword remained embedded in its body, as if unwilling to stop until it had fully cut through. The Myriad Souls Banner-spear did pierce through the sword qi cage, but there was no remaining power to counter this particular sword strike.

If the situation continued to develop like this, once the Ghost Emperor Aspect dispersed, Old Ancestor Evil Soul might very well die at the hands of Sword Saint Haoran. Sword cultivators' offensive capabilities were simply too strong, and Grand Righteous Qi indeed countered ghost cultivation. He was defeated by the path he cultivated, not because Evil Soul himself was weak. If he had faced Demonic Lord Netherblade, he could probably have crushed him easily.

The opponent was too strong!

"—Now!!"

Old Ancestor Evil Soul suddenly roared. Wang Yu and the others immediately realized that his words were meant for them. Though he hesitated internally, Wang Yu's movements were not slow. In fact, he was the first to emerge. The Yellow Spring Earth Grudge Puppet carried him bursting out of the sandy ground, and he launched a dark, reddish formation-breaking nail. The north and south were a beat slower, while Fire Ghost's western rear was the slowest, but only by a beat and a half. All four formation-breaking nails unleashed their power simultaneously. The protective formation, already battered beyond recognition, shattered instantly. Black Mountain Pass was laid bare, utterly devoid of any defense.

"They've come, just as expected! We were waiting for you!"

Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky. A figure, both familiar and unfamiliar, materialized from the lightning—it was Heavenly Capital Thunder Monarch! One of Thunderfire Temple's few Nascent Soul Grand Perfection experts. His renowned divine ability, the perfected Heavenly Capital Divine Thunder, descended instantly, targeting Wang Yu directly. Without a word, a purple-golden pillar of lightning struck down from above Wang Yu, like divine punishment.

Sensing the lightning's immense speed and lack of evasion room, Wang Yu threw out the Thunder Evil Coffin, intending to resist with the power of his artifact and the Thunder Corpse. Both had extremely high resistance to lightning; one strike definitely wouldn't kill them. He felt a slight anxiety, his demonic essence continuously circulating within him, erecting layer upon layer of protection.

Fortunately, Old Ancestor Evil Soul was not one to make a move without purpose. His signal for them to act was precisely because reinforcements had arrived. He had long been wary of Heavenly Capital Thunder Monarch.

A crimson light flashed and vanished. A golden-red long spear flew from the horizon, dispersing the Heavenly Capital Divine Thunder before plunging fiercely into the ground. A cultivator completely clad in crimson heavy armor stood proudly beside it.

"The Blood God Guard Commander, a Nascent Soul Ninth-level cultivator, just one step away from Grand Perfection." Heavenly Capital Thunder Monarch landed on the ground, pointing at Wang Yu and saying, "You intend to protect him?"

"Obviously." The Commander, holding his spear, landed. He secretly transmitted a message to Wang Yu while overtly addressing Heavenly Capital Thunder Monarch. "He is a pillar of my Sacred Sect; how could someone of your caliber covet him?"

As for the private transmission, it generally concerned the Blood Demon Hall Master. The Hall Master was effectively the Sect Master, and his timely arrival was partly due to the Sect Master's influence. And Wang Yu dared to mercilessly attempt to kill Purple Lightning. In fact, after this mission, he was planning to return to the sect for secluded cultivation. During the righteous-demonic war, every Sacred Sect disciple was expected to contribute and earn significant merits. It was better than being assigned tasks by rivals. Completing one such mission could ensure a long period of stability. He could return and work on refining his Human Elixir Art, utilizing the Nascent Souls sealed within the Glazed Pagoda to elevate his cultivation. Once he advanced to the mid-Nascent Soul stage, he could truly rest easy. Cultivation at this stage was truly difficult.

With the Commander taking charge, the battle for Black Mountain Pass could essentially be concluded. With the formation-breaking mission complete, Wang Yu quickly retreated. Nether Demon and Dark Tiger also circled around from the sides. Fire Ghost was nowhere to be seen for now.

"Boastful!" Heavenly Capital Thunder Monarch and the Blood God Guard Commander were on the verge of clashing.

...

Within the Moonlit Sea domain.

Although Silvermoon Matron's main focus was on Demonic Lord Netherblade, her divine sense still monitored the outside situation. When she realized that even with the addition of Heavenly Capital Thunder Monarch, the situation wouldn't change, she naturally felt the urge to retreat.

Within the silver ocean formed by moonlight, Demonic Lord Netherblade swung his Natal Artifact, the Nether Demonic Blade, unleashing countless streams of Nether Blade Qi. He decapitated all the incoming Silvermoon Dragons, alleviating the pressure on himself. Although he was restrained, he also kept an eye on the external situation. He immediately burst into laughter.

"Matron, why bother with such futile struggles?"

"You worm, what business is it of yours?"

"Hmph... If I don't show some real skill, you'll truly think this lord is a soft persimmon to be casually squeezed."

Demonic Lord Netherblade, unable to maintain his composure, uttered a round of harsh words. He held his blade vertically before him, lightly touching the back of the blade with his forehead. His surging, mighty blade intent was like a compressed spring, ready to unleash a heaven-shaking strike at any moment.

Though he hailed from the Yu clan, he had never cultivated within the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect. His entire legacy of blade arts originated from an ancient Demonic Lord. The source of his path had no ancient devils. Instead, it was a method created by later generations, refined over successive generations, gradually reaching its current grandeur. He did not comprehend dharmic intent. Instead, he used blade intent in place of dharmic intent to strengthen his Nascent Soul. This intent was named—Nether! His innate divine ability was also the Nether Blade Dao. Every stance, every slash, fell within the scope of his divine ability: the Three Nether Strikes.

"Soul Slayer!"

His Dao was the Dao of Soul Severing, emphasizing intent over form. The unadorned blade swept across the Moonlit Sea, appearing calm and unremarkable, yet it had firmly locked onto the will behind it—Silvermoon Matron's true form. Once this move was unleashed, the Matron's voice was heard no more.

"Spirit Destroyer!"

With the second strike, cracks appeared above the Moonlit Sea.

"Netherworld!"

With the third strike, the entire isolated domain shattered with a crash.

Outside, the silver sphere of unknown origin suddenly burst. Demonic Lord Netherblade stood with one hand holding his blade, the other behind his back, facing the crowd sideways, revealing only his sharply defined profile.

"Impressive."

"Cool."

Nether Demon and Dark Tiger's eyes lit up. Wang Yu also watched curiously, feeling that this person was exuding an aura of immense presence. He had already found this person to be extraordinary during the Nascent Soul meeting in the sect, but to see him defeat Silvermoon Matron today was simply incredible! Because he remembered the battle report stating he was severely suppressed. How had he suddenly rallied? He had a trick up his sleeve.

On the other side, Old Ancestor Evil Soul saw the Moonlit domain shattered and Silvermoon Matron landing palely on the Black Mountain Pass city wall. He cursed inwardly. "Are you freaking acting?" Sometimes, it was truly helpless. Stuck with such a teammate, his Ghost Emperor Aspect was about to be destroyed by Sword Saint Haoran, and he didn't even have the leisure to curse them out. The more he thought, the angrier he became, and the angrier he became, the more strength he felt in his body. He suddenly roared, ignoring his almost severed arm, and fiercely punched towards Sword Saint Haoran.

This bewildered his opponent. How was he growing stronger with each passing blow? Hadn't he been gravely wounded? His Aspect should be dispersing! Was this a death throe?! If his Aspect collapsed, Old Ancestor Evil Soul wouldn't die on the spot, but he would suffer severe injuries. Of the three battlefields, his was the most dangerous. Neither Heavenly Capital nor the Commander were fighting seriously, but their destructive power was not to be underestimated, and it was not something they could rashly get involved in. Between Matron and Netherblade, the latter seemingly held the advantage. Yet, that posture remained unchanged for a long time; it was unclear what he was holding back. Wang Yu and the other two, despite wanting to help, found it difficult to find an opportune moment to intervene. Furthermore, intervening would certainly carry a risk of death. They had already earned such great merits by resolving the formation's defenses. Black Mountain Pass would eventually be captured, so there was truly no need to take further risks. They should stick to tasks suitable for their level.

The trio exchanged glances, all recognizing the signal to 'take it easy.' So they felt justified in simply observing the battle. The victor was undecided, and there was still fighting to be done. However, if it dragged on, the outcome might be uncertain. The Rebel Spirit Blood Sect had a geographical advantage in supporting Black Mountain Pass. If it escalated into a decisive battle between strong cultivators, it would be a losing proposition for everyone. The opposing side likely thought the same.

Silvermoon Matron transmitted a message to Sword Saint Haoran, her voice very calm. "The general situation is decided. Prolonging this battle will not benefit us. Let's retreat."

"No." Sword Saint Haoran was a bit carried away, gritting his teeth. "No matter what, this Sword Saint must shatter this fiend's Aspect and gravely wound him. Attacking Black Mountain Pass again afterward will give us a greater advantage."

"There's no need." Silvermoon Matron tried every means to dissuade him. "That Demonic Lord Netherblade is not right; he seems to also cultivate mind-path techniques. His Nether Blade Intent is extremely damaging to the soul. If we suffer serious damage in that regard, neither you nor I will ever have a chance to ascend to godhood."

Ascending to godhood referred to reaching the Spirit Transformation stage. As it concerned his cultivation path, Sword Saint Haoran hesitated for a moment, staring doubtfully at Demonic Lord Netherblade, who remained so arrogant as to only show his profile.

"Is that true?"

"Naturally. Moreover, temporary gains and losses mean nothing. Blazing Sun Sect and Crane Return Valley have already joined the fray, and cultivators from Taihu are numerous. This war still has a long way to go."

Considering the overall situation, temporary gains and losses were indeed unimportant. The advantage of the Taihu cultivators lay in their vast numbers. The advantage of the Scarlet Kite cultivators, on the other hand, was their strong ability to sustain themselves through war; many new talents emerged during every righteous-demonic war. Although their success rate seemed much higher than Taihu's, it was actually an advantage gained by demonic cultivators through war; there were too many resources on the battlefield. Souls, blood, bones, corpses, malevolent energies, grievances... all these and more could greatly enhance the strength of demonic cultivators, naturally leading to many more rising talents. Even rogue cultivators viewed war as an opportunity, which showed the fundamental nature of Scarlet Kite demonic cultivation. It could be suppressed but not eliminated; this was determined by their inherited cultivation methods, which no one could change.

Black Mountain Pass was right at the entrance of Blood Abyss Province, and also the main base of the Rebel Spirit Blood Sect. They couldn't match the support the demonic forces could receive. Therefore, once the formation was broken, there was no longer the power of the middle and lower-tier cultivators. Once the number of strong cultivators was equal, even if they held an advantage, they would be defeated by continuous reinforcements. If it truly reached that point, it wouldn't be about temporary gains or losses anymore. Who knew how many strong cultivators would be lost? Other battlefields also required strong cultivators to hold them. The most crucial point was that this war should be a place for middle and lower-tier cultivators to desperately eliminate demons, not for them, the elders, to fight to the death. Their lives were precious! Acting against the natural order of things was not something to be done. Moreover, it was also about cutting losses in time.

"I understand."

After the three Grand Perfection cultivators from Taihu exchanged glances, they simultaneously unleashed a burst of power, each employing their own methods to withdraw from the battlefield. Wang Yu and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's over."

"We can go back and claim our merits."

"Thanks to Brother Wang's brilliant strategy."

"You flatter me, everyone!"