Chapter 484: War Begins, The Situation of Being Attacked from Both Sides (Transition Chapter)

At Glacier Pass.

Thousands of miles were covered in ice, and snow drifted everywhere. The mighty river had frozen into pale blue crystals due to the extreme cold, while exceptionally low-temperature Northern Mist storms raged around.

These storms were one of the dangerous environmental features of Glacier Pass.

It was said that these ice storms originated from the depths of the Endless Ice Plains, carrying a faint aura of frozen demonic energy. Glacier Pass was also the last populated area before reaching the sparsely inhabited Northern Mist further north.

It was considered the final threshold from the Taihu region before entering the Endless Ice Plains, earning it the popular name "Northern Mist Ice Storms."

This perilous environment, imbued with spiritual energy, also affected divine sense. Cultivators below the Core Formation stage could not discern what lay deep beneath the ice.

This provided an opportunity for the "Water Ghost" tactic.

The walls of Glacier Pass were a thousand zhang high, built entirely from Northern Plains frozen stone, whose age was unknown. They were no weaker than the lapis lazuli used to construct Dongji Capital.

Over the years, the Azure Cloud Sect, which controlled the pass, also invested heavily in arrays and anti-flight restrictions, thus gaining complete mastery over this strategic point.

At this moment,

Under pressure from the Sky Refining Demonic Sect, the main force of the Nether Mountain Sect had to deploy a formidable lineup: twenty-three Nascent Soul cultivators, over a thousand Core Formation cultivators, and hundreds of thousands of Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation cultivators.

Besides the high-level combatants, half of them were rogue cultivators conscripted from Scarlet Kite. For these low-level demonic cultivators, who thrived on chaos,

war was also a perfect opportunity to increase their strength.

Except for a few cautious and life-preserving individuals, almost all responded. This motley army constituted the main force attacking Glacier Pass today.

Bishop You Peng, a Great Perfection cultivator, and his top combat expert, Demonic Lord Yin Jiao, also focused their combat strength on the Glacier Pass battlefield.

Only the cultivators from Cold Blood Peak, part of the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, were nowhere to be seen for the time being.

Inside Glacier Pass.

The Azure Cloud Sect's Ancestor Hongyun, Reverend Huanghe, the Blazing Sun Sect's Daoist Lord Jinyan, and Daoist Lord Huode were present. This force included one Great Perfection Nascent Soul cultivator, three late-stage Nascent Soul grand cultivators, and one Fire Raven King who had reached the late Fourth Stage.

In total, there were five top-tier combatants, with Ancestor Hongyun being the sole Great Perfection cultivator. He was part of the Azure Cloud Sect's recent reinforcements dispatched to Glacier Pass.

Additionally, there were twenty early to mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators from both sects, plus several Nascent Soul experts who had arrived from the Sword Sect, barely balancing the number of demonic cultivators.

After all, as the defending side, they faced less pressure than the attackers and held a strategic advantage. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the battle would essentially be a war of attrition.

It would come down to who had more personnel and deeper reserves,

and who could withstand greater casualties!

In the Glacier Pass council hall, Ancestor Hongyun held the highest seniority and greatest strength, effectively giving him the authority to speak. Others generally showed him respect.

He naturally spoke first.

"The Nether Mountain Sect has been timid in its actions until now, indicating they don't wish to expend too much strength. They hold a pessimistic view of this righteous-demonic war and intend to reap significant benefits after it concludes.

"Now that they've come out in full force, it's clear the Revered Ones of the Sky Refining Demonic Sect have applied pressure. Besides the situation at Glacier Pass, we must also guard against threats in the southern Water Cloud Province and Feng Province.

"Young friend from the Sword Sect, do you have any clear information regarding your sect's support?"

Evidently, in Ancestor Hongyun's eyes,

even with the immense pressure from the Nether Mountain Sect, Glacier Pass's defenses would hold.

He shifted his focus to the southern regions of the Azure Cloud Sect's territory.

This idea could not be called entirely right or entirely wrong.

After all, this objective had always been one of the Sky Refining Demonic Sect's strategic goals. Engaging on two fronts inherently carried the risk of being spread too thin.

Furthermore, the entire Scarlet Kite demonic cultivation faction was now effectively attacking the Azure Cloud Sect, perceived as a weak target. The southern battlefield, directly facing the main forces of the Yellow Springs Monastery and the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect, was in an extremely precarious state.

This remained true even with the righteous Seven Sects dispatching support teams.

The pressure was immense!

Under such circumstances, Ancestor Hongyun allowed no room for error. He was meticulous, personally overseeing every single detail.

The person being questioned in the hall was a young Nascent Soul cultivator, one of the seventy-two peak masters of the Sword Sect, known as the Ninefold Sword Monarch, whose cultivation had just reached the third layer of the Nascent Soul stage.

Facing Ancestor Hongyun's inquiry, he replied with great respect.

"This matter is a top secret of the sect, and it's not convenient for me to disclose too much. However, I can assure you, Senior, that even if a Demonic Venerable makes a move, the Azure Cloud Sect's front line will not collapse."

The implication was that a Sword Sect Venerable had made a move.

Upon hearing this,

it was like a reassurance, quickly steadying the minds of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the hall.

"In that case, as long as we hold Glacier Pass, the front line won't be pushed back further. That's good news."

Of course,

the premise was that they could hold it.

Daoist Lord Jinyan suddenly spoke.

"The people from Cold Blood Peak haven't shown themselves yet; there's an 80% chance they still covet Mount Kuangmei. Also, Demonic Lord Jifa, that villain, is hiding among the Northern Demon Clan and remains unseen.

"They are all individuals we need to guard against. And... if the Northern Demon Clan makes a move, can we withstand it?"

This touched on a critical point, though no one had mentioned it.

Everyone knew that Wang Yu's relationship with the Northern Demon Clan was ambiguous. And while the Azure Cloud Sect had spent resources to enlist the help of the Northern Demon Clan's Fire Raven tribe,

such alliances were not firm and could easily be unilaterally broken. The report from Soul Spirit Monarch's return hinted at this possibility.

The silence of the others was, in fact, a deliberate oversight.

After all, the reality was that if the Northern Demon Clan fully joined the war, Glacier Pass could only be defended if the number of experts there was doubled.

And this,

would need to be distributed across both the Glacier Pass and Mount Kuangmei battlefields.

It was up to the commander to weigh what was more important, adhering to the 'simple' idea that saying more leads to more mistakes, saying less leads to fewer, and saying nothing leads to no mistakes.

No one had brought it up until Daoist Lord Jinyan, eager for merit, pierced through this unspoken agreement.

Silence immediately fell in the hall. Everyone looked at each other, finding themselves at a loss for words.

At this moment,

Ancestor Hongyun stepped forward and said,

"This matter can only be guarded against; it cannot be confirmed.

"Furthermore, there's good news: some time ago, the people from the North Suppressing Pagoda sent word that they would deploy an elite force to reinforce the Glacier Pass battlefield."

Everyone's spirits lifted, but then they looked at each other in bewilderment.

"The North Suppressing Pagoda? They didn't intervene in the last, the one before that, or even the one before that righteous-demonic war. They just stayed in seclusion, guarding that ruined pagoda. Are they actually coming out?"

This person's words echoed the sentiments of many.

Surprise was quickly followed by worry. Although the North Suppressing Pagoda was recognized by the Sword Sect as one of the Seven Righteous Sects, its disciples rarely ventured outside.

They spent most of their lives in the Endless Ice Plains.

The outside world lacked understanding of them, and whether they possessed the ability to turn the tide remained unknown. It was only natural for them to be met with skepticism and distrust.

Ancestor Hongyun continued,

"The specifics are unclear, but it seems the demonic villains did something in the Endless Ice Plains that touched upon a taboo of the North Suppressing Pagoda, which provoked them to act.

"That natural stronghold, Mount Kuangmei, will be left for them to defend. There shouldn't be any issues."

The Glacier Pass council meeting did not last long.

As horns sounded in the distance, the commotion grew louder.

Large numbers of demonic cultivators flew at low altitudes, casting various artifacts, talismans, and even bloody demonic tools and evil objects of all kinds towards Glacier Pass.

The higher altitudes, up to the Stellar Gale layer, were the battlefield for Nascent Soul cultivators.

After the battle at Glacier Pass began, the assault on Mount Kuangmei also commenced simultaneously!

On Mount Kuangmei, whose height was unknown, cultivators from Cold Blood Peak poured out of their main camp. Wang Yu had already donned his Fiend Dragon Armor, holding a three-pointed, two-edged spear, with a snowy white fox by his side.

The fox, also a canid, could roughly be considered a 'Sky-Laughing Fox.' It followed Wang Yu closely, nervously looking around.

For her,

participating in such a large-scale war was a first, so her anxiety was understandable. Wang Yu instructed,

"Later, depending on the situation, stay close to me. But if things get dangerous, try to get as far away from me as possible."

This statement seemed contradictory, but Wang Yu was actually concerned that his reputation was too great, making him an easy target. In such a scenario, Xue Yu's assistance would be negligible.

He would also be distracted by needing to protect her, so staying far away was the correct course of action.

However, if he wasn't besieged and could employ guerrilla tactics or hunt opponents individually, Xue Yu's control abilities would be very useful.

It was essentially making two preliminary assumptions.

The attack on Mount Kuangmei was actually a feint, just like the one on Glacier Pass. The main force of the Northern Demon Clan was not here.

Don't forget,

the Northern Severing Mountains served as a barrier between Taihu and Scarlet Kite. However, for the Northern Demon Clan, Glacier Pass and Mount Kuangmei were not insurmountable natural barriers.

They could traverse one entire side of the mountain range.

The traps and restrictions accumulated from numerous past wars were no problem at all for the Northern Demon Clan, who lived within the mountains. They knew the dangerous spots even better than human cultivators.

Therefore, the Five-Colored Sacred Lord, in order to devour the entire Azure Cloud Sect,

made this choice.

The demonic path would maintain the offensive while the Northern Demon Clan would flank them from behind. The two forces would then encircle and deliver a fatal blow—a simple yet highly effective tactic.

This strategy relied on an intelligence gap.

Wang Yu, too, couldn't resist the urge to collect Nascent Souls and use the opportunity of battle to calm his surging Qi Sea.

Thus, he chose to act alongside his own people from Cold Blood Peak.

The main battlefield was certainly at Glacier Pass. Mount Kuangmei would be fortunate to have five or six Nascent Soul cultivators. He had killed two there a few years ago, making its defenses even weaker.

Therefore,

he was merely giving Xue Yu a heads-up, not genuinely believing it would cause him trouble.

At that time,

Demonic Lord Tianshuang, who had interacted with Wang Yu several times, also wore a set of Frost Demon Battle Armor with maximized defense. Holding his life-bound magical treasure, the Tianshuang Halberd, he spoke to Wang Yu.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, in the upcoming battle, if you have any strength to spare, please look after the cultivators of the Four Cold Blood Clans. Our sect only has this branch from Cold Blood Peak here at Glacier Pass..."

The once arrogant Demonic Lord Tianshuang was now addressing Wang Yu as 'Fellow Daoist' repeatedly, showing extreme warmth.

Wang Yu's alchemy collaboration with him had been quite pleasant.

He recalled having secretly taken several Taiyin Demonic Essence Pills from him. As for the Cheng, Chu, Xue... and the fourth clan, they also had good cooperative relationships with Wang Yu.

They had provided him with many natural treasures of the Yin-cold attribute.

Regarding this, Wang Yu could only say he'd help if it was a minor effort.

If it jeopardized his own safety, he wouldn't intervene.

Demonic Lord Tianshuang understood and accepted this point. Even if he was the 'big brother' of the Four Cold Blood Clans, he wouldn't risk his life to save them.

It was simply a matter of empathy.

After Demonic Lord Tianshuang departed, Ice Soul Immortal, unexpectedly for the first time, approached him. This was after the effects of the Dragon Phoenix Treasure Elixir had been completely absorbed over several years.

The two had only engaged in one unexpected dual cultivation experience.

There had been no further communication between them since then.

"Wang Yu, after this war, I will be able to cultivate to the Great Perfection stage of Nascent Soul within twenty years. On this Mount Kuangmei, I believe I will have no rivals.

"Should you encounter danger, I can save you once out of consideration for the treasure elixir. After that, we'll owe each other nothing, and our obligations will be cleared."

With that, she didn't wait for Wang Yu's reply,

and fled to the very front of the team without looking back, which slightly surprised Wang Yu.

Ice Soul Immortal's words, both explicit and implicit, conveyed concern for his safety.

Of course,

one could say he was imagining things, but based on his experience... it didn't seem so.

Wang Yu was pondering this.

Another elder from Cold Blood Peak, Old Man Lanxin of the Zhuo clan, also approached him, striking up a conversation as if waiting in line.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, reputation doesn't do justice to the person. You truly are outstanding and exceptionally talented."

"Senior Lanxin, you flatter me."

Although Wang Yu had helped kill the Zhuo clan's Fiend Lord Jaoyang, their relationship on the surface remained close, and this matter had never been exposed.

The blame was placed on Chitian.

If anyone hated Chitian the most, it would be those from Fiend Lord Jaoyang's lineage. Although Old Man Lanxin was not of that lineage, he still maintained a friendly attitude towards Wang Yu.

After some polite greetings and small talk,

Old Man Lanxin also hinted to Wang Yu that if he encountered danger, he could seek his help, and he would intervene!

This was one of the benefits of being part of a major power.

Unlike rogue cultivators, who, even when recruited, rarely reach the true core circles and often end up as significant cannon fodder.

Wang Yu wanted to return to the Spirit Reversal Blood Sect not because he felt a strong sense of belonging, but to leverage its influence. As one of the Five Demonic Sects,

it possessed the ability to consistently produce Nascent Soul cultivators.

Furthermore, the sect held hidden secrets of the Ice Hell Realm, profound and core inheritances, and extensive networks of contacts cultivated over centuries—all things he couldn't easily abandon.

If he left this circle, he would be like a blind man.

It would be difficult for him to obtain top-tier intelligence again, as this was determined by the structure of the Ice Hell Realm, something no single person could change.

Returning to the main topic.

Thousands of Cold Blood Peak elites advanced rapidly. When they swept past the previous battle zone, they were surprised to find not a single cultivator stationed there.

The middle and lower regions of Mount Kuangmei were almost empty.

"Something's wrong. I'll go ahead to the summit to investigate. You all should set up a defensive line at the mountainside, guarding against ambushes from below or above."

Old Man Lanxin took on this important task, transforming into countless finger-sized ice birds that stirred up layers of cold mist, then darted towards the summit like arrows shot from a bow.

The sound of rapidly flapping wings was like a thousand birds chirping in unison.

The loud chirping was a deliberate act to flush out the enemy, forcing them to reveal themselves.

Wang Yu's eyelids twitched slightly; he had a bad feeling.

As expected.

Less than half an incense stick's time later, a violent roar came from above. Amidst blinding white light and chilling currents, Old Man Lanxin plummeted down in disarray, exclaiming,

"The North Suppressing Pagoda! It's people from the North Suppressing Pagoda!"

Wang Yu's heart stirred. The Five-Colored Sacred Lord had previously warned him that the North Suppressing Pagoda was likely to participate in the war and had some connection with the Son of the Ice God.

He was already prepared for this.