Chapter 486: Deadly Defense of the Mountain Gate, Seeking Aid from the Sword Sect

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Like a colossal celestial phenomenon, a spectral five-colored deer phantom loomed over Glacier Pass. Wherever the five-colored divine light radiating from its sky-piercing antlers swept through, almost nothing could withstand it, and everything was brought down.

The cultivators of Glacier Pass tumbled from the sky like dumplings falling into water. One by one, they displayed serene smiles, falling into an eternal slumber amidst the ice and snow.

This five-colored divine light was not the famous divine ability of Kong Xuan from primordial myths. Its full name should be — Five-Colored Five-Virtue Peaceful Mind-Calming Divine Light!

Originally, it was a divine ability used to aid cultivation.

Yet, at this moment, it produced a forced slumber effect. Clearly, the Five-Colored Sacred Master's mastery of this divine ability had reached an unparalleled level.

The grandeur of the scene was truly astonishing.

Only Nascent Soul cultivators could resist this urge to fall into slumber. Those who hadn't managed to evacuate immediately cried out in alarm.

"It's the Northern Demon Sacred Master!"

"The Northern Demon Sacred Master has allied with the demonic path; this is terrible news!"

"Quick, retreat! Old Ancestor Hongyun, that old scoundrel, has already fled!"

With such a major upheaval unfolding, their commander was nowhere to be found.

This blow to morale was as severe as scuttling a ship. The battle at Glacier Pass could no longer be sustained.

The demonic cultivators, one by one, gathered all their strength. They charged wildly, laughing maniacally, towards the thousand-zhang ice wall.

The Nascent Soul cultivators of the Nether Mountain Sect also came to a realization.

So, the Heaven-Refining Demonic Sect had already secretly reached an agreement with the Northern Demon Clan. With such powerful reinforcement, taking Glacier Pass was indeed no longer an issue.

The order for them to launch a fierce assault could not be faulted.

After Bishop Youpeng revealed this hidden truth, his performance was nothing short of divine valor. Without Old Ancestor Hongyun, who was of equal standing, to obstruct him, the power he unleashed while in fusion with his innate Yin Beast, the Nether Azure Peng, was terrifying.

From the moment the Five-Colored Sacred Master descended until the defensive spiritual formation of Glacier Pass was completely shattered, the aerial restrictions consequently vanished, and the cultivators' flight altitude was no longer limited.

The environmental advantage was no longer so pronounced. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators could bypass the ice storms blowing from the Northern Mist from afar and enter Glacier Pass directly from high altitudes.

After the defense line collapsed, the Nascent Soul experts of the Jade Cloud Sect and the Blazing Sun Sect were the first to be targeted by the ravenous demonic cultivators. Bishop Youpeng soared into the sky, spreading his wings.

In an instant, he swept past countless individuals, directly blocking True Monarch Jinyan's retreat path. His primary general, Demonic Lord Yin Jiao, was relentlessly pursuing him.

The impact Bishop Youpeng could make now that he was free was astonishing. Of the more than twenty Nascent Soul experts present today, only a handful would be able to escape.

The battle here was already a foregone conclusion.

Meanwhile,

at Kuangmei Mountain.

After Wang Yu displayed his might and eliminated the leader of Zhenbei Pagoda, the fighting spirit of this group dissipated, and no one could restrain the Ice Soul Fairy.

The imbalance in high-end combat power was too deadly for cultivators. Anyone could perish if targeted by the Ice Soul Fairy.

A siege battle quickly transformed into a desperate escape.

Elder Lanxin swiftly gave the order.

"Cultivators of Cold Blood Peak, heed my command! Swiftly seize the Cloud Path, travel by war-spirit boat across the Gale Layer, and airdrop into Glacier Pass to provide support."

According to the original plan, Kuangmei Mountain was supposed to be dealt with first. Then, in conjunction with the Northern Demon Clan's experts, they would form a pincer attack! Coupled with the convenience of Kuangmei Mountain's Cloud Path.

With a three-pronged assault, even if Old Ancestor Hongyun had been at Glacier Pass, it would have been futile. But now, a three-pronged attack was unnecessary; upon realizing the potential danger of his demise,

Old Ancestor Hongyun himself had fled. This comical outcome was both logical and unexpected.

While pursuing the cultivators of Zhenbei Pagoda,

Wang Yu harbored a hidden anger. He set his sights on the opponent previously handled by the Shadow Mastiff King, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who appeared as an old woman.

Despite her hunched posture and seemingly slow, decrepit appearance, her escape speed was not slow in the slightest.

Unfortunately, the Aurora Escape Technique at full speed...

Even a Spirit Transformation cultivator couldn't catch up. This greatly annoyed the old woman-like cultivator. After trying to delay and get out of the Kuangmei Mountain area, she realized she couldn't shake off Wang Yu no matter what.

She finally resolved to fight him.

"This old woman wants to see what gives you the right to pursue me so relentlessly. I don't believe you can unleash an attack like that again so quickly!"

Wang Yu sneered in response.

"Young people's stamina is indeed much better than an old fossil like you. I'm just afraid you won't be able to handle it."

He was referring to the Twelve Forms of Guanghan. This was Wang Yu's innate divine ability, which also grew as his cultivation realm advanced. After reaching a certain realm, he needed to gain insights.

His insights were required to enhance the divine ability.

This connection meant the burden of unleashing it was very low. Even when used with the Universal Stars Arrow Condensing Technique, he could employ it until his demonic energy ran dry.

The benefits of a powerful physical body were evident in such details.

Indeed, a resilient body provided a considerable advantage.

The next instant,

The old woman summoned her innate magic treasure, a basket-shaped artifact. It was filled with ice-blue flowers, all of which were part of her innate magic treasure.

Deep within the boundless ice plains, a peculiar flower grew.

Known as the — Ice-Cored Three Lives Flower!

Legend had it that it could freeze one's body and soul, stopping the flow of lifespan until the Ice-Cored Three Lives Flower naturally withered. It was a naturally occurring self-sealing wondrous treasure.

Sadly, it had already become extinct in ancient times. The ice-blue flowers adorning the old woman's magic treasure basket were crafted in imitation of this legendary item.

They also possessed similar power.

The flower basket spun rapidly. Innumerable ice-blue petals, guided by spiritual energy, transformed into consecutive long dragons of petals, magnificent and elegant.

However, the caster was a repulsive old woman.

This truly lowered one's expectations of flower fairies by several notches. Facing the sudden onslaught, Wang Yu had a flash of inspiration and summoned his Gu Path Ice Jar magic treasure!

The Ice Flame Empress Butterfly led tens of thousands of Ice Flame Butterflies, swarming out like a breached dam. These peculiar insects were also captured by Wang Yu from the boundless ice plains.

Theoretically, they should not have posed a threat to a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. But... judging by the results on site, the Ice Flame Butterflies seemed to be the natural bane of the basket magic treasure.

The extreme cold power that could freeze a physical body, coupled with the Ice Flame Butterflies' ample inherent resistance and their extreme cold power manifesting as flames, completely suppressed the petals' might.

Thus,

one could then witness those long petal dragons, materialized by spiritual energy, swiftly ignited by individual ice flames, and incinerated with almost no resistance.

This sight made Wang Yu's eyes light up. He decided to add more fuel to the fire. He unleashed the Ice Dragon Core Flame from within his body. The two ice flames combined, catalyzed by his Frozen Demonic Yuan.

The old woman's expression was as terrible as if she had tasted something foul.

Her face was filled with disbelief.

"How is this possible... Ice Flame Butterflies, aren't these wondrous celestial Gu insects long extinct? This old woman searched the entire boundless ice plains and found none, yet they are in your hands..."

This was a matter of individual fortune, or could be explained by the concept of luck.

Many exceptionally talented prodigies encountered endless opportunities in their youth. They conquered powerful enemies one by one, clearing all obstacles and difficulties on their path, and advanced rapidly on their cultivation journey.

But by middle age or even old age, their cultivation would hit a bottleneck.

Opportunities would also cease, as if dead, never to be encountered again. This hidden fate only favored those in their prime.

In Feng Shui, the concept of 'patterns' or 'layouts,' if further researched, leads to the idea of 'fated destiny.' However, the Earth Mother Sutra did not delve into this aspect, so Wang Yu's understanding was limited.

In his less than three hundred years of cultivation experience, much of his knowledge came from ancient texts. The only opponent he had truly encountered who was naturally countered by his abilities was this old woman.

One could only say it was a matter of timing and fate.

With her innate magic treasure almost completely suppressed and rendered useless, the old woman, in desperation, could only attempt to break the stalemate using a divine ability of Zhenbei Pagoda.

Wang Yu intentionally paused for a moment, waiting for her to make the first move.

This action also aimed to probe the divine abilities of the Ice Clan. According to the previous leader, Zhenbei Pagoda was not just a front for the Ice Clan to capture human females;

it also involved the Ice Clan's Frost Path inheritance. The connection between the two was far more intertwined than anticipated. The Gatekeeper Tribe had created too many hidden dangers in this regard.

Remarkably, no one had noticed this midway.

It was likely a case of 'birds of a feather flocking together'; they instantly hit it off. There was no room for luck in a racial struggle; the Ice Clan was destined to become an enemy in the future.

If he could gather some intelligence beforehand, he wouldn't be completely in the dark when truly confronting them.

"Eye of the Ice God!"

The old woman let out a low cry, and a colossal ice eye immediately appeared behind her. Its immense size exuded a terrifying oppressive force. The peculiar, crystalline vertical pupil stared fixedly at Wang Yu.

Mental attack?

Familiar with this type of power, Wang Yu almost immediately discerned its essence. The Asura Killing Intent within his Mind Lake space throbbed rapidly.

Blood-colored ripples, formed by the permeating killing intent, seemed to pierce through the Mind Lake space, dyeing reality a bloody red.

A mental illusion of mountains of corpses and seas of blood quietly replaced the effect of the Eye of the Ice God. The old woman reacted a beat too slowly, and the instantaneous transformation of the world around her filled her with dread.

She muttered,

"Immaculate mind... How could anyone still cultivate mental path techniques from ancient times until now... Physical body, divine sense, demonic path, mind.

"To achieve such high accomplishments at less than three hundred years old, this is impossible... What kind of monster are you?!!!"

If she had honestly competed in divine ability power, she might have fought Wang Yu to a standstill. To extract the desired intelligence, he would have needed to exert considerable effort.

Who would have thought she would run right into Wang Yu's strongest suit? The subsequent events would not be so troublesome.

In an instant,

Wang Yu suddenly transformed into an Eight-Armed Asura, his upper body infinitely magnified within the Mind Lake space. The old woman was like a tiny boat in a raging storm.

The surrounding environment of lightning, thunder, and violent winds and rain brought her immense pressure. The Eye of the Ice God rapidly collapsed, and her mental fortitude also wavered precariously.

As the Asura's malice-filled, colossal face drew closer,

her entire mind collapsed. Correspondingly in reality, she suddenly fainted without any warning.

Wang Yu flew closer and, using the Ice Coffin Sealing Secret Art, sent her to be sealed in the bottom level of the Glazed Pagoda. As for searching her Niwan Palace to extract memories, some preparation would be required.

After all, dealing with the divine sense of a great cultivator of her level, soul-searching would be extremely difficult. He also had to be careful not to trigger any hidden traps or tamper with her inheritance. He could only search for the desired information within the past scenes of her memories.

At this point, the battle at Glacier Pass came to a close.

Wang Yu contacted the True Word King, preparing to visit the Vajra Ape Clan with him for a period. He knew that the Five-Colored Sacred Master's ambitions, using this opportunity, extended far beyond this.

Now that Glacier Pass was in their hands, there was an eighty percent chance they would attack the Colorful Cloud Mountain Range, where the Jade Cloud Sect's main gate was located. That was the heartland of the Four Jade Cloud Provinces.

It contained almost all of the four provinces' top spiritual veins. The mountain range was vast, with a beautiful environment and diverse, abundant resources, making it very suitable for the Demon Clan to reside in.

The Northern Demon Clan sought to expand beyond the Severed Realm Mountain Range, and first and foremost, they needed their own territory. With the Jade Cloud Sect's main gate being eyed by the Five-Colored Sacred Master, no one knew what the outcome would be.

The core factor in this matter still depended on the Sword Sect!

If they were willing to intervene, the Jade Cloud Sect would survive. If not, the Jade Cloud Sect's prospects would be grim.

Wang Yu had no intention of continuing to participate. Attacking Kuangmei Mountain had been to fulfill the Crimson Heaven Demonic Venerable's conditions.

Now that Glacier Pass was broken, as per their agreement, the other party would announce to the world that their past grievances with him were settled. Whether the promise was true or false, it didn't really matter.

He was perfectly aware.

Given the chance, Crimson Heaven would undoubtedly kill him. However, this stance would help him continue to exist within Crimson Kite, preventing him from encountering something as awful as being expelled from the 'demonic registry.'

His matters were for later discussion.

Colorful Cloud Mountain Range, Jade Cloud Sect's main gate.

The once lush, vibrant mountain forests were now consumed by the flames of war. Everywhere, there were flashes of spiritual light from divine ability bombardments, explosions mixed with wails of agony—a truly desolate sight.

The current situation...

The phrase 'warfare raging everywhere' was insufficient to describe it.

In the sky, the avian demon clan held a tremendous advantage. Their innate aerial combat abilities made them more agile and experienced than many cultivators. In realms below Nascent Soul but above Qi Condensation, the demon clan often had the upper hand.

Furthermore, the Jade Cloud Sect's territory was vast, and many cultivators from its main gate had been heavily dispatched due to the invasion in the south. The garrison at Glacier Pass had been scattered and had not yet regrouped at the main gate.

It could be said that it had reached an unprecedented state of extreme weakness. Aside from the six Grand Elders from various lineages, there was virtually no remaining strength.

Inside the Council Hall.

The atmosphere was even more solemn than when Wang Yu had ambushed the Jade Cloud Sect's reinforcement team. This was a true catastrophe; no one could escape!

Old Ancestor Huangyun was also extremely anxious. But as the pillar of the sect, he absolutely could not panic now. Otherwise, there would truly be no hope left.

He could only pretend to be calm as he analyzed the situation.

"There has been no news from Hongyun yet. But since the Northern Demon Clan has joined the battle, the situation at Glacier Pass is not optimistic. We now have only two choices.

"First, we defend the main gate to the death and use secret communication methods to notify the Sword Sect. Only if a Spirit Transformation Venerable personally arrives will we be able to repel the Northern Demon Clan's invasion.

"Unleashing the sect's hidden reserves should be enough to hold out until a Venerable arrives.

"Second, we abandon our ancestral legacy, retreat as an entire sect to Lake Tai, and temporarily settle in Sword Sect territory. Based on past experiences in battles between righteous and demonic paths, the demonic path will eventually be repelled by the Sword Sect, and then we can reclaim this foundation."

However, some words Old Ancestor Huangyun did not explicitly state, but all the cultivators present understood perfectly: the spiritual veins!

Spiritual veins were the foundation of cultivators' practice. If the demonic cultivators truly occupied the Colorful Cloud Mountain Range, the spiritual veins of the four provinces gathered beneath it would all be seized by geomancers.

To reclaim them, they would have to bleed profusely, even if it meant ceding territory and paying reparations.

And the opposing side might not even agree.

Competition at Lake Tai was already fierce. After this ordeal, if they lost their spiritual veins, claiming land would be useless. The Jade Cloud Sect would inevitably decline, and its ultimate fate would be nothing less than destruction.

It would merely be a gentler way of perishing.

There was no essential difference.

"—Absolutely not!"

(End of Chapter)