Chapter 881: Deploying Troops and Generals

(The power went out at home, and the internet was down too. After fiddling for a while, it still didn’t come back, so I spent ages uploading this via my phone...)

The Radiant City stood in the void.

And the arrival of the Netherworld Emperor and the Sword Venerable once again brought many opportunities to the Radiant City.

This time, on this day, the major powers no longer even bothered to conceal themselves.

Before long, news began to spread.

The Tiger Soul Cave was recruiting!

The previously mysterious master of the Tiger Soul Cave revealed his true identity: the Great Cave Master Qu, hailing from the Dead Spirit Hell, and the Second Cave Master Shang, from the Fallen Soul Valley.

Their identities exposed, they even began recruiting experts in the name of the forbidden lands!

On this side, the Tiger Soul Cave had just revealed its identity.

After consulting with Sword Void, the Blade Master and his companions swiftly responded. The Six Directions Mountain, as an affiliate of the Sky Dome Mountain, also began to make public announcements, shaking the entire region!

Several scattered cultivation forces in the Forbidden Canyon were all connected to the forbidden lands.

No wonder they were so arrogant—no killing was allowed anywhere around the Radiant City.

...

As the news spread, all the scattered cultivators in the Forbidden Canyon were stunned.

Forbidden lands!

The forbidden lands they had dreamed of!

Although these were merely affiliated forces of the forbidden lands, for many, even being an affiliated force meant relying on the existence of the forbidden lands, with the backing of those lands behind them.

And these were not simple affiliated forces.

It was said that experts from several forbidden lands were rushing to these major forces to bolster them—a situation extremely rare.

Ordinarily, even if scattered forces relied on forbidden lands, the latter would not interfere much.

But now, experts from the forbidden lands were personally taking charge, making these forces no longer mere affiliates. It felt as though the forbidden lands were extending outward, creating an outer sect.

...

In the void.

Voices kept coming.

"Did you hear? The Six Directions Mountain and the Tiger Soul Cave have both gained support from forbidden lands. They’re recruiting troops and preparing for a decisive battle to determine who will be the overlord of the Forbidden Canyon!"

"I heard! The Sky Dome Mountain hasn’t acted in years, but now it’s said they’re taking on two enemies at once, fighting both forbidden lands alone. And the Lord of the Dead Spirit is incredibly powerful—who would have thought the Sky Dome Mountain Lord would be so ruthless!"

...

The news spread like wildfire.

And the Radiant City became the focus of attention for all scattered cultivators.

Even some experts from other forbidden lands, who had come early to scout, were drawn to the Radiant City.

This great city built by scattered cultivators saw its fame spread across the entire Heavenly Gate in a single day.

The reason? It might be a microcosm of the struggle among the forbidden lands in the Forbidden Canyon.

...

At the same time.

Even the Literary King, who had been in seclusion, vaguely caught wind of these discussions from all around.

"The Radiant City?"

He hadn’t expected that scattered cultivators in the Forbidden Canyon had formed such a major power.

The Six Directions Mountain...

At this moment, some scattered cultivators near the Literary King were discussing these matters.

The Six Directions Mountain... The Literary King pondered. These outsiders only spoke of the Six Directions Mountain, but few knew that its predecessor was the Return Cloud Mountain, so it wasn’t mentioned.

If it had been mentioned, the Literary King might have instantly thought of something.

Though no one brought it up, these people still mentioned the overlord of the Northeastern Domain.

The Northeastern Domain... wasn’t that right near him?

The Literary King looked in one direction.

After all, he had been here for many years. Though he didn’t go out often, he didn’t stay completely still either; he would occasionally venture out to investigate.

"Is there any major power in the Northeastern Domain?"

"Snow Dragon Mountain, Blade Valley, Return Cloud Mountain, Tomb Spirit Territory..."

All unified?

He knew of Return Cloud Mountain. Return!

That fellow connected to Su Yu. And since Su Yu’s Heavenly Gate was closed, Return was almost certainly lured away by Su Yu.

If Su Yu had entered the Heavenly Gate, would he have gone to Return Cloud Mountain?

If he did, how could Return Cloud Mountain be so easily unified? The Literary King didn’t know Su Yu’s exact strength, but dealing with scattered cultivators wouldn’t be simple for Su Yu.

Thoughts flickered one after another.

The Literary King fell into deep contemplation. Was this Six Directions Mountain, said to be connected to several forbidden lands, related to Su Yu?

And it had even formed ties with the Sky Dome Mountain.

"The master of the Six Directions Mountain, Black Grave... Black Grave... Su Yu..."

The Literary King muttered to himself, suspecting that Black Grave might just be Su Yu.

But... was it that exaggerated?

Even if Su Yu had entered the Heavenly Gate, it hadn’t been long. Had he already unified half of the Forbidden Canyon?

Of course, if his identity was well-hidden and his strength sufficient, it was still possible.

Hiding one’s identity was a good choice.

Unfortunately, the Literary King couldn’t manage it. From his first day in the Heavenly Gate, he had been watched, forced to hide and skulk. Any slight anomaly would be discovered.

The Literary King’s thoughts were countless, but he didn’t dwell on them. He turned his head to glance at the Martial King beside him.

Somewhat helpless.

He couldn’t leave!

The Martial King was on the verge of a breakthrough. The Literary King could faintly sense that this man was about to incorporate the Dao into his body, officially becoming a top-tier existence.

Over the years, the Literary King himself hadn’t progressed much, but the Martial King had made considerable strides.

From the power of over twenty Daos back then to now, about to cross that threshold. The Literary King let out a faint, almost inaudible sigh. He had encountered some bottlenecks in recent years.

Back then, he had thought of solving the problem early. If that failed, he would try to communicate with his own world through the Heavenly Gate projection on the Human Emperor’s side.

But the problem remained unsolved. And the Human Emperor’s side... that damned Sky Dome Mountain Lord had directly moved his Sky Dome Mountain over there, nearly making the Literary King spit blood. He had never seen such a person!

Thoughts flickered one by one; gazing at Martial King, Civil King still suppressed his impulses.

He couldn't leave now!

This fellow might break through at any moment—given the current situation, perhaps before the Forbidden Grounds Assembly. If so, there might be a good chance to join forces with him and kill Fa before the Forbidden Grounds' strong ones arrived.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but think of Su Yu again.

What an unworthy wretch!

You gave me the chance to transmit through Heaven and Earth, then shut it down—I'm utterly speechless.

Now, he himself could actually transmit some Heaven-Earth power, but not as smoothly as when Su Yu had channeled it. Mainly, though this boot was one of the cores, it wasn't the foundation of Heaven and Earth.

The Ten Thousand Dao Scripture, where the Book Spirit resided—that was the true foundation.

And Civil King himself was not the spirit of Heaven and Earth.

"Yet... if truly pushed to the brink, summoning Heaven and Earth is not impossible..."

He could imitate the Nether Lord—though the Nether Lord had done it once, and it seemed to have made the Heavenly Gate strengthen its defenses, becoming wary of such acts. That would require Heaven-Earth power to pierce the True Heavenly Gate!

"If it truly comes to summoning Heaven and Earth, the trouble will be far greater; it might even cause the Heavenly Gate to strike against me..."

A myriad of thoughts flickered through Civil King's mind.

But these were matters for later.

The urgent task now was still Martial King.

If Martial King truly broke through, absorbing the Dao into his body—and the Dao of all realms at that—the commotion would be immense. The River of Time would surely surge violently, and that might be the true great crisis!

Before he and Martial King could make a move, the enemy might strike first!

The nearby scattered cultivators were still murmuring.

Civil King closed his eyes, no longer paying heed.

As for Su Yu, he had no time to attend to him now. Earlier, he had plotted to kill Fa, but that plan had to be abandoned.

...

At the same time.

Eternal Life Mountain.

Upon the towering peak, a magnificent palace stood, bustling with people yet all silent. Occasionally, someone would glance toward the depths of the hall, not daring to look too long.

Today, the Mountain Lord was receiving the Sword Venerable from Heaven's Dome Mountain!

For many years, no strong ones from the Forbidden Grounds had come, as they had been entangled with Civil King and the others, and others wished to avoid trouble.

Inside the vast palace.

Fa reclined on his throne; below, the Sword Venerable stood, slightly bowing. "Mountain Lord, this is the Dome Lord's intent. On the day the Forbidden Grounds Assembly opens, I hope the Mountain Lord will grant the Dome Lord's wish."

Fa remained expressionless. Below, a female strong one with eyes shimmering in a riot of colors spoke softly, "Sword Venerable, moving the Forbidden Grounds comes at no small cost. Besides, the distance isn't too great, and that Star Universe was heavily wounded years ago... Better to have the Heaven's Dome Mountain Lord come here. As for Star Universe, I think leaving a Hall Master behind would be more than enough!"

Move Eternal Life Mountain over there?

This wasn't a matter of cost—it was a matter of face!

It was agreed to hold it at Eternal Life Mountain, for which great sacrifices were made. Yet now, the Heaven's Dome Mountain Lord did nothing, and after Eternal Life Mountain had made all arrangements, he wanted it moved there!

What was this?

Fa did not speak; the one who spoke was a Vein Lord of Eternal Life Mountain. The structure of Eternal Life Mountain differed somewhat from other Forbidden Grounds; Fa walked the path of all laws, and most in the Forbidden Grounds followed their lord.

At Eternal Life Mountain, only when one gathered the Dao into a vein did they become a Vein Lord. Their strength was generally not weak, at least above the power of twenty-five Daos.

The Sword Venerable considered for a moment, then said softly, "Vein Lord Rain's words do have reason... However, now that the Human Emperor Star Universe has awakened and is said to have crushed the myriad races and returned to the myriad realms, the situation is different. The Dome Lord cannot leave!"

At these words, Fa, who had been silent above, suddenly spoke, "Star Universe has left the upper reaches of the River?"

"Yes!"

The Sword Venerable replied. This was what the Mountain Lord had said; he didn't know if it was true. Lately, the Mountain Lord had been holding a great seal day and night, paying little attention to him. He had no choice but to follow orders.

Fa furrowed his brow slightly.

The Human Emperor had recovered?

He couldn't be sure of this.

According to earlier judgments and calculations, the Human Emperor couldn't have resolved the trouble so quickly. He had been gravely wounded, and without him, humanity couldn't have subdued the myriad races.

"The Human Emperor's Heavenly Gate has opened again?"

"Yes!"

The Sword Venerable nodded.

He had seen it himself—a few days ago, he had witnessed a phantom of a gate atop the mountain. He didn't know what the Mountain Lord was doing; this time, he hadn't attacked it but had simply watched.

Fa frowned even more. What was Dome doing?

Not intervening?

Or was that fellow plotting something else, perhaps trying to lure the Human Emperor in?

Unlikely!

Thoughts surfaced one after another. Fa was silent for a moment, then spoke, "I will consider it further! Even if I agree, other Forbidden Grounds may not be willing to go there... Dome hasn't participated much in Forbidden Grounds affairs these years. Suddenly wanting to join, others may not be pleased."

The Sword Venerable seemed to understand his meaning and nodded. "The Dome Lord said that if anyone refuses, the Mountain Lord need only tell Heaven's Dome Mountain the names of those who refuse, and Heaven's Dome Mountain will handle it. Rest assured, Mountain Lord!"

...

All around, silence fell.

The Heaven's Dome Lord, though not meddlesome, was not ordinary in his arrogance.

I expected you might not agree—no matter. Just give me the list of those who disagree, and I'll go find trouble with them myself!

Among the Forbidden Ground Lords, how many could match the Heaven's Dome Lord?

If he truly came knocking, they'd be in for a rough time!

Fa was speechless. Dome, that fellow, was as arrogant as ever!

"I understand!"

Fa replied indifferently. He would see.

After all, the time had not yet come.

The Sword Venerable nodded and said no more. "Then I shall not disturb the Mountain Lord further. I must return to report to the Dome Lord!"

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Fa nodded slightly, saying nothing.

Soon, the Sword Venerable walked out of the hall. Behind him, the Vein Lord Rain who had just spoken followed, seeing him out of the Forbidden Grounds. As they walked, she said, "I've received some news recently. It's said that nearby scattered cultivators have built a Bright Light City. What of it?"

Vein Lord Rain seemed to be making small talk. The Sword Venerable didn't mind and replied casually, "That's not it. Six Directions Mountain was indeed established by a guest elder... But the intention was not to dominate anywhere. It was because the Nether Hell and the Valley of Falling Souls were too oppressive!"

"Eternal Life Mountain wasn't involved, so you probably don't know. Those two Forbidden Grounds are overbearing and bullying other scattered cultivators. My Six Directions Mountain's guest elder built a small territory for scattered cultivators and revealed his identity, but instead of being intimidated, they became even more aggressive!"

As he spoke, the Sword Venerable sneered, "Even worse, just a few days ago, the Netherworld of Nether Hell went personally to Bright Light City over such a trivial matter, intending to destroy Six Directions Mountain! If I hadn't been passing through Bright Light City on my way here, Six Directions Mountain would have been annihilated!"

At this point, the Sword Venerable’s tone grew cold: “It was merely a trivial matter among rogue cultivators. Black Tomb of Six Directions Mountain was only a guest elder of the War Hall—strictly speaking, a guest elder is not a member of the Forbidden Land! Yet they push too far!”

The Sword Venerable was incensed!

Indeed, it was too much: two Forbidden Land strongmen, not content with a joint siege, even went to the Netherworld—what was that supposed to mean?

The more he thought, the angrier he grew!

A sword cultivator lives by swift vengeance; if not for the fear of triggering a war between Forbidden Lands and causing trouble for the Mountain Lord, he would have shown the Netherworld no courtesy that very day!

Rain Vein Master, seeing him about to erupt, quickly changed the subject, smiling: “The Forbidden Canyon has been quite lively lately. Pity that Eternal Life Mountain cannot join in. The Dead Spirit Hell and the Fallen Soul Valley have indeed gone too far… Unfortunately, we’re tied up here; otherwise, we could join forces with Sky Dome Mountain and teach them a lesson!”

Mere pleasantries!

Eternal Life Mountain truly had no energy for such matters lately; she was merely inquiring, as rumors had spread that all three Forbidden Lands seemed involved.

Now, hearing the Sword Venerable’s words, she roughly grasped the inside story.

On the surface, it was a conflict among rogue cultivators, but in truth, it was likely a struggle between this Sword Venerable and the Netherworld.

No wonder it had stirred such a commotion, even invoking the name of the Forbidden Lands. Ordinarily, even those at the Sixteen Paths level dared not rashly flaunt a Forbidden Land’s name in their dealings, let alone in a rogue cultivator dispute.

Rain Vein Master let the matter drop. If the three sides wanted to fight, let them—Eternal Life Mountain would not interfere.

The Sword Venerable, seeing her fall silent, paid it no mind. Yet, having not overseen that side for two days, he was still irritated by her words: “I left Sword Kong there and told him not to seek trouble… Since the Forbidden Land’s name was invoked, it must be that the other side first used it to oppress Six Directions Mountain. Is that so?”

Rain Vein Master did not actually know which side had cried out first, but with the Sword Venerable present, she did not mind humoring him on this small point. She nodded: “Yes, it was Tiger Soul Cave that first raised the banner…”

“The Netherworld!”

The Sword Venerable sneered: “A Forbidden Land built by an outsider, and yet so arrogant! Sky Dome Mountain does not meddle, but neither will it be bullied! Enough! Since he has no shame, let us fight! I wish to see who will prevail!”

With that, he reached the door, said nothing more, and soared into the sky!

Rain Vein Master watched him leave and shook her head slightly.

Soon, another figure appeared beside her, chuckling: “Rain, did you anger him?”

“Me?”

Rain Vein Master laughed: “How could that be? I am not the Fire Vein Master. It was the Netherworld that provoked him! Word has it that they had clashes in Bright Light City before…”

She smiled as she spoke: “It seems both sides want to use rogue cultivators to test each other in Bright Light City!”

The man beside her grinned: “Should we meddle? It sounds intriguing. With a little nudge, we might spark a conflict among the three Forbidden Lands.”

“Forget it!”

Rain Vein Master shook her head: “Don’t forget, there are those two outside. If our people go out carelessly, trouble will follow.”

At this, the man fell silent, a hint of regret in his eyes.

In truth, he had seen an opportunity.

The Sword Venerable was not overly hot-tempered, but Sky Dome Mountain had a trait—an innate arrogance. Now that two Forbidden Lands had provoked him, a little more prodding might truly set him against them!

Yet, thinking of the hidden King Wen and King Wu outside, the man abandoned the notion.

King Wen and King Wu had been watching Eternal Life Mountain for years.

They dared not barge in, but once Eternal Life Mountain’s people ventured out, they would soon meet misfortune.

Even if they tried to lure and ambush them, the cunning King Wen would often take the bait and flee, leaving them not only unable to trap him but also suffering losses.

The man said no more and entered the great hall with Rain Vein Master to discuss with the Mountain Lord whether to relocate.

The Sword Venerable had come in person, bearing the intent of Sky Dome Mountain’s Lord. A direct refusal might provoke his wrath.

…

Bright Light City.

As news spread, the once-desolate city was now teeming with people.

Many rogue cultivators, drawn by the names of the three Forbidden Lands, had flocked here.

Some even came from other Forbidden Lands beyond the four great ones, arriving early to join the excitement.

The conflict among the three Forbidden Lands had piqued widespread interest.

Within the city, a massive arena drew countless eyes.

At that moment, a battle raged atop it.

The arena had been crafted with great effort, its powerful binding forces sealing it completely, capable of withstanding even battles among First-Class experts.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar erupted!

Blade Lord sent a strongman flying with a single slash, his voice cold: “Pillar Rock Cliff, you have some nerve! I intended to spare you, but I never expected you to collude with Tiger Soul Cave!”

The man he had struck, a burly figure with a yellowish complexion, was spitting blood. He coughed and said, “You think you can kill me? Impossible! Besides, it is Six Directions Mountain that has gone too far!”

As the two fought, Qu suddenly shouted from below: “Enough! Above the Sixteen Paths, life and death are hard to decide! Blade Lord, with Black Tomb absent, do you dare act so arrogantly? Are you seeking death?”

Blade Lord sneered, “Even without Lord Black Tomb, you are no match! Besides… Lord Sword Kong is here, and that is enough!”

Qu laughed coldly: “Had it been two days ago, I might have feared you. But now… Brother Black Dragon!”

As he spoke, a wave of deathly aura spread, startling the onlookers. The sky above Bright Light City suddenly darkened, and a massive black dragon materialized!

Below, Snow Dragon’s expression shifted slightly, and he said coldly, “Black Dragon?”

Above, the colossal black dragon gazed down with indifferent eyes, surveying the masses. “Snow Dragon?”

A hint of mockery crept into its voice: “Once you were stronger than me, but now… you seem no more than this!”

Snow Dragon frowned.

At that moment, a streak of sword light pierced the heavens, and a light laugh echoed: “Brother Black Dragon, since you’ve come, do not block this rare sunlight. All this darkness is unpleasant!”

Black Dragon looked into the distance. From the Six Directions Mountain encampment, a sword-wielding Daoist emerged—none other than Sword Kong, the Sword Venerable’s son!

Black Dragon said nothing, vanishing swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a black-robed Daoist and landed at the Tiger Soul Cave encampment.

Within the city, the crowd buzzed with excitement.

Truly, great figures of the Forbidden Lands!

More than one: Black Dragon of Dead Spirit Hell and Sword Kong of Sky Dome Mountain—both were experts with combat power above the Twenty Paths!

Among rogue cultivators, there were First-Class experts, but most were either newly ascended or long-stagnant; those who reached above the Twenty Paths were exceedingly rare!

…

Meanwhile.

Su Yu smiled.

More and more people were gathering!

How interesting!

The conflict among the three Forbidden Lands had drawn countless spectators, all eager to join one of them or sent by other Forbidden Lands to spy. They might fool others, but not Su Yu.

At this moment, Su Yu seemed to be nowhere.

Suddenly, he appeared in a large courtyard.

The city’s strong could claim such residences, far better than sleeping in the open. Though it meant little to experts, owning a large courtyard in Bright Light City was a mark of status and power.

Before this great compound, it had been occupied by a 12-path strongman.

At this moment, others were gathered around watching the strongman, while he himself seized the time to cultivate in peace.

But the instant Su Yu stepped inside, the entire compound turned into a cage!

Not only that—to those outside, the compound still appeared to be there.

In reality, however, the compound had already entered Su Yu's acupoint.

Inner world!

This way, he could block out some of the commotion.

At that moment, the cultivating strongman seemed to sense something, opened his eyes, and saw Su Yu at a glance—and was instantly shocked!

He was a strongman too, yet someone had managed to get so close to him—how was that possible!

Just as he was about to resist, suddenly, a powerful suppressing force erupted!

He, who originally possessed 12-path strength, was suddenly suppressed by a large amount of power, and in the blink of an eye, he probably only had the strength of eight or nine paths!

"Who are you?"

The cultivator was greatly alarmed, and Su Yu smiled: "Black Tomb!"

"Lord of Six Directions Mountain? Weren't you in seclusion, not in the city?"

Su Yu ignored him, waved his hand, and suddenly seven or eight figures appeared beside him, all strongmen—some first-class, some second-class.

Seeing these people, the rogue cultivator was horrified!

"It's you?"

He looked at one of the first-class strongmen and exclaimed in terror: "Di Jiu, didn't you leave a few days ago?"

He recognized several of these strongmen; this Di Jiu was a 16-path strongman, quite powerful among rogue cultivators.

He had come to Bright City two days ago, but stayed less than a day before leaving early, supposedly to visit an old friend.

But now, here he was!

Right beside this Black Tomb!

That Di Jiu smiled radiantly: "Leave? Just a diversion. I have sworn allegiance to the Calamity Lord! The Calamity Lord's strength is beyond your imagination! The fifth forbidden land of the Forbidden Canyon is about to appear, and now is both an opportunity and a destiny..."

Su Yu didn't speak; he was too lazy to waste words with everyone every time. One or two was fine, but he would have many such situations ahead.

So these few were all eloquent types.

Simply put, this was a brainwashing squad, specially tasked with breaking down people's resolve and making them believe that surrender offered a greater chance!

"The Calamity Lord only recruits lords of the 720 great paths. I see that you cultivate the path of fragmentation, which no one yet controls. Once you join, you will become one of the lords of the 720 great paths..."

After a bout of persuasion, that 12-path strongman chose to surrender.

In truth, he wasn't convinced—he was subdued!

There was no choice. When he found himself surrounded by so many people, and the fluctuations of his great path failed to attract anyone's attention, with no one intervening, and he didn't even know where he had been taken.

In such a situation, it was either death or surrender!

Between death and surrender, he had no other option!

Even if he was forced to sever his path afterward, he was helpless. Fortunately, after severing, he quickly reconnected, and his strength was truly restored. This newcomer then transformed into the likeness of another!

A sycophant... no, a loyal devotee!

A world-opener!

An inconceivable world-opener, worthy of allegiance!

And this newcomer was soon led to a vast open space, where many people were gathered. When they saw the newcomer, some glanced at him, others ignored him and continued cultivating.

But the newcomer, a 12-path strongman, was utterly horrified.

So many people!

Here, he saw some familiar faces, and also some who had previously left Bright City—all of them were here!

There were several above 16 paths.

Not to mention those below 16 paths!

...

At this moment, Su Yu continued his actions.

Capture people!

Sever paths, reconnect paths!

These people had entered his world and also entered the house. Capturing them wasn't difficult; most would choose to surrender. Those who didn't would be killed!

In the past few days, rogue cultivators in Bright City had been coming and going.

Quite a few had actually disappeared!

Those who surrendered and reconnected, as long as they didn't share a duplicate great path, would go out once, leave under someone's watch, and then sneak back in secret.

But those who died... could only truly die.

The disappearance of rogue cultivators didn't attract much attention.

Yet Su Yu knew in his heart that this pace needed to accelerate. Quite a few had died, and some well-known rogue cultivators had vanished. These people shared a common trait: they had all come to Bright City.

The major forbidden lands, including some rogue cultivator strongmen, hadn't paid attention yet, but soon they would sense something amiss.

And despite absorbing so many strongmen, Su Yu's strength had not increased significantly.

Though it was rising steadily, the power of 28 paths had not yet entered the realm of 29 paths.

Only now did Su Yu realize how difficult it was to advance at this stage.

"Enter the power of 29 paths as soon as possible, and then... capture a few forbidden land strongmen!"

Su Yu had a plan: first deal with the rogue cultivators, not touch the forbidden land strongmen yet. Once he reached 29 paths, he would handle them. At present, there were quite a few forbidden land strongmen in the city.

Those above 20 paths included Sword Void and the Black Dragon who had arrived. As for Fallen Soul Valley, they had also sent two first-class fighters to assist, but their strength was mediocre, only 16 paths.

These people would have to be dealt with later.

Moving against the forbidden land people now would be too easily discovered.

...

Su Yu harvested room by room, while outside, no one knew.

Everyone was still excited about the conflict among the three major forbidden lands.

...

Meanwhile.

Jin Feng and the others were clustered around Sword Void. Snow Dragon said in a low voice: "My lord, we're in trouble! Now, Tiger Soul Cave, Firmrock Cliff, and Heavenly Silkworm Domain have joined forces. Fallen Soul Valley has sent two 16-path strongmen to assist, and now the Black Dragon has also arrived... Their side now has nine strongmen above 16 paths!"

Snow Dragon sighed helplessly: "And on our side, Lord Black Tomb is absent. The three of us, plus the lord of Moon Qi Mountain, Moon Qi, that's only five including you, my lord..."

The gap is huge!

Jian Kong also frowned.

The alliance of the two forbidden lands had indeed pressed down on Sky Dome Mountain, causing Boulder Cliff and Silkworm Ridge to defect to the other side—right under his very eyes!

He had actually gone there once before, and in the end, they turned around and pledged allegiance to the enemy.

Too humiliating!

But before, he was powerful and feared nothing.

Yet... now the Black Dragon had come!

In an instant, the momentum was suppressed.

Black Tomb had not returned yet, and now he was the one in charge of Six Directions Mountain!

But... what should he do now?

He said in a deep voice, "They wouldn't dare to attack rashly either..."

No sooner had he spoken than a sharp cry rang out: "Snow Dragon, step onto the arena! Watch me slay you today!"

Snow Dragon's face changed. Within the city, Qu's voice rang out with pride, echoing through heaven and earth: "! Otherwise, we do not wish to massacre, out of respect for Sky Dome Mountain's forbidden land! But this stalemate is no way to proceed. From today, we two sides shall duel until one is annihilated or surrenders!"

"All within the arena, single combat—either surrender or die, until one side has no one left to fight!"

Snow Dragon and the others changed color!

They all looked at Jian Kong. The Blade Master gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, they want to fight in turns, wearing us down until we are gravely wounded or killed!"

Jian Kong's face was cold!

I am here, and the enemy dares to be so arrogant—do they truly not take Sky Dome Mountain seriously?

He said coldly, "Agree to them!"

He had not wanted to meddle too much with the scattered cultivators or invest too much, but the enemy was pushing too far!

In that case... Jian Kong said coldly, "Hold the line for now. I will send word to Sky Dome Mountain. My Sky Dome Mountain does not lack for experts! Since they want a duel... then I will let everyone within the Heavenly Gate know that Sky Dome Mountain is the foremost forbidden land!"

He would summon more people to aid the battle!

He would crush these two forbidden lands!

Even if they joined forces, Sky Dome Mountain would not fear them!

The Blade Master and the others were overjoyed—truly delighted. Come, let more people come quickly. The Blade Master said excitedly, "My lord, why not summon some experts skilled in blade techniques from the Blade Hall? Fellow cultivators... might also have the chance to hear the seniors' insights on the Dao..."

Jian Kong chuckled, but did not refuse. He nodded: "Fine. The Blade Hall does not lack blade masters."

The Blade Master was so excited he could jump!

Fortunately, he knew not to get too carried away and forcibly restrained himself.

The others nearby were all envious!

Snow Dragon wanted to suggest summoning those skilled in the path of ice sealing... but Sky Dome Mountain did not seem adept in that Dao. The Eternal Mountain had many, unfortunately.

This was a chance to strengthen themselves!

They knew that once these people arrived, they would eventually be merged into the world. Then, as the first Dao masters to merge, the others would either die or have no choice but to merge into them.

Thus, they could soon become 18-Dao, 19-Dao, or even stronger experts!

And Jian Kong, seeing them laughing joyfully, also smiled.

These scattered cultivators were so easily satisfied.

He hadn't even promised to teach them anything—why were they so happy?

Though he thought this, he did not show it. He looked into the distance and sneered inwardly: Good. This time, I will crush you!

No matter who comes, it won't matter!