Translator: AnubisTL
The battle at Black Sand River in the Azure Ridge Domain had finally begun to draw the attention of rogue cultivators in the immortal realm.
The entire Black Sand River Basin lay utterly devastated, the great earth scarred and broken, river sections collapsed and sunken, and spiritual energy in complete disarray.
This event quickly became the most talked-about affair in the Azure Ridge Domain's cultivation world. Cultivators debated endlessly, each offering their own theories.
"I was near Black Sand River at the time. The sky nearly shattered! Who would dare approach? You might be reckless, but I value my life!"
"Black Sand River is gone! The waters have flooded the area, creating a vast, muddy Blackwater Marsh!"
"To cause such devastation, it must have been a battle between several core formation realm cultivators."
At this point, many rogue cultivators exchanged uneasy glances.
In the Azure Ridge Domain, only the Lingyun Sect was known to still have core formation realm cultivators.
It was highly likely that one side of the Black Sand River battle was the Lingyun Sect's supreme elder.
But the identity of the other party remained a mystery. With the Lingyun Sect's overwhelming power, who would dare to stroke the tiger's whiskers?
"It must have been cultivators from the outer domain. We've seen more traces of them lately."
"Hiss... If that's true, the Azure Ridge Domain might soon descend into chaos."
"If these major powers clash, our peaceful days are numbered."
"Not necessarily. Hasn't the Lingyun Sect been paying close attention to the Grasslands lately? Could this conflict involve the Holy Temple Tribes, who have long secluded themselves, and the Lingyun Sect?"
"That's certainly possible."
Cultivators across the immortal realm speculated endlessly, each offering their own theories and opinions.
With so many guessing, some were bound to stumble upon the truth.
Regardless, the Black Sand River region—or rather, the Blackwater Marsh as it should now be called—was attracting an increasing number of cultivators eager to investigate.
Some daring cultivators even ventured into the heart of the Blackwater Marsh, hoping to uncover some great opportunity or relics left behind by core formation realm cultivators.
But their hopes were destined to be dashed. Instead of relics, they found only shocking battle scars etched across the landscape.
Moreover, the spiritual energy around the Blackwater Marsh was in utter chaos, making qi refining realm cultivators feel extremely uncomfortable.
Yet even this couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the rogue cultivators. Wave after wave of them swarmed to the area, their fervor burning bright.
Finally, one day, a group of uninvited guests descended from the skies above the Blackwater Marsh.
Boom!
The group wore robes adorned with flowing wind and golden patterns, their white fabric trimmed with gold, giving them an air of effortless elegance.
Yet even the most refined robes couldn't conceal their travel-worn appearance, nor the solemn, grave expressions on their faces.
Had Li Qing been present, he would have recognized True Lord Chang Jue among them—the same Chang Jue he had failed to kill earlier, now holding a position of considerable authority within the group.
Indeed, this party hailed from the Free and Unfettered Sect!
"Chang Jue, is this where Xi Feng and the others fell?"
An aged, steady voice suddenly echoed from the spirit boat, its sails billowing in the wind.
At the sound of this voice, the faces of all the Free and Unfettered Sect members turned reverent.
From the cabin of the spirit boat emerged a hunched old man with disheveled silver hair and a peculiar unibrow that stretched across his forehead.
"That is correct, Ancestor," Chang Jue replied respectfully, bowing slightly. "Junior Brother Xi Feng and the others perished here at the hands of the Limitless True Lord."
This man was the Free and Unfettered Sect's nascent soul realm ancestor, the Carefree Old Lord!
The Carefree Old Lord said nothing, merely stroked his white beard. But in his aged, cloudy eyes, a sudden glint of clarity flashed.
"To have been driven to such a sorry state by a single person... this youth must be quite remarkable," the Carefree Old Lord remarked before returning to the spirit boat, leaving only one command:
"Let's go take a look at the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate."
Hearing this, a flicker of delight surged through Chang Jue's eyes.
He had originally expected to wait at least a few years to reclaim his natal magic treasure, allowing the sect's forces to settle in first.
But the ancestor's decisive action caught him completely off guard. Barely having arrived in the Azure Ridge Domain, he was already demanding justice from the Lingyun Sect!
Yet, upon reflection, this was perfectly natural. Such was the demeanor of a nascent soul realm cultivator: settling scores without delay. Dealing with a few core formation realm cultivators required no hesitation—he would simply go.
A surge of satisfaction coursed through Chang Jue's gaze.
That arrogant Limitless True Lord deserved to learn firsthand what a true nascent soul realm ancestor was capable of!
"Head east to the end of the horizon—that's where the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate lies. Let's move out!"
At True Lord Chang Jue's command, the assembled forces immediately soared eastward, a vast, imposing procession radiating arrogant might.
Below, in the Blackwater Marsh region, swarms of rogue cultivators witnessed this spectacle firsthand.
From the moment the group had arrived until now, they hadn't dared utter a single word, not even a breath.
The spiritual pressure emanating from the Free and Unfettered Sect's forces was overwhelming, causing the mostly qi refining realm cultivators to feel a bone-chilling dread.
Only after the spirit boats had vanished into the distance did they dare wipe the cold sweat from their foreheads and begin whispering among themselves.
"Who were those people? The aura they released was terrifying!"
"Their attire doesn't resemble the Grasslands style. They must be cultivators from the outer domain!"
"Wait... weren't they heading toward the Lingyun Sect?"
The moment these words were spoken, the entire area fell into a deathly silence. The rogue cultivators exchanged uneasy glances, their hearts pounding wildly.
Something big is coming!
It was clear: a River-Crossing Dragon had arrived in the Azure Ridge Domain!
TL/N: River-Crossing Dragon = foreign force.
Almost immediately, some cultivators reacted, swiftly departing from the Blackwater Marsh.
The news spread like wildfire. At this rate, the entire Azure Ridge Domain's immortal realm would know within days!
"A major event has occurred! A River-Crossing Dragon from the outer domain has arrived. After passing through Blackwater Marsh, they've mobilized a massive force and are heading straight for Lingyun Sect!"
"What?! The immortal dao war is upon us so quickly and directly?"
"Hiss... We'd better pack our valuables immediately. The Azure Ridge Domain is about to descend into chaos again!"
"..."
Meanwhile, east of the Azure Ridge Domain, at the mountain gate of Lingyun Sect:
Following Li Qing's orders, the entire sect strictly adhered to the directives.
Whether disciples or elders, nearly all remained within the mountain gate, rarely venturing beyond the protective array's coverage.
All supreme elders stood ready for battle. Even True Lord Fu Xuan, who had been in secluded cultivation and teaching in his cave abode, maintained constant vigilance.
The Free and Unfettered Sect's forces could arrive at any moment!
Amid this tense and solemn atmosphere, the cataclysm Lingyun Sect had been bracing for finally swept over them.
Across the western sky, a vast fleet of spirit boats advanced in a majestic procession.
The lead spirit boat was colossal, nearly the size of a small mountain.
As it approached the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate, a vast and overwhelming aura surged skyward, churning the clouds across the heavens.
This was the unique spiritual pressure of a nascent soul realm cultivator, sweeping outward with enough force to alter the very weather of the region.
Immediately afterward, several core formation true lords unleashed their own spiritual pressure without restraint.
Boom!
The Free and Unfettered Sect had arrived with overwhelming force, seeking to hold the Lingyun Sect accountable!
"Lingyun Sect, do you acknowledge your crimes?!" True Lord Chang Jue soared into the air, his voice amplified by divine sense, his majestic words echoing across the land, reverberating even at the farthest reaches.
Simultaneously, within the Lingyun Sect's mountain gate, the hearts of most disciples tightened with apprehension.
The inevitable had finally arrived!
On Azure Cloud Peak, Li Qing, who had been dozing with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. His expression remained calm and composed, showing no trace of panic or anxiety.
"They've come quickly," he murmured. "Are they really so impatient?"
(End of the Chapter)
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