Chapter 1979: It’s Over

In the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, the Essence Luxuriant World was their main Essence World, and the Spirit Qing World, Spirit Cheng World, Spirit Ruling World, and the Spirit Frost World were the four auxiliary Spirit Worlds that had been integrated.

In the Essence Luxuriant World, which served as the core of the Heavenly Field, the addition of the Wanyun Continent brought the number of continents there to 32. It also housed a Dao Field and 12 Elysiums.

Among the 32 continents, four exceeded the size of 20,000 miles. The You Continent, the Jiao Continent, the Northern Sea Continent, and the Wanyun Continent. Approximately eight continents had an area of over 15,000 miles, while the remaining 20 exceeded 10,000 miles in size.

In terms of development within the Heavenly Fields, the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field could be considered in the mid-to-upper ranks among the eight Star Regions in the Chaotic Sea of Stars.

Even if evaluated purely on the growth of the Essence Luxuriant World itself, the number of continents and Elysiums they contained was already quite impressive.

However, when examining the development of individual continents, the large number of newly formed continents that were 10,000 miles revealed that the Essence Luxuriant World had only been promoted to an Essence Worlds a few decades ago.

Additionally, while the number of elite cultivators in the Martial Void Realm had caught up with other Heavenly Fields, the number of cultivators in the Martial Dipper Realm and Martial Extermination Realm, remained lacking.

This issue, however, was not due to a shortage of cultivation resources in the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field.

On the contrary, having just ascended to an Essence World and still rapidly developing its Heavenly Field, they were rich in untapped and undeveloped resources.

The real reason was the insufficient overall population of cultivators in the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field and a general lack of mortals. Both the Essence Luxuriant World and the Heavenly Field were still essentially in a state of being vast but sparsely populated.

This condition had already existed back when they were the Spirit Luxuriant World. The underlying reason why it remained unresolved was that there had simply not been enough time, and their rise had been too swift for population growth to keep up.

In fact, the most direct and efficient way to resolve this problem would have been for the Essence Luxuriant World to incorporate large populations, both of cultivators and mortal, during its rise through the conquest of other worlds, plundering their world origin and territories in the process.

However, whether it was Shang Xia, Kou Chongxue, or the upper echelons of the Tongyou Institution and other sects, all chose extremely conservative approaches on this matter.

During the Essence Luxuriant World’s ascension, they had selectively absorbed some external sects, individual cultivators, and mortals. However, they always did so with caution so as not to threaten the dominance of native powers, cultivators, or local populations.

Even when integrating external territories, the native factions of the Essence Luxuriant World would accelerate their assimilation by relocating outsiders to other continents and moving native populations into the new regions to speed up the localization process.

With the Wanyun Association and Wanyun Continent beginning to integrate with their world, Shang Xia turned his focus toward the Tongyou Dao Field.

Kou Chongxu was still cultivating within, showing no signs of emerging.

But Shang Xia had a premonition that Kou Chongxue’s seclusion would end soon, especially now that the Wanyun Continent was integrated into their world. The number of Elysiums their world contained would return to a full state of 12, a symbolic state of perfection of an Essence World. That would undoubtedly propel Kou Chongxue's cultivation even further.

Nevertheless, Shang Xia did not wait long. With the integration process going smoothly, Shang Xia left the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field once again.

As for how many trade routes the Tongyou Institution and the other sects could negotiate from the Wanyun Association during the process... It would depend entirely on their skill and negotiation.

By the time Shang Xia returned to the void around the Essence Xing World, the found that the division of their world was already nearing completion.

With internal and external coordination from the Secret Talisman Gate, the alliance of the Essence Ling Heavenly Field and Essence Du Heavenly Field quickly took control of several continents, then pushed east and south to expand their territory.

Though local forces of the Essence Xing World tried to resist, their efforts achieved very little. All they managed to do was slow the invaders down.

However, after the Chen Dynasty Emperor’s sudden escape with the core regions of the dynasties and a group of elite cultivators, the morale and resolve of the native factions collapsed almost instantly.

After the departure of the Wanyun Continent with the help of Shang Xia and the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, the alliance quickly took control of 13 continents in the Essence Xing World.

At that point, the alliance began to experience a manpower shortage, especially given the substantial casualties they had sustained, forcing their offensives to slow down.

It was then that the cultivators of the Essence Ling Heavenly Field and the Essence Du Heavenly Field started to lament the loss of the Essence Chong Heavenly Field.

Had their forces been involved, casualties would have been far lower, and the number of continents under their control would likely have exceeded 15.

In truth, if not for interference from other outside factions at critical moments, even if the alliances could only control 12 continents for the time being, they could have proceeded gradually to eventually conquer all of the Essence Xing World.

But those opportunistic factions that showed up for their share clearly weren’t going to let the alliances have things their way.

In fact, ever since the Wanyun Association and Wanyun Continent had been extracted by the Essence Luxuriant Heavenly Field, the various Sages who had been lurking in the void began constructing spatial channels to bring in their fleets.

However, whether it was Yuan Ling and Yan Yu, or the other Sages, they knew that the most valuable parts of the Essence Xing World had already been lost. The remaining continents have been heavily damaged, and their World Origin Sources were depleted. They were no longer what they once were.

Given the current war-torn state of the Essence Xing World, even combining the foundation of the three remaining continents might barely match a single Wanyun Continent. As for the two landmasses that the Chen Dynasty Emperor took with him... The disparity was even greater.

Especially the twelve continents in the northwest that had borne the brunt of the invasion. They had taken the most damage.

By the time Shang Xia hurried over from the Essence Luxuriant World, the surrounding factions, circling like vultures, had already begun to split the Essence Xing World.

Among them, the fastest and most efficient were, naturally, the Essence Ling Heavenly Field and the Essence Du Heavenly Field, which had been prepared in advance.

Though the twelve continents they controlled had been the most devastated by the war, ironically, that made them easier to separate and transport.

It was also then that Shang Xia saw the Essence Ark from the Essence Ling Heavenly Field for the first time!