Chapter 623: Everything Is Set in Motion

Nebulae churned chaotically outside the Fengli Sect's planet. Immortal light spread endlessly as blood spilled everywhere. Moreover, streams of light dashed back and forth.

Groups composed of dozens of celestial soldiers clashed across the battlefield, constantly sending people plummeting from the sky toward the planet.

Blood rained endlessly around the Fengli Sect's grand defensive array. True Immortals fought and slaughtered across the field, cutting through celestial soldiers as though reaping with sickles.

Neither the True Immortals nor the celestial soldiers could approach where the Heavenly Immortals fought. The aftershocks of their exchanges alone were enough to grievously injure anyone who drew near.

From time to time, someone would be isolated and trapped within encirclements dozens of times larger than their own force. At other moments, a True Immortal with otherwise solid cultivation would fall to the coordinated ambush of several Primordial Immortals.

The thirteen qi planets rarely saw conflicts of this scale between celestial sects. Even so, this was still merely a large-scale sect clash. There was no unified battlefield command, and formation power only played a role during the initial engagement. Once the formations broke apart, it became a chaotic free-for-all.

Neither side's celestial soldiers were foolish. Before the battle began, they had already grouped themselves with close companions. They now clustered together and relied on one another, doing everything possible to survive the melee.

Survival meant sect rewards and cultivation resources.

The battle raged fiercely, with casualties mounting on both sides. The Fengli Sect's immortals performed reasonably well, at least avoiding immediate collapse. Still, the situation was undeniably grim.

The Celestial Wind Sect had come fully prepared. Not only had they invited Wang Beifeng to personally intervene, but they had also carefully chosen and armed their celestial soldiers with immortal treasures and talismans.

Large-scale conflicts in the endless space were also contests of resources and wealth.

Less than half an hour had passed since Wang Sheng and Long Aotian flew into space and Lishang shifted her battle with Wang Beifeng aside. Nevertheless, a third of the Fengli Sect's celestial soldiers had already turned into casualties. Though most had simply been wounded, it was still losing ground.

Moreover, even though Wang Sheng had forced Meng Wuxue to withdraw, the high-level clashes remained favorable to the Celestial Wind Sect due to its far superior foundation. Two of the Fengli Sect's Heavenly Immortals had already been injured.

The Celestial Wind Sect's victory in this first clash already seemed certain.

Clang!

A sudden sword cry echoed through space, but they didn't hear it physically. Rather, they resonated with the Great Dao itself.

Heaven and earth trembled as a line of fire lit up on the distant horizon, shooting in from the direction of the ancient battlefield and streaking rapidly toward one side of the war zone.

That familiar aura and unforgettable sword presence caused several Celestial Wind Sect elders to burst into joy. They assumed Long Aotian had defeated Wang Sheng and that the latter was fleeing in panic. However, their delight lasted only a brief moment; they soon realized that Long Aotian's aura was nowhere to be found. They didn't hear any draconic roar or sense even a trace of Long Aotian's Dao Rhythm, either.

"

Could it be that Elder Long...

"

"

That can't be. Is this kid's Dao of the Sword truly so strong that even Elder Long was no match for him? His Sky Devourer is extraordinarily tyrannical!

"

"

Do not forget what happened to Elder Tan Lang. You hold this old woman here. I will go assist Senior Wang Beifeng!

"

The Celestial Wind Sect's Heavenly Immortal Realm elders felt unsettled, and the offensive momentum of their celestial soldiers faltered. Their True Immortals also began to consciously tighten their lines and draw closer, voluntarily relinquishing much of their overwhelming advantage earlier.

The Fengli Sect's morale surged, though they dared not press forward recklessly. For a time, the attention of the entire battlefield focused on the path that the streak of fire had carved.

When the flames dissipated, a Golden Crow phantasm plunged straight onto where Lishang and Wang Beifeng were locked in combat.

Sword radiance erupted like sunlight, leaving behind ten

li

of condensed sword energy as it smashed down on the fighters trading blows below.

Lishang flicked her tail and smiled faintly as she unleashed countless icicles with a swing of her sword.

Wang Beifeng, who was engaged in fierce combat with Lishang, frowned slightly. Wang Sheng's attack drew the majority of his focus, yet he remained elegant as he retreated.

His footwork was exquisite. Moreover, with a casual flourish of his immortal sword, he made endless sword radiance blossom. He wasn't just half a step away from the Golden Immortal Realm; his mastery of the sword was also truly remarkable.

As soon as he unleashed his sword techniques, a dense bamboo forest seemingly appeared around him. He strolled through it with carefree ease, singing as he pleased. The intent within his sword was deep and lingering; it was as rich as aged wine and as fragrant as bamboo.

The fierce sword energy that Wang Sheng dragged down only cut through a section of the illusory bamboo forest, failing to harm even a hair on Wang Beifeng.

Wang Sheng mentally praised,

What a formidable footwork technique.

"

I'll assist you,

" Yaoyun offered, despite having expended enormous spiritual power to suppress the dragon fiend's Primordial Spirit. "

His cultivation realm is extremely high.

"

Concerned about his sword spirit, Wang Sheng replied, "

You should rest. Lishang and I can handle him.

"

He slung the Dragon Sword onto his back. Afterward, he brought his palms together and slowly drew them apart, making Flying Haze rapidly take shape between them. Five Flying Clouds then circled him, and six strands of sword intent resonated within him. Moreover, astral power descended upon him as he enveloped himself in heavenly tribulation power.

Within the illusory bamboo forest, Wang Beifeng raised his head and looked at Wang Sheng. He smirked faintly. "

You actually defeated that Heavenly Immortal Realm fiend? You have truly exceeded my expectations.

"

With perfect, tacit understanding, Wang Sheng and Lishang chose to ignore him.

"

Are you injured?

" Wang Sheng asked.

"

No,

" Lishang answered softly. Her dark hair drifted as her golden armor shimmered, creating a breathtaking sight. "

Keep him here.

"

"

Mm.

" Wang Sheng took a deep breath. He raised his left hand and formed a sword finger gesture, making the five flying swords around him spin rapidly.

Wang Beifeng chuckled mockingly. His battle intent grew stronger as he fixed his gaze on Wang Sheng. "

What a delight it would have been had your cultivation been equal to mine.

"

The implication was clear. In his eyes, Wang Sheng's cultivation was still too shallow to truly match him.

Swords in hand, Wang Sheng and Lishang were about to charge when they heard a Celestial Wind Sect elder let out a long, piercing whistle from afar using immortal power. It seemed to be a signal that their opponents had agreed upon earlier.

Wang Beifeng frowned, swept his sleeve, and retreated lightly. He then tapped his toes against the ground a few times and instantly vanished into space.

He left just like that?

Lishang's eyes widened. She was about to give chase when Wang Sheng stopped her with a subtle hand signal. Hence, the two turned and headed toward the main battlefield instead.

Abandoning several hundred celestial soldiers, the Celestial Wind Sect's main force retreated at full speed along their original route. Wang Beifeng also regrouped with the other Heavenly Immortals. They all launched a brief but fierce assault to stop the Fengli Sect's pursuit before withdrawing swiftly into space once more.

The immortals of the Fengli Sect didn't press on. Instead, most simply breathed a sigh of relief. At the old woman's command, they descended rapidly in streaks of light, cleaning up the battlefield and reorganizing their forces.

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng and Lishang rejoined the Xinghai Sect's immortals. Though they suffered quite a few casualties, their wounded fortunately outnumbered their dead.

The grand defensive array below was shut down. They followed the Fengli Sect's immortals back into the mountain gate, after which the array was quickly reactivated.

For a time, the Fengli Sect was overjoyed. After all, they had just repelled the Celestial Wind Sect's strongest and most aggressive assault yet.

Before long, however, they heard a woman quietly sobbing out of nowhere, quickly reverting the mood to its original heaviness.

What they had faced was only the first wave. The Celestial Wind Sect's army was still on the horizon, merely having withdrawn to a more distant location.

Soon, the Fengli Sect's spies sent intel about the reason behind their enemy's retreat. According to the report, Long Aotian had been gravely wounded and was on the brink of death. Concluding that Lishang and Wang Sheng were stronger than they could handle, they were forced to call a temporary ceasefire.

After handling urgent matters, some of the Fengli Sect's elders immediately rushed over instead of focusing on their recovery. Together, they reached the mountain where the Xinghai Sect's immortals had gathered and found them near the teleportation array.

They brought a large number of top-tier Immortal Stones and precious pills, repeatedly expressed their gratitude to Wang Sheng and Lishang, and presented many rare materials and immortal treasures as tokens of gratitude.

"Once we've driven off those bastards, the Fengli Sect will reward you even more generously. We truly have you two to thank for this victory. Honestly, I don't even know how we can properly repay this debt."

After making promises, the elderly women noticed how tired Wang Sheng was. Daring not to linger further, they instructed several young female disciples to stand by nearby and then took their leave.

None of the tens of thousands of immortals in the Fengli Sect had expected the reinforcements they invited to be this formidable. As soon as the battle began, they had nearly beaten the Celestial Wind Sect's strongest cultivator to death.

Despite their half-hopeless situation, they had managed to fend off the attackers.

Lishang tallied the casualties among the Xinghai Sect's immortals. Following Wang Sheng's instructions before the battle, their forces had avoided plunging deep into the vanguard. Instead, they had stayed together and maneuvered along the edges, minimizing their overall losses.

Even so, they still lost two elders in the chaos, along with dozens of Protectors, celestial soldiers, and disciples.

Their wounded were not in serious condition. With sufficient celestial pills and several elders moving back and forth to assist with healing, they would soon recover.

The immortal treasures and Spirit Stones that the Fengli Sect had given them were distributed according to Lishang's arrangements. They served as rewards for the Xinghai Sect's members who had come all the way to this planet. After the great battle concluded, the Xinghai Sect would generously reward them as well.

Lishang asked softly, "Are you injured?"

She transformed her snake tail into human legs, gathered her skirt, and removed her golden armor. Barefoot, she sat cross-legged beside Wang Sheng.

The immortals around them all smiled faintly. Linyuan was thoughtful enough to raise his hand and set up a layer of immortal light barrier around the two.

"I'm fine," Wang Sheng replied. "The dragon fiend exposed an opening, and I was able to seriously wound him with ease."

"Were you not able to kill Long Aotian?"

"I could have." Wang Sheng sighed, his gaze fixed toward where the Celestial Wind Sect's immortals had retreated. "You'll understand later."

"

Mm.

"

Despite not knowing what was on Wang Sheng's mind, Lishang didn't ask further. She simply quietly adjusted her breathing.

Does this corrupt art of the Heavenly Court—ahem, does the Heavenly Court's profound spell for controlling fiends actually work? What state is Long Aotian in right now? Does he become less obedient the farther he is from me?

He was clearly worrying too much.

***

At this moment, Long Aotian lay inside the cabin of a celestial tower ship. Ten Heavenly Immortals stood nearby, and on the neighboring bed lay Meng Wuxue.

Meng Wuxue was already seated in meditation, regulating his breath. Meanwhile, Long Aotian looked truly miserable.

He was covered in wounds, and he had almost been completely decapitated. His left eye had been utterly destroyed, as if someone had thrust a sword straight through it and out the back of his head. Fortunately, his Primordial Spirit was not as severely injured.

Several elders had already reported the situation to their sect master. Some had also started to consider retreating.

Meanwhile, the North-River Sword Sect's members all had dark expressions. After all, withdrawing so disgracefully would deal a serious blow to their sect's reputation.

As the elders treated Long Aotian's injuries, they discussed how to proceed with the war. In the end, their sect master presented a solution himself. The gravely injured Long Aotian and the wounded True Immortals would be sent back to Tianfeng to hold the fort, while the sect master would personally lead reinforcements to provide support.

The Celestial Wind Sect's immortals declared, "We will not rest until the Fengli Sect is destroyed!"

The short, fat, and old fiend remained unconscious. Hearing that declaration made his Primordial Spirit smile cunningly.