Chapter 1215: My Tribulation, My Burden (2)

Several billion li was nothing for Perennial powerhouses flying at light speed; they reached the skies above Dao Comprehension City in just a few hours.

Then, without hesitation, all thirteen Perennial powerhouses unleashed a massive, coordinated attack.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thirteen streams of Peak Perennial level arcane arts tore through millions of li, crashing down upon the vast Dao Comprehension City with terrifying might, threatening to pulverize it.

Barring intervention, this single assault would be enough to annihilate the entire Dao Comprehension City.

Whoosh~

Suddenly, Dao Comprehension City shone with radiant light. Spinning barriers rose into the sky, intercepting the eternal-level arcane arts.

The resulting shockwaves rippled outward, slamming into the city and reducing countless palaces to rubble.

"Who dares attack my Dao Comprehension City?" A furious roar rang out as a purple-robed figure streaked across heaven and earth.

It was Perennial Gan Hou.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two more figures shot skyward.

These were the other two Perennial powerhouses responsible for guarding the city alongside Gan Hou, though they were only Standard Perennials.

"This?"

"Thirteen? Such powerful auras, all at the Peak Perennial level?" When Perennial Gan Hou and the others beheld the thirteen figures in the void, their expressions changed dramatically.

"It's the Tian Luo Army Generals from the Tian Luo Holy Sect. I recognize several of them."

"Their leader is Perennial Long Gu, one of the strongest five Perennials of the Tian Luo Holy Sect."

Throughout the Nine Realms, the eternal powerhouses born over the long years were limited in number, occasionally falling in battles over treasures or in combat. And with each war between holy sects, eternal powerhouses would clash. Therefore, most eternal powerhouses knew each other to some extent, or at least weren't complete strangers.

"So it's Perennial Long Gu." Perennial Gan Hou suppressed his rage as he growled, "Do you intend to provoke a war between the holy sects? This is the Third Realm, not the First Realm.

"I've already reported this to our sect's Saint. Retreat immediately, or when our Saint arrives, none of you will escape," Perennial Gan Hou bellowed.

At this moment, while the eternal powerhouses exchanged words in the void, the shockwaves had already alarmed countless powerhouses in the city.

Trillions of sempiternal lifeforms residing in the city looked up at the scene in the void with trepidation.

The upper three realms were home to countless sempiternal lifeforms. As for the holy sect Overlords, their faces darkened one by one. With their powerful senses, they naturally felt the malicious intent of the visitors. Over ten Perennials?

"Perennials?"

"Perennials from the Tian Luo Holy Sect?" Wu Yuan and Overlord Shang Cai emerged from their meditation chambers, gazing at the scene unfolding in the void.

"So many Perennials? And from the Tian Luo Holy Sect?" Overlord Shang Cai's eyes flickered with unease. "Wu Ji, could they be here for us?"

"Don't worry, I'm here," Wu Yuan smiled faintly. "Let's see how Perennial Gan Hou handles this first."

Overlord Shang Cai nodded slightly, somehow naturally finding reassurance in Wu Yuan's words.

"Gan Hou, it's been a while," In the void above, the black-haired Perennial Long Gu looked down coldly. "We have no intention of starting a war with the Zi Ming Holy Sect. We've come for Overlord Wu Ji and Overlord Shang Cai. Hand them over, and we'll leave."

"Overlord Wu Ji and Overlord Shang Cai? I've never seen them," Perennial Gan Hou shook his head. "How can I hand over people I don't have?"

Inwardly, he was shocked—who had leaked this information? While Wu Yuan and Overlord Shang Cai hadn't deliberately concealed their whereabouts, only those at the Overlord level or above knew that they were visiting.

This meant that among the numerous Overlord disciples of the Zi Ming Holy Sect, there was most likely a spy!

"Don't feign ignorance. We wouldn't have come without absolute certainty," Perennial Long Gu sneered. "I advise you to face reality. You have three breaths' time. After that, I'll attack, and then it will be too late to hand them over."

Perennial Gan Hou immediately understood that the other side was refusing to let off.

"Long Gu, stop dreaming. Even if Overlord Wu Ji and the others were here, which they aren't, I would never hand them over," Perennial Gan Hou shouted angrily. "If you want war, so be it!"

Hand them over? That was impossible.

First, as the guardian Perennial, he had a duty to protect his territory and an obligation to protect Overlord Shang Cai.

Second, surrendering them outright would incur the wrath of the Qian Yang Holy Sect, resulting in consequences no better than the current situation.

Third, with Dao Comprehension City's defense array, he believed he had a fighting chance.

"There's nothing more to say. Attack!" Perennial Long Gu gave the order, and the twelve Peak Perennials behind him all moved.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A sky-covering barrage of eternal arcane arts erupted once more. Six Perennials skilled in close combat transformed into towering figures tens of thousands of li tall and smashed downward with full force.

In the Nine Realms, there was no concept of mana or ether bodies. Therefore, in all manner of combat and battles, eternal powerhouses all fought with their true selves.

"Fight back."

"Hold them off! Reinforcements from our holy sect are on their way," Perennial Gan Hou roared in rage.

Boom!

The array covering Dao Comprehension City was activated. Power erupted like magnificent radiant clouds, beautiful and splendid, yet imbued with killing intent.

The eternal powerhouses clashed.

Fortunately, with the array's protection and many Zi Ming Holy Sect Overlords protecting the vast number of sempiternal lifeforms in the city, not many sempiternal lifeforms perished in the crossfire.

...

In the void above, the great battle erupted.

Though there were only three fighters on Perennial Gan Hou's side, each demonstrated extraordinary power due to the array’s support.

Perennial Gan Hou, originally at the Peak Perennial level, was now comparable to a Full Perennial powerhouse under the enhancement of the array, forcibly restraining four Tian Luo Holy Sect powerhouses.

However, the sheer number of powerhouses from the Tian Luo Holy Sect was overwhelming—twelve Peak Perennials attacking in unison. Such a force was nothing short of terrifying.

"Gan Hou, we cannot hold them back."

"If we keep fighting like this, we won't last until the Saint arrives," the other two Perennial powerhouses struggled desperately.

Fortunately, protected by the array and possessing extremely resilient bodies, they could endure for a short while. But as time stretched on, their deaths would be inevitable.

This Tian Luo Holy Sect is too desperate to kill Overlord Wu Ji. Are they truly unafraid of igniting a war between holy sects?

Perennial Gan Hou was both anxious and furious.

Dispatching more than ten Peak Perennials just to assassinate a single Overlord? This was unheard of in the history of the Saint Realm.

So be it. Let us resist a moment longer. If there remains no room for negotiation, we can only ask Overlord Wu Ji and the others to escape. Perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope.

Numerous thoughts flashed through Perennial Gan Hou's mind.

Fight to the death without retreat? He lacked such resolve. After all, they were merely allies, and Perennial Gan Hou felt he had already given his all, fulfilling his obligation.

Moreover, if they bought enough time for Overlord Shang Cai and the others to escape, perhaps their chances of survival would be greater.

...

Within the city, countless disciples of the Zi Ming Holy Sect and other sempiternal lifeforms gazed in terror at the battle raging in the void above.

Even the most casual exchange of blows sent devastating aftershocks rippling across ten million li of space. In the Nine Realms, where spacetime was exceptionally stable, these violent tremors revealed the truly catastrophic nature of the battle raging above.

"We cannot hold them back any longer.”

"So many Perennials..." The disciples of the Zi Ming Holy Sect were engulfed with fear. They observed the battlefield with growing dread, understanding all too clearly how their situation worsened by the moment.

Should the city's defense array shatter beneath the onslaught, their fate was sealed. The mere shockwaves generated by these eternal powerhouses colliding would be sufficient to obliterate them where they stood.

Overlord Shang Cai turned toward Wu Yuan, her eyes reflecting her resolve. "Wu Ji, prepare to flee. These Tian Luo Holy Sect Perennials have somehow discovered our whereabouts and come specifically to capture us. If we scatter in different directions, it might increase our chances of survival."

Her assessment was swift and decisive—an objective recognition of their reality. To her, this was their best option now.

"Flee?" Wu Yuan repeated with a faint smile. "The phrase 'retreat without fighting' doesn't exist in my dictionary. If we'll have to fight after being caught anyway, we might as well make our stand now."

"Fight?" Overlord Shang Cai's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wu Ji, these aren't ordinary Perennials—each one is a Peak Perennial," she protested, anxiety sharpening her words. "And there are thirteen of them. How could you possibly hope to fight such overwhelming odds?

"In terms of Dao cultivation, you might not be inferior to them—perhaps you’ve even reached a higher level—but the gap in base power is still too vast."

Though she acknowledged Wu Yuan's remarkable strength, she couldn't imagine him facing off against thirteen Peak Perennials. It defied all reason.

"How will we know if we don't try?" Wu Yuan's smile deepened. "Just wait here and watch."

"Wu Ji, don't go!" Overlord Shang Cai reached out, but it was too late.

Whoosh!

Wu Yuan's form blurred into motion, and he vanished, reappearing hundreds of thousands of li away in the void above.

The moment he materialized among the combatants, he immediately drew the attention of every powerhouse present.

"Overlord Wu Ji? He's charged up there willingly?"

"He’s merely an Overlord. Is he really getting involved in the fighting?"

"If he had achieved Dao Enlightenment, he might qualify to participate, but as he is now—he's far too weak."

"He's simply throwing his life away." The Zi Ming Holy Sect disciples gazed upward in astonishment at Wu Yuan's sudden appearance.

Their reaction was entirely understandable. Throughout the long history of the Nine Realms, Overlord Wu Ji was the first to defeat a Perennial while still an Overlord himself—but that had been merely a Standard Perennial. Now, the Tian Luo Holy Sect had dispatched more than ten Peak Perennial powerhouses—an incomparably more dangerous situation.

"Wu Ji, why have you come?" Perennial Gan Hou's expression shifted from surprise to concern; he hadn't expected Wu Yuan to appear voluntarily.

"This is my tribulation," Wu Yuan replied with tranquil confidence, "and shouldn't be borne by you, Perennial Gan Hou. This is my burden to carry."

Perennial Gan Hou sighed inwardly, his gaze toward Wu Yuan growing increasingly complex with emotion. Behind his stoic exterior, regret bloomed. A monstrous prodigy that appeared once in countless ages within the Nine Realms would fall today.

"Wu Ji! Haha! Perennial Gan Hou, look—hasn't Overlord Wu Ji conveniently delivered himself?" Perennial Long Gu's eyes brightened as he fixed his predatory stare on Wu Yuan. "Very good, Overlord Wu Ji. Your courage is indeed worthy of admiration."

He paused, "However, this world respects only strength, not courage. Today, your fall is inevitable." Perennial Long Gu looked down upon Wu Yuan with unconcealed disdain.

He regarded Wu Yuan with no concern whatsoever. His senses clearly confirmed that Wu Yuan hadn't transformed into an eternal being and remained merely an Overlord. No matter his reputation, how powerful could an Overlord truly be?

"What a pity," Wu Yuan suddenly remarked, his voice carrying across the battlefield.

Perennial Long Gu tilted his head. "What's a pity?" he asked, genuinely puzzled.

"You group of Perennials didn't cultivate to this level easily," Wu Yuan said softly. "After today, your countless years of cultivation will amount to nothing but scattered memories."

Perennial Long Gu stood momentarily stunned before erupting into mocking laughter. "Are you suggesting that you, a mere Overlord, can kill a Peak Perennial?"

"Haha! What an absurd joke!"

"Even a Holy Emperor couldn't accomplish such a feat. You’re this arrogant after defeating just one Standard Perennial?" All the Tian Luo Holy Sect Perennials joined in the derisive laughter.

Wu Yuan's expression remained perfectly calm as his form began to transform, expanding.

"In the past, no Overlord in the Nine Realms could slay a Peak Perennial.

"Today, I will change that.”