Changming Mountain.
The instant a mighty surge of malevolent energy and the power of a broken divine throne swept through, Long Dongjun and Lu Fengxian were forced back. Lu Fengxian's arms were almost shredded, exposing bone.
At this moment, Lu Fengxian's Rebirth Realm teetered on the brink of collapse, threatening to plunge him back to the Heavenly Origin Realm.
Long Dongjun, protected by the Nirvana Style of the Nirvana Fist, and possessing a slightly stronger martial foundation, fared slightly better. However, his condition was still dire, with his arms, legs, abdomen, and chest a bloody mess.
Under the erosion of the pervasive undying heart-demon flames, Long Dongjun felt as if he were aflame. His cultivation was slightly superior to Lu Fengxian's, thus he became a more focused target for the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks. In truth, Long Dongjun's state was not significantly better than Lu Fengxian's.
"Your Highness!"
A group of martial artists ascended, launching furious punches at the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks.
The Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks roared with laughter. A celestial mountain Dharma image descended, and in an instant, dozens of martial artists were crushed into a rain of blood, their deaths gruesome. Lu Fengxian watched with a heavy heart, but could do nothing.
"Sect Master!"
From Iron Floating Mountain, a group of young disciples also unleashed coordinated punches at the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks. However, with a wave of the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks' sleeve, the undying heart-demon flames surged forth, burning dozens of disciples to ashes.
Long Dongjun's eyes turned blood red, his helplessness absolute. Even if they survived this tribulation, the losses to Iron Floating Mountain and Changming Mountain would be immense, and it was impossible to know how many years it would take to recover their vitality.
...
Just then, two streaks of sword light, trailing long luminous trails from the north, finally brought the people from the Mountain Peak Villa to the scene.
"Screech!"
Under a fiery glow, Lin Zhao attacked from afar with his flying sword, Xin Huo. The sword struck like lightning towards the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks' face. With a "bang," as Xin Huo was repelled, a trickle of blood seeped from the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks' face.
Ordinary flying swords could not harm this undying heart-demon, but Xin Huo could. After all, this sword tip possessed a portion of the foundation of Yan Beichen, a Great Sword Immortal of the Fourteenth Realm, and the Flame Dao of the Demon King Man Yuan. To put it bluntly, it was a treasure beyond the Five Elements.
"Ling Yu, protect the mountain!"
Lin Zhao raised his hand, and ten immortal swords surged forth from Ling Xu, attacking the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks in rapid succession. He shouted, "Xuan Zhi, Tang Guangjun, attack from the flanks. Chen Ben, Yu Wanning, guard Ling Yu!"
"Yes, Junior Uncle!"
Gu Lingyu stepped forward, golden Confucian characters shimmering all over his body. His peak Twelfth Realm was truly exceptional, standing almost at the threshold of the Thirteenth Realm, the Confucian Sage.
Gu Lingyu was humble, cautious, and academically accomplished. He was almost the disciple closest to "gentleness, respect, frugteness, and deference" among the younger generation of the Confucian Academy, and therefore, his cultivation was the most outstanding.
With a sweep of his long sleeves, scrolls flew from Gu Lingyu's sleeves. Each scroll was inscribed with a line of Confucian text, representing principles Gu Lingyu had comprehended and refined. In an instant, thousands upon thousands of scrolls spanned the sky, enshrouding the entire Changming Mountain.
The Sea of Scrolls Array.
This was Gu Lingyu's mountain-protecting array, unique in the world. Once activated, the entire Changming Mountain was shielded within it. The disciples of Changming Mountain and Iron Floating Mountain looked up at the golden scrolls suspended in the air, their terror receding slightly.
"A scholar?"
The Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks could not help but burst into laughter. He raised his hand, dispatching a celestial mountain, and said, "A scholar is also a Twelfth Realm, what use is that? Die for me!"
He raised his hand and drove a celestial mountain down with immense force.
The ground trembled and roared. The entire Sea of Scrolls Array vibrated violently. Many scrolls were annihilated by the broken divine power of the celestial mountain, but more scrolls quickly rose, filling the gaps.
Gu Lingyu's body was bathed in golden light, immersed in streams of golden characters, appearing like a reincarnated Confucian Sage. His eyes were fixed forward, steadfastly guarding the Sea of Scrolls Array, determined to hold the line even unto death.
In truth, Gu Lingyu harbored anxieties. After the upheaval in Shuzhou, his fellow disciple Xiao Cong of the Confucian Academy had fallen, as had Liu Xingshu, a true fellow disciple. He had invoked the power of heaven and earth, sacrificing his life and soul to forever guard the mountains and rivers.
And he, Gu Lingyu, could only guard the He Feng Academy and the Snow Domain Heavenly Pond. If the demon race did not attack, Gu Lingyu would have no merit to speak of. Yet, he was the master's most proud disciple. He ought to be doing something.
Now, with an undying heart-demon attacking the human world, Gu Lingyu was bound to fight with all his might. There were few left standing in the human world now; Gu Lingyu would not yield.
"Xuan Zhi, Tang Guangjun!"
Lin Zhao, cloaked in sword intent, hovered in the wind and said sternly, "Attack from the flanks and reinforce Ling Yu."
"Yes!!"
Xuan Zhi raised her long sword, and streams of flying sword energy shot forth. Tang Guangjun's military aura surged, and he unleashed more than ten sword strikes. The sword light condensed into phantasms of military warfare in the wind, roaring and relentlessly assaulting the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks' protective heart-demon flames.
The combined assault of two Twelfth Realm Great Sword Immortals, with considerable cultivation, caused the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks' heart-demon flames to splatter and erupt. Although unable to inflict true damage, it caused the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks considerable discomfort.
Even more vexing for the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks was his inability to directly attack Xuan Zhi and Tang Guangjun. Both were protected by Gu Lingyu's Sea of Scrolls Array. The Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks unleashed five celestial mountains to attack, but they were all blocked by the ever-replenishing scrolls. At this moment, there was no way to break through.
"Mountain Master..."
On the mountain peak, Liang Xi, an Eleventh Realm Sword Immortal covered in blood, looked at the young man in white with the demeanor of a sword immortal. She naturally recognized him, having seen Lin Zhao on more than one occasion when she went to the Mountain Peak Villa to fetch her sect leader sister back.
It was only now, seeing him at Changming Mountain's desperate hour, that Liang Xi could no longer hold back her tears. After all, Changming Mountain and Mountain Peak Villa were one family.
"All of Changming Mountain."
Lin Zhao's gaze was commanding. "We have traveled a great distance and are late. All of you withdraw from the frontline. Form your formations again. If our Mountain Peak Villa cannot hold, we will have to rely on you once more!"
"Yes!"
Liang Xi led a group of Changming Mountain disciples and retreated.
Lin Zhao then looked at Long Dongjun, Lu Fengxian, and others. The aura of the two Rebirth Realm martial artists was extremely erratic, and their injuries were severe. Lin Zhao frowned. "Sect Master Long, Commander Lu, withdraw as well. Heal your wounds quickly. We at Mountain Peak Villa do not know how long we can hold."
"Rest assured."
Long Dongjun retreated gracefully, sat down on the ground, and began circulating his energy to heal. "We will not go far!"
"Good!"
Lin Zhao waved his hand, and the more than a thousand remaining Wu Zhen Lou martial artists who had followed Lu Fengxian also retreated. They could not articulate why, but in the eyes of these martial artists, Lin Zhao's command was on par with Commander Lu Fengxian's, as he was the former Lin Baiyi, the Marshal Lin.
...
"Hmph!"
The Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks let out a cold laugh in the wind, turning to look at Liu Chenqing, Li Yuchen, and others. While driving several celestial mountains to attack the Sea of Scrolls Array, he frowned. "Sect of the Sky Pillar, Sect of the Ling Teng, is your loyalty to me merely talk? If you do not act now, when will you?"
"This..."
Li Yuchen gritted his teeth and conveyed to Liu Chenqing mentally, "For the sect's safety, to preserve the last vestiges of the Southern Wasteland Mountain's lineage, shall we launch a symbolic attack?"
"???"
Liu Chenqing looked displeased and did not respond.
"Attack!"
Li Yuchen leaped into the air, his Heavenly Origin Realm martial aura surging. "Disciples of the Ling Teng Sect, follow me and annihilate this scholar's formation!"
Immediately, figures shot forward, their fists striking the Sea of Scrolls Array. In fact, the cultivation of these individuals was low, posing no threat to Gu Lingyu. However, their actions were extremely detestable in the current situation.
Chen Ben and Yu Wanning, their fists imbued with power, guarded Gu Lingyu's flanks, itching to strike and kill Li Yuchen and his group.
Just then, a shower of starlight "swish swish swish" fell into the Sea of Scrolls Array from both flanks. It was the people of the Sect of the Sky Pillar. Liu Chenqing had already conveyed his intentions to all his disciples. While the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks was distracted attacking Gu Lingyu, they had arrived at Changming Mountain's side.
"Liu Chenqing!"
The Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks' face contorted with rage. He roared, "You unprincipled wretch, are you betraying me?"
"Beast!"
Liu Chenqing raised his hand, and a magical artifact struck out, smashing fiercely onto the Old Ancestor of the Five Peaks' Dharma body. He declared, "Before, we were powerless to resist and had no choice but to yield. Now that the Sword Immortals of Mountain Peak Villa from the far north have arrived, when else should our Sect of the Sky Pillar fight for the human race?!"
At once, the disciples of the Sect of the Sky Pillar were filled with righteous fervor. They had waited for this moment for far too long.
"Good."
Gu Lingyu smiled slightly. "Sect Master Liu, lead your people into the Sea of Scrolls Array and form your formations. If I, Gu Lingyu, cannot hold, it will be your turn."
"Indeed!"
Liu Chenqing and the others flew into Changming Mountain and began setting up various formations.
...
The Upper Realm, the Investiture of the Gods Platform.
The Blue-Robed Scholar, alone with his sword, battled over five thousand undying heart-demons. Under the Fusu Sword's illusory Dharma form, undying heart-demons fell like rain.
Just as the Blue-Robed Scholar fiercely punched the body of an undying heart-demon, scattering it on the Investiture of the Gods Platform, his mind suddenly buzzed, and he saw many things.
He perceived that this undying heart-demon possessed a memory fragment with a profound karmic connection to him. In the memory, a familiar figure was engulfed by countless heart-demons and plunged into an abyss.
It was Old Daoist Wang. His physical body seemed to have been devoured by heart-demons and fallen into the Demonic Abyss outside the Heavens.
Without needing to discern, Ding Muchen knew all this was true. The subtle premonition would not be false.
Moreover, the last time they met, Old Daoist Wang had indeed wielded his sword towards the Heavens to resist tens of thousands of umbrella-wielding heart-demons, and had not returned since.
"..."
Ding Muchen's heart was filled with mixed emotions. He was both teacher and friend to Old Daoist Wang. This journey to the Heavens was unavoidable.
Perhaps, he could save Old Daoist Wang's life.
Perhaps, he could collect his remains.