"Is it here?"
"I heard it is!"
"Look, someone's already stationed there!"
The next day, large numbers of cultivators gathered along the riverside outside Donglin Sect's holy land. At first, the people of Donglin Sect didn't pay much attention. But as time passed, more and more figures appeared.
The next day.
The third day.
The fourth day.
Donglin Sect could no longer sit still.
With the mountain sealed, disciples were unable to leave the sect. They could only watch from afar, staring at the ever-growing crowd outside Donglin Sect, confused and uneasy, unable to understand what was happening.
However,
Xiao Rongyu and the others knew exactly why these people were here.
With a flicker of movement, Xiao Rongyu appeared in midair. Dressed in red robes, her figure proud and upright, her delicate face carried a trace of cinnabar between her brows, radiating authority as she looked down from above.
Elder Wang He followed closely behind her.
The ease he had shown in recent days was gone. His expression was solemn as he said in a low voice,
"The Zhenwu Sect is pushing us to the brink!"
A campaign.
A storm rising.
It swept across the entire Eastern Region.
Countless rogue cultivators and young talents rushed here after hearing the news. A decisive battle between Human Emperor Realm experts, moreover, a clash between two ancient forces, was simply too explosive. People traveled thousands of miles just to witness it.
At this point, if Donglin Sect continued to refuse the fight, its reputation would be completely ruined. Forget recruiting disciples next year, even existing disciples might abandon the sect and leave.
This was an attempt to destroy Donglin Sect at its roots.
Disciples were the foundation of any sect.
If the disciples were gone,
No matter how great the sect once was, it would inevitably fall.
"A conspiracy," Wang He said bitterly.
They wanted to avoid the battle, but the Zhenwu Sect gave them no chance. By leveraging the attention of the entire Eastern Region, they forced Donglin Sect into a corner. They simply didn't believe Donglin Sect could avoid this fight.
"We can't fight," Xiao Rongyu said softly, her lips pressed together.
Donglin Sect lacked time.
Both she and Elder Chu only needed time to rise again, but right now, they simply couldn't sustain this battle.
The general trend was overwhelming.
Even if they didn't want to fight,
They had no choice.
With a faint sigh, Xiao Rongyu and Wang He turned around, then froze in surprise.
"Elder Geng… why are you here?"
An elderly man, nearly eighty, slowly approached with the support of a cane. His face was deeply wrinkled, his eyes cloudy. He was the one who usually guarded the forbidden area of Donglin Sect.
Yet now, he had come personally.
He looked at the sea of people ahead and sighed.
"If I don't come now… Donglin Sect is finished."
Shame flashed across Xiao Rongyu's face.
As sect master, she had failed to lead Donglin Sect to prosperity, instead, she had brought it into humiliation. As the one in charge, she could not escape responsibility.
"I don't blame you," Elder Geng said gently, shaking his head.
This was a dead end from the start.
Donglin Sect had weakened to this extent, no matter who became sect master, the outcome would be the same. Looking back through history, this was undoubtedly the most difficult era Donglin Sect had ever faced.
That Xiao Rongyu had managed to keep such a vast sect running until now was already no small feat.
"We must fight."
"In seven days."
"I'll take it."
The old man's back was hunched, his voice slow but firm.
Xiao Rongyu was moved, yet conflicted. After a long silence, she asked quietly,
"Are you certain?"
Elder Geng shook his head slightly.
He had no certainty at all.
Zhao Yong was at the peak of his strength, while he himself had one foot in the grave. In a true battle, even if both sides were gravely injured, he would still lose, because he would have to continue guarding the forbidden area afterward, the truly dangerous place.
What he feared even more,
Was Zhao Yong breaking through to the Eighth Realm of the Human Emperor.
If that happened,
There would be no chance at all.
Only death.
At best, he could trade his life to buy time for the younger generation.
Xiao Rongyu understood.
She said nothing more.
The wind blew past.
Cool and bleak.
Just like the mood of those present.
—
As the day of battle drew closer, it wasn't just rogue cultivators gathering.
Forces second only to the Six Holy Lands also began to arrive. Countless small sects, even secular dynasties from remote corners of the Eastern Region, rushed here to witness this confrontation.
Yet as the day approached, murmurs of doubt began to spread.
Three or five cultivators sat cross-legged together. One of them said,
"I heard rumors that Donglin Sect doesn't dare to fight. There's a chance this battle won't even happen."
"I heard that too," another replied, taking a sip of wine and snorting. "But do you believe it? Donglin Holy Land has dominated the Eastern Region for three thousand years. If it could be scared into not fighting, would it even be a holy land?"
A third cultivator frowned.
"I thought the same at first, but look around. None of the Six Holy Lands have shown up yet."
The group scanned their surroundings.
Their expressions stiffened.
Not only were the Six Holy Lands absent,
Even the ancient Jiang and Nangong families hadn't appeared.
A sense of unease crept into their hearts.
Could it be… the rumors were true?
A wasted trip?
Gulp,
Cold sweat trickled down their backs.
Just then,
A sharp cry pierced the night sky, echoing through the clouds. Every cultivator looked up at once.
They saw a blazing red phoenix soaring across the heavens, descending from the clouds like a divine flame.
Crimson light exploded into fire.
A trace of ferocious beastly dominance spread outward, forcing countless cultivators below to stare upward in shock.
On the phoenix's head stood a middle-aged man in purple robes, looking down coldly from above.
The terrifying pressure radiating from his body made even Venerable Realm experts feel suffocated.
The Master of Zhenwu Sect,
Lu Nantian.
He arrived in person.
In an instant,
All rumors were crushed.
Before the crowd could recover from the shock,
A blazing sun seemed to fall from the sky. Golden light spread, overpowering even the setting sun. As the brilliance faded, a graceful, peerless woman appeared, quietly suspended in the void.
Goddess Sect.
Chu Yaoyao.
In the blink of an eye,
Overwhelming, domineering auras filled the heavens.
One powerful figure after another descended:
The Master of Shenxing Sect, arrived in person!
The Master of Xiandao Sect, arrived in person!
The Master of Tianji Sect, arrived in person!
The ancient Jiang family, its patriarch arrived in person!
The ancient Nangong family, its patriarch arrived in person!
Radiant light bloomed as they descended.
The shock was immense.
Those who had been waiting felt their blood boil uncontrollably, their hearts pounding violently, as if the very world itself had ignited.