The Xuanwu Divine Hall Descends, the Nation Trembles, the Ling Dynasty Despairs
Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and the long-silent Ling Dynasty and Earth were suddenly enveloped by the boundless pressure of the void.
There was no overwhelming momentum of thousands of troops marching across the land, no magnificent scene of banners covering the sky, and not even a trace of shouts of battle.
Only seventy-odd cold and lonely figures stepped out from the outer void, like gods descending to earth, scattered across the four directions of the Ling Dynasty.
These seventy-odd people were all the elders of the Xuanwu Divine Hall who had come out in full force.
Each of them possessed a cultivation level surpassing that of the Thirteenth Tier God Venerable who had previously perished.
Despite their small numbers, they suppressed the spiritual energy of the entire Ling Dynasty and Earth, causing it to stagnate and the wind and clouds to remain still.
An absolute pressure originating from a top-tier Dao expert heavily pressed down on the vast land, causing all things in heaven and earth to feel a suffocating sense of submission.
In just three days, a crushing and annihilating purge, without any suspense, swept across the entire Ling Dynasty.
In the Southern Domain, the sect alliance, which was recently consolidated by the God Venerable and seemed impregnable, has gathered most of the top forces in the Southern Domain and is currently at the height of its power.
However, in front of Elder Xuanwu, the so-called alliance barrier was utterly vulnerable.
In a single day, all the sect strongholds were razed to the ground, the foundation of the alliance was uprooted, decades of hard work vanished, and not even a trace of resistance remained.
Several ancient sects in the Eastern Wasteland, with a history spanning tens of thousands of years, possess profound foundations and layered protective formations, and have always held their ground firmly, unchallenged by anyone.
However, with a wave of Elder Xuanwu's hand, the laws collapsed, the ancient array patterns shattered, and the mountain-protecting array that stretched for thousands of miles could not even withstand the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before turning into countless fragments of light and disappearing without a trace.
The foundation accumulated by a sect over tens of thousands of years is as fragile as paper in the face of absolute power.
The powerful alliance of rogue cultivators dominating the Western Desert, the heavily fortified border army camp in the Northern Border, the headquarters of the Imperial Guard stationed in the capital... one after another, the strongholds of the top forces in the Ling Dynasty were trampled and completely destroyed.
The elders of the Xuanwu Divine Hall had no intention of slaughtering mortals and ordinary cultivators.
They acted ruthlessly and lazily, never harboring any murderous intent, but precisely capturing the core power holders such as the leaders, commanders, and generals of various forces.
He raised his hand in front of everyone, unleashing the laws of his fingertips, forcefully crushing the dantian and qi sea of a group of powerful figures, crippling their lifelong cultivation, and turning these once-powerful figures into cripples, which he then casually discarded by the roadside.
The entire process was smooth and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.
To them, sweeping through the top forces of the Ling Dynasty was as easy as a mortal wiping dust off a table—utterly insignificant.
After this silent cleansing, the Xuanwu Divine Hall sent forth a message that resonated throughout the entire Ling Dynasty:
"The God Venerable who perished earlier was merely the weakest elder of the Xuanwu Divine Hall."
This single sentence revealed the vast disparity, shattering the entire Ling Dynasty's understanding.
Throughout the entire nation, all sects, dynasties, and reclusive families fell into utter silence.
Previously, countless forces that had been secretly observing and hoping to take advantage of the chaos of the battle between Qingfeng Temple and Shentang to gain a share of the spoils and seek profits were now all silenced.
All major sects immediately sealed off their mountains and locked their formations, severing all external ties.
The reclusive powerful figures from all walks of life remained behind closed doors, concealing all their presence and movements. Everyone huddled in a corner, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Only now did everyone fully see the despairing truth:
The Thirteenth Tier God Venerable who once overwhelmed the Southern Domain and intimidated all sides was not at the Peak Stage of the Xuanwu Divine Hall's foundation; he was merely the weakest low-level elder of the hall.
The seventy-odd elders who have now descended upon the Ling Dynasty are all far superior in cultivation, foundation, and understanding of the laws to that fallen God Venerable.
More than seventy powerful beings at the Thirteenth Tier.
Such terrifying power, if unleashed in a full-scale war, would be enough to destroy mountains and seas, shatter the earth, and utterly crush the entire Ling Dynasty's vast land into dust, unstoppable and unavoidable.
Inside the Southern Border Prince's Residence.
King of Nanli sat upright at his desk in his study, listening to all the battle reports brought back by his personal guards, when his fingertips suddenly trembled.
The warm teacup in her hand suddenly slipped from her grasp, crashing onto the hard blue brick floor with a loud bang, shattering and spilling tea everywhere, leaving a mess on the ground.
He sat stiffly on the rosewood chair, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant. His straight back slowly relaxed, and the composure and calmness in his eyes completely vanished, leaving only indescribable shock and bewilderment. He remained motionless for a long time.
Scenes from the past flooded his mind.
When he personally visited Qingfeng Temple and first met the young Daoist priest who had shed his status as a prince and lived in seclusion in the mountains, he was filled with regret.
It's a pity that such a great emperor and proud son of heaven ultimately retreated to the mountains and fields, buried in the mortal world, and became an ordinary Daoist priest.
But now, looking at the overwhelming force of the Xuanwu Divine Hall, with over seventy Thirteenth Tier experts mobilizing the entire nation to press on the border, all that remains in his heart is endless absurdity and horror.
Who is truly the one who deserves the most pity?
Perhaps, the one who was truly regrettable from beginning to end was not Chen Du, who retreated to cultivate Daoism, but rather the Xuanwu Divine Hall, who was arrogant and attempted to control the situation.
King Nanli slowly shook his head, letting out a low, bitter laugh. His voice was hoarse and deep as he solemnly ordered the King of Nanli, who was bowing and waiting beside him, "Order all troops throughout the Southern Border to return to their camps immediately, tighten the border gates, and strictly forbid a single soldier from making any rash moves."
His gaze turned towards Qingfeng Mountain, his eyes filled with awe. "In this battle, no one in the Southern Border is qualified to interfere."
The chief clerk was shaken and cautiously asked, "Your Highness, do you mean... that Daoist priest from Qingfeng Temple still has a chance of winning?"
King of Nanli remained silent for a long time, his aura heavy, before finally uttering a resounding statement:
"If I were in charge of the Xuanwu Divine Hall, I would never want to provoke such a heaven-defying prodigy in my entire life."
Imperial City, Taiji Hall.
The ailing emperor, supported by palace maids, slowly strolled through the palace, taking advantage of the daylight to rest and alleviate his ailment.
When the personal eunuch finished reporting all the information about the Xuanwu Divine Hall with trembling hands, the old emperor's pacing steps suddenly froze.
His body stiffened slightly as he slowly turned his aged frame. For the first time, his face, weathered by time and having witnessed countless imperial schemes, was filled with extreme fear.
His aged body trembled slightly, his cloudy eyes widened, and he muttered to himself in a low voice, trembling uncontrollably. "More than seventy... Thirteenth Tier..."
"So... the Xuanwu Divine Hall actually harbors such terrifying secrets..."
His decades-long reign as emperor flashed through his mind in an instant.
He held imperial power in the Ling Dynasty for half his life, but always lived in the shadow of the Xuanwu Divine Hall. He was constrained at every turn and had to endure every step of the way. He had the title of emperor but no real power. He lived a cowardly and repressed life, and every step he took was like walking on thin ice.
He had always believed that the one who suppressed the entire Ling Dynasty and made the royal family submit was that invincible Thirteenth Tier God Venerable.
Only today has he truly come to his senses.
The God Venerable who once suffocated him was nothing more than the weakest trump card of the Xuanwu Divine Hall.
If the other party truly intended to destroy the Ling Dynasty's royal family and overthrow the dynasty, one person alone would be enough to crush the entire imperial city; no one could stop them.
Now, the Xuanwu Divine Hall has mobilized its entire resources, sending over seventy top experts to come across the entire realm, all to target Qingfeng Mountain and his own son, whom he had personally sent out of the palace to live in seclusion in the mountains.
Overwhelmed by fear and unease, the old emperor swayed, slowly leaning back onto his throne, his chest heaving violently, his emotions churning uncontrollably.
After a long silence, he slowly opened his weathered eyes, his voice weary yet resolute, and solemnly delivered the decree to the eunuchs in the hall:
"By imperial decree, all available imperial guards, border troops, and garrison troops within the Ling Dynasty are to be mobilized and deployed to the outskirts of Qingfeng Mountain for garrison duty."
He paused, his eyes welling with endless bitterness and a desperate resolve, and said, word by word:
"If Qingfeng Temple the victory, our entire Ling Dynasty army will launch a full-scale attack to clean up the battlefield for the Daoist and assist with the aftermath."
"If Qingfeng Temple is defeated..."
His voice trailed off, a metallic taste rising in his throat. He closed his eyes briefly, uttering the most devastating conclusion:
"The entire army shall immediately return to the capital, and the entire nation shall prepare for the aftermath."
A single imperial decree revealed the entire destiny of the Ling Dynasty's royal family.
Not only in the imperial city and the Southern Border, but throughout the entire Ling Dynasty, all forces were on high alert, and the whole country held its breath.
Those old monsters who have lived in seclusion in the deep mountains for years and do not care about worldly affairs, the supreme elders of various major sects who have secluded themselves in the deep valleys, the powerful families that have occupied a place for generations... all of them abandoned their past conflicts and comforts, and all focused their attention on gazing in the direction of Qingfeng Mountain, their eyes solemn and their minds tense.
They knew better than anyone that this battle was not just a life-or-death struggle for Chen Du alone, but a high-stakes gamble for the survival of the entire Ling Dynasty.
The ending has already predetermined two destinies; there is no third way to go.
If that young Daoist from Qingfeng Mountain were to be defeated and killed, the enraged Xuanwu Divine Hall would immediately block all news and cleanse the land of the Ling Dynasty.
Destroy the royal family, eliminate all disobedient forces, eradicate all heretics, and rebuild a puppet Ling Dynasty that is completely subservient to the temple and can be manipulated at will.
At that time, cultivators, powerful families, and ordinary people will either kneel down and live a life of mere survival, or they will fight against the tide and perish.
However, if that Daoist priest were to turn the tide and defeat the Xuanwu Divine Hall, the entire Ling Dynasty would completely break free from the shackles and shadows that had weighed on it for ten thousand years, escape the control of the extraterrestrial divine hall, and usher in a true rebirth and freedom.
No one escaped from the gambling table.
The stakes are the vast land, the countless lives lost, and the future and survival of the entire Ling Dynasty.