The Three Clans Alliance had begun withdrawing its forces and going into seclusion some time ago. By now, the process was nearly complete. Their retreat had left vast tracts of territory and resources unclaimed, and the Three Clans' former strongholds had quickly become the focus of every major power.
The Six Great Sacred Dynasties and the Two Great Alliances sent their warbands to seize and occupy the lands. The two other major powers, the Fierce Beast Domain and the Demon Domain, had yet to make a move. The Six Great Sacred Dynasties and the Two Great Alliances were perfectly happy to let things stand that way.
In the western part of the Primordial World, at the heart of the Demon Domain, stood a mysterious black hall.
"Demon Ancestor, why aren't we taking our share? We're letting the other powers benefit for nothing." A middle-aged man in a blood-red robe asked the shadow seated on the throne.
This was Blood Demon, a figure as renowned as Old Ancestor Lu Ya, Yin-Yang Ancestor, and Qiankun Ancestor. Yet the Blood Demon, a name that struck terror into people's hearts, stood respectfully below the throne, not daring to overstep in the slightest.
Who else could the shadow above be but Luo Hou?
"Hmph. Let them fight all they want. Better yet, let them fight until both sides are badly wounded. That'll save me plenty of trouble," Luo Hou sneered.
At last, the major powers had taken the bait and waded into this mess. Luo Hou could hardly wait for them to fight each other to the death and weaken their forces. Then he could wipe them all out in one fell swoop. For now, he would simply watch and wait.
"Have you found out who's behind Blood Prison City?" Luo Hou asked, his expression turning serious. Compared with the Six Great Sacred Dynasties and the Eastern and Western Alliances, he was more concerned about the powerful figure who had intervened at Blood Prison City.
After all, at his level, even Grand Unity Golden Immortals like Lu Ya, Blood Demon, and Swallowing Heaven could only withstand a few of his moves. Numbers were no use against him, either. A single person could often decide the outcome of an entire battle, so he couldn't afford to take this lightly.
"We only know he's a white-haired man with a pair of silver eyes. There's no other information. No one in the Primordial World has ever heard of him," Blood Demon said, frowning.
Looking at his trusted subordinate, Luo Hou said, "Do you know why I've never personally acted? Because I know of four beings in the Primordial World who have reached my level." He paused, then continued, "Hongjun of Kunlun Mountain, Beast Emperor Shen Ni, Yang Mei, and that other being."
Blood Demon stared at Luo Hou in astonishment. There was no way to find out about these figures in the Primordial World. He had always thought that, apart from the Demon Ancestor, there were few who could match him. It seemed he really had been a frog at the bottom of a well.
"Heh. Don't let their indifference fool you. They may be living in seclusion in remote mountains and wilds, but I guarantee that if I act personally, they'll all come out one after another. They won't stand by and watch me take over the entire Primordial World. Though perhaps that other being won't care about any of this," Luo Hou said, sounding rather frustrated.
"Then what about our plan...?" Blood Demon asked, looking at Luo Hou with concern.
"Proceed as planned. We have the advantage right now." Luo Hou paused briefly. "Have you made contact with the Beast Emperor?"
"The Beast Emperor agreed. As long as we send in our troops, he'll send in his," Blood Demon said excitedly, as though victory were already within reach.
"Good. In that case, let's add fuel to the fire. Send out a small team at once, in secret. Frame the various powers and stir up conflict. Let them fight even more fiercely," Luo Hou said with a sinister grin.
"Yes, Demon Ancestor," Blood Demon replied with a sinister laugh of his own.
The struggle between the Six Great Sacred Dynasties and the Two Great Alliances over the Three Clans' former strongholds had grown white-hot. Resources and spiritual veins were densely concentrated in some areas, while others had little to offer. Everyone wanted the best territory, so clashes were inevitable. At first, the various sides had shown some restraint, but gradually they let loose. Today, one side would drive the other away; tomorrow, the other would bring in a crowd and drive them right back out.
But at some point, casualties suddenly began to mount. At first, only a few Heavenly Immortals and Mystic Immortals died. Later, Golden Immortals were repeatedly ambushed and killed.
The various powers grew suspicious of one another and began organizing forces to target their rivals directly. The already chaotic strongholds became even more unpredictable.
"Blazing Fire, how are the preparations coming along?" Old Ancestor Lu Ya asked, gazing sternly at Venerable Blazing Fire seated below him.
Venerable Blazing Fire had only recently been freed from his seal. Even now, the memory of that battle left him breathless.
"Ancestor, I've made contact with them. The other five Sacred Dynasties have all agreed to join this operation." Venerable Blazing Fire could barely contain his delight as he spoke.
"Good. Very good." A cold glint flashed in Old Ancestor Lu Ya's eyes.
Ever since Old Ancestor Lu Ya had witnessed the terrifying power of his Main Body, he had realized that such a formidable being existed in the Primordial World—and that he himself was utterly insignificant beside such beings. His desire to grow stronger had become more intense than ever.
But once he reached the Great Luo Realm, every step forward became unimaginably difficult. After more than a hundred thousand years of closed-door cultivation, he had barely made any progress. Lu Ya's patience had finally run out.
The only shortcut was to claim more territory and spiritual veins, gather more powerful figures, and accumulate more of the world's momentum—then use that momentum to break through.
That was why Lu Ya had been so eager to seize the territory and resources left behind by the Three Clans' withdrawal.
But he hadn't expected the situation to become so chaotic. The territory and resources they seized kept changing hands, his subordinates were suffering heavier and heavier losses, and the conflicts between the various powers continued to escalate.
So Lu Ya had decided to use this opportunity to join forces with the other five Sacred Dynasties and wipe out the Two Great Alliances, then divide up their territory and resources.
The leaders of the other five Sacred Dynasties faced the same struggle to advance and were equally eager to use the momentum to break through. They hit it off at once and agreed to destroy the Eastern and Western Alliances together.
"Good. Blazing Fire, go and issue the order to the warbands. Prepare to set out," Old Ancestor Lu Ya commanded.
The more than one hundred Grand Unity Golden Immortals below him grew excited as well. Their eyes flashed now and then with a sharp glint. The stronger the Fire Worship Sacred Dynasty became and the more momentum it claimed, the easier it would be for them to cultivate. They had made no progress for tens of thousands of years, and their patience, too, had finally run out.
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