Day after day passed, and in the blink of an eye, two hundred days had gone by.
The Heaven Ascending Ranking remained utterly still. It seemed no one held out much hope anymore.
Many of the powerful cultivators who had come to wait for the Yin Ruins to open lost patience and chose to leave.
Many believed this would be another failed trial, just like all the others, with the ninth floor still impossible to open.
Interest faded, while the war between the Tianli Sect and the Mechanical Empire raged like a spreading fire. Gradually, it drew everyone's attention to the battles against the Mechanical Empire, and they forgot that someone was still inside the Yin Ruins.
After two or three months of small-scale clashes with the Mechanical Empire, the Tianli Sect began launching large-scale military campaigns.
Once the sect began taking the Mechanical Empire seriously, it became clear that neither the Mechanical Empire nor the Thirteen Alliance Army could keep up with the fighting on every front.
Jinyang Continent was the first to be retaken by the Tianli Sect. The mechanical army stationed there was almost entirely wiped out, with only a portion managing to withdraw. During its retreat, however, the Mechanical Empire destroyed Golden Sun City and dozens of basic temples across Golden Sun.
The Tianli Sect suffered devastating losses as a result. Rebuilding the temples would come at an enormous cost.
The Tianli Sect's campaigns on Yunjing Continent and Lingxi Continent also went smoothly. After half a year of fighting, both were essentially back under its control. Only the two basic trial zones remained unconquered, sealed off by their Great Arrays.
The war on Red Rock Continent, however, continued to go poorly.
The Mechanical Empire and the Thirteen Alliances unleashed tremendous potential, manufacturing vast numbers of mechs