At that very moment.
"Boom--"
From the northern horizon came a deep, thunderous roar, as if countless Primordial World beasts were walking through the air.
The sound grew louder and louder as it approached, causing the Altar beneath their feet to tremble slightly.
The sky suddenly darkened.
It was not a change in the celestial phenomena, but rather an unimaginable number of gigantic "Sky-Patrolling Tower Ships," like moving mountains, blocking out the northern sunlight, and pressing towards the Altar at an alarming speed!
These towering ships were entirely black, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen. Countless mysterious Runes were engraved on their hulls, emanating a powerful and chilling Spiritual Power.
On both sides of the ship were densely packed attack Spell Formation that shimmered with eerie light, and the cannon muzzles, like the giant eyes of monsters, coldly looked down at everything tiny below.
Surrounding the warship were countless warships and shuttles of varying sizes, forming a massive fleet that blotted out the sky, like stars surrounding the moon.
Ahead of the fleet, a huge imperial banner embroidered with the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, and a roaring golden dragon fluttered in the strong wind. The two characters "Qianyuan" on the banner seemed to contain Supreme majesty, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.
At the bow of the flagship, a majestic figure stood proudly, clad in a bright yellow nine-dragon imperial robe and wearing Twelve-Tassel Crown —none other than the Emperor of the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty, Ji Wuxiang!
However, this is only the first wave.
Almost at the same time that the Qianyuan fleet appeared, clouds surged in the eastern sky, and a milky white light spread out.
That was no ordinary cloud or mist, but a "Literary Qi Clouds" composed of countless tiny, ever-flowing Confucianism seal characters!
It is vast and magnificent, yet it carries an unquestionable sense of order and constraint.
Amidst the Literary Qi Clouds, five giant Flying Boat, each with a distinct style yet all exuding a vast Confucian and Daoist aura, shaped like "slips" or "pavilions," slowly emerged from the clouds.
The lead ship, shaped like an unfurled, sky-covering ancient Bamboo Slip scroll, is the symbol of the Jixia Academy —the "Spring and Autumn Bamboo Slips."
Before the "Spring and Autumn Bamboo Slips," an old man with a thin face and indifferent eyes, dressed in a dark purple Confucian robe and wearing a Heavenly Dao Circulation's cap, stood with his hands behind his back.
He did not deliberately release his pressure, but the aura that naturally emanated from him, which seemed to be able to stabilize the Heaven and Earth and enlighten all directions, made all the cultivators below feel their souls tremble slightly.
It is indeed Zhu Tianxin!
Behind him, the Four Great Academies White Deer, Songshan, Yuelu, and Donglin Half-step Supreme, their auras as solid and imposing as mountains.
"These Remnants of High Antiquity, who have usurped the blessings of Heavenly Dao, show no remorse but instead engage in acts of bewitching people and establishing false dynasties. They are truly intolerable to Heaven and Earth and unforgivable by the laws of propriety."
Zhu Tianxin spoke, her voice not loud, yet it resonated clearly in everyone's ears, like the words of Sage expounding the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, carrying a natural sense of judgment.
His indifferent gaze swept over the heavily armed but clearly "thin" Great Xia Military Formation below, and over Zhang Yu, whose aura grew increasingly profound on the Altar. Finally, it culminated in a cold judgment:
"Today, all those who aid this rebellion, or who are here to witness this ceremony, regardless of their rank or reason—"
"They should all be executed to set an example and deter others!"
"He deserves to die! He deserves to die! He deserves to die!"
Behind him, the Four Great Academies and the countless elite Confucianism disciples on the five Flying Boat, dressed in Confucian Robe and exuding pure aura, echoed in unison.
The sound waves surged like a tide, carrying a strange rhythm, impacting everyone's minds, as if to forcibly imprint the idea that "rebellion deserves to be punished" into everyone's Sea of Consciousness.
Zhu Tianxin didn't even glance at the battlefield below, as if the resistance of the Great Xia was nothing more than a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
He merely nodded slightly to Ji Wuxiang, the Emperor of the Primal Origin Divine Dynasty beside him, his tone calm yet unquestionable:
"Ji Wuxiang, I'm leaving him to you."
Although Ji Wuxiang was somewhat displeased with the Confucianism' condescending attitude and their tendency to order others to take the lead, he was powerless to resist the prevailing circumstances and dared not disobey. He replied in a deep voice:
"Rest assured, I will personally eliminate such traitors!"
With a blank expression, he waved his hand, and millions of elite cultivators on the Qianyuan fleet roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens!
The murderous aura and imperial military might contained in that roar instantly dissipated the remaining auspicious energy in the Altar area.
Immediately afterwards, the attack Spell Formation of the Qianyuan fleet, which had already been fully charged, suddenly burst out with dazzling light!
Tens of thousands of energy beams, burning meteorites, and Runes arrows rained down like apocalyptic divine punishment, first and foremost targeting the Great Xia army's defensive lines and the towering Altar!
They wanted to completely destroy all resistance from the Great Xia from the very beginning with overwhelming force!
At the same time, countless Qianyuan cultivators, like killer bees leaving their hive, rode various escape lights and Law Artifact, forming battle formations filled with murderous aura. Like a black torrent of steel, they roared down from warships and rushed straight to the ground!
"Form ranks! Defend!"
"Protect His Your Majesty! Protect the Altar!"
Zhao Tianyi, Li Tian, Li Di, Li Ren, Zhou Wentao, Xia Hongjue, and others had their eyes bloodshot and roared angrily.
The four legions and the Imperial Guard pushed their Law Power to the limit, and layers of defensive light shields instantly lit up, enveloping the Altar and part of the core area.
"Boom boom boom boom--!"
The first wave of saturation attacks from the Qianyuan fleet, like a violent meteor shower, slammed heavily onto the defensive light shield!
The explosion's flames and shockwave instantly engulfed a large area.
The outermost layers of light shield shattered instantly, unleashing a torrent of violent energy. Despite being weakened by the inner layers of light shield, it still caused considerable casualties, with screams and wails erupting immediately.
"Attack! Crush them!"
Qianyuan's generals issued the order coldly.
Like a black tide, the Qianyuan cultivator army finally clashed violently with the Great Xia army that was holding its ground!
"Kill them!"
The cultivators from both sides instantly clashed in battle.
Amidst the clash of swords, the roar of Law Technique, the interplay of roars and screams, and the flying blood and severed limbs, the battle entered its most brutal and intense phase from the very beginning.
However, the disparity in strength is so vast that it's despairing.
The Primal Origin Divine Dynasty has a history of hundreds of thousands of years and possesses an extremely profound foundation.
His army consisted entirely of battle-hardened, fierce warriors.
On the other hand, although the four legions of the Great Xia were in high spirits and fearless, they had been formed for too short a time and lacked experience in large-scale, high-intensity warfare.
Their individual Cultivation, battle formation coordination, Law Treasure designs, and combat awareness all show a visible and enormous gap compared to the elite of Qianyuan.
Often, a small team of ten men from Qianyuan, forming a simple "Three Talents Two Principles Formation," could withstand or even kill attacks from dozens of scattered soldiers from the Great Xia.
The battle line was slowly but steadily closing in on the Altar.
Although the soldiers of the Great Xia fought desperately, building a defensive line with their flesh and blood, they continued to fall, and the defensive line was constantly being torn apart.
Zhao Tianyi wielded his spear with the grace of a dragon, its thrusts like rainbows, having already sent over a hundred Qianyuan cultivators flying and pierced through them. However, he himself was also struck by several attacks, his armor shattered and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
The three brothers, Li Tian, Li Di, and Li Ren, formed a battle formation back to back. Their swords flashed fiercely, killing countless enemies, but they were all wounded and their breathing became disordered.
The Imperial Guards, led by Zhou Wentao and Xia Hongjue, held their ground beneath the steps of the Altar, bearing the greatest pressure and suffering the heaviest casualties; almost everyone was wounded, their battle robes stained with blood.
"Hmph, like an ant trying to shake a tree, utterly overestimating its own strength."
High above, atop the "Spring and Autumn Bamboo Slips," Zhu Tianxin coldly surveyed the almost one-sided massacre below, her face expressionless, as if watching a trivial drama.
He shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a subtle hint of sarcasm, as if talking to himself, or perhaps to Ji Wuxiang beside him:
"How dare these clay chickens and earthenware dogs compete with the bright moon?"
Today is the day when this false dynasty, along with its foolish followers, will be utterly annihilated.
The crowd watching below was already deathly pale; many collapsed to the ground, trembling.
On the Altar, Zhang Yu's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
The Qianyuan army was even more elite and its offensive was even more ferocious than he had anticipated.
The army of Great Xia was using their blood, flesh, and will to buy him this last precious moment.
But if things continue like this, it's only a matter of time before the defenses collapse.
If the elite troops of Qianyuan were to storm the Altar, not only would the founding ceremony be destroyed, but these loyal soldiers and the onlookers would also face annihilation.
If Zhang Yu were to intervene and forcefully Cultivation in the battlefield with his near -Half-step Supreme, he might be able to reverse the tide of the battle.
But the founding ceremony is destined to fail, and the nation itself will suffer severe backlash, rendering all previous efforts futile.
The difficult choice was like a raging fire, scorching his Daoist heart.
The ever-shining Golden Light of National Destiny emanating from him, which seemed to resonate with heaven and earth, began to fluctuate subtly, almost imperceptibly.
Just as a fierce light flashed in his eyes, and he was about to disregard everything and forcefully reverse the final step that was about to be completed, preparing to make a ruthless move.
"Focus on completing your sacrificial ceremony. Leave these people to me."
A clear, peaceful voice, yet filled with unparalleled composure and confidence, rang clearly in his ears, like a ray of sunshine breaking through the dark clouds, or a clear spring flowing into his anxious heart.
The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to contain some strange power, instantly calming the Killing Intent and anxiety that was about to burst forth in his heart.
The next moment, the void beside the Altar rippled like water.
A figure dressed in a bright yellow nine-dragon imperial robe, wearing Heaven-Equalizing Crown, with a handsome face, a gentle smile on his lips, and eyes as deep as the starry sky, slowly emerged from the ethereal and solidified.
It was Xu Xinwu!