Without realizing it, both of them had begun to regard Lin Yue as their center, placing considerable weight on his wishes!
"Let's go! The war isn't over yet! Although we can't take part in battles between Immortal Dao experts, we should sweep all before us at our own level and show the splendor of our world! The Nine Heavens must not sink into oblivion like this! We will bring them hope."
Lin Yue strode away. The sister and brother of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan exchanged a glance and followed close behind!
The Border Pass.
Battles raged here every day, the flames of war filling the skies. Ever since the fall of the Primordial Imperial City, the fighting had not stopped for a single day, and the Border City had retreated again and again.
After the Immortal Domain dispatched troops, they failed to drive back the Foreign Realm, but the enemy's battle lines had grown too long, and its advance had indeed slowed! This was the Border City where the two sides had reached a stalemate.
The immense city stretched endlessly, its end nowhere in sight! Outside the Divine City, bones piled into mountains that pierced the clouds high in the heavens. That was the foremost battle line, serving as a lookout!
Countless people came and went here. Cultivators from myriad races gathered, along with an innumerable variety of exotic beings!
Though they came from different races and had different origins, the gloom on their faces was exactly the same! The Nine Heavens had suffered defeat after defeat on the battlefield, leaving them lost, unsure what fate awaited them in the next instant!
Yet many still came to reinforce them, one wave stepping forward as another fell!
Chapter 14: Young venerables
Lin Yue and his two companions had reached the outskirts. Watching far more people enter the Divine City than leave it, they could not help feeling the weight of it all. The war of Immortal Ancient was truly brutal! Most of these people had come as reinforcements. Some had been forced, some had volunteered, and others had come with hot blood coursing through their veins, hoping to contribute what little strength they could to the Nine Heavens.
"Have you heard? The Alliance Pact was concluded under the witness of several great lords!" Nearby, quite a few people conversed through divine sense.
"How could I not know about something that big? Sigh... the Foreign Realm has far too many troops. Our world can only forcibly conscript experts from the various races and some venerables now. I'm more worried about the Immortal Domain. I heard our allies are withdrawing! Are we really going to pull back our battle lines? Those are all lands of our Nine Heavens!"
Lin Yue understood. No wonder some people looked so conflicted and unwilling. They had been forcibly conscripted under the Alliance Pact! Hmph!
Calling the entrance to the Border City a gate was something of a stretch. It resembled the entrance to an entire great world! The guards around it included old men, youths, and some middle-aged men, but every face was resolute! Moreover, they were all sect-master-level figures in the Void Dao Realm! Among them was even an expert in the Self-Slaying Realm.
This was not yet the later Chaotic Ancient era. Figures in the Void Dao Realm were by no means rare!
A Divine Stele stood nearby, used to screen people and prevent enemies or spies from slipping into the city. As usual, the crowd moved toward the inner city!
The elderly city guard was an expert in the Self-Slaying Realm. Seeing so many reinforcements arrive because of the Alliance Pact put him in a fairly good mood! Most were in the Void Dao Realm, though a Self-Slaying expert appeared now and then.
Still, they could contribute something, and that mattered enormously to the border as it stood now. In an emergency, even he would have to abandon the city defenses and join the slaughter!
Great cultivators in the Escape One Realm were rarely seen. After all, they were the strongest cultivators beneath the peak of the Human Dao Domain, scarce in any era.
As time passed, three figures appeared in the old guard's sight: a young man dressed in a close-fitting crimson-black battle suit with red trim, followed by a young man and woman wearing matching black-gold battle suits! The old guard's eyelids twitched violently. What was he seeing? Three young venerables-not a flattering title bestowed on young prodigies, but genuine venerable experts whose strength had carried them into the Escape One Realm-had come to reinforce the border! Had they been conscripted under the Alliance Pact? Had he not already entered Self-Slaying and weathered countless battles, he would never have sensed it!
The old guard considered this, for such cases were all too common! But then he rejected the thought. Figures like these should be protected in the rear. Though the Alliance Pact was important, a war between two worlds was no brief affair. Sending such young venerables onto the battlefield was hardly wise!
Lin Yue and his companions approached the guards and stood before the Divine Stele outside. Golden light flickered and flowed across it, revealing nothing unusual.
"Have the three of you come as reinforcements, my lords? Please don't misunderstand. These are extraordinary times, and anyone entering the city must register!"
The old man stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly! Three venerables arriving at once was no small matter. It had to be reported, and he wanted to confirm their purpose.
"I come from the Longevity Lin Family of the Yin-Yang Realm. I have indeed come to provide reinforcements!"
The old guard was startled. That clan's ancestor was in the city, a figure at the peak of the Human Dao Domain, a Supreme Dao Venerable. Several One with the Dao venerables from the clan had also arrived. This was a successor of a Longevity Aristocratic Family. No wonder he had reached the One with the Dao realm at such a young age.
"My name is Yan!"
"My name is Yu!"
Yu folded her arms across her chest, her bearing proud, seemingly unconcerned with her clan's mighty reputation throughout the Nine Heavens.
"We come from the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan to reinforce the border."
The old man froze, staring at them in disbelief. Only then did he notice the single horn atop each of their heads. They were not particularly conspicuous, and he had overlooked them earlier. Now he stood dumbstruck, unable to speak.
Then excitement flooded his expression, and his face reddened. Compared with the Longevity Lin Family, the fame of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan had undoubtedly spread throughout the Nine Heavens!
In that battle back then, the old Heavenly Horned Ant had single-handedly fought three peerless experts and several Undying beings, establishing an unmatched, fearsome reputation that rivaled an Immortal King's.
The clan had fought bloody battles to this day, its members nearly wiped out, its military achievements countless. It was the glory of the Nine Heavens. After the old Heavenly Horned Ant withdrew with injuries, people had thought no members of the clan remained.
Rumor had it that the clan's younger generation had all died in the previous bloody fighting. No one had expected young members to emerge again to reinforce the border! Moreover, they had already become One with the Dao venerables.
Everyone knew that although Heavenly Horned Ants were powerful before fully maturing, peerless prodigies could still match them. Yet the further they progressed, the wider the gap became. Once a Heavenly Horned Ant entered the Immortal Dao, they were almost invincible among their peers! Although these two had only just matured, the only people in the Escape One Realm who could defeat them were probably those invincible figures with half a foot in the Extreme Dao!
"Quick, quick! Ring the bell! Ring the bell! The Heavenly Horned Ant lords have arrived!"
The other middle-aged men and youths were equally shocked, but their hands and feet did not slow!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Atop the city wall, the Divine Bell resounded throughout the Divine City like the voice of the Great Dao!
It was not merely the arrival of three venerables. Members of a race like the Heavenly Horned Ants had come as well. They could be considered the direct children of an Immortal King and had fought bloody battles for the Nine Heavens. They deserved such a grand reception!
At the old guard's earthshaking shout, every gaze on the outskirts of the Divine City converged on them.
"Heavenly Horned Ants!"
"Heavenly Horned Ants!"
"Are those lords from the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan? We actually get to see them in person today!"
"To think this clan still has survivors! It seems they survived the last decisive battle! Incredible. They've already completed their transformation and begun to display their invincible potential."
"My lords, please... please enter the city!"
"Let's go!"
After speaking, Lin Yue took the lead and strode forward.
"Mm!" Yan and Yu, brother and sister, followed close behind!
Everyone's brows twitched in astonishment. The two members of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan were actually willing to follow him. Such a thing had never happened before. What faction did this person belong to? Was he trying to make the Heavenly Horned Ant lords his guards?
Then they shook their heads, casting aside such an unrealistic notion!
The three passed through the city gate and walked down the broad avenue, every gaze converging on them.
Before long, streaks of divine light approached from all directions within the city. Even the weakest arrivals were cultivators in the Escape One Realm, and several had half a foot in the Extreme Dao!
"Young friends of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan, please come visit our clan!" a middle-aged man said with great humility. His battle armor radiated divine light, and he was a figure with half a foot in the Extreme Dao.
"Where did you come from? Don't you know the rules?"
"Exactly! The Heavenly Horned Ant Clan stands among the strongest of our Nine Heavens, and they are an Immortal King's direct children. Our clan should host them!"
"Heh, there's no need to argue. Come to our clan. We have old ties with the Heavenly Horned Ant lord's clan! We should be the ones to host them!"
"Shoo, shoo! Have some shame!"
Many came. Some simply wanted to see members of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan, while others extended invitations with selfish motives!
After all, even Immortal Dao figures wanted to obtain some blood of the extremity of strength for their descendants!
Not long afterward, several more figures appeared. This time, a smile curved Lin Yue's lips!
"You brat, what are you doing here? And you've actually reached the One with the Dao realm! Good, good! No wonder that old fellow praises you all day long! You truly possess extraordinary talent," said an old man in an azure robe.
"Master Jin! What brings you here? Why didn't that old rascal of mine come?"
Lin Yue frowned, sensing that something had happened!
"Ah...! Several Extreme Dao experts from the Foreign Realm surrounded him, and he nearly lost his life. Though he made it back, their Dao-law imprints remain in his primordial spirit. He's suffering!"
"These two must be the young members of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan?" another middle-aged man among the group asked.
"Mm!" Yan and Yu remained composed.
"If you have nowhere to stay, you're welcome to come to our clan. Our younger generation has long admired the fame of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan!"
"All right! We'll certainly visit when we have the chance!"
Faced with such a sincere invitation, the sister and brother could hardly leave him too embarrassed!
"Master Jin, I'll go check on my clan first. We can talk when there's time!" Lin Yue said.
With that, Lin Yue transformed into golden light and sped away, the sister and brother following closely behind, leaving the others exchanging looks!
Chapter 15: Setting out to war
At the Divine Altar in the Longevity Lin Family's grounds, the once lively old man had lost all color in his face. Wrinkles covered it, and black vapor swirled around him! Endless deathly energy radiated from his entire body!
"Old fellow, you...!"
"Heh heh, I slew two Extreme Dao experts. I could have left, but I couldn't let it go, and four of them surrounded me. The Foreign Realm truly lives up to its standing as a great domain on par with the Immortal Domain. It has so many experts!" The old man slowly raised his head and spoke cheerfully, not the least bit concerned about his injuries.
"Sigh...! Was it necessary to go that far?"
"What are you saying, brat? Ever since our Immortal Dao ancestor, Lin Qing, fell in battle, no member of the Longevity Lin Family has retreated half a step. How could I let that glory die in my hands?"
Well, he was still a hot-blooded firebrand!
"Leave what comes next to me! I will carry on the Lin Family's glory!" Lin Yue said.
"Heh, wait until you enter... you." The old man stopped halfway through his sentence!
"You... you brat, you've already become One with the Dao! Good! Good! Good! Hahaha... cough, cough, cough! Our Lin Family has a worthy successor. Wait, you truly succeeded in using the self as the seed?"
The Lin Family ancestor stared at Lin Yue with lifeless eyes as though he had seen a monster. He sensed Dao resonance throughout Lin Yue's body, a seamless whole that formed its own laws, yet he could not detect the slightest trace of an ancient seed.
In truth, no one had ever seen what using the self as the seed was supposed to look like.
This path was only an idea the Kings had proposed in search of another way forward, long after the Foreign Realm invaded, after the Immortal Ancient Method of the Nine Heavens had been deciphered and a series of defeats had followed. No one had yet succeeded on this supposedly heaven-defying path. Now that a junior of his own clan had done so, he felt it was not so extraordinary after all!
"Sigh! I wonder if I can survive this crisis. I still wanted to see you lead our Lin Family back to its peak!"
"There's no need to be so pessimistic, senior!" Yu said.
"Indeed. Our clan's Soul-Guiding Lotus can nourish the primordial spirit. Combined with Brother Lin Yue's Tribulation Lightning Liquid, it can defy heaven and change your fate!" Yan said.
"That's right! How did I forget? Heh heh, old fellow, you won't be dying this time!"
The old man froze. "I remember that the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan uses the Soul-Guiding Lotus to nourish their primordial spirits. Even within their clan, it's exceedingly scarce!" He seemed to have overlooked something!
Once a Heavenly Horned Ant's physical body reached full maturity, they could battle Immortal Kings. But because their bodies were too powerful, their primordial spirits became a weakness. After all, the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan would be far too heaven-defying without some flaw! Humans were the same. Though born with Dao physiques in which yin and yang complemented each other, they were terribly frail at birth! This, too, was a kind of balance among all things!
Thus, their clan found it difficult to attain the Dao fruit of a Perfected Immortal King. However, the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan nourished and tempered their primordial spirits with the Soul-Guiding Lotus, hoping to attain that Dao fruit. When they did, they would be invincible throughout heaven and earth!
"We sister and brother are indeed members of the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan!" The moment they spoke, the old man seemed to come back to life!
Only now did he notice. He had thought they were merely visitors sent by some other race to check on him. He had never imagined they were Heavenly Horned Ants! Moreover, their auras had begun to draw inward. They had already matured!
"Good! Good! Good! The Heavenly Horned Ant lord withdrew from the battlefield with grave injuries. You must carry on the Heavenly Horned Ant Clan's mighty name!"
The two took out the Soul-Guiding Lotus, while Lin Yue produced a small cauldron in which five-colored golden light flowed.
The old man looked at the Tribulation Lightning Liquid in the cauldron, then at Lin Yue, and the corner of his mouth twitched. Then he hesitated no longer. He still wanted to fight for the Nine Heavens, and he swallowed the Tribulation Lightning Liquid as though drinking wine.
Slowly, the Dao injuries within his body and the wounds seeping black vapor dissipated from him as though evaporating.
"Ah...!" The old man let out a hearty cry.
"Now use the divine lotus to recover properly. This is a primordial spirit Dao injury. Even with the Soul-Guiding Lotus, it won't heal overnight! Leave the rest to me!" Lin Yue said.
"Good! Good! Our clan's descendants have the potential to enter the Immortal Dao!"
"Stop right there. Old fellow, don't go erecting any more monuments!"
"Uh...!"
The center of the Divine City.
Calling it a Divine Altar was a stretch. This was an Ancient World refined by Immortal Dao figures, an independent domain used as the border's meeting place!
Massive floating rocks surrounded a Divine Platform at the very center!
Several figures sat cross-legged upon the Divine Platform, radiating divine light that did not belong to this realm. These were the Immortal Dao figures of the Nine Heavens. Lin Yue could not make out their faces, which were obscured by the Great Dao! The rest were Extreme Dao figures, and there were quite a few here. Nearly a hundred figures radiated Extreme Dao divine light, the mark of the peak of the Human Dao Domain.
Those remaining on the outskirts were also representatives of various clans. The Lin Family had previously been represented by an Extreme Dao expert. Though the old fellow was injured this time, their place remained unchanged!
Those who had descended from the Immortal Domain were not here. They seemed unwilling to become too entangled with the Nine Heavens! Even this reinforcement mission carried a strong purpose of its own. The people of the Nine Heavens were likewise no strangers to the ways of the world and understood the Immortal Domain's intentions. In any case, their attitude was simple: you're welcome if you come, and it's fine if you don't.
"My lords, the ancestor of the Longevity Lin Family, Lin Zhong, slew two Extreme Dao experts from the Foreign Realm, but he suffered grave injuries and cannot fight. This time, his clansman Lin Yue and several juniors of the clan will represent them in battle!"
The old man whom Lin Yue had called Master Jin rose, bowed, and spoke!
"The Lin Family of the Yin-Yang Realm is loyal and heroic to the last! Approved!"
The voice seemed to descend from the highest heavens, ethereal and soul-shaking!
Before you continue