Suddenly, a cold wind arose in the pitch-black palace.
He Chong's pair of eerie green eyes suddenly opened, and an invisible wail seemed to resound throughout the hall, causing the cultivators standing below to feel a sharp pain in their eardrums, and many of them bled.
Yet not a single person dared to complain.
He Chong suddenly burst into laughter, uttering several "good"s in succession. His chilling laughter echoed throughout the hall, as if the darkness within were coming alive. The skull throne beneath him seemed to sense its master's joy and trembled involuntarily.
"The Daoist Dao Child of the Jade Spring Sect..."
He Chong licked his lips, a cruel smile and excitement appearing in his dark green eyes. He sighed softly, his voice echoing throughout the hall.
"Thanks to you, I was caught off guard and you slashed my soul, forcing me to hide for over a decade before I could fully recover."
His voice was cruel.
It's something that sends chills down your spine.
"I originally thought that with you under the protection of the Jade Spring Sect, I would have no chance to take revenge... But now you've emerged, and even become Golden Core True Person... Supreme-Grade Golden Core cultivator at that... Heh, good, good!"
Back then, the East Mountain Commandery Cheng Household, secretly instigated by He Chong, openly rebelled against the Jade Spring Sect. This young Golden Core True Person Transformation Sect, because he possessed a powerful weapon—a demonic seed that could corrupt the earth's veins—became arrogant and was ambushed by Chen Shuangbai with the [ Lesser Yin Spirit-Slashing Saber ], which specializes in attacking the soul. Later, he was almost killed by True Person Mei's sword and only managed to escape by risking his life and all his savings.
After escaping back to the Jing Kingdom, He Chong dared not see the sect leader, nor did he dare let any Golden Core True Person Transformation Sect know his whereabouts. He could only hide away and recuperate in secret, and only after he recovered did he dare to go back to apologize.
His presence here is due to both the fact that the Hanging Wall Gate is on the verge of collapse and that the sect leader is truly dissatisfied with the small and insignificant Xu Kingdom and wants to extend his reach to the more fertile land of the Jing Kingdom.
He Chong volunteered to come to Wu Province, partly to atone for his crime and partly driven by the hatred in his heart. He had remembered the humiliation of that knife wound for more than a decade, never daring to forget it day or night.
For a Golden Core True Person, having their soul injured by a Foundation Establishment cultivator and being forced to hide for over a decade to recover is a humiliation worse than being killed.
"My lord, that Daoist Dao Child of the Jade Spring Sect has already reached the Golden Core stage, and it's Supreme-Grade Golden Core at that. I'm afraid..."
The two crow servants that emerged from his Shadow were demon servants refined by his Divine Ability. To create them, he had melted the souls of several Foundation Establishment Rogue Cultivator and tortured them for thirty-six days using the Secret Method of the Transformation Sect. They were extremely loyal.
One of the crow servants said this.
He Chong sneered, a dangerous glint in his emerald eyes. "Afraid of what? Afraid I'm no match for him?"
"You've followed me for so long, don't you know what I'm capable of?"
"I was careless back then, and he ambushed me with that secret technique that specifically damages the soul, which is why I fell for it."
"Now that I am Golden Core True Person, his little tricks are useless against me."
" The Supreme-Grade Golden Core is indeed miraculous, but so what?"
"The gap between cultivation levels cannot be erased by a single Supreme-Grade Golden Core... Furthermore, with the Law Treasure bestowed upon me by the sect leader on this trip, given the right opportunity, slaying this fiend in an instant is entirely within my grasp!"
He Chong chuckled softly, a hint of smugness in his voice, "I've almost finished refining the treasure the sect leader bestowed upon me."
"Once I have fully refined it, I would dare to challenge even Nascent Soul True Lord."
"What's so special about a Supreme-Grade Golden Core that has just formed its core?"
Upon hearing this, the two crow servants said no more, simply bowing their heads and replying, "Yes."
He Chong stood up, walked to the palace entrance, and looked at the sky shrouded in miasma in the distance. A cruel light flashed in his dark green eyes, and deeper within them was an unyielding hatred.
He stomped his foot slightly, and the Shadow beneath him quickly spread out, transforming into a vast, lake-like expanse of shadow that landed on the insects, beasts, and corpses that filled the mountains and fields. They all had crimson eyes and let out mournful cries, spreading towards the Jing Kingdom like a tidal wave.
"Pass down the order: We shall officially depart for the Jing Kingdom!"
Accompanying countless corpses and insect beasts were warships that appeared to be made of bones and Withered Wood, carrying ferocious-looking Devil Cultivator Transformation Sect of the Huasheng Sect draped in black robes. They sped through the sky, advancing majestically towards the border of the Jing Kingdom.
In Hengzhang City, Chen Shuangbai immediately noticed the unusual changes in the direction of Black Miasma Ridge.
Standing atop the city wall, he saw the black tide spreading from the Xu Kingdom. It was a torrent formed by countless insects, beasts, and corpses, surging majestically across the mountains and valleys towards Wu Province.
The bugle call signaling an enemy attack immediately resounded throughout the entire battlefield.
One array after another lit up with a shimmering light, and warships rose from the ground one after another. Among them was a giant warship comparable to Supreme-Grade Spirit Artifact, which was none other than the Flowing Light Treasure Boat.
Huo Min, Li Changfeng, and other Foundation Establishment cultivators had gathered together, each with a solemn expression on their face.
They also sensed the unusual changes in the direction of Black Miasma Ridge, knowing that the Transformation Sect was about to get serious.
When Chen Shuangbai entered the camp, he quickly issued orders. "All arrangements for the battle will be made by Martial Uncle Huo and Martial Uncle Li. The rest of you shall follow orders. True Person Shi shall remain in Hengzhang City to guard against any surprise attacks."
His words came quickly and urgently, clearly indicating that he had thought them through long ago.
Upon receiving the order, all the cultivators immediately transformed into streaks of light and rushed out.
Shi Yan was somewhat surprised.
He originally thought that Chen Shuangbai would send him out immediately to test the strength of the Golden Core True Person on the other side, but he never expected that he would be the one to stay in the rear while Chen Shuangbai rushed to the front line.
After some thought, Shi Yan, still somewhat fearful of being held accountable by True Lord Qingchen after the battle, asked, " Dao Child, why don't I go and test the level of the Golden Core on the other side first, while you oversee things..."
But before he could finish speaking, Chen Shuangbai interrupted him with a flick of her sleeve.
"No need."
"The legacy of Heart-Eroding Stronghold ultimately originates from the Transformation Sect. I wonder if they have any backup plans. If the two armies clash and you are caught off guard, things will get complicated."
Having said that, without waiting for Shi Yan to react, Chen Shuangbai took a step and disappeared from the camp.
Along the border between the two countries.
The two armies have officially clashed.
Those insects and ghouls were weak, but they had the advantage of numbers, carried poison, and were fearless. A single insect or ghoul was no match for the disciples of the Jade Spring Sect. The Jade Spring Sect had suffered losses before, so they were prepared. One warship after another shot out beams of spiritual light, blasting deep craters below.
As more frost and snow fell from the sky, the sorcerers began to cast spells. Various spells poured down like a torrential rain, landing among the corpses and hordes of insects and beasts, exploding into dazzling bursts of spiritual light.
The low-ranking ghouls fell in droves under the spell, turning into charred remains, but the ghouls behind them seemed endless, stepping over the remains of their companions to continue advancing.