The Long Stairway of Divine Ascension, a Shortcut to Heaven

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The nodes of the Formation collapsed, and satellites in the sky fell to the ground.

The two defensive barriers that the Xingtian Shi Clan was so proud of were so easily breached.

The only saving grace is that Xingtian Shi's Formation barrier was derived from the [Mystic Garden Barrier], and also inherited the [Mystic Garden Barrier]'s greatest advantage—independence.

First, the collapse of two nodes does not affect the operation of the entire Formation barrier.

On the contrary, the collapse of these one or two nodes caused a surge of Earth Veins, which in turn erupted with even more powerful Sha Qi.

Without needing many words, Jing Sui, quickly realized this.

When that surging Sha Qi erupted from the Earth Veins.

The first to bear the brunt of this impact were the black mist surging from the Mount Kunlun.

The strange beasts, evil spirits, and Ominous Deity hidden in the black mist had no chance to resist and died tragically under the corrosive influence of the Sha Qi.

The very few survivors, infected by the Sha Qi, mutated and their first targets were their own kind in the vicinity.

To make matters worse, the ten demon gods controlled by Wu Zhen also joined the battle at this time, sweeping into the black mist with overwhelming force. Those ten demon gods were known for their terror and unpredictability.

Now, with the added protection of the Formation barrier, the Kunlun gods of the same level are no match for Chi Men.

In less than a few breaths, the black mist surrounding Xingtian City was completely swept away.

Immediately afterwards, high-altitude satellites in the sky began to shoot beams of light down towards the earth, densely and precisely piercing through the monsters that were trying to attack the satellite city.

Ganqi City, one of the satellite cities, also gained a respite under this intense firepower support.

"I admit, I seem to have underestimated you."

The maniacal laughter had ceased at some point, and Jing Sui watched everything unfold with a grim expression.

Jing Sui had already realized that as the Xingtian Shi Clan launched a full-scale war, his avatars in other cities were being exposed one by one. Thus, while the flames of war were spreading outside, the strife within the city had only just begun.

Jing Sui's only remaining question was how the Xingtian Shi Clan had managed to find all of his avatars in just one week. "Thank you, we really owe you a lot this time."

Looking out at the battlefield where thunder and black mist intertwined, Xingtian Shi, standing on the watchtower, thanked them in a low voice.

This is the highest point in the very center of Xingtian City, and it is also a man-made structure specially built for this city atop the mountain.

If we disregard the area, the height here is almost identical to that of the altar on the mountaintop.

Moreover, this watchtower also serves as the central hub for the satellites in the sky, responsible for coordinating the entire Formation's barrier and power supply. Especially after the Formation manifested its "horned serpent" form, this central hub assumed the role of a brain.

Aside from the highest point where Xingtian Shi was located, the spiral staircase and rooms leading down were filled with various staff members coming and going. To maintain the operation of the Formation covering thousands of kilometers, these not-so-professional staff members were working themselves to the bone.

After all, according to the original design, the staff here should have been priests.

Unfortunately, due to the "Ganqi City Rebellion" three years ago, the Xingtian Shi's Witch View System was completely disrupted, and they have not been able to cultivate a sufficient number of priests to this day.

"Heaven helps those who help themselves," is a phrase my master often said.

With his arms crossed over his chest, Lu Huaijin spoke indifferently.

"Furthermore, since your Xingtian City has already formed an alliance with the Hundred Lands Mountain Range, helping you is naturally one of our obligations."

Just as Lu Huaijin said, Xingtian City was unable to find those hidden sentries.

But for the Mountain Folk, who are all skilled in divination, this is not a difficult task.

Moreover, among the Mountain Folk is Li Xi, a formidable weapon whose [Knowledge of Past Lives] are far more absurd than any divination.

Even so, it remains somewhat difficult to fully uncover the true identity and origin of the person behind it all.

Finding those suspicious and elusive sentries lurking in Mount Changyang was relatively much easier.

Therefore, after a thorough investigation, Xingtian City launched its current large-scale operation.

"Regardless, you did extend a helping hand in a timely manner."

Standing upright, Xingtian Shi, though inheriting the power of the ancient war god, was enraged by the series of actions of the person behind the scenes.

Ultimately, the fact that Xingtian Shi was chosen as Xingtian's successor speaks volumes about his character.

The rage within him did not cloud Xingtian Shi's judgment.

Instead, it allowed him to review everything that had happened with a more composed attitude.

"Now, more importantly, I finally understand where Chi Cang is."

Gazing into the distance, Xingtian Shi stared into the depths of Kunlun, his mind filled with memories of what he had seen when he received his inheritance.

The ancient war god Xingtian single-handedly stormed the Heavenly Emperor's Capital.

Located deep within Kunlun, the [Long Stairway of Divine Ascension] was Chi's first stop on his quest to reach the Heavenly Emperor's Capital.

"Long Stairway of Divine Ascension?"

To be fair, Lu Huaijin was indeed intelligent and quick-witted.

Just by noticing Xingtian Shi's gaze, she immediately guessed what he was thinking.

However, it was precisely because he had guessed Xingtian Shi's thoughts that Lu Huaijin's expression showed even more surprise at this moment.

After all, before this, Nü E had personally come to this Kunlun region to search for the legendary [Long Stairway of Divine Ascension].

After failing to find it, the Mountain Folk have wandered around the Mount Kunlun quite a bit over the years, harboring the same desire to find the [Long Stairway of Divine Ascension]. "How is that possible?"

Hasn't the "Long Stairway of Divine Ascension" already become the "Jianmu Cauldron"?

Upon hearing Lu Huaijin's words, Xingtian Shi looked at her in astonishment.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not hard to guess, is it?"

With a slight upturn of his lips, Lu Huaijin explained calmly, but inwardly he was already absolutely certain.

The "Jianmu Cauldron" of the Great Xia is a supreme artifact left behind by the first Witch King, known as the "shortcut to heaven".

"This title alone shows that the first Witch King had no intention of hiding his origins."

"Although the second-generation Witch King intentionally obscured that period of history, the related titles and legends have been passed down."

Lu Huaijin paused slightly at this point.

"Furthermore, the time when your Xingtian Shi joined the Alliance of the Xia coincided with the period of the first Witch King."

"With a little thought, it's not hard to see that the first Witch King actually subdued your Xingtian Shi while searching for the Jianmu Cauldron." (Monthly ticket, Lunwang/Female C recommendation ticket, Xinwang)