The Spirit Race Retreats, Time to Regroup!
The moment the Spirit Race's Nascent Perfected Spirit Transformation and stepped onto the battlefield, the Shan Yue felt an Heavenly Dao power.
Its body was filled with a powerful aura of Life Dao, like a walking elixir of immortality; a verdant glow enveloped the area for thousands of miles, and the withered spiritual lotus in the marshland beneath its feet sprouted wildly, growing in an instant into a giant emerald umbrella that covered the sky.
Having reached the pinnacle of perfection, one need not fear Shan Yue.
However, the other party cultivates Immortal Foundation under the Fate-Wielding Dao Fruit, Life Dao is best suited for sustained consumption, with an inexhaustible source of vitality.
The Shan Yue's Earth Dao aura surged, and the fifty-thousand-foot-tall mountain bear stood above the Barbarian Bone Pass, its Four-Foundation Perfection Dao power crushing everything in its path.
The two forces of power collided in the void, causing the sky within a radius of millions of miles to crack, and fragments of space fell like snowflakes.
The two powerful figures clashed, while the other Spirit Transformation all retreated.
Shi Jian transformed into human form and stood atop the city gate, the lightning around him dimming; his aura grew increasingly faint, and his Daoist energy was significantly depleted.
The fierce battle with Bi Luo and that Late Spirit Transformation had already left him with serious injuries; his arm, formed from lightning, was now covered in cracks and corroded by life force. Although suppressed, the flesh still had a dark purple hue.
The current situation has been completely transformed.
The moment the Spirit Race's Nascent Perfected Spirit Transformation, the balance of power on the battlefield instantly shifted; the Shan Yue were entangled by him and could no longer attend to the overall situation, allowing the other Spirit Race Nascent Soul Spirit Transformation to launch a fierce attack.
They are clearly at a disadvantage and unable to continue.
If the fighting continues like this, Barbarian Bone Pass will likely be in imminent danger within half a day; at that time, the Spirit Race's Nascent Spirit Race Spirit Transformation will swarm in, and the pass will surely fall.
But then, a sudden change occurred.
The Spirit Race's Perfected Spirit Transformation, who was locked in a fierce battle with the Shan Yue, suddenly paused.
A strange light flashed in his emerald eyes, as if he had sensed something; he immediately retreated to create distance, and then saw a jade talisman flying from the void.
A moment later, the expression on the face of this Nascent Perfected Spirit Transformation changed slightly.
He glanced at the Shan Yue, and the aura of Life Dao from his body suddenly receded, the overwhelming power of Dao gathering back into his body like a receding tide.
Shan Yue frowned slightly, and did not rashly pursue them.
When two cultivators at the Perfected Spirit Transformation clash, if the opponent suddenly withdraws their attack, there must be a reason; if it is a feigned retreat to lure the enemy, then advancing rashly will only lead to falling into their trap.
But then, the powerful Spirit Race turned and sped off to the south.
They simply fled, abandoning the battle.
The heavily injured Bi Luo also received the order at this moment. A trace of unwillingness flashed in her green eyes, but she gritted her teeth and stopped after a moment.
His body, imbued with the Daoist aura of his Fate Dao, transformed into a streak of emerald light and followed.
Immediately afterwards, the several Late Spirit Transformation also stopped fighting and used their respective methods to leave; then, one after another, emerald green lights rose into the sky, like the receding tide.
The Spirit Race's Nascent Spirit Race Spirit Transformation either flew away or tore through the void to retreat; many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, seeing the Nascent Spirit Transformation retreating from the battlefield, dared not linger and desperately fled south.
Seeing the enemy retreating in force, Cang Wuji raised his axe to pursue and kill two more Nascent Spirit Transformation, but was blocked by the giant peak summoned by the Shan Yue.
"Don't pursue."
Cang Wuji turned his head, somewhat puzzled.
The Shan Yue's gaze remained fixed on the receding verdant shadows of the south, its face showing no sign of relief...
"The Spirit Race has retreated across the board, not just at our Barbarian Bone Pass."
Upon hearing this, Shi Jian's heart stirred slightly. He spread his Divine Sense and sensed that the surging aftershocks of the Daoist auras colliding in the east and west were rapidly dissipating.
Directions from Ultimate Force Pass, Profound Lightning Pass, and Heavenly Wind Pass...
All the fighting at the passes ceased at the same time.
The Spirit Race's Nascent Soul Spirit Transformation retreated like a receding tide, their retreat orderly and decisive, not like a defeat, but more like an orderly evacuation following a unified command.
Cang Wuji hoisted the Bone-Splitting Axe back onto his shoulder, his lips twitching.
"These Spirit Race, they just quit halfway through the fight?"
Shi Jian didn't reply; he was thinking about something else.
The Spirit Race's offensive is fierce, even resorting to the Life-Burning Technique to forcibly boost their combat power. This comes at a high price and will not be used lightly unless absolutely necessary.
But at the very juncture of the fiercest offensive, a sudden full-scale retreat could only have been ordered by Dao Venerable to make more than thirty Nascent Spirit Transformation stop at the same time.
It seems that the three Dao Venerable of the Spirit Race issued the retreat order in the Heaven Beyond Heaven.
Why?
The situation in the Heaven Beyond Heaven is beyond the perception of those at the Spirit Transformation level, but the Dao Venerable's sudden order to withdraw troops must indicate that something unexpected has happened in the Heaven Beyond Heaven.
Perhaps the Dao Venerable from the Beast Realm exerted greater pressure; or perhaps the Spirit Race had other plans and needed to concentrate its forces to deal with threats from other directions.
Shi Jian looked at the Shan Yue, who was clearly pondering the same question.
Then the Shan Yue withdrew its power, and the 50,000-foot giant bear slowly shrank back into human form, landing back on the high platform of Barbarian Bone Pass.
His long, pale hair flew wildly in the wind, and his face was cold and stern.
"Order all departments to expedite repairs."
"The entire army must hold the fortress, and no unit may engage in battle without authorization. Warships should be replenished promptly if they are short of Spirit Stone or spiritual items. Multiple restrictions outside the fortress have been reactivated and redeployed."
"Furthermore, dispatch scouts to monitor the withdrawal location of the Spirit Race main force."
As orders were issued, the Barbarian Bone Pass immediately sprang into action.
Those Nascent Spirit Transformation were seriously injured retreated to the Spirit Vein nodes at the rear to recuperate, while the many Nascent Soul Demon Cultivator took turns on guard duty.
A large number of Golden Core demons were deployed across the battlefield to clean up the remains.
Shi Jian found a sacred mountain to serve as a temporary cave abode; he sat cross-legged to adjust his breathing, and the three Immortal Foundation within his body slowly circulated.
Although the bloody battle just now was extremely dangerous, the third Immortal Foundation [Righteous Yang Lightning] has solidified considerably.
It has already condensed about 80% of its essence; it only needs further careful study and some time to integrate it, and then the third Immortal Foundation will be perfected.
At that time, you will be able to break through to the Late Spirit Transformation and Three-Foundation Perfection!
Shi Jian silently comprehended this change. Although the battles had exhausted him, they were also accelerating his growth and transformation.
It'll be soon.
After a few more battles of this intensity, his third Immortal Foundation will be fully formed; with the help of the Gray Sword and the Xu Yan Ring Dao Artifact, he will have the confidence to directly confront Late Spirit Transformation.
Just as he was quietly recuperating, Cang Wuji came to visit him.
Upon seeing this, Shi Jian invited Cang Wuji inside for a chat.
The two bears ate and drank, which eased some of the oppressive atmosphere of war. If given a choice, who would be willing to fight and risk their life here?
"The Spirit Race has retreated and won't be back anytime soon."
"The aftereffects of the Life-Burning Secret Method are quite severe. Those Spirit Race Nascent Spirit Race Spirit Transformation will need at least a year and a half to recover to their full strength."
Shi Jian nodded. The essence of the Life-Burning Technique is to draw on the life force of all living beings in the world and store it up, then burn it to gain combat power in the present moment.
Although it doesn't harm their own lives, it can easily backfire; the Spirit Race Life Dao, and although recovery is fast, the cost doesn't disappear, it's just not as severe.
The retreat of the Spirit Race will at least buy the Barbarian Bone Pass a few months of breathing room.
But Shi Jian was well aware that this was merely the first test.
In the south, the Spirit Race annexed more than ten small and medium-sized clans, acquiring a large number of vassal troops and Spirit Vein resources; these incorporated cultivators from the smaller clans will be the expendable resources in the Spirit Race's next offensive.
"Next time they come, there will probably be more than thirty Nascent Spirit Transformation."
Shi Jian sighed. At this rate, the next attack by the Spirit Race would likely be even more ferocious than this one.
Cang Wuji shook his head, somewhat helpless.
"Then let's go. With the Shan Yue guarding it, plus our group and the fortress's defenses, the Spirit Race will have to break their teeth trying to take down Barbarian Bone Pass."
"It's just a pity for my men. I wonder how many more of these bastards will perish here this time."
Shi Jian didn't speak again, but sighed softly.
Above the southern sky, the entire world was imbued with the aura of Life Dao, and the sky still shone with a bluish hue that lingered for a long time.
In the days that followed, the entire front fell into a brief period of silence.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Race began large-scale plundering.
In the hundreds of millions of miles of territory south, east, and west of Marsh Plains, those small tribes that had already submitted were being further exploited.
The clan's Spirit Vein were drained, its reserve of Spirit Stone was looted, and its descendants who were cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above were forcibly incorporated into the Spirit Race's war order.
Even more insidious, the Spirit Race set up a large array called "Spirit Siphoning" in the territories of the smaller tribes they plundered.
The great formation operates using the Life Dao method, drawing upon the life force of heaven and earth within a radius of tens of millions of miles day and night, condensing all the weak beings at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages into abundant life force.
This method of extracting the life force of all things in heaven and earth is exactly the same as the grand formation that Bi Luo used in the Battle of Marsh Plains.
However, Bi Luo's actions were impromptu and limited in scale, while the Spirit Race is now systematically and extensively plundering the life force of countless races throughout the Dao Realm...
Such immense vitality, if used to support a Spirit Race cultivator's breakthrough, would surely allow the cultivator to progress by leaps and bounds.
These messages naturally reached the attention of various factions within the Beast Realm.
Moreover, the Spirit Race's actions this time are most likely aimed at obtaining the Bailu Lingyuan.
The four Treasured Earth Immortal Foundation Perfected Spirit Transformation, but their whereabouts are unknown.
The one the Peak and Mountain Imperial Clan fears most, a genius of the Spirit Race, has yet to appear on any battlefield; if the Spirit Race's purpose in plundering the life force of heaven and earth is to pave the way for Bailu Lingyuan's ascension to the Dao...
This situation is naturally extremely unfavorable for the Beast Realm.