Chapter 1590
The War Begins
"It's not just the Void Spirit Palace and the other eight major forces, is it?" Li Zhirui asked calmly.
Li Qiankun said in a heavy tone, "Yes, they also invited a Xuanxian to participate in the battle."
The mere presence of hundreds of Celestial Immortals from these eight major forces already exerted immense pressure on everyone, but no one expected that a Mystic Immortal would also participate in the battle.
Instantly, everyone felt as if the sky had fallen, and despair appeared on their faces.
"Only one Xuanxian?"
Li Zhirui, however, didn't take it seriously and didn't pay any attention to it. He even felt that the quantity was too small, and that he would have to go find Xuanxian again to settle his own karma.
Seeing everyone's reaction, he couldn't help but shake his head. Their mental fortitude was still too weak. Just hearing about the opponent's strength, before the battle had even begun, they were already showing such a reaction.
"Don't worry, this kind of power is not enough to break the mountain-protecting formation."
Seeing this, he casually offered a word of comfort.
It should be noted that the Xuanxian who founded the Tongtian Sect came from an extraordinary background and was once a major Xuanxian sect with immense strength. How could the quality of this mountain-protecting formation be inferior?
Let alone hundreds of celestial immortals, even dozens of mystical immortals working together would need to expend a great deal of time and effort to break the formation.
"Sect Leader, is what you say true?"
It wasn't that Li Qiankun didn't believe it, but rather that he dared not believe it, because those words were too outrageous.
Since becoming the acting leader, he has put a lot of effort into understanding the history of the Tongtian Sect. He naturally knows that the Tongtian Sect has an ancient lineage, and he also realizes that the records he sees now are incomplete and probably contain a lot of hidden information.
However, Li Qiankun always believed that it was a foolish and extremely stupid thing done by some ancestors, and that later generations kept it hidden to save face for them.
But now, hearing Li Zhirui say this, the past of the Tongtian Sect is probably even more complicated than he knew!
Even hundreds of celestial beings couldn't break the mountain-protecting formation?
"Sect Leader, could this mountain-protecting formation be a Xuanxian-level formation?" Some elders couldn't contain their excitement and hurriedly asked.
"Ah."
Li Zhirui simply responded with a faint "yes" and then said, "Since a great battle is imminent, let's prepare for it."
"If you have any thoughts, please feel free to speak them."
Although he had not fought with anyone for many years and was far removed from major battles, he had encountered countless such incidents during his years of growth and had long since developed a way of dealing with them.
The reason he still asked was simply to see if there were any talented individuals among these disciples.
After all, he was not a being of this realm, and he would eventually have to leave the Dao Spirit Realm.
Although Li Zhirui had no affection for the Tongtian Sect, he had still put in some effort, naturally not wanting the Tongtian Sect to quickly decline and fall into ruin after his departure.
"We must summon all disciples back to the sect and concentrate the strength of the entire sect to deal with this great battle!"
"Our strength is inferior to theirs, and it would be difficult for us to inflict much damage on them. However, with the protective array around the mountain, we don't need to worry about the mountain gate being breached. Perhaps we can use external objects to help us?"
One of the elders said, "I remember that there are several Heaven-Shattering Thunderbolts hidden in the treasure vault. With the terrifying power of such treasures, we should be able to kill a group of cultivators."
"That's right! Besides, the celestial-level talismans, magic weapons, and other spiritual items in the treasure vault, selecting the most powerful treasures from among them, will definitely alleviate the pressure."
Are these spiritual items precious? Of course they are incredibly precious. In fact, many of them have been lost over the long course of history and can no longer be refined.
Among those present, although some showed reluctance, they understood the relative importance of the matter and did not voice any objections.
After all, no matter how good a treasure is, it's still an inanimate object. How can it compare to a disciple's life and the continuation of the sect's legacy?
"Moreover, if the plan is well-planned, we might be able to kill a large number of cultivators in one battle, and settle most of the karma of the sect members. At that time, we might be the first to escape from the great calamity." One elder had already begun to look forward to a bright future.
Li Zhirui was fairly satisfied with the many ideas raised by the crowd and did not find any problems with them.
Even the last dream, if planned properly, has a very high chance of being realized.
Therefore, he only added a few details.
"We can first find out where the enemy is coming from, and then set up many traps along their way. This might kill some of the cultivators and relieve some of the pressure."
Li Qiankun frowned and said, "Sect Leader, if we act in this way, we may completely enrage the other party."
"We are mortal enemies to begin with. What if we provoke them? What if we don't? In the end, we will have to settle this with a life-or-death battle."
"Moreover, we are currently in the midst of a great calamity, and the other party will definitely want to kill all the disciples in order to settle their own karma."
Li Zhirui said calmly, "Moreover, provoking the other party and making them act impulsively will also have some benefits for later using spiritual objects to kill them."
When anger rises, thoughts become unsettled, and it's easy to overlook details.
Upon hearing this, Li Qiankun was taken aback. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that what the sect leader said was indeed true.
"Leave the task of finding out where the enemy came from to me. You all hurry back and prepare for the great battle," Li Zhirui instructed.
There's really nothing to prepare; it's just a matter of taking out the spiritual items from the treasure vault.
After all, the difference in strength between the two sides was too great, and the disciples were simply no match for the other side.
It could even be said that without the aid of external objects, even if those celestial cultivators stood right in front of them, they would not be able to break through their defenses.
The reason he had to do this personally was because his disciples' cultivation levels were too low, and they would probably be discovered before they even got close.
"Please be careful, Master."
"Do not worry."
Li Zhirui's calm tone was full of confidence!
It then transformed into a ray of light and disappeared.
Meanwhile, Li Qiankun and the others who remained at the mountain gate were also busy.
On one hand, they needed to summon all the disciples stationed outside back, and on the other hand, they began preparations for the great battle.
"Take out all the crafted magical artifacts, formations, and talismans from the storeroom, regardless of their grade!"
These spiritual creatures might not pose much of a threat to celestial cultivators, but the army of cultivators formed by forces like the Void Spirit Palace could not possibly consist only of celestial cultivators.
Therefore, these are all prepared for other cultivators, and they should be able to produce a considerable effect.
'If we can capture all these cultivators, we can crush the eight major powers of Mingzhou in one battle. After the war, perhaps we can launch a preemptive strike and wipe out the remaining disciples!'
As Li Qiankun watched the complex emotions of busyness, anxiety, and unease intertwine and rapidly spread throughout Mount Dengxian, a completely opposite thought suddenly popped into his mind.
"Ah!"
He then gave a self-deprecating laugh, shook his head, and muttered, "Why bother with such unrealistic fantasy?"
Then, suppressing the thought, I began to concentrate on dealing with the current matters.
……
at the same time.
After leaving Dengxian Mountain, Li Zhirui determined his direction and flew southeast.
The Void Spirit Palace is located southeast of the Tongtian Sect!
As the leader of the allied army, he must have sent troops from the Void Spirit Palace.
"Hmm?" Li Zhirui concealed his figure and sped along, but he still couldn't see the figure of the cultivator army, so he couldn't help but hesitate.
The place where he is currently paused is only three thousand miles away from the gate of the Void Spirit Palace. He can arrive in a short while. Even if the enemy's army is mobilized, he should be able to see their figures by now. How come there is not a trace of them?
Faced with this situation, there are only two reasons: either they have chosen a different direction, or they haven't set off yet.
"Could it be that my guess was wrong? Did they not launch the attack from the direction of the Void Palace?"
His brow furrowed slightly as he surveyed the surrounding area. If his guess was wrong, then where should they deploy their troops?
After a few moments of thought, Li Zhirui finally decided to continue exploring. After all, at his speed, it would only take a short while and wouldn't take much time.
Not long after, he suddenly stopped, quickly rose higher, and allowed his aura to completely merge with the world.
Such a level of concealment means that even a Xuanxian (a high-level immortal) in person would not be able to detect his existence unless they possess secret techniques such as deception or insight.
This is actually Li Zhirui's way of utilizing the purification law.
The reason for his sudden action was that he had discovered the army of cultivators!
'One Xuanxian, dozens of Tianxian, and nearly ten thousand other cultivators.'
With such strength, they could already dominate Mingzhou!
but……
A mocking smile curled at the corner of Li Zhirui's lips.
This was because the army of cultivators before him probably felt that, in terms of sheer numbers, they completely overwhelmed the Tongtian Sect.
They were so confident in defeating them and breaching the mountain gate that their actions were quite rough. The cultivators played and frolicked, showing no tension whatsoever about facing an imminent battle, as if they were there to enjoy the scenery.
'Oh!'
He sneered inwardly and then quickly left.
As Li Zhirui set off, the immortal in the army suddenly looked up at the sky but found nothing.
"Just now, there seemed to be a spying gaze in the sky?"
"Senior Lu, what happened?"
To verify his guess, Lu Wannian directly halted the army, but at the same time, this aroused the curiosity of a celestial being.
He completely ignored them and ordered his men to ascend into the sky to investigate, but found nothing.
After receiving the answer, he didn't believe it, so he searched for a while himself, but still found nothing.
"Could it really be just my imagination?"
Suspended high in the sky, Lu Wannian frowned slightly, but in the end he could only continue on his way.
Compared to this matter of unknown veracity, defeating the Tongtian Sect and settling the karmic debt is far more important, as it concerns a great calamity and the subsequent punishment from Heaven.
The army resumed its operations, but at a leisurely pace, not at all about engaging in fierce battles.
……
the other side.
After determining the direction of the cultivator army's attack on the Tongtian Sect, Li Zhirui, once he was far away from the enemy, immediately activated the Thousand-Mile Transmission Talisman, allowing his disciples to set up some traps in that direction in advance.
Meanwhile, he quickened his pace and hurried toward the mountain gate.
Not long after, Li Zhirui returned to Dengxian Mountain.
"How are the preparations going?"
Li Qiankun bowed and said, "The disciples stationed outside are all on their way back; all kinds of high-level spiritual items are ready; and all kinds of traps are being set up."
"That's good."
Li Zhirui nodded in satisfaction. It had only taken two or three hours to accomplish so much; that was already very good.
"Next, we just have to wait for that alliance of cultivators to arrive."
To his disappointment, several hours passed and he still couldn't see any sign of the army of tens of thousands of cultivators.
Even if the army moved slowly, it was impossible for several hours to pass without seeing a single figure.
"Sect Leader, could it be that they sensed danger and changed direction?" Li Qiankun asked, frowning.
Li Zhirui couldn't be sure for a moment. If the other side really changed their attack direction, then the traps they had painstakingly set up would instantly become useless!
Fortunately, things didn't turn out the way they expected.
More than half an hour later, a large army of cultivators finally arrived.
Their slow pace was not only due to their lax attitude towards the battle, but also because they had wasted some time on the road.
Along the way, the Tongtian Sect built several immortal cities, markets, and several spiritual lands.
As they passed by, they took a detour, intending to take care of the cultivators in these places as a 'snack' before the big battle.
But wherever they went, there was no one there!
Not only were the disciples of the Tongtian Sect nowhere to be found, but even the rogue cultivators were nowhere to be seen.
Instead of being angry, they burst into laughter.
In their view, this was caused by a pack of scoundrels who heard of their reputation from afar and fled in panic.
It was because of the time lost on the road that we are only now appearing in front of the Tongtian Sect's mountain gate.
"what?"
A celestial being, from afar, saw a group of cultivators on Mount Dengxian, their expressions solemn and ready for battle, as if prepared to fight to the death. He let out a mocking laugh and said, "They really don't know what's good for them!"
"Yes! How could these ant-like disciples possibly be a match for us?"
"Brother Dao, you flatter them too much. Can these really be called opponents?"
……
Several celestial beings spoke up with sarcastic remarks, their words clearly showing their disdain for the disciples of the Tongtian Sect.
This includes Li Zhirui!
As they approached the vicinity of Mount Dengxian, an extremely arrogant voice rang out, "I possess a wondrous fragrance that can render one painless for several hours. It seems it was prepared for you."
Damn it!
"How dare you!"
A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!
These words instantly enraged the disciples of the Tongtian Sect, who roared with curses.
"Shut up!" Li Zhirui remained calm, but his hands moved with lightning speed. A flash of light pierced through the man's dantian.
Death was swift; only a fleeting look of astonishment crossed his face, devoid of any pain, thus fulfilling his earlier words. (End of Chapter)