Chapter 3080: Reactions from All Sides |
Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain.
“Strange…They came in such a hurry, and now they’re leaving just as fast. Even those two old fogies, Wu Hongzi and Wen Zai, have gone with their people. Something must have happened.” A peculiar gleam flashed in Fu Nanli’s eyes.
From Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain, the enemy encampment lay only ten thousand feet away. Every movement there was clearly visible. Now, within that vast camp, only Xinying and Xingtian Yuan, two Greater Boundless Realm beings, remained behind. Such an unexpected turn immediately caught everyone’s attention.
“It could be a feint,” Xing Jingxia said slowly, his gaze sharpening. “A test to see whether we’ll seize the chance to break out.”
Fu Nanli shook his head. “A feint? Xinhu and Leisong have already taken their strongest forces into the Fate Lotus World. Under those circumstances, would the enemy lure us into an attack?”
His gaze hardened. “No. In my view, something has happened…something big. Otherwise, Wu Hongzi and Wen Zai would never have left this place so hastily.”
At once, a wave of commotion swept through the experts of the Origin Sect, Spirit Sect and Fangchun Mountain. Far too many things had happened in just one day.
First, the Sea of Fate underwent a strange change, giving birth to the opportunity for a fourth journey to the All-Wonder Dominion. Next, Xinying, Wu Hongzi and other Greater Boundless Realm beings arrived with a host of powerful cultivators, clearly to keep a close watch on Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain and prevent any unrest.
Now, the enemy camp itself had undergone such a sudden change. Everything about it felt deeply abnormal. What exactly happened in the Spirit Martial World today? Even Xing Jianxia and Fu Nanli, along with the others, were left perplexed.
The others fell into silence. This was the cruel reality of being trapped. They were unable to take part in the struggle within the Fate Lotus World and unable to learn what was happening beyond. No matter how stifled and frustrated they felt, all they could do was endure.
“Such a change in the enemy camp may actually be good news for us.” A glimmer of light flickered deep in Xing Jianxia’s eyes. “At the very least, it proves that something is happening in Spirit Martial World…some change even they cannot ignore!”
With that, he strode to the edge of the cliff and spoke in a clear, resonant voice that rolled across the heavens, “Xinying! If my guess is correct, your camp must be facing a troublesome situation, am I right?”
The voice rang like a morning bell and an evening drum, carrying all the way to the encampment ten thousand feet away, where Xinying and Xingtian Yuan stood guard. The two exchanged a glance, their brows knitting slightly. Clearly, Xing Jianxia and the others on Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain had already noticed the signs.
“Xing Jianxia,” Xinying replied coolly, “your own situation is already so dire, yet you still find the leisure to concern yourself with our affairs. Don’t you find that laughable?”
Clad in a monk’s robe, prayer beads of white jade resting in his hand, Xinying stood with a presence as immovable as a mountain.
“Haha, it seems I was right. If nothing serious had happened, would Wu Hongzi and Wen Zai have left in such a hurry?” Xing Jianxia said with amusement. “Let me guess, did someone seize the chance to strike at your territories?”
A trace of shock flickered in the eyes of both Xinying and Xingtian Yuan. How did this old fox know?
Seeing their silence, Xing Jianxia burst into laughter, his voice ringing across the surroundings, brimming with delight. “As expected! I guessed right!”
Fu Nanli and the others also showed looks of surprise. Judging from Xinying’s and Xingtian Yuan’s reactions, they realized that Xing Jianxia’s guess was very likely right!
Even they could not imagine who would dare act so recklessly in the Spirit Martial World. Who would have the audacity to strike against forces as mighty as the Shaman Sect and the Zen Sect? It was simply unbelievable. Of course, for them, it was nothing short of exhilarating.
“So what? Do you think a minor disturbance like this can shake our foundations? Or do you believe such a trivial incident will give you a chance to escape Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain?” Xingtian Yuan said coldly.
Xing Jianxia paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. “When even Wu Hongzi and Wen Zai have been mobilized, it can hardly be called a ‘minor disturbance.’”
Xingtian Yuan pointed toward the colossal Great Dao Fate Lotus hanging in the sky and said coldly, “In half a month, or three months at most, the true pillars of our factions will all return. When that happens, do you really think the situation in Spirit Martial World can still undergo any dramatic change?”
“What if it does?” Xing Jianxia replied calmly.
Xingtian Yuan gave a cold laugh and said nothing more.
Turning to Fu Nanli and the others, Xing Jianxia said, “You’ve all heard what was said. It’s clear someone seized this opportunity to launch a surprise attack. And whoever did it was powerful enough to force Wu Hongzi and Wen Zai into action. If my guess is right, this must be the work of a Greater Boundless Realm expert. If so…what comes next will be truly interesting.”
“Then should we move now?” Fu Nanli’s eyes lit up, murderous intent surging around him. The others were equally eager.
Xing Jianxia shook his head. “Let’s just wait and see. When even Xinying and Xingtian Yuan can no longer remain composed, that will be the perfect moment for us to strike.”
Fu Nanli pondered for a moment, then nodded. If even Xinying and Xingtian Yuan were forced into action, it meant that this turn of events was beyond what Wu Hongzi and Wen Zai could resolve. If that was the case, then striking at that moment might give them the chance to utterly destroy the enemy’s strongholds in one decisive blow.
“What worries me most is when those old monsters who went into the Fate Lotus World will return.” Xing Jianxia said, gazing toward the Sea of Fate with deeply furrowed brows.
After the first three appearances of the Great Dao Fate Lotus, the struggle within the Life Lotus World lasted no less than half a month, and once as long as three full months. During those fierce struggles, some could not endure and fled back early to Spirit Martial World.
Now the fourth great conflict was unfolding within the Fate Lotus World, and just as before, it was inevitable that the top figures of the opposing forces could return at any moment. All of this meant countless variables.
“Worrying about that now is pointless,” Fu Nanli said in a deep voice. “In my view, we should simply act when the time is right. We’ve been trapped here for far too long. If this continues, we’ll be forever under the enemy’s control, with no hope of ever stepping into the All-Wonder Dominion.” His gaze sharpened. “Instead, we should seize every chance to force change, even if it means plunging into brutal battles. As long as the situation shifts, it will be worth it.”
Xing Jianxia narrowed his eyes. After a long silence, he finally nodded. Fu Nanli was right. They had been trapped here for far too long. If this continued, they would remain forever under the enemy’s control, something none of them could tolerate.
Fortunately, there were still more than eight hundred years before the epochal calamity truly descended, more than enough time to wait for the perfect moment to act.
……
On that day, the strongholds of the Ye, Jue, and Yuan Clans were trampled, sending shockwaves through every opposing force. This especially made a stir among certain Eternal Divine Clans whose Immeasurable Realm Eternals had all departed for the Fate Lotus World, and only Creation Realm beings remained behind to guard their territories.
When news spread that the Ye, Jue, and Yuan Clans had been annihilated, these cultivators were shaken to the core and secretly relieved. If such a calamity had struck their own forces, it would have meant utter destruction.
Under the joint arrangements of the two Greater Boundless Realm experts, Wu Hongzi and Wen Zai, the cultivators of the Zen Sect and the other Eternal Divine Clans were all stationed at Great Barbarian Mountain, the stronghold of the Shaman Sect.
That same day, Wu Hongzi personally took charge of overseeing the mountain. Meanwhile, Wen Zai led five Lesser Boundless Realm experts and twenty Creation Eternals to track down the culprit. Their pursuit was conducted with overwhelming momentum, sweeping across the land as they continuously expanded the range of their search. Even the outermost peripheral zones were not spared.
In Wen Zai’s view, the perpetrator was most likely hiding among the outer fringe regions. Along the way, countless cultivators who frequented the periphery were interrogated, threatened and warned without the slightest courtesy. Unfortunately, the effort yielded nothing.
Someone did mention that a lone Creation Realm cultivator had recently appeared. His face was unfamiliar, and he was likely a newcomer to Spirit Martial World. Of course, Wen Zai and the others dismissed this outright. What a joke! How could a mere Creation Realm figure wipe out three Eternal Divine Clans single-handedly?
In their eyes, the true culprit could only be an existence of the Immeasurable Realm! As the search continued and the net widened, nearly every cultivator scattered across the periphery zones was questioned. Although Wen Zai and the others revealed little, their actions alone stirred a tremendous uproar throughout the Spirit Martial World.
“Could it be that someone has finally dared to strike at those great powers?”
“Of course! The Great Dao Fate Lotus appeared today, and all the top figures of those forces rushed to the Sea of Fate. If there were ever a perfect moment to launch a surprise attack, this is it!”
“But who would dare do such a thing? That’s madness!”
“I actually hope this upheaval grows even bigger. If it does, the balance of Spirit Martial World might finally shift, and then perhaps we’ll have our chance to enter the core zone and compete for the opportunity within the Great Dao Fate Lotus!”
All kinds of discussions broke out. Those scattered across the periphery zones were mostly Creation Realm cultivators. Having lived for countless years, how could they fail to sense that a great upheaval was unfolding in the Spirit Martial World?
For a moment, excitement surged in their hearts. As long as there were variables, there would always be hope to change the world’s fate! Their only fear was that this variable would be snuffed out by the great powers before it had a chance to grow…
Meanwhile, in a hidden underground cavern deep within a canyon, Lin Xun flicked his sleeve, and the woman in the black dress and the other three appeared out of thin air.
“From this point on, I’ll have to trouble the four of you to remain here for a while,” Lin Xun said apologetically, clasping his hands in salute.