Chapter 328: The World's Crusade
Outside Shengjing City, at the Four Great Array Gates.
As the first group of Elders who arrived fiercely attacked, the tide of corpses surrounding the city was blasted back several hundred zhang, clearing out a vacuum.
Just as the people in the city thought that an important person was trapped outside the city, forcing Tianshu Academy to go all out, they saw the second and third batches of Elders also howling in.
The second batch of powerful cultivators instantly took over the cleared space, continuing to clear out Evil Seeds in all directions. The magnificent magical arts, like a large net woven from immortal light, carried an incomparably sharp killing intent and continued to suppress the corpse tide outwards.
Boom!
A Linxian Realm Elder landed and swung his palm, and a golden immortal light instantly shot out fiercely from his palm, its powerful force seemingly dimming the surrounding sky by a few shades.
The straight immortal light surged through the dense corpse tide, instantly crushing countless Evil Seeds into a mass of mangled flesh and broken limbs.
Immediately after, the third batch of Elders arrived with a roar, pushing back the writhing tide line by dozens of zhang again.
At the same time, a large number of Inner Courtyard Disciples followed the gap created by the immortal light, expanding outwards in all directions.
Inside Chong Wang's residence, all those magnificent immortal lights were reflected in the eyes of the Sects, causing countless hearts to tremble.
After the Youxian Assembly, Tianshu Academy's ranking dropped to the very last, leading to a long period of decline predictions from the Qingyun Sects.
But only now did they realize that even if it fell to last, an Immortal Sect was still an Immortal Sect after all.
However, they still didn't understand why Tianshu Academy was so eager, not to save people, but as if they wanted to break out for a thousand miles.
The same doubt also existed in the towns under the other Immortal Sects' Daoist sites.
Because almost at the same time, Lingjian Mountain, Asked the Dao Sect, Mountain and Sea Pavilion, Chen Clan, and Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion were all continuously suppressing Evil Seeds outwards.
As the magnificent heavenly light shot up into the sky, it shattered the layered clouds. The vast immortal light surged heavenward and fell in torrents. Such an aura was quickly keenly captured by high-Realm cultivators across the world.
“The other Immortal Sects seem to have started moving as well. Could it be that they are joining forces to exterminate the Evil Seeds?”
“No, even old hermits who have been in seclusion for many years have come out. This is not at all like the behavior of an Immortal Sect. The Evil Seeds are probably not the objective.”
“Brother Qian means that there are other things hidden behind this?”
Facing this grand suppression, every corner of the entire city was abuzz with discussion, their curiosity comparable to their first perception of the Heavenly Dao.
But soon, they no longer needed to guess.
Because as six streams of immortal light converged in the sky, a huge talisman floated turbulently across the horizon, imprinted upon the azure blue firmament.
“Your Highness, it’s a man-made disaster, not a natural one!”
“Reporting to the Family Head, there are Sects causing chaos, harming the Heavenly Dao, and attempting to overthrow Qingyun!”
“Your Majesty—”
As the content of the talisman flashed, countless copies of paper scrolls were circulated in all directions.
The content was sharp and direct, explicitly naming the You Prefecture Chu Family, Qing Province Zhu Family, Ling Province Zhuang Family, Yong Province Wei Family, Central Province Li Family, Liangzhou Du Family, and a host of other Sects, for secretly opening ruins, stealing Opportunities, and thus causing a great calamity.
It also stated that they had secretly plotted for decades, that the corpse tide disaster was just the beginning, and that there might be a calamity like Qi Ridge. Therefore, an order was issued to pursue and exterminate them throughout the Qingyun World, commanding all Sects in the world to follow.
“The Chu Family?”
“And the Li Family and the Du Family…”
“The calamity of Qi Ridge—”
“This…”
The order to execute instantly spread, causing countless Sect members to widen their eyes, seemingly finding the information difficult to digest for a moment.
Especially the four words “calamity of Qi Ridge,” which seemed to instantly pull everyone back to more than four years ago, to the incident where that demonic person of the Zheng Family refined countless cultivators.
After that incident, many Sects suffered heavy losses, and some Families have not even recovered their Origin Qi to this day.
And only now did they realize that that incident did not end with the demise of that demonic person of the Zheng Family; instead, it had led to such a great disaster today, more than four years later.
Upon seeing the talisman and learning what had truly happened in the world, the major Sects all departed from their gathering places.
They closed their doors and began secret discussions.
“If this matter is truly like the calamity of Qi Ridge, it is absolutely beyond the power of a Sect to contend with. I think it’s best not to go. Even if this world collapses, there will still be Immortal Sects to bear it. This corpse tide has already severely depleted our Origin Qi, and we should not suffer any more losses.”
In the courtyard where the He Family resided, He Long, who had planned to divide Feng Province at the Youxian Assembly, gave his opinion.
Don't go, don't listen, let whoever wants to go.
Hearing his analysis, the other He Family Elders also secretly nodded.
Although that Zheng Family Old Ancestor was demonized, his combat power was a genuine Linxian Realm.
Back then, in order to seize the Opportunity, countless cultivators entered Qi Ridge, and many perished without even seeing the Zheng Family Old Ancestor. Now, with a dozen prominent Sects joining forces, who could withstand this?
Seeing that the surrounding Elders all agreed with his opinion, He Long turned to He Ye: “Family Head, in my opinion, we should stay in Shengjing until this matter is over. We cannot let the Family Disciples die.”
“Fool.”
“?”
He Ye looked at him coldly: “This corpse tide has annihilated countless Sects, leaving behind countless ancestral lands and properties. Not to mention the foundation and inherited magical arts of ancient Sects like the Chu Family, Li Family, and Zhu Family. Do you think if this calamity passes, Qingyun will still be the same Qingyun as before?”
Upon hearing this, the faces of the surrounding Elders instantly became solemn: “The Family Head is right. If this calamity passes, Qingyun will also be turned upside down.”
He Ye picked up the copied paper scroll containing the talisman's content again: “If we don’t obey the order now, it will be difficult for us to even get a share then. If other Sects gain the favor of the Immortal Sects and acquire this war legacy, our He Family’s inaction might lead to a century of decline.”
He Long opened his mouth: “But we have a marital alliance with the Zuoqiu Hall Master.”
“But your surname isn’t Zuoqiu, and he isn’t the Sect Master. Moreover, there isn’t only Tianshu Academy among the Immortal Sects in the world.”
“This…”
The He Family Old Ancestor gently opened his eyes at this moment: “According to the practices of the Seven Great Immortal Sects for the past thousand years, this will certainly be the unspoken rule of this expedition. If we don’t go, there will be surrounding Sects who choose to take the risk. Go.”
Upon hearing this, everyone gathered in the room immediately stood up.
As they pushed open the door and stepped out, other Sect members had also come out, seemingly having come to the same conclusion as the He Family.
War and disaster are never the objective. Whether it's those who stir up trouble or those who go to war, it's all for what is gained after the war.
And while the Sects considered the gains and losses after this great calamity, the Tianshu Academy Disciples were also discussing the matter.
However, most of them were young people and did not have the long-term vision of Sect Family Heads. Their focus of discussion was on the Sects that had caused chaos in the world, and they discussed animatedly while packing their bags.
“These Chu Family and Li Family types are truly too bold. They dared to oppose the Immortal Sects and caused such a great disaster. They should truly be executed!”
“My uncles and aunts, and several brothers and sisters, all died in the corpse tide. This revenge must be taken!”
“There’s a rumor in the academy that if one performs exceptionally well in this battle, there might be an Opportunity to become a direct Disciple and receive inherited magical arts.”
Ji You had already left Zizai Hall and had just arrived at Cao Jinsong’s courtyard when he saw them gathered together. Upon his arrival, they immediately asked if the content of the talisman was true.
Because they knew that what they hadn’t dared to ask Ji You earlier must be what the talisman said.
Ji You hesitated for a moment before nodding: “Most of it is true.”
“Which part is false?”
“Some insignificant details are false.”
“?”
Ji You sat down and poured himself a cup of tea: “The Immortal Sect’s decree says that the Chu Family, Li Family, and the like opened the ruins. In reality, the ruins were opened by the Immortal Sects. They were tricked, but it also conveniently allowed them to push all the blame onto them.”
Hearing that the Immortal Sects were tricked, Cao Jinsong, Wen Zhengxin, and Ban Yangshu immediately raised their hands and told him to stop talking: “Let’s just pretend we didn’t hear that.”
“Since this matter has already been exposed to the world, it’s fine to know some subtle truths.”
“No thanks, that would make me subconsciously think the Immortal Sects are very stupid.”
Ji You shook his head: “The Immortal Sects aren’t too stupid, it’s just that when greed arises, it’s easy to become blind.”
Ban Yangshu nodded after hearing this: “Junior Brother Ji is also like that. If someone throws silver to lure him, he still dares to pick it up. Greed is indeed terrifying.”
“That’s a good example. Don’t use it again in the future.”
“Did you find this out?” Wen Zhengxin couldn’t help but ask.
Ji You nodded: “Part of it I found out, and part of it Rulong Immortal Emperor told me.”
Wen Zhengxin’s eyelashes trembled slightly: “Ru Long—”
Cao Jinsong and Ban Yangshu also suddenly fell silent, not knowing what to say at this moment, because they all knew that the Bai Family was also on the list.
Although Ji You tried his best to vouch for Bai Rulong’s innocence in front of the Five Great Hall Masters, he himself must have felt terrible, otherwise he wouldn’t have remained unseen for several days since his return.
This kid is muddled and a bit slow, but he's not a bad person. It must be hard for him to accept such a change.
But soon, as the mountain bell rang and Tianshu Academy Disciples were ordered to gather at the Ascension White Jade Platform to prepare for their journey to the ruins, they saw Rulong Immortal Emperor.
He was almost among the very first to respond to the mountain’s summons. He had already put on his sword and stood silently among the crowd, seemingly ready to depart with everyone.
However, his surname was Bai after all, and he inevitably became the subject of pointing fingers.
Some people called him a spy, while others didn't understand why he hadn’t been restrained, until Ji You arrived and these voices gradually faded away.
“You’re going too?”
Bai Rulong clearly hadn’t slept well for days; his face pale, he looked up at him, “There are some things I still want to ask him in person.”
Ji You couldn’t help but press, “What do you want to ask him?”
“Just as Brother Ji said, when my father locked me in the dungeon, I didn’t know there would be a corpse tide outbreak. I just thought he didn’t want me to participate in this matter, believing it was a form of protection. But only after seeing the corpse tide did I realize he didn’t care about my life or death at all. I want to ask him what he was truly thinking.”
“Don’t let it become an obsession.”
Ji You patted his shoulder, knowing that even if he truly met the Bai Family Head during this expedition, he would certainly not get a satisfactory answer.
Why?
Because that Chu Xian could ruthlessly kill even his pregnant wife, so for the Bai Family, this unloved son was even less important. After all, birds of a feather flock together.
If they weren’t all so vicious, decisive, and cruel, they wouldn’t have banded together to do things to such an extent.
Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan also arrived shortly after, looking at Bai Rulong, unsure how to speak, only able to offer him comfort with their eyes.
Subsequently, He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, Chai Ze, and other Prodigies from the Inner Courtyard also surged over, their bodies radiating immortal light as they landed on the Baiyu Platform, preparing to participate in this punitive expedition.
With disaster looming and time pressing, the Inner Courtyard couldn’t make too many arrangements. Once the numbers were complete, they surged down the mountain towards the open ground cleared by the Elder.
The Sects that had long been prepared were already standing on Yong'an Street. Seeing this, they converged into the torrent, passed through the great formation, and charged towards the corpse tide.
Just as the Tianshu Academy Disciples moved out, Lingjian Mountain, Asked the Dao Sect, Mountain and Sea Pavilion, Chen Clan, Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, and other Five Great Immortal Sects also poured out, heading towards the heartland of the Nine Provinces.
Shang Xiyao, Huo Xingzhong, Chen Luo, Chen Xi, and other direct Disciples of the three Sects also appeared, holding their respective Sect’s important treasures, suppressing the formation amidst the exclamations of their Disciples.
With the millennium Sects forming an alliance, disrupting the Heavenly Dao, and coveting Immortal Opportunity, they naturally had to uphold the Immortal Sect’s prestige.
Furthermore, they were now attempting to take control of Sacred Artifacts and needed to establish their authority in advance. This was a suitable time.
Buzz—!!!
A clear tremor of metal.
Outside Shengjing City, Cao Jinsong rose with a roar, wielding his sword to repel the Evil Seed in front of him, his teeth clenching involuntarily.
“Why is this thing stronger than before?”
“Its ferocity is greater than before.”
Ji You answered while slaying, simultaneously looking at Bai Rulong and the Lu Family’s sisters with concern.
Their cultivation was still easy against the Evil Seed, but if they were surrounded, problems could arise.
“With so many Evil Seed, where do we need to kill to?”
“According to the communication from the Five Great Immortal Sects, the areas around the seven opened ruins have been completely occupied by the corpse tide. We need to move towards the surging heart of the corpse tide, the location is roughly at the intersection of Liang Province and Zhongzhou’s border.”
They knew those allied millennium Sects were causing trouble, but they weren't yet clear about their whereabouts. The only thing they could confirm was that they must be around the ruins, otherwise, tempting the Immortal Sects to open the ruins themselves would be meaningless.
But exactly which ruin they were in, whether inside or outside, or if they were in all ruins, was still uncertain.
Most critically, what the Immortal Sects could think of, those millennium Sects naturally could too.
Would they truly wait in the ruins for the Immortal Sects to come and capture them?
Therefore, the mission issued by the Six Great Immortal Sects was to have them search a hundred-li radius around all ruins and identify all participants in this matter.
And the ultimate destination of their journey was at the very center of those ruins.
Under normal circumstances, such a search would be easy for the Immortal Sects, but now with the corpse tide spread across the world, it became extremely difficult, requiring them to encircle their way through.
After Ji You answered Cao Jinsong’s question, his eyes narrowed. With a surge of Qi, he drew his sword, slaying the Evil Seed that lunged at Lu Hanyan, and simultaneously pulled this reckless girl back.
With a smack, the Lu family's Second Miss, who had her bottom spanked, instantly became well-behaved, no longer recklessly risking her life with a clear, innocent expression.
Seeing this, Lu Qingqiu turned to warn her sister with a look, only to see her sister, who had been spanked on the bottom after a long time, looking proper, as if nothing had happened.
Buzzing and humming, as Dao swords roared wildly, the group continuously weaved through the corpse tide.
During this time, Ji You reached out multiple times, pulling back that overly aggressive graceful figure several times, thinking to himself if this girl was acting up for a reward again.
At this moment, Lu Qingqiu retreated to the middle of the formation, subtly rubbing her bottom, and warning her sister with her eyes.
Lu Hanyan: “?”
Boom, boom, boom—an Elder flew in from the rear, catching up with the front team. Soaring into the air, he descended with a body full of immortal light, directly cutting through three steps.
Seeing this, the surrounding Sects began to move in other directions, dispersing to all sides, and the Tianshu Academy team also split into sixteen branches and scattered.
Ji You, seeing this, pulled the Lu Family’s sisters, Ru Long Immortal Emperor, and Cao Jinsong, veering southwest, separating from the crowd.
“Senior Brother, where are we going?”
“The route is still the same, but we need to disperse to prevent large-scale gatherings of Evil Seed from forming even larger tides. Twenty li out, after crossing the border mountain range, we’ll briefly regroup.”
The more people gathered, the stronger the human aura, and the more fatally attractive it was to the Evil Seed.
When they left the city, they needed to combine forces to tear open a gap, but once outside, it was not advisable to gather again.
Therefore, it was most sensible for everyone to disperse into multiple teams, maintaining a not-too-far, not-too-close distance, and regrouping according to the stages of the journey.
Doing so could avoid the formation of large-scale corpse tides and also allow the Evil Seed to be pulled between them.
Lu Qingqiu knew Tianshu Academy had this arrangement, but she still said while swinging her sword, “Before we set off, the Inner Courtyard divided into sixteen teams. Are we not following any of them?”
“Sixteen teams, plus those Sects, are enough to draw out the corpse tide. We have fewer people, so we can pass through the gaps and move faster.”
Ji You extended his hand and unleashed a Xiao Chong Shan: “Anything, once too many of them gather, becomes terrifying. When facing a corpse tide, not being exhausted is key. If we go one step ahead, we can have some time to catch our breath when we get there.”
The facts were just as he had expected; as Tianshu Academy and the Sects dispersed and drew out the corpse tide, the Evil Seed around their seven-person small team gradually became less dense.
This not only made them faster but also significantly reduced the danger.
However, they also knew that this method of splitting into small teams and passing through the gaps in the corpse tide was probably something only they dared to do.
Because to contend against a corpse tide of such scale, sometimes a large number of people is key, and they could do the opposite entirely because of Ji You.
Because even if they accidentally encountered a gathering and were surrounded, he had the ability to cut a path to survival in a short amount of time.
Under the bright sun, on the vast, broken earth, two waves were constantly colliding.
Brilliant immortal light, carrying the power to move mountains and fill seas, continuously overturned the corpse tide, while countless immortal lights fell from the sky, piercing through all directions.
Dust waves rolled back into the sky, and Spiritual Qi roared like a flood.
And besides the constant advance at the front, Shengjing City at the rear also provided some restraint.
Some Sects that had suffered heavy losses were unwilling to risk their lives further, so they were responsible for attracting Evil Seed at the city's edge, working with the great formation to prevent them from pursuing the teams heading to the ruins.
During this time, Ji You and others moved through the gaps in the corpse tide, crossed the northern part of the Zhongzhou Continent, and successively arrived at the agreed-upon mountain range.
Their speed was indeed fast enough; they were the first to arrive, and quickly began to recuperate.
Subsequently, Tianshu Academy and the various Sects arrived one after another, then set up Magical Artifacts to conceal their aura around them, blocking the Evil Seed's keen sense of human presence, and began to seize the time to meditate.
After a period of rest and recuperation, the tension on everyone's faces gradually receded significantly. Some had already gripped their weapons, wiped their Magical Artifacts, and began to prepare to continue south.
Their journey so far had been coordinated, with front-line killing and rear-line diversion, pulling at each other, not as difficult as when they were in exile.
That group of Evil Seed had no consciousness, only an instinct to kill, and only when their numbers were too great did they become incredibly terrifying.
However, while everyone felt slightly relieved, the three Master-in-charges of Tianshu Academy kept their faces grim, constantly looking around.
Among the sixteen Tianshu Academy teams, one team did not arrive at the designated meeting point as planned.
“It’s Elder Yu’s team. Could something have gone wrong?”
“Elder Yu is already in the Boundless Realm. Even if the corpse tide is surging, it’s impossible for him to die. Perhaps he was delayed.”
“He chose the southeast route, and there are indeed more evil corpses there, so being delayed—it’s not impossible.”
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