[Yan Haiyun, mid-tier third level: There really is an invasion by transboundary demons!]
[Yu Xiuqing, early third level: The Heavenly Court task rewards are incredibly generous. Killing these demons might yield substantial offerings, not to mention the conspicuous merit list...]
[Dan Qi, late third level: Can anyone elaborate on why these transboundary demons are invading and what the current situation in the Northern Territory is?]
[Luo Chengdu, late third level: I have a relative in the Northern Territory who mentioned a black light shooting into the sky, an extremely terrifying phenomenon, which might be the location of the transboundary portal.]
[Niu Pu, peak second level: It seems the invasion by these transboundary demons is extremely dangerous. As a foundation-stage cultivator, I can't help but feel fearful...]
[Luo Hongcheng, peak third level: Are there any fellow cultivators willing to join forces to slay the demons and resist the invasion?]
At this moment, the Heavenly Court chat group was abuzz with discussions about the transboundary demon invasion.
Some were delighted by the generous rewards of the Heavenly Court task.
Others were filled with curiosity about the invasion, but most cultivators wore grave expressions, weighed down with heavy hearts.
The more enticing the task rewards, the more dangerous the mission usually was.
This fact alone proved the formidable strength of the invading demons.
Otherwise, why would the Heavenly Court issue such a formidable task?
...
In the high command chamber of the Alliance, the leaders gathered once again.
Ji Xuan spoke bluntly: "Everyone should be aware of the details of the Heavenly Court task by now. This battle is unavoidable."
"With the imminent invasion of the transboundary demons, the Alliance must defend the Northern Territory at all costs. We cannot allow the demons to breach our defenses."
"If the defense fails and the demons establish a foothold in the Northern Territory, we will face an unprecedented crisis."
Hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement.
They understood Ji Xuan's point — if the transboundary demons secured the Northern Territory, their reinforcements would pour in continuously. Facing such an unknown enemy, the Alliance's chances of victory would be slim.
Therefore, the only way was to block the demons at the transboundary portal, preventing them from taking root in the Northern Territory, thus ensuring the safety of the Alliance.
"Furthermore... have you noticed that the Heavenly Court task requires us to withstand the first wave of the transboundary demon attack?"
"Success or failure might be judged by whether the demons can establish a foothold in the Northern Territory."
"Although the task does not specify the penalties for failure, we cannot rule out the possibility that all rewards will cease if the task fails."
Gu Fang looked around and shared his insight, then added.
"There's also a possibility that if we fail to repel the first wave of the transboundary demon attack, the Alliance could face total destruction."
"In that case, the so-called failure penalties would be insignificant, as the collapse of the Alliance itself would be the harshest punishment!"
The collapse of the Alliance!
These words made everyone gasp.
A middle-aged venerable figure said gravely: "Commander Gu is right. Given the current situation, there's no need for further discussion. We must immediately mobilize all cultivators to the front lines to fend off the demons."
"Also, is there any possibility that the esteemed one from the Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts can assist us? With their help, our chances of victory would undoubtedly increase."
The "esteemed one" he referred to was Lu Qingyang.
In the past, when the Alliance was nearly destroyed by a beast tide, it was Lu Qingyang who, with his thunderous methods, killed the top ten beasts on the ranking list in the Ten Thousand Mountains, crushing the beast tide and saving the Alliance from destruction.
Today, without him, the Alliance would no longer exist.
It was said that even a decade ago, his strength was already unfathomable.
Now, not only had he created the miraculous Heavenly Court chat group, but he also resided in the Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts.
No one knew the true extent of his cultivation level.
However, it was certain that his strength was at least at the fifth level, possibly the sixth, or even higher.
With his assistance, the Alliance would have a solid backing.
Gu Fang gently shook his head: "The human race must ultimately become self-reliant. Over-reliance on others' strength will only hinder our long-term development."
"Currently, we have no access to the Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts. But if the transboundary demon invasion truly becomes unstoppable, I believe that esteemed one will not stand by idly."
"However, to face the first wave of the transboundary demon attack, we must rely on the Alliance's own strength."
Although Gu Fang held great respect for Lu Qingyang, he insisted that over-dependence on external forces would leave the human race helpless in future, more significant crises.
If one day they encountered a threat even the esteemed one couldn't resolve, the human race would be doomed.
Yang Yan deeply agreed, nodding in concurrence: "Commander Gu is absolutely right. We cannot entirely rely on the Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts. The appearance of the Heavenly Court chat group has already provided the human race with an opportunity."
"As the saying goes, 'raise soldiers for a thousand days, use them for one hour.' The current invasion by transboundary demons is the best grindstone for the Alliance to forge ahead."
Soon after, the Alliance high command meeting concluded.
The elite forces of the eighteen cultivator alliances were fully mobilized to the Northern Territory to repel the invasion.
At the same time, the Alliance's military department issued a public announcement, calling on all cultivators to join the defense effort.
The announcement was met with enthusiastic responses from many cultivators.
However, some high-level cultivators chose to act alone, heading to the Northern Territory independently.
Within two days, nearly half of the Alliance's cultivators had gathered in the Northern Territory.
The remaining ones, with cultivation levels at the first or second tiers and considering themselves not strong enough for the battle, stayed behind in the Eastern Territory.
...
Within the Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts, as the proxy of the Heavenly Dao, Lu Qingyang watched over every change in the Qingyang Realm.
Seeing the gathering of all the Alliance's powerful cultivators in the Northern Territory, his gaze also turned towards it.
At this moment, the chaotic space there was gradually calming, and the black light was slowly fading.
Lu Qingyang understood that this was not a failure of the transboundary portal opening. Instead, it was a sign that it was about to succeed.
When the chaotic space completely calmed, the invasion would officially begin.
With this thought, Lu Qingyang's gaze fell on the myriad ancient green trees and other beings.
"The human race's strength is still relatively weak. The first wave of the transboundary demon attack will surely be overwhelming. The Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts cannot just stand by."
"However... the strength of these five mid-tier fourth-level ancient green trees is somewhat insufficient. Let's first enhance their cultivation."
With a single thought, Lu Qingyang used one billion and five hundred thousand incense points to exchange for five high-grade fourth-level breakthrough pills, providing them to the ancient green trees.
After consuming the pills, the trees' leaves trembled, and their power surged. The more potent aura quickly spread throughout the Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts.
In no time, the five ancient green trees collectively broke through to the late fourth level, their immense vitality and strength filling the entire Ten Thousand Heavenly Courts.
4o