The situation grew increasingly tense as the two sides clashed fiercely. Swords and spiritual power were unleashed wildly, but before long, the battle took an unexpected turn. Only one of the nine Protectors from the Heavenly Blood Sect participated in the fight, while the other nine stood watching from a distance, causing the enemy to truly sense their terrifying presence.
Even with only one Protector and 136 Supreme Emperors from the Heavenly Blood Sect, they managed to keep the enemy under pressure, continuously weakening their forces. The ferocity of the attacks and defenses from the Heavenly Blood Sect was far superior. Their combat strategy was both natural and strong, with each member tightly knit together. Their attacks and defenses were perfectly coordinated, as if they were one single entity.
Every time the enemy attempted to attack, they were countered with unexpected moves. Among them, there were even those capable of healing their comrades' injuries and enhancing their attack power, giving them a constant advantage.
As the battle progressed, the Supreme Emperors from the faction of Young Lord Wen began to fall one by one. Their initially large number gradually dwindled. Now, they had lost nearly 300 Supreme Emperors, while the Heavenly Blood Sect had not lost a single member.
Screams and the sounds of clashing filled the battlefield. The remaining enemy forces began to show signs of fear, their eyes filled with doubt and uncertainty about whether to continue fighting or to retreat.
A shadowy figure spoke up in distress, "I think we should retreat."
But Young Lord Wen's aunt insisted firmly, refusing to yield. "No! I've already spent an immense amount of resources to send myself and my followers into this fragment world."
The people of the Heavenly Blood Sect showed no interest at all. Suddenly, the nine Protectors who had not participated in the fight rushed in to kill everyone. The shadowy figure grumbled in frustration.
"Are you all brain-dead or what?!"
The leaders of the peaks all charged in as well. Suddenly, a gigantic formation covered everyone. One of the Protectors quickly shouted, "Use the sect's insignia! Let's get out of here!"
Everyone in the Heavenly Blood Sect wasted no time. They quickly activated the insignia and escaped. The shadowy figure shouted in shock,
"Why are they fleeing?"
At that moment, Young Lord Wen's aunt commanded, "Activate the fast transfer formation! Hurry!" As soon as she finished speaking, she could no longer utter another word. Fortunately, she managed to activate the formation in time to send Young Lord Wen, the princess of the Phoenix Dynasty, and some others away.
A sound rang out, "Shwoooosh!" The scene turned into one of indescribable brutality. More than 2,000 people were reduced to pieces, their bodies torn apart and scattered across the area. The shadowy figure barely managed to evade some of the attack but was still cut in half. He screamed in rage, "What kind of insane formation is this?! Why is there no sound, no visible form?!"
Young Lord Wen's aunt, gravely injured, struggled to understand, "What is this... It's so thin, you can't even sense it, yet it's strong and sharp enough to cut through a Supreme Emperor like paper."
Suddenly, she saw a man with black hair, dressed in black robes adorned with golden patterns, standing there. The shadowy figure who had survived muttered in a trembling voice,
"Jiang Yun!"
The shadowy figure tried to negotiate in a hoarse voice, "Can you... spare me? I can bring that Ye Chen kid to you..." But before he could finish, his head was crushed into pieces, not even given a chance to plead. Part of his soul was swiftly absorbed into the void.
Back in the true Tianyuan World, within the Blood Demon Sect, a roar echoed across the sky, "You bastard! When this fragment world merges with the true Tianyuan World, I'll kill you first!" The voice was filled with uncontrollable rage and hatred, reflecting the speaker's immense fury.
Jiang Yun approached Young Lord Wen's aunt. Her eyes were filled with fear and suspicion as she gazed at him. In an instant, she decided to use all her power to attack him. But... her power passed through Jiang Yun as if he had no physical form. She was shocked, and fear began to appear in her eyes.
"Why... This is different from that old man with the lightning body..." she thought to herself. When she attacked the old man with the lightning body initially, she failed, but when she fused her spiritual power, she succeeded in hitting him. However, Jiang Yun, the young man before her, felt like an untouchable void.
When she saw his bone age, she was even more shocked. "He's... only 19?" she muttered to herself. Before she could fully comprehend, her body was swiftly killed.
Back in the true Tianyuan World, in a large private chamber within the Wen family, a graceful woman filled with curiosity spoke, "Who are you, really? How can you be so powerful... And... I feel a strange sense of familiarity with him... It's as if I've sensed that kind of spiritual power before."
Her voice echoed in the air, her eyes filled with confusion and questions that she could not understand. But one thing was clear: this young man was someone she could no longer ignore...
The war was over, but what remained was an immense loss beyond measure. News of this loss spread quickly across all five continents. The tale of the collapse of the Tianyuan World's Allied Forces was swiftly told. Everywhere, people felt a sense of dread at the number of casualties in this battle, which included over 2,000 Saints and Supreme Emperors. Even those who had felt secure in the strength of the forces could not hide their fear.
Someone asked, "Where did almost 2,500 Supreme Emperors come from?"
Another replied, "I only know that 500 came from the Sacred Blood Demon Land and the Five Element Sacred Land, but I don't know where the other 2,000 came from."
In the Sacred Land of Mists, the Divine Lord sat on the highest throne, surrounded by elders who were uncertain. As he listened to the reports about the events in the fragment world, the Divine Lord did not hesitate to issue a cold and decisive command:
"Gather everyone immediately! We are withdrawing from this fragment world without delay!"
The order caused some of the elders to express disagreement. They tried to argue about the importance of staying and maintaining their interests in the fragment world, but before they could finish, the Divine Lord used his power to kill them without hesitation. The blood dripping onto the floor below was a clear sign of his decision.
Shortly after, another shocking piece of news spread across the Tianyuan Continent: the mysterious disappearance of the Sacred Land of Mists. Many forces began to question, "What happened?" Why did such a powerful land vanish without any warning?
At the Deep Water Palace, Fang Qin paced back and forth in the hall, anxiety gripping his heart, which beat incessantly after hearing news of a great defeat. As the extent of the losses—far beyond counting—continued to spread, Fang Qin could not find peace. He hadn't slept for several nights, and dread grew steadily amid the darkness of a situation he could not predict.
At the Dragon Family, Long Ping sat in the great hall. The young dragon beside him tried to console him, to lift his spirits after the failure to destroy the Fallen Heaven Sect of Sacred Blood, but his feelings of disappointment still weighed heavily. Even with her comfort, Long Ping couldn't shake his sense of frustration or the fear that they might soon face retaliation from the other side.
In the Wang Family, Wang Lin stood, gazing around the great hall. What was once filled with people now had only a few left, most of whom were not particularly powerful. None among them could match the strength of those who had been lost. Even though the Fallen Heaven Sect of Sacred Blood was unlikely to retaliate, they understood that the other side must have suffered greatly as well. However, no one dared to send anyone to attack without certainty, unwilling to bear the risk.
Within the Fallen Heaven Sect Tower of Combat, Chui Meng stood beside an elderly woman, muttering discontentedly, "Why are the shadows of those in the Fallen Heaven Sect of Sacred Blood at the Nirvana level so strong? I've lost to them countless times!"
The elderly woman beside her sighed softly, her thoughts filled with amazement and acknowledgment of the sect's strength.
"Indeed, the people in this sect are formidable. Even I, with a heart at the Emperor level, find it difficult to win…"
Not long after, Jiang Yun, having previously ordered everyone to raise their hands for those not yet at the Nirvana level, saw that now all had cultivated to the Nirvana level. At that moment, they immediately joined the Tower of Combat.
Chui Meng and the elderly woman inside the Tower of Combat gazed at the massive crowd with bewilderment and astonishment. They watched as the people passed tests filled with mental and physical hardships. Losing at least 10 rounds a day became normal for them, but as they advanced, the challenges only grew more intense. However, everyone there had been carefully selected. None showed any signs of giving up or surrendering along the way.
Jiang Yun returned after collecting more than 2,000 souls. His face remained calm, and shortly after, 12 million inner disciples were born, consisting of both people and powerful beasts. He walked to stand before all the inner disciples. The atmosphere was silent; all disciples paid their respects in unison.
"Greetings to the Sect Master!"
Jiang Yun waved for everyone to relax, then tossed the sect insignias to all of them and spoke loudly, "All of you who have become inner disciples must now choose your own peak. You will be tested on 3,000 paths, and two of these paths will be the most suitable for you. The elder guardians will announce this on your sect insignia. Choose wisely and prepare yourselves!"
Jiang Yun stood before the tightly packed group of inner disciples, gazing at them with sharp eyes. He spoke in a powerful voice, "All of you have entered the secret realm. From now on, you will be divided into equal groups to be tested on the designated paths, rotating until all 3,000 paths are completed."
The noise quieted as everyone focused on Jiang Yun, who continued to explain the next steps. "Within this secret realm, you will find ancient tablets placed on stone pedestals. Your task is to understand them within an hour or faster, if possible."
All the disciples nodded in acknowledgment, understanding the value of time.
Jiang Yun smiled slightly before continuing, "After one hour passes, or when you successfully comprehend the tablet, you will find a portal to your left. This portal will take you to the next test, where you will have to use the knowledge you've just gained. Whether it's battling strong enemies, escaping traps, or solving puzzles that require wit, you must face these challenges."
His voice paused for a moment, allowing everyone to absorb his words before continuing, "Do your best, no matter the test. This secret realm will challenge you in every aspect. Once you finish a test, whether you pass or fail, you must proceed to the next training path immediately. Do not let time slip away uselessly!"
Each disciple's face showed determination and resolve. They understood that every second counted and that the upcoming tests would challenge them both physically and mentally. They felt the increasing pressure but also a sense of excitement.
Shortly afterward, everyone was transported to different parts of the divided secret realm. They stepped into their first test, eager to prove themselves. Some encountered tablets inscribed with words like fire, water, medicine, and many more.
Time moved quickly; sounds of battle and challenge filled the air. Everyone knew that standing here meant facing their destiny, with no time for hesitation.
Within their minds, determination was ignited. They began the tests with enthusiasm, whether fighting, solving mysteries, or escaping the creeping darkness. They all knew that their lives depended on passing these trials.
Jiang Yun returned to the hall of the Fallen Heaven Sect , his expression serious and contemplative. As he entered, a voice from the system rang clearly in his mind.
[Congratulations to the host for killing over 5,056,253 lucky individuals. You've earned 5 trillion villain points.]
Jiang Yun nodded, listening impassively, though his eyes showed complex calculations. He turned to Ba Zhi, who was recovering in a corner, and asked with a firm tone, "How much longer until this fragment world merges with the real world?"
Ba Zhi looked at Jiang Yun with a solemn but respectful expression. "Since the intervention of the immortals in this world, the merging time has accelerated. I believe within three months, this fragment will successfully merge with the true Tianyuan world, but no longer than four months."
Ba Zhi continued, "Moreover, no one from outside will be able to enter, regardless of the method used, because the heavenly laws of the true Tianyuan world will block any entry."
"How long will the heavenly laws block the entry?" Jiang Yun asked further.
Ba Zhi thought for a moment before replying, "The shortest time I've known is about three days, but it usually doesn't exceed seven days."
Jiang Yun smiled slightly, "Three days will be enough..."
Jiang Yun smiled and spoke to the system, "As we agreed earlier, you understand, right? If you can't do it, you'll have that appearance for another three years."
The system replied, [Trust me, host. I will do my utmost to restore a system interface that's more handsome than yours.]
The system was immediately split into 16 parts. [Ahhh… calm down… host… my tongue is twisted!]