Li Fan foresaw the Ten Sects' impending doom. "But the Ten Sects don't represent the entire Xuanhuang World. As long as I'm here, it won't fall. Though the process will be… messy."
The character he played made his final preparations before the Ten Sects' planned assault. Another seemingly miraculous breakthrough amidst a desperate battle solidified his reputation as a war god.
His ascension from Deity Transformation to Dao Integration dramatically elevated his status. The previous mockery was replaced by outward respect.
His rapid advancement, rivaling even Jiang Yingyue's, attracted the attention of the Ten Sects' leadership. While Jiang Yingyue had the Supreme Being Sect Master's protection, Li Fan, from the insignificant Evergreen Valley, had no such backing. An investigation was inevitable.
He didn't resist. His power far surpassed theirs. Their investigation concluded he simply possessed extraordinary talent and a unique physique.
The Ten Sects offered him recruitment invitations, but he declined, citing his duty to fight in Taiyuan. He even refused the offer to return to the relative safety of the Xuanhuang World.
"I won't leave until the enemy is defeated. My comrades sacrificed their lives here. I won't abandon them." He turned and walked away, leaving behind an image of unwavering loyalty.
His resolve moved the cultivators. They abandoned their recruitment efforts, instead offering him treasures and techniques to increase his chances of survival. Every sect desired a loyal and powerful cultivator like Li Ping, with a clear background and a proven track record in battle. Such individuals were invaluable, especially in these times of heavy losses.
The Ten Sects spared no expense.
"The Great Dao Sect's 'My Dao as I,' the Heavenly Sword Sect's 'Heaven Splitting Sword,' the First Beginning Sect's 'Convergence of All Things,' the Undying Prison's 'Ethereal Divine Movement'…" Li Fan examined the offered techniques with amusement.
"Though not their most closely guarded secrets, these are powerful techniques. Such generosity… I can't disappoint them."
He quickly analyzed and improved the techniques, doubling their power, each now rivaling the Ten Sects' most prized techniques. He then materialized them as physical scrolls, placing them beneath his pillow before returning to the battlefield.
After a few days of quiet, the Taiyuan cultivators launched a relentless assault. Dao Integration experts, previously reserved for critical moments, now joined the fray. Only Dao Integration cultivators could counter them, and the Xuanhuang forces were outnumbered.
From the outset, they were on the defensive.
"What are the sects thinking? Why aren't they sending more reinforcements?"
"Five hundred years of cultivation… to die meaninglessly on this battlefield."
"I shouldn't have come for that paltry reward. A terrible mistake."
Faced with certain death, negativity spread among the cultivators. The plan to attack the Taiyuan Rebirth Furnace was a secret. They didn't know the Sect Masters were already here. Believing themselves abandoned, their morale crumbled.
"We stand at the gates of the Xuanhuang World! There's nowhere to retreat! Fight to the death!" A booming voice echoed across the battlefield.
All eyes turned towards Li Fan, standing amidst the dissipating blood mist of two slain Dao Integration cultivators, his blade pointed towards the enemy.
"Come and die!" he roared, his defiance enraging the Taiyuan cultivators. Though impressed by his power, they weren't intimidated. They could be revived endlessly.
Within moments, twenty streaks of light converged on his position.
There was no such thing as a fair fight on the battlefield, only survival.
Quickly surrounded, Li Fan seemed to be in danger.
But his actions had relieved pressure on the other Xuanhuang cultivators, bolstering their morale.
Meanwhile, far from the front lines, a group was rapidly approaching the heart of Taiyuan, led by Fang Dingge.
He watched Li Fan fighting against overwhelming odds, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
"Is that… our Great Dao Sect's 'My Dao as I'? I just taught him that technique recently. He's already mastered it?"
The Sect Masters were well aware of Li Ping's reputation. Seeing him holding his own against a dozen Dao Integration and twenty Deity Transformation cultivators was impressive. Though these Taiyuan cultivators were only at the initial Dao Integration stage, it was still a testament to Li Fan's power.
"His rise was unexpected. Our chances of success have improved. Hopefully, he'll still be alive when we return." Though they admired him, they wouldn't risk their plan to save him.
They continued towards their destination, shielded from Taiyuan's surveillance by the First Beginning Sect's Primordial Beginning Grand Formation.
The Tianyu Dao Palace, their target, was in sight. A ninety-nine-story tower, perched on a cliff face, appeared before them.
"The formation's core is beneath the tower, within the mountain," Fang Dingge said. "Once we enter the tower, the formation's concealment will fail. We'll have to fight our way through."
They infiltrated the palace. Perhaps because most of Taiyuan's forces were deployed on the battlefield, the defenses here were weaker than anticipated.
But as they approached the core, the number of defenders increased. Their luck had run out.
A shrill alarm echoed through the palace. A thick, blood-red cloud descended. The Taiyuan cultivators on the battlefield paused, then began to retreat.
Just then, the Star-Crossing Grand Formation's golden chain appeared, and thousands of Xuanhuang cultivators poured through it.
"Xuanhuang cultivators! Hold them back at all costs! The Sect Masters have arrived! The Taiyuan Rebirth Furnace's location has been identified!" Pre-recorded messages boomed across the battlefield.
Seeing the reinforcements and learning of the Sect Masters' plan, the Xuanhuang cultivators' morale surged. They were not abandoned. Victory seemed within reach.
The Taiyuan cultivators, however, were thrown into disarray. The ominous signs above the Dao Palace confirmed it was under attack. If the Rebirth Furnace was destroyed, their revivals would cease. They instinctively tried to return to defend it.
But then, as if receiving new orders, they turned and attacked with renewed ferocity.
A wave of figures, like a dark cloud, descended upon the battlefield.
"Are… all the Taiyuan cultivators attacking us?" The terrifying sight shook even the most resolute defenders. But their faith in the Sect Masters' plan remained. They met the onslaught head-on.
Explosions, screams, curses, and the clang of weapons filled the air, mingling with the stench of blood. The war had reached its climax.
Beneath the Tianyu Dao Palace, just steps away from the formation core identified by the Grand Celestial Venerable, Fang Dingge and the others felt a wave of despair.
They had just slain the twelve Dao Integration guardians, sacrificing their own life essence to unleash their most powerful techniques. But as they prepared to advance, a swirling vortex appeared, and the twelve figures reformed, unharmed, their auras even stronger than before.
Though their faces were grim, they wouldn't give up so close to victory.
"Fight!" Fang Dingge roared, his body radiating a seven-colored light as he charged forward.
"My Dao as I!" He absorbed the Taiyuan cultivators' attacks, his face flushing slightly, but otherwise unharmed.
The others seized the opportunity, unleashing their own techniques.
A massive sword image split into two, then into thousands, surrounding the twelve guardians.
A sandstorm erupted, each grain like a miniature prison containing a raging god or demon. Xia Hou Yan's figure flickered within the storm.
Above the battle, a swirling disc of yin, yang, and the five elements separated the battlefield from the rest of the palace, blocking reinforcements and defensive formations.
After a grueling battle, the twelve guardians fell.
"Quickly!" Fang Dingge gasped, his voice strained.
They rushed forward.
But after a few steps, the familiar vortex reappeared.
One, two, three, four… the twelve figures reformed, their scattered remains still lying nearby, their expressions mocking.
They were an insurmountable wall.
Fang Dingge steadied himself, taking a deep breath. "Continue! If they can revive, we'll just kill them faster!" He summoned the image of a three-legged furnace. With a wince, he touched its surface, and a wave of milky-white flames engulfed the twelve guardians, incinerating them before they could react. They were stronger than before, but the flames were too fast.
While the flames lingered, the group pressed forward. They had nearly reached the core. One final barrier remained. Victory seemed within reach.
Then, the rebirth vortex reappeared. It took longer this time, as if Fang Dingge's Dao Burning Furnace had triggered something within the formation.
When the twelve guardians reformed, the Ten Sects cultivators gasped. This wasn't just a simple revival. Their auras were twice as strong, and they now wielded powerful artifacts and armor.
"Sect Master Fang…"
Fang Dingge gritted his teeth and unleashed another wave of milky-white flames.
(End of Chapter)