Chapter 865: Echoes of the Frontier War

The Liang-Yue battlefield.

The Liang-Yue War dragged on for decades due to constant shifts in the war’s dynamics.

Initially, True Lord Tiansha from Liang Kingdom’s Tiansha Sect, along with the Five Poisons Sect Master from Jin Kingdom and the Heaven Corpse Sect Master, tried to disrupt Jiang Kingdom’s expansion war, only to be slain by True Lord Xuanjian, leaving Liang Kingdom severely weakened.

Then, the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands opened, where True Lord Tiancang’s physical form from Liang Kingdom’s Beast God Mountain was severed, and True Lord Tan Mei from the Barebody Sect was badly injured, halting what had been a decisive victory.

Yue Kingdom seized this opportunity to launch a fierce counterattack, reclaiming much of the territory once captured by Liang Kingdom.

However, Liang Kingdom forged an alliance with Yuan Kingdom and recruited various independent cultivators to divide Yue Kingdom’s lands, escalating the war further.

Without True Lord Xuanjian leading Jiang Kingdom’s full support to resist Liang Kingdom, Yue Kingdom would have already collapsed.

Even so, Yue Kingdom remained at a disadvantage.

It could only rely on its Nascent Soul True Lords to barely hold the line, desperately seeking allies and ways to end the conflict.

After enduring for so long and building up sufficient strength, the demonic forces on Liang Kingdom’s front lines suddenly launched a full-scale assault, relentlessly attacking Yue Kingdom’s key outposts and escalating the war dramatically.

At this very moment, in Red Peak Immortal City.

This was a crucial immortal city on Yue Kingdom’s front lines.

Guarded personally by True Lord Ziguang of Yue Kingdom’s Purple Light Sect.

But now, a massive fourth-rank beast king, armored in scales like a mountain-sized beast, along with an endless demonic army, had the city completely surrounded with no escape.

Various flying beasts, demonic cultivators, and flying vessels filled the skies, forming battle formations that sealed off the heavens and void, bombarding Red Peak Immortal City.

Above the city, two Nascent Soul True Lords hovered.

Exactly True Lord Tiancang from Beast God Mountain and the newly ascended True Lord Incinerating Wither from Liang Kingdom’s Asura Sect!

With two Nascent Soul True Lords and a fourth-rank beast king nurtured by Beast God Mountain’s secret methods, even with True Lord Ziguang holding the city, the cultivators inside felt a deep unease.

Inside the city, True Lord Ziguang sat cross-legged at the core of the grand array, linking and controlling its central mechanisms.

His Nascent Soul-level magical energy surged, forming brilliant purple lights that reinforced the array’s weak points across the city.

“True Lord Tiancang, do you think this fourth-rank beast king will let you breach my city?”

True Lord Ziguang said with a blank expression, though he was inwardly pondering Liang Kingdom’s intentions in this major offensive.

Though Liang Kingdom’s strength surpassed Yue Kingdom’s.

If Nascent Soul True Lords entered the fight, even with Liang and Yuan Kingdoms’ forces, they couldn’t easily wipe out Yue Kingdom without paying a heavy price.

“Heh, True Lord Ziguang, you must have heard the news by now—not just your Red Peak Immortal City is under attack, so whether we break through or not, just wait and see.”

True Lord Tiancang, his obese body like a small mountain, said with a sly smile.

True Lord Ziguang’s face darkened slightly as he secretly guessed, “Could it be that Beast God Mountain’s mysterious Nascent Soul or some hidden master has finally made a move?”

As a high-ranking Nascent Soul True Lord in Yue Kingdom, he naturally knew that Beast God Mountain might have birthed a third Nascent Soul True Lord.

But what they feared most was the shadowy figure behind the Liang-Yue War—the envoy from the Seven Demonic Sects.

Based on their various analyses and guesses, Liang Kingdom’s reluctance to end the war likely involved an agent from the Seven Demonic Sects!

It was precisely because of this mysterious demonic envoy that they dared not act rashly, avoiding ambushes on Liang and Yuan Kingdoms’ Nascent Soul True Lords to stop the war.

“Boom, boom, boom!!!”

As True Lord Tiancang finished speaking, he and True Lord Incinerating Wither attacked together, bombarding Red Peak Immortal City’s grand array, causing its spiritual lights to fluctuate wildly between bright and dim.

“That fourth-rank beast king fights fearlessly, backed by two Nascent Soul cultivators like True Lord Tiancang and True Lord Incinerating Wither—if reinforcements don’t arrive, this city will eventually fall.”

True Lord Ziguang assessed the battle and knew that holding out passively was suicide; he had to find a way to turn the tide.

Yet, he didn’t panic.

Through secret talisman orders, he contacted True Lord Hunyuan and True Lord Juejian to check their situations.

He asked True Lord Juejian if True Lord Xuanjian and Jiang Kingdom’s True Lord Caiyun could rush to provide aid.

“I’ve already sent word to my senior brother, but as for True Lord Caiyun…”

True Lord Juejian replied gravely, not expecting that he’d just arrived to replace his senior brother and now face this full-scale offensive from Liang and Yuan Kingdoms.

Though his combat prowess was impressive,

It still fell short compared to True Lord Xuanjian.

“For now, let’s watch and wait—the old man has notified True Lord Yuanqi to come, then I can free up and assist.”

True Lord Hunyuan added.

Over the years, his Hunyuan Sect had poured all efforts into cultivating a second Nascent Soul cultivator.

This True Lord Yuanqi had only recently broken through to Nascent Soul and had been staying in the sect to master divine abilities.

With the situation critical, True Lord Hunyuan had no choice but to call him for help to maintain the array.

Once True Lord Yuanqi arrived, he could lend a hand to help True Lord Ziguang repel True Lord Tiancang and True Lord Incinerating Wither until True Lord Xuanjian got there.

But as the three discussed, True Lord Ziguang’s expression suddenly tensed, his gaze fixed on the distance.

There, a rolling yellow murky wave surged from the horizon, bringing howling winds that sounded like countless spirits wailing.

As a Nascent Soul True Lord, True Lord Ziguang’s vision was sharp, instantly revealing the wave’s form.

In the Yellow Springs stood a towering youth with dragon horns on his head and Yellow Springs flood dragon patterns coiling around his shoulders.

Beside him was a stunning woman with a tall figure, wearing only a purple bandeau and short skirt that left little to the imagination.

“Flood Dragon Holy Son and Holy Maiden of the Moon!”

True Lord Ziguang’s pupils shrank as he recognized them.

But the next moment, he sensed something off about their auras.

It seemed both had broken through to Nascent Soul!

“This is impossible!”

True Lord Ziguang exclaimed in shock, his face full of disbelief.

They’d expected the Flood Dragon Holy Son to break through, but both him and the Holy Maiden? That was beyond comprehension!

Though the Flood Dragon Holy Son had astonishing talent and great fortune, and the Holy Maiden was gifted too,

How could Beast God Mountain have the resources to cultivate two Nascent Soul cultivators at once? It was unthinkable!

“The Seven Sects’ Demonic Envoy!?”

A risky thought flashed in True Lord Ziguang’s mind.

Their dual breakthroughs were likely tied to the shadowy hand behind the Liang-Yue War—the envoy from the Seven Demonic Sects.

The envoy couldn’t act openly, so they’d used resources to elevate the Flood Dragon Holy Son and Holy Maiden to Nascent Soul to end the war.

In an instant, True Lord Ziguang’s heart sank.

“True Lord Huangquan! True Lord Youyue! You’ve arrived.”

True Lord Tiancang immediately greeted them with a wide smile.

Though he was a senior Nascent Soul from the same Beast God Mountain, he knew the Flood Dragon Holy Son was highly favored by the upper envoy and True Lord Nine Spirits, with a boundless future.

And the Holy Maiden would soon marry the Flood Dragon Holy Son.

So, he showed no arrogance and addressed them respectfully.

“Greetings, True Lord Huangquan and True Lord Youyue!”

True Lord Incinerating Wither didn’t dare slack off, knowing True Lord Huangquan’s power far outstripped his own forced breakthrough, so he was exceedingly polite.

“Hm.”

The Flood Dragon Holy Son, arms crossed, nodded slightly, then fixed his pale yellow vertical pupils on Red Peak Immortal City and said coolly, “True Lord Ziguang, do you dare come out and fight?”

“Once, you attacked me as a Nascent Soul. Now that I’ve broken through, I want to test your divine abilities again!”

Since the Liang-Yue War began, assassinations between the two sides never stopped.

Back when the Flood Dragon Holy Son was still a Core Formation cultivator, he led Liang Kingdom’s forces into Yue Kingdom and clashed with True Lord Ziguang.

He barely escaped with his life thanks to the Yellow Springs flood dragon’s remnant soul and True Lord Nine Spirits’ timely rescue.

Now, having reached Nascent Soul and greatly increased his strength, he directly challenged this veteran Nascent Soul True Lord.

True Lord Ziguang’s face grew stern, his hands clenched in his sleeves.

For any veteran Nascent Soul, being openly challenged by a junior was a grave insult.

In other times, he’d have marched out to fight.

But now, with four Nascent Soul True Lords on Liang Kingdom’s side, even if the Flood Dragon Holy Son, True Lord Youyue, and True Lord Incinerating Wither were newly ascended, their numbers made it risky.

Especially since the challenge might be a trap to lure him out, leaving him exposed without the city’s array protection.

“Flood Dragon Holy Son and True Lord Youyue? They’ve both broken through to Nascent Soul!”

“Four Nascent Soul True Lords!”

“It’s over, completely over!”

Meanwhile, the cultivators in Red Peak Immortal City paled at the sight of the Flood Dragon Holy Son and True Lord Youyue’s breakthroughs, their faces etched with fear and tension.

Nascent Soul True Lords, rarely seen, now numbered four—it was hopeless.

“Four Nascent Soul True Lords…”

On the city wall, Lu Qingxian stood in his purple-red Thunderfire Robe, staff in hand, his expression grave as he eyed the Flood Dragon Holy Son and True Lord Youyue radiating immense pressure.

Years ago, when he first came to the Yue Kingdom front lines, he’d heard of their fame.

As a Foundation Establishment cultivator back then, he had no chance to encounter them.

Now, having broken through to Core Formation and earned his place in this key immortal city, he faced them again—both as Nascent Soul True Lords!

Gazing at the Flood Dragon Holy Son’s pale yellow vertical pupils, Lu Qingxian felt his hair stand on end, as if staring at a primordial beast.

His Thunderfire Scepter glowed with faint red light, but he felt no warmth—only that the war was spiraling out of control.

And he might not survive it.

On the Yue Kingdom front lines, in a key stronghold.

Lu Lingxiao, in a dark gold dragon-embroidered robe, stood tall on the city wall, scanning the distance.

A gold mask hid his face, revealing only his pale gold eyes.

At that moment, his eyes shimmered with an unprecedented brilliance, as if the sun and moon cycled in his pupils.

After fusing with the [Emperor’s Aura Gazing] Dao Seed, he gained the innate divine ability [Emperor’s Aura Gazing Technique].

This ability not only revealed others’ weaknesses and disrupted their magical energy but also let him observe the flows of mountains, rivers, and heavenly fortunes.

Over the years, Lu Lingxiao had mastered [Emperor’s Aura Gazing Technique] to perfection.

He could use it to sense the movements of war auras and demonic energies, judging threats.

Now, he clearly felt a dense aura of calamity rushing toward him.

This aura was far stronger than any previous demonic assault, likely involving multiple late Core Formation cultivators!

Even with several third-rank top-tier talismans and merging with the array, he could barely handle a late Core Formation expert, but multiple ones were dangerous.

Just then, his chest grew hot; he pulled out a talisman glowing red.

This was the communication and warning talisman he shared with Lu Qingxian and other Lu family members.

Its red glow signaled the highest level of danger—near certain death!

“Qingxian is in Red Peak Immortal City, and it has True Lord Ziguang guarding it—how could there be danger?”

Lu Lingxiao stared at the glowing talisman, then looked ahead, his pupils flashing gold as he realized the war had shifted.

He gripped the talisman tightly, his face set in grim resolve.

Lu Qingshan wasn’t guarding a stronghold; he was on patrol and enforcement duty.

Now, he received an urgent message from Golden Sun Sect.

It warned that Liang and Yuan Kingdoms’ Nascent Soul True Lords had entered the fray with a major offensive, urging him to be cautious and avoid rash actions.

“Damn, what’s Liang Kingdom thinking? Nascent Soul True Lords are moving directly?”

Lu Qingshan grasped the severity immediately.

Liang and Yuan Kingdoms’ Nascent Soul True Lords had held back because they lacked absolute certainty.

A Nascent Soul battle could lead to disastrous losses if they fell into an ambush.

Now, their decision to act meant they had a sure win—either a new Nascent Soul in Liang, support from Yuan, or external Nascent Soul aid.

Any scenario spelled grave danger for Yue Kingdom.

“Nascent Souls in the fight—it’s trouble.”

Though Nascent Soul True Lords typically wouldn’t target Core Formation or Foundation Establishment cultivators, with the war at its peak, they might do anything for victory.

This left him in a vulnerable spot.

Especially since Golden Sun Sect had no Nascent Soul True Lord—if Yue Kingdom fell, they’d be easy pickings.

“I wonder if Jiang Kingdom can send timely support.”

Lu Qingshan didn’t know about the rotations of True Lord Juejian and True Lord Xuanjian, but he knew of True Lord Caiyun’s breakthrough in Jiang Kingdom’s Azure Cloud Sect.

If True Lord Caiyun, True Lord Juejian, and the Lord of Dameng City all came, they could stabilize the war.

But the issue was Jiang Kingdom needed a Nascent Soul to guard against Jin Kingdom and the Yin Ghost Sect.

“I don’t know if Dad will come—he could take Little Bamboo back if he does.”

Lu Qingshan’s biggest worry was his sister Lu Qingzhu’s situation.

At peak Foundation Establishment, she was preparing for Core Formation, but with Nascent Souls in play, she couldn’t risk it here and should head home.

“First, play it safe—if things go south, head back immediately!”

Lu Qingshan thought for a moment, deciding to scout the outskirts; if it worsened, he’d rush back to Golden Sun Sect, escort Lu Qingzhu to the rear or to Jiang Kingdom’s Immortal City of Qingluan.

Otherwise, if the front lines fell, Golden Sun Sect would be in peril!

In Jiang Kingdom, at Bihu Mountain’s Sumeru Cave Heaven.

Lu Changsheng watched his daughter Lu Wangshu intently as she refined her golden core, pushing toward the Dao Golden Core in her final stage.

Just then, he sensed something and pulled a jade talisman from his storage ring, revealing a message: The war in Yue Kingdom has changed—hurry!

This was from True Lord Xuanjian.

Though it wasn’t real-time, it conveyed the general message, with its flickering indicating extreme urgency.

“Hmm?”

Lu Changsheng frowned at the talisman.

Though True Lord Juejian and True Lord Xuanjian had warned that the Liang-Yue War was on the brink, this was faster than expected.

He quickly divined Yue Kingdom’s situation, feeling it shrouded in an aura of conquest that muddled heavenly secrets and created massive resistance.

He paused, then used their bloodline connection to divine his children’s situations in Yue Kingdom.

“Buzz, buzz, buzz—”

All their divinations showed fluctuating fortunes, with more bad than good!

Meaning they were all caught in the war’s crisis and faced imminent danger!

Though Lu Wangshu was just days or weeks from fully forming her core, considering the time it’d take for him and True Lord Xuanjian to arrive, Lu Changsheng didn’t wait. He sent a soul message: “Wangshu, Dad has urgent matters and must go. Maintain your current state—don’t rush!”

Lu Wangshu, deep in her refined Dao heart state, replied without emotion, “Dad, go ahead and handle it.”

With that, she immersed herself back into merging her core and foundation, her body radiating intricate spiritual lights.

Lu Changsheng took a deep breath, vanishing and reappearing in Lu Miaoge’s cave residence.

He told her about the developments in Yue Kingdom and that he had to leave immediately.

“Changsheng, what’s happening in Yue Kingdom?” Lu Miaoge asked with concern, seeing how urgent he was—especially since Lu Wangshu hadn’t even completed her core formation yet.

Yue Kingdom held their daughter Lu Qingzhu, along with Lu Qingshan, Lu Lingxiao, Lu Qingxian, and Xiao Xiyue.

“It seems the war has escalated to full intensity. I’m heading there with True Lord Xuanjian now.”

Lu Changsheng kept it brief, telling Lu Miaoge to stay safe at home.

Then, he dripped a drop of Wuling Heaven Dew on the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass and, with Qian Zhuyan and the Golden-Winged Roc, set off toward the Heavenly Sword Sect.