Chapter 989: Three-Year War

Tens of thousands of cultivators and demonic beasts clashed on Jinfeng Slope. Spiritual light flared from magical artifacts, talismans, spells, and puppets, reducing demonic beasts to pieces of flesh. Yet, many cultivators also met a tragic end on the spot, their spiritual power completely depleted.

Such a brutal war was a rare sight, even within the Tianhe Realm.

Chen Mobai's Myriad Sword Dharma Body stood in mid-air, confronting the Azure Sea Great King and other demonic kings outside the grand formation. With him and Mo Douguang holding the line, no Dongwu cultivator who had joined the battle dared to retreat. This was due to a clear stipulation in the Five Elements Sect's announcement: anyone who retreated from the battlefield would have all their merit points revoked. Thus, facing the surging tides of the Desolate Sea demonic tribe, all human cultivators gritted their teeth and fought with all their might.

Behind the demonic tribe, several demonic kings also held the line. Their sense of hierarchy was even more stringent; even knowing they were being sent to their deaths, they charged into the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation wave after wave, weapons in hand.

Gradually, the earthy yellow ground and verdant slopes were drenched in blood.

Mo Douguang hovered in mid-air, his gaze icy. The sword light in his hand blazed like a sun, and with every swing, a demonic squad was ripped to shreds. However, the Desolate Sea demonic tribe was overwhelming in number, pouring into the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation like an endless tide. Furthermore, the Azure Sea Great King and his cohorts were actively trying to weaken the grand formation's power, requiring Mo Douguang to dedicate most of his focus to counter them. Nevertheless, should a powerful Tier 3 demonic beast emerge on the battlefield—one that would typically require several Core Formation cultivators to subdue—Mo Douguang would still wield his Longevity Sword to slay it, easing the pressure on the Five Elements Sect and Dongwu cultivators.

Unlike the rogue cultivators who fought independently, the Five Elements Sect cultivators organized themselves into various battle formations. Some units used magical artifacts that flashed in unison during close combat, pulverizing the incoming demonic beasts. Other units unleashed spells like dazzling fireworks, sending demonic beasts to the underworld before they could even reach their lines.

"Fire!"

A white-haired elder, clad in dark golden armor, watched the massive horde of demonic beasts surging forward once more and bellowed to the Five Elements Sect cultivators in an adjacent formation. Instantly, thousands of talismans were activated, unleashing a barrage of fireballs, lightning bolts, wind blades, and frost swords, utterly obliterating the demonic beasts that had just entered the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation. Each explosion claimed the lives of countless demonic beasts.

While Chen Mobai and Mo Douguang oversaw the grand strategy from above, a chief commander was needed on the battlefield. This role had initially belonged to Zhuo Ming. However, after she returned to recover from her injuries, the position became vacant. By seniority, it should have fallen to Sheng Zhaoxi. But she was not particularly skilled in command, nor was Ning Leshan. Although Ning Leshan was responsible for the Metal Vein, his forte lay in solo combat. Ultimately, Chen Mobai made the decision to promote his grand-disciple, Duan Shuyu.

Before his cultivation, Duan Shuyu had been a mortal general who led the Zhao Kingdom's army to unify the Eastern Wilderness. After becoming a disciple under Jiang Zongheng, he cultivated using the Hundred Emperors' War Elephant Scripture, a technique personally bestowed by Chen Mobai. This Metal Element Immortal Scripture, a method of combat, achieved its greatest effect under these circumstances, condensing the fierce aura of heaven and earth. It even laid the foundation for Duan Shuyu's further advancement.

Duan Shuyu did not disappoint Chen Mobai; in his very first engagement, he commanded the 30,000 cultivators of the Five Elements Sect with such seamless precision that they displayed their full combat prowess. The Five Elements Sect's army was organized into square formations. Some units, armed with shield-shaped magical artifacts, formed the outermost defensive perimeter. Others in the very center absorbed spiritual energy to channel powerful, time-consuming spells. Flank units, riding spirit beasts and controlling puppets, provided additional support. Additionally, a talisman unit positioned at the peak of the mountain provided fire support wherever the battle raged most intensely.

At this time, the consumption of talismans was of no concern. Box after box of talismans were expended from the mountaintop, transforming into an overwhelming display of multicolored spiritual light. These spells rained down on the densest concentrations of demonic beasts, triggering violent explosions. Each explosion claimed the lives of countless demonic beasts.

Under Duan Shuyu's command, the Five Elements Sect army performed exceptionally, stabilizing the central front and halting the advance of the Desolate Sea demonic tribe. On both flanks, the various Dongwu families and rogue cultivators, though somewhat less organized, managed to hold their ground by relying on the Five Elements Sect. They engaged in fierce combat with the demonic tribe halfway up the mountain.

On the Desolate Sea demonic tribe's side, the number of Tier 2 and Tier 3 demonic beasts vastly outnumbered the human forces. Many powerful spells prepared by the Five Elements Sect were intercepted by Tier 3 demonic beasts, leading to insufficient fire coverage and pushing the stalemated front line closer to the mountaintop. However, whenever this occurred, Duan Shuyu would dispatch additional Core Formation cultivators from Dongwu and the sect to the affected area, pushing back and re-establishing balance on that section of the battlefield. Of course, Chen Mobai and Mo Douguang's occasional strikes with sword light, killing Tier 3 demonic beasts, were also crucial in maintaining the balance.

Observing another large contingent of Desolate Sea demonic beasts entering the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation, Chen Mobai's eyes flashed. His second Nascent Soul emerged from behind his head, wielding the Primordial Yang Sword Qi, which condensed into a shimmering thread of light. Like a sweeping line, it sliced both leading Tier 3 demonic beasts and the three thousand lower-tier demonic beasts behind them in half.

Witnessing this, the Azure Sea Great King understood that as long as he and the other demonic kings could not enter the grand formation, there was no way to breach Jinfeng Slope. "Withdraw!" The Azure Sea Great King waved his hand and gave the order. The Tier 4 demonic kings beside him immediately commanded their tribes to retreat from the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation.

Observing the demonic beast army that had been surging towards them now retreating, the morale of the Five Elements Sect and Dongwu cultivators soared. Even Ning Leshan and his companions, along with the Core Formation ancestors of the Dongwu families, pursued the retreating forces down the mountain. They halted only upon reaching the edge of the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation.

Chen Mobai watched the Azure Sea Great King disappear, then descended with Mo Douguang to the summit of Jinfeng Slope. This was the ancestral land of the Jin family, renowned throughout Dongwu for its Tier 4 spiritual vein and picturesque scenery. However, after such a brutal war, it had been transformed into a desolate wasteland. Trees lay toppled, the ground was scarred with craters, and the corpses of demonic beasts and cultivators lay piled in heaps, their blood flowing like rivers.

With the Desolate Sea demonic tribe's retreat, many cultivators immediately sat down where they stood, their faces pale. Disregarding their posture, they clutched spirit stones and began absorbing them, desperately restoring their nearly depleted spiritual power. The battle had raged for half a day, yet for many cultivators, it felt as though only an instant had passed. Now, with the sudden release of tension, they finally felt their trembling bodies and exhausted minds.

Before Chen Mobai could speak, Duan Shuyu had already deployed Five Elements Sect members to patrol and secure the battlefield, ensuring no one would take advantage of the chaos or betray their comrades. Song Huangda had long ago detected information about numerous rogue cultivators infiltrating their ranks, and had even cultivated several informants within these rogue cultivator cliques. Naturally, the integrity of these rogue cultivators could not be relied upon. If cultivators recovering their spiritual power after the battle were to die at the hands of their allies, the cohesion and morale of the entire force would immediately crumble.

After Duan Shuyu deployed the Five Elements Sect members for patrol and security, sure enough, some cultivators with shifty eyes abandoned their nefarious intentions. Instead, they carried the severed heads of the demonic beasts they had slain to a makeshift camp on the mountaintop to exchange for merit points. For demonic beasts slain through collective effort, the Five Elements Sect had established corresponding group accounts. This was primarily to convenience the Dongwu cultivation families, as they aimed to earn merit points with the full strength of their clans to acquire Core Formation elixirs. However, unlike the cultivation families, rogue cultivator teams often faced internal disagreements. Thus, many groups would first distribute their shares, with one individual compensating the others, before personally exchanging the remaining portion for merit points at the Five Elements Sect.

In addition to external cultivators, Chen Mobai also made these merit points available to members of the Five Elements Sect. After all, not everyone could obtain the Three Foundation Establishment Treasures or Core Formation elixirs, even within the Five Elements Sect. This also provided an opportunity for the cultivators from Dongwu to compete with the Five Elements Sect disciples. Most of these disciples had been raised in the peaceful environment of the Eastern Wilderness, and consequently lacked a certain ruthlessness and ambition. This war served as excellent training.

Beyond merit points, demonic beast corpses were also considered spoils of war, belonging to the cultivators who slew them. However, few rogue cultivators possessed the expertise to process demonic beast corpses and convert their various parts into spirit stones. At the Five Elements Sect, the heads of various departments promptly posted new announcements. For instance, the Talisman Production Department would acquire the hides of sea creatures, which, after special processing and soaking in medicinal solutions, made excellent talisman paper. The Puppet Department would also select specific demonic beast body parts to modify their puppets. The Artifact Forging and Alchemy Departments also had their needs. However, because low-tier demonic beasts lacked inner cores, the Alchemy Department found little practical use for them.

Soon, however, Chen Mobai discovered that the local cultivators in Dongwu had unique methods for utilizing demonic beast corpses. They would prepare delicious soups, which, when infused with special medicinal herbs, were said to enhance a cultivator's physique and vital energy upon consumption. After every battle with the Desolate Sea demonic tribe, Jinfeng Slope would be dotted with large iron pots, simmering with soup, their steam rising into the air. For body-refining cultivators, this place was akin to a paradise. Demonic beast flesh, once incredibly precious to them, was now so abundant and cheap that they could eat their fill, and then some. Chen Mobai and Mo Douguang also partook in the elaborate banquets meticulously prepared by the various Dongwu families. After one such meal, Chen Mobai removed his Tier 5 Water Spirit Talisman and discovered that his water spirit root had grown by an astonishing five points. This discovery significantly increased his interest in culinary delights.

After several direct engagements, the Azure Sea Great King began to command his Desolate Sea demonic tribe, dispatching a portion of his army to bypass the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation's coverage and advance towards Dongwu, or even the Eastern Wilderness. However, they soon discovered that in addition to the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation, there was another equally powerful grand formation. Together, these two formations covered such an immense area that they effectively blocked off the entire region bordering Dongwu and Yunmengze. This meant that if the Desolate Sea demonic tribe wished to reach the Eastern Wilderness, they would inevitably have to break through both grand formations. Alternatively, they could take a long detour through the Desolate Ruins. However, this route would require them to circumvent all of Dongwu, a considerably long journey. Furthermore, the inland demonic beasts of the Desolate Ruins were of a different species from their oceanic counterparts, making a major confrontation highly likely if they met. While the Azure Sea Great King was confident in his own strength, he had no intention of sacrificing his subordinate demonic beasts so carelessly. After all, they had come ashore to consume humans, not to die.

At this juncture, half of the demonic kings who had been dispatched earlier returned with disheartening news. Across the entire land of Dongwu, outside the areas protected by the grand formations, humans were virtually impossible to find. Any that remained were the old, weak, or infirm, unable to flee, hidden deep within the mountains—and reportedly, they were as unappealing as chewing wax.

"Bring the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect's people to me!" Upon learning this, the Azure Sea Great King frowned and addressed the Jade Pearl Demonic King.

Half a day later, a disheveled Wen Buyue emerged from the tent and returned to Diao Xianlan's location with a grim expression. He reported the Desolate Sea demonic tribe's demands for the Demonic Dao to provide daily sustenance and to breach the formation as quickly as possible.

"Foolish demonic tribe!" Upon hearing this, Diao Xianlan could no longer contain herself and cursed the Azure Sea Great King and his demonic cultivators from Myriad Immortals Island. On the Eastern Continent, she was a formidable figure in the Demonic Dao, second only to the Luminous Venerable and the Ghost God. Even the most powerful Nascent Soul cultivators from the Eastern Continent Holy Lands would approach her with extreme caution. She had never been summoned so imperiously before. If the Azure Sea Great King were a Soul Transformation cultivator, she might have tolerated it. But a mere Tier 4...

"Master, what should we do?" Wen Buyue asked, having endured immense suffering since the Desolate Sea demonic tribe came ashore. Each encounter with the demonic kings felt like a one-way trip. However, the Soul Transformation secret art he desperately needed was in Diao Xianlan's possession. With Du Mengyun now deceased, he was just one step away from acquiring it, leaving him no choice but to comply obediently. Nevertheless, the demonic tribe genuinely treated their Demonic Dao cultivators as less than human. Wen Buyue, a dignified Saint Son of the Demonic Dao, was even subjected to veiled propositions by the Jade Pearl Demonic King. He had truly had enough.

"Now that they are ashore, can they truly go back?" Diao Xianlan stated coldly. Wen Buyue pondered for a moment, and realization dawned on his face.

"I understand, Master!"

The next day, when the demanded blood-offerings were not delivered by the Demonic Dao, the Two-Headed Demonic King flew into a rage, ready to execute Wen Buyue as a warning. But Wen Buyue had already vanished. Subsequently, the other demonic kings discovered that not only Wen Buyue but also a significant number of other Demonic Dao cultivators who had remained in the demonic camp as guides had vanished. All of these were core disciples of the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect, while those remaining were merely expendable demonic cultivators or rogue cultivators who had dabbled in demonic arts.

"Kill them all!" The Jade Pearl Demonic King's face was cold as she waved her perfumed fan towards the dozens of captive Demonic Dao cultivators nearby, ready to vent her frustration.

"No, leave them. Some tasks still require human hands." But the Azure Sea Great King shook his head, preventing the Jade Pearl Demonic King's wasteful act.

"Senior Brother, the Demonic Dao is utterly shameless! They agreed to a joint effort, yet they just fled!" The Two-Headed Demonic King was furious.

"Diao Xianlan realized we were already ashore and had no intention of retreating, which is why she acted this way. The Demonic Dao merely sought to tie down or deplete the strength of the righteous path. This battlefield in Dongwu is insignificant to the larger scheme. It's also my fault for pressing too hard earlier." At that moment, the Azure Sea Great King also understood why the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect had abruptly vanished. When the Young Demonic Venerable and Diao Xianlan initially made their vow, it only stipulated that neither side would attack the other during their cooperation. Direct flight, however, was not covered by the oath's repercussions. With a million Desolate Sea demonic beasts ashore, the daily consumption of blood-offerings was a burden the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect simply could not bear. Under circumstances where fulfilling the demand was impossible, simply abandoning the task and disappearing was indeed a viable strategy.

"Damn it, humans are all cowards! Taishi Weiguang fled with the Myriad Star Alliance, and Diao Xianlan ran off with the Jade Mirror Demonic Sect. So, are we still going to keep fighting?" After a string of curses, the Two-Headed Demonic King suddenly realized that of the original tripartite alliance, only their Myriad Immortals Island remained. A surge of indignation, feeling calculated against, washed over him.

"Let's keep fighting for now. The Five Elements Sect's power can't truly harm us anyway." However, the Azure Sea Great King had no intention of retreating. With so many demonic kings present, they could act as they pleased in Dongwu, provided no Soul Transformation cultivator from the Eastern Land Holy Land intervened. They would treat this as a mere vacation from the ocean.

With this mindset, the Desolate Sea demonic tribe simultaneously swept through the spiritual lands in Dongwu that the Five Elements Sect had ceded, while also amassing their forces to attack the grand formations. Besides the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation, the Azure Sea Great King had also visited the Tusita Demon Refining Formation. However, compared to the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation, this formation was slightly more advanced. Chen Mobai had even placed his Tusita Eight-View Lantern at its core, serving as the spiritual pivot. Furthermore, this formation possessed not only defensive capabilities but also demon-refining flames.

Tens of thousands of Desolate Sea demonic beasts, assuming it only had suppressive power like the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation, carelessly charged in. They were met by an overwhelming torrent of purple-green divine flames. Although these flames, being dispersed, possessed only one percent of the power of the true Tusita Fire, they instantly reduced any low-tier demonic beasts they touched to ash. The remaining Tier 3 demonic beasts, though they endured the purple-green flames, were then surrounded and slaughtered by the Five Elements Sect army, led by Grand Sui Boy, Yin Qingmei, and others who had been waiting in ambush.

Outside the grand formation, Chen Mobai, wielding his Myriad Sword Dharma Body, engaged in battle with the Azure Sea Great King and three other Tier 4 demonic kings. Empowered by the Fruit of Dao-Law, the Myriad Sword Dharma Body was significantly more powerful than when it had last clashed with the Young Demonic Venerable. Under his command, the Violet Lightning and Green Frost flying swords unleashed nearly their full power. A colossal Two Forms Sword Fiend Array enveloped, encompassing the Azure Sea Great King and the three Tier 4 demonic kings. Chen Mobai, fighting four against one, trapped them for three days and three nights. He was only forced to disperse the Two Forms Sword Fiend Array and allow his opponents to escape when his true qi began to wane.

After this battle, the Azure Sea Great King understood that Chen Mobai's power indeed surpassed his own. Realizing this, he became even more determined not to let this opportunity slip away. The two sides were already sworn enemies. Given the talent of this One-Element Daoist, if he acquired the Transcendent Sage True Spirit Elixir, he would likely achieve Soul Transformation, which would undoubtedly spell doom for Myriad Immortals Island in the Desolate Sea.

The Azure Sea Great King stopped dividing his forces. Instead, he gathered a million demonic beasts and launched a furious assault on the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation. Compared to the Tusita Demon Refining Formation, which was bolstered by a Tier 5 magical treasure, this formation allowed the Desolate Sea demonic tribe to better exploit their numerical advantage. Due to the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation's immense coverage, the demonic tribe could pour in from multiple directions. Although Jinfeng Slope remained the primary battlefield, numerous low-tier demonic beasts began appearing within the grand formation's perimeter, advancing towards populated counties. However, such large-scale fluctuations in demonic energy could not escape Chen Mobai, the master of the formation.

The main battlefield at Jinfeng Slope, under constant assault from the demonic beast army, prevented the redeployment of Five Elements Sect and Dongwu cultivators. However, at Xiaoqing Ridge, after an initial probe by the Azure Sea Great King, only stray demonic beasts would occasionally wander in. Therefore, Chen Mobai left Grand Sui Boy and Liu Wenbai to guard it. The remaining three Core Formation cultivators, including Yin Qingmei, then led the Five Elements Sect disciples in a slaughter of demonic beasts on an even greater scale than before. Soon, the Dongwu rogue cultivators and various families realized that hunting down demonic beasts within the grand formation offered a greater advantage than fighting on the main battlefield, as these were smaller-scale skirmishes. Consequently, the hundreds of thousands of rogue cultivators who had gathered at Xiaoqing Ridge, once granted permission, began patrolling the twelve counties of Dongwu in groups. With Chen Mobai, the formation master, providing their locations, they could easily pinpoint infiltrating demonic beasts.

In battle after battle, the demonic tribe sustained heavy losses, and the human side also suffered significant casualties. However, compared to the main battlefield, these engagements were less brutal. At Jinfeng Slope, blood and death were a constant presence, both inside and outside the barrier of the Myriad Rivers Returning to Sea Formation. Under the protection of the two grand formations, the Five Elements Sect painstakingly held back the million-strong Desolate Sea demonic beast army on the lands of Dongwu, thereby allowing the Eastern Wilderness to remain a haven of peace and prosperity.

Time flew by, and three years soon passed. On the lands of Dongwu, the Desolate Sea demonic tribe had already lost over 200,000 troops. However, the Five Elements Sect and Dongwu cultivators combined had also suffered tens of thousands of casualties on the battlefield. By this point, all who remained alive on the battlefield were seasoned elites. Each individual bore a cold, stern demeanor, showing no mercy when slaying demonic beasts.

"Sect Master, traces of demonic beasts have also appeared in the Desolate Ruins outside Beiyuan City." That day, in the camp, Song Huangda handed a newly acquired jade slip to Chen Mobai, his expression grave.

After reading it, Chen Mobai sighed heavily. Many things had transpired over the past three years. In Dongyi, facing assaults from the Mysterious Dragon Royal Court and the Desolate Ruins demonic beasts, more than half of their territory had already fallen. Only the core region containing Kongsang Valley and the coastline under the Golden Crow Immortal City's influence remained under the control of human cultivators. At the Five Elements Sect, Zhou Ye, seeing the dire situation, had already led everyone back to Beiyuan City. The large teleportation array originally established on Mirror Mountain had to be destroyed to prevent demonic beasts from directly entering the Eastern Land Immortal City through it.

After the Desolate Ruins had encroached upon more than half of Dongyi, most of their forces besieged Golden Crow Immortal City, while another portion, under guidance, advanced towards Dongyue. The vast chasm of the Desolate Ruins, spanning between Dongyi and Dongyue, was like home to these demonic beasts, as they originated from within it. Faced with this situation, the Star Heaven Dao Sect could no longer remain passive. Xing Ji himself rushed back from the front lines, dispatching reinforcements to Golden Crow Immortal City. Simultaneously, he consolidated defenses, recalling all sect disciples from across Dongyue to Stone City. Their plan was to abandon all other territories and solely defend this crucial gateway to the Eastern Land. And after three years, the demonic beasts of the Desolate Ruins finally realized that the Eastern Wilderness remained an untapped haven.

"Senior Brother Zhou, lead the five battalions of disciples back to reinforce them." Chen Mobai instructed Zhou Ye after finishing his reading. After withdrawing from Dongyi, Zhou Shengqing had dispatched Zhou Ye to Dongwu due to the intense battles there.

"Understood, Sect Master Junior Brother." Zhou Ye nodded slightly, then immediately stood and directed the Five Elements Sect disciples he had brought from Beiyuan City to return. They departed for Beiyuan City, first via teleportation array and then by flying boats.

"Junior Brother, if we are to fight on two fronts, we may not be able to sustain it. Have you considered abandoning Dongwu?"