Chapter 614: Accept your defeat

ed at her.Human cultivators collectively bombarded the Nine Dragon Palace, while dragon cultivators took advantage of the opportunity to enter. Otherwise, dragon cultivators wouldn’t allow them entry...Chapter 614: Accept Defeat...

Hao Ren stabilized his realm in the cave mansion. Soon, Xie Yujia and her companions returned to the valley with news about casualties.

The three small sects suffered a loss of over two hundred cultivators, close to one-fourth of their total number. More than half were at the Qi Refinement stage, while the rest were Foundation Establishment stage; Qixing Sect lost an Elder at the Nascent Soul stage.

Xie Yujia and her companions distributed medicinal pills among them. Since they were generally at a lower realm level, around forty pills were dispensed in total. Each pill could be divided into several pieces to allow multiple cultivators to treat their injuries and recover.

For the sect leaders of these three small sects, surviving in the perilous Fifth Layer Heavens was already a victory. This casualty rate, although an unexpected disaster, they had mentally prepared themselves for it—only that they didn't expect Sixth Layer Heaven's Tianshan Sect to be responsible.

"Sigh…" Upon hearing this from Xie Yujia and her companions, Hao Ren sighed slightly.

The Fifth Layer Heavens was a place where conflicts arose frequently. Small sects with histories of just ten or several dozen years might one day face annihilation.

This time, when Xie Yujia and Zhao Yanzi brought back Duan Yao, if Tianshan Sect had chosen negotiation to resolve the issue, Hao Ren wouldn't have acted so fiercely.

But since Tianshan Sect directly resorted to brute force and killed cultivators from surrounding small sects as well, that's what infuriated Hao Ren.

"Are you alright" Xie Yujia stood outside of Hao Ren’s cave mansion, reported the situation with the small sects, then asked him.

"I'm fine. My meridians are slightly damaged. Su Han is in your cave mansion for cultivation; she must have been mistakenly injured by grandmother. Linlin and Lili, are you two alright" Hao Ren said.

"Sir! We’re not badly hurt! We can gradually recover through cultivation!" The Lu sisters immediately shouted.

Their bodies were made of five spiritual essences; this talisman attack temporarily sealed their realm level. However, once they practiced again, the seal would dissolve.

However, Su Han and those Nascent Soul stage cultivators were different. Su Han had dual natured Metal-Water origins, whereas most of the Nascent Soul Elders primarily had single spiritual roots. This 'Sealing Spirit Talisman' was like an invisible chain restraining five types of essences; without all five spirits simultaneously impacting and dissolving it, they couldn't escape its influence.

"Sir, focus on your cultivation!"

Lu Linlin and Lu Lili were afraid that Hao Ren might be affected by the news and disrupt his meditation state, so they followed Xie Yujia and Zhao Yanzi back to her cave mansion without mentioning what they knew.

In fact, after once again awakening Zhao Haoran's thousand-year cultivation, Hao Ren’s spiritual energy inside was extremely chaotic. The normally smooth運轉分光劍影決 almost hit a snag at every acupoint.

However, that bit of pure primordial power still managed to seal Zhao Haoran's thousand years of cultivation completely as it originally was.

The energy consumed here diminishes with use, but to maintain the Spirit Orb’s normal operation—which resembles a black hole brimming with intense energy—it requires this specific amount of power. Thus, any deficit is drawn from郝仁's body, causing him severe overexertion!

If not for the valley being rich in spiritual energy and 郝仁's cave having some array formations to assist, as well as 郝仁 continuously replenishing it with his Sword Reflection Technique, he would have been drained dry immediately!

It’s like having a black hole inside one’s body. Initially balanced, once activated, the energy bursts out and then recedes back, potentially consuming the person itself!

Unless 郝仁 truly reaches peak乾 (Gan) level, he will never be able to utilize this power perfectly! The lower the境界 (realm), the greater the risk of harm!

While fully utilizing his Sword Reflection Technique, 郝仁 becomes a medium between heaven and earth and the Spirit Orb. Spiritual energy flows into him with a hiss; he cannot move at all—any slight movement would destabilize the orb and result in death.

If anyone were to push 郝仁 now, it would immediately cause an explosion.

Crack!

In the secret chamber of Heaven Mountain Sect, the sect leader Duan Ye slammed his hand on the table.

A cultivator at the grand completion stage of Nandian (Dan), he was ready to break through to the YUanJing realm at any moment. His wife, Duan Yao’s mother, a late-stage Nandian cultivator, sat quietly with a serious expression.

Duan Yao's face still bore several bruises; she had changed into clean clothes and was sitting beside Duan Ye, biting her lip.

Surrounding the table were eight elders of Heaven Mountain Sect, as well as the Ancestor of Spirit Martial Arts.

Though Duan Ye hadn’t reached YUanJing, he had achieved grand completion stage Nandian. With Heaven Mountain’s medicinal resources, his breakthrough would almost certainly succeed.

However, breaking through to the YUanJing realm often required decades of seclusion. He was also responsible for leading Heaven Mountain Sect and needed to train a new generation of disciples—especially Duan Yao was still young—so he delayed his attempt.

Because Duan Ye was a quasi-YUanJing cultivator, favored by the Ancestor of Spirit Martial Arts, all these elders did not underestimate him.

This time Heaven Mountain Sect lost hundreds of Nandian cultivators. How could he as the sect leader control his emotions

Especially when he was in the middle of cultivation, and Heaven Mountain suddenly came under attack—houses on half the mountain were destroyed, and even the Scripture Hall near the back mountain collapsed!

Since founding Heaven Mountain Sect, had they ever suffered such severe damage!

In previous conflicts within the cultivation world, their losses amounted to two YUanJing cultivators and over sixty Nandian cultivators. After entering the Sixth Layer of Heaven, not only did the sect’s development surpass its former scale with tens of thousands of cultivators, but it even boasted hundreds of Nandian-level cultivators!

But this move severed the foundation of the Tian Shan Sect in half!

"No matter what kind of background Peak Elysium might have, we must fight to the end. If they allow themselves a brief rest and attack again, it could mean our sect's destruction."

After glancing at Duan Ye’s expression, his mother thought for a moment before saying.

The eight elders did not respond. The Peak Elysium faction had two fully-matured Core Formation cultivators backing them up and an Eighth Layer Heaven status—Divine Sense realm cultivator!

Divine Sense realm cultivators, with their extraordinary abilities and special standing, could be called "Earth Immortals," roaming freely in heaven and earth. However, those capable of cultivating in the Eighth Layer Heaven seemed to not be ordinary Divine Sense realm cultivators.

The Thunder Firmament Dao that monopolized the Eighth Layer Heaven was extremely formidable; even mid-stage Core Formation cultivators from the Seventh Layer Heaven would be killed on sight if they entered the Eighth Layer Heaven.

The Eighth Layer Heaven had its own system, with no interaction with any sects below it. It was said to have several Divine Sense realm cultivators.

Ordinary Divine Sense realm cultivators could move around within the Eighth Layer Heaven but finding a cave for cultivation there wasn’t easy.

Hence, those who were able to cultivate in seclusion in the Eighth Layer Heaven might be Divine Sense realm cultivators of the Thunder Firmament Dao! Otherwise, they would have extremely formidable strength capable of subduing the Thunder Firmament Dao!

"Master, should we… send a letter to the Seventh Layer Heaven" Duan Ye asked.

The Tian Shan Sect excelled in alchemy and breeding beasts, thus having relatively good relations with several sects in the Seventh Layer Heaven. Duan Yao’s "North Star Sword Technique" was obtained from one of them.

Currently, there were only seven sects in the Seventh Layer Heaven, among which three were senior sects to Tian Shan Sect—sect that Tian Shan provided elixirs and medicines regularly for their protection.

The Tian Shan Sect of the Sixth Layer Heaven originally had only four peak Core Formation cultivators. But due to its rapid development over these years, it managed to increase by five initial-stage Core Formation cultivators within fifty years, bringing the total number of core formation stage cultivators to nine, far surpassing other sects in the Sixth Layer.

Two hundred years ago, a Seventh Layer Heaven sect had been forced down to the Sixth. Hence, Tian Shan Sect’s ambitious plan was always to ascend to the Seventh.

But this battle made all of their efforts come to nothing.

"Forget it!" The Patriarch Ling Wu waved his hand.

"This…" Duan Ye looked at the Patriarch Ling Wu in confusion.

The sects in the Seventh Layer Heaven had Divine Sense realm cultivators guarding them; with their relationship with Tian Shan Sect, they should have taken action if requested to assist during this major calamity.

Duan Ye knew that the other side had a Cultivation Realm cultivator involved, but the Sky Mountain Sect wasn't completely without background!

At least both sides could bring out their Cultivation Realm cultivators to even things out and mitigate some of the losses for the Sky Mountain Sect.

This was not an unreasonable thought; if both sides brought out their Cultivation Realm cultivators, Mystic Peak wouldn't be able to get away with it either—the destruction of the Sky Mountain Sect wasn’t without reason.

However, Duan Ye only knew that a Cultivation Realm cultivator had intervened on the other side's behalf but was unaware that this cultivator operated at the Eighth Layer of Heaven.

When Venerable Spirit Martial sensed that the Cultivation Realm cultivator had acted from the Eighth Layer of Heaven, he immediately realized there was no hope left for the Sky Mountain Sect.

"This is how it stands," Venerable Spirit Martial said with a flickering gaze. "Yaor, put on the Ice and Fire Shackles, face the wall for half a month!"

Duan Yaor’s eyes widened in disbelief; her mother sighed and escorted her out of the secret chamber.

The Ice and Fire Shackles were a special magical treasure that alternated between extreme cold and heat—cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage couldn’t resist it with their spiritual energy.

This was one of the harshest punishments for someone stripped of their divine root—it prevented them from eating, leaving them on the brink of death after ten days; fifteen days of punishment would definitely take her life if Duan Yaor’s mother didn't secretly send pills to her!

"As for Mystic Peak…" Venerable Spirit Martial pondered, "pay 30,000 spirit stones, 6,000 spiritual herbs, twenty third-stage Snow Lions, six hundred Blood Condensing Pills, and ten mid-grade magic treasures as compensation."

"This…!" Duan Ye’s eyes widened like those of his sister in disbelief.

The Sky Mountain Sect had lost hundreds of Core Formation cultivators, the eight elders’ and Venerable Spirit Martial's realms had temporarily fallen, the Celestial Yang Shield and Pervasive Heaven Seal were shattered, their sect was attacked and destroyed… and yet they still needed to apologize!

While a heaven-defying treasure was indeed powerful, Cultivation Realm cultivators at the Seventh Layer of Heaven must also possess such treasures.

Venerable Spirit Martial, who had always been unbending, actually proposed this solution!

In Venerable Spirit Martial’s position, sending a letter to the Seventh Layer of Heaven and offering half of the Sky Mountain Sect's accumulated spiritual herbs would surely salvage their reputation.

Venerable Spirit Martial waved wearily. "If they're still unsatisfied, just add more compensation."

"This…" Duan Ye was speechless with shock.

Duan Ye’s thoughts followed Venerable Spirit Martial’s actions and personality, but… after experiencing countless storms, slaying several Nascent Soul cultivators, and always being very powerful, Venerable Spirit Martial had actually become weak!

"Eight disciples, hurry up and break through the talismans. If those fellows like Lieryang recover their strength first, our Sky Mountain Sect will truly plummet to the Fifth Layer of Heaven." as she took a few steps, she couldn't wait to tell Huang Xujie, "Did you see just now That lady is the chairman's wife of Yiming Group. She and my father are business partners; I know her, and she kn...