His words made the opposing general's expression turn even more unsightly and ashen. The arrogance and dominance of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance were nothing new. No matter how much the Alliance of Righteous Unity retreated or ceded territory, they would still face incursions.
As it was now, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance completely disregarded the Alliance of Righteous Unity, violating their borders at will—coming and going as they pleased.
"I would like to see where you get the confidence to be so arrogant," the commander of the Alliance of Righteous Unity bellowed. His muscles began to bulge, shimmering with precious light as a tyrannical aura erupted from his body, and he charged forward.
"Coming at just the right time—I'll take you to establish my military merits."
The winged figure let out a cold laugh of disdain. He reached out with a large hand suffused with a ghostly green light; his body was like an immortal treasure, capable of tearing the sky and rending the earth, exceedingly powerful.
Boom!
Endless light exploded in this place. The two instantly engaged in battle within this star domain. The armies retreated, clearing a vast area to avoid being caught in the aftershocks.
A clash between those at the Dao Realm level could easily destroy heaven and earth or wipe out a universe. The strength of these two surpassed ordinary Dao Realm existences; a single wisp of their fluctuations could destroy thousands of troops.
Before them, ripples of the Great Dao expanded, Dao laws flew, and chaotic mist surged. Various terrifying powers interlaced, pulverizing everything in their path into dust.
After several hundred exchanges, the commander of the Alliance of Righteous Unity suddenly felt a bad premonition. A chill washed over him, his expression changed drastically, and he attempted to retreat.
However, it was too late. His opponent, the winged existence, wore a cold smile. His brow bone glowed as a faint mark flashed. A brilliant green flying sword shot out, whistling through the void as if transcending time and space. With a puchi sound, it slashed forward, piercing straight through the center of the Alliance of Righteous Unity commander's forehead.
Puchi!
In the next instant, blood-light soared into the sky like a reverse waterfall, sweeping into the starry sky before splashing in all directions. The outcome held no suspense; the commander fell, his blood staining the long sky. His forehead split open, and even his primordial spirit was sliced in two.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment. Everyone from the Alliance of Righteous Unity underwent a drastic change in expression, filled with utter shock and terror. No one expected the battle to conclude so quickly.
They had only exchanged less than a few hundred moves. Usually, when Dao Realm existences fought, they would battle for years or even longer. Was that expert from the Heaven-Slaying Alliance actually this powerful? The technique he just displayed was terrifying, ending his opponent's life in a single encounter.
Meanwhile, the side of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance erupted in a cacophony of cheers. With a commander fallen, who else from the Alliance of Righteous Unity could stand against them?
"As expected of a secret technique praised and commented on by the Lord Alliance Leader. It was worth the massive amount of military merit I spent to exchange for it," the winged figure remarked, offering heartfelt praise for the result.
The many experts of the Alliance of Righteous Unity looked grim. They knew that to reward the armies fighting on the front lines, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had specially established a military merit system. One could obtain merit based on the powerful enemies killed and exchange it for various opportunities and treasures.
There were even rumors that if one accumulated enough merit, they could meet the Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and receive personal guidance. This expert had clearly exchanged his merit for an exceptionally powerful secret method that could easily threaten Dao Realm existences of the same level.
"Kill them!"
The winged expert's momentum was like a rainbow, becoming increasingly dominant. With a wave of his hand, the army behind him surged like a tide or an ocean, a dark mass of soldiers charging forward. He led the charge personally, sweeping his arms; blood and broken weapons flew everywhere in an incomparably tragic scene.
The army of the Alliance of Righteous Unity could only retreat and suffer defeat continuously. The experts responsible for the frontline defense were simply no match, suffering heavy injuries in just a few encounters.
"There is no more room to dodge, and no further need to hide. Since you wish it, I shall descend with you."
Meanwhile, in a mysterious place where even the flow of time left no trace and the surroundings were blurred by chaos, sat a grand bronze palace. Within the hall, candle flames burned brightly. A figure dressed in a white robe sat calmly on a prayer mat, with a bronze basin placed before him.
The basin was filled with clear water. The surface rippled, sometimes expanding and sometimes condensing, reflecting scenes from across the Vast Expanse.
"Then I thank my fellow Daoist," said a Daoist with a simple and upright face and deep eyes sitting opposite the white-robed figure, a warm and gentle smile on his lips.
"No need for that. You and I are one. If you attain the Dao, I too shall ascend to heaven," the white-robed figure said calmly, waving his hand.
"In this life, I shall attain the Dao and ascend. No one can stop me." The Daoist nodded slightly. As his words fell, his entire being transformed into a wisp of pure Qi and dissipated.
"Can he truly attain the Dao?"
The white-robed figure's gaze became somewhat deep. With a wave of his hand, the bronze mirror before him blurred, and a faint, pungent smell of blood emanated from the water's surface. His expression froze, and he felt a shiver down his spine.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but for a moment, he seemed to see a pair of cold eyes watching him through the bronze mirror.
"Miss Chu, we should retreat. It seems the Heaven-Slaying Alliance truly intends to fight us to the bitter end."
In another area where the two alliances met, a tragic battle was also occurring. A woman in white moved with sharp and dominant methods, weaving through the army. Every strike brought forth a large spray of blood; many beings fell in a storm of gore. Her features were stern, her gaze indifferent, and she was surrounded by overwhelming demonic Qi, giving off an aura that was part-demon, part-devil.
A man looking like an adjutant followed her with great difficulty, constantly urging her to withdraw. The woman looked young, but the fact that she could command a host of experts in such a battle indicated her background was not simple. The adjutant was worried about any accidents, as he could not bear the responsibility.
Many experts from the Heaven-Slaying Alliance were already on their way as reinforcements. Once they arrived, their small force would be insufficient and would only lead to a senseless death.
"What a pity..."
The white-clothed woman's expression remained indifferent. Hearing the adjutant, she finally stopped. She looked into the distance across the vast sea of stars, a look of contemplation and suppressed hunting intent flashing in her eyes.
"Miss Chu, a place like the frontline is not suitable for you to come for tempering. One slip-up here results in death; it is no child's play," the adjutant said cautiously.
This woman was named Chu Xiuyan, the Dao Child of the Endless Yang True World. Her father was a Vice Leader of the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Master of the Cosmic Annihilation Mansion.
Logically, a young prodigy with such a powerful background should not be on the front lines. But she did the opposite, frequently appearing on various battlefields to hunt prodigies of the same generation and realm, using life-and-death struggle to increase her combat experience. Her boldness and ruthlessness earned the fearful respect of many cultivators in the alliance.
Most people were desperate to stay away from the front lines for fear of losing their lives. A "child of a thousand gold pieces does not sit beneath the eaves," yet Chu Xiuyan was not afraid of death at all. This time, she had even picked a battlefield where they were in direct confrontation with the main forces of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
"Next time, she won't be so lucky." Chu Xiuyan shook her head, her gaze still fixed on the distant starry sea. Then, with a flash, her figure disappeared from this star domain.
"Truly a troublesome opponent. It seems the young prodigies of the Alliance of Righteous Unity cannot be underestimated."
On the opposite side of the starry sea, a girl with gray hair and gray pupils, her skin as white as an ice carving, frowned. She watched the direction where Chu Xiuyan had vanished, her eyes hiding a deep wariness.
"I didn't expect even you to meet your match. That's rare, considering you were personally trained by the Ancestral Bone King..."
A peerless beauty walked up to the gray-haired girl, speaking with an interested expression.
"I underestimated her strength and suffered a bit, but it won't be the same next time we meet," the gray-haired girl replied, a look of resolve flashing in her eyes.
"Miss Mu Yan, the reinforcement army has arrived. Should we pursue and strike while the iron is hot?" a powerful Dao Realm expert approached and asked respectfully.
Mu Yan shook her head. "Do not pursue a cornered foe. The Alliance of Righteous Unity suffered a huge loss this time; they won't let it slide. A counterattack is likely coming. We just need to be prepared to meet them."
"Understood," the expert replied and departed.
Mu Yan looked at the scene across the starry sea and muttered to herself, "I fear we must prepare for non-stop warfare ahead."
During this period, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's offensive had been incredibly fierce, as if they were truly ready to start the decisive great battle. Beings like Mu Yan and Mo Tong had appeared in various locations to participate in the war and earn military merit.
Aside from this star domain, massive armies of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had emerged in other cosmic territories. Many existences surpassing the Ancestral Dao realm appeared to lead the armies and sweep through all enemies. Unless the high-level members of the Alliance of Righteous Unity appeared to stop them, ordinary cultivators could not hold them back.
Ling Yuling, the Ancestor of the Imperial Immortal Palace, was considered by many to be the Vice Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. Under her command, many powerful figures had emerged recently. With such a fierce momentum, many territories of the Alliance of Righteous Unity had already fallen. Commanders were retreating step by step, abandoning territory to move toward the central region of their alliance.
Although a peace treaty existed between the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Dark Beings, they could not count on the Dark Beings to help them against the Heaven-Slaying Alliance now. Some territories of the Dark Beings were also being purged and attacked by the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
In the eyes of many civilizations, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was determined to fight to the death against both the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Dark Beings, even if it forced those two to join forces. This decisiveness terrified all parties.
From the current situation, the only forces in the Vast Expanse capable of stopping the Heaven-Slaying Alliance were the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Dark Beings. The power of other civilizations was somewhat insufficient. Once the alliance cleared the obstacles before it, no force would be able to stop its footsteps.
This left many civilizations both happy and worried. They were happy the Dark Beings would be restrained, but worried that from now on, the Heaven-Slaying Alliance would become the undisputed greatest power in the Vast Expanse. In just a few thousand years, the alliance had swept through the world.
To many, it was clear that the Heaven-Slaying Alliance did not want a balance of power, but rather total dominance. If it continued to grow and the Alliance of Righteous Unity collapsed, no one would be left to check them.
The border region between the two alliances was in turmoil. Many races and cultivators were fleeing for fear of being caught in the crossfire. As the armies of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance arrived, the borders of the Alliance of Righteous Unity were also packed with troops. Many Dao Realm existences appeared with foundational treasures, and even Ancestral Dao figures loomed in the void.
Previously, the Alliance of Righteous Unity had always chosen to retreat. Facing them head-on like this suggested that they had reached their limit and were ready for the decisive great battle.
Tian Ming Ancient City was a city with a long history located on the border. It spanned a vast star domain and was once home to three great families, each existing for over ten million years with Ancestral Dao ancestors. However, due to the war, these families had migrated away, and the city had become desolate. Only some original inhabitants remained in this strategic chokepoint.
Gua, gua, gua...
With a series of piercing cries, three brilliant suns rose from the end of the horizon, incredibly dazzling as they rushed toward the city. Upon closer inspection, one would see three Golden Crows pulling a luxurious carriage. Behind the carriage, demonic Qi soared as an endless army arrived—iron cavalry crushed the ground and banners fluttered, rolling through the sky like waves.
This was the vast army of the Demon Court. The demonic Qi was boundless, blotting out the sun in a terrifying sight.
"The army of the Demon Court is here. Is the one in the lead the current Demon Emperor? It's said he is a capable subordinate of the Lord of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. The Demon Court was the main force that destroyed the Immortal Chu Dynasty."
"Even the Demon Emperor has appeared here. It seems a decisive battle is truly about to break out."
Cultivators were terrified. The dark mass of the demon army filled the space between heaven and earth; the entire universe seemed filled with a killing intent that made one's skin crawl.
Within a few days, multiple divisions of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had arrived. Aside from the Demon Court, other forces dispatched many experts to station near Tian Ming Ancient City.
On the other end of this star domain, in another ancient city with a foundation as deep as Tian Ming, divine lights flashed repeatedly. Space-time fissures opened in the sky, and figures wreathed in chaotic mist stepped out. Then, soaring divine lights lit up the city as spatial transport arrays activated, bringing large numbers of ancient warships across the universe.
Every warship was loaded with a murderous army that seemed to have charged out of a sea of blood and mountains of corpses.
"It seems they can no longer hold back. Are they fully prepared..."
A Green Bird several thousand feet long crossed the universe and appeared in the city. On its back, Chu Xiuyan frowned as she watched the army arrayed below.
In these years of fighting, the Alliance of Righteous Unity had always been on the defensive. The high-level leadership had chosen to endure and avoid the enemy's edge. She didn't know what had given them the confidence to resolve to fight the Heaven-Slaying Alliance head-on now. From her experience, her alliance was no match; the disparity in strength was too great.
The two ancient cities faced each other across a vast starry sea. Armies from both sides were gathering and confronting each other. Similar scenes were playing out in other cosmic regions as the Heaven-Slaying Alliance approached from all directions to surround and crusade against the Alliance of Righteous Unity.