Li Yan and the other cultivators from the Malevolent Spirit Sect had already fixed their gazes on the two figures to Great Master Liaoyuan's right.
One cultivator was tall and thin, about sixty years of age, with a grim and forbidding face devoid of any emotion.
The other was a young man with a buzz cut and dark skin. His expression seemed much milder, and he was listening to another cultivator speak beside him, occasionally squinting his eyes.
The reason these two caught the attention of Li Yan and the others was that they were both dressed in the attire of the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
'Ancestors Zhu Luan and Mo Gu!'
The same two names popped into their minds simultaneously. These two were the top Nascent Soul existences in the Malevolent Spirit Sect, both Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators.
Unlike Dacen and Mo Qing, who would occasionally make an appearance, these two almost never showed their faces in public.
Even for old-timers of the Malevolent Spirit Sect like Li Wuyi, they were legendary figures whom no one had ever seen.
'Weren't they said to have gone to the Devil's Cliff Crevice? To think they would rush back for this great battle.'
Li Yan recalled what Wei Zhongran had once said about the sect's Nascent Soul ancestors.
However, whether it was Li Yan, Gong Yuantai, Tantai Dongyue, or Du Sanjiang, they could only guess that these were the two ancestors. None of them could tell who was who, as they had never seen them in person.
In that brief moment, the massive dark shadow had already arrived above them with a roar.
"Gongsun Changxing is here to welcome the return of our fellow Daoists!"
Regardless of what the people below were thinking, a white figure at the entrance had already slowly risen, facing the giant shadow in the sky, and cupped his fists in salute.
Following him, the twelve Golden Core cultivators behind Gongsun Changxing performed a grand salute. Li Yan and the others, feeling the overwhelming pressure from the sky, had long since fallen silent and also performed a grand salute.
"Congratulations, seniors, on your triumphant return!"
It was unclear which Golden Core cultivator at the front spoke first, but upon hearing it, Li Yan and the others quickly echoed in unison. For a moment, the sound shook the wilderness, creating an impressive display of power.
"Amitabha. Junior Brother Gongsun has a great responsibility guarding this place. We have troubled you, Junior Brother!"
Liaoyuan took a step off the "Northern Abyss Mountain God Tiger" and hovered in the air. He looked only five or six years older than Gongsun Changxing, and his voice was righteous, deep, and steady.
But those who knew the truth knew that this monk was at least thirteen hundred years old, over six hundred years older than Gongsun Changxing.
His magical power was among the highest on the Desolate Moon Continent. Gongsun Changxing, who had always possessed the pride and coldness of a sword cultivator and was often indifferent and emotionless towards others, was extremely humble in the face of Great Master Liaoyuan.
At the same time, he also bowed respectfully to the four other Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators beside him, including Zhu Luan.
Among the other four Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators, one was a young girl in a white dress, adorned in the attire of the Ten-Pace Courtyard. She appeared to be about sixteen, and there were no spirit power fluctuations around her.
However, both her appearance and her demeanor were like that of the legendary Moon Goddess, giving off a feeling of being a thousand li away, like eternal ice. She was truly an otherworldly being, so beautiful that one dared not look at her directly.
The girl in the white dress merely gave a slight nod in response to Gongsun Changxing's salute and did not speak. Yet Gongsun Changxing addressed her as "Ancestor" with even greater respect.
Besides the girl in the white dress, there was also an old Daoist of about fifty. This old Daoist, on the other hand, had an amiable and approachable appearance, always with a smile on his face, occasionally stroking the goatee under his chin.
"Are these the top Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators of the Four Great Sects?"
Li Yan and the others remained in their bowing posture, not speaking again until the figures above did.
At this moment, even the boldest among them were utterly respectful, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Li Yan had already guessed the origins of these few people in his heart. Needless to say, the last old Daoist must be the strongest Nascent Soul expert from the Supreme Mystery Teachings who had fled from the South Sea.
Li Yan didn't know if all the Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators of the Four Great Sects were present, but he could guess that this was most of them.
He thought of how the three sects of the Ten-Pace Courtyard had painstakingly plotted against the Malevolent Spirit Sect in the secret realm. Just looking at the five Late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators, any of the other three sects was no match for the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
Especially since those two from the Malevolent Spirit Sect walked an unorthodox path, their methods of poisoning and setting ambushes were impossible to defend against and extremely troublesome.
Under such circumstances, if it weren't for the invasion of a foreign race, it would be strange if the three sects didn't join forces to resist the Malevolent Spirit Sect. Otherwise, it was highly likely they would be slowly devoured by the Malevolent Spirit Sect one by one.
Liaoyuan was merely polite to Gongsun Changxing for a moment before turning his gaze to the thousands of Foundation Establishment cultivators standing below.
"Triumphant return? Amitabha. You may all dispense with the formalities. But let me inform you."
His tone suddenly became heavy, his face solemn and saintly. He just gently flicked his right hand upwards, and a soft force emanated from his gray monk's robe.
Li Yan felt a warm current wash over him, making him feel as if he were in the middle of a spring day in March, indescribably comfortable. The immense pressure from the cultivators above was also swept away.
The moment this force touched him, Li Yan instinctively jolted awake, and the spirit power in his body began to circulate involuntarily.
This was a self-protective reaction that any cultivator would have when suddenly sensing an external force.
But to Li Yan's horror, the moment his spirit power arose, it was suppressed by this gentle force.
Even when blocking Li Yan's magical power, this force was exceptionally gentle, like a pair of warm, large hands slowly pressing down on a turbulent wave.
To his astonishment, Li Yan noticed that the thousands of people beside him all wore the same expression. With just this one flick, thousands of people stood up straight.
Each of them stared at the sky in horror. The gray figure's robe had already swept past in the air with ease, only giving a light shake at the very end, just as Li Yan and the others looked up.
While Li Yan and the others were still horrified by the power of the monk's gentle flick, and even Gongsun Changxing in front had straightened up.
Only the few Golden Core cultivators standing closest to Gongsun Changxing noticed something different. They clearly saw a flicker of astonishment on Gongsun Changxing's face for a moment.
They instantly understood that even Gongsun Changxing could not resist the opponent's seemingly weightless flick.
Although Gongsun Changxing had not intentionally used all his magical power to resist, the young monk above had hardly used much of his either.
While many were still shocked by the monk's unfathomable cultivation, a yellow-golden light shot out from his monk's robe as it gave its final shake.
The golden light expanded in the wind, and in an instant, a massive golden celestial curtain hung down from the sky.
As the golden curtain grew, it erupted with a dazzling display of red and white light that blinded the eyes.
It stung their eyes so much that most of them involuntarily closed them. If they didn't trust that this divine monk wouldn't suddenly attack them, they would have all been tempted to flee.
After composing themselves, they reopened their eyes and looked with confusion at the golden celestial curtain that was so large it nearly covered the entire sky above the Front Mountain Entrance of Windy Cool Mountain.
Li Yan endured the刺目 glare of the red and white light. After adjusting slightly, he immediately fixed his gaze on the golden curtain.
On the golden curtain were rows of vertical text, like thin, long bamboos. Li Yan looked closely and saw that they were names and their respective sects and other information.
Nearly forty percent of the upper part of the golden curtain was filled with glaring, blood-red characters. It wasn't until about halfway down that the text turned white.
"Tianling Sect, Tian Chengzi, Mid-stage Nascent Soul, Fallen!
Five-Colored Poison Sect, Fairy Tianshuang, Initial-stage Nascent Soul, Fallen!
Mingtuo Temple, Arhat Damu, Initial-stage Nascent Soul, Fallen!
Tianjing Sea, Heaven-Toppling God Li Hua, Initial-stage Nascent Soul, Fallen!
Rogue Cultivator, Adept Canmu, Initial-stage Nascent Soul, Fallen…,
Twelve Dens, Heaven-Deceiving Island Master Ye Fengsan, Mid-stage Nascent Soul, Physical body destroyed, Nascent Soul heavily injured!
Miaomu Nunnery, Divine Nun Yuanling, Mid-stage Nascent Soul, Physical body destroyed, Nascent Soul heavily injured!
Divine Wood Family, Wood Progenitor, Mu Zuowang, Mid-stage Nascent Soul, Two souls lost, heavily injured!
Huchen Family, The Huchen Ancestor, Heavily injured and unconscious…"
Li Yan and the others quickly understood the meaning of the golden celestial curtain, and their mouths fell open one by one. The blood-red text at the top represented seventeen Nascent Soul cultivators.
They had heard of some of these cultivators, and all of them were top-tier powerhouses who could make the Desolate Moon Continent tremble with a stomp of their feet.
But the blood-red word "Fallen" after their names was unbelievable. These were Nascent Soul cultivators.
A Nascent Soul possessed the great divine ability of instantaneous movement, capable of traveling a thousand li in a single thought, untraceable by physical means. Who could possibly intercept and kill them?
At this moment, the monk Liaoyuan's voice was heard again.
"In this battle, apart from a small number of Nascent Soul cultivators who remained at the rear and thirty percent of the Golden Core cultivators, all other cultivators, spreading out from three defensive points, went out to fight. Our side lost one Mid-stage Nascent Soul, eight Initial-stage Nascent Soul, and eight heavily injured Nascent Soul cultivators. We lost seventy-nine Late-stage Golden Core, three hundred and twenty-two Mid and Initial-stage Golden Core cultivators, and heavily injured Late-stage Golden Core…"
The casualty figures exploded in everyone's minds, leaving the initially somewhat excited cultivators dumbfounded.
After a short while, some sobbing could be heard from below. It was from those cultivators who had seen the names of their ancestors or close elders on the golden celestial curtain and, after the initial shock, could no longer hold back their grief.
The fall of a family or sect's ancestor meant that the family would henceforth decline, or even be wiped out. How could the disciples not be filled with sorrow?
Li Yan's gaze lingered on the line: "Huchen Family, The Huchen Ancestor, Heavily injured and unconscious!"
The image of Huchen Wuding and the past of the Huchen family flashed through his mind.
'The Huchen Ancestor came too, and he almost died. I wonder how badly he's injured? I also wonder if Huchen Wuding came, and which battlefield he went to. At least he didn't show up at Windy Cool Mountain.'
Li Yan had looked for this person, whom he had helped out of a transactional relationship, during his time at Windy Cool Mountain, but he hadn't found him. In truth, Li Yan was more interested in getting news of Zhuo Lingfeng.
Listening to the death tolls that Great Master Liaoyuan recited, Li Yan was also shocked. So many cultivators had died in this one battle. Although they had been mentally prepared, it still far exceeded their expectations.
However, Li Yan noticed one thing: no Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators had died or even been seriously injured, and only one Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator had fallen.
The main casualties among Nascent Soul cultivators were at the initial stage. From this, it could be seen that once a cultivator reached the Mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, it really was as the classics said: it was difficult for them to die.
Instantaneous movement could ignore almost all spaces and restrictions. But in this battle, there were too many Nascent Soul cultivators from both sides; they had almost thrown everything they had into it.
So, in a battle, how could fairness be guaranteed? An Initial-stage Nascent Soul might encounter a Mid-stage, or even more unluckily, a Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
At that level of comparison, it was undoubtedly the Initial-stage Nascent Soul cultivators who fell in greater numbers.
He didn't know what kind of bad luck the Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Windy Cool Mountain side had run into to have fallen like that.