Tang Xiao Qi and his companions returned to Qingxu Temple with injuries on their bodies and crucial intelligence, but they did not immediately make their findings public. Xiao Qi and Mu Xue immediately entered deep-level seclusion to heal their wounds and digest their insights from the battle at the Void Demon Nest—especially their understanding of spatial power gained from battling the Void Dragon, and their deeper application of their own origin power when they hastily condensed the [Chaos Green Lotus Imprint].
Half a month later, when Xiao Qi emerged from seclusion once more, though his complexion still carried a faint pallor, his aura had stabilized, and was even more profound and restrained than before his journey to the Abyss Sea Eye. His eyes, as they opened and closed, faintly flickered with strange phenomena of chaos birth and destruction, spatial flow. Mu Xue, Third Senior Sister, and the others had all made further progress as well.
At Qingxu Temple, the headquarters of the Three Realms Alliance, in the Supreme Council Chamber.
Xiao Qi sat in the main seat. Mu Xue, Ao Qin, Third Senior Sister Liu Yun, Zhao Tiezhu, Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng (handling daily alliance affairs as acting Alliance Master), Second Senior Brother Luo Feng (attending via projection through a special magical artifact), as well as the leaders of all major human sect factions, several demon clan Great Sages, and representatives of the Sea Clan's Dragon Kings—all core high-level members of the alliance were present. The atmosphere in the hall was solemn and grave.
Without excessive pleasantries, Xiao Qi's gaze swept across every powerful figure present. His voice was calm yet carried an irrefutable force as he clearly and methodically recounted the entire journey: the encounter with the Void Dragon at the Abyss Sea Eye, the discovery of the Void Demon Nest, the demonic entity's awakening consciousness, the demon nest's escape, and finally, the tracking imprint they had left behind.
As he spoke, the expressions of those in the hall shifted from initial gravity, to shock, then to horror, finally settling into a deathly silence.
A Void Demon Nest! Continental in scale! A Nascent Soul late-stage Void Dragon guardian! A mere thread of awakened consciousness sufficient to shake the void and wound Spirit Transformation stage Xiao Qi! Forced cross-void teleportation for concealment!
Each piece of information struck the hearts of everyone like a heavy hammer. They had previously estimated the demonic entity's threat, but never imagined its recovery speed was so rapid, its foundation so deep, and its methods so inexplicably unpredictable!
"...The situation is as I have described." Xiao Qi concluded. His voice echoed through the silent great hall. "The demonic entity has not been destroyed. Its threat far exceeds our previous estimates. Now hidden in the deep void, once it fully recovers and even advances further, when it returns, the Three Realms will surely face annihilation."
He paused, his eyes blazing as he looked at the assembly. "But we have not come away empty-handed either. We found its nest, witnessed its power, and most importantly, we left behind a tracking imprint. The demonic entity is unaware of this. It believes itself safe and sound. This is our one, and greatest, advantage!"
"We must make use of this precious time. Mobilize every ounce of strength the Three Realms possesses. Prepare in every possible way for the final decisive battle!"
The great hall remained silent, but a suppressed, volcanic war intent began to silently gather and rise within it.
Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng was the first to break the silence. He stood up, his expression resolute, his voice steady and powerful: "What the Alliance Master has stated is the sole paramount task of our alliance! I propose that the Three Realms Alliance, effective immediately, enter the highest state of combat readiness! All resources shall prioritize war preparations! All matters shall make way for the final battle!"
"I second the motion!" responded the representative of the East Sea Dragon King, a golden-armored general whose aura was vast and profound.
"I second the motion!" A crimson-haired Great Sage from the Demon Valley spoke in a booming voice that shook the hall.
"I second!"
"I second!"
...Not a single objection. Unanimously passed! Facing this ultimate threat to the survival of all living beings, any internal disputes or selfishness seemed trivial at this moment.
The highest mobilization order, through the alliance's communication network, was transmitted to every corner of the human, demon, and sea realms at the fastest possible speed!
The entire Three Realms, like a massive and precise war machine, began to operate with unprecedented efficiency!
**Resource Integration:** All known spirit stone veins, rare metal deposits, spirit herb gardens, and secret realm outputs were uniformly dispatched by the alliance, prioritized for war needs. Major sects, noble families, demon clans, and sea kingdoms all opened their secretly hoarded treasures accumulated over countless years, contributing precious heavenly materials, ancient jade slips, and more for the alliance to research and use.
**Technological Breakthroughs:** Led by Second Senior Brother Luo Feng (in soul form), in conjunction with the top human artifact forging masters, formation masters, and talisman masters, demon clan wise ones skilled in innate divine powers and body reinforcement, and sea clan elders who commanded water elemental and deep ocean secret techniques, the "Demon-Slaying Research Institute" was established. The core research directions were threefold:
First, based on the damaged Ocean-Stabilizing Pearl and Void Dragon Crystal remnants, combined with Xiao Qi's insights into space brought back, develop a new generation of "Void Divine Ships" capable of stable void navigation and even short-distance jumps, as well as personal "Void-Breaking Battle Armor."
Second, research how to amplify and utilize the [Chaos Green Lotus Imprint] Xiao Qi left behind, to develop an ultra-long-distance, cross-void dimensional tracking and positioning formation.
Third, concentrate all efforts to deduce, perfect, and even create ultimate formations and weapons capable of delivering devastating strikes against the demon nest. The ancient killing formation "Zhou Tian Star Formation" diagram was taken out once more as the most important reference blueprint, with countless formation masters working day and night to calculate and optimize.
**Combat Power Enhancement:** The alliance issued the highest-level conscription and bounty orders. All cultivators at Nascent Soul stage and above must register with the alliance, ready to be conscripted at any time. Major powers opened their core cultivation technique archives (after harmless review), encouraging cultivators to exchange and learn, enhancing actual combat capabilities. Targeting demonic energy characteristics, large quantities of purification talismans, demon-slaying pills, and mind-clearing magical artifacts were refined in mass and distributed to combat units at all levels. Third Senior Sister Liu Yun was responsible for organizing and training the "Demon-Slaying Sword Formation" troops; Zhao Tiezhu was tasked with strengthening the body-cultivator army's assault and defensive capabilities.
**Intelligence and Defense:** The alliance dispatched numerous elite squads to patrol the borders of the Three Realms, especially space weak points, monitoring any abnormal spatial fluctuations or demonic energy leakage, strictly guarding against possible infiltration and surprise attacks by the demonic entity or its minions. Simultaneously, reinforced defensive fortifications and warning formations were constructed at all important strategic nodes.
The entire Three Realms fell into an atmosphere of unprecedented tension yet orderly composure. Whether in flourishing cultivation cities or remote mountain villages and island shores, whether in mist-shrouded immortal mountain sects or deep, lightless underwater dragon palaces, all living beings understood that a battle determining their fate was imminent. No one could remain a bystander.
Resources were converging, technology was advancing, power was consolidating, and war intent was blazing.
Tang Xiao Qi stood at the highest point of the alliance headquarters, overlooking the massive organization functioning below like precision gears, feeling the ever-strengthening current of power gathering toward him. His gaze seemed to penetrate through layers of space, once again seeing that demon nest hidden in the endless void.
The demonic entity was recovering; the alliance was preparing.
This was a race against time, a prelude to the final battle determining the fate of the universe.
Preparing for the final battle had already begun!