Chapter 1993: 824, Fortified Mountain, reinforcements of three people
 

The blood light that stirred the entire Lingxiao Domain only gradually dissipated after three days.

Within the Lingxiao Sword Sect, there were many who objected to bringing a person like Han Muye, akin to a Demon God, into the sect.

However, after Chen Shaodong said, “Can you defeat him?” those objections ceased to exist.

After all, since no one could defeat him, it was better to bring him into the Lingxiao Sword Sect than to let him join another force and then turn back to attack the Lingxiao Sword Sect, right?

It made sense.

With the previous battle and Han Muye’s daunting blood qi as a deterrent, in the following months, no one from the outer realms set foot in the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Conversely, all over the Lingxiao Domain, battles erupted everywhere.

Tens of thousands from a foreign race attacked forces big and small within the Lingxiao Domain, either to slay cultivators, search for treasures and spiritual materials, or to coerce and subjugate more people.

After three months of keeping to itself, the Lingxiao Sword Sect was forced to join the fray.

Several allied sects sought aid, and many of the previously attached sect forces were crushed, shaking the authority of the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Chen Shaodong organized thirteen teams of sword cultivators, each team consisting of ten thousand people, led by ten Sword Immortals, to provide reinforcements in all directions.

According to Chen Shaodong’s plan, these thirteen teams of sword cultivators naturally couldn’t completely relieve everyone from their predicaments, but they could demonstrate the sincerity and strength of the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

If those sects wished, they could come and stay under Lingxiao Peak.

There was no way around it; even if the Lingxiao Sword Sect wanted to fully help everyone, it was impossible to aid those sect forces to stand their ground in their own territories.

If it hadn’t been for Han Muye’s intervention earlier, even the Lingxiao Sword Sect might have lost its foothold.

Saving the people and forsaking the land was the best choice.

Most of the sects saved by the Lingxiao Sword Sect could only reluctantly abandon their own territories and then come to reside under Lingxiao Peak.

Although they knew that this was tantamount to being directly annexed by the Lingxiao Sword Sect and becoming a barrier against foreign enemies for Lingxiao Sword Sect, they had no other choice.

Refuse to be annexed or be killed off by outsiders?

For a time, the number of cultivators gathering under Lingxiao Peak reached into the millions, stationed in various places under the mountain gate of the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

This was merely a fraction of the Lingxiao Domain, with even more cultivators either submitting to the outer realm, fighting on their own, or forming alliances to hold their ground.

Others became partial cultivators, wandering through the now desolate Lingxiao Domain due to countless strong individuals being drawn away.

Their presence only added chaos to the Lingxiao Domain.

For their roles had no distinction between good and evil.

The Contend of Ten Thousand Realms broke the existing rules, where everything relied on one’s own strength.

“Dang—”

“Dang—”

The urgent tolling of the bell rang out over Lingxiao Peak.

Under Lingxiao Peak, the gathered cultivators from various forces quickly took action, erecting protective shields and setting up battle formations.

Even if they were not fighting for the Lingxiao Sword Sect, they still had to look out for their own safety.

“Young sect master, Elder Gu Yue and the Sect of the Jade Dao and Soaring Cloud Taoist Sect that they led, totaling one hundred and thirty thousand cultivators, have been surrounded by foreign race powerhouses at Fortified Mountain, a hundred thousand miles away,” reported a middle-aged man in a grey robe, carrying a cyan-gray long sword, as he flew onto Lingxiao Peak and addressed Chen Shaodong with a fist-in-palm salute.

His words caused all the sword cultivators around Chen Shaodong to change expressions.

Elder Gu Yue was an extremely venerable Sword Immortal within the sect.

There weren’t many strong individuals stationed in the Lingxiao Domain, and among those who had reached the Sword Immortal Realm and stayed, some were either juniors whose strength was not yet sufficient, or were seniors whose cultivation abilities had declined and whose combat strength had severely waned.

Elder Gu Yue belonged to the latter.

Under normal circumstances, such declined power would not be highly valued within the sect.

But now things were different; with the strong ones lured away from the sect, elders like Gu Yue represented the sect’s heritage and carried numerous lineages.

If Gu Yue and his ten thousand sword cultivators were lost, it would be a great blow to the Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Whether in terms of strength, cohesion within the sect, or credibility, it would be an unimaginable disaster.

“Young sect master, let’s go to the rescue. Elder Gu Yue is a patriarch of our sect and the honored teacher of Immortal Venerable Fang Ming,” a white-bearded elder said anxiously in a low voice.

On the other side, a middle-aged sword cultivator in a black robe also said in a deep voice, “Young sect master, we must save Elder Gu Yue.”

On the plaza, everyone’s gaze turned toward Chen Shaodong.

Without speaking, Chen Shaodong raised his hand, and a golden light curtain rose up.

The light curtain displayed overlapping mountains and a variety of cloud formations.

“This is Fortified Mountain.”

“A battlefield of ancient times in the Lingxiao Domain.”

He pointed at the light curtain with a serious expression.

The others gazed at the light curtain, their expressions changing.

Fortified Mountain was known for being easy to attack and hard to defend, with natural barriers scattered throughout that could block the detection of the soul and power, essentially a natural array.

Previously, an ancient sect had ambushed a major sect here and trapped its elite members. Afterward, leveraging Fortified Mountain as a foundation, they continually wore down the reinforcements from that major sect.

The outcome of that battle was that three Immortal Venerables from that major sect were killed, and its elites were wiped out. The sect fell and eventually vanished into the river of time.

Fortified Mountain thus became a forbidden ground within the Lingxiao Domain.

“Young sect master, even if it’s Fortified Mountain, should we not save them?” A tall and skinny man wielding a large sword stepped forward, looking toward Chen Shaodong.

“Hmph, the Temperament of the young sect master suggests he truly might not save them; I really don’t know what the sect leader—” The speaking voice was suppressed.