Chapter 500 - 481: The Great War Begins

Chapter 500: Chapter 481: The Great War Begins

The identity of the barefoot woman in white gauze, who could stand before a Bodhisattva and a Divine General, was obvious.

She was none other than the contemporary Profound Lady of the Joyful Sect, a mysterious figure who rarely showed herself in public.

In the entire vast Southern Domain, there were only three confirmed living Great True Monarchs.

If the Profound Lady hadn’t been so reluctant to act, the Joyful Sect wouldn’t have been so helpless against the Blood Sea Sect in the past.

Judging by the current formation—with the Profound Lady present, along with two Bodhisattvas and two Divine Generals, leaving only one Bodhisattva to guard their Mountain Gate—the Joyful Sect had practically mobilized its full strength.

The answer surfaced in everyone’s minds: a great war was likely about to erupt at any moment.

"Lan Qingyun of the Five Thunders Sect pays his respects to the Profound Lady."

Lan Qingyun led a group of disciples forward to pay their respects.

"There is no need for such ceremony. Is Great True Monarch Jiuyue well?"

The Profound Lady’s face was compassionate and holy, and her voice held a power that soothed the heart.

"The Ancestor is currently in the Thunder Pool Grotto Heaven, comprehending the Thunder Path. He specially instructed this junior to extend his greetings to the Profound Lady."

Lan Qingyun was utterly confused. ’Why would Great True Monarch Jiuyue, known as the number one ’radar’ of the Cultivation Realm, suddenly assign such a task?’

The Five Thunders Sect inherited the Thunder God Righteous Method. The Sect as a whole leaned toward the Righteous Dao, so by all rights, they shouldn’t have any dealings with a Demon Path Sect.

The Joyful Sect was famous for its Dual Cultivation arts, which focused on the mutual cultivation of life and the fusion of spirit and flesh.

But as a Demon Path Sect, they naturally didn’t follow the path of Ancient Dual Cultivation, which was mutually beneficial and gradual. Instead, they practiced joyful replenishing, taking without restraint.

Regardless of gender, anyone who fell into the hands of a Joyful Sect cultivator would not meet a good end.

They would basically have their Essence drained until they became useless husks, only to be cast aside.

Thus, the Joyful Sect’s reputation in the Cultivation Realm was utterly notorious. Even many within the Demon Path Sects kept their distance from them.

However, Great True Monarch Jiuyue was at Nascent Soul Perfection. He alone cultivated five of the seventeen True Intent Thunder Techniques of the Five Thunders Sect, and he had achieved the Innate Thunder Virtue True Body within the Thunder Pool Grotto Heaven. He could be considered a major figure even in the Central Domain, which was teeming with experts.

The Sect Disciples were all well aware that the Divinity Transformation Ancestor, who hadn’t appeared in nearly four thousand years, couldn’t possibly still be alive. Great True Monarch Jiuyue was, for all practical purposes, the number one person in the Sect.

His orders had to be followed, no matter how bizarre or outrageous.

In fact, aside from a select few like Great True Monarch Hongfa of the Moral Sect, few others in the Cultivation Realm had a greater chance of reaching Divinity Transformation than Great True Monarch Jiuyue.

"As per the Ancestor’s Decree, this junior has brought the Tier Four Array Map, the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragon Transformation Map. It has a powerful restraining effect on Blood Dao Techniques. Several Blood Escape Divine Powers will be rendered useless within this Array Map."

The Ten Thousand Thunder Dragon Transformation Map was a single-use consumable. Within the Five Thunders Sect, only Great True Monarch Jiuyue had the ability to refine it.

When activated, it was equivalent to a portable Tier Four Grand Array, one that was geared toward slaughter and offense.

Refining a single Array Map took at least twenty to thirty years. Great True Monarch Jiuyue was in the deepest part of the Thunder Pool Grotto Heaven, using Body Transformation into Thunder to merge with the Thunder Path.

He was striving to take that final step and achieve Divinity Transformation before his lifespan ran out.

To him, every moment was precious, and he had stopped refining the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragon Transformation Map for many years.

As a result, even within the Five Thunders Sect, such Array Maps were exceedingly rare, with only a few left in their deepest reserves.

"Good. With the aid of the Ten Thousand Thunder Dragon Transformation Map, we can neutralize half the abilities of the Blood Sea Sect’s Nascent Souls... After you return, tell the Great True Monarch that I have not forgotten our agreement from all those years ago. When the time is right, I will naturally deliver the promised item to your esteemed Sect."

The Profound Lady clearly had an unknown, old agreement with Great True Monarch Jiuyue. She spoke to the person behind her:

"Ruoxi, take our friends from the Five Thunders Sect to rest. We will ask for their assistance when we attack the Blood Sea Sect’s Mountain Gate."

"Yes."

Ruoxi was the beautiful female cultivator with the title of Bodhisattva standing behind the Profound Lady. She giggled, her body trembling slightly in a captivating way.

"Everyone, please follow me."

"Thank you, Profound Lady. Thank you, Bodhisattva."

Lan Qingyun lowered his gaze, not daring to look at this Joyful Sect Nascent Soul whose fair skin was faintly visible. He silently recited the Purifying Heart Curse.

If he fell for her tricks and his desires were stoked, he feared he would be replenished until he was completely drained and powerless, suffering a great loss of Essence by the time he left.

Hearing the heavy breathing of his junior brothers behind him, he knew that his fellow disciples, whose Cultivation was weaker than his, had probably already lost their composure.

He quickly let out a soft cry and formed a Thunder Technique seal. A crack of thunder seemed to explode next to everyone’s ears.

Only then did the few Core Formation Cultivators from the Five Thunders Sect snap out of their flushed state. They reined in their emotions and followed cautiously from behind.

’We are here representing the Five Thunders Sect, after all. These Joyful Sect Nascent Souls can’t possibly be reckless enough to use their tricks on us. But she didn’t even use a Charm Art. If a junior brother can’t resist temptation and loses his mind, offering himself up, the Sect won’t be able to say a word even if he’s drained of his Essence.’

Lan Qingyun was secretly on alert. He decided he would repeatedly warn his accompanying junior brothers later not to have any private contact with the Joyful Sect cultivators.

If such a disgraceful incident were to occur, it would be the Five Thunders Sect that lost face.

"Three days. In three days, we will set up the Array Formation and attack the mountain... We will use the Array-Breaking Bead to sever their Earth Vein. Let’s see if Blood God Son can continue to be a coward hiding in his shell!"

The Profound Lady had no time to concern herself with the minor affairs of those beneath her. She trusted that her junior sister knew her limits with a great enemy at hand.

She wouldn’t be so foolish as to target an important ally for replenishment at a time like this. Even under normal circumstances, replenishing from an Outer Sect Elder of a Super Major Sect was not a good choice.

The Joyful Sect’s targets for replenishment were usually Loose Cultivators who had struggled hard to stand out, talented young disciples from Cultivation Families, and mid-level cultivators from the various Major Sects.

Although, at the Nascent Soul level, inferior replenishment targets were no longer of any use.

Take Ruoxi, for example. If she could successfully replenish from a Great True Monarch, she could likely break through a bottleneck that had held her back for years and advance to the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul realm.

But under normal circumstances, the Joyful Sect would not touch cultivators from Divinity Transformation Level forces or Super Sects.

It wasn’t that they didn’t have the desire, but that they lacked the ability.

A previous generation’s Profound Lady had once seduced away a Saint Heir from the Moral Sect, inciting the wrath of that lineage’s Peak Master and nearly causing the Joyful Sect to be wiped out.

Since then, the Joyful Sect’s methods had changed significantly.

When it came to top-tier cultivators, they no longer just thought about replenishment, but were willing to cooperate for mutual benefit.

...

Three days later, the Joyful Sect cultivators had set up their Battle Array. The air boiled with the sharp intent of war.

The Profound Lady flew before the Blood Sea Sect’s Mountain Gate and manifested her Realm. It was a misty wonderland filled with countless palaces, cloud pavilions, white clouds, and rosy dawns.

A pure light emanated from her body, her image of holiness and compassion growing ever stronger. Waves of celestial music drifted out from her Realm.

Ripples of sound waves directly severed the Blood River within the Grand Array, erecting a high wall.

One must understand that this Blood River was connected to the mysterious Blood Sea, allowing it to draw power from the Blood Sea at any time.

This meant that the Blood Sea Sect’s Mountain Protection Array never had to worry about its Spiritual Power supply running low or its power fading. It was practically a perpetual motion machine with an endless source.

The very instant the Blood River was severed, the Profound Lady threw a black bead radiating a terrifying aura from her hand, aiming it to strike a key nexus point of the Grand Array’s operation.

BOOM!

An earth-shattering bang erupted. The entire Grand Array—no, the entire mountain range—seemed to flip over.

Mountains and rivers shifted, the terrain itself was altered, and several hundred-zhang-tall peaks were instantly turned into deep pits.

A Tier Four Array-Breaking Bead, specialized for shattering High-Tier Arrays that were as firm as a fortress and built to last for ages. It directly destroyed the Earth Vein, its power was just that terrifying.

Several flaws immediately appeared in the Blood Sea Sect’s Grand Array. The Joyful Sect’s two Divine Generals roared, transformed into Ancient Giants, and led the Battle Array charging forward.

After reaching Nascent Soul, the male cultivators of the Joyful Sect all followed the path of Body Refining. Their other Cultivation Techniques all had upper limits, only allowing cultivation to the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul realm at best.

Only two of their Body Refining Techniques led directly to Divinity Transformation and held great potential.

For a moment, ferocious attacks rained down on the Blood Sea Sect’s Grand Array like a torrential storm, leaving it on the verge of collapse.

By only defending, even a Tier Four Grand Array would eventually have its flaws or exploitable weaknesses found.

As sworn enemies for several thousand years, how could the Joyful Sect not have treated everything about the Blood Sea Sect as a top-level secret to be meticulously studied?

Three towering columns of blood-red light shot into the sky. The Blood Sea Sect’s Grand Array was instantly revitalized, as if given a shot of adrenaline, and it stabilized once more.

"As expected. In that case, there’s no need to hold back anymore!"

The Profound Lady was not surprised, but pleased. If Blood God True Monarch still had his normal combat strength, he would have appeared long ago.

And then there was the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword, which originated from the Blood Sea. Its effect within the array was far greater than that of an ordinary Nascent Soul True Monarch.

If either of those two had appeared, the Profound Lady would have ordered a retreat without a second thought.

But even at this point, only three Nascent Soul cultivators from the Blood Sea Sect had shown themselves. It was clear that something major must have happened.

"Besides Blood God Son, they’re missing another Nascent Soul True Monarch. Could it be that the heavens are truly blessing my Joyful Sect!"

The Profound Lady sent a Sound Transmission, and the two Bodhisattvas flew out from the rear formation. They too unfolded their Realms, no longer holding back.

’The Joyful Sect’s Cultivation Techniques are truly peculiar. You could call them Demon Path Replenishing Techniques, but that Profound Lady is filled with a holy aura, without a trace of sinister evil... The other two female cultivators are much cruder. Within their Realms are celestial maidens dancing seductively, disrobing, scenes of blissful union. As long as one’s mind is firm and one embraces simplicity, it shouldn’t require a high Cultivation to break free from the temptation of their Charm Arts.’

Bai Zichen stood in the distance, analyzing and judging the situation in his mind.

It was easy to reject those seductive and enchanting female cultivators who sparked one’s imagination. In contrast, the Profound Lady—coldly noble and pure, with pure white petals falling within her Realm—was far more terrifying.

She clearly wore no makeup and used no Charm Arts, yet beneath her holy radiance was a different kind of allure.

Bai Zichen had a feeling that even a Great True Monarch would find it difficult to extricate themselves if they fell into the Profound Lady’s web of love.

And it wasn’t just about being infatuated with beauty or carnal pleasure. They would develop genuine feelings for the Profound Lady, eventually becoming so frenzied and obsessed that they would willingly offer up everything they had.

’No wonder they’ve been able to remain an enduring Nascent Soul Major Sect with their Replenishing Techniques. The very concept of their Cultivation Technique is indeed a cut above that of ordinary Dual Cultivation Sects...’

Bai Zichen casually tapped a Core Formation Cultivator who was pouncing at him. Without using any Magical Treasure, he grabbed an incoming twin-pronged fork, twisted it into a pretzel shape, and then slammed the young cultivator in front of him into the ground with a single punch.

As the Joyful Sect launched its attack, the observing cultivators on the nearby mountain peaks also began to fight chaotically according to their respective factions.

Seeing that Blood God True Monarch had still not appeared, Bai Zichen prepared to leave.

Even at such a clear disadvantage, with the Earth Vein having been wrecked by the Array-Breaking Bead, this kind of Tier Four Array could still hold out for at least ten days to half a month.

If the Blood Sea Sect had other means, this period could be extended even further.

The three Nascent Soul True Monarchs couldn’t confront the Joyful Sect head-on, but within their array, the power they could wield would far exceed their individual strength.