Chapter 539 - 461: The Age of Great Contention

「The Northern Garrison Army's main camp.」

"The sealed one from the Dragon Tiger Sect has awakened. Ji Feng, disciple of the first Celestial Master..."

Bai Yuan stared at the letter in his hand.

It was a letter sent by Elder Pei from Dragon Tiger Mountain.

The message was brief and simply stated that a sealed one had also appeared in the Dragon Tiger Sect.

'As expected.'

Bai Yuan's expression was incredibly grim.

First, the Demon Seed emerged, and now Dragon Tiger Mountain. The other major powers with deep foundations would likely face the same situation.

Many of these great sects had existed for ten thousand years. Their Founding Ancestors were exceptional figures who had dominated their eras, blazed new trails, and left indelible marks on the history of the Human Race.

It was possible they also knew of sealing techniques.

'An age of great conflict!'

Even Bai Yuan felt immense pressure.

'Could a Martial Saint truly appear in this era?'

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Once sealed ones like the Demon Seed awakened, they could not fall dormant again. For them to awaken on such a large scale now, they must be confident in their success.

Perhaps even Mr. Yuan hadn't anticipated that shattering the karmic luck would trigger so many chain reactions.

'I must get stronger, as fast as possible.'

Bai Yuan's expression hardened with resolve.

In the current situation, he had to be strong enough to protect those he wished to protect.

If possible, he would naturally have to contend for the Martial Saint Realm as well.

This wasn't an outlandish ambition.

It was something he had to do.

In the midst of this great chaos, his position would inevitably lead him to offend some major powers. If a Martial Saint were to emerge from one of those powers, all his painstaking efforts would turn to ash.

It was a matter of allegiance.

Just like when the Grand Ancestor Emperor swept across the land.

No one was spared.

The world was left with only two kinds of people: friends of the Grand Ancestor Emperor, and dead men.

Bai Yuan didn't want to see his home destroyed, his loved ones killed, and his friends die tragically. So he had to fight for it.

He had no choice but to fight!

His gaze grew resolute.

'Then I'll just have to carve a path out with slaughter.'

With his cheat system, he truly had the confidence to compete.

Just then, a scout galloped through the army camp on horseback. "Report! The situation at the front has changed!"

Riding horses was forbidden within the camp, with only two exceptions: the Grand General and the scouts.

Military intelligence concerned the lives of millions and could not be delayed, hence the special privilege.

Soon, the lights in the main tent flickered on.

Bai Yuan and the senior commanders of the Northern Garrison Army gathered in the main tent.

"The Demon Sect is massing its forces. They will attack by dawn at the latest," Yang Fangyu said grimly.

He was unusually calm, as if he had returned to his early days in the Northern Garrison Army.

A temperament like his marked him as a natural-born general.

"We should send men to lie in ambush on the flanks and prepare in advance," a general suggested.

"Good," Bai Yuan nodded.

The Northern Garrison Army was battle-hardened, with no shortage of generals skilled in strategy. They quickly formulated a plan.

The great battle finally began.

Below the Great Wall, the sky shook with the cries of battle.

The Demon Sect's army surged toward the base of the Great Wall like a tide, their massive scaling ladders already being raised.

No one had expected the Demon Sect to choose the most brutish method of assault.

SWISH!

A cloud of arrows descended from the sky.

Wave after wave of barbarians and monsters charged forward, fearless of death.

The rising sun was the color of blood.

Bodies piled up beneath the Great Wall. It was a scene of Purgatory on earth.

A deafening gong sounded.

The signal to retreat was given.

The great battle finally came to a brief halt.

Bai Yuan stood beneath the Great Wall like a Demon God, his long saber still dripping with blood.

In the battle that had just ended, he had single-handedly slain over three hundred men.

'War is truly the fastest way to improve,' Bai Yuan thought as he gazed at his status panel.

That one battle had been enough for him to elevate one of his Cultivation Techniques to the Legendary level.

Yang Fangyu walked over, his body stained with blood, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. "The Demon Sect has retreated."

Bai Yuan nodded.

The moment the Demon Sect chose to lay siege to the wall, the outcome was already sealed. The casualty ratio between the two sides in this battle was absurdly lopsided.

The bodies of the Demon Sect's soldiers had already piled up into small hills.

"Something's wrong," the old patriarch said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Although he had never fought the Demon Sect before, he had heard of their former might. Even the Xuan Yang at their peak had struggled against them. They surely wouldn't be this foolish.

Bai Yuan nodded in agreement.

The only variable was not knowing what tricks the Demon Sect had hidden up their sleeves.

...

「Beneath the Great Wall.」

Mo Tian and the Tianxin Sect Leader stared coldly at the blood-colored Great Wall in the distance.

"Not bad," Mo Tian said with a satisfied nod.

The Tianxin Sect Leader's gaze was perfectly calm. As he looked at the members of the Celestial Heart Sect who had died beneath the Great Wall, he felt not the slightest ripple in his heart.

'Since they chose to believe in the Demon God, they had to be prepared to die for Him. To be able to die for the Demon Seed... they should feel blessed.'

Mo Tian closed his eyes. After a long moment, he opened them and said to the Tianxin Sect Leader, "It's not enough. Continue the assault tomorrow."

"Very well."

The Tianxin Sect Leader gave a faint nod.

To him, these followers were no different from ants.

...

「The next day.」

The battle erupted once more.

As the defending side, the Northern Garrison Army naturally had the upper hand.

Although they also lost many soldiers, their losses were negligible compared to the Celestial Heart Sect's.

The sunset was blood-red.

The pile of bones beneath the Great Wall grew even higher, a desolate sight that chilled the heart.

They had repelled another wave of the Demon Sect's assault.

The morale of the Northern Garrison Army soared. The survivors carried their fallen comrades down from the wall and buried them in the mountain forest at the foot of the Great Wall.

"Grand General."

"Grand General."

The soldiers carrying bodies down from the wall looked up at Bai Yuan as he walked onto it, their expressions filled with admiration. Their way of addressing him had quietly changed from "Lord" to "Grand General."