Reunion

The Corpse Demon Sect, Crimson Blood Sect, and Profound Yin Cult were the three great demonic sects situated upon the southwestern foothills of the Tuocang Mountain Range.

The vast lands stretching southwest from the mountains were known as the Tianyuan Continent. It was home to countless mortals and a multitude of cultivator sects, nearly all of which belonged to the orthodox path.

Bordering these southwestern foothills was the northeastern region of the Tianyuan Continent, a domain dominated by five major Orthodox Sects.

Because their territories adjoined, conflicts over cultivation resources were frequent between the three demonic sects and the five orthodox factions. Every few decades, these skirmishes would inevitably escalate into a large-scale war.

In most of these historical conflicts, the orthodox path emerged victorious.

Over time, the territories of the three demonic sects were gradually eroded, forcing them to retreat into these sparsely populated, rugged fringes of the Tuocang Mountain Range.

Deep within the core of the Tuocang Mountain Range, there were cave-heavens and blessed lands rich in Spirit Qi. However, those prime areas were occupied by powerful Demon Beasts, and the three demonic sects lacked the strength to project their power so deep into the mountains.

The terrain of the southwestern foothills consisted mostly of lofty peaks and steep ridges, though a few isolated areas were gentle enough to sustain human life.

Many years ago, a small mortal population had existed here. However, due to centuries of cruel and inhumane slaughter by demonic cultivators seeking blood and souls for their arts, the mortals had gradually vanished from the region.

Yet, because the cultivation techniques of the three demonic sects required immense amounts of human essence, blood, and spirits, they were forced to repeatedly raid the Tianyuan Continent to plunder and kill both mortals and cultivators.

This continuous predatory cycle was the root of the deep-seated, irreconcilable hatred between the demonic sects and the orthodox factions.

According to Chen Feihe's latest transmission, the Orthodox Sects were determined to annihilate the Corpse Demon Sect in a single swift strike. Rumors suggested they had been planning this campaign for several years. As early as six months prior, they had recruited a network of Rogue Cultivators to infiltrate the Corpse Demon Sect and gather intelligence.

Reading the message, Song Wen suddenly recalled his visit to the underground black market to purchase information on the Corpse Demon Sect's Foundation Establishment cultivators.

At the time, the old merchant had dropped several highly suggestive hints.

"It seems the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect have known about the impending orthodox invasion for a long time. They simply kept the information strictly classified."

Furthermore, considering that the underground black market was secretly operated by a Golden Core ancestor of the Corpse Demon Sect, the fact that they were actively selling intelligence on their own Foundation Establishment cultivators felt like outright treason.

Thinking of this, Song Wen felt a cold chill run down his spine.

He truly held little hope for the Corpse Demon Sect's prospects in this war.

When even the Golden Core ancestors were so incredibly shortsighted, pursuing personal profit above all else, how could the Sect possibly survive?

"The demonic path is truly the demonic path. To amass Spirit Stones and secure cultivation resources, they will stop at nothing. They care only for personal gain, completely indifferent to the chaos that follows them."

But on second thought, Song Wen sensed a contradiction.

The Corpse Demon Sect pulled in vast amounts of Spirit Stones, spirit herbs, and rare treasures every year from its subordinate clans and mineral mines, with the Sect's grand elders taking the lion's share.

If the Corpse Demon Sect were truly wiped out, these high-ranking elders stood to lose the most.

Moreover, the Crimson Blood Sect and the Profound Yin Cult would hardly stand by and watch the orthodox factions dismantle the Corpse Demon Sect and seize its territory.

If the orthodox path successfully established a foothold on the southwestern foothills of the Tuocang Mountain Range, it would be a dagger at the throats of the remaining two demonic sects, leaving them in perpetual unease.

How could anyone allow a rival to sleep soundly right beside their bed?

The principle of shared fate-that when the lips are gone, the teeth are exposed to the cold-was something those two grand sects thoroughly understood.

"Could the higher-ups of the Corpse Demon Sect be absolutely certain they won't lose this war? Where does that confidence come from?"

Song Wen pondered the matter for a long time but remained entirely unable to fathom the calculations of the Sect's leadership.

His mind drifted back to the Yan clan's collusion with the Nine Palaces Sect years ago. Looking back now, it was clear the Orthodox Sects had been covetously eyeing the Corpse Demon Sect even then.

The following morning.

Song Wen stepped out of his cave abode and walked down to the Corpse Dissection Caves, only to be informed that there were no corpses available for dissection that day, leaving him somewhat listless.

Deciding to gauge the current atmosphere of the Sect, Song Wen took a slow walk around Corpse Demon Mountain. He found the air throughout the mountain heavy and grim. The number of disciples moving about had increased significantly, indicating that most of those dispatched on external assignments had been recalled.

Disciples hurried past with anxious expressions, particularly around the pill-refining rooms, artifact-crafting halls, and talisman halls, all of which were bustling with frantic activity.

Whether it was a conflict between mortals or a war among cultivators, battle provisions and materials would be consumed rapidly. To secure a victory, a massive reserve of resources was the primary guarantee.

At noon, Song Wen, who had not eaten a proper meal in quite some time, was dining in the menial disciples' mess hall when he suddenly received an official Sect transmission. He was ordered to report to a location two hundred li north of the mountain within two hours to assist in constructing defensive fortifications.

Observing the palpable tension gripping the entire Sect, Song Wen felt deeply uneasy.

After eliminating the threat of Shi Shou, he had falsely assumed that with his hidden Foundation Establishment strength and his body's ability to absorb essence and blood, he could navigate the Corpse Demon Sect with ease.

Only now did he realize he had been sitting in a well, looking at a tiny patch of sky.

A lone Foundation Establishment cultivator was still nothing more than a chess piece to be moved at whim. In a clash of this scale between great sects, someone of his stature could barely cause a ripple.

Upon receiving the order, Song Wen returned straight to his cave abode.

He retrieved his two hidden Storage Rings from the corpse miasma well and slipped them onto his fingers. Every single valuable item inside his cave abode that could be moved was quickly packed away into the rings.

He had absolutely no intention of perishing alongside the Corpse Demon Sect. If a favorable opportunity presented itself, he fully intended to slip away and distance himself from the conflict.

As for the possibility of the Corpse Demon Sect hunting him down for desertion afterward, that was a problem for the future. Surviving the immediate crisis was what mattered most.

At worst, he could completely suppress his aura, mask his cultivation, and flee deep into the rear territories of the Orthodox Sects to live as an orthodox rogue cultivator. He simply refused to believe the Corpse Demon Sect would expend massive effort to deploy an assassination squad deep into orthodox territory just to hunt down a single disciple disguised at the sixth layer of Qi Refining.

However, hiding in orthodox territory would mean he could no longer freely devour the essence, blood, and souls of other cultivators, which would make his future progress a massive hurdle.

......

By the time Song Wen arrived at the designated ridge two hundred li north of the mountain, more than two hundred outer sect disciples and nearly a thousand menial disciples had already assembled.

The outer sect disciples were mostly at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, while the menial disciples possessed early-stage Qi Refining cultivation.

The assembly point was the summit of a massive mountain, the highest peak in the immediate area. Standing at the crest provided an exceptional vantage point, offering an unobstructed view of the terrain for dozens of li around.

A female cultivator with an ordinary countenance stood suspended in mid-air, her boots resting upon a floating sword.

"I am Sect Elder Dan Ying, and I hold full authority over the construction of the defensive fortifications at this site. Exert your full strength in building these defenses, and the Sect will reward you accordingly. If anyone idles or causes delays in the schedule, do not blame this Elder for being ruthless and disregarding the ties of our sect."

Following her declaration, Dan Ying selected the ten outer sect disciples with the highest cultivation levels to act as captains, assigning them to direct the thousand-odd cultivators in breaking ground for the fortifications.

As the crowd began dividing into separate groups, Song Wen caught sight of a familiar figure and immediately walked over.

"Junior Sister Chen."

"Ah! Senior Brother Ji Yin, you were sent here as well?"

Seeing Song Wen, Chen Yi's surprised expression instantly lit up with a touch of relief.

"That is perfect. Come join our team so we can look out for one another."

Standing right beside Chen Yi were two men. They were Wang Dang and Li Yuan, two of the fellow disciples who had entered the Sect alongside Song Wen and Chen Yi during the same recruitment phase.

"Greetings, Junior Brother Wang, Junior Brother Li," Song Wen greeted them with a polite nod.

Song Wen was currently projecting a cultivation level of the sixth layer of Qi Refining. Since both of them were only at the fifth layer, it was entirely natural for him to address them as junior brothers.

The two men quickly returned the gesture, offering Song Wen friendly, welcoming smiles.

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