A holy city stands in the Golden Tree Holy Domain, located at its southern end, just a thousand miles from the Golden Sands Holy Domain.
In the domain’s mansion within the holy city, a large number of Kunlun Realm Saint Realm cultivators gathered.
Over fifty Great Saints were present.
The Saint King Realm powerhouses filled every seat, a bustling crowd.
Yet the atmosphere was heavy, faces etched with indignation, eyes burning with anger.
In the Wuji Heavenly Domain, the Kunlun Realm held twenty-one holy domains, each guarded by a Great Saint.
But in the past month, the lords of these twenty-one domains were successively challenged by Great Saints from the Sword God Realm. Although Heavenly Palace rules stipulate that territorial challenges prohibit killing and must stop short of death, an “accident” saw a Beast Emperor from the Kunlun Realm’s Nine Li Palace killed by a Sword God Realm Great Saint.
Moreover, four Kunlun Realm Great Saints had their cultivations crippled, and over twenty suffered severe injuries.
A single holy domain could spark more than one battle.
Often, a domain’s ownership led to over a dozen fights.
The Sword God Realm, with its abundance of experts and deep foundation, caused the Kunlun Realm to lose sixteen holy domains in just one month. Only four remained under Kunlun’s control.
At this moment, Gai Tianjiao, who once guarded the Clear Sky Holy Domain, one of the four remaining domains, was carried into the Golden Tree Holy Domain’s mansion by a group of Liangyi Sect Saint Realm cultivators.
They had been expelled from the Clear Sky Holy Domain.
Gai Tianjiao was gravely wounded, a chilling sword aura with icy attributes slashing her back, severing her spine diagonally.
Her entire body was encased in cyan ice crystals.
The Kunlun Realm Great Saint, Spirit Devouring King, spat out divine fire to melt the ice, but as soon as the fire touched it, Gai Tianjiao’s immortal holy body crackled, cracks forming.
Spirit Devouring King quickly withdrew the divine fire, saying, “It’s the Cyan Frost Sword Aura of the Sword God Realm’s Great Saint Bai Qingcang. Fire cannot melt it. We can only wait for Supreme to return.”
A Liangyi Sect Saint King, face anxious, shook his head, “No, the sect leader’s holy soul was wounded by Bai Qingcang’s sword soul, and her spine is damaged. She’s unconscious, unable to heal herself, and her vitality is rapidly fading. She can’t hold on until Supreme returns.”
“That strike from Bai Qingcang was ruthless,” a Kunlun Realm Saint King gritted out.
“He’s a Supreme Realm Great Saint. No matter how much you hate him, what can you do? You’re not even a Great Saint, you don’t qualify to challenge him.”
Three more Kunlun Realm Great Saints tried, but the Cyan Frost Sword Aura was untouchable.
Touching it drove the aura deeper into Gai Tianjiao’s body.
Ling Feiyu, dressed in a red martial robe, a jade belt at her waist, her long black hair cascading naturally, her eyes cold and deep, stood lost in thought.
Ling Xiu’s injuries had been healed by Supreme.
He saw that, despite Ling Feiyu’s tough exterior, she was consumed by guilt.
Strong outside, soft inside.
He sent a mental message, “Don’t blame yourself too much. Even if you hadn’t crippled Xu Xu, the Paradise Realm and Sword God Realm would have found other excuses to target the Kunlun Realm. Our rise was always going to be hard. We must face it resolutely, not compromise or retreat.”
Hurried footsteps echoed outside.
A Dragon Clan Immortal Realm Great Saint from Ancestral Dragon Mountain rushed into the mansion, carrying an elderly, gravely wounded Dragon Emperor on his back.
A large group of young Saint Realm cultivators from Ancestral Dragon Mountain followed.
“Supreme, please save my father. He was wounded by Canghai Yishu from the Sword God Realm, damaging his dragon pearl and soul,” the Immortal Realm Dragon Clan Great Saint said.
The Kunlun Realm’s Great Saints gathered to inspect the old Dragon Emperor’s injuries.
“Supreme went to the Western Heaven Buddhist Realm to borrow pills and hasn’t returned.”
“Canghai Yishu again.”
“The old Dragon Emperor was close to demigod cultivation, yet he couldn’t escape this fate.”
“Does this mean the White Pavilion Holy Domain has also fallen to the Sword God Realm?”
Soon, more bad news arrived.
Emperor Wen, guarding the Withered Marsh Holy Domain, had half his body destroyed by a mysterious demigod from the Sword God Realm, his mental power severely damaged.
Within half an hour, a group of Confucian disciples carried Emperor Wen’s mangled half-body to the Golden Tree Holy Domain, seeking Supreme’s aid.
The Kunlun Realm’s Great Saints had placed great trust in the Withered Marsh Holy Domain, as Emperor Wen’s mental power mastery was extraordinary, nearly divine. Even a demigod might not best him.
Yet, the Withered Marsh Holy Domain was lost, and Emperor Wen’s legs were shattered into blood and mud.
The assailant’s cultivation and combat strength were clearly profound.
In one day, three major holy domains were lost.
Now, the Kunlun Realm held only the Golden Tree Holy Domain in the Wuji Heavenly Domain.
If the Golden Tree Holy Domain fell, they might truly be driven out of the Wuji Heavenly Domain.
Heavenly domains are divided into four tiers: divine, superior, intermediate, and frontier.
Divine heavenly domains, numbering just over ten in all of Xiniu Hezhou, are claimed by the top ten worlds of the Western Universe, each monopolizing their resources.
The remaining few are unique, like the Truth Heavenly Domain occupied by the Truth God Temple, a divine heavenly domain.
With the Kunlun Realm’s current mortal world strength, it cannot yet vie for divine heavenly domains.
Even in superior heavenly domains, the Kunlun Realm only holds a foothold in the Wuji Heavenly Domain, with just twenty-one holy domains.
Other Kunlun Realm Great Saints’ territories lie in intermediate heavenly domains.
Securing a foothold in the Wuji Heavenly Domain is profoundly significant.
Gai Tianjiao, among the nine realm heirs, was second only to Xue Wuye in combat strength.
The Yushan Dragon Emperor, one of the few awakened Great Saints, reached the Supreme Realm, with combat power nearing demigod.
Emperor Wen, with mental power at tier sixty-nine and a half, was a step from divinity. Though weaker in combat, even demigods would avoid him.
Yet now, all three lay dying, and the others could only wait for Supreme’s return.
The vast Kunlun Realm relied on Supreme alone to hold it together.
“The Clear Sky, White Pavilion, and Withered Marsh Holy Domains fell in succession. Today must be the moment the Sword God Realm launches its full assault. They may soon come for the Golden Tree Holy Domain, driving us out of the Wuji Heavenly Domain entirely,” Ling Xiu said.
No one responded.
The mansion fell silent, only the sound of breathing audible.
After a long pause, a Kunlun Realm Great Saint said bitterly, “Why not… withdraw from the Wuji Heavenly Domain and return to the Huali Heavenly Domain?”
“Bang!”
Great Saint Jinyu, hot-tempered, smashed a stone table with a palm, “What kind of talk is that? If we slink away from the Wuji Heavenly Domain, the entire Heavenly Court will mock us, and we’ll never hold our heads high again.”
“Our shame is nothing, but Supreme has always supported us, exhausting his mental power to heal us.”
“If we retreat without fighting, how will the Paradise Realm faction’s gods ridicule Supreme? The Sword God Realm may be strong, they may cut our spines with their blades, but they’ll never make us yield, never make our spirits kneel.”
“Retreating now is surrendering. We’ll never stand again!”
The Great Saint who suggested withdrawing sighed, “Give the Kunlun Realm three thousand years, and we’ll surely produce many Supreme Realm Great Saints. Then, we can reclaim the Wuji Heavenly Domain.”
“The Paradise Realm faction won’t give us three thousand years. You think retreating to the Huali Heavenly Domain will bring peace? They surely have further plans. Shrinking from a strong enemy makes us no different from turtles,” Jinyu said.
The Great Saints insisting on staying in the Wuji Heavenly Domain clashed with those advocating a temporary retreat to the Huali Heavenly Domain, their ideals at odds.
The former chose to face death fearlessly, accepting challenges to defend the dignity of Kunlun Realm cultivators and Supreme.
The latter believed in biding time, lying low, and gradually growing stronger.
“Stop arguing!”
Ling Feiyu’s voice silenced the room.
She passed by Gai Tianjiao, Yushan Dragon Emperor, and Emperor Wen, saying, “This began because of me, so I’ll resolve it. Gai Tianjiao’s Cyan Frost Sword Aura can only be undone by Bai Qingcang.”
“The Yushan Dragon Emperor’s dragon pearl is invaded by Canghai Yishu’s holy intent, which only Canghai Yishu can dispel.”
“Emperor Wen’s holy soul is being eroded by the opponent’s sword soul, which only the Sword God Realm’s demigod can cure.”
“With Supreme absent and them dying because of me, I must save them.”
Great Saint Jinyu said, “Is Leader Ling agreeing to their terms? No, absolutely not.”
“You mustn’t make a rash decision. They won’t stop just because you compromise. They’ll see it as victory, celebrate, and then impose harsher suppression,” Luo Xu said.
Ling Feiyu gave a bleak smile, “For over a month, I’ve been grateful for everyone’s help, but the Kunlun Realm has paid too high a price, with Great Saints falling and others losing their cultivation. These three have a chance to become gods. We can’t watch them die like this. There’s no other way. Only I can save them, right?”
Zhang Ruochen, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Ladies, Nine Nether Great Saint, and Ye Honglei entered the holy city of the Golden Tree Holy Domain together, heading straight for the domain’s mansion.
Guarding the mansion’s gate was the Moon-Worshipping Demon Sect’s God-Demon Mouse.
Outside, Confucian saint cultivators from the Withered Marsh Holy Domain, Dragon Clan saint cultivators from the White Pavilion Holy Domain, and Liangyi Sect saint cultivators from the Clear Sky Holy Domain gathered, all looking dejected and disheveled.
A Confucian saint cultivator spotted Nalan Danqing and rushed over, “Senior Sister Nalan, our master was gravely wounded by a mysterious demigod from the Sword God Realm. Please save him!”
Nalan Danqing’s expression shifted, and without asking more, she turned into a beam of light and rushed into the mansion.
The other eight Mysterious Ladies followed closely.
Zhang Ruochen intended to follow but was stopped by the God-Demon Mouse.
“Who are you? State your name! Non-Kunlun Realm cultivators can’t enter. Don’t try to fool me, I’m sharp. I’ve never seen or smelled someone like you in the Kunlun Realm. Heh heh!”
The God-Demon Mouse, with its pointed snout and cheeky demeanor, bared two sharp teeth, eyeing Zhang Ruochen coldly, as if it had seen through him.
Nine Nether Great Saint and Ye Honglei, curious about this man so close to the Saintly Scholar, lingered to observe.
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his hands, sighing, “Pity my cat isn’t in the Kunlun Realm, or how could a mouse like you act so bold?”
The God-Demon Mouse sneered, “I’ll have you know, no cat in the world can handle me. I’m a Taigu relic, the God-Demon Mouse. You know how strong Taigu relics are, don’t you?”
