Time flowed by, and for cultivators in the midst of their practice, three months passed in the blink of an eye. Just three days before the agreed-upon battle, figures one after another soared from the various peaks of the Panlong Mountain Range. Their immense spiritual power spread outwards, and in an instant, fierce winds raged, and a palpable fighting spirit permeated a thousand miles.
Ling Xiu arrived through the air, gazing at the figures standing aloft, his posture upright and his gaze resolute.
"Brothers, this battle concerns the very survival of our Sixth Prince's Estate, and it will determine the future structure of the Wushan Star Domain."
"If we win, our names will be etched in history, and we will all leave a significant mark on the annals of the Wushan Star Domain. Even if we fall in the future, we will still be passed down through generations of cultivators."
"If we lose, the Sixth Prince's Estate, which has stood for hundreds of thousands of years in the Wushan Star Domain, will vanish into thin air, becoming a stepping stone for others to reach the summit."
"Therefore, we have no retreat."
"Fight... Fight... Fight..."
Conflicting roars rose and fell, echoing throughout the entire Panlong Mountain Range and spreading outwards.
The Sixth Prince's Estate was primarily composed of body-refining cultivators, most of whom were warlike and full of mettle. Although many believed their chances of victory were slim, they would not sit idly by. They would fight to the last drop of blood, making the enemy pay a heavy price.
"Elder Zhang Fan, did you gain anything from this period of cultivation?" Ling Xiu asked, arriving before Zhang Fan in the air.
Zhang Fan nodded, looking at the spirited cultivators of the Sixth Prince's Estate. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, finding the Sixth Prince's Estate truly unique.
Although the number of cultivators in the estate was much smaller than in other top-tier forces, they were more united, possessed greater cohesion, and were more passionate.
"Depart!"
At Ling Xiu's command, Ling Xiu and Zhang Fan led the way, a group of over twenty people heading towards the Luoxian Mountain Range.
All the cultivators from the Sixth Prince's Estate participating in this battle were powerful beings above the Sixth Tribulation Realm. Lin Haotian, Wuchen Sword Immortal, and Tianhua Tianjun, though only at the Sixth Tribulation Realm, had trained together for a long time and cooperated seamlessly. With Tianhua Tianjun leading the formation, their combined strength was comparable to that of a Seventh Tribulation Realm expert, so they were brought along to participate in the battle.
Besides Zhang Fan, Liu Mu, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, Lin Haotian, and four others, there were nearly twenty cultivators from the Sixth Prince's Estate participating in this battle. Of the six princes, only the third-ranked Jade Prince remained to guard the Panlong Mountain Range; the other five all participated in the battle.
As for the three reclusive Half-step Soul Transformation cultivators Ling Xiu had mentioned, Zhang Fan did not inquire about them. However, with his current divine soul power, he could vaguely sense three extremely subtle yet powerful presences hidden nearby.
Watching the departing figures, the Jade Prince and the many cultivators who remained behind shouted in unison, "We wish all our brothers victory in every battle and a swift return!"
Only after Zhang Fan and the others' figures disappeared beyond the Panlong Mountain Range did their voices gradually subside. At this moment, they realized that it seemed as if sand had gotten into their eyes, causing them to feel a little moist.
...
On this day, in addition to the Sixth Prince's Estate, the Canghai Palace and the True Fire Grotto-Heaven also saw many cultivators depart from their sects, heading towards the Luoxian Mountain Range to witness this great battle that would change the future landscape of the Jiexin Continent.
Even the Teng Snake Clan, located in a remote area, had secretly dispatched strong individuals to observe the battle. They needed to know the situation as soon as possible to take appropriate measures.
If Zhang Fan were to be defeated and perish in the Luoxian Mountain Range, it would be the best outcome for their Teng Snake Clan, as a major enemy would be eliminated.
However, if Zhang Fan were to win and eliminate the Feixian Mansion, Black Sand Grotto-Heaven, and Sun Shadow Grotto-Heaven, then given Zhang Fan's methods, they might be the next to be annihilated.
Although this possibility was extremely slim, it concerned the fate of their entire clan, and they dared not gamble.
With the Luoxian Mountain Range as the center, cultivators from all over the Jiexin Continent were successively arriving, unwilling to miss this earth-shattering battle.
The Luoxian Mountain Range was located at the junction of the northern Barbarian Domain and the southern Xiji Imperial Domain, and it was the location of the Feixian Mansion sect.
This place gathered the spiritual energy of the eight directions and controlled the flow of spiritual veins, making it a rare blessed land on the Jiexin Continent. It was precisely for this reason that the Feixian Mansion chose to establish its sect on the Luoxian Mountain Range.
The Luoxian Mountain Range stretched for millions of miles, spanning north and south, with dense peaks and crisscrossing spiritual springs. Legend had it that it was named after a true immortal of the Soul Transformation realm who perished here, and the most famous part was Luoxian Valley.
Luoxian Valley was surrounded by steep peaks, with a vast valley in the center. Legend had it that this valley was the place where the true immortal of the Soul Transformation realm had fallen. The valley floor was originally a mountain peak, and under the erosion of the true immortal's blood, it eventually transformed into its current appearance.
...
A flood dragon hundreds of feet long flew wantonly within the Luoxian Mountain Range. Its powerful aura was not concealed at all, and the pressure from its bloodline made the demonic beasts in the Luoxian Mountain Range prostrate themselves on the ground, trembling.
On the back of the flood dragon stood over twenty human cultivators, namely Zhang Fan and the entourage from the Sixth Prince's Estate.
"They didn't waste their efforts in setting up attack formations. However, choosing Luoxian Valley as the battlefield is quite cautious," Zhang Fan said, standing on the massive head of the Blood Demon Flood Dragon. He sensed the auras of Fu Beichen and others from afar, a knowing smile appearing on his face.
"Since the Feixian Mansion established its sect here, Luoxian Valley has been used as their tribulation-crossing dojo, covered by formations. Although they have no offensive capabilities, they can block attacks from the outside when activated. Could it be that the Feixian Mansion fears interference from external cultivators?" Ling Xiu's expression was solemn, his eyes showing an unconcealed battle intent. After being suppressed for so long, today, regardless of the outcome, he could finally fight with all his might, without fear of death.
As the Blood Demon Flood Dragon flew rapidly, they saw many cultivators rushing from other directions along the way.
"Is that a flood dragon? What a terrifying aura. If I could have such a mount, I could traverse this vast Jiexin Continent at will!" some cultivators looked up, seeing the Blood Demon Flood Dragon's colossal body, their eyes filled with envy.
Demonic beasts were already rare on the Jiexin Continent, and only the Teng Snake Clan had truly gathered into a tribe. Therefore, it was rarely seen for cultivators to travel with mounts, let alone a mount like a flood dragon, which was a treasure that appeared once in ten thousand years.
"The Canghai Palace and True Fire Grotto-Heaven have also sent people. It seems they are also very curious about this battle," Ling Xiu said, sighing as he recognized many familiar faces.
Dozens of breaths later, the Blood Demon Flood Dragon had traveled tens of thousands of miles above the Luoxian Mountain Range. The group gazed into the distance and finally saw Luoxian Valley.
"The situation is not good!" the Blood Demon Flood Dragon spoke in human tongue. Above Luoxian Valley, over a hundred cultivators were gathered. Each of them possessed an extremely powerful aura, no weaker than a Seventh Tribulation Realm expert.
"What do you know? This makes it more challenging." Contrary to the Blood Demon Flood Dragon, seeing that the three forces had gathered over a hundred cultivators above the Seventh Tribulation Realm, Zhang Fan's face involuntarily revealed a satisfied smile.
...