The moon hung high in the night sky, scarlet like blood. The blood-colored moonlight spilled to the earth, making the Spiritual Treasure sect seem as though it was immersed in blood.
Nie Tian stood on the balcony, looking at streets that were already filled with people who were standing and looking up at the sky with terrified expressions on their faces.
“Master, what do we do? Should we leave the Spiritual Treasure sect as soon as possible?” Terror could be heard from Luo Xin’s voice.
Wu Xing’s face was as grim as the deepest ocean. He shook his head and said, “We leave, but not now. If I’m not mistaken, many powerful experts from the Ghost sect, Blood sect, and Hell sect are now lurking around the Spiritual Treasure sect. If we leave now, we’ll immediately be swamped.”
Luo Xin was getting panicked. “So we hold our ground here?”
Wu Xing took a deep breath and looked at everyone, before saying, “Let’s wait and see. The Spiritual Treasure sect’s Heaven Burning Earth Flame formation is the most powerful and miraculous spell formation in the entire Realm of Flame Heaven. Even the powerful Qi warriors from the Ghost sect, Blood sect, and Hell sect won’t be able to destroy it in a short period of time. Everyone will stay here before anything happens to the Heaven Burning Earth Flame formation. But if it shatters…”
With these words, Wu Xing fell silent and seemed to be painstakingly weighing the gains and losses in his mind.
“If the grand spell formation breaks, allowing the powerful experts from the Ghost sect, Blood sect, and Hell sect to flood in, and we’re unable to ward them off, we’ll find a way to escape.”
Liu Yan prompted, “Master, how do they have the audacity to start such a large scale invasion?”
Luo Xin said, “Even though we battle with those three sects from time to time, it never went this far. Starting an all-out war and fighting to the last man doesn’t benefit either party. Why are they doing this?”
Wu Xin thought for a moment and explained, “The reason why conflict of such size never broke out before was that… they never found the right opportunity.
“Recently, that Profound Realm senior from the Grayvale sect seems to be in a secluded meditation, and won’t come out unless he comes to complete enlightenment by himself. No one else will be able to make him walk out of there.
“Rumor has it that the other Profound Realm senior from the Mystic Mist sect has left for some other realm in the Domain of the Falling Stars.
“Therefore, the only remaining Profound Realm seniors on our side would be Fang Hui of the Spiritual Treasure sect and Nie Tian’s master.
“Meanwhile, the Ghost sect and Blood sect combined have two Profound Realm seniors. And the Hell sect… also has two.
“Over the past half a year, due to the huge changes in the Green Illusion dimension, our four sects have joined forces and killed many from the Ghost sect, Blood sect, and Hell sect. Those three sects have been rather quiet these days. We thought that they had conceded. Who knew that they… have been conspiring such a grand scheme.”
After giving a brief explanation, Wu Xing said to Liu Yan, “Protect them. I’ll go ask about the situation and see whether their spacial teleportation portals still work.”
With these words, Wu Xing jumped out off the balcony. It seemed he didn’t even reach the ground before blurring into a green shadow, flashing forward in the street, and vanishing into the distance.
“Everyone, stay here! Don’t move!” Liu Yan shouted.
Nie Tian, Jiang Lingzhu, and Ye Gumo stood next to each other, looking into the streets where Qi warriors from each sect were rushing about with their eyes full of terror. Their hearts grew heavy as they became influenced by the commotion outside.
RUUUUMBLE!
A violent tremor suddenly emerged from the depths of the earth. The sixth-floor stone pavilion in which Nie Tian stood trembled with it.
Nie Tian scanned the area with rapt attention before he suddenly realized that the three unvegetated stone mountain peaks, that stood in three directions of the valley, were gradually turning scarlet.
They were all thousands of meters high. Now, as their color changed, streams of flames started to spurt out from the caves within them.
Shortly after, the three stone peaks seemed to have turned into heated, red metal rods, emanating astonishing amount of heat.
The streams of blazing flames shot out from the mountain caves like reversed waterfalls, pouring straight up into the heavens.
Not long after, a shield of blazing fire enveloped the entire sky.
Streams of flames were constantly twisting and changing irregularly on the screen of flame, combining and interweaving into complicated and mysterious patterns of flames, in which there seemed to lie the true essence of the flames as well as boundless magics.
The sky seemed to be burning while the earth was rumbling non-stop. Even more blazing streams were being channeled by the Heaven Burning Earth Flame formation, charging high up into the sky one after another.
The valley where the Spiritual Treasure sect was located had always been unbearably hot. Following the activation of the Heaven Burning Earth Flame formation, the valley became even more blistering and stuffy.
The sound of turmoil came from each and every direction, from the streets, from the Spiritual school, and from the numerous stone pavilions that sold spiritual weapons, armors, and medicine pills.
The equipment forgers who had been lucky enough to flee out of their caves, were now standing at the foot of the three stone peaks, looking up at the sky with frightened expressions on their faces.
While Nie Tian observed the surroundings, Dowager Weng hurried over, together with Zheng Bin, Han Xi, as well as a few others from the Mystic Mist sect.
“Over there!”
“Where’s elder Wu Xing?” Dowager Weng barked.
“My master went to the Spiritual Treasure sect’s courtyard,” Liu Yan replied.
Dowager Weng seemed to have expected that. She nodded and didn’t wait for Liu Yan’s approval before leading the Mystic Mist sect disciples up the stairs.
Seconds later, she got to the floor where Nie Tian was, along with the others.
Nie Tian noticed that Zheng Bin and Han Xin, as well as the few older disciples of the Mystic Mist sect all had gloomy expression on their faces. It was quite obvious that they were also worrying about the great changes that were taking place in the Spiritual Treasure sect.
After making it up the stairs, she spoke very frankly, “We don’t have many people at this convention. Our strength is rather limited. Huge changes are going to fall upon the Spiritual Treasure sect. Once the Heaven Burning Earth Flame formation is breached, no one from the Spiritual school or the Treasure school will be able to help us. If we stay together, we can watch each other’s back, which is much better than fighting by ourselves.”
Liu Yan heaved a sigh and said, “No one would’ve thought that such a heaven-shaking change would take place during the Treasure Convention.”
Bitterness could be seen on Dowager Weng’s face. “They did pick the best time to strike. Coincidentally, the powerful senior from our sect isn’t currently in the Realm of Flame Heaven, whereas the powerful senior from the Grayvale sect is still in his secluded meditation. Only…”
She looked towards Nie Tian and said, “Only your master can fight. However, I’m afraid that he won’t be able to come to the Spiritual Treasure sect. At least one of the two powerful seniors from the Hell sect will go to the back mountain of the Cloudsoaring sect to keep your master busy so that he won’t be able to help defend here.”
Upon hearing her words, Nie Tian’s expression instantly flickered. “My master…”
“You don’t need to worry about him, Nie Tian,” Liu Yan consoled, “Martial granduncle will be fine. Considering his cultivation base and strength, one senior expert from the Hell sect can only delay him from getting out. Two senior experts will only be able to stop him from coming here to help us. If they wished to harm martial granduncle, the Ghost sect or the Blood sect would still need to deploy one more senior expert there.
“However, if they deployed an additional senior expert there, they would lose their advantage here.
“After all, senior Fang Hui is here.
“Hence, you should be worried about yourself instead of your master.”
Face grim, Dowager Weng checked the situation outside and said, “Yeah, he’s right. This time, the Ghost sect, Blood sect, and Hell sect attacking together will definitely inflict serious damage to the Spiritual Treasure sect. To host this Treasure Convention, the Spiritual Treasure sect must have shipped a lot of their precious spiritual tools, that they stored away in other places, here.
“I don’t think they’re going to get to keep those valuable spiritual tools. As for how many people are going to die, that’ll depend on how many powerful experts the three sects sent here.
“After this war, the Spiritual Treasure sect will have definitely sustained huge losses, or even…”
Dowager Weng didn’t finish her sentence. It seemed that she thought the Spiritual Treasure sect probably wouldn’t be able to survive the calamity.
“Look!” Shi Yi yelled.
It was in that moment that everyone noticed, high in the sky, above that shield of blazing flames, a figure suddenly appeared right under the blood moon.
Upon closer examination, it appeared to be a woman sitting on a lotus seat, glittering with bloody light.
The moment that woman appeared, Nie Tian could feel that the blood-colored moonlight that filled the sky seemed to be attracted by a strange power that came from within her, and started madly converging onto her from every direction.
Behind the woman, a blood shadow could be seen, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, expanding so rapidly that it would soon fill the sky.
Even though the blood shadow was still miles away and they still had a miraculous shield of flames standing in between them, Nie Tian was gradually taken over by a oppressing, suffocating feeling.