A look of delight flashed across Yun Che’s face. He quickly accepted the jade talisman and bowed in thanks. After tossing him the talisman, the middle-aged scholar paid him no further attention and instead flew into the phoenix carriage to speak quietly with Feng Luan.

  Yun Che was no fool. The moment the scholar entered the carriage, he tactfully withdrew, flying out to rejoin the rapidly advancing army of cultivators.

  At the border of the Fiery Nation, which neighbored Xuanwu Nation, not only cultivators were migrating—countless mortals were also fleeing with their families. The mutated Fire Beasts rarely attacked ordinary people now. Their sole target had become the cultivator army—more precisely, Yun Che.

  As time passed, the Fire Beasts gradually closed in from behind. Their numbers swelled. A heavy pressure weighed upon the hearts of most cultivators, lingering without dispersing.

  At the border lay an enormous basin. When the army arrived, the four great sects and several major cultivation clans—nineteen Nascent Soul cultivators in total—held a secret meeting of great significance.

  Afterward, the nineteen rose into the sky above the basin amid roaring wind and thunder.

  A Nascent Soul cultivator from the Luo River Sect said solemnly,

  “This place has been investigated by our sect for many years. It is the ancestral ground of the volcano cluster—the birthplace of the Fire Spirit Beasts. If we seal this location, we can restrain all volcanoes. With the Sealing Nation Grand Formation laid down by our ancestors thousands of years ago, we can imprison all Fire Beasts within the Fiery Nation.”

  A red-haired man from the Evil Demon Sect glanced at the basin below and snorted.

  “If the ancestors had already prepared for this, why didn’t they eliminate the threat entirely? Why let it come to this?”

  The three Nascent Soul cultivators of the Nine Nether Remains stood with indifferent expressions. None carried coffins behind them—clearly they had already reached the stage of reclaiming their bodies, only a step away from true possession. They seemed detached from everything. Were it not for the violent spiritual energy of the Fiery Nation hindering their recovery, they likely would not have joined this migration at all.

  Patriarch Song of the Ming God Temple rolled his eyes slightly and said calmly,

  “Our ancestors could not possibly have foreseen volcanic eruptions and the calamity of Fire Beasts. Even if they had, what could they have done? To gather a thousand years of strength and leave behind this Sealing Nation Formation as our final lifeline—that is already enough. Fellow Daoists, let us begin.”

  With that, the six Nascent Soul cultivators of the Ming God Temple—including the middle-aged scholar and Feng Luan—took their positions and formed intricate hand seals.

  With a unified shout, six Azure lotus phantoms emerged from their seals and descended upon the eastern corner of the basin. The entire basin trembled violently as red mist surged upward.

  Next came the Luo River Sect, Evil Demon Sect, and Nine Nether Remains. Lotus phantoms descended upon the southern, western, and northern points respectively.

  The rumbling intensified. More red mist rose and coalesced in midair into shifting shapes before finally forming a hollow mist ring.

  The remaining Nascent Soul cultivators from independent clans revealed reluctant expressions. One by one, they struck their foreheads. Their Nascent Souls left their bodies and floated into the empty center of the mist ring, hesitating.

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  “Fellow independent cultivators, if not now, when?” a Luo River Sect cultivator shouted.

  A Nascent Soul within the ring let out a sharp cry.

  “Fine! The four great sects have given us Replenishing Origin Pills. At worst we lose a hundred years of spiritual power—we’ll risk it!”

  With a roar, he rushed into the mist ring, instantly merging with it.

  The others gritted their teeth and followed.

  Though the ring did not grow in size, it gained vitality.

  The Sealing Nation Formation required not only the power of the four sects but also voluntary Nascent Souls to reside within it temporarily, ensuring no flaw in the formation—achieving complete isolation of the nation.

  The mist ring grew blood-red and rose high into the sky. Suddenly, it expanded outward at tremendous speed, spreading toward the eastern, southern, western, and northern extremes of the Fiery Nation.

  As it spread, volcanoes erupted with red mist that joined the ring, accelerating its expansion.

  After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the ring encompassed the entire Fiery Nation.

  A massive red mist dome descended like an inverted bowl.

  The Sealing Nation Formation was complete.

  Once activated, mortals could pass freely. But any cultivator or spirit beast below the Deity Transformation stage was forbidden from entering or exiting.

  The nineteen Nascent Soul cultivators withdrew as the formation stabilized. Some retrieved the physical bodies of the independent cultivators whose Nascent Souls guarded the formation, returning them to their clans. Those without clans were stored in the Luo River Sect.

  Outside the formation, Luo River Sect cultivators bowed deeply.

  “Fellow Daoists, guard the formation with peace of mind. Your bodies will be kept safe. The formation can only last three months. Within three months, we shall secure a foothold in Xuanwu Nation. When the higher cultivation nation sends reinforcements to eliminate the beasts, we will personally welcome you back.”

  The other sects bowed sincerely.

  The trapped Fire Beasts roared and crashed against the red dome, shaking it violently—but none could break through.

  With pursuit temporarily halted, the cultivator army accelerated to full speed. Sword lights streaked across the border like a meteor shower.

  At the Xuanwu border, mortal soldiers stared blankly at the sky. One screamed, dropped his weapon, and knelt. Soon thousands followed.

  Among them stood a Daoist cultivator, pale-faced.

  “Th-those are Fiery Nation cultivators…”

  Before he could retreat, a Core Formation cultivator from the Evil Demon Sect descended with a cruel laugh. Three flying swords pierced the Daoist from different angles, severing him instantly.

  The mortal army scattered in terror.

  Tens of thousands of sword lights surged into Xuanwu Nation.

  They halted before a mist-covered mountain protected by a barrier. A cold-faced elder stepped forward and slammed a massive palm against it. Golden light flared, forming a semicircular shield barely holding back the strike.

  Inside, hundreds of cultivators panicked.

  A white-haired old woman flew out and shouted,

  “Fiery Nation cultivators—what is the meaning of this?!”

  Yang Sen of the Ming God Temple appeared above the barrier. With a simple grasp, the shield shattered.

  The old woman fled instantly—but Yang Sen intercepted her. She released her Nascent Soul; her body was destroyed in an instant. Terrified, she tried to escape, but Yang Sen pursued coldly.

  Meanwhile, the invading cultivators stormed the mountain.

  They killed everyone.

  In mere moments, blood flowed like rivers. No survivors.

  The four great sects fully occupied the mountain. Above, eighteen Nascent Soul cultivators hovered.

  Patriarch Song spoke with killing intent:

  “This is a war without right or wrong. If we fail to establish ourselves in Xuanwu Nation within three months, the Fire Beasts will break free. The beasts are not the true terror—the loss of spiritual energy is.”

  “From this moment, the Ming God Temple, Evil Demon Sect, Luo River Sect, and Nine Nether Remains are united as the Yan Fen Alliance.”

  “Each Foundation Establishment disciple will receive one Dan-grade treasure. Each Core Formation disciple will receive one Nascent Soul-grade treasure.”

  “All spoils taken in war belong to the individual.”

  “This is war—but I prefer you see it for what it is: an invasion for survival.”

  A Nascent Soul cultivator from the Luo River Sect added:

  “Each of you will receive a jade tally to record your kills. Kill one hundred Qi Condensation cultivators above the fifth layer—or ten Foundation cultivators—and receive ten mid-grade spirit stones. Kill two hundred Qi Condensation cultivators, or twenty Foundation cultivators, or one Core Formation cultivator—and receive ten bottles of spirit medicine.”

  War had become currency.

  Survival had become conquest.

  If they fail to secure Xuanwu in time, was the sacrifice meaningless?

  “Invasion for survival.” Do you agree?

  When survival is at stake, does morality still matter?

  When killing earns rewards, what separates righteous cultivators from demons?

  Yun Che stands at the center of it all.

  Is he the calamity—or the turning point?