nyslfriends Chapter 1124 The Camp
Chapter 1124 The Camp
After a six-year separation, Chen Yuan met Wu Xuan once again.
The army of over 100,000 cultivators, traveling on giant ships, left Ba Chu City and, after two months of non-stop travel, stopped on a plain tens of millions of miles away from Ba Chu City.
After leaving Bachu City, Chen Yuan finally saw the true face of Ba Gui Island.
The earth was covered with the ruins left by the battle: mountains that had been cut in half, deep ravines that stretched for thousands of feet, and huge, unburied skeletons that had rotted away but were still as large as a small mountain, still exuding a terrifying aura even in death.
The azure sky vanished, replaced by thick, leaden clouds, dense lightning, and raging winds, leaving the land desolate.
Occasionally, enormous spatial rifts would flash across the sky, each hundreds or thousands of feet long, as if an unimaginable primordial beast were coiled outside Turtle Island, peering down at this world, blinking its eyes incessantly.
Fortunately, these spatial rifts only exist for a moment and only appear in the extremely high heavens. Unless you deliberately collide with them, it is difficult to be swallowed up by them.
However, Chen Yuan had heard Yun Jinyue, Liu Tianhan and others say that, under normal circumstances, spatial rifts would not threaten cultivators and demons flying below.
However, there are also times when luck is not on your side. These spatial rifts will suddenly expand, as if a piece of the sky has collapsed, and large areas of it will fall into the chaotic void, at which point a terrifying spatial storm will erupt.
These space storms are classified into small, medium, and large types according to their intensity, from weakest to strongest.
Small spatial storms can be forcibly erased by cultivators at the Void Refinement stage, while large spatial storms can only be dispelled by cultivators at the Mahayana stage.
However, above these three types of spatial storms, there is also a chaotic storm, which even Mahayana cultivators are helpless against and can only let dissipate on its own.
Chaotic storms are extremely rare. Since the birth of Turtle Island, they have only occurred three times, only one of which was formed naturally.
The other two battles were between Mahayana cultivators and demon saints, which caused spatial collapse, generated countless spatial turbulences, and then gave birth to extremely terrifying chaotic storms. The battles were forced to end, and both the human and demon races suffered heavy casualties.
To avoid the spatial rifts and the thunderous roar in the leaden clouds, the giant ship deliberately lowered its altitude. The gale was only a bit louder, but even Foundation Establishment cultivators could withstand it. The giant ship easily broke through it and moved forward steadily.
Not all of the island of Tyrant Turtle is covered by leaden clouds, lightning, and spatial rifts. After traveling thousands of miles, you will enter a clear sky, and the land will become vibrant again, with all sorts of strange and wonderful plants growing there.
These two regions appear alternately, like yin and yang, dividing Turtle Island into two completely different worlds.
Along the way, they passed through several dangerous places. The most dangerous was a pitch-black fog that covered thousands of miles. According to the cultivators from Ba Chu City who were on the same boat, this black fog was left behind by a demon saint who had reached the late stage of the Integration Realm. It was full of poison and had not dissipated for thousands of years. Anyone below the level of a demon saint would die if they touched it, so they had to go around it.
However, the only problem along the way was the harsh environment; the group did not encounter any overwhelming hordes of beasts or small groups of demons.
The giant ship landed under a calm sky, on an endless plain where a waist-high, pale yellow grass grew.
Despite being called a wild grass, it is as tough as the sinews of a demonic beast. Its stems are covered with tiny red thorns, and even a weapon-refining cultivator would bleed profusely if touched.
Fortunately, the cultivators who accompanied the army on this expedition were at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, so they did not need to walk on the ground and did not need to worry about these weeds.
In the area where the cultivator army was stationed, the weeds on the ground had already been cleared away.
Within a vast area spanning dozens of miles, dark brown soil was exposed, and magnificent or exquisite buildings were erected, stretching endlessly, enough to house hundreds of thousands of cultivators.
Thirty-foot-high city walls were built around the camp, and the thick array was like an inverted jade bowl, enveloping the camp. It was very similar to the array that covered Ba Chu City, only slightly thinner, probably because there was no spiritual vein to stably supply spiritual energy.
Beyond the array, a layer of pale yellow mist shrouded the city, obscuring the view from outsiders.
Just like in Ba Chu City, there are cultivators patrolling closely inside and outside the city wall array.
A Nascent Soul cultivator who could establish the smallest sect or family in the Spirit Realm could only lead a dozen or so cultivators on patrol and guard against the demon race here.
It took two days to settle the army of 100,000 cultivators. Chen Yuan originally thought this was the place where Tai Xuan City was built, but after seeing Wu Xuan, he realized that this was not the case.
Wu Xuan respectfully replied, "Reporting to the elder, after I was summoned to Tyrant Turtle Island by the Nine Palaces, I traveled to several places to explore the terrain of the spiritual veins before finally choosing this plain to set up camp."
"Then, cultivators were gathered from the nearest cities, Ba Chu and Lie Xiao, to build this temporary camp for the army to temporarily encamp..."
Wu Xuan recounted his experiences after entering Tyrant Turtle Island. As a rare array master in the Tai Xuan Sect, he not only assisted the spirit seekers in exploring suitable locations for building cities, but also participated in setting up the array, and was very familiar with this great array.
"This formation combines several array techniques. It was jointly set up by two grandmasters of array formations, Chen Jiu of the Ba Chu Sect and Shen Zhongming of the Lie Xiao Sect. It has both defensive and offensive capabilities."
"As long as someone is stationed there, it will be extremely difficult for anyone below the Great Saint level of the demon race to break through. Even if a Great Saint personally takes action, they can hold out for quite some time."
"Tens of millions of miles to the northwest of the camp is the Luo Du Holy City of the demon race. At the site where the camp was built, the Luo Du Holy City sent a large army of demons to attack several times, but they were all repelled by the fellow Daoists from Ba Chu City and Lie Xiao City."
"The Poisonous City and the Tyrant City have been locked in a long-term standoff. According to a formation master from the Tyrant City, the demon race in that city is extremely powerful..."
"Luo Du Holy City? Are there any Kunyu Holy Clan members in the city?" Chen Yuan asked, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
Wu Xuan said, "Once, a Kun fish demon saint led a large army to attack, but this camp, which is home to two giant cities, successfully repelled them."
Chen Yuan asked, "How strong is that Kunyu Demon Saint?"
Wu Xuan replied respectfully, "His strength is extremely high. It is said that he has the cultivation level of the mid-stage of the Integration Realm. In this battle, he single-handedly held off two senior Integration Realm cultivators and still did not fall behind."
Chen Yuan pressed further, "Does he have a Kunyu Demon King under his command?"
Wu Xuan clasped his hands in a bow, his face showing apology: "Elder, please forgive me. When the demon beast army attacked, I was setting up the formation and did not personally participate in the battle."
"I only heard about the Kunyu Demon Saint from others. As for whether any demon kings under his command participated in the battle, I really don't know."
Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully and then asked, "What happened afterward? When was the last time Luo Du Holy City sent a large army to attack?"
Wu Xuan replied, "Two years ago, the camp was fully completed and a large formation was set up. Since then, no large army of demonic beasts has attacked, and even scouts are extremely rare."
Chen Yuan frowned: "Our sect intends to build a city on Tyrant Turtle Island. Do you think the demon race will let this go so easily?"
Wu Xuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's probably because this camp isn't the site for our sect's city that the demon race abandoned it." Chen Yuan was taken aback: "What do you mean? If our sect didn't want to build a city here, why would we go to such great lengths to build this camp and set up a great formation capable of resisting a Great Saint of the demon race?"
Wu Xuan replied, "I don't know the specifics either. Although the sect sent array masters and spirit seekers to Tyrant Turtle Island in advance, Elder Tian and several array masters did not show up."
"We were all acting under the orders of Senior Shen and Senior Chen, and we were extremely unfamiliar with the formations of the two great cities. We spent most of our time familiarizing ourselves with the formation plates and flags in preparation for building our own city and setting up formations in the future. We were not clear about the specifics of this battle."
"But a master of formations from Ba Chu City, who is on good terms with me, said that the key to this battle lies in the 'spatial rift'."
"Our sect will not be able to build a city until the matter of the 'spatial rift' is resolved. Therefore, this camp is only a temporary garrison for our army. It may be abandoned in the future and we will find another place to build a city, but it is also possible that it will be preserved."
"I later asked this person what 'spatial rifts' meant, but he was very evasive and vague. I didn't want to press him too much, so I hope the elder will forgive me."
Chen Yuan pondered for a moment and said, "It's alright. Even the array master of Ba Chu City knows about 'spatial rifts,' which shows that 'spatial rifts' are not a secret."
"It's probably because you two belong to different sects that he had some concerns and didn't say it outright."
"Since this 'spatial rift' is the key to this battle, the sect leader will give instructions, so there is no need to worry."
Chen Yuan asked some more questions about Ba Chu City, Lie Xiao City, and Luo Du City, then dismissed Wu Xuan and sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing.
Two days later, Chen Yuan received a message talisman from Master Fu, summoning the elders of the Tai Xuan Sect, the heads of affiliated sects, and the leaders of alien races. He then left his cave dwelling to pay his respects.
This magnificent temporary camp is no less than a cultivator's city in the spirit world, except that it does not have magnificent palaces. Every building is carefully constructed, some grand and some exquisite, blending the styles of the Liexiao Sect and the Bachu Sect, giving it a unique charm.
Neither the Liexiao Sect nor the Bachu Sect is located on the Star Ruins Continent, but rather on the Daoyun Continent, which has the most Mahayana sects. Their clothing and architecture are quite different from those of the Taixuan Sect.
At the center of the camp, a magnificent hall stood with its doors wide open. As Chen Yuan descended with his escape light, he happened to encounter Elder Su.
Chen Yuan took the initiative to clasp his hands in a salute: "Senior Brother Su."
Elder Su remained indifferent, returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and walked into the hall without saying a word.
Chen Yuan remained calm, lowered his hand, and stepped into the main hall.
He absorbed all the dragon essence in the Dragon Transformation Pool. Elder Su had painstakingly explored the True Dragon Cave, but his gains were greatly reduced, so he was naturally unwilling to give up.
However, Chen Yuan was not afraid of Elder Su causing him trouble. Besides being highly regarded by Master Fu, he was also not afraid of Elder Su in terms of his own strength, especially after breaking through the bottleneck of his physical body.
After the Donghua Auction, Chen Yuan refined all the acquired Body Tempering Spirit Herbs, Purple Lightning Wrinkled Jade Fruit, and Blood Dragon Ginseng into pills. He also never stopped using Starlight Infusion to continuously temper his physical body, successfully breaking through the bottleneck and becoming comparable to a mid-stage Fusion Realm Demon Saint.
Although he was still unable to contend with Elder Su, who was in the mid-stage of the Integration Realm, due to his cultivation level, he was not at a disadvantage after using various methods.
Even if Elder Su wanted to take advantage of this great battle to attack him, Chen Yuan would not be afraid in the slightest.
The main hall was brightly lit, without a single shadow. More than a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators had already arrived and stood on the left and right sides.
On the right were people Chen Yuan knew, including Elder Yuan and Bai Zangzhou. On the left were people Chen Yuan had never seen before, and they all remained silent. Elder Su was exchanging greetings with the people on the right.
Above the jade steps, four jade seats were set up facing south, lined up in a row, empty and bare.
Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that there were four Mahayana cultivators in charge of the overall situation in this battle?
He stepped forward and greeted the Nascent Soul cultivator he knew with a cupped-hand salute.
As for those unfamiliar Nascent Soul cultivators, it's not hard to guess their identities; they must have come from Liexiao City and Bachu City.
The person who led the army of 100,000 cultivators to the camp was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator from Ba Chu City, but he had not yet arrived in the hall.
After exchanging greetings, Chen Yuan approached Elder Yuan and Bai Zangzhou, standing with his hands at his sides, waiting quietly.
One after another, more Nascent Soul cultivators entered the hall, exchanging greetings with those who had arrived earlier. Wei Wushang came to Chen Yuan and Elder Yuan's side, while many other unfamiliar faces stood on the left.
The group arrived quickly, and about a quarter of an hour later, forty-three people had gathered in the hall, including eleven members of different races, all of whom were at the Integration stage.
Chu Weicai and the others, along with Fu Luohai, had low cultivation levels and did not receive the transmission talisman.
Chen Yuan had already consulted with Master Fu about having the Dragon People and Green Mantis Clan serve under his command in this battle, and Master Fu had granted his request.
Suddenly, four figures slowly appeared in the main seat, with Master Fu sitting in the second seat on the left.
Chen Yuan had never seen the other three before: a dignified man in a nine-dragon yellow robe, an elderly Taoist priest with bare feet, and a middle-aged Taoist priest in the same robe but with a dignified demeanor.
Everyone bowed down to pay their respects, addressing each other in a chaotic manner. Most addressed him as "Master," but some called him "Senior Fan," some "Prince Jingjiang," and some "Senior Fu," creating a jumbled mess of sounds.
Only the barefoot old Taoist priest sitting on the far left was greeted by everyone, but no one addressed him by name.
The imposing man in the nine-dragon yellow robe frowned and said coldly, "You are all Nascent Soul cultivators, yet you behave like this. What kind of decorum is this? Shut up!"
His cultivation level was not apparent, but his eyes seemed to hold the rise and fall of a world, exuding a domineering aura that sent chills down people's spines.
The hall immediately fell silent, and everyone lowered their heads slightly. Not to mention the cultivators from Ba Chu City and Lie Xiao City, the Tai Xuan Sect and others came from Ba Chu City, so how could they not know the legendary experiences of this Prince Jingjiang? No one dared to offend his majesty.
The Prince of Jingjiang slowly scanned the surroundings, his gaze lingering on Chen Yuan for a moment before shifting away.
Master Fu slowly spoke: "The great battle is about to begin, and the reason I have summoned you all here today is for this matter."
"The cultivators from Liexiao City and Bachu City have been living on Bagui Island for a long time, but the others are entering Bagui Island for the first time and do not yet know the key to this battle. Therefore, we ask our young friend Shen from Liexiao City to explain it to you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a young cultivator on the left stepped forward from the crowd, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the Tai Xuan Sect members, and said in a deep voice, "I am Shen Chongming of the Liexiao Sect. I have been ordered by Senior Fu to inform you fellow Daoists of the key points of this battle..." (End of this chapter)