Chapter 3090 The Enraged Enemies
“Look...Xinhu and Leisong.” From the summit of Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain, a chill flashed through Gu Yueming’s eyes.
Following his gaze, the others saw a group of figures emerging from the Great Dao Fate Lotus. At their head stood a man in spotless white monk’s robes. His features were handsome, youthful, and in one hand he held a horsetail whisk. Sacred radiance shimmered around him, lending him an ethereal, otherworldly air.
Xinhu!
He was an Immeasurable Buddha of the Zen Sect, an existence who had survived six Great Silence Unlife Calamities, and the third successor of the Zen Sect’s Founder, Shi.
Beside him stood a green-robed man whose face bore the marks of many years. His figure was lean and tall, his long gray-white hair cascading down his back, and his eyes were deep and unfathomable, like an endless sea.
Leisong!
He was a Shaman Ancestor of the Shaman Sect, the junior brother of the sect’s founder, and a terrifying being who had survived seven Great Silence Unlife Calamities.
Behind the two of them were four Greater Boundless Realm figures, three men and one woman, each radiating an aura so formidable it made the air itself tremble.
Seeing this, Shun Huaijia’s eyes lit up. “Only six returned. That means, besides Wu Donghe who came back a few days ago, there’s another Greater Boundless Realm expert who perished in the Fate Lotus World.”
“It’s Jue Yunzhou,” Xue Ye said, his gaze sharpening. “He didn’t make it back.”
Originally, Xinhu and Leisong had entered the Fate Lotus World together with six other Greater Boundless Realm giants and three Lesser Boundless Realm experts.
Now, only six remain! For everyone on Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain, this was undeniably good news.
“So that’s Xinhu...the one who killed Eldest Senior Brother...”
Lin Xun’s eyes fixed instantly on the man in white. Xinhu looked young and refined, but the aura he emanated was terrifying beyond measure. Standing there casually, he resembled a supreme sovereign who ruled all beneath heaven.
A fierce killing intent surged in Lin Xun’s heart. Eldest Senior Brother...I will avenge you.
Meanwhile, above the Sea of Fate, Xinhu, Leisong, and the others wore faint smiles, their expressions unable to conceal satisfaction. In the brutal contest within the Fate Lotus World, they had successfully occupied the Fate Lotus Dao Altar for three days, emerging victorious from an extremely perilous encirclement!
Buzz—
Soon, the Great Dao Fate Lotus let out a thunderous roar. Brilliant radiance burst from its core and streaked toward the distant Sea of Fate. For Xinhu and Leisong, this signified that Ye Wuhen, Ji Tianqing, and Ziche Chong had already followed the Great Dao Fate Lotus to the All-Wonder Dominion!
“Sadly, Fellow Daoist Jue Yunzhou has met a tragic end,” Leisong sighed.
“In the struggle for the great dao, how could there be no death?” Xinhu replied calmly. “We have suffered losses, and so have countless others across past epochs.”
As they spoke, the group stepped out of the Sea of Fate, descending one after another into Spirit Martial World, heading back toward their territories.
Not long after, Leisong’s gaunt face suddenly darkened with rage. “Damn it! How has my Shaman Sect’s Great Barbarian Mountain been reduced to ruins?!”
“This...!”
Xinhu and the other four Greater Boundless Realm figures were equally stunned, their expressions shifting in shock. They had been gone for barely twenty days, yet the stronghold of the Shaman Sect had already been destroyed. This turn of events caught them completely off guard.
“Go,” Xinhu said in a low, heavy voice. “Check the surrounding regions at once.”
They moved immediately.
A quarter of an hour later, Xinhu, Leisong, and the others returned, their expressions dark and terrifying. Each looked like a savage beast driven mad by provocation, on the verge of devouring whoever stood before them.
“Everything is gone...how could this have happened...” Xinhu murmured. Though his mind had long been tempered into unshakable steel, even he felt as if he were on the verge of madness at this moment.
“Wu Donghe returned more than ten days ago, but now he has vanished,” Leisong said darkly. His aura surged violently, his face turning terrifyingly grim. “I fear that every expert our factions left behind in this Spirit Martial World has already perished.”
“Xinying, Wen Zai, Xingtian Yuan, Wu Hongzi...four Greater Boundless Realm giants were stationed here, yet they still failed to stop the slaughter? That...just how powerful must the opponent be?” Someone’s voice trembled. “Just...how powerful must the enemy be?”
Even beings who had lived through countless ages found it difficult to remain calm in the face of such devastating news.
“No matter who did this, they must pay the price!” A furious roar shook the heavens. Bloodshot eyes burned with rage as murderous intent surged, wild and uncontrollable.
“In this Spirit Martial World,” another said, forcing himself to calm down, “only those old bastards holed up on Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain could have done such a thing while we were away. But with their strength alone, they should have been impossible...which means something unexpected must have happened.”
An unexpected variable. Xinhu, Leisong, and the others all frowned deeply.
“The truth will be clear once we go to Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain,” someone proposed. “Whether or not they are responsible, they must know what happened.”
“Now is not the time,” Xinhu suddenly spoke, his eyes flashing coldly. “We have spent days fighting in the Fate Lotus World and haven’t even had the chance to tend to our hidden injuries. Our top priority is to recover and restore our strength to its peak.”
He had completely reined in his fury by now. His voice grew calm. “Moreover, if this truly involves Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain, then they must already have made all kinds of preparations and they surely know that only six of us remain. Charging in now would be foolish.”
His words struck Leisong and the others like a cold splash of water, instantly bringing them back to their senses.
On Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain, there were only three Greater Boundless Realm experts: Xing Jianxia, Fu Nanli, and Ren Futian. In terms of numbers, they still held the advantage. However, as Xinhu had warned, the situation had undergone a change, and none of them dared lower their guard.
“Then it’s settled.”
Leisong and the others nodded.
......
Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain.
Xing Jianxia, Fu Nanli, and Ren Futian hurried back at once. They were naturally unafraid of facing a lone opponent. However, now that Xinhu, Leisong, and the others had returned, they could no longer afford to remain outside. Under these circumstances, withdrawing at once and rushing back to Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain was the most sensible choice.
“For us, the situation is favorable. Even so, we must not lower our guard. After all, Xinhu’s side still has six Greater Boundless Realm experts. Their lineup remains terrifyingly strong.”
After returning, Xing Jianxia and the others went straight to Lin Xun to discuss their next course of action.
“Esteemed seniors,” Lin Xun finally asked, unable to hold back the doubt in his heart, “why is the gap between us and the enemy forces in this Spirit Martial World so vast?”
Even with the backing of the twelve Eternal Divine Clans, in terms of overall strength, the Spirit Sect and the Origin Sect were still far behind the Shaman Sect and Zen Sect. Previously, the Shaman Sect and Zen Sect each had four Immeasurable Realm powerhouses presiding over them. Of those, four were at the Greater Boundless Realm.
On the side of the Origin Sect and the Spirit Sect, there were only six Immeasurable Realm experts in total, and just three at the Greater Boundless Realm. The disparity became even more obvious when comparing the number of experts at the Creation Realm.
This was precisely what Lin Xun could not understand. Upon hearing this, Xing Jianxia and the others exchanged faint smiles, but there was helplessness hidden within them.
Fu Nanli spoke first. “It’s actually very simple. Some are willing to become dogs. Because of that, fewer powerful figures die in the Great Silence Unlife Calamity. But we refuse to be dogs, so when the calamity comes, we face greater danger.
“In the past, the reason the Origin and the Spirit Sect gradually fell behind the Shaman Sect and the Zen Sect is because we rejected several attempts at ‘recruitment’ from that hidden mastermind.”
He paused, then continued, “Of course, that mastermind can only wield a portion of the power of the Great Silence Unlife Calamity. Young Friend, have you heard of the Heavenly Mandate Apostle?”
Lin Xun nodded. “I’ve encountered one before.”
His response startled Xing Jianxia and the others. “You’re only at the Creation Realm,” Xing Jianxia exclaimed in disbelief, “yet you’ve actually encountered a Heavenly Mandate Apostle?”
Lin Xun was taken aback for a moment, then calmly recounted how he had killed Yingshan Ying outside Fortune Divine City.
“Unbelievable...” Fu Nanli muttered, his expression strange.
“You should know, in the past, only cultivators at the Greater Boundless Realm would ever be targeted by a Heavenly Mandate Apostle when facing the Great Silence Unlife Calamity.”
Only then did Lin Xun understand why they were so shocked.
Frowning slightly, he asked, “If that’s the case, then what kind of existence does the Alpha Origin Bell target?”
Xing Jianxia’s expression changed abruptly. “You...you’ve even encountered the Alpha Origin Bell?!”
He and the others stared at Lin Xun as if they were looking at a monster.
Under those gazes, Lin Xun could only give a wry smile and recount the story of his first encounter with the Alpha Origin Bell. When he finished, the group drew in sharp breaths.
After a long silence, Xing Jianxia finally spoke, “We’ve only ever heard that when a Greater Boundless Realm cultivator undergoes their ninth Great Silence Unlife Calamity...they are destined to face the strike of the Alpha Origin Bell.”
In other words, even these ancient giants had never faced such a calamity themselves! No wonder they were so shaken. Lin Xun’s heart trembled as the image of the Eternal Night Divine Emperor rose in his mind.
Undoubtedly, when the Eternal Night Divine Emperor was struck by the Alpha Origin Bell before setting out for Fortune Divine City, she must have been undergoing the ninth Great Silence Unlife Calamity!
Despite that, Lin Xun himself had been marked by the Alpha Origin Bell when he was still only at the initial Creation Realm. Just thinking of it sent a chill down his spine. If the Precious River Map had not intervened back then, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
“Fortunately, all of that lies in the past. At present, the only ones we face are Xinhu, Leisong, and the rest.” Ren Futian said with a smile, “If I’m not mistaken, they’ve already discovered their lair has been destroyed. By now, they must be fuming with rage.
The others couldn’t help but smile in agreement.
“In my view,” Fu Nanli said coldly, murderous intent surging in his eyes, “whether they come to Lotus Leaf Sacred Mountain now or later, they will come eventually. What we must do is prepare in advance, lay out our plans, and strive to wipe them all out in a single decisive strike!”
At this, Xing Jianxia frowned slightly. “Wiping them out in one fell swoop...that won’t be easy.”
Then, as if recalling something, he turned to Lin Xun. His expression grew strange, almost meaningful. “Of course, if we make proper use of the trump card that Young Friend Lin Xun possesses...then there’s a very real chance we can annihilate them completely.”
