On the summit of Mount Qunyu, a crimson sun broke through the vast sea of clouds, and a clear, piercing cry echoed between heaven and earth.
A streak of crimson light, resembling a bird's silhouette, landed on the mountain and transformed into a strikingly beautiful man with an alluring, handsome face.
"Your Highness, the Demon King." Xuan You stepped forward, a hint of worry surfacing on his usually indifferent countenance. "Has something changed with the Qianlian Sea affair?"
Lin Qingyu brushed the sleeves of his robe and curled his lips. "No. This King has come to seek fellow Daoist Qian Ying."
Qian Ying stepped forward from behind, asking directly, "What is it?"
"Deliver a message for Qin Si. He wants you to lead all the disciples of Shenqi Mountain to the Qianlian Sea," Lin Qingyu said with a rather casual tone.
However, these words struck Xuan You and the Sect Master of Dongyang Mountain like a bolt of lightning.
Dongyang Mountain Sect Master: "Your Highness, what do you mean by this? The disciples of Shenqi Mountain are assisting in the Mount Qunyu battlefield. How can they be moved at will at this time?"
Even Xuan You found this action inappropriate.
"The Qianlian Sea is just Li Tingyun. Ordinary disciples going there will likely have little impact," Xuan You frowned. "If fellow Daoist Qin is acting this way out of some other reason, it's a bit much."
As Xuan You mentioned "other reason," he glanced at the Dongyang Mountain Sect Master.
The Dongyang Mountain Sect Master's face twitched, and his smile faltered. "Fellow Daoist Qian Ying, I will go and sort out those disobedient disciples of my sect immediately. Please hurry and contact Sect Master Qin and persuade him!"
The war between the righteous and demonic factions had engulfed the entire Shenqi world. It could be said that if a vertical line were drawn across Mount Qunyu, dividing it into east and west, this line would be filled with battlefields.
No matter how important the Mount Qunyu battlefield was, it was merely one of them. It was precisely because of this that, currently, the main martial force of Mount Qunyu, apart from the Xuan Nu Sect, was Shenqi Mountain.
The disciples of the Xuan Nu Sect and Shenqi Mountain stationed here were all cultivators above the Golden Core stage. The disciples sent later to support them from various sects were scattered, their cultivation levels uneven, and some were even at the Qi Refining stage!
If the disciples of Shenqi Mountain left, only the Xuan Nu Sect and the supporting disciples from other sects would remain to guard this place along with their group of alchemists. If the demonic cultivators attacked, wouldn't their alchemists be in danger?
Although the Dongyang Mountain Sect Master appeared kind and easy to talk to on the surface, he had clearly calculated all these gains and losses in his heart.
However, he did not expect Lin Qingyu to say with a half-smile, "Who said there is only Li Tingyun at the Qianlian Sea?"
Xuan You and the Dongyang Mountain Sect Master both looked at him in confusion.
Lin Qingyu let out a soft hum and, without beating around the bush, directly stated, "Yesterday, ten enormous Immortal-Ferrying Ships appeared in the Qianlian Sea region. Fellow Daoist Qin and I preliminarily estimated that there were about a thousand cultivators at the Soul Transformation stage on board."
"Hiss—"
The Dongyang Mountain Sect Master gasped.
"How did those people reach the Qianlian Sea? And why was there no news beforehand!"
Although cultivators at the Soul Transformation stage had incredible abilities and could reach a place stealthily without anyone noticing, this was a full thousand cultivators at the Soul Transformation stage!
It should be known that the reason Mount Qunyu was considered the battlefield for the decisive battle was that there were one hundred Soul Transformation cultivators stationed to the west of Mount Qunyu. The pressure in the areas where those Soul Transformation cultivators gathered had intensified, and dark clouds lingered in the sky, making it impossible to conceal the commotion.
"The forbidden area in the back mountain of the Wushang Sect!"
Xuan You suddenly thought of a place.
"It is rumored that the forbidden area in the back mountain of the Wushang Sect has eighteen ninth-tier killing formations and forty-nine Soul Transformation restrictions, all designed to conceal a massive teleportation array. However, this rumor has never been confirmed, and no one has truly seen this teleportation array. If the rumor is true, then it is not surprising that the demonic cultivators made such a large-scale move."
"But the Wushang Sect is so close to Mount Qunyu, how could we not have noticed anything?" Qian Ying's crimson lips curved, her eyes cold.
She and Xuan You spoke in unison: "Unless there is an inside informant among the patrol disciples of Mount Qunyu!"
A cold sweat trickled down the Dongyang Mountain Sect Master's forehead. "This, surely not?"
However, the other three ignored him.
Qian Ying, being decisive, stood up and said, "I will depart immediately to lead people to the Qianlian Sea. Sect Master Xuan You, Mount Qunyu is entrusted to you."
Xuan You responded with a solemn nod.
"According to the current trend, the Qianlian Sea may be the place where the demonic cultivators intend to launch their decisive battle, and Mount Qunyu is merely a feint."
A cold glint flashed across Lin Qingyu's alluring face. "Sect Master Xuan, do not underestimate the cunning of Li Tingyun and Liu Tianyun."
With that, his form suddenly transformed into a cluster of transparent phoenix-shaped flames. After a flash of light, it turned into a piece of exquisite and beautiful phoenix feather that drifted down.
It turned out that what had arrived at Mount Qunyu was merely a clone created by his incantations for delivering messages.
Qian Ying quickly gathered the disciples of Shenqi Mountain and set off for the Qianlian Sea.
Xuan You, meanwhile, was constantly pondering the matter of the traitor, her already icy expression growing even more indifferent and unapproachable. Soon, she issued an order to all the sect disciples on Mount Qunyu.
"The teams will be rearranged today. All sect disciples, except for those currently on patrol, are to proceed immediately to the summit of Mount Qunyu."
The Dongyang Mountain Sect Master walked out of Xuan You's residence, his mind heavy with thoughts, only to see his proud disciple guarding outside.
"Master, are you alright? Did fellow Daoist Qian Ying and Sect Master Xuan You trouble you?" Dong Lan Yu obediently stepped forward, supporting him, and asked with concern.
Dong Lan Yu was a child the Dongyang Mountain Sect Master had found at the foot of Dongyang Mountain.
Dong Lan Yu possessed an innate top-grade wood and fire dual spirit root, and his cultivation aptitude was far superior to that of his biological son, Dong Wu Yu. It could be said that the Dongyang Mountain Sect Master placed more hope in Dong Lan Yu than in Dong Wu Yu.
It was precisely because of this that when Dongyang Mountain Sect Master saw Dong Wu Yu performing poorly in two consecutive Shenqi Grand Assemblies, he had roared in anger, "If you cannot achieve good results in the Alchemy Competition of the Shenqi Grand Assembly, do not return to Dongyang Mountain!"
"No need to worry. Your master is now the only ninth-tier alchemist on Mount Qunyu. Even that malevolent god from Shenqi Mountain would not dare to do anything to me," the Dongyang Mountain Sect Master said, clearly proud of this identity.
Dong Lan Yu, with his sweet talk, immediately chimed in, "Indeed! There are only four ninth-tier alchemists in the entire Shenqi world right now. Daoist Zhu Xiao is still hiding in some obscure corner, while Martial Uncle Feng Ming and that Daoist Qing Lan are both afraid of death and have been in seclusion since the war began. Only you care about the world and uphold righteousness, disregarding your own safety to remain on the battlefield, and even created the Haoyang Pill to expel demonic energy for the wounded disciples on the battlefield."
"Master, if you ask me, the people from Shenqi Mountain and Xuan Nu Sect are simply ungrateful. They have benefited from the alchemists of our Dongyang Mountain but show no respect. I just saw outside that fellow Daoist Qian Ying actually took all the high-level disciples away!"
The Dongyang Mountain disciple who had questioned Qian Ying in the main hall earlier also said indignantly, "Shenqi Mountain is simply going too far!"
He selectively forgot what the Demon King Lin Qingyu had said about the Qianlian Sea and merely echoed Dong Lan Yu's sentiments, feeling extreme injustice for himself and his fellow disciples.
"Does Shenqi Mountain actually expect our Dongyang Mountain alchemists to go to the front lines?"
The Dongyang Mountain Sect Master's eyes flickered slightly, but he said, "What nonsense are you talking about! You are alchemists, how could you be made to fight against demonic cultivators?"
As they were speaking, Dong Lan Yu suddenly said, "Oh? Master, is that Senior Brother Bai? Is he looking for you?"