Above in the sky, after the sect leader Wan Hong finished speaking, he directly tore open a spatial rift and entered the Ghost Realm.
His words struck like lightning from a clear sky, plunging the once lively Five Elements Hall into instantaneous silence.
This was followed by an uproarious clamor.
"What's going on? How did the decisive battle start so suddenly?"
In the courtyard of the Wan Lei family, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Tian Suanzi's hand, holding a piece of food, froze mid-air.
"It must be the decisive battle with the Demon Clan that has begun," Wan Lei declared, slapping the table and rising to his feet. He looked at everyone sternly and asked, "Everyone, it's time to head to the battlefield. Are you all ready?"
Everyone shook their heads in unison. Ready for what? They were happily eating hot pot and singing songs, and all of a sudden, they were facing a decisive battle against the Demon Clan. Such a momentous event was something they hadn't even begun to process, so how could they be ready?
"Calm down a bit. Don't get so hot-headed. Assembling an army isn't something that can be prepared in a moment. The war hasn't started yet, so going early won't do any good," Wan Qianxin said, pulling Wan Lei back to his seat.
"Let's analyze this briefly. We were just discussing why the Demon Clan's offensive had suddenly slowed down in the past two months. Now we understand. The Demon Clan's armies have undoubtedly been gathering for the past two months, preparing for a massive invasion of our Main Plane. That's why the Sect Leader has declared the entire Origin Plane to be in a state of war. Only during total war does he personally take charge of all military affairs. He personally commanded during the Immortal-God War, and also during the subsequent Positive-Negative War. The fact that he's stepping in to command suggests how dire the situation of this war is."
Xia Yubing offered a different perspective on Wan Qianxin's words, "Is there no possibility that we are the ones attacking the Negative Plane? We've been defending for so long against the Demon Clan, always on the defensive, never attacking their Negative Plane universe. This time, could it be that we've endured too much humiliation and are gathering our forces for a counter-attack, to show them a thing or two?"
Hearing this, Wan Qianxin looked at Xia Bing as if he were looking at an idiot. "Please use that pig brain of yours and try to imagine properly. Our Main Plane has a normal social order and policies for steady development, while the Demon Clan are a nation in arms, relying entirely on plunder for development. In terms of military strength, we are far inferior to the Demon Clan. As you yourself said, we've always been on the defensive against the Demon Clan, never attacking. So why would we be able to attack the Demon Clan now? Even if we gathered the entire Origin Plane's forces to attack the Demon Clan's initial universe, we wouldn't be able to conquer it. It would only lead to the annihilation of our entire army. We struggle to defeat them on our home turf, and you want to go to their turf? You must have water in your brain."
"You... you're boosting the enemy's morale..."
"Oh, cut the crap. Don't blabber. This time, it's not us seeking a decisive battle with the Demon Clan; it's the Demon Clan initiating a decisive battle against us. Over this period, the Demon Clan has consolidated its forces, undoubtedly making thorough preparations to fight a war of extermination, a battle for survival. The wars we fought before, with millions or tens of millions of troops, looked grand and formidable, but compared to this decisive battle, they were child's play. The Origin Plane and the Negative Plane have countless universes and so many people, and those wars were on the scale of million-strong legions, where individual strength was infinitely diminished. This time, everyone needs to be psychologically prepared."
As for what kind of psychological preparation was needed, it was naturally the preparation for death in battle. Wan Lei sighed, "Alas, the Immortal Venerable is currently tied up in the Negative Plane and cannot protect the Main Plane. The Demon Clan, seeing an opportunity, wants to destroy us. This matter concerns the survival of our race, so we must exert our utmost effort to kill as many enemies as possible."
"However, there is also good news. Since the Immortal Venerable cannot participate, neither can our Demon Lord. We won't be wiped out with a single blow from the Demon Lord, and we can still contribute by killing enemies."
"Alright, enough dwelling on it. I'll report our team to the Military Affairs Council. You all check to see how the ammunition on the spaceship is prepared, and also, what you need individually, go exchange it at the Merit Hall."
"Forget it. The Merit Hall is already packed to the brim; there's no way to get in. Besides, we've been fighting for the past two years and have replenished our supplies immediately upon returning each time. We don't lack anything right now. Let's just head to the Ghost Realm."
"Alright then, let's go."
The group boarded the spaceship. Instead of going to the spatial jumping point in the Five Elements Hall, they directly targeted the spatial jumping point on Ghost Emperor Island in the Ghost Realm and entered it.
A decisive battle with the Demon Clan was imminent. This news had come too suddenly. The vast majority of the disciples from the Nine Halls began preparations in full swing. Some rushed to the Merit Hall to exchange for magical treasures, using their accumulated merit points to acquire items, striving to kill more enemies or live a little longer on the battlefield. Others were calling their team members, urging them to assemble immediately and report to the Military Affairs Council. Some were saying goodbye and embracing their loved ones, preparing to march to the battlefield. The disciples of the Pill Hall, who had no combat mission, also received countless orders, with most of the pills being for healing and life-saving.
Not only the Five Elements Hall was mobilized, but upon receiving Wan Hong's command, all forces across the entire Origin Plane were set in motion. All the spatial jumping points of the Five Elements Hall lit up with pillars of light. Simultaneously, over a dozen jumping points outside the city of Chang'an in the Great Tang also lit up. The Great Tang Empire was the first to respond. Before the establishment of the Five Elements Hall, the Great Tang Empire was the most prosperous nation in the Immortal Realm, possessing the largest and strongest army. However, its jurisdiction was only the central part of the Immortal Realm continent, yet its military power had always been invincible. Furthermore, the Great Tang Empire's army had trained for war against the God Clan in those years, not other forces in the Immortal Realm. After the establishment of the Five Elements Hall, the Five Elements Hall built its own army, and the Great Tang's army became a mere decoration. Apart from operating within the Great Tang, they had no other significant role, and many of their troops were even absorbed by the Five Elements Hall. Upon receiving the orders, the Great Tang's army quickly assembled, preparing to receive orders and enter the battlefield. The Han Sect south of Chang'an City and the Gu Sect to the north had all their disciples and elders recalled and assembled, preparing to march. The students of Yan Tower Academy were also organized and issued weapons uniformly. In the Northern Sea Demon Clan's Heavenly Court on the Immortal Realm continent, the Heavenly Emperor Di Jun, after issuing a command to assemble for battle, immediately departed for the Ghost Realm. In the Western Desert Buddhist Sect, the Buddha, after issuing his orders, also left. The Guiyi Alliance in the Southern Territory also issued a call for cultivators and rogue cultivators from various forces in the Southern Territory to gather and resist the strong enemy. In the starry sky, cultivators from countless forces activated their teleportation arrays, heading towards the Five Elements Hall branches in their respective star domains.