There is a progress bar in my cultivation of immortality

Chapter 1096 Changes in Situation
Zi Luan stood quietly at the core of the Taiyan Sect's Star Observation Platform, his aura resonating faintly with the massive Zhou Tian Star Orbit Array beneath his feet. His gaze was deep and unfathomable, fixed on the vast star map in front of him, where the interwoven streams of light depicted the grandest chess game under the starry sky.

Since he made his first move under the pretext of "retrieving the secret method," the entire Xuanmen sphere of influence has been plunged into violent turmoil and reorganization as expected. The clear light representing the Taiyan Sect on the star map spread at an unprecedented speed and breadth, like greedy roots, penetrating into every corner that was once controlled by unorthodox sects, aristocratic families, and even small and medium-sized sects.

The authority of the Taiyan Sect is penetrating downwards with unprecedented force and concentrating upwards with unprecedented efficiency.

Countless sects offered up their accumulated resources or unique inherited methods to show their loyalty or in exchange for protection. Mines, pill workshops, and flying boat docks that were originally independent were gradually taken over by the deacons and disciples sent by the Taiyan Sect under the guise of "coordinating wartime supplies," and their outputs were given priority in the Taiyan's treasury and allocation system.

A large number of cultivators from the third realm were attracted by the elusive opportunity to enter the fourth realm. Some volunteered to join them, while others were dragged into the purge. Their strength and loyalty were being reorganized by the Taiyan Sect's recruitment list, causing the lower and middle levels of the Taiyan Sect to expand at an unprecedented rate, becoming bloated but also more powerful.

The decrees of the Taiyan Sect now carry real weight under the starry sky. Those forces that used to outwardly comply but inwardly defy them have either been wiped out by the iron-blooded annihilation or have completely submitted, daring not to disobey in the slightest.

Zi Luan could even clearly sense that the faith power directed towards the Taiyan Sect had become somewhat stronger.

All of this was within Zi Luan's expectations and his planning. He had painstakingly set up this scheme, hoping to seize this opportunity to firmly grasp all the power he could control and lay a solid foundation for future confrontations at a higher level.

He saw the internal chaos and sacrifices as an acceptable price to pay for achieving his grand goals; however, any grand plan always has its blind spots and backlashes.

When the behemoth that is Taiyan Sect focuses most of its attention and fangs on internal integration, its perception and reaction to the outside world inevitably become sluggish.

The long, winding front line on the star map, confronting the Demon Lord, is gradually dimming at an imperceptible speed. This means that the light stream of logistical supplies is becoming weak, the arrows of reinforcements are sparse and slow, and the distress signals from various fortresses are like pebbles thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples but failing to receive a timely and powerful response.

Zi Luan was not unaware of these signals, but he judged that the benefits of internal integration far outweighed the pressure of the front-line battle. However, he underestimated the Demon Lord's patience and ruthlessness, as well as the depth of the erosion of the overall defense system by internal chaos.

When the Taiyan Sect carried out its "clean house" mission, the Vajra Temple, Linshui Mansion, and the Underground Cave Sect also keenly sensed the opportunity to reshape the landscape. They all expanded their power in their own ways, either by annexing the weak or by winning over allies, in an attempt to get a bigger share of the pie in this upheaval led by the Taiyan Sect.

Only the True Yang Sect, because the Fiery Sun True Lord was suppressed by Wang Ping and the new True Lord has not yet awakened, can only hide on Mars and near the sun, and summon all its disciples back, pretending not to participate in the struggle.

The authority of the "Dao Palace," which maintains order on the front lines and coordinates the three forces of Tianmen, Xuanmen, and the Demon Clan, has been severely challenged by the internal strife within Xuanmen. After all, at this moment, each force is primarily concerned with its own gains and losses in the internal struggle, rather than the overall defense needs of the front lines.

The failure of this coordination mechanism created a fatal gap in the frontline defense system.

How could the Demon Lord miss such a golden opportunity? He did not rush to launch a full-scale attack, but instead hid his vicious fangs in the shadows and used even more insidious tricks to lure those cultivators of the third realm of the unorthodox sects who were either resentful or deeply desperate due to the strong expansion of the Taiyan Sect and other Xuanmen.

Many who were either cornered, had their ambitions ignited, or were simply seeking a way to survive, quietly sided with the Demon Lord under the dual drive of despair and temptation.

They did not immediately raise the flag of rebellion, but rather, like a lurking tumor, they became deeply embedded within the frontline defense system.

As a result, even more deadly chaos erupted on the front lines: the defensive arrays at certain key nodes would "accidentally" fail at critical moments; the supply fleet was repeatedly plundered by "unknown forces," which were eventually discovered to be internal collusion; and the transmission of vital military intelligence was delayed or tampered with.

These internal rebellions and sabotages were far more deadly than external attacks. They greatly exacerbated the chaos at the front, depleted the already insufficient energy and resources of the defenders, and made the already fragile defenses even more riddled with holes.

Although the Dao Palace tried its best to suppress the situation, its efforts had little effect due to the fact that the Xuanmen were fighting on their own. The front-line troops not only had to face the pressure of the external Demon Lord's army, but also had to be wary of daggers coming from behind. Their morale was getting lower and lower, and the situation was deteriorating rapidly like an avalanche.

Suddenly one day…

A demonic tide, imbued with countless negative emotions and a destructive will, carrying with it precise intelligence and access channels provided by the bewitched spies, broke through the already riddled defense system of the Demon Star's front line with unprecedented ferocity!
This time, the Demon Lord clearly poured all his strength into it. The overwhelming demonic energy obscured the starry sky around the Demon Star. Countless ferocious demons, demonic cultivators piloting bone ships and evil boats, as well as those traitorous cultivators who had recently defected with eyes flashing with fanaticism or despair, swarmed towards the land of the Demon Star like locusts.

Although the demon army left behind fought desperately, engaging in a fierce battle with the demon army on the surface of the star, the demon army was well-prepared, and internal traitors frequently caused trouble, causing the demon defenses to retreat step by step.

At this critical moment, the demon star's garrison sent out a distress signal to the Dao Palace, all the Xuanmen and Tianmen, and even directly requested the True Lords guarding the rear to take action.

However, even the True Lord of the Demon Clan's main branch, who guarded the Great Luo Star, did not respond to them.

This situation is like the story of "three monks having no water to drink". Tiangong and the others are probably waiting for Wang Ping to make a move, while the demon clan's true lords are looking forward to the arrival of the true lords of Xuanmen and Tianmen. Even Xuanqing thought that Wang Ping would make a move.

After several days of brutal fighting, the outer defenses of the demon star collapsed completely, and the core area fell one after another.

Finally, accompanied by a mournful, violent tremor emanating from the core of the star, the last protective array of the demon race that enveloped the demon star shattered completely.

The soaring demonic flames eventually devoured the last remaining beacon tower on the demonic star.

The stars have changed hands.

The overwhelming aura of bloodlust, the desperate resentment, and the vast vitality inherent in the demon star itself all nourished the Demon Lord and his demon army.

The fall of the demon star was like a heavy death knell, tolling in the hearts of every cultivator who was still concerned about the situation on the front lines.

When Zi Luan received the message, although his expression remained calm, a subtle disturbance appeared in the resonance between his body and the Zhou Tian Star Orbit Array. He had achieved his goal of strengthening the Taiyan Sect, but unintentionally, he had paved a blood-stained path to the deeper starry sky for the Demon Lord.

The cost seemed to be exceeding his calculations.

This was clearly not a consequence he could bear, so he immediately transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the Ascension Platform in outer space to seek the True Lord's decree.

It was at this moment that the aura of the Earthly True Lord suddenly surged in the starry sky. A few breaths later, a violent energy fluctuation came from the direction of the Demon Star. It was clear that the Earthly True Lord had made a move. Unfortunately, it was too late to make a move now.

At that moment, a colorful, mysterious light suddenly appeared on the public ascension platform in Jupiter's orbit, followed by the release of a refreshing celestial aura.

It was the Xuanqing True Lord of the Jade Purity Sect who personally arrived!
Zi Luan, who was on the Ascension Platform in outer space of Jupiter, felt his primordial spirit tremble, but he could only stay there quietly and wait. As the Starry Sky Cloud Bridge was erected above the Ascension Platform, Zi Luan quickly lowered his head, fearing that Xuanqing Zhenjun would be angered and kill him at will.

This is the awe that cultivators have for a True Monarch under this starry sky. However, Xuan Qing did not pay attention to Zi Luan even once. He descended to Jiu Xuan Mountain with the cloud bridge. When he faced Wang Ping's clone, he turned his gaze to the rain lotus that had been waiting for a long time on the tree branch and asked, "Where is Fellow Daoist Chang Qing?"

Yu Lian answered truthfully, "He is in seclusion cultivating, and it is at a crucial time. I will not wake him unless absolutely necessary."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Xuanqing's eyes, his gaze seemingly piercing through the past and the future in an instant. He then cupped his hands to Yulian and said, "Well, in that case, this humble Daoist will not disturb him any longer."

After he finished speaking, he turned into a beam of colorful light and disappeared. Yu Lian breathed a sigh of relief, looked up at Zi Luan on the Ascension Platform in outer space, and transmitted her voice to him: "Keep your disciples in check and send a sufficiently powerful fleet to support the front line as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Zi Luan felt as if he had been granted a pardon and immediately performed a deep bowing ceremony in the direction of Jiuxuan Mountain.

...

On the other hand, Xuan Qing, having left Jupiter's orbital region, headed first to Venus.

Tiangong received Xuanqing on a high mountain in the far north of Venus. This area, which is covered by sunlight all year round, has an indescribable cleanliness, a cleanliness brought about by the light source.

"What does Changqing say?" Tiangong asked Wang Ping's attitude before even inviting Xuanqing to sit down.

“Fellow Daoist Changqing is in seclusion and has most likely fallen into a deep sleep,” Xuanqing said bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Tiangong frowned slightly. The thought of 'kicking someone when they're down' only flashed through his mind for a moment. While inviting Xuanqing to sit down, he said, "Changqing is truly favored by the Heavenly Dao. He is even better than Yaoxi back then. This slumber clearly indicates that his cultivation has greatly improved. I wonder if the Dragon Lord can suppress him when he comes out of seclusion."

Xuanqing sat down and glanced at the magnificent golden pagoda in the distance. He said, "With our current cultivation level, we are no longer able to interfere in the debate between Dragon Lord and Fellow Daoist Changqing. I am here for matters at the front."

Tiangong personally boiled water and brewed tea. Upon hearing this, he tidied up the tea set and said, "Most of the five realm cultivators available in this starry sky, apart from us, have now joined Changqing's forces. Without his voice, what's the point of relying solely on us at the front lines?"

He looked up at Xuanqing as he said this, "Moreover, this incident was caused by the Taiyan Sect, and it may have been instigated by Changqing."

Xuan Qing waved his hand and asked, "What do you want?"

He asked directly.

"At least punish the culprits who caused this unrest, right?"

"anything else?"

"The secret methods of Jupiter and weapon cultivation in the four realms of unorthodox sects."

Xuanqing gave Tiangong a serious look and said, "Have you been staying in your own Buddhist world for too long? If you really want these things, then go and talk to Fellow Daoist Changqing yourself."

Tiangong raised an eyebrow. "Why should I give anything if there's nothing to offer?"

Upon hearing this, Xuanqing exchanged a glance with Tiangong. "This is why you are unpopular. What reason do you need to deal with the demonic cultivators from beyond the realm? If Fellow Daoist Changqing were in a sober state, he wouldn't be haggling over this issue. This is a truth that even Fellow Daoist Diwen knows. What have you gained from all these years of scheming?"

"The saint is merciful~"

Tiangong uttered those four words subconsciously, then fell into deep thought. When a cup of hot tea was ready, he looked at Xuanqing and said, "You were right. We are no longer qualified to comment on the game between the Dragon Lord and Changqing. It is our duty to stop the Demon Lord. I will immediately gather my disciples and send Wangqing to Da Luo Star to oversee the situation."

At that moment, he thought of Lieyang's fate. A Xuanmen True Lord was suppressed silently, and not a single person dared to stand up and say a word of 'no'.

Xuanqing picked up his teacup, a smile appearing on his face, and said, "It should have been done long ago."

After the two reached a consensus, their intangible will quickly transformed into tangible action. The massive war machines of Xuanmen and Tianmen finally broke free from the quagmire of internal strife and turned some of their attention back to the front lines.

In the core shipyards of the major sects, ships originally used for internal transportation or confrontation were urgently modified and painted with the insignia of the front-line Dao Palace. Fleets composed of various colored flying boats began to assemble. They were no longer divided by sect, but instead uniformly flew the joint flag representing the coordination of the Dao Palace.

This time, there was not much bickering or delay. With the clear stance of True Lords Xuanqing and Tiangong, and the painful lesson of the fall of the Demon Star, all forces temporarily put aside their internal conflicts, demonstrating remarkable efficiency.

Meanwhile, the fleet and Qi cultivators who had arrived earlier in the orbital region of Da Luo Xing began to race against time to build defensive fortifications.

In the frigid starry sky, a massive spiritual energy array was ignited, spewing out scorching energy streams that assembled pre-refined giant alloy components. One after another, magnificent star fortresses transformed from skeletons into solid structures at a visible speed.

Under the guidance of their sect elders, countless Qi cultivators inscribed complex and powerful runes in the void, constructing crisscrossing energy barriers and trap zones.

After the initial panic and chaos, the demon army guarding the Great Luo Star was reorganized under the supervision and reassurance of the Earthly True Lord, and coordinated with the arriving Xuanmen and Tianmen reinforcements to deploy defenses.

A new round of confrontation slowly unfolded amidst silent and tense preparations…

Meanwhile, the Dragon King remained silent in his Dragon Palace deep within Mercury, and Wang Ping slept soundly under the quiet starry sky, listening to the stories Yu Lian had written for him.

(End of this chapter)