Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

After the cultivators from the three sects finished clearing the outer battlefield of the desolate hills and collecting the remaining traces of blood, they worked through the night to reinforce the protective array of Ling Mountain Grass Valley and the sea outpost barrier. Everyone knew that Lie Lava, wounded, had fled back to Crimson Fire Reef and would undoubtedly stir up trouble and spread rumors. The Burning Heaven Sect was vengeful and would not let the matter rest. Without eliminating the external threat, the spiritual veins would be insecure, and a battle between good and evil was inevitable and unavoidable.

The atmosphere in the council hall of Taiqing Palace was solemn and quiet, with no wind blowing.

The sect leaders of Laoshan Xuanyang Sect, Qingyun Jianchen Sect, and Shuiyue Lingxi Pavilion, along with Elder Wudao and other top-level core members of their respective sects, gathered together to weigh the pros and cons repeatedly. Finally, they established an ironclad rule: all three sect leaders and the Grand Elders in charge would remain in the heart of Lingshan Mountain to guard the Ruins Rift and stabilize the spiritual veins, never leaving their posts to prevent any changes in the heart of the mountain or sudden attacks by demons.

In the external campaigns to conquer and suppress the Burning Heaven Gate, no powerful figures were sent to oversee the campaign, nor were top-tier ancestors relied upon to crush the enemy. Instead, the deputy leaders of the three sects, who were powerful figures with real authority, led the expeditions. They relied on their respective inherited martial arts and sect artifacts to fight the enemy in real combat, aiming for a quick victory and returning to the mountain immediately after the battle was over.

The commander of the Laoshan expedition was none other than Elder Guanhai. Holding the old whisk passed down through generations of Laoshan, he did not practice flashy and ostentatious Taoist techniques, but instead focused on the Laoshan "True Transmission of Guarding the Pulse and Suppressing the Mountain". His skills lay entirely in suppressing the earth, sealing evil, stabilizing the formation, and locking down the enemy. His Taoist magic was as solid and imposing as a mountain, and he commanded the front line, in charge of overall command and control.

The commander of the Qingyun Sect's expedition was Vice Sect Master Shen Qinghan. He carried the Cold River Ancient Sword and practiced the Qingyun "Quiet Mind Slaying Evil Sword Path." His sword technique was extremely simple, fast, and precise. He did not practice fancy sword moves, but only sought to decide life and death with a single sword strike. He wielded the elite Qingyun swords and specialized in breaking evil fire and trickery.

The commander of the Water Moon Pavilion's expedition is the Deputy Sect Master, Su Wanbi. Her personal token is the Clear Wave Jade Flute. She cultivates the Water Moon "True Explanation of Soft Water to Subdue Evil," and is skilled in using water to overcome fire, using softness to restrain hardness, and dispelling evil. She is proficient in trapping formations and controlling the battlefield, assisting in the final battle, and is suitable for both offense and defense.

The three men accepted the order to take command, their auras calm and unassuming. They awaited only the order to strike at the lair of the Burning Heaven Gate.

Lin Yan, Yun Xi, Qing Yao and other elite disciples volunteered to join the battle.

Elder Guanhai's gaze swept over the crowd, and he solemnly commanded, "Raise an army at Crimson Fire Reef, raze the Burning Heaven Gate to the ground, eliminate the foreign invaders, and re-secure Mount Ling!"

At his command, Mount Ling trembled.

The cultivators of Laoshan Mountain, holding their magic seals, formed an array, their profound Daoist magic accompanying them; the sword cultivators of Qingyun Mountain rode their swords through the air, their sword light chilling and sweeping across the sky; the disciples of Shuiyue Mountain followed on their spirit boats, their watery aura protecting the array. The allied forces of the three sects marched across the sea, their momentum orderly, heading straight for the Chihuo Reef Islands in the southeastern sea of ​​Laoshan Mountain.

The Crimson Fire Reef Islands are far from the mainland, covered with volcanic crater rocks, barren of vegetation, with perpetual eruptions of subterranean fire, towering waves, and fiery steam rising from the sea surface, ravaged by raging fire spirits. The islands surround the Guixu Sea entrance, guarding the only sea route into the Laoshan Sea area. The terrain is extremely treacherous, with fire energy and sea evil intertwined, making it the very place where the Burning Heaven Sect is entrenched.

Lie Lava fled back to the mountain gate, exaggerating the battle situation and falsely accusing the three sects of being domineering in seizing the veins and provoking trouble without cause. The Burning Heaven Sect had long coveted the Hidden Crystal Spirit Vein and often took advantage of the Sea Spirit Tide to approach Laoshan and cause trouble. Upon hearing this, their fighting spirit soared, and their four core combat forces immediately took their positions, ready to fight.

Lie Cang, the sect leader of the Burning Heaven Sect, wields the sect's deadly weapon, the Burning Fire Broadblaze Blade. He cultivates the "Burning Body Fire Fiend Technique," relying not on fancy moves but on his brute strength and domineering, fierce fire energy. In combat, he uses his fire energy to burn the body and deliver hard blows and crushing blows.

The strategist Yan Ce wields a poisonous fire feather fan and employs unorthodox methods in the realm of fire. He avoids direct confrontation, instead using fire and poison traps to subtly erode the mind and spirit. He is cunning and treacherous, killing without a trace of fire.

Left Protector Chigu is skilled in close-quarters combat, wielding a burning rock wolf-tooth club. He has practiced hardening his skin and flesh, using his physical body to resist magic and his brute force to break through formations. He is fearless and undaunted.

The Right Protector, Fire Dove, excels at ambushing from the shadows. He is adept at using quenched poison needles, roaming around to snipe and wear down enemies from a distance. His insidious and difficult-to-defend tactics are well-known.

Just as the four powerful figures were about to set sail to provoke trouble, they looked up and saw the allied forces of the three sects coming across the sea, completely surrounding Crimson Fire Reef and blocking all sea routes for retreat.

Lie Cang's crimson hair stood on end, his blazing broadsword blazing with even greater fire, and he roared, shaking the sea: "The three sects have gone too far! Today, Crimson Fire Reef will be your burial ground!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the four core members of the Burning Heaven Sect emerged simultaneously, and the cultivators under their command roared and charged into battle. Flames surged and fire filled the sky, and a life-or-death battle instantly erupted.

Shen Qinghan took the lead and stepped out into the air. The Cold River Ancient Sword was drawn, its sword wind cold and silent. He said in a cold voice, "The Heaven-Burning Evil Fire is wreaking havoc in the East Sea. Today, the Azure Cloud Sword Path will eradicate evil at its root."

The sword does not split mountains or cleave the earth, but only pierces through evil with a focused mind. A condensed and sharp sword light cuts straight down from the sky, without showing off or making a fuss, but specifically targeting the core of the fire wave, cutting through the raging flames in the middle, and the fire energy dissipates on the spot.

Yan Ce lightly waved his feather fan, chuckled sinisterly, and activated his poisonous fire technique: "The righteous path talks empty words of righteousness, but taste the bone-corroding flavor of my Fire Domain."

He immediately deployed the Poisonous Fire Entangling Heart Formation. The black and red poisonous fire was like smoke and mist, not attacking the physical body, but specifically entangling the cultivator's meridians and Dao heart. Once it touched the body, it would corrode spiritual power and disturb the mind. It was a sinister and evil force that was hard to guard against.

Su Wan played her jade flute softly, the sound of water flowing gently, the power of the water spreading out: "Evil fire and poisonous miasma, water and moon to dispel evil."

The Gentle Water Sealing Evil Formation was activated, and vast expanses of cold water spread out of thin air. Instead of confronting the enemy head-on, the water layered around the fire poison, neutralizing it and trapping the formation. The poisonous fire was neutralized and suppressed upon encountering the water, and the treacherous situation was instantly broken.

Unable to endure the prolonged fight, Chigu brandished his spiked club, which blazed with fire, and charged forward with simple and brutal moves. His move, Burning Rock and Shattering Mountain, was a powerful strike that slammed down with the force of fire, determined to break the Water Moon Formation with a single blow.

Elder Guanhai stepped forward, lightly waving his old Zhenyue whisk, and a powerful Daoist spell landed: "Evil and barbaric forces are disrupting the Dao; Laoshan will suppress them."

He unleashed the Mountain-Sealing Seal, a golden-brown seal as steady as a mountain. It neither roared nor exploded, but simply pressed down firmly, forcefully catching the heavy blow from the spiked club. The rocks and soil surged and trembled, the fire energy dissipated, and Chi Gu was forced to retreat repeatedly, along with the club, his tiger's mouth split open.

Fire Dove hid in the shadows, silently shooting its quenched poison needles into the three sects' formation, specifically targeting the weakest cultivators for a sneak attack.

Qingyao's water sleeves fluttered, and her water elemental power condensed into a shield and blade, providing both defense and offense: "Don't be so presumptuous as to use sneaky attacks."

He activated the flowing water to create a protective shield, with layers of water curtains stacked one after another, blocking all the poison needles flying everywhere. Then, he transformed the water blades back into the shadows, forcing the Fire Dove to have nowhere to hide and no longer daring to launch a sneak attack.

Lin Yan stood at the heart of the allied forces' formation, with his inkstone and the Dingyuan Pearl floating in the air before him. The deep, dark light of the inkstone and the shimmering light of the abyss resonated with each other, one calming the land and the other the sea, the Daoist aura of guarding the pulse flowing around him: "Playing with fire will bring disaster to the pulse, and in the end, one will bring about one's own destruction."

Activating the Inkstone's protective energy, the two treasures combined to draw upon the power of the earth's veins, quietly spreading out without being violent or aggressive, but rather steadily suppressing the entire battle. Any close-range cultivators from the Burning Heaven Sect who got close were repelled or injured by the earth's vein energy, and the battle lines instantly collapsed.

Yunxi's brow gleamed with a faint light from the sword heart, and the newly born innate Azure Cloud Sword Intent condensed into the longsword. The sword move was clean and crisp: "The sword heart vanquishes evil, leaving no remnants."

With a single sword strike, the Azure Cloud Purifying Fire descended, its pure intent suppressing the evil fire. Wherever the sword light passed, the flames shattered and the malevolent energy dissipated. The disciples of the Burning Heaven Sect were forced into retreat, their hearts filled with fear.

The battle was devoid of exaggerated clashes; instead, it was a contest between sects and a balancing act between techniques. The three sects cooperated seamlessly, tightening their grip step by step, causing the Burning Heaven Sect to suffer repeated defeats and increasing casualties.

Yan Ce's scheme was broken, and he was unwilling to accept it. He wanted to use the forbidden poison fire technique to perish together with his enemy. Shen Qinghan saw through his heart and used the "Quiet Heart Slaying Evil - Return to the End" sword technique. The sword path was extremely simple and went straight for the vital point, breaking his secret technique and severing his feather fan. The strategist died on the spot.

With his brute force raging, Chi Gu charged forward again. Elder Guan Hai unleashed the Myriad Laws Suppressing Evil Seal once more, the power of a mountain pressing down on him, shattering his physical body and killing him instantly.

Huo Jiu's sneak attack failed, and he was locked onto by Yun Xi's sword heart, which sealed his throat with a single strike, leaving him with no chance of survival.

With the three core members all killed, only the sect leader, Lie Cang, was left to make a desperate gamble. He burned his own life essence and blood to unleash his strongest move, the Burning Body Wildfire Fiend. The entire Crimson Fire Reef erupted with magma, and flames soared into the sky as he desperately tried to turn the tide.

Elder Guanhai used his Zhenyue whisk to stabilize the situation, while Shen Qinghan used his Hanjiang Ancient Sword to slay evil. The two inherited powers of the sword and the defense combined, without showing off any big moves. With just one suppression and one annihilation, they forcefully shattered the forbidden flame technique. Lie Cang's essence and blood were exhausted, and he fell to the ground with serious injuries, no longer able to resist.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Lie Lava turned around and tried to escape by riding the waves. Lin Yan's eyes narrowed, and the inkstone and Dingyuan Pearl simultaneously shone brightly. A black and white intertwined pulse-suppressing divine light shot out accurately, piercing through his shoulder and capturing him on the spot.

The fire gradually died down, and the smoke dissipated.

The Crimson Fire Reef, where the Burning Heaven Sect had been based, was reduced to scorched earth. The evil sects were wiped out in one fell swoop, the external threat was completely eliminated, the three sects' allied forces won a great victory, and morale was high.

But just as everyone finished their practice and caught their breath—

boom--!!!

A deep, muffled rumble erupted from the depths of the Guixu Rift, causing the entire East Sea land to tremble violently. Rocks tumbled down from the Lingshan Grass Valley, and the spiritual veins surged and churned.

A jet-black demonic pillar shot into the sky, obscuring half the heavens. Its chilling, malevolent aura swept across the land, its ferocity far exceeding that of the Heaven-Burning Evil Fire. From the depths of the void, a muffled, bone-chilling roar echoed, causing all cultivators' blood to surge and their Dao hearts to tremble.

The inkstone and Dingyuan Pearl in front of Lin Yan trembled violently, the sound of the two treasures resonating in all directions, and the power of guarding the meridians was restless.

Yunxi's brow and sword heart spontaneously heated up, her sword intent instinctively protecting her body.

Elder Guanhai gazed at the black mist that filled the sky above Guixu, his face solemn, and let out a long sigh that echoed throughout the mountains and fields:

"The external threat has just been quelled..."