After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

Those Nascent Soul stage monsters who usually live in seclusion and haven't shown their faces for hundreds of years,

There are even quite a few patriarch-level figures who claim to have already passed away.

They all emerged from seclusion at the same time, as if an invisible hand had been pulling all the power away.

They were all quietly placed on the chessboard.

Lin Fengmian went through these messages one by one in his mind, and vaguely sensed that the unusual movements of these Nascent Soul cultivators...

It is likely that he has some connection with his first wife, Nangong Li, who ascended to the Spirit Realm.

The extraordinary phenomena that Nangong Li caused when he ascended to heaven could be sensed by any cultivator in Qingzhou with even a little bit of cultivation.

Such a commotion would surely be felt not only by ordinary Core Formation cultivators, but even by Nascent Soul level monsters.

For Nascent Soul cultivators who are trapped in the lower realm and whose lifespans are about to end, the opportunity to ascend to the Spirit Realm is like a bright lamp suddenly lit in the darkness.

They couldn't sit still any longer; each one wanted to grasp at that lifeline, unwilling to waste their lifespan living in the mortal realm.

The Tianxing Alliance clearly took advantage of this turmoil to gather together those old monsters who were originally acting independently, forming the massive force that is now capable of overturning the entire Qingzhou landscape.

On his first day back at the Hehuan Sect, Lin Fengmian hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when an urgent report interrupted his thoughts.

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside his cave, followed by Honglian's clear and urgent voice:

"Feng Mian! Come to the council hall immediately!"

Lin Fengmian's heart tightened. Without the slightest hesitation, he flashed and flew up on his sword, landing in front of the council hall a moment later.

He pushed open the door and entered. He saw that the atmosphere inside the hall was solemn. Chu Qingyi sat upright in the main seat. Her face under the veil was slightly pale, but her eyes were still calm and deep.

In the center of the main hall, Xiao Fenghuang stood bowing, looking anxious. He had clearly rushed here and hadn't even had time to catch his breath.

"Reporting to the Supreme Elder!" Xiao Fenghuang's voice was somewhat hurried, but still clear and articulate.

"The Heavenly Demon Sect and the Yin Mountain Palace have already attacked! They have now allied with the Heavenly Star Alliance and are leading a large army to besiege my Hehuan Sect's mountain gate on the orders of the Heavenly Star Alliance!"

He paused, then continued:

"The enemy's army is pressing in, with countless flying boats covering the sky, a dark mass that seems to stretch as far as the eye can see! The Heavenly Demon Sect has brought their treasured Heavenly Demon Banner, and the Yinshan Palace has also brought out their treasured Nine Nether White Bone Pagoda."

Even more troublesome is that the opponent also possesses a formation-breaking pestle, specifically designed to counter the mountain-protecting formation. I estimate that the sect's formation probably won't last more than three days!

Xiao Fenghuang took a deep breath and stated the conditions conveyed by the other party: "They declared that as long as you hand over Junior Nephew Lin and join the Heavenly Star Alliance, you can avoid the calamity of war. Otherwise... the entire Hehuan Sect will be wiped out!"

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.

The elders' expressions turned extremely grim. Some clenched their fists, some lowered their heads, and some subconsciously looked at Chu Qingyi in the main seat.

Chu Qingyi remained silent for a moment, a hint of anger flashing across her exquisite face beneath the veil.

"What exactly is the Celestial Star Alliance?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling edge. That chill wasn't fear of the enemy, but rather the fury of someone whose bottom line had been crossed.

She slowly stood up, her sleeves fluttering slightly. A pure nascent soul silently spread out, like an invisible giant net, instantly taking in the scene outside the mountain gate.

Lin Fengmian stood to the side, only to feel a cold divine sense sweep past him, and then he sensed that Chu Qingyi's divine sense had already reached outside the mountain gate.

Her brows furrowed slightly.

In Chu Qingyi's divine sense, the area outside the Hehuan Sect's mountain gate had now become a huge battlefield front.

The sky was almost completely obscured by countless flying ships of all sizes, each shrouded in various colored lights, some as large as a mobile fortress.

Even the smaller ones were over ten zhang long, like a group of bloodthirsty sharks, completely surrounding the gate of the Hehuan Sect.

The most striking of them were the two enormous flagships. The one on the left was entirely black, its hull shrouded in dense demonic energy, and its prow was carved with a ferocious demonic statue—it was the flagship of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Dozens of massive cannons were lined up on each side of the ship, their muzzles gleaming with spiritual light. Each boom was equivalent to a full-force attack from a late-stage Core Formation cultivator.

It slammed hard against the light barrier of the mountain-protecting formation, creating violent ripples.

The ship on the right was entirely white, as if it were made of piled-up bones, exuding a sinister chill; it was the Nine Nether White Bone Ship of Yinshan Palace.

On those flying boats of various sizes, thousands of cultivators were simultaneously activating their spells, and countless talismans poured down like snowflakes.

Firelight, ice spikes, sword energy, poisonous mist... a variety of attacks intertwined to form a deadly giant net, causing the Hehuan Sect's protective array to teeter on the brink of collapse, its spiritual light flickering erratically.

Under such a dense onslaught, the mountain-protecting formation could only passively take the hits. Ripples constantly spread across the surface of the light barrier, and fine cracks appeared in some places.

Chu Qingyi slowly withdrew her divine sense. Her eyes remained calm, but beneath that calm lay a burning rage.

She glanced around at everyone in the hall, her voice clear and firm:

"Pass on my order! All disciples of the sect, prepare to meet the enemy!"

She paused, then said, word by word:

"Anyone who offends my Hehuan Sect will be killed without mercy!"

Those words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer, and the elders' previously uneasy gazes became firm at that moment.

After the meeting, everyone dispersed and quickly began to arrange defenses.

Honglian did not leave with the others, but transformed into a streak of light and flew straight towards Lin Fengmian's cave.

The moment she landed, Lin Fengmian had already received the message and was standing in front of the cave entrance, his brows furrowed, clearly also pondering a countermeasure.

The Hehuan Sect was, after all, only a second-rate sect in Qingzhou. In terms of foundation and strength, it was far inferior to first-rate sects like the Heavenly Demon Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Once the Divine Origin Alliance launches a full-scale attack, not only will his own life be in danger, but his Daoist partner and brothers will likely suffer as well.

Although he has successfully formed his core and his combat power far surpasses that of ordinary cultivators of the same level, he is still only a Core Formation cultivator in the end.

Even with extraordinary combat prowess, it's impossible for one person to change the course of the battle against thousands of cultivators and two sect-protecting treasures.

Just as he was deep in thought, Honglian hurriedly landed in front of him, her eyes filled with complex emotions, including worry and reluctance.

"Fengmian," her voice was urgent, "the sect is preparing a secret passage to send out the core disciples. You'll go with them. Leave now, or it will be too late."