Deep within the Great Void starry expanse, in a frigid, lifeless star domain.
Here, landmasses spanning tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of miles, floated like ancient behemoths through the void, all long dead, their surfaces devoid of any sign of life.
Buried deep within these lands, powerful beings with divine abilities had carved out vast spaces, creating environments ideal for the Magic Clan's progeny to thrive, far from the traditional territories of human cultivators. Undiscovered for countless years, these sanctuaries remained hidden from the outside world.
Atop a particularly majestic blood-red tower, numerous lavish thrones were arranged in a circle. At the core, over a dozen figures exuding terrifying pressure sat in silence, communicating swiftly with their divine thoughts.
"Why must we wage war on such a grand scale? Our forces are insufficient, and it is not yet time for a full-scale conflict. The Supreme Scripture prophesied the day of the divine war is still nearly ten thousand years away. Have you all forgotten?"
An authoritative voice tinged with barely concealed anger echoed on the divine soul level.
Silence fell for a moment before a slightly defiant voice responded:
"We do not wish to defy the divine decrees of the Supreme Scripture, but circumstances have changed. One of our secret settlements within human territory was accidentally discovered by human cultivators. All our kin there were slaughtered, and those cultivators didn't stop there. They launched a thorough search, uncovering more of our settlements! Hence, the situation has escalated to what it is now."
Another aged voice sighed, "I warned long ago that establishing secret settlements within human territory was unwise, the risk of exposure too great. Even with many compelling reasons, it cannot justify such a mistake. Now that it has happened, what should we do? Given the ruthless nature of human cultivators, they will undoubtedly sweep through their territories until they've eradicated all of our kin!
We have no choice but to fight. We, the sacred progeny, are the true masters of the Great Void. Those human cultivators have merely stolen the authority that rightfully belongs to us. One day, we will drive them out and reclaim everything that is ours!"
"But our current strength is insufficient. Engaging in all-out war now not only has slim chances of success but will also result in the loss of many of our elite, a loss too great to bear."
"No matter, the human cultivators have also suffered great calamities. Their overall strength is not as formidable as it once was. As long as we persist, victory will be ours!"
"Let's hope so…"
***
Heavenly merit, as the name suggests, can only be granted to those who have contributed to the world at large.
Thus, as Qing Muling purified the floating dead zones and continuously repaired the spiritual energy environment, the laws of Heaven and Earth bestowed upon him corresponding merit, signifying his actions were recognized by the cosmos.
The emergence of a large number of Magic Clan progeny was intolerable to the supreme laws of Heaven and Earth, so hunting and eradicating these aberrations also yielded heavenly merit.
Since Qing Muling inadvertently discovered a nest of the Magic Clan progeny and reported it to the Dao Court through Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, almost all sects in the Great Void have become aware, including a vast number of independent cultivators.
Tempted by the promise of heavenly merit, countless cultivators mobilized, calling upon friends to search and exterminate the nests of the Magic Clan progeny, reaping rich rewards.
However, these aberrations were no easy prey; fierce and formidable adversaries emerged one after another, and the unwary could easily find themselves slain. As a result, the cultivators also paid a heavy price, and for a time, many celestial domains were embroiled in war, the starry sky stained with blood.
It was only then that the higher-ups of the Dao Lineages realized the extent of the Magic Clan progeny's infiltration into the Great Void, a truly alarming discovery. Nearly one-third of the inhabited floating landmasses harbored nests of the Magic Clan progeny deep within their layers.
Even within the desolate, lifeless landmasses, the lurking Magic Clan progeny were numerous, and those above the True Person Realm were especially prevalent, posing an almost unsolvable threat to the majority of independent cultivators and mortal nations.
As more and more nests of the Magic Clan progeny were discovered, particularly those with Feathered Ascension to Immortality Realm and even Elemental Immortal level powerhouses appearing frequently, all cultivator forces in the Great Void felt an immense crisis looming.
If this problem was not resolved promptly, it would lead to another astonishingly large-scale calamity of the immortal path. Even if the situation could be settled at a great cost, how many forces would survive remained uncertain.
Thus, under the mediation of the Dao Court's higher-ups, conflicts between the various cultivator forces quickly ceased. Regardless of past grudges, everyone now had to coordinate and present a united front against the external threat, dealing with the Magic Clan progeny first before settling internal disputes.
Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was no exception. After the Dragon Ritual Princess returned to the Dao Court, Mu Yinghua activated the sect's Mountain Protection Array, completing the final repairs of the Main Altar. Then, she began planning the extermination of the Magic Clan progeny.
At this time, the relatively small size of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's territory proved advantageous. With less land to oversee and the option to temporarily abandon certain non-essential borderlands, the pressure was significantly reduced.
In the surrounding regions, the higher-ups of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace acted swiftly, withdrawing many elites to protect their core areas, thus limiting their losses.
However, the Bright Moon Sword Sect and the Azure Fall Divine Sect were less fortunate. Due to hesitations among their higher-ups, they were quickly besieged by the Magic Clan progeny, trapping them and preventing their escape.
Since many of the disciples stationed in these border regions were related to or even direct descendants of the higher-ups, they could not be simply abandoned. High-level reinforcements had to be sent for rescue.
But the Magic Clan progeny, with more powerhouses of the same level and a mastery of military tactics, were not to be trifled with. They skillfully laid ambushes and attacked the reinforcements, resulting in not only a failure to rescue their own but also the loss of even more forces, nearly leading to total annihilation.
In the end, several Supreme Elders had to bring out precious treasures and engage in a fierce battle that shook the heavens before they could break through the encirclement and rescue a few important disciples back to the Main Altar.
The higher-ups of the Magic Clan progeny clearly did not intend to take this loss lying down. They quickly gathered more elite forces and began to focus on attacking the core territories of these two Supreme Dao Lineages. The ensuing battle darkened the skies and bloodied the stars.
***
On a desolate floating landmass.
A formidable array had been activated, with violent currents swirling, flames engulfing the ground, and thunder rolling. Meteorites ablaze and massive logs and icicles rained down from the sky, while countless shadowy figures of weapon puppets flickered within the array.
Thousands of the Magic Clan progeny's warriors were attacking furiously, but the array's lethality was fearsome. With each passing moment, groups of their kin were slain or gravely injured. Despite continuous reinforcements, the scales of victory inexorably began to tip.
In a matter of moments, as the last group of the Magic Clan progeny was decimated by the array, its operation slowed, and the thunderous fiery clouds finally subsided for a time.
"Sister, how do you feel?"
"Not bad. Aside from those three Elemental Immortals who were a bit tough, the rest were just cannon fodder, hardly worth mentioning."
Luo Huan spoke with ease. The Magic Clan progeny were generally stronger than human cultivators of the same level, especially with their formidable physical bodies. Being able to face three Elemental Immortals simultaneously was a testament to her monstrous talent.
However, Luo Huan knew that ultimately, it was Junior Brother's doing. Otherwise, how could she have advanced to Elemental Immortal so quickly? And to be among the top contenders within the Elemental Immortals, effortlessly overpowering a group of ordinary geniuses.
Using his innate divine abilities, Qing Muling carefully sensed the area, confirming that there were no more formidable beings in this newly discovered nest of the Magic Clan progeny. He then deactivated the array and, together with Sister Luo, entered the cavern to eliminate the remaining enemies and complete the purification of the nest.
As for the regions beyond Qing Muling's sensing range, they were left to Ice Falcon to handle, ensuring that no Magic Clan progeny too powerful for Luo Huan to stop could sneak in for an ambush.
To hone his combat skills, earn a corresponding amount of heavenly merit, and avoid the risk of death – these were Qing Muling's current requirements.
Soon after, the end of the cavern was within reach. The last group of the Magic Clan progeny, numbering in the hundreds, charged out fiercely. However, with no Heart Demon Realm powerhouses among them, Luo Huan chose to support Junior Brother from the rear.
Having consumed the Pure Elemental Reincarnation Pill and temporarily reaching the True One Realm, Qing Muling waved his hand, and a thousand sharp sword beams sliced through the air. The encroaching aberrations were all beheaded, returning to eternal darkness.
In his sea of consciousness, the golden light of heavenly merit streamed endlessly from the depths of the cosmos, coating the Harmony Spirit Seed and the green lotus leaf with a thick layer of golden radiance, exuding an air of supreme dignity and eternal majesty.
Qing Muling silently estimated that at the current rate of extermination, it would take only three to five more days to accumulate enough heavenly merit to break through to the True One Realm.
At the end of the cavern, through a narrow and deep passage, lay the nest of the Magic Clan progeny.
The scale of this secret nest was somewhat exaggerated; even with Qing Muling's current cultivation level, he had to use his innate purification divine abilities several times to cover it completely.
"…Those independent cultivators and smaller sects must be having a tough time out there."
Qing Muling mused, knowing that if he couldn't easily annihilate and clear a region of Magic Clan progeny, he would occasionally encounter troublesome foes that only Sister Luo could handle. The smaller sects were naturally at a disadvantage, pressed hard by these aberrations.
Luo Huan shook her head, "It's more than tough. According to the latest news from our sect, over a hundred affiliated forces under Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace have been wiped out by the Magic Clan progeny's siege. Only a few direct disciples have escaped to the Main Altar seeking refuge. I believe the situation in other Supreme Dao Lineages is no better, and it's very likely even worse than ours!"
"If that's the case, the numerous independent cultivators must have suffered even more shocking casualties, right?"
"Definitely. With every major calamity that befalls the Great Void, the background-less independent cultivators are the first to bear the brunt. Every sect or noble family uses them, treating them as cannon fodder, but few ever treat them as one of their own."
"…"
Qing Muling fell silent, this was the reality of the Great Void, and no one could change it. Even the exalted Dao Court was no different, never caring for the feelings of the weak. The rule of the strong was the norm.
"Let's not dwell on this. Let's continue our work and help you break through your realm as soon as possible!"
With that, Luo Huan wrapped her arm around Junior Brother's waist and whisked them away with an effortless spatial leap.
Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan