The moment the Demon Slaying Edict and the Demon Slaying Ranking were promulgated, the entire Eastern Sea Cultivation World was thrown into turmoil, and an intense aura of slaughter immediately permeated the air. Within a month of the Demon Slaying Edict being issued, vanguard teams of cultivators from the two great Immortal Alliances—led by Nascent Soul Elder-level cultivators from various Immortal Palaces, along with batches of mid-to-late Golden Core cultivators—began emerging from the teleportation arrays in places like Linhai City, entering the various strongholds within the Sea of Blood to establish order amidst the chaos.
The territories of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance were deeply entrenched across the Eastern Sea islands. While numerous other cultivation powers existed there, none could truly challenge the dominance of these two great Immortal Alliances.
However, the Sea of Blood presented an entirely different picture. For an extended period, the two great Immortal Alliances had either deliberately or inadvertently ignored the affairs of the Sea of Blood.
Consequently, the Sea of Blood had become a gathering place for countless adventurous cultivators, a veritable melting pot where the worthy and the unworthy mingled. There were treasure-seeking cultivators hunting for heavenly materials and earthly treasures, beast-hunting cultivators painstakingly earning wealth by slaying demonic beasts, and greedy (Duobao - Treasure Seizing) cultivators specializing in robbing others.
The wicked cultivators from Savage Island and the ghost cultivators from Desolate Spirit Ghost Island that Ye Qin had encountered before were merely a fraction of those who had rooted themselves in this sanguine expanse. If one incurred the wrath of the direct disciples of an Immortal Palace in the Eastern Sea and made an enemy they couldn't afford to offend, fleeing to the Sea of Blood to lie low was often an excellent option.
Moreover, demonic cultivators and massive sea beast hordes frequently roamed these waters, preying upon the cultivators adventuring there. In such a place, the mutual slaughter among cultivators meant there was virtually no semblance of order.
The major Immortal Palaces of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance were now launching this expedition into the Sea of Blood, forcefully intervening in this lawless territory. To wage a successful war against the Demon Race, a thorough reorganization of the Sea of Blood was deemed absolutely necessary.
The two great Immortal Alliances directly issued mandatory mobilization orders to all factions within the Sea of Blood, demanding their cooperation for the impending great war. Any faction in the Sea of Blood, regardless of alignment, that dared to resist the commands and deployments of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance would be ruthlessly exterminated.
This wave of brutal, high-pressure tactics from the two great Immortal Alliances immediately struck fear into the hearts of the Sea of Blood's cultivators and factions, compelling them to submit entirely to the Alliances' will. Instantly, the previously chaotic Sea of Blood became strangely quiet and orderly.
No faction dared to openly defy the authority of the two great Immortal Alliances by committing blatant infractions. These events were the harbingers of the impending Immortal-Demon War.
The major Immortal Palaces belonging to the Northern Sect Lineage began their expeditions toward the Sea of Blood. Once the first batch of cultivators from Purple Sword Palace, along with the initial supplies, were prepared, they formed up in Linhai City and set off.
In the central plaza of Linhai City stood the teleportation array leading to the Sea of Blood. Ye Qin, having received the assembly signal talisman from Palace Lord Zhou, arrived at the central plaza and was surprised by the sight of the cultivator contingent led by Purple Sword Palace.
There were fully thirty-odd Nascent Soul cultivators, accompanied by a contingent of about five hundred mid-to-late Golden Core cultivators, their spiritual energy fluctuations incredibly diverse. Purple Sword Palace's Palace Lord Zhou Yu, along with Grand Elders Zhou Hong, Zhou Xiang, and Zhou Rui—four cultivators at the mid-to-late Nascent Soul stage—were all present.
Only Elder Zhou Rong remained behind to oversee the preparation of vital war supplies. It wasn't just Purple Sword Palace cultivators; Treasure Gathering Palace, Broad Speech Palace, and Ninghua Palace had each sent one Nascent Soul Elder to lead their contingent.
Ye Qin even spotted a Nascent Soul cultivator from White Float Palace among the ranks. Furthermore, dozens of smaller Immortal Palaces closely allied with Purple Sword Palace also had their Palace Lords leading the way personally, or had dispatched Nascent Soul or Golden Core cultivators to accompany Purple Sword Palace towards the Sea of Blood.
These smaller palaces were aligned with Purple Sword Palace, hoping that if Purple Sword Palace succeeded in inheriting the position of the Northern Sect Leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, they, as close followers, would also reap immense benefits. Although Purple Sword Palace only had five Nascent Soul cultivators leading them, when combined with these closely allied friendly Immortal Palaces, their collective strength was already formidable.
While Ye Qin was surprised, he wasn't overly shocked. Purple Sword Palace had been established in the Eastern Sea for an extremely long time, accumulating vast wealth and equally profound connections.
With such deep social capital, mobilizing a contingent of cultivators was hardly unexpected. Palace Lord Zhou was conversing with the Nascent Soul cultivators from the various Immortal Palaces.
Upon seeing Ye Qin arrive, he smiled and nodded, signaling him to approach and meet the other Nascent Soul cultivators from the various palaces to familiarize himself with them. "Is this Elder Ye?
To become an Immortal Palace Elder at the early Golden Core stage—that is exceedingly rare in the Eastern Sea. I hear Elder Ye has mastered the Purple Sword Palace's Great Five Elements Sword Array!
Haha, I must certainly pay a visit someday to witness this so-called invincible sword formation…" "Hehe," replied others, "There will be plenty of opportunities to witness the Purple Sword Palace's Great Five Elements Sword Array in the Sea of Blood!" The Nascent Soul cultivators from the allied palaces were curious about this Golden Core Elder from Purple Sword Palace, though few had met him before. They observed Ye Qin, exchanging pleasantries.
Ye Qin was already somewhat accustomed to the scrutiny of Nascent Soul cultivators and felt no restraint in this setting. He proceeded to greet the Palace Lords and Elders from the allied Immortal Palaces one by one.
After waiting another half an hour, all the expeditionary forces arriving from various locations had fully assembled. "Esteemed colleagues!" Seeing that everyone was present, Palace Lord Zhou cleared his throat, and his steady voice resonated, "This Palace, under the decree of the Northern Elder Council, leads the cultivators of Purple Sword Palace to venture into the Sea of Blood to construct Immortal Cities and exterminate the invading Demon Race cultivators.
This Palace is deeply grateful to all fellow Immortal Palace members who accompany me to the Sea of Blood. You are all well aware of the dangers in the Sea of Blood; I need not elaborate.
In this campaign against the Demon Race, casualties are unavoidable…" "Among our colleagues here, some eagerly anticipate immediately engaging the Demon Race in battle, achieving great merits, and securing a place on the Demon Slaying Ranking, making their names resonate throughout the Eastern Sea Cultivation World. This expedition presents such a grand opportunity.
The generous rewards stipulated by the Demon Slaying Edict and the supreme prestige renowned across the Eastern Sea await you. Of course, perhaps some of you merely wish to cultivate peacefully in the Eastern Sea and are not wholeheartedly participating in this expedition, feeling apprehension about the dangers ahead, fearing obscurity amidst the coming war!" Lord Zhou X spoke, hands clasped behind his back, his expression solemn, as he continued slowly.
All the cultivators present, whether Nascent Soul ancestors or Golden Core cultivators, became grim-faced. While Nascent Soul cultivators faced considerable risk in the Immortal-Demon War, they possessed the means to protect themselves; unless trapped by an overwhelming demonic siege, the probability of perishing was low.
However, a Golden Core cultivator, if targeted by a demonic cultivator during a major battle, could be annihilated with a mere wave of the hand—the danger was substantial. But the Eastern Sea's Heavenly Dao Alliance and Heavenly Demon Alliance had planned this for ten thousand years.
Now that the Demon Extermination Edict was issued, conscripting the majority of mid-to-late Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, refusal was unthinkable. Ye Qin was responsible for transporting war supplies for Purple Sword Palace and would not need to remain permanently in the Sea of Blood, but he would frequently travel between Linhai City and the Sea of Blood.
Palace Lord Zhou paused briefly, his tone imbued with authority, and stated, "However, the path of cultivation has always been perilous; it is not one of isolation! We cultivators fight desperately—contending with Heaven and Earth for longevity, vying with demonic cultivators for resources on spirit islands, employing every means to strengthen ourselves.
From the moment we embarked on the path of cultivation, true tranquility and peace have been absent…" A profound silence fell over the cultivators. Even the direct disciples of the major Immortal Palaces, despite being supplied with a certain quota of spirit stones and elixirs by their respective palaces, were occasionally assigned missions to participate in various dangerous trials, which carried no small amount of risk.
And the majority of rogue cultivators had to scramble daily for spirit stones and elixirs, engaging in constant hunting and struggle, risks far too numerous to recount to outsiders. Even those who remained in secluded cultivation, never venturing out, faced a great tribulation when the Heavenly Tribulation descended—a single stray thought could result in being blasted into ash by heavenly lightning.
There were fundamentally no shortcuts on the path of cultivation; peril was present at every moment. Every cultivator present understood this truth.
Yet, even so, the Eastern Sea islands were far more stable than the Sea of Blood, where incidents of sudden death were rare. But the Immortal-Demon War, once fully engaged, would likely result in the deaths of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of cultivators.
Which cultivator was unaware of the ruins of ancient battlefields and the lingering remains in the Sea of Blood? "If one only desires to cultivate peacefully, risk nothing, and simply reap the rewards, such a benevolent situation simply does not exist in this world…" Palace Lord Zhou continued with stern conviction, "Since hundreds of thousands of years ago, when the ancient cultivators crossed the sea to arrive at the Eastern Sea islands, every inch of land beneath our feet, every island in the Eastern Sea, is stained with the blood left from the desperate battles of our predecessors!
Every spirit stone in your hands, every magical artifact, every elixir, every cultivation technique—none of these were obtained for free! They were all secured because countless predecessors fought and died against the Eastern Sea's demonic cultivators, establishing our foothold here…" "What is cultivation?
Every elixir, every spirit stone, every cultivation technique in your hands forms the bedrock of your immortal path. But they are all imbued with the blood of our predecessors and the Demon Race, opening the way of cultivation for you!
For these hundreds of thousands of years, the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance have sacrificed countless predecessors in their battles against the Demon Race to seize spirit islands and resources, forging the current state of the Eastern Sea Cultivation World! Among them were the founding ancestors of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, countless geniuses of exceptional talent, and numerous mighty figures possessing profound divine abilities.
Did they not know the dangers of the Sea of Blood? Did they not understand the possibility of sitting safely in the Central Plains and enjoying prosperity?
The ancient cultivators have long since departed, but they laid the foundation for our foothold in the Eastern Sea. However, we cannot perpetually enjoy the fruits of their labor!
Today, we do not fight for others; we fight for ourselves—contending for that sliver of celestial opportunity in cultivation…" Palace Lord Zhou, usually calm and taciturn, spoke every word with an irrefutable, ringing authority. The plaza fell utterly silent; every face was tense.
Ye Qin, standing amidst the crowd, felt a slight shift in his usually composed expression. "The two great Immortal Alliances have issued the Demon Slaying Edict and various reward statutes!
Rewards will be granted based on the magnitude of merit accrued during participation in the war." "Innumerable spirit islands and resources will only be available on a priority basis to those who participate in the Immortal-Demon War. If you desire elixirs and spirit stones for your cultivation, if you wish to obtain superior magical artifacts to enhance your strength, going to the battlefield is the best option.
The potential benefits and risks are for you all to weigh…" "Under normal circumstances, this Palace would not need to speak so much. But today is different!
This Palace tolerates no impurities! Meritorious deeds shall be rewarded, and infractions punished…" "This Palace declares here and now, within this expeditionary force, regardless of rank or status…" "Those who defy the decree and refuse deployment!
Kill them!" "Those who cause a delay in a critical moment, leading to the death of a comrade! Kill them…" "Expedition commence…" Palace Lord Zhou's expression turned unusually severe.
After finishing, he led the Nascent Soul cultivators of the allied Immortal Palaces, headed by Purple Sword Palace, towards the central teleportation array in the plaza. Hundreds of Golden Core cultivators, their spirits fired up, followed the Nascent Soul experts toward the array, heading for the Sea of Blood strongholds.
This initial expedition would see Grand Elder Zhou Hong leading a small team of Golden Core cultivators tasked with constructing an Immortal City within the Sea of Blood. Meanwhile, Palace Lord Zhou and the other thirty-odd Nascent Soul cultivators, along with several hundred Golden Core cultivators, formed the main combat force.
Using the nascent Immortal City as bait, they planned to set an ambush to lure and destroy any Demon Race cultivators attempting to sabotage the construction. In truth, this was merely the vanguard force assembled by Purple Sword Palace; if the war effort intensified, more reserve cultivators would certainly be dispatched from the rear to the front lines of the Sea of Blood.
Ye Qin was also required to accompany the advance party to survey the designated construction site and the surrounding sea environment thoroughly. Only then would he have a clear understanding of the situation, as he would be responsible for transporting war supplies to Purple Sword Palace's cultivators on the front lines for a considerable time afterward, making an early reconnaissance essential.