Martial Saint!

The other woman had a petite and delicate figure, her face veiled with a gauzy silk. Beneath the veil was a somewhat youthful, tender countenance, untainted by the mortal world. She was Shangguan Xian.

"Thank you, Elder Sister."

Her figure stepped into the transmission array and vanished from sight.

The phoenix-eyed woman stood with her arms crossed over her chest. "Who is this youngster my little sister wishes to save, to move the Forbidden Zone into such a frenzy, declaring a kill order across the Three Thousand Worlds?"

As an Eighth Realm expert, perhaps the most hopeful among all the descendants of the Phoenix Clan in this Great Destruction Era to attain the True Spirit of the Heavenly Phoenix, she had witnessed countless geniuses and not a few of grand might within her long lifespan. Yet, never had she seen the Evil God make such a move, all just to kill a single person.

"Let all go smoothly, I hope. If my sister's Supreme Martial Realm plan succeeds, with help from my Spirit Phoenix Clan allied with True Dragon bloodlines, and with our full efforts before the Forbidden Zone revives, perhaps several Great Powers or even Divines could be born among humans, and then the Three Thousand Worlds will truly gain a sliver of hope. The Human Clan, though their starting point is low and lifespan short, is extremely promising, reproduces swiftly, and their cultivation progress is among the very best. Like that Cangtian Dragon King, who reached Breakthrough Seven within a hundred years—utterly unimaginable."

As the noble pure-blooded descendant of the Heavenly Phoenix—

For them, the Spirit Phoenix Clan, birth meant Fourth Realm.

At adulthood, the Sixth Realm; some bloodline geniuses might even achieve Breakthrough Seven. But their numbers were far too few—less than ten thousand in all—and cultivation was slow, with frequent deaths in calamities. She herself had cultivated for five thousand years already.

She knew deep down,

that it was impossible to hope for victory against the gods by relying on the Divine or Extraordinary Races alone; the key to winning this war lay with the Human Clan.

Alas, some would not understand.

Not long ago, the lord of the Red Feather Divine Race, Yan Ming Realm Venerable, rent the void to visit her, inviting her to join the Divine Alliance and undertake a cross-world grand expedition against the humans of the Xia Realm.

They still lingered in dreams of bygone dynasties.

...

Flame Bright Realm.

"Finally, the Fifth Realm. Heh, I am ready. It's time to settle old scores with the Water Mansion."

Fang Bifan felt the surging power within his body.

"With my Divine Bloodline, combined with Third Rank Fire Law and Water Law, even facing Middle Fifth Realm opponents, I can fight them head on. The Water Mansion has been sealed for just decades—even if humans progress faster, at best they're my equals. In the same realm, none can challenge me."

Fang Bifan's battle intent was aflame.

"Lu Chenzhou of Xia Realm, Long Yue of Boundless Sea, Li Jue of Southern Heaven Realm, Osi of Beidou Realm... I will prove to you all that the Divine Race is still the master of this world."

...

At the same time.

Within the boundless Void of Three Thousand Dimensions—

A palace floated in space.

Here was the base of the Divine Alliance.

Four majestic figures stood in the void.

The foremost was an elder with crimson hair, clad in Red Flames Divine Armor. Behind him burned a pair of flaming wings.

Yan Ming Realm Venerable.

And three others, their forms wreathed in thunder, roaring winds, and swirling sandstorms—Thunder Swamp Realm Venerable, Gale World Venerable, and Xuanshan Venerable. All were Eighth Realm experts, each having sent many elites to the Water Mansion trial back then.

The result: devastating losses.

That Human dominated all the glory!

Yan Ming Realm Venerable's tone was icy:

"The Seven Divine Races, the Dragon and Phoenix Clans, and some extraordinary races with Heavenly Realms—I've already notified them all. It seems only we four houses truly sense the gravity of the situation. The humans of Xia Realm, Southern Heaven, and Beidou—the Three Great Fire Worlds—are growing under the lingering blessings of the Divine Court. To us Divine Descendants, this is disgrace upon disgrace!"

Thunder Swamp Realm Venerable intoned:

"Indeed. These should be our inheritance. If anyone is to vie for them, it is us—the Divine Race! How can we let such lowly life forms claim what's ours? Since it is so, we march on expedition, to retrieve what rightfully belongs to us!"

"Letting humans save the world? Pathetic! They cannot even produce one Divine. What good is swift cultivation? Without Divines, how could they counterattack the Forbidden Zone?"

Gale World Venerable sneered.

Xuanshan Venerable clenched his fist, his body flawless as a vajra statue. The tremor of his rage shattered the void around him.

"They have no Eighth Realm at all. With a single finger, I could crush Xia Realm! Let us act—find Xia Realm, seize their resources! With these, our old bones will certainly rise to Demigod, perhaps even awaken Divine Blood for the second time, take the Dao Palace, and become Daoist Lords."

"We shall avenge the Great Wilderness!"

The Realm Venerables brimmed with ambition.

Yan Ming Realm Venerable laughed: "Once we take Xia Realm, we'll deal with the other three Divine Races and the Dragon and Phoenix Clans. Oh, and my spies in the Demon Race report that the Xia Realm genius Lu Chenzhou, who shone in the Water Mansion trial, is currently hunted by the Forbidden Zone. Activate all your information networks and find his whereabouts! Lu Chenzhou is our greatest obstacle to seizing the Water Mansion. If we kill this one, then the Water Mansion shall be ours—the four great Divine Races!"

...

Water Realm.

Sea Dominating Royal Family's palace.

Eighteen towering figures, armored in indigo fish scales and radiating a Heavenly Realm's might, knelt on one knee.

On the throne, a terrifying figure, ten thousand zhang in height, crowned and gripping a trident, slumbered with feigned indifference.

Wan Shui Venerable Sovereign.

Not inferior in strength to Yan Ming Realm Venerable.

Of the Seven Divine Races, the two strongest—be it top-end power or the number of Heavenly Realm strong—were the Feathered Clan and the Sea Dominating Royal Family.

The other five clans lagged behind.

"Venerable, the Divine Alliance has begun their campaign. Are we truly not joining them? What if we miss this good opportunity?"

The clan leader of the Sea Dominating Royal Family looked troubled.

"One should not lightly pick sides or intervene in struggles of the Dao. Let us bide our time... The Human Clan is not as weak as they believe. Through the Merfolk hidden in the Xia Realm seas, I have secretly learned that among the humans alone, there are nearly thirty at Absolute Peak, close to six hundred at Sixth Realm, and their top echelons possibly conceal an Eighth Realm. There is even a monster who, within a hundred years, ascended to the Heavenly Realm. Ah yes, that Xia Realm genius from the Water Mansion trial—rumored to be no less talented than the Dragon King.

Consider it: to contend so long surrounded by Evil Gods, are these people ordinary? If we go to war and lose, there will be no turning back. Let Yan Ming test the waters first."

The times have changed.

We must accept our fate as well."

...

The Golden Crow flies, the Jade Hare departs.

Another year passes in the blink of an eye.

Xia Realm Calendar, 2258.

Kun Gu Realm.

In this realm, six-tenths of the territory had been seized by the Demon Race.

The Demon Race's headquarters was in the Corpse Mound Forest.

Amid towering mountains, a Jingguan Palace, built of piled white bones, soared high; outside the palace, thousands of Demon King auras wandered. The deeper within, the thicker the Demon Energy.

Inside the hall—

The Fox Demon swayed her hips seductively.

Butterfly Demons fluttered about, pouring wine.

On both sides of the feast, the Demon Emperors drank wine brewed from human blood.

The three Corpse leaders were hosting a great banquet.

The chieftain was a Deer Demon, a hundred zhang tall, styled Mountain Forest Demon Venerable, worshipper of the Lord of Mountains. On the left, a Lion Demon—Devouring Country Demon Venerable; on the right, a Falcon Demon—Lightning Demon Venerable. The three ruled this realm for a century, devouring tens of millions of humans.

When the wine was drunk, Third Palace Master Lightning Demon Venerable looked down on the Demon Emperors and shrieked, "Do you know why you've been called here today?"

The Demon Emperors shuddered.

A boar demon, massive as a mountain, spoke:

"Honored Venerables, we have already ordered our Demon Kings to conduct a blanket search through all Demon territories, but have found not a trace of Xia Realm humans. Could it be those people did not transmit into our Kun Gu Realm?"

Lightning Demon Venerable sneered:

"Are you questioning the Witch Master's word? The Witch Master has used divination to pinpoint eighteen worlds. All other worlds have already been combed by the Demon Saints. Therefore, Xia Realm's humans can only be in these five worlds! At most half a year, and a Demon Saint will descend here. If it's them who finds anything, we'll be the ones blamed for incompetence. Understand?"

"Understood."

"Then what are you waiting for? If you can't find them in Demon lands, search the human lands! If the Three Suns Palace dares to block us, we three brothers shall go personally and teach them a lesson. Let them know who truly rules this Kun Gu Realm!"

Devouring Country Demon Venerable sneered:

"Those two women only stand against us three brothers by virtue of their spiritual weapons. Once a Demon Saint descends, destroying the Three Suns Palace will be as easy as a sigh."

That day—

Black fumes of Demon Energy billowed across Corpse Mound Forest.

Over thirty Demon Emperors, hundreds of Great Demon Kings, and thousands of Demon Kings surged out en masse, flooding towards the Da Wu Dynasty's territory, shaking the rulers of Da Wu to the core.

...

Three Suns Palace.

An old crone overlooked the lands of Da Wu.

From afar, Demon Energy surged like a tsunami.

She, this realm's combat power ceiling—

Three Suns Immortal.

A woman, veiled in thin gauze, appeared in the void.

Cold Moon Immortal, who entered the Heavenly Realm a century ago.

"Master, Corpse Palace deploys all their forces, invading Da Wu's domain, claiming to seek a party of guests from beyond this world. If we do not hinder them, they promise no war. Otherwise, in half a year, a Demon Saint will descend to destroy our world."

Three Suns Immortal's expression changed.

"A Demon Saint? The Forbidden Zone is reviving apace."

If it was only a Demon Venerable, she would not fear.

With treasures in hand, there yet remained a chance, a room for rotation.

But a Demon Saint was beyond her means.

After much pondering, she at last was resigned. "Let war begin. If truly a Demon Saint arrives here, then surrender means death all the same. Besides, Three Suns suffers blood moon corruption—even now, soon we Phoenixes will be unable to reproduce. Even should offspring appear, they'll likely be malformed abominations. We need to find a normal human world to live in."

...

Corpse Palace.

"Those two hags dare to declare war!"

"Showing them too much face!"

"Wait till the Demon Saint descends, let's see their regret!"

"Go, flatten Three Suns Palace!"

Three terrible auras left Corpse Palace, shrouded in thunderclouds, soon descending upon the Da Wu Capital.

On the city wall stood only Three Suns Immortal.

"Old crone—prepare for death!"

Devouring Country Demon Venerable transformed into a thousand-zhang azure lion, manifesting, for over a hundred li about him, visions of corpse mountains and seas of blood.

...

That same day—

The seclusion grounds of the Xia Realm's Grandmasters.

"Breakthrough Fifth achieved."

Wang Xian concluded his seclusion and looked to the other side.

Lin Xia was still in closed cultivation.

His junior brother had vanished completely a month ago; no doubt he was at the critical moment of Breakthrough Sixth.

"A Heavenly King at just over fifty—unbelievable."

Wang Xian was stirred with emotion.

The Parliament's experts had yet to reach this world. Their only hope of departure now lay with his junior brother.

"Daoist Wang, congratulations on your Breakthrough Fifth."

Old Lord Yu led a group of Grandmasters to offer their congratulations.

Wang Xian bowed and replied:

"Many thanks for the grace of the Nine Apertures Exquisite Grass!"