Chapter 182: CH. 182 | The Devastated War
Lin Tian gave a short nod, then turned around and stepped into the portal within the ancient gate.
The moment he disappeared, the portal vanished, and the valley dimension was completely sealed.
His eyes slowly opened as he took a step forward. The moment he stepped out of the ancient gate, a powerful surge of qi echoed through the area, sending heavy waves rippling across the pond.
Looking ahead, he saw Si Lingxi and Zhu Xian waiting for him, but Zhu Zirong was nowhere to be seen.
However, something about the two women felt strange. They were both staring toward the south with pale faces and wide eyes.
"W-What... happened?"
Lin Tian raised his head, and his gaze locked onto the sky. His own eyes widened in shock at what he saw.
The sky had turned dark as though dusk had arrived. Thunder rumbled across several parts of the heavens while black clouds gathered overhead.
What happened? How long have I been inside the valley?
Without hesitation, Lin Tian raised a hand to his forehead, trying to establish a connection with his clone at Lingxian Sect.
However, the spiritual qi from his clone at Lingxian Sect failed to reach his original body.
It was as if a powerful barrier array was preventing the spiritual qi message from passing beyond its boundaries.
Where is Li Qingxue? Did she leave the valley before us?
Most likely. She’s not the type of woman to act recklessly.
Si Lingxi and Zhu Xian immediately turned toward him, panic written all over their faces.
It was obvious they had no idea what was happening in the cultivation world. The demonic aura in the air was so dense that it reminded them of the demons inside the valley.
"Where’s Zhu Zirong?" Lin Tian asked.
"My sister already left to check on our clan."
With only a Core Formation cultivation base, she’s being far too reckless.
"What should we do, Lin Tian?" Si Lingxi asked anxiously.
"We’re heading to the nearest city to find out what’s happening."
"Alright."
Lin Tian and the two women left the ancient gate, flying south at full speed until they came across a small village.
The village was in a horrifying state. Houses had been destroyed, and countless mortals lay helpless across the roads.
The foul stench of decaying corpses filled every corner of the village.
The three of them landed slowly. One of the mortals noticed Lin Tian, his face instantly filled with hope.
He was nothing but skin and bones, wearing tattered clothes, and his body gave off a terrible smell.
"I-Immortal Master? Please... give me a piece of bread."
The moment the other villagers realized an immortal had arrived, they all turned around.
They rushed toward him with bloodshot eyes and drool dripping from their mouths, looking like people on the verge of starving to death.
Realizing they were becoming aggressive, Lin Tian flew into the air to stay out of their reach.
As they observed the village, Zhu Xian suddenly covered her mouth, looking sick as her eyes landed on something behind an old house.
Si Lingxi and Lin Tian looked in the same direction.
Both of them stood frozen in disbelief.
A woman was tearing open the stomach of a dead villager and eating his organs raw. Blood covered her mouth while both of her hands clutched the man’s entrails as though they were nothing more than a warm loaf of bread.
This is insane! If the mortal world has become this chaotic, then something terrible must have happened in the cultivation world.
"Someone, please help me!" a voice shouted from the south.
Lin Tian turned around.
His Qi Aura Eyes activated, allowing him to clearly see a female cultivator flying toward the village. Her sect robe was ripped to shreds.
Her face was painfully thin, with her cheekbones clearly visible. Black qi surrounded her body, identical to the black skull aura from before.
The reason she was flying so desperately was because she was being chased by two black-robed cultivators.
Both of them possessed dense black qi, exactly like the members of Yuanmo Sect that Lin Tian had fought in the Saintess Spring Valley.
The woman looked ahead and smiled in relief when she saw a Nascent Soul cultivator standing before her.
"S-Senior... please save me!"
"Si Lingxi."
"I know," she replied.
She formed a series of hand seals and unleashed her Sharp Rose Technique toward the two black-robed cultivators.
"A Nascent Soul cultivator?!" they shouted.
BLAST!
Si Lingxi’s rose exploded the instant it struck their bodies. The enormous gap in cultivation left them with no chance to resist. Both black-robed cultivators died on the spot.
The woman was saved, at least for the moment.
She remained standing atop her qi sword before clasping her hands respectfully toward them.
"Thank you for saving me, Senior. I’ll never forget your kindness."
"Tell me," Lin Tian asked. "What happened?"
The female cultivator looked stunned. She raised her head and looked at the three cultivators before her.
None of them appeared to be joking. Their expressions were completely serious.
"Senior... you don’t know?"
"We just came out of Saintess Spring Valley," Si Lingxi answered.
"Oh... that explains it."
"Eight years ago, Yuanmo Sect appeared and declared war against the Righteous Sects. It became a war between Yuanmo Sect and the Qin Sect Alliance."
"But Yuanmo Sect possessed countless powerful cultivators who were simply unmatched. Every sect fell under their control. Some were destroyed, while others were enslaved."
"Three years ago, Yuanmo Sect declared victory. Countless righteous cultivators died, and not a single one managed to escape the Qin Kingdom."
Zhu Xian, Si Lingxi, and Lin Tian all fell silent in shock.
Si Lingxi immediately acted on impulse, flying away to return to Yingzun Sect. However, Lin Tian stopped her by releasing his cultivation pressure.
Overwhelmed by Lin Tian’s Soul Formation pressure, Si Lingxi was forced to stop in midair. She lowered her head helplessly, unable to resist.
"LET ME GO, LIN TIAN!" Si Lingxi shouted.
"I’m not letting you go. If you go there now, you’ll die!"
The female cultivator stared at the black-robed man in shock.
"Y-You’re Master Lin Tian from Lingxian Sect?"
"That’s right."
"Thank goodness!" the woman exclaimed, her face filled with relief.
"What is it?" Lin Tian asked curiously.
The woman remained silent for a moment before swallowing hard and gathering her courage to explain the current situation at Lingxian Sect.
"Right now, cultivators from all across the Qin Kingdom have gathered at Lingxian Sect."
"You could say... Lingxian Sect is the last fortress of the righteous cultivators in the Qin Kingdom!"
"If Lingxian Sect falls... then all hope of resisting Yuanmo Sect will disappear!"
Lin Tian immediately clenched his fists as a violent burst of qi exploded outward, shaking the surrounding area.
Zhu Xian turned toward him and saw the qi surrounding Lin Tian surge dramatically, becoming even stronger than before.
"Yuanmo Sect!"
"I’ll destroy every last one of you!"