Chapter 302: Before the Decisive Battle (Part One)
With this step, Venerable One Miaofa not only benefited sentient beings and brought blessings to Qiao Wan, but also severed the karmic bonds of demons and himself.
If he could repay all the karmic debts from past lives through his actions in this lifetime, then the cultivators and demons wouldn't have to suffer consequences for their misdeeds in future lives.
In the end, Qiao Wan took it upon herself to sever these sins.
It was the most perfect and flawless solution, so even Ma Huaizhen remained silent for a long time after he found out, unable to agree or refuse.
He tried every method, but couldn't find a better solution.
After returning to her dwelling from the camp, Qiao Wan pondered for a long time. Just when she finally managed to calm down in the middle of the night, a commotion startled her awake.
Someone forcefully lifted the tent, and Xiao Boyang's face was splattered with blood. He looked grave as he said, "An elder from the sect is leading his disciples to escape."
Although Xiao Boyang knew that Qiao Wan had lost her memory, he still didn't feel any strangeness towards her. This was mainly because they had known each other for a long time. Even though the proud young master of the Xiao family refused to admit it, there were some things that didn't need to be said and became understood without words.
With Ma Huaizhen and Miaofa in charge, the turmoil this time was immediately suppressed before it could make any sense.
When Qiao Wan and the others arrived, Ma Huaizhen, Cen Zicheng, and other elders were already sitting together having a meeting. There were several Souvenir Jade Balls set up in the tent, reflecting the faces of elders like Gongsun Bingzi who were not present.
As for Venerable One Miaofa, he was obviously not among Ma Huaizhen and the others. He was in one of the Souvenir Images.
It wasn't easy to restrain the urge to kill. To prevent any accidents, Venerable One Miaofa didn't leave his own tent.
Qiao Wan, Xiao Boyang, and Lu Pihan entered the room. Ma Huaizhen had bloodstains on his robe, his face was disfigured, and his eyes looked fierce. He glanced at them and didn't say anything, which showed that he trusted them by allowing them to listen in on the conversation.
Qiao Wan and Qi Feidao seemed unfamiliar with the situation and didn't dare to speak much, as they were affected by the solemn atmosphere. They kept quiet and tried to remain composed.
Fang Lingqing secretly sent a message, "Just a moment ago, Hall Master Ma and the undercover disciples from Kunshan killed those who didn't obey orders."
Fang Lingqing had a serious expression on his face.
Suddenly, a sword was unsheathed and swung across, causing blood to splatter across the icy land.
The Northern front line was completely defeated. In such a situation, going to the demon realm was considered suicidal by some sects.
Ma Huaizhen knew it was a lost cause and didn't want to accompany them in their journey to the demon realm. In this alliance of cultivators, they were destined to fail. He decided to lead his disciples back to their sect as soon as possible, hoping to minimize their losses.
And Ma Huaizhen was extremely ruthless and decisive in his methods. When he pulled the tightly bound spirit strings in his hands, a row of heads fell, one after another, with a resounding thud, hitting the ground and splattering red blood flowers. He raised his eyes, gave a faint smile, and said deeply, "If you want to leave, go ahead now."
The flickering bonfire reflected on his half-Shura face, and in an instant, silence fell around. No one dared to take another step.
Ma Huaizhen's actions conveyed a message: either die on the battlefield or die by his hands.
In the midst of this great battle, the morale of the army must not waver.
But this time, the focus of the discussion among the elders of the sect was not on this rebellion.
Ma Huaizhen said in a deep voice, "There's no time left, we're running out of time. The longer we delay, the more disadvantageous it is for us."
"Has there been any movement from Demon Emperor Jia Yin?"
Even though it's a bit funny to bring Qiao Wan into this, even if she and Demon Emperor Jia Yin are close, he wouldn't voluntarily get involved for her sake.
But at this point, even if it's still funny, Ma Huaizhen wants to give it a try.
Cen Zicheng paused and said, "Never did."
This outcome is not surprising for Ma Huaizhen , but his expression didn't look good. The look on his face quickly flashed and returned to his tough appearance. He continued discussing the counterattack with Cen Zicheng and how many reinforcements they had.
Firstly, Ma Huaizhen ruled out the possibility of Venerable One Miaofa going.
"Venerable One Miaofa cannot go."
The last card is the one they can't reveal unless absolutely necessary.
Besides, they can't be certain if Cen Qingyou is friend or foe. They specially left Qiao Wan a thought-provoking message to go to the demon realm. Is it because of their past relationship or is it a trap set up?
Gongsun Bingzi hesitated for a moment, "Maybe we should withdraw the troops from the southern front and ask the Ao clan for assistance since the demons are fierce."
Ma Huaizhen nodded, "In that case, send a message to any available reinforcements we can contact now. Please ask the elders for their help."
As soon as he finished speaking, some elders immediately instructed their disciples to send messages.
The topic of the meeting then focused on how to send the cultivators to the demon realm, what kind of people to send, and how many troops to dispatch.
The people who are sent must be capable of stopping the unsealing of the seal. Even if they can't stop it, they should at least have a chance to escape. If neither is possible, they should be prepared for sacrifice, not fearing death.
Even if the personnel are determined, how will they go there and where will the reinforcements meet them? They have some understanding of the demon realm's terrain, but it is still not complete.
Just then, Qiao Wan couldn't help but raise her hand and said solemnly, "I may have some understanding of the demon realm's terrain."
The conversation suddenly came to a halt, and everyone in the camp, including the high-ranking members of the Cultivation Alliance in Souvenir Jade Ball, turned their attention to the bold girl in the pink dress.
Ma Huaizhen glanced sideways and asked, "Tell us."
Qiao Wan tried her best to stay calm and said, "Before recovering my memory, I was taken to the demon realm by the current demon lord, Pei Chunzheng. He wanted to marry me, so he didn't restrict my actions."
As soon as the words "marry" were uttered, everyone was slightly surprised.
Xiao Boyang's face twisted in response. He probably didn't expect a romantic twist in this solemn atmosphere.
The Buddhist cultivator in Souvenir Jade Ball lowered his eyes, remaining silent and composed.
Facing the elders who had either achieved Deity Transformation or Unity Stage, Qiao Wan initially felt a bit nervous, but she quickly found her confidence and said calmly, "My divine sense has reached the Deity Transformation stage, so perhaps I can draw the map of the demon realm."
Her cultivation had already reached the Deity Transformation stage!
The words were spoken by a young girl wearing pink clothes. Even though everyone knew it was Qiao Wan, the impact it had on others was significant. After all, mastering spiritual awareness is the most difficult thing to cultivate.
Little did she know, her words caused a slight stir among the high-ranking officials sitting across from her. Qiao Wan pursed her lips, stood up, and took the initiative: "Please give me some paper and a pen."
Out of caution, the elders and high-ranking officials did not disturb her. They considerately gave the young girl some time. Cen Zicheng even comforted her with words: "Don't be nervous. Take your time to draw. It's okay if it doesn't look good, someone else will help you fill in the details."
Qiao Wan recognized the elder before her, who had previously comforted her with the words "child, don't be afraid." She couldn't help but respectfully express her gratitude. With a flick of her wrist, she swiftly moved the pen across the paper.
Under the attentive gazes of everyone present, Qiao Wan couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. She tightly pursed her lips and a fine layer of sweat appeared on her forehead, with a drop forming at the tip of her nose.
In the midst of silence, she quickly drew the topography map.
Inside the tent, the silence made the sound of the pen scratching on the paper even more pronounced.
Even Ma Huaizhen couldn't help but hold his breath, as if the surroundings were quietly awaiting judgement.
Finally, the girl's deep and calm voice broke the tranquility.
"Okay."
As Cen Zicheng picked up the topographic map, his eyes lit up and he looked at Qiao Wan with a hint of admiration.
"Well done."
Qiao Wan felt a bit uneasy under the tolerant and approving gazes, yet at the same time, she felt relaxed and warm...
Although the different sects didn't get along before, in the face of a common enemy, everyone had to stand together.
With this topographic map, determining the teleportation location would be much easier, although the map would still need to be professionally examined later.
The consensus reached by everyone was "Shattered Void."
Cen Zicheng spoke in a deep voice, "If we follow the usual way, we have to pass through the barriers of the demon realm one by one. But that doesn't fit the current situation of the cultivation alliance. However, the shattered void is different. It can tear open a crack in the sky and directly transport us into the demon realm, bypassing the obstacles."
In the beginning, the warriors from Taiping College and the cultivation alliance entered that way.
The problem is that the shattered void attracts too much attention.
When a big crack appears in the sky, it's like shouting out loud to the demon realm, "We're here!"
Li Pan calmly spoke, "None of the disciples from Taiping College who were transported to the demon realm survived."
As soon as he spoke, the elders who still remembered the great war from a hundred years ago had a slight change in their expressions.
But if we exclude the shattered void, what other options do we have?
Ma Huaizhen pondered for a long time, and so did everyone else.
In the end, the result was — there was none.
Apart from breaking through the void, there was no other way to swiftly enter the demon realm and launch a surprise attack with minimal casualties.
After a moment of silence, the elders from other sects asked, "Do we still have cultivators who can break through the void?"
Just then, Zhou Yan, who had been silent, spoke up, "If my fellow sword cultivators can cooperate with me, we can give it a try."
The man had white hair that hung down, and his eyebrows seemed to be touched by a layer of frost.
The Kunshan swordsman spoke up, and it was only then that the others realized that Zhou Yan had once been the pinnacle of the sword path.
Qiao Wan and Li Pan both glanced at each other unintentionally.
Li Pan's lips moved, but he remained expressionless and said nothing.
Breaking through the void for teleportation is usually not done with a large number of people. After all, it consumes spiritual energy to maintain the space-time rift. The more people teleporting, the more unstable the space-time becomes. This means that the number of troops will be reduced, so the selection of personnel must be extremely cautious and careful.
The meeting went on until midnight. Ma Huaizhen spoke solemnly, reading each word one by one. The other cultivators carefully wrote on the jade slips, outlining the details of the "Recruitment of Warriors".
【The final battle is approaching. If anyone is willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, you can go to Camp 28 to sign up】.
With this simple and straightforward sentence, they took into account the different levels of education among the group.
The completed recruitment notice was sent to everyone's jade slips, asking for their feedback.
Qiao Wan tightly held onto the jade slip, lost in thought. Fang Lingqing stood up, setting aside his jade slip, and looked towards Ma Huaizhen and the others.
"I'll go."
Not just Fang Lingqing, but Xiao Boyang, Yu Xingzhi, Wang Ruyi, and others all stood up.
Everyone knew in their hearts that they were voluntarily going to the demon realm not only for Qiao Wan, but also for the precious friendship they had and for themselves.
Once upon a time, the young disciples finally grew up after experiencing the hardships of war. They became stronger, braver, and more resilient.
In the cold snowy night, they shone brightly, sparkling with radiance.
Looking at the young boys and girls in front of him, whose hearts were still filled with passion, Ma Huaizhen smirked and said, "You think just registering will make you able to go? Wait and see, you still need to prove your abilities."
When his gaze fell on Qi Feidao, he immediately declined.
"Qi Feidao, you can't go. I need you and your fellow disciples from the Mathematics Department to do something else."
Qi Feidao sighed in frustration, "Master, is it because I lack the ability?"
"It's not that you lack the ability," Ma Huaizhen said, looking in another direction towards Qiao Wan, "Qiao Wan, explain to us again, clearly and completely, about your holographic training."
The elders in Souvenir Jade Ball were surprised. They had been impressed by the young girl in the pink dress who had reached the Divine Transformation stage, but they didn't expect Ma Huaizhen to rely on her so much.
Caught off guard again, Qiao Wan hesitated for a moment. Then she slowly stood up and solemnly explained her previous idea of holographic training once again.
Silence fell over the surroundings, with only the crackling sound of the campfire.
Holographic training, relying on mathematical "modeling" - what a bold and enticing idea.
After Qiao Wan finished speaking, the elders from various sects fell into deep thought.
Ma Huaizhen then turned to Qi Feidao and said, "This is what you should do." He then instructed the cultivators on both sides to write down the new instructions on the jade scroll.
In a realm of demons, there were cultivators who set out on a journey. To stop the unsealing of the demon realm, their cultivation and techniques needed to have the possibility of breaking the seal. If they couldn't stop the unsealing and faced Immortal Emperor Shi Yuan, they must be confident in their ability to withstand his attacks. If they couldn't hold their ground, they had to be prepared to sacrifice themselves and transmit the information to the other sects of cultivators.
Immortal Emperor Shi Yuan had been sealed for hundreds of years, and no one knew if his techniques had improved during that time.
Every second they spent in contact with him was precious information that could determine the life and death of the cultivator realm. The more they understood about Immortal Emperor Shi Yuan, the greater the chances of success for the sects of cultivators.
If they couldn't escape, they would have to pay with their lives to pass on this information to cultivators and magicians all over the world, creating a plan to deal with Immortal Emperor Shi Yuan.
After a while, the elders from various sects who had been contacted for reinforcements received replies.
However, the replies they received were not particularly encouraging.
Almost everyone politely refused.
Under the gaze of everyone, the fierce leader of Wenshi Hall, without hesitation, continued, "Keep asking, using any means necessary, even if it involves coercion or bribery, we must gather a group of people."
This actually means that after the news of the Northern Front's complete defeat reached the various sects, the current cultivation alliance is actually on the brink of collapse, in great danger.
At this point, they have no one left to rely on.
After a while, Gongsun Bingzi tightly held the jade scroll, looked up, and seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ao Clan agreed, Aoyi agreed to send troops, but he... has a request."
Ma Huaizhen's face relaxed a little, "No problem with the request, try to fulfill it."
But this moment of relief was fleeting, if you didn't look closely, you could hardly notice it.
To bring back the cultivator who was sent to the demon realm, they had no choice but to seek help from the dragon clan, even though Ma Huaizhen knew that Gan Nan's older brother had his own plans. They had to temporarily set aside their suspicions.
Suddenly, they remembered that the mirage dragon was still not returned to Qiao Wan.
After discussing for a while, the meeting finally ended.
Qiao Wan walked out of the tent with Ma Huaizhen and was immediately stunned by the scene before her.
Not only were they stunned, but Ma Huaizhen was also shocked.
Countless torches were gathered outside the icy plain, and many disheveled cultivators were standing outside the camp, waiting. Despite their ragged clothes, their expressions were solemn.
They didn't know where they received the news from, or perhaps they had predicted it earlier.
Qiao Wan's gaze swept across Kunshan, Cloud Mist Fairy Mansion, Cen family, Lu family, the remaining Xiao family, Great Compassion Cliff, Qingyang Academy, Chongde Ancient Garden, Fanxin Temple, Taixuan Temple, Chaotian Mountain, Zhanyun Peak... Countless familiar or unfamiliar disciples from various sects gathered outside the camp.
The night wind blew, making their faces turn pale. Snowflakes fell on their shoulders, forming a thick layer. Even their eyelashes were covered in frost.
Countless torches meandered like a river on an icy plain, winding and bending. When they looked ahead, it seemed as if the stars were gathered, twinkling brightly.
The elders from the various sects present were all stunned, looking in surprise at their familiar disciples and apprentices: "Yan Dang? You guys?"
"Fengshu?"
"What are you doing here?"
The few young cultivators at the front smiled awkwardly and then turned their gaze towards Ma Huaizhen.
Suddenly, they knelt straight down!!!
On a cold night in the northern region, even the cultivators couldn't escape the bone-chilling cold. As they knelt on the ground, a chilling sensation crept into their legs.
As the frontmost galaxy moved, the rest of the winding and vast galaxies behind it also began to flow.
All the long and majestic galaxies bowed down.
"Disciple Yan Dang from Kunshan requests to go into battle."
"Disciple Qin Fengshu from Cloud Mist Fairy Mansion requests to go into battle!"
"Disciple Jie Hongdan from Chongde Ancient Garden requests to go into battle!"
"I am skilled in spatial magic."
"I am skilled in formation techniques!"
"I am a swordsman!"
The voices echoed in the chilly night.
A group of young cultivators, their faces red from the cold and their fingers and toes cracked, revealed an earnest expression.
Despite knowing that going to the demon realm meant almost certain death, they gathered spontaneously in front of the tent on this cold night, waiting until now.
In an instant, Ma Huaizhen was frozen in place. Looking ahead, the flickering torches seemed like falling stars on the ground, flowing and almost turning the icy plains into a red desert.
Even someone as tough as him couldn't help but feel a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Qiao Wan's eyes also welled up with tears. She opened her mouth and looked at the cultivators of different heights, sizes, and appearances under the firelight, feeling both sad and overwhelmed.
"Leader, I..." Qiao Wan's voice was dry.
The usually expressionless girl showed a hint of emotion, with slightly red eyes.
Ma Huaizhen averted his gaze and calmly looked at her. When he spoke, he unexpectedly refused Qiao Wan's request.
"You can't go."
"Qiao Wan, you can't go, you're not allowed to go."
"Blue-eyed Evil Buddha told you to go to the demon realm, and Meng Guangze is your biological father. Technically, anyone could refuse, but you must go."
"But Qiao Wan, have you ever thought about it?"
The man's deep and powerful voice immediately stunned Qiao Wan.
Ma Huaizhen said, "If we can't save Meng Guangze, it's not a problem. But if we do save him, you will have to bring him back."
"There will definitely be demon soldiers blocking our way. Can you guarantee that you can escape with Meng Guangze amidst their presence?"
The man's profile was illuminated by the flickering firelight, and suddenly, the ice plain fell into silence.
"If we can't escape and Meng Guangze falls back into the hands of the demons, the safest option is to kill him on the spot after saving him and remove him from the sealing place."
"Qiao Wan, I ask you, can you do it or not?"
Or in other words.
Ma Huaizhen firmly stated another extremely cold but rational possibility.
"And what about you? His blood flows in your veins. If either of you is captured, our efforts will be wasted."
"If we can't escape, can you watch your biological father being killed on-the-spot, and then take your own life with a knife?"
From beginning to end, the god of destruction from Kunshan Wenshi Hall never mentioned wanting to save Meng Guangze .
Their goal was to destroy the seal or, if all else failed, take Meng Guangze away and kill him on the spot, completely eliminating the possibility of Immortal Emperor Shi Yuan breaking free from the seal.
"Qiao Wan ," said Ma Huaizhen , as he raised his hand and placed it on the girl's shoulder. He spoke solemnly, "If you promise to watch Meng Guangze be killed on the spot when there is no other choice, or if you are willing to sacrifice yourself when you fall into the enemy's trap, then I will agree to your request to go to the demon realm."
This was too cold-blooded, too cruel.
Ma Huaizhen showed a hint of wavering.
But he had to make it clear to Qiao Wan .
