Chapter 781 - 357: Annihilation of the Nascent Soul Wang Family, and Lingering Doubts

"The age of chaos is truly here."

Li Chang’an felt a heaviness in his heart as he patted Song Yu’Er on the head.

"Yu’Er, you don’t need to go down the mountain for training anymore. Just stay here and focus on your cultivation."

"Yes."

Song Yu’Er was no longer the naive little girl she once was. She understood the gravity of what lay ahead.

「For the next few days.」

Li Chang’an continuously sought news from all corners, but little information was forthcoming.

Finally, on this day.

Suddenly, her voice came through the Communication Treasure that Wang Qianling had given him.

"Daoist Li, I’m unharmed, but my clan has suffered devastating casualties."

"I’m glad you’re safe, Daoist Wang."

Li Chang’an immediately asked her what had happened.

Wang Qianling told him everything.

A few days prior, more than a dozen Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the Demon Sects crossed the border and descended upon the Wang Clan Territory.

With only one Nascent Soul cultivator, Wang Yannian, left in the Wang Family, how could they possibly resist?

After the ensuing battle,

Wang Yannian’s physical body was destroyed, and only his Nascent Soul managed to escape.

As for the other Wang Family disciples in the territory, not a single one escaped.

They were either killed or taken by the Demon Sects to be used as resources.

Wang Qianling only survived because she happened to be away from the family grounds that day.

After the Wang Family’s other Nascent Soul True Monarch went missing, Wang Yannian had sensed that something was amiss and had already moved many core clan members to a safe location.

Many of the Wang Family’s Golden Core Cultivators and most talented descendants, including Wang Qianling, managed to escape the slaughter.

「These past few days.」

They had kept their whereabouts hidden, fearing they would be targeted.

They were wary not only of the Demonic Influences, but also of the other seven major Righteous Dao Nascent Soul powers.

Without the protection of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, the remaining Wang Family Cultivators were nothing but fat sheep in the eyes of the other Nascent Soul Influences.

"Fortunately, our ancestor’s Nascent Soul was unharmed, and he has already returned to the Nascent Soul Realm."

Wang Qianling trusted Li Chang’an greatly, so she explained the Wang Family’s current situation in detail.

A Golden Core Celestial Pride from the Wang Family had voluntarily offered up his body, allowing Wang Yannian’s Nascent Soul to possess it.

After a few days of acclimation,

Wang Yannian’s Nascent Soul had recovered seventy to eighty percent of its strength, enough to protect the remaining members of the Wang Family.

Li Chang’an asked, "Daoist Wang, what does the Wang Family plan to do next?"

"Revenge, of course!"

Wang Qianling’s reply was decisive.

The Wang Family now shared a blood feud with the Demon Sects of the Yan Country.

Wang Yannian had already contacted the other seven Nascent Soul powers to discuss a joint strategy against the Demon Sects.

With a great enemy at their doorstep, all conflicts had to be temporarily set aside.

That very day, Qi Jiuyang, the Emperor of Great Qi, publicly announced that all grievances between his state and the Wang Family were forgiven and forgotten!

Following that,

the Yellow Sand Sect and the Purple Mist Sect made peace.

The Four Great Sects of the Yuan Country also put aside their disagreements, ending a century of conflict.

The Nascent Soul True Monarchs from the eight major powers of both countries led their disciples to the border to fend off the Demonic invasion.

In just a few short days, dozens of battles between Nascent Souls had already broken out.

「A few days later.」

The Righteous Dao of the two countries officially declared war on the Demonic Dao of the Yan Country!

And so, the curtains were fully drawn on the Battle of Righteous and Evil.

Li Chang’an was in the Southern Domain of the Zhao Country, far behind the front lines, so for the time being, he wasn’t worried about Demonic Cultivators attacking.

Currently, the battlefield

was concentrated along the border of the two countries’ Northern Domains.

He remained securely on Changqing Mountain, gathering information from all sources and continuously analyzing the situation.

’This is troublesome. The combined Nascent Soul and Tier Four Powers of the Righteous Dao in both countries seem far inferior to the Demon Sects.’

His brow furrowed as he reviewed the stream of messages in his hand.

The Yan Country, home to the Demonic Dao, possessed a territory larger than the Yuan and Zhao Countries combined, and its cultivation resources were also far superior.

Furthermore, the cultivation philosophy of the Demonic Dao was more extreme and utterly unscrupulous.

Such a cruel yet resource-rich environment often produced a greater number of powerful experts.

Moreover, the Demonic Dao of the Yan Country had been plotting this war for centuries!

According to the reports,

hundreds of years ago, when the Celestial Nether True Monarch became the Sect Leader of the Nether Soul Sect, he had personally devised a strategy to weaken the two countries.

Over the centuries, the Demonic Influences used various methods to constantly instigate infighting within the Righteous Dao of both nations.

The schism of the Yuan Country’s Four Spirits Sect was a direct result of this instigation.

After the split, the four resulting sects engaged in numerous major battles, leading to the deaths of several Nascent Soul True Monarchs and countless Celestial Prides.

The conflicts among the Four Nascent Soul Powers of the Zhao Country were similarly instigated in secret by the Demonic Dao.

And it wasn’t just the Nascent Soul Influences.

The conflicts and infighting among the many Golden Core Influences were also tied to the Demonic Dao.

In addition, the Demonic Dao was also adept at manipulating Demon Beasts.

Their hand could be seen behind the Beast Tides that had erupted in various regions over the years.

The Beast Tide in the Southern Domain of the Zhao Country years ago, which appeared to have been triggered by Huang He Master hunting a Tier Three Demon King, was in reality a plot by Demonic Cultivators!

’No wonder that Beast Tide was so strange.’

Reading these reports, several questions that had long been buried in Li Chang’an’s mind were finally answered.

There were too many inconsistencies with that Beast Tide.

Low Tier Demon Beasts had somehow been able to use Arrays!

Back then, Li Chang’an had wondered.

’Who taught those Demon Beasts to use Arrays?’

Furthermore, the Demon Beasts hadn’t just rampaged blindly. Instead, they had employed numerous strategies, such as feigning weakness to lure their enemies into traps, causing the forces of the Human Race to suffer devastating losses.

The behavior of those Tier Three Demon Kings had also far surpassed anyone’s expectations.

Just as the Beast Tide was finally ending, before anyone could even catch their breath, the Three Great Sects suddenly erupted into war, leaving the entire Southern Domain in a state of utter devastation.

Now, everything finally made sense.

Long before Li Chang’an had even set foot on the path of cultivation, the Demonic Dao had already planned all of this.

After centuries of internal strife, the overall strength of the Cultivation Immortality Realm in both countries had declined significantly, a far cry from its peak.

Meanwhile, the Five Great Sects of the Demonic Dao were aggressive and at the height of their power.

’I’m afraid the outcome of this war won’t be good.’

Li Chang’an mused.

’Good thing I was prepared. I already have hundreds of Demon Cultivator identities.’

If the Demonic Dao managed to conquer both countries, he could, at worst, just pose as a Demon Cultivator.

Just as he was thinking this,

a Turtle-shaped Jade Pendant in his Storage Pouch suddenly grew warm.

Li Chang’an took out the Jade Pendant and sent his Divine Sense into it, immediately hearing the worried voice of Lin Xuanyan, the Black Tortoise Saint Child.

"Daoist Li, the Demonic Dao is invading in full force. I fear the Righteous Dao won’t be able to hold them off. We should discuss an escape route."