Chapter 541 - 179: Born of the Same Root, Why the Hurry to Harm Each Other? Li Ran’s Arrival, The Dust Settles

In that instant, his aura vanished completely, like an old monk deep in meditation or a Black Tortoise returning to the sea. He wasn’t sure how long the Heaven-Deceiving Talisman would last. Neither the Wushang Demon God nor Huangfu Hao’s true self were pushovers; they were devastatingly strong, and he had no idea how long their battle would rage on.

He had many trump cards up his sleeve, but against existences of this caliber, he couldn’t afford to act rashly. He had to wait for the perfect opportunity.

In that moment, he was like a boulder that had concealed all its aura, a hunter waiting silently for his prey.

The more time passed, the more it was to his advantage.

’Once the situation on Immortal Ascension Island stabilizes, my grandfather, Li Ran, can make his move at a critical time, rally support, and then free his hands to help. After that, neither the will of the Wushang Demon God nor Huangfu Hao’s true self will be anything to fear.’

Time slowly trickled by.

On Immortal Ascension Island, chaos reigned. Demons ran rampant, cries of agony echoed across the land, cities lay in ruins, and devastation was everywhere.

The three great Guardian Families did nothing. In their stead, the Four Great Royal Families stepped forward, becoming the backbone of the resistance. They began organizing the various Loose Cultivators into squads to fight off the Demons.

Seeing this, the other Noble Families also joined the cause. After all, the Four Great Royal Families represented Great Xia; if Immortal Ascension Island were to fall, the Celestial Central Province would surely be affected as well.

Once Great Xia learned of the situation, they would surely dispatch reinforcements. All they had to do now was hold on until help arrived.

With this thought in mind, the major Noble Families began to commit their full strength, unleashing their clans’ deepest reserves.

Even the ancient, reclusive ancestors of the clans—figures only called upon in times of life or death—began to emerge. They led their clansmen to reinforce the areas most overrun by Demons.

It was then that a piece of shocking news spread from the Gongsun Family, sending a chill down everyone’s spine.

Gongsun Long, an Ancestor-Level figure of the Gongsun Family, had been ambushed by the Helian Family. He was gravely wounded, his life force was nearly extinguished, and he was on the verge of death.

The Helian Family was treacherously ambitious, colluding with the Demon Race—an offense for which they deserved to be slain by all.

Shortly after this news broke, a gateway in the Helian Family’s Little World swung open. Ancient Warships rumbled out one after another, thundering across the sky with countless powerful experts in their wake. They were headed straight for the Gongsun Family’s domain to launch an all-out assault.

The sight stunned everyone.

Everyone had assumed the Helian Family would move against the Tantai Family first. Who could have imagined they would attack the Gongsun Family instead?

Everyone’s hearts sank. They lost all hope in the Helian Family, and could only pin their hopes on the other regions of the Nine Provinces Land.

The Tantai Family was being overrun by Demons and couldn’t spare any attention. The now-demonic Helian Wen possessed terrifying power, unbelievably managing to hold off three of the Tantai Family’s Ancestors all by himself.

Therefore, no one could count on the Tantai Family for help.

Prince Zhong’s Mansion was now packed to the brim. Representatives from all the major Noble Families, the other Immortal Sect Lineages stationed on the island, and the heads of the major merchant associations had all gathered there.

Some were weeping as they cursed the Helian Family’s shamelessness. At such a critical time, they had taken advantage of the chaos to plunder their cargo, making off with countless treasures and rare artifacts.

The medicine fields, Gambling Stone Workshops, and Weapon Pavilions of the major Noble Families had also been ransacked. Some were hit by the Helian Family, others by opportunistic Loose Cultivators taking advantage of the chaos. In any case, their losses were devastating.

Although Prince Zhong and the others tried to console the crowd, they were deeply troubled themselves. The mysterious and powerful woman in white was nowhere to be found. They had assumed she would preside over the defense and, when the Demons attacked, use her Supreme Means to bring the situation under control.

But she had vanished without a trace, and no one had any idea where she had gone.

Their only hope now was that Great Xia would send reinforcements, and quickly. Immortal Ascension Island was their home, after all. They had lived there for thousands of years and had deep ties to the land. Besides, it was far too late to even attempt an evacuation now.

Furthermore, their greatest worry was Jiang Lan.

According to the Tributors from the Prime Minister’s Mansion, he had risked everything to rescue two of his followers, walking right into a trap set by the Barbarian Race to get them out.

His two followers were safe now, but as for him... his fate was a mystery, his location unknown...

If anything happened to Jiang Lan, and the Prime Minister’s Mansion decided to hold them responsible, the Four Great Dukes would face dire consequences.

The Dukes were beside themselves with worry. They used every means at their disposal to contact outside powers, but the closest, the Southern Wilderness Province, was still thousands of miles away. Even if Great Xia’s war goddess, Xia Jin, learned of the situation and dispatched an army immediately, it would take them at least seven days to arrive.

Meanwhile, the disturbance from the Demon Abyss grew ever more alarming. Billowing Demonic Qi surged forth, and it would be no exaggeration to say it blotted out the sky.

No one knew what manner of powerful Demons would emerge from it next.

"For now, our only choice is to consolidate our forces and defend the cities nearest the Demon Abyss. We have to stop the main horde from advancing. Only by holding the line there can we begin to deal with the Demons already running loose and buy as much time as possible..." Prince Zhong and the others dared not delay a single moment.

Even with the help of the Tributors from the Prime Minister’s Mansion, their strength was but a drop in the ocean.

「Two days passed.」

Wumo City was one of the major cities under the Tantai Family’s rule, located on the border of the Demon Abyss.