CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 62: WITHDRAWAL OF TROOPS_1

"Changeable Mansion!"

Seeing the ten individuals appear, the expressions of the Five Swords Servants and Four Knives Guests shifted slightly. They gathered, Sword Qi and blade radiances swirling around them, ready to strike at any moment. It was clear they were extremely wary of the Changeable Mansion.

"Protector Eagle, what are you here for?" Sword One asked solemnly, his mind racing. Their mission this time was to obstruct the Qin Empire’s conquest of the Holy Fire Land, but the Changeable Mansion’s arrival undoubtedly upset their plans.

As for the reason they were obstructing the Qin Empire, it had to start from two hundred thousand years ago.

Two hundred thousand years ago, the power of the Changeable Mansion reached its peak. The incumbent mansion master broke through to the Saint Realm, earning the title Impermanence Saint. Not content with ruling a single Dao Realm, he began to expand externally. To resist the Changeable Mansion’s invasion, neighboring Dao Realms began to ally, with the Lin Family at their head. The allied forces included the Sword Sect, Knife Mansion, Great Azure Empire, Gun City, and Ten Thousand Flowers Sect.

The battle affected nine Dao Realms, darkening the sky and leaving the sun and moon devoid of light. Countless creatures died, bones littered the ground, and flowing blood dyed the earth red. Both sides paid a heavy price; over a hundred Reaching the Holy Realm experts fell, most of them killed by the Impermanence Saint.

Finally, the Lin Family detonated their inherited holy weapon, severely injuring the Impermanence Saint and bringing the war to a temporary halt. It is worth mentioning that the native forces of the East Ancient Domain, Holy Fire Land, and Purple Lightning Domain were wiped out, later becoming the territories of the Qin Empire, Holy Fire Sect, and Sky Thunder Sect, respectively.

To preserve the outcome of the war, the nine Dao Realms signed a pact: all forces could only rule a single Dao Realm. If the Qin Empire were to conquer the Holy Fire Land, the pact would become void, and the Changeable Mansion could legitimately expand externally—a scenario the Sword Sect and other powers desperately wished to avoid.

"Naturally, we are here at the invitation of the Holy Fire Sect to stop the expansion of the Qin Empire!" Protector Eagle said casually, his gaze deep and piercing like an old eagle’s. Finally, his eyes rested on Zhao Yun. Among all present, he only sensed a hint of threat from the latter.

Several thousand zhang away, Zhao Yun calmly stared at Protector Eagle, his expression indifferent.

The Five Swords Servants and Four Knives Guests frowned deeply, not believing a single word Protector Eagle had said. Stop the Qin Empire’s invasion? What a joke! Among the nine Dao Realms, the Changeable Mansion is probably the one that most wishes for the Qin Empire to conquer two Dao Realms!

"Heh heh, I knew you wouldn’t believe me, so this protector brought the official document!" Seeing their suspicion, Protector Eagle let out a strange laugh, pulled a golden scroll from his bosom, and threw it skyward. It burst forth with innumerable golden rays, forming densely packed script.

The meaning of the text was simple: the Holy Fire Sect was facing an existential crisis and requested aid from the Changeable Mansion to resist the Qin Empire. As a price, the Changeable Mansion could establish a branch in the Holy Fire Land and dispatch troops to garrison it.

"Impossible!" Slaying Blade exclaimed in shock, releasing his spiritual sense to verify the decree’s authenticity. Confirming it was real, his expression turned exceedingly grim.

"Damn it, what is the Holy Fire Sect thinking? Why would they agree to the Changeable Mansion’s conditions!" Sword One couldn’t help but complain. Allowing the Changeable Mansion to establish a branch—isn’t that a classic case of inviting the wolf into the house? Given the Changeable Mansion’s strength, it wouldn’t take long for them to seize control of the Holy Fire Sect’s leadership and become the de facto rulers of the Holy Fire Land. This was not good news for the other Dao Realms.

"You’ve seen the decree. Can you leave the Holy Fire Land now?" Protector Eagle retrieved the decree and took a step forward, his aura thick with murderous intent. His terrifying power erupted, sending shockwaves through the heavens as a murderous aura swept the sky. The nine individuals standing behind him also unleashed their formidable auras.

Endless killing intent permeated the firmament. In a daze, people envisioned mountains of corpses and seas of blood; they saw flowing fresh blood and countless tormented souls. Except for the Reaching the Holy Realm experts, all other Martial Artists felt their hearts tremble and their limbs turn uncontrollable, as if their very souls were about to be torn from their bodies. Even Qin Wudao felt the pressure; fortunately, his strong spiritual power saved him from disgrace.

"Your Majesty, what do we do now?" Zhang Gan asked quietly. Facing ten Reaching the Holy Realm experts, even if they deployed the ’Five Elements Convergence Formation,’ they wouldn’t stand a chance.

"Retreat!" the Emperor of Qin said, his voice laced with reluctance. At this moment, he was gradually regaining his senses, realizing the gap between the Qin Empire and the established powers. His Qin Empire only had five Reaching the Holy Realm martial artists, while the Changeable Mansion could easily dispatch ten. The disparity was immense!

"His Majesty orders a retreat!" Zhang Gan also felt somewhat unwilling but knew there was no other choice. Neither the Sword Sect, the Knife Mansion, nor the Changeable Mansion were forces the Qin Empire could afford to provoke. The troops in Demonfire City were all elites of the empire; he couldn’t bear to see them all perish here.

The mournful WOOOO of the retreat horn echoed over the city, tinged with despair. Leaving the city that had been within their grasp, all Qin soldiers felt a sharp pang of melancholy.

"Your Highness, let’s go too," Jia Xu prompted. Qin Wudao nodded, leading the Yan Yun Eighteen Cavalry away.

Soon, the Qin Empire’s forces withdrew from Demonfire City. However, the Five Swords Servants and Four Knives Guests did not leave; they remained hovering in mid-air.

"What? You don’t plan on leaving?" Protector Eagle squinted, his fearsome aura pressing down on the Five Swords Servants and Four Knives Guests. The Void itself seemed to crack under the strain, emitting sharp CRACKS.

"The protectors of the Changeable Mansion are rumored to be immensely powerful. Today, I wish to test that!" Sword One’s eyes burned brightly. With a wave of his right hand, the battle sword on his back shot through the air, permeated by Rhymes in Dao and exuding a powerful aura. This was a Dao weapon!

CLANG!

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Following this, four clear resonant sounds of sword qi echoed through the heavens and earth, transforming into terrifying sword light. In an instant, five sword qi of varying colors spanned the sky within a thousand-mile radius, streaking across the Void like brilliant auroras.

"You want a fight? Then you’ll get one!" A glint of battle shone in Protector Eagle’s eyes. A black mist gathered behind him, forming a black eagle, as he led four Reaching the Holy Realm martial artists into battle against the Five Swords Servants.

Meanwhile, the Four Knives Guests, not to be outdone, sent their long knives cutting through the air.

The first knife was the Blood Knife, its blade like blood!

The second knife was the Heavy Knife, hundreds of zhang long, like a mountain of blades!

The third knife was the Agile Knife, its body slender, its edge lethally sharp!

The fourth knife was the Broken Knife; though damaged, its power was not to be underestimated!

"Fight!" the Four Knives Guests roared, looking at the remaining five opponents and issuing a domineering challenge.

"We’ll oblige you!" Another protector’s eyes shimmered with fighting intent. A black mist swirled above his head, forming a black snake that coiled in the sky, flicking its forked tongue and exuding a pungent, bloody stench.

BOOM!

Nineteen figures clashed. The resulting shockwaves swept across a thousand-mile radius, affecting several nearby cities. Many living beings perished in the confrontation. The Holy Fire Sect soldiers caught in the center of the conflict suffered the most. Those below the Beyond the Shore Realm all died gruesome deaths...

「Four hours later.」

The sounds of battle faded, and stillness returned.

The once-magnificent Demonfire City had been razed to the ground.