What are those?

  The venerable of the Little Thunderclap Buddha World stared in horror. Not just him—every cultivator in the Buddha World stood frozen, gazing at the massive rift that seemed to tear Pingyang Heaven itself in two.

  Beyond the rift—an endless army, armored and disciplined, their terrifying auras shaking the void!

  Like heavenly soldiers and generals, every soldier’s armor blazed with dazzling splendor. This was a killing army forged for slaughter!

  No ordinary high-martial world could produce such a force!

  BOOM!

  The rift had been opened by a spatial teleportation array. At its edges, the ancient character “行” (March) flowed in array runes.

  An Ancient Emperor’s mysterious array—touching the secrets of space.

  “This is… the Upper Realm’s punitive army!”

  The venerable inhaled sharply. He rose swiftly, lotus platform blooming beneath his feet, streaking across the sky.

  This was a terrifying army. Every soldier’s aura seemed to distort the heavens.

  Most crucially—the spiritual sense waves from the vast host nearly collapsed the void.

  One hundred thousand troops!

  One hundred thousand Nascent Divinity Realm experts formed into a punitive army.

  Behind them, Unity Realm auras rose one after another—terrifying!

  There were Transcendents, Ascended Immortals—even their auras were present.

  Behind the army, ancient warships loomed.

  At their center—a bronze chariot pulled by dragon-horses with true dragon bloodlines. Beaded curtains of radiant gems hung down, concealing the occupant.

  An aura so oppressive it could burst hearts drifted from the chariot.

  Thud! Thud! Thud!

  The army marched. Pingyang Heaven itself seemed ready to shatter beneath their steps.

  The banners they carried bore ancient totems.

  The Little Thunderclap venerable’s pupils shrank.

  “Upper Realm Sacred Clan?!”

  His heart skipped. He immediately prostrated himself respectfully.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  The army advanced. Countless Buddha towers exploded from the mere shock of their aura.

  Compared to this host, the Five Phoenixes’ hundred thousand iron riders were like fireflies to the moon.

  The venerable guarding the Buddha World pressed his palms together, bowed his head, and stepped aside.

  He dared not block the army.

  He didn’t even dare speak.

  Before such a force, even as a Transcendent—he was insignificant.

  The army marched straight through. Each step shook the Little Thunderclap Buddha World.

  The army was complete—cavalry on towering, ferocious beasts; archers bearing sacred-tier bows glowing with divinity; infantry with long halberds and spears, blades at their waists…

  Every soldier stared straight ahead, marching into the void.

  Leaving the Buddha World, their terrifying auras no longer concealed—like a tidal wave crashing toward the shore.

  The Five Phoenixes were that shore.

  Countless experts in Pingyang Heaven paled.

  They feared the army might accidentally trample their worlds flat.

  The Upper Realm army’s might was unstoppable!

  Many in Pingyang Heaven understood why this army had come.

  Some were surprised.

  After all, events in the Void Heaven had only unfolded days ago—yet this army had descended through the Buddha World.

  Gathering such a force should have taken far longer.

  Clearly…

  The Upper Realm had long prepared to conquer the Void Heaven.

  …

  Five Phoenixes.

  After handing the tournament to Qi Liujia, Lu Fan returned to Lakeheart Island. He sat in the pavilion, consolidating his breakthrough.

  He needed time to fully master the spiritual energy he had gained through Mysterious Qi Refinement.

  Of course, Lu Fan had already guessed what would happen next.

  He did not take out the Heavenly Immortal Wine or fuse the Indestructible Demon Body fragment.

  The Five Phoenixes had just ascended to Seventh-grade.

  So he immersed his mind in the origin space, stabilizing the newly inscribed essence.

  …

  Five Phoenixes, boundless sea—ancient tomb.

  The skeletal daoist returned with rusted sword in hand, vanishing into the tomb.

  Bu Nanxing watched the skeleton streak past and shuddered.

  One sword had slain the Upper Realm envoy!

  This skeleton was no ordinary being!

  If it wanted to kill him, a single slash could turn him into swiss cheese.

  Bu Nanxing trembled. The outside world was too terrifying.

  This tomb was a land of great peril.

  He glanced at Lu Changkong, still fiddling with spirit herbs, and felt admiration.

  The old man truly was the old man—even in such danger, he remained calm and leisurely.

  This was the tomb of the Blood-Robed General!

  The ancient monster who had slaughtered countless from the Nine Heavens!

  The Sword King returned. The other three skeletons greeted him.

  Ghostly flames danced in their sockets as if conversing.

  After a long while, they approached the silent palace.

  “General.”

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  “The Sword King’s action will surely draw the attention of the other Eight Heavens. Great calamity approaches.”

  Flames flickered in the skeletons’ eyes as primordial spirit fluctuations spread.

  The ancient palace doors remained closed.

  After a long pause, a cold voice drifted out.

  “No matter. The laws of the Void Heaven still linger. They dare not enter.”

  “If they truly dare invade… we stop them with all our strength.”

  The voice was icy.

  The flames in the four skeletons’ eyes burned brighter.

  After a long moment, they spoke in unison:

  “As you command.”

  …

  Beyond the Void Heaven.

  Qi Liujia sat cross-legged in the void.

  The Dao Derivation Mirror floated above his head, expression solemn, wrinkled face twitching.

  He was quite skilled at controlling the mirror.

  After all, Lu Fan had given him a perfect demonstration.

  Find weak high-martial worlds as opponents for the Five Phoenixes, then enthusiastically set their stake to ten strands…

  Though Qi Liujia felt this was shameless… strangely, it felt good.

  “All for the Five Phoenixes to grow stronger.”

  Qi Liujia murmured.

  Of course, he also arranged matchups for other worlds.

  Following Lu Fan’s instructions—strong versus strong. He left their stakes alone.

  Thus—

  The once-chaotic tournament became orderly again.

  Aside from the “connected” Five Phoenixes, other worlds fought fiercely.

  Of course, weaker worlds prayed not to face the Five Phoenixes.

  After all, ten consecutive victories advanced to the finals—so they still had a chance to avoid them.

  Under Qi Liujia’s hosting, the Five Phoenixes soon achieved five straight victories, gaining another forty strands.

  Just as he prepared a sixth straight win—

  His expression changed.

  A wind blew from Pingyang Heaven.

  He sensed terrifying auras—his face paled.

  Within the Heaven-Covering Array, figures looked into the distance, eyes gleaming.

  Many smirked with schadenfreude.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  Deafening rumbles came from Pingyang Heaven.

  At the border between the Void Heaven and Pingyang Heaven, the sky seemed pierced.

  As if a black cloud rolled forth, auras shaking and distorting the void.

  Qi Liujia stood, robes whipping.

  “This is… the Upper Realm army!”

  His greatest fear had come to pass.

  Though the Sword King under the Blood-Robed General had slain the envoy from the ancient warship—

  It had been exhilarating for the Five Phoenixes.

  But…

  It had also planted a massive hidden danger.

  The Blood-Robed General Gu Mangran—the ancient killer whose enemies spanned the Nine Heavens.

  Now showing signs of return—how could the other Eight Heavens not notice?

  They would never allow such a god of death to reemerge. They would send armies to annihilate him.

  And the Five Phoenixes… would likely be the sacrifice.

  Qi Liujia’s back hunched further.

  He felt the Five Phoenixes had been swept into a massive storm.

  From the moment the ancient tomb appeared, he had sensed crisis. Now it had come true.

  On the blood-colored battlefield—

  Overlord, Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, and the others looked up, expressions grave.

  Even Ni Yu, constantly popping pills, paused.

  They gazed beyond the heavens at the army rolling in from Pingyang Heaven and inhaled sharply.

  Oppressive pressure bore down even from afar.

  Lu Jiulian’s expression remained unchanged.

  Tang Yimo had been brought back to the Five Phoenixes to recover. Under origin qi nourishment, his wounds had mostly healed—only his primordial spirit needed time.

  The hundred thousand Great Xuan iron riders stood, staring at the distant army. Despite the terrifying auras, they did not retreat.

  “The Upper Realm army has come… The Five Phoenixes are in danger.”

  “The Blood-Robed General saved us once, but also brought greater calamity.”

  Beyond the Five Phoenixes, experts trapped in the Heaven-Covering Array sneered.

  They finally had a chance to mock.

  For days, Lu Fan’s control of the tournament had left them stifled.

  Watching the Five Phoenixes reap massive profits—they were green with envy!

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  The army advanced. Beasts roared. Divine light pierced the eyes.

  But it was not just the Upper Realm army.

  Terrifying rumbles continued.

  The teleportation arrays in Pingyang Heaven’s Little Thunderclap Buddha World flashed endlessly.

  Next—

  The Ascended Immortals from Fifth-grade worlds who had fled earlier summoned their own armies.

  Vast and endless—far more numerous than the Upper Realm force.

  Nascent Soul, Body Integration, Divinity Transformation armies gathered.

  Nearly a million strong—hurriedly assembled.

  Of course, this ragtag force paled in momentum compared to the Upper Realm army.

  Like the ancient war reborn.

  Terrifying killing intent emerged.

  Beyond the Void Heaven, armies arrayed without end.

  Ascended Immortal auras crisscrossed the heavens.

  Warships and chariots crushed the void.

  Ferocious beasts spread wings, blotting out the sky.

  Mysterious, unfathomable powers twisted space.

  Every cultivator in the Five Phoenixes paled.

  Even those trapped in the Heaven-Covering Array felt dread.

  This lineup could annihilate a Fifth-grade world—let alone a newborn Seventh-grade Five Phoenixes.

  Of course, most were awed by the Blood-Robed General Gu Mangran.

  At the mere mention of his name—

  The Upper Realm sent a hundred thousand troops.

  Such fear.

  BOOM!

  An expert stood atop a war chariot and gave the order.

  The Upper Realm’s hundred thousand troops stepped forward, entering the Void Heaven in unison.

  THUD!

  The entire Void Heaven seemed to quake violently.

  Many marveled at the scale—the Upper Realm had clearly prepared in advance, perfectly assembling a hundred thousand Nascent Divinity experts.

  The Void Heaven suppressed Grand Ability experts greatly. With the Upper Realm’s power, gathering a hundred thousand Grand Ability experts was possible.

  After all, in the ancient war, Grand Ability experts had been like ants.

  But with the Void Heaven’s laws covering everything, a hundred thousand Grand Ability experts releasing auras simultaneously would instantly trigger the laws and be annihilated.

  A hundred thousand Nascent Divinity experts… perfectly skirted the edge of the laws’ eruption.

  Yet still utterly terrifying.

  BANG! BANG! BANG!

  Countless cold worlds in the Void Heaven shattered.

  Countless Void Heaven wanderers screamed in terror, crushed without time to flee.

  The army was merciless. They rolled forward. Blood mist bloomed endlessly in the void.

  Their target—the Five Phoenixes!

  “Amitabha.”

  THUD!

  Within the Heaven-Covering Array—

  The Great Venerable of the Little Thunderclap Buddha World chanted, eyes filled with pity as if seeing the Five Phoenixes’ fate.

  Mountains crumbling, rivers of blood, all life extinguished.

  Thus, at this moment, he released his Ascended Immortal aura and broke free of the array.

  His task—to compassionately guide the souls of the Five Phoenixes’ dead after its destruction.

  Buddhist light swirled. His kasaya fluttered. He even wrapped all experts trapped in the array with his kasaya and carried them out of it.

  Expert after expert sneered.

  They fled swiftly, unwilling to be caught in the Upper Realm’s purge.

  …

  Five Phoenixes.

  Terrifying auras churned beyond the heavens, faces paling.

  Cultivators in the Five Phoenixes looked up. Compared to mortals, they saw more clearly.

  A hundred thousand terrifying auras—like heavenly soldiers and generals, blood qi soaring, hovering above them, killing intent bearing down like apocalyptic crisis.

  Many lips trembled, faces ashen.

  Many recalled the war of heavenly demons that had appeared in the Dragon Gate secret realm.

  That war—powerhouses falling like rain.

  That had been the peak of the Five Phoenixes’ cultivation era.

  Now it seemed to repeat.

  As if history cycled.

  …

  Lake of Origin, Heart Island.

  Lu Fan’s mind withdrew from the origin space, returning to his body.

  He looked at the terrifying, oppressive scene above the heavens—those hundred thousand Nascent Divinity troops—and felt astonishing even to him.

  “They came so quickly. They were clearly prepared long ago.”

  Leaning on the Thousand-Blade Chair, fingers tapping lightly.

  In truth, from the moment the tournament was set in the Five Phoenixes, Lu Fan had guessed it all.

  News of the ancient tomb had surely reached the Upper Realm. Once confirmed as the Blood-Robed General Gu Mangran’s tomb—this punitive expedition had been inevitable.

  In short—this was bound to happen eventually.

  Lu Fan sighed softly.

  Of course, he sighed not for the coming calamity.

  But because the tournament could no longer continue—he could no longer rapidly gain origin dao essence.

  While sighing—

  Lu Fan slowly took out the Spirit Pressure Chessboard.

  It floated before him, glowing faintly.

  He rolled up his sleeve and brushed across the smooth board.

  “Since I can’t continue gaining origin dao essence…”

  “Then let the killing begin.”

  “Again and again—do you truly think Lu Ping’an has a good temper? Easy to bully?”

  Lu Fan lifted the lid of the black box.

  Rolled up his sleeve, reached in, and picked up a piece.

  Then placed it at the center of the board.

  Plop!

  A crisp sound rang out.

  Next instant—

  Above the boundless sea, the giant whale and immortal island vanished into thin air.

  Only empty waves remained.

  …

  THUD! THUD! THUD!

  The army’s unified steps shook the void.

  Iron and blood, killing intent soaring.

  The Upper Realm experts dared not enter the Void Heaven. They sat aboard their ancient warships, watching everything.

  From the luxurious bronze chariot pulled by dragon-horses with true dragon blood, a gaze drifted out.

  Move!

  Within the Void Heaven—

  With every step the hundred thousand troops took, countless cold worlds shattered. Countless wanderers died without time to scream.

  In the eyes of these Upper Realm experts, Void Heaven wanderers were like rats in a sewer—killed without blinking.

  As they closed in, oppressive pressure made breathing difficult.

  THUD!

  Finally, as they neared the blood-colored battlefield—

  Ten thousand infantry wielding long halberds and spears stepped forward first, pressing toward the Five Phoenixes.

  Qi Liujia held the Dao Derivation Mirror, landing on the blood-colored battlefield, face pale and unwilling.

  The terrifying pressure from the hundred thousand troops made the battlefield itself seem to crack.

  Every soul’s blood qi trembled.

  But after the initial fear, every cultivator and iron rider of the Five Phoenixes—blood boiling, unyielding, unafraid—erupted with defiance!

  Though incomparable to the Upper Realm army—

  They did not bow their heads!

  Hummm…

  Suddenly, everyone in the Five Phoenixes felt the pressure lift.

  Then—

  They looked up.

  Every cultivator in the Five Phoenixes raised their heads in a daze.

  Their hearts skipped.

  A beast’s roar seemed to echo through every corner of the Void Heaven.

  Above the Lake of Origin, origin qi surged.

  A giant whale—unknown when it had appeared—hovered above everyone, as if teleported.

  The world seemed to fall silent in that instant.

  Atop the whale’s back—an immortal island. Origin qi cascaded like waterfalls.

  Pavilions, towers, immortal palaces stood upon it.

  A mountain peak soared. A tower floated ethereal.

  At the tower’s railing—

  A white-robed youth, picturesque.

  With his power alone, he bore the pressure of a hundred thousand troops for all beings of the Five Phoenixes.

  The giant whale carried the immortal island.

  A piece fell at the center.

  The long-absent White Jade Capital…

  Reappeared in the world!