Chapter 797: The End of the Qingyun Battle

The great battle raged for less than an hour before concluding. Though swift in its beginning and end, the scene across the heavens and earth remained utterly devastating. Nearly a hundred *li* of land was stained red, piled high with mountains of corpses and bones. The already dark night sky was shrouded in a thick veil of blood-red haze.

Beneath the heavens, the masses of figures still pressed on like a vast black carpet, stretching endlessly across the ground. Among them were the armies of Yanhuang, Hengyue, Qingyun, and the various great families, now bolstered by the forces of nearly four halls from Zhengyang Zong that had been incorporated into their ranks. Their momentum was nothing short of overwhelming.

At that moment, the strong warriors of Zhengyang Zong, who had laid down their weapons, were lining up to depart. Their expressions were somber, yet they did not appear as disheartened as one might expect.

It was noteworthy that as each of them left, they cast a meaningful glance at Ji Ningshuang and Ye Chen. This pair of former lovers, both once part of Zhengyang Zong, evoked a sense of surreal wonder upon meeting here, as if from another lifetime.

In particular, regarding Ye Chen, even the densest observer could see that the massive coalition of cultivators who had encircled them today were all under his command. It was unfathomable what kind of strategies he had employed to unite so many forces in such a short time, all while evading the notice of all sides—a feat that was truly shocking.

"Ah!"

As they walked, the many veteran elders of Zhengyang Zong let out a sigh, inwardly lamenting what the sect's leaders had been up to in recent years. Driving away Ye Chen and forcing out Ji Ningshuang—these two unparalleled prodigies had been abandoned by the sect, leaving them with a chilling sense of disillusionment.

"The forces of four halls—gained far too easily."

Watching the Zhengyang Zong warriors depart in an orderly line, the veteran figures from Hengyue and Yanhuang could not help but sigh in admiration.

"Not at all easy." Situ Longshan stroked his beard. "The Zhengyang Zong army is like a snake. We merely struck its vital point; otherwise, incorporating such a vast force of cultivators would not have been so straightforward."

"You have a point." Shangguan Xuanzong took a deep breath. "Had we not concentrated our efforts to eliminate the nine great hall masters of Zhengyang Zong, turning their army into scattered sands, the battle might still be raging. The key to our victory lay in those nine hall masters."

"No matter how you look at it, we've won—and won a complete victory." The veteran figures chuckled while glancing at Ji Ningshuang nearby. "This smooth incorporation is largely thanks to her!"

"It's undeniable that her joining us was quite a surprise. How did Ye Chen manage it?"

"There's an old saying: A day as husband and wife means a hundred days of kindness."

"Don't joke around. Our friendship is pure." Ye Chen shook his head, drawing looks of disdain from the veteran figures.

"With our momentum at its peak, let's march straight on Zhengyang Zong!" As he spoke, the ancestor of the Su family scanned the group of veterans, his gaze finally settling on Ye Chen. "What do you think of this plan?"

"We can't rush it." Ye Chen took a deep breath, watching the Zhengyang Zong warriors still filing out. His words carried deep implication. "Though they've surrendered, it doesn't mean they're willingly following us. If we engage Zhengyang Zong tonight, there's no guarantee they won't stab us in the back. The army of four halls is an enormous force—if they cause chaos from behind, the situation would be unthinkable."

"So, we need time to assimilate this cultivator army."

"No need for long—just three days will suffice." Ye Chen smiled.

"Three days is enough. My father should be emerging from seclusion by then." Biyou said with a light smile.

"In three days, the Ouyang family, Muyun family, Nangong family, and Dan Cheng can also muster their armies and head south." Ye Chen continued, his eyes flashing with sharp light. "That's when the true final battle will begin."

"That's true, but with tonight's battle, Zhengyang Zong has likely received the news." Situ Longshan stroked his beard. "If they prepare defenses, it could be a loss for us. They might even be plotting their escape right now. If they scatter across the land, capturing them would be far more difficult."

"If they come out, that would be even better." Ye Chen smiled leisurely. "Within eight thousand *li* of Zhengyang Zong, it's all our people—nine defensive lines in place. Even the teleportation arrays within eighty thousand *li* are under our control. Breaking through won't be easy for them."

"So, you had this planned all along." The veteran figures looked at Ye Chen with meaningful expressions.

"Just being prepared." Ye Chen shrugged casually.

"Then we'll wait three more days and head home." With that, the veteran figures burst into laughter, flicked their robes, and set off toward Hengyue Zong.

As they departed, the surrounding armies began to withdraw. Sixty percent of the forces retreated to the nine great branches of Zhengyang Zong that had already been occupied, forming a encirclement around the main sect.

"Keep an eye on Qingyun—don't let anything go wrong at a critical moment." Watching the armies recede, Ye Chen patted Zhou Ao on the shoulder. Zhou Ao, now clad in armor, exuded the air of a commander, just like Ye Chen. In such a short time, he had taken control of Qingyun with remarkably firm methods.

"I'm reliable in my work." Zhou Ao laughed, glancing at Ji Ningshuang in the distance. "You've pulled off something pretty shocking! I didn't realize until I saw it—it's quite the surprise."

"Keep it low-key." Ye Chen adjusted his collar meaningfully and started to step away.

"Ye brother." Just as he took a step, Zhou Ao's voice called from behind.

"Anything else?" Ye Chen turned back instinctively, looking at Zhou Ao with curiosity.

"What you said before—about me possibly seeing Yuechi Xun again—is that true?" Zhou Ao's face had lost its playful expression; he looked at Ye Chen with a mix of hope and tension.

"Once we take Zhengyang Zong, I'll give you a definite answer." Ye Chen smiled, though he wasn't entirely sure himself whether Da Chu truly formed its own cycle of reincarnation as Taixu Gulong had described. To confirm, he needed to deal with Taixu Gulong first.

"I'll wait for your answer." Zhou Ao took a deep breath.

Ye Chen smiled without another word and stepped into the void sky, streaking across the horizon like a divine rainbow.

Behind him, Chu Ling'er, Xuan Nu, Biyou, and the others followed suit, with Ji Ningshuang also moving to join them. Notably, before they left, they all cast meaningful glances at Zhou Ao, who stood quietly in place.

"I didn't expect him to be such a romantic at heart." In flight, Chu Ling'er sighed.

"Yuechi Xun—I've crossed paths with her once." Biyou said softly. "Her cultivation is modest, but she has incredible determination."

"It's worth noting that she has a special bloodline." Shangguan Hanyue added, as if she had encountered Yuechi Xun before and knew more than Biyou.

"What a shame." Shangguan Yuer lamented. "I wish all lovers in the world could end up together."

"Once we're back, I'll need your help." As the women discussed, Ye Chen turned to Ji Ningshuang beside him. "Among those we've incorporated, at least twenty percent harbor ulterior motives."

"Don't worry, I won't show mercy." Ji Ningshuang parted her lips slightly, her tone laced with coldness. "Anyone who threatens the unification of Nanchu, I'll strike down without hesitation with the Xuanling Sword."

Her words made Chu Ling'er and the others nearby furrow their brows, their gazes instinctively falling on Ji Ningshuang. The Ji Ningshuang before them felt unfamiliar, different from the one in their memories—she had become somewhat ruthless.

"I said it before—the bad deeds are for me to handle." Ye Chen smiled. "You just need to identify those people; I'll take care of the rest."

"I've also said that for the sake of a prosperous era, I'm willing to bear the infamy of eternity." Ji Ningshuang spoke again, her tone even colder, and with that, she surged ahead like a brilliant rainbow across the sky.

"What on earth are you two talking about?" Watching Ji Ningshuang disappear into the distance, Shangguan Yuer looked at Ye Chen in astonishment.

"Nothing." Ye Chen smiled, his eyes flashing with a profound light as he watched her fade from view.

The night was pitch-black, the wind biting cold.

In the grand hall of Zhengyang Zong, a heavy gloom hung in the air. Over a hundred figures stood there, each with a somber expression.

News of the Qingyun Zong battle had returned: The Zhengyang Zong army had suffered a crushing defeat, with all nine great hall masters wiped out and the Yinming army completely annihilated. What enraged them most was that nearly four halls' worth of Zhengyang Zong forces had been incorporated by the enemy.

"Damn it! Damn it!" In the center of the hall, Cheng Kun raged like a maddened lion, his roars thundering like lightning, his face twisted into a grotesque mask of fury.

"This is beyond expectations." Yin Zhou said coldly. "Qingyun, Hengyue, Shangguan family, Dongfang family, Situ family, Beichen family, and Ximen family—all united, and we had no idea."

"In just one year, how did he manage to bring so many forces together? What exactly did Ye Chen do?" The old ancestor of Zhengyang Zong looked terrifyingly grim. "Since our sect's founding, we've never suffered such a massive loss."

"And Ji Ningshuang joining them—it's unforgivable." An elder on the platform exploded in anger.

"Now it seems the disappearance of our two halls' army in Dongyue must be connected to them. Such a massive force could have wiped out our two halls undetected."

"Our nine great branches have been occupied; we're completely isolated now."

"What a miscalculation."

"Enough chatter." As they spoke, a majestic and icy voice echoed through the hall. The Falaowang appeared, clad in a purple-gold robe, materializing in a eerie manner from illusion to solidity, like a projection.

"Falaowang." Upon his appearance, everyone in the hall bowed respectfully.

"A motley crew, that's all." Falaowang snorted coldly, his voice cold and desolate, carrying an air of unassailable authority. "Since they've united, it saves me the trouble of hunting them down one by one."