Chapter 2243: The Alliance of the End of the Era

The deep abyss was endless, and Ba Qiao fell endlessly.

Time held no meaning here; distance was merely a measure of feeling.

This was a journey without end.

It could be an instant, or it could be ten thousand years.

It could be ten zhang away, or it could be ten million li.

Was this ancient stone bridge ultimately falling, or ascending? Was the depth of the abyss sunset, or the sky? Who could say for sure?

In any case, Ba Qiao had leaped into the abyss, so it would be tentatively described as "falling."

"Great" is a power beyond limits. It breaks the bounds of the present world and transcends all heavens and myriad worlds to exist. It cannot be described, nor can it be touched.

At this moment, Ba Qiao was deeply trapped within the "great" power.

In this endless fall, an extremely chaotic sound rang out.

It was strange, evil, and eerie, as if billions of sounds were mixed together.

Cultivators below the Absolute Peak would instantly collapse and die upon hearing this sound. If they attempted to discern its content, even Absolute Peak cultivators would likely fall into madness!

However, this sound was captured by Ba Qiao.

This sound said, "Ying Yunian! The transcendence common agreement is still in effect. Does the Human Race want to tear it up?"

Da Qin Taizu, Ying Yunian, was the second great being to achieve transcendence since the beginning of the Dao Calendar.

Ba Qiao was a treasure He created in that year to commemorate His hegemony, and it naturally became His bridge back to the present world.

Towards the end of the recent ancient era, that earth-shattering great war nearly destroyed the center of the myriad worlds known as the present world, causing all heavens and myriad worlds to return to extinction.

If that kind of ending truly occurred, all living beings in all heavens and myriad worlds would be annihilated. Even Cave True and Derive Dao would not survive.

Transcendence would also sleep, and "eternity" would be called into question because the eternal world would no longer exist.

The great powerhouses who had seen and proven true immortality would also be without the foundation for immortality.

Then "eternal" and "immortality" could no longer be defined.

Everything in all heavens and myriad worlds would go extinct, and they would have to wait through long, immeasurable eras before revival might be possible—or perhaps never revive.

Even if there were supreme powerhouses who could resist the eternal silence and resist sleep, they could only drift in nothingness.

Because in a world without "existence," even "world" would not exist.

No one was willing to face such an end, so the "transcendence common agreement" emerged in response to the calamity.

It had a formal name, called the "Haotian Gaoshang End Calamity Alliance," and it was the highest-level alliance among all heavens and myriad worlds. It restricted the actions of transcendent beings in the present world!

After this agreement, the Dao Calendar began anew.

This agreement possessed such great significance that when the great being deep within the abyss deliberately mentioned it, they were certainly seeking a response.

Thus, across time and space, within the ancient stone bridge, Ying Yunian's warm and moist voice rang out: "I thought it was you who didn't plan to abide by it."

"Truly bitter are the years, ah." In the chaotic time and space, that extremely strange voice said, "Hehehehe... In that year, I conversed with Human Emperor You Xiong and Yujing Dao Master. Now it has changed to a young man less than ten thousand years old!"

"Transcendence knows no ancient and modern!" Ying Yunian's voice said, "Years no longer have meaning for us. Great as you are, you still need to know my name, don't you?"

The extremely strange voice said, "My name is Yong Zhang. Your generation is concealed. The transcendence common agreement may not have your name on it."

"I haven't come to sign it yet," Ying Yunian's voice from the stone bridge said, "but I will sign it."

"Between about to sign and not having signed, you only have limited freedom in the present world," the extremely strange voice said. "Heh... So you are actually so presumptuous as to come alone before my seat!"

The "Haotian Gaoshang End Calamity Alliance" was of course not an empty paper. It was signed by the names of all transcendent beings in all heavens and myriad worlds, possessing great power and restricting the actions of transcendent beings.

It was the self-imposed restriction actively made by all transcendent beings after reaching consensus at that moment, in order to prevent the extinction of all heavens and myriad worlds.

If one were to make a forced analogy, it could be regarded as the ultimate state of the "Taixu Agreement." Its power came from "consensus," bestowed by the agreement's creators.

Regardless of who broke the agreement first, they would pay a huge price.

By the era when Ying Yunian achieved greatness, the transcendence common agreement had long been signed and completed, and of course, his name was not on it. Similarly, Ji Fureng was also like this. These two transcendent beings after the start of the Dao Calendar were relatively free existences under the transcendence common agreement.

But this did not mean they could not be bound.

"This supreme alliance, this immortal holy agreement. All transcendent beings cannot arbitrarily interfere with the present world to avoid the disaster of extinction. Although my name is not on the agreement, I am also bound by it." Ying Yunian said lightly, "You can rest assured, if not necessary, I am unwilling to pay the price of breaking the agreement."

"Less idle talk!" That extremely strange voice was entangled with resentment: "Human Race breaking faith is nothing rare. Your generation inherits Suiren's virtue and conduct. If you want to abandon the agreement, then feel free to come one step closer and see how I deal with it!"

"You are the Taigu Resent Body, the Hundred Clans Hate Body. Who dares to underestimate you?" Ying Yunian's voice said leisurely, "If I wanted to kill you, I would have to invite the Three Venerables of the Dao Gate, summon Ji Fureng, dispatch billions of great armies, fill the bottomless abyss, and uproot the foundation of the Asura clan... Wouldn't I?"

He sounded as if he were describing his plan rather than a hypothesis.

"Call me 'Mother of Taigu'!" The extremely strange voice echoed like water ripples, echoing in history, in the present, and also trying to spread to the future: "The common agreement is already in place, transcendent beings are bound. May I move lightly even once?"

"That would be best! Let the present world return to the present world, and transcendent beings return to transcendence. Since we have already jumped out of the world, there is no need to drown in the bitter sea!" The voice from the stone bridge said, "I have come here for no other reason than to inform you – from now on, the abyss will be watched by me. I believe we will get along very well."

That strange voice echoed faintly: "This sentence will become your tomb inscription."

"Hahaha ha——" Ying Yunian's laughter came from the stone bridge: "Then let's wait and see!"

In this chaotic time and space, the voice of the Mother of Taigu no longer rang out.

The Ten Thousand Li Great Wall cut the abyss, and the area within the Great Wall was the wilderness of civilization. Outside the Great Wall was the hunting ground of the Asura clan.

The battle line that spread along the Ten Thousand Li Great Wall was, of course, not an isolated existence.

If someone could overlook the entire New Wild Continent from the extreme heights of the sky, they would see thousands upon thousands of "lines" connecting the Asura great army on the Great Wall front, like countless blood vessels providing transfusions to the Asura armies.

That was the Asura clan's continuously replenishing reserve army, and the logistics that received increasing Asura value during the long years of war.

In the vast land outside the Great Wall, the Asura clan's great army crisscrossed. Countless messenger riders, including both land and flying riders, galloped back and forth between various legions.

The abyss feathered beasts manipulated by the sky flying army officers served as lookout eyes.

Speaking of "eyes," high above the vast battlefield, there was a muscular, densely outer-convex scarlet flesh eye, measuring a hundred zhang square at its base. It hung virtually at an extremely high position. Twenty-four semi-transparent fine flesh whiskers floated around its body, drifting in the air, making it seem as if it were swimming in water.

This was the "lookout tower" of the Asura great army in this war, an important existence to ensure military vision, named the "Eye of the Abyss."

But all these, of course, could not pose a threat to Jiang Wang and the others.

The seven geniuses of the Human Race formed an array, drawing a long arc through the Asura clan's positions. War Asura, Intent Asura, Evil Asura—all were useless. Except for an Asura Monarch, no existence could block this team. They couldn't even discover this team.

Huang Ye Yu's death naturally shocked all sides, and the commander of the Asura great army would, of course, react immediately. But even the speed of military order transmission could not catch up with the speed of this team's gallop.

Therefore, a situation of army blockade was almost impossible to occur—unless this team of Human Race elites who killed Huang Ye Yu was foolish enough to drill headfirst into the Asura clan's pocket.

The difficult problem currently facing the Asura Monarch Shi Jingxian was just such a one. And the time left for him to judge was almost non-existent.

The information he had was that Huang Ye Yu was counter-killed in the process of pursuing and killing the Qin Crown Prince Ying Wu.

Then Ying Wu must have already proven the Dao. Chong Xuan Zun and Qin Zhi Zhen, the several Human Race geniuses who were previously chased by Zong Yan, should also have participated in the hunt. Jiang Wang and Ji Zhao Nan, these two Human Race Cave True who did not appear on the battlefield but were often active in the wilderness, should also be involved.

From the place where Huang Ye Yu died and his Dao vanished, to the pass tower of the Abyss Great Wall, this distance was not considered close, but under the extreme speed of powerhouses, it didn't take too long.

Although an Absolute Peak's single thought could cover ten thousand li, he could exhaustively search the vast wilderness within an extremely short time, but that Ying Wu was also an Absolute Peak.

Setting out from Tiger Prison Pass, he likely only had one chance to intercept. If he misjudged Ying Wu and the others' advance route, he could only watch them return to the Great Wall.

He had painstakingly adjusted the battle line, disengaging from the front of Tiger Prison Pass. The long battle line at the front of the Great Wall was currently very tense for the Asura clan.

In order to achieve the strategic objective of annihilating Xu Wang, the Asura clan invested too much military force at Yan Mountain Pass, a full two branches of powerful Asura armies and two venerable Asura Monarchs were there.

Yes, beheading an Absolute Peak was a strategic objective, not a tactical one.

The fall of a venerable Absolute Peak could completely be used to describe the success or failure of a war.

One could even say that in this war, which had not yet ended at this moment, the Asura clan had already failed. If they could not kill a venerable Human Race Absolute Peak in return, they would face a greater strategic failure—the Asura great army would completely lose the possibility of breaking the Great Wall at this stage, and the Abyss Great Wall would henceforth be stable, majestic, and immovable!

Originally, the situation was excellent—Da Qin Crown Prince achieved a great joy merit, deeply entering the Asura hinterland, wishing to kill the evil Asura Zong Yan, who escaped, thereby causing a series of chain reactions. The Asura clan on this side decisively met the attack, resisted the impulsive Great Wall garrison army, and even took advantage to surround the chaotic Fang Cun great general Zhen Hou Xu Wang. On one side was the head of a top Human Race famous general, on the other was the head of the Qin country's Crown Prince, just waiting for the sharpened knife of the Asura to descend.

This was a dreamlike opening that one wouldn't dare to dream of!

But the bait instantly became the fisherman, and Huang Ye Yu was instead hunted down. The entire battlefield situation just became tense.

Ying Wu being unable to kill Zong Yan indicated that he was still some distance from Derive Dao. Of course, looking at it now, that was an intentional diversion. This just made the battle line that should have been the most foolproof a wound in the Asura hinterland.

The Asura clan must salvage all of this.

The huge investment at the front of Yan Mountain Pass did indeed trap and surround Xu Wang, allowing the Asura clan to see the possibility of beheading this Human Race famous general, but it also created a huge sunk cost.

The entire battle line could not relax even a step.

This time, all ten monarchs were out, and the soldiers surrounded the Great Wall. But after Huang Ye Yu's death, other Asura Monarchs could not be drawn away to turn back and counter-annihilate. Only he, Shi Jingxian, could take action, but it came at the cost of a tense battle line.

If he could successfully intercept and kill these Human Race geniuses represented by Ying Wu, it could still be considered compensation for Huang Ye Yu's death. It would not be in vain to risk a battle.

So the only problem now was—

Which route would Ying Wu and the others choose to return?

Shi Jingxian had no time to deliberate. He had to make a decision the instant he disengaged.

After a thought, his figure flashed, and he headed towards Wu Pass.

Abyss Wu Pass was the most ancient pass city for the Human Race in this region, operated for the longest time, with the strongest defenses, and also provided the Human Race with the greatest sense of security. Relatively speaking, it was also more likely to be the choice for return.

The Human Race main general of Wu Pass was that old general of Da Qin, Gan Bu Bing.

In past years, Shi Jingxian had exchanged blows with him and had a profound impression.

The Asura Monarch leading the army to block outside Wu Pass was the Asura famous general Yi Jiao. His strategic objective was not to allow the Qin army to advance west, nor to allow the Human Race to respond to the Qin country's Crown Prince. He would have no particular ideas about Gan Bu Bing. The two sides could be considered evenly matched, and the battle situation was very much a stalemate.

As soon as Shi Jingxian arrived at Wu Pass, he knew he had made the wrong choice. There was no one here; he could not accurately intercept Ying Wu and their return path.

The next choice was certainly not the second route possible for Ying Wu's group—it was too late!

Shi Jingxian reached out and grasped a large bow carved with ancient evil beasts, named "Flower Pot." As wind and clouds gathered, he pulled back the bowstring—

This was a shocking sound that shook the New Wild Continent. Suddenly, three feathered arrows condensed on battlefields far beyond vision's reach. They were outside Tiger Prison Pass, outside Jia Yu Pass, and outside Yan Mountain Pass, respectively.

"Records of Exotic Beasts" says: Among ancient evil beasts, there is one named "Flower Pot," a star-eating beast born by drinking the moon. It uses ten thousand kinds as fertilizer to nurture dead flowers. It has no fixed shape, but when solid, it is pot-shaped. It often says—"Born ones, born ones, throw them into my pot."

Flower Pot as a bow, shooting arrows that bring death.

These three places were all battlefields where Ying Wu and the others were most likely to appear. When their qi mechanism was captured, an attack would be launched directly.

As an Asura great monarch, Shi Jingxian's actions had to consider the overall situation and could not be driven by temporary impulse. He could only make the choice most beneficial to the Asura clan.

So after shooting the arrows, he immediately rose into the air, shaking his body to ten thousand zhang, and holding the Flower Pot bow, which had expanded along with him, in his palm. With the string as a blade, he chopped down towards the Human Race great army commanded by Gan Bu Bing!

The Mother of Taigu deep in the abyss seemed to have a decree passed down, but then calmed down again. Even He could not intervene.

Since he had come to Wu Pass, he would attempt to break through it.

This bowstring was like the edge of a huge pass blade. As it chopped down, it suddenly divided heaven and earth.

And at the same moment, the majestic Wu Pass city suddenly burst forth with brilliant light. The array of the Abyss Great Wall had activated!

That high wall, almost connecting the sky, seemed to become a huge mirror, reflecting endless light. That light seemed to become a tangible existence, flowing like a sea, making the area in front of the city tower become vast.

Gan Bu Bing was indeed a military Dao master of long-standing fame. He commanded the ten thousand armies like moving his own limbs, leading the army and activating the array in one breath. He actually integrated the great army instantly, cutting through the entanglement of the Asura great army and mixing it into the sea of light.

The Asura Monarch Yi Jiao stabilized the great army formation in the sea of light and was about to lead the army forward to pounce.

But then Shi Jingxian's bow-blade fell, the sea of light divided, and heaven and earth instantly cleared. The city gate was already tightly closed, the great army had withdrawn back into the city, and Gan Bu Bing stood on the city wall wearing armor.

Outside the pass city, only a tail-end army of less than ten thousand people remained—they were the battle line tightly bitten by the Asura great army, and also the military ruse that caused Yi Jiao to misjudge.

Gan Bu Bing decisively abandoned the ten thousand people to preserve the entire army. He had made the choice even at the instant Shi Jingxian descended.

"So many people, just abandoned like that?" Yi Jiao was silent for a moment, then looked up and asked.

Gan Bu Bing stood on the high city tower, not paying attention to the Asura Monarch's question or provocation, only saying to the Human Race warriors outside the Great Wall: "Gan Bu Bing is incompetent and cannot single-handedly face two venerable Asura great monarchs. I can only abandon all of you to preserve Wu Pass. I will raise the families of all of you, and I will bear the resentment of all of you—no other words are needed. All gentlemen, go to your deaths!"

Standing at such a high place looking down at the city, the densely packed Human Race warriors were like a row of ants.

They were not elite, strong armies, but they were also the sharp soldiers of Da Qin. They were individual, concrete lives, at least at this moment, not cold numbers on a war report.

This row of ants was not in chaos, like a line of fine tide, silently surging towards the Asura army.

The tide surged and undulated on the battlefield.

This was the process of nearly ten thousand officers and soldiers turning from lives into numbers.

Gan Bu Bing on the city tower only instructed: "Light the beacon fire. Since Shi Jingxian has moved his station to attack, then let the Asura army at the front of Tiger Prison Pass be buried with our officers and soldiers!"

Book recommendation: The first three volumes of "Red Heart Patrol Heaven" gift box set are available on the Douyin self-operated Huawen Tianxia Books flagship store.

Because the previous signed books are already out of stock, but readers have always said they want personal signatures, this time I made many personal signed postcards.

They were all signed by me working overtime in the evening.

Please note, this is the currently issued (13) volume collection. If you have already purchased the first three volumes, do not repurchase.

The fourth volume has not yet started production, please look forward to it later.

Thank you to book friend "Minhang Old Zhang" for becoming the alliance master of this book, which is the 726th alliance for Red Heart Patrol Heaven!