A more brutal war erupted.
At this moment, Tianli, the Sea Race, and the Rakshasa Immortal Realm seemed eager to completely annihilate Cangyuan, and their siege was incredibly fierce.
Facing the joint offensive of the three major powers, although Cangyuan relied on natural barriers and powerful restrictions for defense, it was still in a precarious state.
Even during the most intense battles, several Core Formation Cultivators were killed every day.
Even Nascent Soul Cultivators had over ten casualties in just one year, and the number of Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining Cultivators who died was countless.
In a short period, the land within hundreds of miles around two magnificent cities turned black and red, with the smell of blood reaching the heavens.
However, the Cangyuan cultivators fighting with their backs against the wall knew they had no retreat. Thus, they were united in purpose, and all factions, regardless of their past grievances, joined hands to resist the enemy.
Even many old monsters and rogue cultivators who had been in seclusion for many years emerged from their cultivation places and resolutely rushed to Zhenyou City to resist the foreign enemies.
Therefore, despite the fierce enemy offensive, the morale of the Cangyuan side was high, and they managed to hold on.
While the many cultivators of Cangyuan fought valiantly, a voice of discontent quietly arose – it was directed at Ning Fa.
Because Cangyuan's current situation was so critical, Ning Fa, one of Cangyuan's top combat powers, had never shown himself to participate in the battle, which stood in stark contrast to the desperate struggles of others.
Although Hermit Xuyuan had publicly explained that Ning Fa was in seclusion to break through his realm, which would be of greater help to Cangyuan, many people were unconvinced.
After all, once one's cultivation reached the Nascent Soul realm, breaking through again was exceedingly difficult, and even if possible, it would normally take hundreds of years.
And how long had it been since Ning Fa achieved Nascent Soul Formation? How could he break through to the mid-stage realm again in such a short time? They believed this was merely Ning Fa's excuse to avoid battle.
Later, news also emerged that the Spiritual Pivot Pavilion had provided a large amount of precious resources to Ning Fa.
This further fueled the dissatisfaction of many high-level cultivators fighting on the front lines, and the voices demanding Ning Fa's participation grew louder and louder. However, these voices were suppressed by Hermit Xuyuan.
On this day, the sky near Zhenyou City was as usual.
The spiritual lights generated by various fierce Magic Treasures, Divine Abilities, and techniques intertwined and swept across, like a tide of colorful spiritual energy filling the entire sky.
The deafening roars were like mountains and seas, making one's scalp tingle.
On the vast battlefield, cultivators were as numerous as clouds, making them countless. Cries of agony continued incessantly. Perhaps with every blink of an eye, a cultivator would fall. The battle was extremely fierce.
At this moment, a sudden gong sound echoed throughout the battlefield, and the enemy army retreated like a tide.
The Cangyuan defenders on top of Zhenyou City also breathed a sigh of relief. The city walls were now covered with dismembered limbs and broken arms, and blood flowed everywhere. It was evident that many cultivators had fallen in this battle.
The survivors didn't even bother to clean the blood from their bodies, quickly using this precious time to recuperate. After all, the more their spiritual power was restored, the greater their hope of survival.
At this moment, several powerful escape lights descended from the sky like shooting stars, landing on a section of the city wall.
These were the remaining Great Cultivators of Cangyuan.
Hermit Xuyuan, Mo Qianqiu the Palace Lord of Wushi Demonic Palace, Xuan Weizi the First Elder of Taiqing Sect, Lin Qingyi the Palace Lord of Ice Spirit Palace, True Lord Yu Chan of Yuxu Gate, True Lord Kongli of Divine Heart Sect, and Xu Yi the Sword Lord of Heaven Sword Sect.
As always, these Great Cultivators had another fierce battle with the Great Cultivators on the opposing side.
Although they were outnumbered, they managed to hold their ground with the support of Zhenyou City's fifth-tier restrictions.
However, these Great Cultivators all looked exhausted, their spiritual power and aura at their lowest ebb, clearly in a very poor state.
Many of them even bore shocking injuries.
Even Hermit Xuyuan, Cangyuan's strongest, looked pale at this moment.
The sleeve of his left arm had been torn open by some attack, revealing a black and purple wound about a foot long, emitting black mist.
But Hermit Xuyuan remained calm. With a flash of white light from his right hand, he gently brushed over the wound. The black mist on the wound immediately dissipated, and it even showed signs of closing.
However, a strange power erupted from the wound, preventing it from healing.
Hermit Xuyuan ignored it and looked forward with a frown.
Beside him, a dignified elder in luxurious robes with a lion's mouth and hawk-like eyes also looked solemnly in the direction of the retreating enemy and slowly said:
"The enemy's offensive only lasted for a day before hastily retreating this time. It seems a bit strange."
This person was Mo Qianqiu, the Palace Lord of Wushi Demonic Palace.
The others also wore solemn expressions. Although the enemy retreated quickly this time, such abnormal behavior made them feel uneasy.
Xuan Weizi, dressed in a Taoist robe and exuding an immortal aura, looked at Hermit Xuyuan with a glint in his eyes and said, "Fellow Daoist Xuyuan, I fear the next offensive will be extraordinary. Should we consider asking Fellow Daoist Ning to join the battle?"
Upon hearing this, Hermit Xuyuan couldn't help but furrow his brows.
At this moment, True Lord Yu Chan snorted, "We are fighting for our lives, while Ning Fa is hiding behind and leisurely in seclusion. This humble Daoist truly feels indignant."
Then, True Lord Kongli frowned and defended Ning Fa, "Fellow Daoist Yu Chan, you cannot say that.
It was Fellow Daoist Ning who risked his life to carry out a mission behind Tianli's lines before.
If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have had those precious years of time before. Otherwise, perhaps Zhenyou City wouldn't have even been completed.
What's more, it was Fellow Daoist Ning who disrupted the refining of that Heaven-Piercing Spirit Treasure Replica by Tianli. If not for that, our current situation would only be worse."
True Lord Yu Chan was taken aback for a moment, then snorted again, "So, he did that one thing, and now he can just rest on his laurels and not fight?"
Kong Li also coldly snorted, "With his potential, as long as he can break through to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul, his strength is likely to be comparable to yours, Fellow Daoist Xuyuan. In that case, it will naturally be of great significance to us.
We can still hold on now, so why force him to fight?"
True Lord Yu Chan seemed to have gotten worked up and immediately retorted, "That's right, his previous infiltration of Tianli was a great contribution."
"But don't forget, fellow Daoist Shen, fellow Daoist Huangfu, and fellow Daoist Pei all died by his hand!
And they were three Great Cultivators!
If they were still alive, how could our current strength be so stretched thin?
In my opinion, he has done more harm than good and is a sinner to our Cangyuan!"
Hearing this, Mo Qianqiu, who had been silent, suddenly had a cold glint flash in his hawk-like eyes.
Everyone else, except for Hermit Xuyuan, also frowned.
True Lord Kongli, however, said angrily, "How dare you say that? Wasn't it because those three harbored ill intentions and even colluded with the Tianli people to harm fellow Daoist Ning?
How can such a madman, who disregards the bigger picture, be someone our Cangyuan can rely on? He deserved to die!"
"Colluding with the Tianli people? That's just what fellow Daoist Ning Fa said. There are no witnesses to prove it anyway," True Lord Yu Chan retorted without yielding.
As the two argued fiercely, the others had various expressions.
Although Xuan Weizi did not speak, dissatisfaction was evident in his eyes.
Lin Qingyi and Xu Yi, on the other hand, remained silent, saying nothing.
At this moment, Mo Qianqiu slowly said, "Fellow Daoist Yu Chan is right. Fellow Daoist Ning's actions are indeed hard to believe.
Moreover, for us, this is a fight to the death with no retreat. But for him, it seems not necessarily so.
He disappeared for decades before, and it's highly possible he went to another immortal realm, which also indicates he might have a way to return there.
So, he has a retreat. Perhaps this is why he is unwilling to go all out now.
If the situation were truly critical, he might just pack up and leave.
In that case, wouldn't it be a waste of the support Hermit Xuyuan has given him for so long?"
Upon hearing Mo Qianqiu's words, even Lin Qingyi and Xu Yi's expressions changed, and Xuan Weizi's brow furrowed deeply.
True Lord Yu Chan, as if he had found a sore spot, loudly exclaimed, "Exactly! As fellow Daoist Mo said, fellow Daoist Ning Fa might have already planned his retreat!
In that case, even if our Zhenyou City is breached, he won't fight!"
At this point, Xuan Weizi also looked at Hermit Xuyuan with a solemn expression and said:
"I agree with fellow Daoist Mo and fellow Daoist Yu Chan. We can't let fellow Daoist Ning continue his seclusion like this.
We have sustained considerable injuries from the continuous battles. If any one of us falls, the doomsday for our Cangyuan will truly arrive."
Hermit Xuyuan, however, frowned deeply, hesitation in his eyes.
But after a short while, he slowly said, "No, fellow Daoist Ning can be said to be the hope of our Cangyuan. Once he advances, his strength might even surpass mine. So, unless it's absolutely necessary, we shouldn't disturb him."
"Fellow Daoist Xuyuan, you must think carefully?" Xuan Weizi's eyes couldn't help but show a hint of anger, but he suppressed it and said.
Hermit Xuyuan's expression was firm.
Just as he was about to say something more, his expression suddenly changed. With a flip of his right hand, he produced a special, rhombic white spirit talisman.
Immediately, a voice transmitted from it.
Although it was only a short sentence, the Great Cultivators present were all shocked.
Then, Hermit Xuyuan, Kong Li, Lin Qingyi, and others couldn't suppress their surprise and excitement.
Meanwhile, Mo Qianqiu, Xuan Weizi, and Yu Chan looked astonished, deep apprehension flashing in their eyes.
At the same time, in the Changning Mountain Range of Xuguo, not far from Zhenyou City.
The sky, which had been clear for thousands of miles, was suddenly covered in dark clouds, accompanied by rumbling thunder and flashing lightning. Bolts of lightning as thick as bowls churned within the dark clouds, their thunderous roars reaching the heavens with immense power.
Below, some cultivators from the Huayu Sect and the Ning Family, who were not on the front lines, watched nervously.
Before long, the vast thunderclouds, resembling a thunderous lake, suddenly converged towards the center like a tide. A blurry silver figure could faintly be seen there.
Finally, the celestial phenomena slowly dissipated, and the immense lightning surged into the figure.
The figure's form could finally be seen clearly.
He had a heroic bearing and a handsome, refined appearance. It was Ning Fa, who had been in seclusion for a long time.
A five-colored thunder pattern on his forehead was rapidly rotating, and five-colored lightning flickered around him, making him appear mysterious and extraordinary, exuding an astonishing pressure.
Ning Fa looked at his hands, feeling a power he had never experienced before. He couldn't help but laugh heartily, his laughter echoing for hundreds of miles like thunder.
After years of arduous cultivation, he had finally advanced to the Mid Nascent Soul stage!