With a flash of silver lightning, Ning Fa landed at the palace gates.
The palace doors were wide open. Ning Fa, with a smile on his face, walked in.
The few people seated in the hall immediately looked at him in unison.
These were Cangyuan's remaining Great Cultivators, scrutinizing Ning Fa, whom they hadn't seen in years.
Mo Qianqiu and Lin Qingyi, in particular, had never met Ning Fa before, only seeing his image in files. Now, they finally saw him in person.
Ning Fa smiled slightly and no longer concealed his power, releasing his immense spiritual pressure, as vast as an abyss and as deep as the sea.
The void seemed to roar with thunder, as if immense waves were filling the grand hall.
The expressions of the others immediately changed. Although they were also Great Cultivators, facing Ning Fa now, they felt as if they were facing a towering mountain or a boundless ocean.
Hermit Xuyuan, seated in the center, his eyes suddenly brightened. A smile deepened on his face, his eyes filled with relief.
He laughed heartily, "Fellow Daoist Ning, it's wonderful! You've finally successfully advanced to Mid Nascent Soul. This is truly cause for celebration, and for Cangyuan, it's like timely rain!"
True Lord Kongli also had a face full of pleasant surprise.
At this moment, Xu Yi, whose aura was also extremely powerful, was intently watching Ning Fa, his eyes filled with apprehension.
Although his Profound Ranking was below Ning Fa's previously, he believed he could still defeat Ning Fa if he went all out.
However, facing Ning Fa now, he felt an insurmountable gap. His intuition told him that he was no match for Ning Fa, and the difference was considerable.
This caused a sense of frustration in his usually proud heart.
True Lord Yu Chan, while appearing calm, couldn't conceal the shock and panic in his eyes.
After all, he had openly expressed his dissatisfaction with Ning Fa before, criticizing him fiercely on multiple occasions.
But now, with Ning Fa's successful advancement to the middle stage, a mere glance made him feel Ning Fa was unfathomable. This made him feel a bit panicked.
After all, he had personally experienced Ning Fa's vengeful nature.
He immediately looked at Mo Qianqiu. He had dared to speak out frequently precisely because he had the backing of this Demonic Path overlord.
The Palace Master of Wushi Demonic Palace also had a slight frown, his eyes filled with apprehension. Clearly, Ning Fa's current strength was putting immense pressure on him as well.
At this moment, a clear, cold female voice sounded, "Fellow Daoist Ning, congratulations. You've returned at the perfect time."
The speaker was Lin Qingyi, the Palace Mistress of Ice Spirit Palace. This woman was like an ice mountain, enveloped in bone-chilling ice mist. Her face was indistinct, clearly indicating she had cultivated a powerful Ice Attribute Cultivation Method.
Ning Fa retracted his aura and said with a solemn expression, "Thank you, fellow Daoists, for fighting on the front lines during this time. It allowed me, Ning, to break through safely in the rear. I have not failed your expectations. In future battles, I, Ning, will do my utmost."
Although Ning Fa was vengeful, he was not unreasonable.
He could fully understand the dissatisfaction directed at him over the years.
Even if True Lord Yu Chan often criticized him, clearly with his own agenda, Ning Fa wouldn't hold it against him.
Therefore, his words were sincere.
Regardless, they had bought him precious time to break through, and he had also absorbed Cangyuan's abundant resources. Thus, he would naturally give his all in the upcoming battles.
Hearing Ning Fa's declaration and sensing the sincerity in his words, the others couldn't help but be moved.
Xuan Weizi's eyes flashed, and stroking his long beard, he chuckled, "Fellow Daoist Ning, what are you saying? Your return after breaking through proves our wait was entirely worthwhile."
True Lord Yu Chan also coughed dryly and said, "Fellow Daoist Xuan Weizi is absolutely right. With the addition of Fellow Daoist Ning as a powerful combatant, our hope of holding out until Great Qin's reinforcements arrive has increased considerably."
Mo Qianqiu opened his mouth but remained silent.
In reality, his grievances with Ning Fa were quite deep. After all, Shen Xinlan, a newly promoted Great Cultivator of Wushi Demonic Palace, had died at Ning Fa's hands.
Furthermore, Ji Lianxing, a core disciple of Wushi Demonic Palace whom he had high hopes for, had been brought under Ning Fa's command.
Normally, given this Demonic Path overlord's personality, he would not have let this slide, even with Hermit Xuyuan's protection.
However, before taking action, he, being naturally suspicious, had used a special Secret Treasure of Wushi Demonic Palace, utilizing a precious divination opportunity.
The result of the divination made him abandon his thoughts, and he had since remained quiet.
Now, seeing the terrifying change in Ning Fa's strength after his advancement, he secretly rejoiced that he had followed the divination's guidance and not acted rashly, otherwise, he would have brought a formidable enemy upon himself.
At this moment, Ning Fa looked at Kong Li, his eyes conveying a question.
Kong Li understood immediately, his lips moving slightly as he transmitted a message.
After hearing it, Ning Fa finally felt relieved.
After taking the Soul-Bending Pill with one Dao Mark, refined by Ning Fa, Zhu Lingyun's condition had improved significantly over the years.
According to Kong Li's judgment, within five to ten years, Zhu Lingyun was expected to successfully cultivate the Nirvana Soul Essence Technique.
This also made Ning Fa heave a sigh of relief.
Ning Fa then said with a solemn expression, "Fellow Daoists, could you tell me the current situation on the front lines?"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the others turned grave again.
Hermit Xuyuan said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Ning, you have returned at the perfect time. Our situation is not optimistic..."
In the vast hall, only Hermit Xuyuan's low voice echoed.
After he finished speaking, Ning Fa's face was filled with solemnity.
He had anticipated that the situation was bad, but he hadn't expected it to be this dire.
The enemy's strength far exceeded his imagination.
To put it simply, the combined Great Cultivators from Tianli, the Sea Race, and the Rakshasa Immortal Realm numbered close to twenty. What an astonishing number that was.
Furthermore, the sheer number of High-level Great Cultivators was terrifying, with as many as eight at their peak – four from Tianli, and two each from the Sea Race and the Rakshasa Immortal Realm.
It could be said that in terms of top-tier combat power, Cangyuan was completely outmatched. This was precisely why Cangyuan had collapsed at the first encounter and was forced to retreat to Zhenyou City much earlier than planned.
Moreover, logically speaking, even with the defense of the formidable Zhenyou City, coupled with a fifth-grade defensive array, it should have been difficult to hold out until now against such a vast disparity in top-tier strength.
But strangely, ever since Tianyu City fell and Cangyuan's forces had fully retreated to Zhenyou City.
Despite the fierce assaults on Zhenyou City by Tianli, the Rakshasa, and the Sea Race, their top-tier forces had not been fully deployed.
Only about fifteen Great Cultivators participated in the siege, and there were only five High-level Great Cultivators among them.
This allowed Cangyuan to barely hold them off, relying on the power of the fifth-grade defensive array.
Even so, the pressure on Cangyuan's side was immense.
While the fifth-grade array—the Grand Extermination Immortal Array—was powerful, its consumption of resources was also staggering.
Furthermore, Cangyuan had consistently pushed this array to its limits.
In just a few short years, it had almost completely drained the Spiritual Energy from a nearby fourth-grade Spirit Vein that could have supported it for thousands of years.
Consequently, Spirit Stones had to be used to maintain the array's consumption. The amount of Spirit Stones consumed in each offensive and defensive battle was astronomical.
Even with Cangyuan having consolidated its resources, it would be difficult to sustain such massive expenditures for much longer.
And once the protection of the fifth-grade array was gone, facing such a vast disparity in top-tier combat power, Cangyuan's fate was obvious.
Hearing this, Ning Fa felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't realized the situation had deteriorated to such an extent.
Eight High-level Great Cultivators – just hearing the number was terrifying.
Even now, let alone facing eight High-level Great Cultivators, he would likely have to make a strategic retreat if he faced even five.
However, if it were four, Ning Fa believed he could probably contend with them at full strength, but it would likely be a draw at best.
But if it were three High-level Great Cultivators, it would be difficult for Ning Fa to resist them, and they might even pose a fatal threat to him.
Now that Ning Fa had returned, the situation was naturally different.
With Ning Fa capable of tying down multiple High-level Great Cultivators from the opposing side, Cangyuan's disadvantage in top-tier combat power could be significantly alleviated.
After all, he wasn't the only one on Cangyuan's side. Hermit Xuyuan was likely comparable to his own strength in his prime, a half-step top-tier Great Cultivator.
Mo Qianqiu was a High-level Great Cultivator, and Xu Yi, after his advancement, should also have reached that level.
As for Xuan Weizi and Lin Qingyi, even if they weren't High-level Great Cultivators, they shouldn't be far off.
Thinking of this, Ning Fa breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the news that the opposing three factions lacked any top-tier Great Cultivators was excellent.
Soon, he curiously asked again, "Why haven't they, over these past few years, gathered their forces to decisively crush Cangyuan? Instead, they've held back, not deploying all their Great Cultivators, giving Cangyuan a sliver of hope?"
Upon hearing this, the others exchanged glances.
Hermit Xuyuan slowly said, "This is also a question that has greatly perplexed us.
We initially thought it might be due to another beast tide erupting in Tianli's rear, but according to intelligence from our inside sources, that's not the case.
Furthermore, it wouldn't make sense for the Sea Race to also divert forces to assist if Tianli's rear was experiencing a beast tide.
So, this matter is indeed peculiar. It doesn't seem like a conspiracy against us.
After all, if they were to combine their strength, they should be able to crush us openly."
The others also wore solemn expressions. Although this was good news for Cangyuan, such an unknown situation truly made them uneasy.
At this moment, Lin Qingyi, shrouded in ice mist, said in a clear and cold voice, "We don't need to concern ourselves with them for now. We'll deal with whatever comes our way.
And now that fellow Daoist Ning has returned with greatly increased strength, I believe we should perhaps consider how to leverage this advantage to launch a surprise attack on them.
Even if we can't kill them, severely wounding one of the opposing Great Cultivators would be a very good outcome for us."
"Fellow Daoist Lin speaks wisely. I concur," Xuan Weizi said, his eyes lighting up as he stroked his beard and smiled.
The others' expressions also shifted; this was indeed a good idea.
Following this, they began to discuss the specific deployment.