The Star-Sea Alliance headquarters.
Every sect leader who had sided with the Heavenly Dragon Continent was gathered here now, unable to even care about the safety of their own sects. Everyone who had fled here was filled with fear, possessing none of the confidence and pride they once held as those in control of everything.
"Dead! Gu Shen is dead! Huang Daoxing is dead! Even Bai Yuan is dead!"
"The Daoist Star Sect is destroyed, and the Radiant Immortal Path is gone too!"
The cultivators who fled here stared at one another in horror. This wave of slaughter had been too terrifying, happening so rapidly that they had no time to react.
According to the instructions from the seniors of the Heavenly Dragon Continent, they should currently be waiting for the descent in a month's time to completely wipe out Meng Tianqi, Bai Liyun, and the others before devouring them whole. But now, the roles were reversed!
Those people had turned around and made them the prey! Furthermore, relying on terrifying mobility, they had slain the most core experts in an instant. Now, everyone here had become meat on the chopping block.
"Where is Senior Ji Qingyue?" a terrified voice asked.
"Right, why haven't we seen Senior Ji yet?"
"Senior Ji?"
"No... it can't be?"
"How is that possible?"
In an instant, everyone's pupils shrank! Following that was a wave of questions and doubts. An ominous premonition rose in everyone's hearts, but they refused to believe it. If even Ji Qingyue were dead, how were they supposed to fight?
"It shouldn't be possible. As the publicly recognized strongest expert of our continent, Senior Ji Qingyue cannot be killed silently!" Someone hurriedly spoke out to pull back the rapidly plummeting morale.
"Right. Even Huang Daoxing and Gu Shen caused such a stir. Senior Ji could not have died so quietly!"
"With Senior Ji's strength, Gu Shen once said that even three of him together wouldn't be sure of victory against her!"
"Given Senior Ji's past style, she probably doesn't care about this and is just making her way here slowly..."
These words finally settled some people's minds. Given Ji Qingyue's past behavior, such a possibility was not small.
"Then let's wait a bit longer. One of you, try to contact Senior Ji. Now that Meng Tianqi and Bai Liyun have made breakthroughs, and there's also the mysterious Bee Daoist, we must tell Senior Ji to be careful!"
"Right, we absolutely cannot let Senior Ji be careless..."
Everyone nodded. Ji Qingyue was indeed very likely to act that way. Thus, they gradually let go of their worry and waited patiently for her arrival.
Now that the key experts on their side had been slain, their greatest hope lay with Ji Qingyue. At the same time, everyone began to race against time to prepare for the great battle. Especially the formations at the Star-Sea Alliance headquarters; they began to rapidly modify and prepare them. Specifically, they had to revoke the access tokens held by Meng Tianqi and Bai Liyun. Fortunately, they had prepared for this long ago, so the formation work wasn't rushed.
However, for some reason, a shadow seemed to hang over everyone's heads. Some experts skilled in the Heavenly Secrets were feeling as if they were sitting on needles, yet they didn't dare to perform any divinations. Almost everyone who had tried to divine the Bee Daoist's secrets had died; now, with so many experts involved, it was basically a "divine and die" situation.
As more time passed, the panic that had been suppressed began to spread once again. A long time had passed, yet Ji Qingyue still hadn't appeared! Several people had tried to communicate through message talismans, but their messages to Ji Qingyue were like stones sinking into the sea. Besides Ji Qingyue, another Void Refinement cultivator was also missing.
"Have any of you received a reply from Senior Ji?"
"No!"
"None here either!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank. A conclusion they were unwilling to believe was slowly being revealed: Ji Qingyue couldn't come!
Now, they even wished Ji Qingyue would send them a request for backup; at least that would mean there was some hope. But no matter how much they didn't want to believe it, they had to accept the fact.
Ji Qingyue wasn't coming!
"Fellow Daoists... it seems we can only rely on ourselves," one Void Refinement cultivator said with difficulty. This conclusion was like a heavy hammer smashing into everyone's hearts—oppressive and painful.
They looked at their current numbers: three Void Refinement cultivators and forty-three Soul Transformation cultivators. Their hearts sank even further. Although on paper they had an absolute advantage in numbers for both levels, and many Soul Transformation cultivators held Void Refinement-rank trump cards, everyone was filled with apprehension and fear.
Their strongest Void Refinement experts were all dead or missing! The three remaining Void Refinement cultivators had absolutely no confidence in facing those two freaks, Meng Tianqi and Bai Liyun, let alone the mysterious Bee Daoist!
According to previous intelligence, Huang Daoxing had been intercepted by the Bee Daoist. Thus, it could be estimated that the Bee Daoist's strength was not below Huang Daoxing's. Therefore, in terms of top-tier combat power, they were at an absolute disadvantage without Ji Qingyue!
Their Soul Transformation cultivators seemed numerous and were confident in not being weaker than the Soul Transformation leaders on the Bee Daoist's side. But they would never forget the most core factor: the Bee Daoist's own ability to control bees!
The Bee Daoist was famous for his bees. He had collected many Soul Transformation demon insects recently; what level had his bees reached? Given his current wealth, the number of Soul Transformation spirit bees he had cultivated would definitely not be low!
Statistically, they might not only fail to gain an advantage in the Soul Transformation battle but might actually find it a more nightmarish struggle than the Void Refinement battlefield!
"Is there any hope of winning?" This thought rose in their minds.
'Very little!'
At this thought, many considered retreating, but that was a difficult path to take. Having reached this stage, it was impossible to sever their ties. If they retreated now, what means would they have to face the Bee Daoist in the future?
If staying here was a slim chance of survival, leaving now to face the Bee Daoist later was a certain path to death.
Just then, the voice of a Void Refinement cultivator rang out:
"Daoists, I never expected the Bee Daoist and Meng Tianqi to strike first. Today's situation has likely surpassed everyone's expectations!"
"But whatever the reason, we have already seen what is happening. We have reached a true moment of life and death!"
"Now, there is only one path left for us: to fight! Only with the resolve of a united front and the courage to fight to the death can we carve out a path to survival. As long as we hold on until Senior Long returns, victory will still be ours!"
"So this time, do not hold anything back. Bring out your best skills and all your trump cards. Their previous victories were merely because they caught us off guard!"
"We are not soft persimmons. Since they dare to start the war, let's see if their teeth are sharp enough!"
As the words of this Void Refinement cultivator fell, every cultivator at the Star-Sea Alliance erupted with intense killing intent and battle spirit. Winning this battle was their only chance. And those last words were correct.
Each person who could stand here today was a standout in their region. Whether in battle will or talent, they were the choice of millions. They were not soft persimmons! The Bee Daoist's previous performance was strong, but it was just because he had the advantage of a sneak attack and numbers.
After clearly recognizing their situation, everyone went mad!
Fight!
In a flash, everyone brought out their secret techniques. Various famous combined battle arrays were produced. After determining the most suitable arrays, everyone began to coordinate and familiarize themselves. At the same time, the formations of the Star-Sea Alliance headquarters rose—this was also one of their major reliances.
Soon, with everyone's efforts, the group was forged into a powerful "rope." A formidable combat power began to erupt from these people! Those powerful formations that required many high-level cultivators finally manifested the power of the ancient era!
"These people's performance is actually quite decent!"
After dealing with every cultivator they could intercept, Qi Ping and his group finally arrived at the Star-Sea Alliance headquarters. Looking at the scene below, Qi Ping's eyes were filled with surprise.
On the pavilions and palaces of the Star-Sea Alliance headquarters, several solemn auras were preparing for battle. The moment Qi Ping and his group appeared, several powerful waves of killing intent swept toward them. The gazes directed at Qi Ping's group were filled with absolute resolve.
It was as if Qi Ping and his group were the evil invaders.
"These traitors who disregarded their homeland actually have this kind of will? It's truly seeing a ghost!" Bai Liyun's eyes were wide with disbelief. In his view, the fact that these unscrupulous bastards could be so united and filled with battle spirit was about as likely as the sun rising in the west.
"These people are basically the most outstanding figures of each region. The Star-Sea Continent is vast; to stand out among its masses naturally means they are extraordinary. It's not strange for them to be able to do this..." Meng Tianqi explained. They were the strongest survivors of a brutal competition; they weren't some disorganized mob.
"That makes it even more disgusting. A bunch of filthy bastards who treat their dross as treasure—and they're actually proud of it?"
Bai Liyun practiced the demonic path, which pursued acting on one's nature, so he didn't hold back his words for things he disliked. He scanned the battle-ready cultivators below and spoke even more certainly.
"The more I look, the more it seems like it. Ugh... disgusting!"
As he spoke, the disgust on Bai Liyun's face deepened. A bunch of people who chose filth and were proud of it?
Hearing this, Qi Ping, Meng Tianqi, and the sixteen cultivators behind them all wore strange expressions.
"That metaphor... seems to have no flaws!" Qi Ping nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. In a way, isn't it exactly like treating the consumption of dross as a badge of honor?" Seeing Qi Ping agree, Meng Tianqi also nodded.
Suddenly, everyone on Qi Ping's side thought the comparison grew more apt the more they looked. Their gazes toward the cultivators at the Star-Sea Alliance became increasingly strange.
As they looked on, many of the cultivators below, who had been holding a strong battle spirit, felt a surge of shame and anger. This was because the conversation between Qi Ping and the others had not been hidden at all! With the abilities of Soul Transformation and Void Refinement cultivators, they heard every word clearly! They could even catch every bit of emotion in their voices!
They felt the metaphor was actually quite appropriate, which was the root cause of their shame and anger.
Regardless of whether they had joined this ship because of a strong pursuit of the Dao, the attraction of high-level spiritual herbs, or simply being half-forced into it, they could not change the fact that they were preparing to betray the Star-Sea Continent and let the Demon Race ravage their home. Their abandonment of their fellow people was an iron-clad fact.
While some cultivators didn't care for moral restrictions, they knew that in the eyes of most normal people, such an act was more disgusting than eating filth. And now, they were standing at the pinnacle of power for the Star-Sea Continent, righteously and unitedly performing the act of betraying it. It was truly farcical and ridiculous.
Thus, almost the moment Qi Ping and the others spoke, the suicidal resolve of those below plummeted.
"Daoists, do not be misled by such words! We cultivators pursue the Great Dao and longevity. As long as we can step onto the path, what does it matter if the world or our homeland is destroyed?" sensing the drop in morale, a Void Refinement cultivator shouted loudly.
This shout indeed caused the morale to pause in its decline. However, that pause was immediately shattered by Bai Liyun.
"Look, I was right, wasn't I? It's one thing for dogs to eat filth, but it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime sight to see them find it so glorious!"
The moment these words fell, the Void Refinement cultivator who had just spoken instantly became a clown. He could almost feel a "dog's head" hat being placed on him.
"Bai Liyun! Stop your tongue-wagging! If you have the guts, then come and fight!" The insulted Void Refinement cultivator felt a nameless fire rise in his heart. Under the enhancement of the formation, his aura began to climb steadily!
"Fight? Why would I be afraid of a dog who treats filth as glory? Ha! As you wish!"
In the next instant, the Demon Saber in Bai Liyun's hand began to grow madly!