351: Chapter 351: Movement

The connection was broken.

Li Changsheng retracted his Divine Sense and looked down at the purple-gold law seed slowly fading in his palm.

The old ginkgo tree, withered for three thousand years, rustled behind him, with tiny specks of new green peeking through the cracks in its bark.

He turned and walked into the night.

...

Three months later, the Cultivation World was in chaos.

News spread from west to east, saying that the Eternal Night Demon Sect had secretly mobilized the main forces of seven major Sects and was gathering troops at the northern border, aiming directly at the Supreme Dao Palace.

Less than ten days later, more news came from the east.

The Supreme Dao Palace had already sent secret letters to all Righteous Path Sects, claiming that the Demonic Path was about to launch a surprise attack and requesting the Righteous Path Alliance to complete its defensive deployment within three months.

These two pieces of news were like two giant boulders thrown into a lake, causing the entire Cultivation World to erupt in an uproar.

In tea houses, storytellers slammed their gavels with a thunderous sound, while in taverns, Cultivators pounded on tables, arguing whether the Demonic Path would strike first or the Righteous Path would set an ambush first.

Even in the border towns where Loose Cultivators gathered, panic began to spread; bodyguard jobs that used to cost no more than three Spirit Stones in previous years had risen to thirty, and there was still a waiting list.

Deep in a hidden valley in the Southern Territory, inside an Immortal Cave concealed by layers of Formations.

Three old men dressed in brocade robes sat around a stone table.

Spread on the table was a map of the entire Cultivation World drawn with spirit ink, with the northern border marked with dense red dots.

"The Eternal Night Demon Sect is indeed mobilizing troops," the old man sitting at the head of the table said, his voice as dry and raspy as rubbing tree bark.

"I had a spy infiltrate the border market that day to check; the Demonic Path has mobilized at least six main forces."

"The Supreme Dao Palace is also deploying defenses," a thin old woman opposite him sneered.

"Would that little fox Li Changsheng suffer a loss? He wouldn't; he is deliberately letting us see him deploying defenses."

"That is the problem," the third person said. He appeared to be a refined middle-aged man, but his eyes held a depth of age that spanned countless years.

"Xiao Ran and Li Changsheng haven't fought in over a hundred years. With both sides suddenly moving at the same time, there must be a reason behind it."

"Who cares what the reason is," the leading old man said, pressing a chess piece heavily onto the northern border position on the spirit map.

"If they fight, it's our opportunity. A Mahayana Stage Breakthrough requires the support of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi tide. The Spiritual Qi tide on the day of the celestial phenomenon convergence a year from now will be sufficient to support two Mahayana Breakthroughs simultaneously."

"But if they are fighting then—"

"The Spiritual Qi will be dispersed by the consumption on the battlefield," the refined middle-aged man continued. "They won't be able to break through, and we—"

"We will wait closer by."

The old woman chuckled twice, her smile as cold as a snake's tongue licking skin.

"The Spiritual Qi tide doesn't care if you are a good person or a bad person; whoever is closer absorbs more. After they finish fighting, we will seize the Spiritual Qi tide."

The three exchanged glances, and the spirit map on the stone table grew slightly warm.

Similar conversations were taking place during the same period in the secret caves of the Yao Race in the Western Regions, the Crystal Palace of the East Sea Dragon Palace, and unknown corners throughout the Cultivation World.

Those "neutral" Cultivators who had been sleeping for hundreds or even thousands of years opened their eyes one by one, like hibernating snakes smelling the first hint of warmth in spring.

What they didn't know was that every hint of warmth they smelled was bait deliberately released by two resonating law seeds.

...

At the northern border, in a hidden basin surrounded by mountains.

Xiao Ran stood on a temporarily constructed high platform in the center of the basin, with a huge spirit map spread out before him.

The military mobilization data marked on the spirit map was dense, but those figures had absolutely nothing to do with the actual defensive deployments of the Righteous and Demonic Paths.

The positions marked with red dots were feint troops, and the blue dots were Puppets; the real elite forces were quietly scattered around the celestial convergence point in the Far North Land.

"The old things from the Southern Territory have moved."

Poison Lady stood below the high platform, her dark green robe motionless in the wind, a newly received message jade slip clutched in her hand.

"Let them come."

Xiao Ran didn't even look up, his fingertips tracing an arc on the spirit map.

"The further north they go, the better. Once they enter the range of the celestial convergence point, the Formation on Li Changsheng's side will trap them."

Poison Lady looked at his profile as he studied the spirit map, silent for a moment, then asked: "What about her?"

Xiao Ran's fingers paused.

"She is waiting for me in the inner hall."

"She insisted on coming along, saying she wanted to watch me Breakthrough."

Poison Lady did not respond.

She watched Xiao Ran's back for a long time, finally tucked the message jade slip into her sleeve, and turned to leave.

Her dark green robe hem swept across the ground, kicking up a dry wind.

Over the years, Poison Lady had often given Xiao Ran a few chances.

But she could sense that Xiao Ran was clearly more attentive to Su Qinghan.

Xiao Ran stood on the high platform, looking up toward the north.

The purple-gold clouds at the edge of the horizon had become more solid than a month ago, like a heavenly gate slowly closing.

Deep within the clouds, lightning patterns occasionally flashed, each flicker carrying enough power to make the entire earth tremble slightly.

He looked down at his palm.

The law seed pulsed gently beneath his skin, its frequency identical to the lightning patterns deep within the distant clouds.

A soft laugh suddenly came through the Soul Link.

"The old things from the Southern Territory have left their nests."

Li Changsheng's voice resonated in his Sea of Consciousness, carrying a sense of satisfaction after a scheme had succeeded.

"The Yao Beast herds in the Western Regions have moved, and the East Sea Dragon Palace dispatched three Void Realm ships out to sea last night," Xiao Ran replied.

"Including those three from the Southern Territory, everyone who should come has almost arrived."

"Then we wait."

"Wait."

Xiao Ran retracted his Divine Sense and leaped down from the high platform.

He passed through layers of tents and patrolling Disciples, walking into an independent inner hall shrouded by a Formation in the deepest part of the basin.

When he pushed open the hall door, Su Qinghan was sitting by the window, holding a cup of tea that had already gone cold.

She looked up, her gaze landing on his face.

"They are all coming?" she asked.

"They have all come."

Xiao Ran walked up to her and looked down at her.

"A year from now, the celestial convergence will occur. Stay far away when the time comes."

Su Qinghan put down the teacup and stood up.

Over the past hundred years, her cultivation had stabilized at the Void Refining Middle Stage, and the Purple Ice Spiritual Root, transformed from her Mystic Yin Returning Essence Body, circulated quietly within her.

She reached out, pressing her fingertips against the fabric of his chest.

"It won't be comfortable watching you Breakthrough from far away; I will stand closer."

Xiao Ran looked at her and suddenly smiled.

"Fine."

Su Qinghan tilted her head to look at him, her lips also curving upward.

Outside the window.

On the northern horizon, the purple-gold clouds were slowly churning, like a giant eye brewing thunder.

One year.

One full year more.

When that day arrives, he and Li Changsheng will simultaneously break through to the Mahayana Stage.

By then, no one in this world will be able to stand in their way.

Xiao Ran turned around, facing north.

"It's almost time."

Ten thousand miles away.

In the Forbidden Ground behind the Supreme Dao Palace, Li Changsheng stood beneath that old ginkgo tree, now full of green leaves, also gazing at the purple-gold clouds on the northern horizon.

"It's almost time."