140: Crimson clouds, early warning from outside the region

At the third quarter of the Chen hour, the Alliance headquarters' discussion hall was solemn and grave. Outside the window, a crimson sea of clouds hung like ink staining the firmament, shrouding the entire sky so tightly that even the golden light of dawn was completely swallowed. The sinister Aura churning within the cloud layers felt almost tangible, seeping into the hall through the cracks in the window frames. It weighed heavily on everyone's hearts, making even their breathing feel oppressive—this Aura shared the same source as the evil mist of the Myriad Evil Grotto, yet it was more vast and domineering, as if foretelling an impending cataclysm.

Inside the discussion hall, representatives from various forces had already gathered. The Clan Chiefs of the Western Wilderness Tribes were dressed in beast-hide battle armor with bone blades at their waists, their expressions grave. The messenger from the Sea Cultivator Clan held a coral token, surrounded by a faint mist; he was an urgent courier sent by the Sea Cultivation Saintess. The Valley Master of Hundred Herbs Valley, the Master of the Artifact Refining Pavilion, and Zhao Feng, the representative of the Demon-Suppressing Branch, sat on either side with solemn looks. Lu Chen sat in the main seat, with Chu Feng and Yu Lan standing by his side. The holy spirit battle armor and jade pendants on the three of them flickered with spiritual light, resisting the sinister erosion of the crimson clouds.

"Alliance Leader, Elder Feng has arrived!" a Disciple outside announced loudly.

Everyone looked toward the sound. Elder Feng walked into the hall hurriedly, leaning on a Holy Spirit wood staff and holding a yellowed ancient book. The five ancient Seal characters on the cover, 'Ancient Records of Strange Events', shimmered with a faint golden light under the crimson sky. His expression was grave, and his white beard trembled slightly: "Alliance Leader, Fellow Daoists, something terrible has happened! These crimson clouds are the 'Extraterritorial Warning' recorded in ancient times!"

Elder Feng placed the ancient book heavily on the table and flipped open the yellowed pages, pointing to a section of records illustrated with pictures: "Look, the ancient records state that before the Extraterritorial Evil Clan invaded in ancient times, the phenomenon of 'Blood Clouds Obscuring the Sun' would appear in the world. This is a natural anomaly caused by the leakage of Evil Energy when the extraterritorial passage opens. The eve of the great battle between the Holy Spirit Guards and the Extraterritorial Evil Clan back then looked exactly like this!"

On the pages, the illustration of the crimson clouds was identical to the current scene. Beside it was a drawing of a mountain peak towering into the clouds, with a pitch-black rift at its summit from which countless members of the Evil Clan poured out. Everyone's hearts jolted, and Zhao Feng stood up abruptly: "Elder Feng, are you saying these crimson clouds are the precursor to a full-scale invasion by the Extraterritorial Evil Clan?"

"Exactly!" Elder Feng said in a deep voice. "The ancient records clearly state that within seven days of the blood clouds appearing, the extraterritorial passage will fully open. The rift on Tongtian Peak back then was the gateway for the Evil Clan's invasion. Now that these crimson clouds shroud the entire continent, the scale of the passage is clearly larger than in ancient times, and the Evil Clan's forces will surely be even stronger!"

"Tongtian Peak..." Lu Chen's heart stirred as he recalled the records in the tattered diary from the Dragon Palace Ruins. "Elder Feng, is this Tongtian Peak the very battlefield where the ancient Holy Spirit Guards fought the Extraterritorial Evil Clan?"

"The Alliance Leader is absolutely correct!" Elder Feng nodded. "Tongtian Peak is located in the center of the continent, a place where the world's spiritual energy converges and also a point where space is weak. In ancient times, it was the core defensive line guarded by the Holy Spirit Guards. After the great war, the Holy Spirit Guards used their own Divine Souls and the power of the holy spirit tokens to temporarily Seal the extraterritorial passage. But as time passed, the power of the Seal has long since weakened. Now, under the assault of the Evil Clan, the passage is about to open once again!"

The Sea Cultivation messenger stepped forward and cupped his hands: "Alliance Leader, the Sea Cultivation Saintess has sent word back. The crimson clouds over the Eastern Sea are equally dense, and the Aura of the Demonic Dragon sealed in the Dragon Palace has become restless. It seems this invasion is a catastrophe that will sweep across the entire continent!"

Silence filled the discussion hall as everyone felt an unprecedented pressure. The threat of the Extraterritorial Evil Clan was no longer a distant legend but an imminent cataclysm. The Valley Master of Hundred Herbs Valley took a deep breath: "Alliance Leader, there is no time to lose. We must immediately unite all forces on the continent and form an Allied Army to jointly resist the Evil Clan's invasion!"

"The Valley Master is absolutely correct!" the Master of the Artifact Refining Pavilion echoed. "My Artifact Refining Pavilion is willing to exhaust all resources to refine evil-breaking Magical Artifacts and armor to support the Allied Army!"

The Clan Chiefs of the Western Wilderness Tribes also expressed their stances: "We are willing to lead our tribal warriors and follow the Alliance Leader's command to fight the Evil Clan to the bitter end!"

Lu Chen looked at everyone's determined gazes, and a warm current surged in his heart. In this moment of crisis, the various forces were able to set aside their differences and join hands against the enemy; this was precisely the original intention behind the Alliance's formation. He stood up, and his demon breaking sword lightly tapped the ground. A golden-green spiritual light spread out, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere in the hall: "Fellow Daoists, your righteousness is deeply appreciated! Today, I, on behalf of the Anti-Demon Alliance, formally propose the formation of the 'Anti-Evil Allied Forces' to unite all cultivation forces and tribal groups on the continent to jointly resist the Extraterritorial Evil Clan!"

"We agree!" everyone echoed in unison, their voices resonating through the discussion hall.

"Since everyone agrees, let us elect a commander for the Allied Army to coordinate all war efforts!" Elder Feng suggested, his gaze falling on Lu Chen. "The Alliance Leader has slain the Evil Clan King, quelled the Yao Beast tide, and reinforced the Demonic Dragon's Seal. His prestige and strength are at the top of the continent. I propose that the Alliance Leader serve as the Allied Army Commander!"

"I agree!" Chu Feng was the first to respond. "Alliance Leader Lu Chen possesses extraordinary strategy and peerless combat power. Only he can lead us to victory over the Evil Clan!"

"Agreed!" "Alliance Leader Lu Chen should be the commander!" The representatives of various forces echoed one after another, with not a single person raising an objection.

Lu Chen felt a jolt in his heart, knowing that this commander position carried a heavy responsibility. He looked around at everyone, a flash of determination in his eyes: "Since everyone trusts me, I, Lu Chen, am willing to take on this heavy responsibility! From this day forth, the Anti-Evil Allied Forces is officially established. All forces will be under unified command, resources will be shared, and intelligence will be exchanged! All who are willing to fight the Evil Clan are brothers of the Allied Army; all who collude with the Evil Clan shall be executed by heaven and earth!"

He took the Allied Army Commander's Seal handed over by Elder Feng—a large golden Seal refined from Holy Spirit Iron and Deep Sea Profound Iron. On the face of the Seal were carved the four ancient characters for 'Anti-Evil Allied Forces', radiating a majestic Holy Spirit Power. "In the name of the Allied Army Commander, I command: First, Hundred Herbs Valley is to immediately expand the scale of Medicinal Pill refining, focusing on Healing Pills, heart-clearing pills, and Evil-Breaking Pills; second, the Artifact Refining Pavilion is to go all out in crafting evil-breaking Magical Artifacts and armor, prioritizing the front-line soldiers; third, Governor Zhao Feng is to strengthen the Western Wilderness defenses and hold the western gateway of the continent; fourth, the Sea Cultivator Clan is to hold the Eastern Sea and guard the Dragon Palace Seal; fifth, all forces are to immediately recall their Disciples from abroad, take stock of their combat power, and assemble at the Alliance headquarters in three days to march toward Tongtian Peak!"

"As you command!" everyone replied in unison, their voices forceful and filled with the determination of those who had burnt their bridges.

Just then, Yu Lan suddenly stepped forward, and the myriad manifestations pendant around her neck erupted with brilliant green light. The light pierced through the roof of the discussion hall, pointing directly toward the core of the crimson clouds. "Lu Chen, my jade pendant has sensed the exact location of the extraterritorial passage!" She closed her eyes to sense carefully for a moment. When she opened them, they were full of gravity. "The passage is at the very top of Tongtian Peak. The spatial fluctuations there are the strongest, and the concentration of Evil Energy is the highest!"

A look of realization flashed in Elder Feng's eyes: "As expected, it's Tongtian Peak! The Holy Spirit Guards fought the Evil Clan to the death there back then. Now it seems history is about to repeat itself. However, this time, with the Alliance Leader leading us and the support of the Allied Army, we will surely do better than in ancient times!"

Lu Chen gripped the commander's Seal, his mind filled with a thousand thoughts. Tongtian Peak was both an ancient battlefield and the current entrance for the extraterritorial passage, making it the core defensive line of this catastrophe. He thought of the ancient war recorded in the Dragon Palace diary, and the sacrifices of the Holy Spirit Guards, the Dragon Clan, and the Ice God Clan. His heart grew even more determined: "Everyone, Tongtian Peak will be our main battlefield. In three days, once the Allied Army has assembled, we will depart to construct a defensive line at Tongtian Peak and stop the Evil Clan's invasion!"

"We will follow the Alliance Leader to the death and fight the Evil Clan together!" everyone shouted in unison, their voices piercing through the crimson clouds and echoing through the valley of the Alliance headquarters.

After the meeting concluded, the representatives of various forces rose to take their leave, rushing back to their respective groups to prepare for war. Inside the discussion hall, only Lu Chen, Chu Feng, Yu Lan, Elder Feng, and Zhao Feng remained.

Zhao Feng stepped forward and cupped his hands: "Alliance Leader, the Western Wilderness defense line has been reinforced. I have ordered the tribes to draw out their elites to assemble on time in three days. However..." He paused, a flash of worry in his eyes. "Tongtian Peak is an ancient battlefield. Legend has it that a large number of Remnant Souls from the Evil Clan and Holy Spirit Guards remain there, along with ancient Restrictions. We must be extra cautious when we go."

"I am already aware of this," Lu Chen nodded. "Elder Feng has already found partial maps and records of the Restrictions on Tongtian Peak in the ancient books. When the time comes, we will send people ahead to scout and avoid the dangers."

Yu Lan added, "My myriad manifestations pendant can sense Evil Energy and spatial fluctuations, so it can serve as a guide. Furthermore, the dragon clan secret codex records some ancient protective secret techniques that can resist the residual Evil Energy of Tongtian Peak."

Chu Feng gripped his twin swords, his eyes flashing with intense Battle Intent: "Regardless of ancient Restrictions or Evil Clan Remnant Souls, if they dare to block our path, I will cut them down with one strike!"

Elder Feng looked at the young people before him, a gratified smile appearing on his face: "With you all here, I can rest easy. The future of the Alliance and the hope of the Cultivation World are all entrusted to you. I will remain at the Alliance headquarters to coordinate logistics and provide you with support."

Lu Chen gazed at the crimson clouds outside the window, thinking to himself: The Extraterritorial Evil Clan, the Demonic Dragon, the Remnant Soul of the Evil Clan King... all the crises have converged. An ultimate battle spanning ten thousand years is about to begin at Tongtian Peak. He gripped the commander's Seal in his hand, feeling the responsibility and power contained within, a flash of resolve in his eyes.

Three days later, on the square of the Alliance headquarters, the Anti-Evil Allied Forces was fully assembled. Nearly a hundred thousand soldiers were dressed in uniform evil-breaking battle armor, holding Magical Artifacts and standing in neat ranks with a majestic Aura. Lu Chen wore his Dragon Clan Battle Armor and held his demon breaking sword and imitation sea-calming divine needle as he stood upon the high platform, with Chu Feng, Yu Lan, and other core generals behind him.

"Soldiers!" Lu Chen's voice was like a great bell, spreading across the entire square. "The crimson clouds shroud us, and the Evil Clan is about to invade. The Cultivation World is in peril! Today, we assemble here to fight for our homes and for all living beings! Even if the road ahead is a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, even if we must pay with our lives, we will never retreat!"

"Never retreat! Fight the Evil Clan to the death!" the soldiers shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens and breaking through the oppression of the crimson clouds.

Lu Chen raised his hand with a wave, and the Allied Army Commander's Seal erupted with golden spiritual light: "Depart! Target: Tongtian Peak!"

The hundred-thousand-strong Allied Army moved like a torrent of steel toward Tongtian Peak in the center of the continent. Sunlight tried to pierce through the crimson clouds, casting scattered golden rays that reflected off the soldiers' armor with a steadfast light.

Lu Chen knew that this war would be incredibly tragic and that countless people might sacrifice themselves, but there was no trace of fear in his heart. Because he knew he was not fighting alone; behind him was the hope of the entire Cultivation World, the expectations of countless commoners, and the unfinished mission of the ancient ancestors.

The silhouette of Tongtian Peak gradually became clear amidst the crimson clouds. That mountain peak, which had once witnessed the tragic heroism of ancient times, was now about to witness a new legend. The army of the Extraterritorial Evil Clan was about to burst forth from the passage, and an ultimate battle concerning the survival of the Cultivation World was already imminent. Lu Chen and his Anti-Evil Allied Forces were long prepared to write their own glorious chapter with hot blood and courage.