155: Post-war cleanup and reconstruction of the mainland

At the hour of Wei atop the summit of Tongtian Peak, the sunlight was blazing but could not dispel the residual scent of blood and evil filth in the air. Broken Magical Artifacts, congealed bloodstains, and the black skeletal remains of the Evil Clan were scattered everywhere. Some skeletons were still slowly melting, turning into a viscous black liquid that seeped into the crevices of the dark red rocks like asphalt, emitting a faint corrosive smell—these were the embers condensed from the Evil Clan's Origin Evil Energy. Even though the Evil God had retreated, they still carried the property of eroding all things.

Although the soldiers of the allied forces were exhausted, they still forced themselves to clean the battlefield. The warriors of the Western Wilderness Tribe held bone shovels, piling the Evil Clan skeletons together and splashing them with a special Purification Spiritual Liquid from Hundred Herbs Valley. Alliance Disciples carefully collected damaged Magical Artifacts and fragments of Holy Spirit Guards, attempting to repair them or recover usable Materials. The Sea Cultivation Saintess led Sea Cultivator warriors, using water-based spiritual currents imbued with the power of the heart of the ocean to wash the ground and dilute the corrosiveness of the black liquid. The Ice Clan Saintess used her ice Origin to freeze some of the black liquid, preventing it from penetrating further.

"Be careful! These black liquids are extremely corrosive; do not touch them directly!" Elder Feng leaned on his Holy Spirit Wood Staff, patrolling the battlefield and reminding the soldiers, "Process them with the Purification Spiritual Liquid first before cleaning to avoid having your Meridians eroded by Evil Energy."

Lu Chen stood at the edge of the peak, watching the busy figures below with mixed emotions. In this great war, the allied forces had paid a heavy price—nearly thirty percent of the soldiers rested here forever, including many friends and sect mates who had fought side-by-side. He raised his hand to touch the holy spirit armor on his chest, which still bore the marks of the Evil God's claw wounds. This was a medal of victory and a witness to sacrifice.

"Alliance Leader, all the wounded have been transferred to the temporary camp. Hundred Herbs Valley Disciples are doing their best to treat them, but many soldiers are still too heavily injured, I'm afraid..." An Alliance Elder walked over quickly, his face full of gravity.

Lu Chen's heart sank, and he hurried toward the temporary camp. The camp was set on a flat area halfway up Tongtian Peak, with dozens of white tents arranged neatly. Hundred Herbs Valley Disciples moved between them, constantly administering spiritual liquids and Medicinal Pills to the wounded. Yu Lan sat in the center of a tent, the holy spirit seal at her neck emitting a soft golden light as she used the Sacred Word Art to soothe the Divine Souls of the heavily injured soldiers and purify the residual Evil Energy in their bodies. The Sea Cultivation Saintess used the healing power of the heart of the ocean to repair the damaged Meridians of the wounded.

"Lu Chen," Yu Lan said softly as she saw him approaching, standing up. "The external injuries of most of the wounded are under control, but the Evil Energy in over a dozen soldiers has invaded their Origin. The Sacred Word Art and healing power can only temporarily suppress it. To fully recover, they will need long-term recuperation."

Lu Chen walked to the bedside of a heavily injured Western Wilderness warrior. The warrior's skin was blackened, his breath was weak, and black Evil Energy still roamed within his Meridians. Lu Chen took out the holy spirit token, and golden-green spiritual light slowly flowed into the warrior's body. The Holy Spirit Power circulated through the Meridians, forcing the Evil Energy out of the body bit by bit. "Thank you for your hard work. The Alliance will fully supply the subsequent healing Medicinal Pills and Spiritual Plants. We must save the life of every soldier."

After comforting the wounded, Lu Chen returned to the peak and summoned representatives from all tribes for an emergency meeting. The meeting place was set in the core area of the Holy Spirit Formation, where the runes on the ground still held a faint spiritual light. The three holy spirit artifacts—the holy spirit token, holy spirit sword, and holy spirit seal—floated in the center, emitting majestic Holy Spirit Power.

"Fellow Daoists, although the great war has temporarily concluded, the subsequent cleanup and reconstruction tasks are arduous," Lu Chen said, getting straight to the point. "First is the placement of the three holy spirit artifacts. These three treasures are the key to protecting the continent and must be properly kept and passed down through generations."

He looked at Elder Feng and the Alliance Elder: "The holy spirit token is the core token of the Holy Spirit Guards, carrying the Power Of Faith and the ability to Seal. It shall remain with the Alliance as a symbol of the Continental Council, to be jointly guarded by the Council."

Then, he turned to Yu Lan: "The holy spirit seal shares the same Origin as the yu family bloodline, and Miss Yu Lan has already mastered the Sacred Word Art, making her the most suitable holder. This Seal will be kept by the Yu Family. In the future, if there is any movement from the Evil Clan, the Yu Family can use this Seal to activate Sacred Words and suppress the evil filth."

Yu Lan bowed and replied, "Thank you for your trust, Alliance Leader. The Yu Family will not fail this trust and will guard the holy spirit seal for generations, contributing to the peace of the continent."

Finally, Lu Chen's gaze fell upon Chu Feng: "The holy spirit cauldron is a treasure for Alchemy, capable of refining evil-breaking pills like the holy spirit pill. The Flame Spirit Guardian of the Sky-Burning Volcano resonates with the holy spirit cauldron, making it the best place for storage. Chu Feng, you are powerful and proficient in the Holy Spirit Sword Art. I want to send you to the Sky-Burning Volcano to guard the holy spirit cauldron. At the same time, you can use the fire-attribute spiritual energy of the volcano to Cultivate and improve. In the future, if needed, you can refine evil-breaking pills at any time to support the continent."

A flash of determination appeared in Chu Feng's eyes as he cupped his hands. "Alliance Leader, rest assured! I am willing to go to the Sky-Burning Volcano to guard the holy spirit cauldron and wait for the final battle in a thousand years!" He understood the importance of the holy spirit cauldron and knew it was a heavy responsibility.

The representatives of each tribe nodded one after another, having no objections to the distribution of the three artifacts. Elder Feng then spoke: "Alliance Leader, now that the Evil God has retreated, the thousand-year period is not far off. The Extraterritorial Evil Clan may still make a comeback. To coordinate the strength of all tribes, manage resource distribution, and guard against the remnants of the Evil Clan, I propose establishing a 'Continental Council' composed of representatives from all tribes to jointly discuss continental affairs and formulate defense strategies."

"I agree!" The messenger from the Sea Cultivator Tribe was the first to respond. "The Sea Cultivator Clan is willing to join the Council and work hand-in-hand with all tribes to protect the East Sea and the peace of the continent."

"The Western Wilderness Tribe also agrees!" The Western Wilderness Clan Chief stood up. "Having experienced this war, we know the importance of unity. The establishment of the Continental Council is what the people desire!"

The Valley Master of Hundred Herbs Valley, the Ice Clan Saintess, the Pavilion Master of the Artifact Refining Pavilion, and others also expressed their support, unanimously agreeing to establish the Continental Council. Everyone's gaze gathered on Lu Chen, clearly recognizing his leadership.

"Since everyone trusts me, I, Lu Chen, will no longer decline," Lu Chen said solemnly. "The Continental Council will be located at the Alliance headquarters, with representatives elected by each tribe to deliberate together. After the Council is established, the primary tasks will be cleaning up Evil Clan remnants, purifying land contaminated by Evil Energy, and rebuilding towns destroyed by the flames of war. At the same time, we will strengthen the Cultivation and defense of the Cultivators of all tribes to prepare for the final battle in a thousand years."

After the meeting ended, the representatives of each tribe returned to their respective groups to convey the Council's resolutions and organize forces for the cleanup and reconstruction. Chu Feng also began packing his gear, preparing to head to the Sky-Burning Volcano. Before leaving, he came before Lu Chen and presented the evil-breaking saber with both hands: "Alliance Leader, this saber has accompanied me for many years and slain many of the Evil Clan. Now that I am going to the Sky-Burning Volcano, I won't need it. I'll leave it with the Alliance; perhaps it can contribute to protecting the continent."

Lu Chen did not refuse and took the evil-breaking saber. "Take care! The environment of the Sky-Burning Volcano is harsh; be sure to look after yourself. If there is any unusual movement, send word immediately."

Chu Feng nodded heavily, turned, and sped off toward the Sky-Burning Volcano, his figure quickly disappearing on the horizon.

In the following days, a surge of cleanup and reconstruction swept across the continent. Allied soldiers continued to clear Evil Clan remnants and black liquid on Tongtian Peak, using Purification Spiritual Liquid and Holy Spirit Power to purify the contaminated land. The warriors of the Western Wilderness Tribe returned to the Western Wilderness to clear hidden Evil Clan remnants and rebuild destroyed tribes. The Sea Cultivator Clan patrolled the East Sea, searching for traces of the Evil God's fragments while assisting coastal towns in rebuilding their homes. Hundred Herbs Valley and the Artifact Refining Pavilion went all out to refine healing Medicinal Pills and evil-breaking Magical Artifacts to support various regions.

Lu Chen, Yu Lan, Elder Feng, and others traveled across the continent to inspect the progress of the cleanup and reconstruction. During the cleanup process on Tongtian Peak, the soldiers discovered a bizarre phenomenon—wherever the melted black liquid seeped underground, the vegetation withered, the rocks turned black, and small black vines even grew from some of the soil, emitting faint Evil Energy.

"These black liquids contain the Evil God's Origin Evil Energy. Even if diluted, they can still contaminate the land and may spawn new evil creatures." Elder Feng's face was grave as he used the power of the holy spirit token to purify the black vines. "We must quickly organize personnel to thoroughly purify all areas contaminated by the black liquid; otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Lu Chen nodded. "The Council will coordinate this matter. Notify the tribes to dispatch Cultivators carrying Purification Spiritual Liquid and evil-breaking Magical Artifacts to perform purification by region. At the same time, have Hundred Herbs Valley research Spiritual Plants that can counter Evil Energy contamination to be planted in the contaminated areas, gradually improving the soil environment."

Through everyone's efforts, order on the continent gradually returned. Towns destroyed by the flames of war were rebuilt, the common people returned to their homes, and Cultivators intensified their Cultivation to increase their strength. On Tongtian Peak, the Holy Spirit Formation was reinforced and repaired, becoming the continent's first line of defense. The Alliance headquarters was expanded into the seat of the Continental Council, where representatives from all tribes met regularly to discuss the continent's development and defense.

As the sun set in the west, Lu Chen stood at the highest point of the Alliance headquarters, looking down at the towns that had regained their vitality and the busy common people, filled with emotion. This great war had caused the various tribes of the continent to set aside their differences and coalesce into an indestructible force. The three holy spirit artifacts had returned to their places, the Continental Council was officially established, and a new order was forming.

But he knew in his heart that this was only a temporary peace. A wisp of the Evil God's Origin was still in the extraterritorial realm, a mysterious black fragment remained deep in the East Sea, the land contaminated by Evil Energy had not been fully purified, and the final battle in a thousand years was waiting for them.

Lu Chen gripped the holy spirit token in his hand, a flash of determination in his eyes. No matter how many hardships and obstacles lay ahead, he would work hand-in-hand with all the tribes of the continent to protect this land, thoroughly eradicate the hidden dangers of the Evil Clan, and ensure the people could live in peace forever. And those hidden crises, those unsolved mysteries, would all be revealed one by one in the days to come.