Eternal Tale
Chapter 306: Defend the battlefield, by the Heavenly River

One Hour Later.

Baili Zhonghu stood atop the mountain peak, solemnly cupping his hands toward Chen Xun before stepping into the air and leaving. His eyes still carried intense shock—so Ninth Brother's judgment was indeed extraordinary!

On the peak, Chen Xun smiled as he held a jade slip personally written by Baili Zhonghu.

For them, this jade slip was immensely important—it was the key to everything. When it came to legacies, none could compare to the Baili Clan of Great Li Realm.

"Brothers, let's go. Time for the final preparations."

Chen Xun spoke calmly. Dark radiance surged around him, and at that moment, the God-killing Storm erupted. The entire mountain of corpses crumbled, shattered into pieces by the tempest.

At this moment, his eyes gleamed with a mysterious glow—fourteen God-killing Apertures and six ordinary Divine Apertures circulated within him, making his aura terrifyingly powerful.

The big black ox glanced at Chen Xun and let out a low moo. Its gaze carried a hint of awe—Big Brother had already opened all twenty Divine Apertures, with spiritual awareness rivaling a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!

Unintentionally, it caught a glimpse of the small booklet in Chen Xun's hand, its curiosity piqued by the numerous plans written within. Quickly, it trotted over and nudged against Chen Xun. The latter merely smiled.

Little Red's pupils contracted as he looked at the black-haired, wind-swept Chen Xun, his heart filled with shock. That commander earlier... likely didn't dare to make a move against Chen Xun.

Boom!

A deafening tremor resounded—the entire mountain of corpses was obliterated. Three figures gradually disappeared into the battlefield of the domain.

The moment they left, the elite iron-blooded warriors in the sky all felt their eyelids twitch.

Baili Zhonghu turned back, taking a deep look in that direction. The corpses and tainted blood of the corrupted beasts were completely erased—not even left as nourishment for the blackened earth.

His gaze remained calm, but he took a deep breath. He had chosen to trust Ninth Brother this once, but the final decision could only be made after seeing the results.

"Announce to all forces and the domain's inhabitants—hold the battlefield, cease the advance for now!"

"Yes, Commander!"

"Yes, Commander!"

All forces roared in response, without the slightest doubt or hesitation. In the army, orders were absolute.

Buzz—

Buzz—

A mighty sound of air being torn apart echoed through the sky. Ten warships gradually drifted away, disappearing into the darkness.

The Next Day.

On the frontlines, banners stood like forests, cold light gleamed like stars, and a storm of death loomed over the battlefield.

The overwhelming presence swept across the entire war zone—sect cultivators, rogue cultivators, military forces, and even spirit beasts had all gathered.

Their weapons varied, yet their eyes were tinged with bloodlust. Their spiritual power surged like a violent tide, clashing against the endless flood of corrupted beasts.

This place was a true hell on earth. Gruesome corpses and bright crimson blood stretched from the heart of the battlefield, spreading outward in all directions, forming a sea of death hundreds of miles long.

The order to retreat spread like wildfire, causing an uproar across the battlefront. Cultivators from major forces rushed toward the command center, their expressions grave.

In the sky, immense fluctuations of spiritual power rang out. Warships began pulling back, while tens of thousands of people arrived from various locations, their bodies steeped in iron and blood, exuding an aura of savagery.

Boom!

A thunderous quake shook the land. Black mist churned, distorting the void.

Warships roared across the ground, charging toward the corrupted beasts. Atop them stood legions of cultivators, fearless and unyielding. They were the rearguard.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Roar!

Like a raging flood, the endless army charged forward, crashing into the swarming tide of corrupted beasts. Their resolve was unbreakable; their sacrifice was tragic and magnificent.

Many collapsed mid-charge—their spiritual consciousness dissipating, their lifespans reaching their end.

Countless cultivators watching from a distance felt their hearts tremble, instinctively retreating, their bodies shaking. They had come to cultivate, not to die.

The battlefield was engulfed in an ocean of battle cries, spiritual explosions, and a storm of killing intent.

Amidst the chaos, Yu Chen stood, his hair in disarray, panting heavily. But his expression was resolute. Gripping a God-killing weapon, he gazed into the surrounding darkness.

Even as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he was insignificant in this war. He took a step into the air, heading toward another battlefront.

On another battlefield, a man cradled a woman's corpse in his arms, his face eerily calm. Yet the bloodshot veins in his eyes betrayed the storm raging within his soul.

The woman had a terrifying blood streak across her abdomen, a wound inflicted by the Nascent Soul Impurity’s Life-Cutting technique. His Golden Core cultivation was still a step too slow to save her.

“Zhuang Yun...”

Qi Gengyun’s voice seemed like a scream, his bloodshot eyes slowly gazing into the endless distance. His aura changed dramatically, becoming cold and indifferent...

He suddenly grunted, spitting out a mouthful of blood as the blood vessels in his eyes multiplied.

Half an hour later, Qi Gengyun gently cradled Zhuang Yun’s corpse and left. He needed to rapidly increase his strength; he couldn’t afford to die now.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

At the frontlines of the battlefield, defense lines were being set up as cultivators with immense spiritual power began to work together, cutting through the karmic causes of life and death and clearing the endless waves of corrupted beasts rushing forward.

The entire world seemed to quiet down. Even the corrupted beasts in the rear fell silent as if receiving some kind of message. They faced off against the domain’s inhabitants, with an aura of hatred spreading in all directions.

Three days later, by the Heavenly River.

This place was beyond the battlefield of the domain, and the sky no longer felt dark. Today, the sun blazed high in the sky, and the scorching rays filled the world, giving it a warm, pleasant feel.

A vast and mighty river flowed from the Heavenly Gate, winding and bending as it cut through mountains and broke through walls. It rushed forward with tremendous force, separating the domain and the battlefield, safeguarding the peace of the domain’s creatures for countless years.

Around the river, tombs stretched for tens of thousands of miles, each one engraved with the names of the fallen beings, majestic and vast, resonating with the river’s mighty roar, exuding an endless sense of sorrow.

“Woo...”

The waters of the Heavenly River carried a deep and deadly force, as if alive, pushing back the corrupting power of the tainted blood far beyond its reach.

On the opposite bank, there was a majestic pass stretching for thousands of miles, with ten grand statues standing tall, gazing down over the world. As far as the eye could see, the vast expanse seemed boundless.

These statues represented the bloody history of the domain, embodying the domain’s unyielding spirit, revered by generations of cultivators.

Behind the pass was a bustling city. Cultivators came and went, many settling here, while others who killed corrupted beasts earned military merit, which they could exchange for all kinds of cultivation resources in the rear army camps.

Chen Xun, the big black ox, and Little Red looked at the scene from a distance, their eyes filled with awe.

“Truly a journey worth making.”

“Moo~~”

“Brother Xun, we’ve really learned so much...”

They sat down together, quietly watching, not thinking of anything else.

Chen Xun took out his sketchpad and began drawing. His expression was calm, but he sighed softly, suddenly feeling a little tired.

The higher his cultivation, the less joyful his life seemed to become. Life truly had its strange turns.

“Moo~” The big black ox placed its head on Chen Xun’s shoulder, nudging his face.

“Brother Xun.”

Little Red looked at him with concern, feeling that both it and the Ox could sense that Big Brother was exhausted. This wasn’t the kind of life he had wished for.

“It’s fine,” Chen Xun said. “Growing up, we have to shoulder some responsibilities. Besides, this is all closely related to us. But when we reach the Three Thousand Great Worlds...”

Chen Xun chuckled coldly, casually sweeping his brush across the page. “We can finally live freely. With such a vast and powerful world, there’s no need for us to carve a path or anything. We’ll just live our lives.”

“Moo!!”

“Brother Xun, does that mean we won’t need to fight anymore?”

“Exactly. The conflicts there have nothing to do with us. We’ll be inconspicuous in that place. There will even be existences beyond the Heavenly Spiritual Roots.”

Chen Xun continued drawing seriously, his expression suddenly becoming excited. “We’ll make plans once we’re there. But we still don’t know exactly what that world is like.”

The big black ox and Little Red chuckled, too. After learning so many truths, their hearts were heavy, but they still trusted Big Brother.

“Moo?!”

“Brother Xun, the drawing’s off!”

“Huh? What?!”

The three of them suddenly panicked. Chen Xun’s face turned awkward—how had he drawn ten grand statues as tiny little dwarfs...