[Vol. 6] Chapter 235: Heaven and Earth Shift, Evil Emerges
The dazzling light rising from [Mirror Valley] and the pervasive “destructive energy” spreading outward had thrown the entire [Ancient Spirit Realm] and the world into chaos.
Days earlier, a strict directive had been issued across all four nations, reaching from major capitals to the smallest villages:
[Stock up on supplies. Starting July 24, Year 1000 of the Four Saints Calendar, all citizens are strictly prohibited from leaving their homes unless absolutely necessary. This order will remain in effect until lifted. Violators will bear the consequences at their own risk.]
The wording of this decree was strange. Official orders rarely used such vague, cautious phrasing, and they certainly didn’t include threats like “bear the consequences,” which sounded more like the warning of a street thug than a government mandate.
Though labeled a "lockdown order," it seemed more like a grim warning. A subtle way of telling people that something major was about to happen, and stepping outside might be a death sentence.
This vagueness only made it more terrifying, as it implied the government was fully focused on dealing with an external threat and no longer had the resources to manage the populace.
By the morning of July 24, streets, highways, and even rural fields emptied at an alarming rate. While some defiant individuals ignored the warnings and ventured out of curiosity, the majority heeded the advice, choosing to stay home and out of harm’s way.
As a result, the ones directly facing this looming disaster were the nation’s carefully prepared forces: Yin-yang divisions, armies, guards, and even local militias.
And at the heart of this war between the [Ancient Spirit Realm] and the evil spirits lay a key battleground...
“Emergency report!!!”
Inside the main military tent near [Mirror Valley]’s western front, a messenger burst in, his face pale with urgency.
“The eastern, southern, and northern defensive lines report they are under heavy attack by swarms of strange, monstrous creatures. Fierce battles are underway according to plan!”
The tent was packed with Western Kingdom’s senior military officers, all exuding a tense but restrained energy. Despite having prepared for this, the weight of the messenger’s words cast a heavy pall over the room.
It had begun. Just as the Immortal Island had forewarned.
Seated at the head of the table, Ling Feng nodded slightly, his expression calm but resolute.
“Send word to all three fronts. Proceed with the planned strategy. No matter what happens, hold the lines and maintain communication at all costs. Go.”
“Yes, sir!”
The messenger saluted and quickly departed, leaving the officers to brace themselves for the full-scale confrontation that had now begun.
The gray-haired girl, as the envoy appointed by the Saint and commanding all of Western Kingdom's defensive forces, dismissed the messenger. After a brief moment of thought, she turned to a tall general seated to her left.
“General Ji Xun, how is the setup of the barrier progressing?”
The general stepped forward from the group and replied, “Reporting, my lady. The foundation stakes have all been secured, and the Immortal Envoy personally inspected and adjusted the setup. It is ready to receive the descent of the Immortal Island at any time.”
“Good... Remember, the primary duty of the Spirit Guard Army is to protect the Spirit Maiden and the central hub here. The monsters are unpredictable and dangerous, so you must maintain absolute vigilance. Do not allow any breach!”
“Yes! Following the incident in Yangyuan County, I swear upon my life that no such failure will happen again!”
Ling Feng nodded in satisfaction.
“Then I leave the internal defenses to you and the Spirit Maiden. General Chen, where are you?”
“I am here!”
“Let’s go. We’ll head to the front lines to oversee the battle.”
………………………………
Finally, the moment arrived, just as planned.
Feeling the overwhelming energy surging through the heavens and earth, almost reminiscent of the time when the Lord first cast Their gaze upon this world a thousand years ago, even the heartless [Eyeless] stirred with exhilaration.
Countless warriors of the Lord, were birthed from the earth under this divine blessing, charging toward the frail defensive lines of these pitiful creatures. This grand spectacle felt like a return to the glorious era of a millennium past.
This world needed to be purged. Life itself was a calamity and a plague.
“Are you ready?”
Not far away, a hooded figure directed their question to an elder known as the [Bone Immortal], a withered figure leaning on a long staff. The elder nodded slightly.
“The previous skirmishes cost us greatly. As agreed, we will only focus on distractions and ambushes. The main battlefield is yours to handle.”
“......”
For these local creatures who were only working together out of mutual interest, [Eyeless] didn’t have much trust. Still, their existence was indispensable for accomplishing greater goals.
The true power of the Lord could only be borne by living beings, meaning certain tasks required them to act.
The foxes of Spirit Veil Immortal Island were even more cunning and well-prepared than anticipated. Most of the underlings sent around the world to destroy key nodes of the great formation had yet to return alive, and all the formation points had been successfully activated. Because of this...
“The descent of that island into this world will happen faster than expected. You must establish contact with the Lord before that occurs and summon Their power once more. If this is achieved, even if Spirit Veil Immortal Island joins the battle, they will pose no threat.”
[Eyeless] raised its head and a mocking sneer formed.
“After all... their God has already vanished.”
The [Bone Immortal] nodded again.
“We will do our best. Let’s just hope your Lord is as powerful as you claim.”
“Don’t worry. The Lord’s power is infinite. They are the end of the world, the elegy of all creation. To be seen by Them is to be blessed. They will grant you Their favor and help you... ascend to the realm you’ve always dreamed of reaching.”
“The realm we’ve dreamed of...”
A glimmer flickered in the elder’s deep-set eyes, as though he was recalling something. Finally, he turned and beckoned to a smiling young man in white robes and white hair standing nearby.
“Let’s go, [Apothecary]. It’s time to settle old debts and new grudges. [Hidden Fog] is waiting for us.”
…………………………………
By the time Ling Feng and her officers reached the front lines, the battle had already reached a critical intensity.
As the epicenter of the destructive energy’s release, [Mirror Valley] naturally had the highest concentration of "yin energy," which also meant it was swarming with more and stronger monsters.
Low-level incorporeal creatures were repelled by the talismans attached to weapons, defensive structures, and even the soldiers themselves. These talismans, imbued with divine power, kept the creatures at bay, leaving them to stir up ominous winds from a distance without breaking through the lines.
However, the mid-tier monsters, which had physical forms, were a different story. The talismans, with their limited power borrowed from the divine, were insufficient to repel them.
These creatures were born from the overwhelming destructive energy spreading across the [Ancient Spirit Realm], inhabiting various materials or mindless bodies. Driven by higher-tier monsters and their own primal instincts, they launched relentless, powerful assaults on the defensive lines.
This is the truth behind the [Demon Rebellion].
As Violet discovered when she first arrived and encountered the [Evil Flame Spirit King] in Zengjia Village, any object imbued with spiritual power can give rise to evil spirits, aside from beings with true souls and intelligence. Spirit Beasts are another manifestation of the [Ancient Spirit Realm]’s laws. An extreme inverse of balance and an alternative form of what is referred to as “yokai.”
“Whoa, there are so many of them...”
Standing atop the hastily constructed fortress walls, over ten meters high, Bai’er couldn’t help but gasp as she watched the strange "creatures" relentlessly attacking the defensive lines and clashing with Western Kingdom’s army.
As a powerful person in [Yin-Yang Division], she had encountered many evil spirits before, but never on this scale. The sheer numbers were overwhelming. Enough to inspire terror unlike anything she had seen before.
Some of the monsters were skeletal, others made of vines or dead trees. Some took simpler forms, composed of natural elements like water, fire, earth, or wind, while others were shadowy, ghost-like figures. These lifeless objects had been corrupted by the "destructive energy," transforming into hostile abominations.
Against such foes, ordinary physical attacks were largely ineffective. However, the four nations of the [Ancient Spirit Realm] were prepared. The weapons and armor of their elite soldiers had undergone special treatments, granting them temporary, enchantment-like effects that allowed them to effectively harm the monsters.
This was no longer the world of a thousand years ago. Over the past millennium, scholars across the [Ancient Spirit Realm] had studied these terrifying creatures tirelessly, devising strategies to combat them. The armies now had ways to hold their ground and avoid being instantly overwhelmed as they had in the past.
Even so, the monsters had a frightening ability that made them truly formidable and a constant source of dread for the [Ancient Spirit Realm]’s strongest warriors.
When a monster was slain, its form would collapse and disintegrate, but the "destructive energy" at its core would not simply vanish. Instead, much of this energy would spill out and be absorbed by nearby monsters, making them even stronger.
This is what made them so terrifying. These creatures, born of destruction, were among the hardest entities to destroy completely.