"In that case, it seems the rumors about Fellow Daoist Han being hunted by Sacred Ancestor clones were true. With his powers, it's not all that far-fetched that he was able to escape from such formidable beings," the white-robed elderly man remarked.
"I don't know how he managed to escape from those Sacred Ancestor clones, but I did bear witness to him killing several devilish lords in quick succession," Fairy Silver Light also chimed in in a solemn voice.
"Sacred Ancestors!"
Many of the cultivators present were very alarmed to hear this.
"It seems that Fellow Daoist Han truly is an exceptional talent. With his assistance, our chances of securing victory against the devilish army would be significantly increased. Buddhist Monk Jin Yue, try to recruit him to our panel of elders again; tell him he can raise any conditions, and we'll do our best to satisfy him," the white-robed elderly man said.
"Alright, but I think the chances of that are going to be very slim," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue replied in a rather pessimistic manner.
"I'm aware of that. Otherwise, he would've joined the panel of elders the first time we invited him. In any case, it can't hurt to try. Alright, setting this matter aside for now, we received a report from our scouts stating that the devilish army is very likely going to launch an all-out assault on our city in several months to a year," the white-robed elderly man said as a grim look appeared on his face, and all of the other elders' hearts jolted upon hearing this.
Chapter 1990: Late-Body Integration Stage (1)
Shortly thereafter, the meeting between the elders concluded, and everything resumed as normal in Deep Heaven City.
Just as the white-robed elderly man had said, without anyone leaking the news, none of the ordinary beings in the city were aware that a mid-Body Integration Stage human cultivator had already passed away.
Of course, this news wasn't kept a secret from Fairy Lin Luan.
Upon hearing this news, she was initially quite shocked and horrified, but she quickly calmed down and never mentioned Master Azure Dragon again, as if she had never even known him.
Unfortunately for the panel of elders, their attempts to recruit Han Li had proven to be futile.
Han Li had been in seclusion this entire time, proclaiming that he was cultivating some type of powerful ability.
Thus, Buddhist Monk Jin Yue could only wait patiently until he came out of seclusion.
He was sure that Han Li would emerge from seclusion before the devilish army commenced its all-out attack.
Aside from Buddhist Monk Jin Yue, Fairy Silver Light, and several other Body Integration cultivators, all of the other elders had their attention drawn to the frequent harassment attacks launched by the devilish army, so they eventually forgot about Han Li.
Even the white-robed elderly man only asked about Han Li a few more times before setting the matter aside.
At this point, the devilish army still hadn't deployed their main forces to attack the city, but the harassment attacks they were unleashing were becoming more and more ferocious.
During these attacks, even Spatial Tempering Stage casualties had become very commonplace.
Thus, the elders of the city naturally had to step in, and two or three elders had to be present to face every devilish attack in order to ensure that morale remained high.
At the same time, the entirety of Deep Heaven City was operating at full capacity. All types of tool refinement workshops were packed to the rafters with workers, and treasures and spirit tools were being refined with no material expenses being spared.
The cultivators who were adept in the art of talismans had also been grouped together to craft low-grade talismans day and night.
In a battle of such a massive scale, low-grade talismans were often more effective and efficient to produce than mid-grade and high-grade ones.
After all, with the time and materials required to refine a mid-grade talismans, tens or even hundreds of low-grade talismans could be produced, and that wasn't even taking into account the vast disparity between the success rates of refining the different talismans.
As for high-grade talismans, only a select group of expert talisman refinement masters could produce them.
On top of that, many of the low-grade cultivators and manual laborers in the city had also been put to work; they were organized into several enormous groups of different numbers as the back-up forces of the city.
Aside from that, all of the city's formations and restrictions had also been thoroughly examined several times to ensure that they could be relied upon to resist the devilish army.
In summary, Deep Heaven City was preparing for war.
Under this tense and frenetic atmosphere, half a year flew by in the blink of an eye.
On this day, the white-robed elderly man and Buddhist Monk Jin Yue were discussing an important matter in a conference hall when the door was abruptly flung open from the outside, and a silver-armored guard hurriedly rushed in.
"Who said you could come in here?" the white-robed elderly man asked in a vexed manner.
"Senior, I came here to inform you that the spiritual Qi outside is in a completely chaotic state; it seems that someone is making a major breakthrough!" the guard hurriedly reported as he extended a respectful bow.
"A major breakthrough? Could it be that someone's progressing to the mid-Body Integration Stage? That's fantastic news; why do you look to be in such a panic?" the white-robed elderly man asked as his expression eased slightly.
"The issue is that the heavenly phenomena are far too ferocious for a mid-Body Integration Stage breakthrough; the situation seems to be even more fearsome than what late-Body Integration Stage breakthroughs are rumored to be like!" the guard replied in a panicked manner.
The white-robed elderly man was rather surprised to hear this. "Oh? Let's go and take a look, Fellow Daoist Jin Yue."
"Sure, I'm also very interested to see just which fellow daoist is making their breakthrough," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue replied with a nod.
Thus, they were led out of the hall by the guard, and as soon as they emerged outside, the white-robed elderly man's expression immediately changed slightly.
With his mid-Body Integration Stage spiritual sense, he was instantly able to sense that the spiritual Qi in the air had become extremely active, as if they were being affected by some type of fearsome power.
He unconsciously sped up, and in the blink of an eye, he and Buddhist Monk Jin Yue had arrived on a massive terrace.
There were around a dozen guards gathered on the terrace, all of whom were looking into the distance with flabbergasted expressions.
The white-robed elderly man's brows furrowed slightly upon seeing this, and he cleared this throat to make his presence known.
Only then did the guards notice him and Buddhist Monk Jin Yue, and they immediately extended respectful bows. Just as the white-robed elderly man was about to scold these subordinates of his, Buddhist Monk Jin Yue suddenly let loose a faint cry of surprise.
The white-robed elderly man immediately cast his gaze toward the same direction as Buddhist Monk Jin Yue, upon which an astonished look appeared on his face.
There in the distance, the sky had turned bright red, and crimson fiery clouds were revolving in mid-air like a giant fireball.
Beneath the fiery clouds, countless wisps of colorful light were rapidly converging to form a series of rainbow bridges.
Close to half of the entire city was encompassed beneath the fireball and crimson clouds, but compared to this stunning visual stimulus, the spiritual pressure radiating from the heavenly phenomena was even more astonishing.
Due to how far away they were, they could only sense a tiny portion of this spiritual pressure, but they were still struck by a sense of asphyxiation. Furthermore, this pressure was only continuing to mount, and it seemed that something terrifying was brewing in the distance.
"These heavenly phenomena really are far more fearsome than what a mid-Body Integration Stage brea
kthrough could bring about! Let's go and take a closer look, Fellow Daoist Jin. It would be extremely fortunate for the city if someone could make a late-Body Integration Stage breakthrough; we have to keep a lookout for them and ensure that they aren't disrupted," the white-robed elderly man said.
"Of course. Witnessing a late-Body Integration Stage tribulation transcendence would be a brilliant opportunity for us. If we can see it up close, I'm sure it'll benefit our future cultivation immensely," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue immediately agreed.
Thus, the white-robed elderly man swept a sleeve through the air to release a burst of white that swept up his own body, then flew away into the distance.
Buddhist Monk Jin Yue also followed along as a ball of golden light, and only then did the guards heave a collective sigh of relief before erupting into spirited discussion surrounding the heavenly phenomena that were taking place.
At this point, all of the high-grade cultivators in the entire city had been alerted by these phenomena, and countless streaks of light were converging from all directions.
The low-grade and mid-grade cultivators were also very intrigued, but they knew that this was not something that they could participate in, so they could only look on from where they were, but that certainly didn't stop them from discussing the situation with those around them.
The theories they came up with came in all shapes and forms.
There were some stating that a certain spirit treasure was emerging, while others were proclaiming that an almighty spirit beast was creating these phenomena. Of course, most believed that this was stemming from a certain cultivator's tribulation transcendence, and some of the more knowledgeable and experienced individuals had guessed that this had to be a Body Integration Stage tribulation transcendence.
Of course, none of them could've imagined that the Body Integration cultivators were just as astonished as they were once they gathered close to the heavenly phenomena.
The white-robed elderly man and Buddhist Monk Jin Yue weren't the first ones to arrive on the scene; over 20 Spatial Tempering and Body Integration cultivators had arrived before them, and they were appraising the phenomena from close to 100 kilometers away.
Fairy Silver Light was among them as well, and she gave the white-robed elderly man and Buddhist Monk Jin Yue a nod from afar before casting her gaze toward the unfolding phenomena again.
The white-robed elderly man and Buddhist Monk Jin Yue exchanged a glance before also stopping nearby.
"If I'm not mistaken, Fellow Daoist Han is the only Body Integration cultivator who lives in this area, right?" the white-robed elderly man suddenly asked.
"Indeed, and Fellow Daoist Han's abode seems to be situated right at the center of this heavenly phenomena," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue replied.
"That means it must be Fellow Daoist Han who's making a breakthrough; it's no wonder that he went into seclusion," the white-robed elderly man said.
"That does appear to be the case. This heavenly phenomena appears to have been triggered by a late-Body Integration Stage breakthrough, but it's far more fearsome than one that I was fortunate enough to have witnessed in the past," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue replied in a hesitant manner.
"There's nothing strange about that; the heavenly phenomena triggered by one's breakthrough depends on their powers. Generally speaking, the more fearsome the phenomena, the more powerful the tribulation transcender is, but at the same time, they'll also be plunged into an extremely perilous situation. With the ferocity of this set of heavenly phenomena, I think Fellow Daoist Han may not be able to successfully transcend his tribulation," the white-robed elderly man mused in a contemplative manner.
Chapter 1991: Late-Body Integration Stage (2)
"There are many mid-Body Integration Stage fellow daoists in our human and demon races just like us, but only very few who have made it to the late-Body Integration Stage. If I recall correctly, Fellow Daoist Han seems to have only reached the mid-Body Integration Stage not long ago; this rate of progression is far too extraordinary! Even the most legendary figures in the history of our two races most likely can't compare with him," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue agreed with a nod.
"It's exactly because of Fellow Daoist Han's stunning aptitude that this step will be even more difficult for him to take. After such a short time, his foundation can't be all that solid; that'll increase the difficulty of making this breakthrough," the white-robed elderly man said.
"Hehe, we're all just speculating here; it's yet to be seen what's actually going to happen. Perhaps Fellow Daoist Han will give the two of us a huge surprise," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue chuckled.
"I certainly hope so. If another late-Body Integration cultivator can support our city, then we'll have a much easier time against the devilish army. Fellow Daoist Han's powers as a mid-Body Integration cultivator were already comparable to those of a late-Body Integration cultivator; if he were to succeed in this breakthrough, he would most likely even be able to face a Sacred Ancestor clone in battle," the white-robed elderly man mused.
"Indeed. Prior to the descent of the true bodies of the Sacred Ancestors into this realm, their clones will be the most powerful beings in the devilish army. If there's a way for Fellow Daoist Han to hold them off, then we can abandon our original plan and focus our efforts on dealing with those devilish lords," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue said as a cold light flashed through his eyes.
The white-robed elderly man nodded in response before turning toward the phenomena taking place in the distance again.
At this point, the fiery clouds up above had already transformed into a crimson sea that had encompassed virtually the entire sky, and beneath the fiery clouds, a series of giant runes of different colors were taking shape.
These runes were radiating dazzling light, and in the next instant, they abruptly surged up toward the fiery clouds, as if they were about to pierce through the clouds.
A loud buzzing sound rang out from the fiery clouds, and they began to churn even more violently. As soon as the giant runes came into contact with the clouds, a peculiar sizzling sound rang out, following which the runes began to crumble away.
They had been completely repressed under the clouds.
A cold harrumph suddenly reverberated through the entire space, following which a blurry humanoid figure that was over 10,000 feet tall appeared amid a flash of azure light, then pointed upward several times in quick succession in an expressionless manner.
Invisible ripples ran through the space up above, and the rate at which the giant runes were being manifested sped up by over tenfold.
Millions of runes emerged in the span of just a few breaths, then surged upward like a reverse waterfall.
However, the fiery clouds remained as resolute as ever, even against the drastic increase in the influx of giant runes.
Both the fiery clouds and giant runes were expanding at an alarming rate, and it was as if they were never going to stop.
However, the giant humanoid projection seemed to have grown impatient, and it abruptly swept an arm toward the fiery clouds from afar.
Even though it was only a projection, the attack that it unleashed triggered a resounding boom akin to a dull thunderclap.
The azure humanoid projection crumbled away in a flash, but an enormous burst of invisible power surged easily into the clouds before immediately exploding.
A string of explosions rang out in rapid succession, and a giant hole with a diameter of over 1,000 feet appeared within the clouds.
Some of the giant runes down below instantly surged through the hole in the clouds, following which the hole was sealed in a flash.
Those runes converged to form another enormous rune that was around an acre in size, and it was gradually being converted into a substantial form.
However, right at this crucial juncture, dark clouds suddenly began to appear above the fiery clouds. These dark clouds then transformed into a series of giant black wyrms amid a string of explosive thunderclaps.
Extremely thick
bolts of silver lightning began to appear over the bodies of these wyrms, creating an astonishing sight to behold.
"There are 81 of them! That's incredible! I recall the late-Body Integration Stage tribulation that I witnessed in the past only had 36 wyrms!" Buddhist Monk Jin Yue exclaimed.
A hint of astonishment also flashed through the white-robed elderly man's upon seeing this, but he said in a calm manner, "I wonder how Fellow Daoist Han is going to deal with such a fearsome late-Body Integration Stage tribulation. If any mishaps occur, he could easily end up with severe wounds and fail to make his breakthrough. It's a pity that we can't assist him during this process. Otherwise, perhaps there would still be hope for him."
He seemed to have already convinced himself that Han Li definitely wouldn't be able to transcend this tribulation.
"There's no need to be overly concerned, Brother Gu; Fellow Daoist Han must have his reasons for attempting a breakthrough at a time like this. Let's wait and see for now," Buddhist Monk Jin Yue replied in a serious manner.
Right at this moment, another rumbling thunderclap erupted, and several tens of bolts of golden lightning crashed down from above, each of which was as thick as a water tank.
The lightning pierced directly through the massive rune and fiery clouds, then struck the giant black wyrms with devastating force.
A resounding boom rang out, and massive holes were blown into the bodies of the black wyrms by the bolts of golden lightning, while the silver lightning around their bodies were all devoured by the golden lightning.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 1149