The Great War concluded, ushering in a brief period of tranquility for the Starfall Great Domain. During this time, waves of malevolent entities continued to assail the oases in succession, yet both Bai Laizemon and the Lord of Steel City remained outwardly calm. They were prepared to face even an eight-star malevolent entity, should it appear, and defend the very existence of their oases without fear.
"Great One, save us!"
If nothing else, having weathered a crisis that nearly annihilated their great domain, the several Mythic figures of the Starfall Grottoes had developed hearts of steel. Fortitude was essential; otherwise, they would have succumbed to fear.
Before the tide of disaster descended, many powerhouses within the City of Starfall harbored slight criticisms towards the Burning Flames Merchant Guild, located right at their doorstep. They believed their ancestral Mythic figures were too meek. Even if the Burning Flames Merchant Guild possessed greater peak strength, they, the City of Starfall, shouldn't have so readily conceded the position of overlord.
Now, it seemed their ancestors had possessed foresight, having long recognized the unfathomable depths of the Burning Flames Merchant Guild! If the Burning Flames Merchant Guild were a tier above them, they might feel envy, jealousy, and a desire to compete. But if the Burning Flames Merchant Guild stood in the heavens while they remained in the depths of the earth, then… it was time to flatter! From this day forward, the art of clinging to powerful patrons must be treated as a serious academic pursuit. After all…
"If I'm not mistaken, the boss behind the Burning Flames Merchant Guild is the overlord faction, 'Kindling Academy'," Bai Laizemon stated. This conclusion wasn't born from his own deduction; he had few clues. He had previously believed the Burning Flames Merchant Guild had only three or four Mythic figures, a testament to his own limited understanding and their deep concealment. This information had been gleaned from a Mythic elder friend within the Seven Star Alliance.
"It's quite clear that Kindling Academy ranks among the top-tier overlord factions."
"However, just how strong is Kindling Academy…" He glimpsed a surging river of blood. He recalled the terrifying war that had erupted in the domain years ago. But Bai Laizemon was merely a minor Mythic figure, daring only to steal furtive glances from half a great domain away. He dared not look longer, nor did he possess the capability to discern the true power disparity between Kindling Academy and the Blood Moon faction in their recent engagement. He was also unclear about the forces each side had committed. All he knew was that Kindling Academy had likely won. But whether it was a decisive victory, a moderate win, or a Pyrrhic one, they had no way of knowing.
"Actually, that doesn't matter much," he mused. Regardless of Kindling Academy's strength, the number of demigods they possessed, or whether they had beings beyond the demigod realm, it was beyond the comprehension of their City of Starfall. In that case, it was best to simply follow Kindling Academy's lead.
Not only that…
"It's evident that Kindling Academy is a relatively young overlord faction."
"Factions like the Seven Star Alliance, an overlord, possess quite a number of vassal states."
"The name 'vassal state' might sound unpleasant, but there's nothing shameful about becoming stronger."
"Moreover, as a burgeoning overlord faction, Kindling Academy seems to have no vassals yet. Isn't this our opportunity!" Bai Laizemon's eyes lit up. The disaster tide had not yet ended, and danger still loomed, but his thoughts had already drifted afar.
…
Fang You's thoughts also drifted afar. Afar in the spatial sense. With the Starfall Great Domain temporarily free of crisis, he contemplated having his own powerhouses take the initiative. Much like how the Sages and Ancient Gods intercepted the servants of evil gods along the way. However, interception was not easy. The whereabouts of the servants and minions of evil gods were equally elusive.
"In these past few days, seven super oases have been annihilated, most by the hands of evil god minions, and a smaller portion, by the malevolent entity tide."
"Yet, even those succumbing to the malevolent entity tide likely have ties to the evil god minions." In the past, the destruction of any super-faction comparable to the City of Starfall would have caused significant ripples in human society. Now, seven super-factions had been wiped out within a mere ten to fifteen days. This was seismic. But during the disaster tide, it seemed almost normal.
"Furthermore, communication between factions during the disaster is difficult, relying on platforms like 'projection space' for information exchange. But in the face of great calamity, there might not even be time to send a plea for help." If a high-ranking malevolent entity were to appear and slowly approach the City of Starfall, the city would likely detect it in advance. While they might not be able to resist such a being, they could at least send off a portion of their lineage to survive. However, if a high-ranking servant were to launch a targeted attack, a faction like the City of Starfall might not even realize what was happening before the entire city was reduced to a sea of corpses and ruins.
No, a high-ranking servant wouldn't even be necessary. The stealthy attack of a few demigod-level minions could instantly obliterate a faction like the City of Starfall.
"This means that the number of annihilated super oases is definitely more than seven."
"The exact number will only be known after the disaster concludes and the Human Alliance conducts its statistics." Super oasis factions all held formal seats in the alliance, or at least had connections with surrounding great domains, so they were not nameless. Statistics would not be difficult. However, factions at the great oasis level might not even create a ripple if they were annihilated. Yet, any great oasis housed hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people.
Instructor Fang frowned deeply. He pulled up his panel, which linked to the information hub of the Kindling Organization, granting him direct access to all stored information. There were dozens of entries related to the Mythic figures of the Kindling Organization aiding other domains.
Master Bright Light reinforcing the White Gull Super Oasis. Xu Tian repelled several evil god minions in the Blazing Core Great Domain. Liu Ji arrived at the Gilded City Super Oasis and helped the oasis repel a super tide of millions, including two eight-star malevolent entities. However, there were also many support operations where Kindling could not arrive in time. The abyssal realm was vast, with immense distances between great domains. Even with legendary-grade flying or palace-type abyssal artifacts, traversing great domains took considerable time. Kindling possessed level seven oases in all four cardinal directions of the abyssal realms and maintained transit channels, yet Kindling's strength had its limits. Alone, it was far from enough to contend with the disaster.
…
Southern Abyssal Realm, Yunhui Great Domain. Rolling black rivers coursed through the great domain, appearing to cut it into pieces, leaving it fragmented. At the edge of the sea, colossal malevolent entities emerged one after another. Several terrifying figures stood atop black clouds, sowing seeds of decay and disaster. Not far from the surging black tide, one could vaguely discern a giant spherical rock. A magnificent city appeared small in comparison to this rock. Indeed, this was the gateway for the Water Overflow Kingdom to defend against foreign enemies, the level-eight oasis, Torrent Port.
"It's our Water Overflow Kingdom again!"
"It's us again!"
"Damn it!"
The Water Overflow Kingdom's sole demigod, the Pure Water Demigod, was stationed in the royal capital, wielding the authority of 'World's Protection,' gazing towards Torrent Port. Torrent Port, the royal capital, and several other super oases, along with dozens of great oases, were interconnected by legendary-grade rituals, functioning as a unified entity. Torrent Port was the gate to this entity. The Pure Water Demigod, holding the authority of the oasis, could protect all oases within the kingdom without leaving his residence. But…
The Pure Water Demigod felt like cursing. Even with the other six kingdoms lending their full support, and even though their Water Overflow Kingdom had grown significantly stronger, the evil god faction had targeted their Water Overflow Kingdom alone for the second time, dealing a severe blow. Within Torrent Port, the grand formation was operating at maximum power. It housed Sage Cangtu, four demigods, and over twenty Mythic figures, desperately resisting the onslaught of evil god minions and malevolent entities.
The number of four demigods was small, with two of them being newly ascended. This was because the seven top-tier demigods in the Yunhui Great Domain, including himself, were within their respective level-nine oases, wielding their authorities and supporting each other. Gazing out from Torrent Port in all directions, besides the surging black rivers, the thick, unyielding dark clouds, and the overwhelming tide of malevolent entities, one could also see several colossal figures enveloped in holy radiance, stretching from heaven to earth. They were like gods. Or rather, wielding the authority of a level-nine oasis's 'World's Protection,' they were no different from true deities.
But… The Pure Water Demigod offered a bitter smile. "Wielding the power of the world can indeed contend against high-level ninth-tier beings, but the price…" The might of high-level existences stemmed from themselves. However, their high-level might originated from the power of the world. With the excessive use of this power, their royal capital oasis had begun to shrink. The Pure Water Demigod had no doubt that if this continued, their level-nine oasis, which they had painstakingly promoted to, would be demoted to level eight. That was already bad enough! Once they lost the authority of 'World's Protection,' their end would be imminent. The enemies were evil god minions and servants; they didn't even have the option of surrender.
The Pure Water Demigod gazed into the distance. There were three high-level beings there. The number seemed small, yet wielding oasis authority, they could only contend against ninth-tier beings. "Contend" meant they could match, but not surpass. They were, at best, "fake" high-level beings, capable of dealing with unintelligent malevolent entities, but falling short against more powerful high-level servants. Even setting aside intelligence, the power of high-level servants was often superior to that of high-level malevolent entities. Furthermore, the enemies outside Torrent Port, in addition to the three high-level servants, included three nine-star malevolent entities. The number of demigod-level evil god minions also far exceeded that of the human side. And there were endless, countless malevolent entities.
The Pure Water Demigod's brow furrowed. "This situation is not looking good."
"The power of a level-nine oasis can last for a few more days at most. If not for Sage Cangtu assisting us in holding the line, we might not even last two days." While contemplating, the Pure Water Demigod flinched and unleashed a palm strike, wielding the power of the world towards the distance. A terrifying spatial storm erupted outside Torrent Port. He had already exchanged blows with the evil god servants no less than several hundred times. Every strike consumed a significant amount of the world's power, and the Pure Water Demigod's heart bled. Compared to this, the burden on his physical body and soul was insignificant. Wielding 'Oasis's Protection' was also simpler than Fang You manipulating the power of the Blue Star world. The former was a "plug-and-play" mode, while the latter required self-programming, offering more variations and a higher ceiling.
"We need reinforcements; otherwise, we will be exhausted to death by the servants of the Black River faction!" The Pure Water Demigod communicated with the other top-tier demigods. They had already been seeking rescue. The first thought was to seek aid from the ancient beings lurking in the hidden corners of the abyssal realm. The Scarlet Sand Kingdom worshipped the awakened 'Lord of Earth.' Their Water Overflow Kingdom also worshipped a being called 'Water Heaven Divine Venerable.' Their cooperative relationship with the Water Heaven Divine Venerable had lasted for tens of thousands of years. The Water Overflow Kingdom provided the Water Heaven Divine Venerable with vast resources in exchange for some power support and limited protection. In the past tens of thousands of years, they had also borrowed the Water Heaven Divine Venerable's power to overcome several major crises.
"Water Heaven Divine Venerable seems to have been targeted by evil god servants and is unable to extricate himself," he stated. The old king of the Scarlet Sand Kingdom exchanged a few blows with an evil god servant from afar using the power of the world, adding, "We have also contacted the Lord of Earth, but the result is similar."
"Indeed, it's more accurate to say that this Lord of Earth has actively sought out trouble with the evil god servants."
"I don't know the specifics, but we cannot place our hopes on the Lord of Earth in the short term."
Giant Mountain Demigod, Elder Yun Zhong, Old Woman Fei Hua… These demigods also brought bad news.
"What about requesting help from the human world?" the Pure Water Demigod asked. But after speaking, he fell silent. Among the human world, only a handful of Sages possessed the capability to support them. Even overlord factions were of little use. Overlords had level-nine oases to rely on in their own territories, but outside their domains, the leaders of overlords were merely demigods. Moreover, during the disaster tide, human factions in various domains were already struggling to fend for themselves.
Elder Yun Zhong said, "I've sent people to the Holy Court to request the elders' intervention, but…" The three elders had not appeared for at least a thousand years, and it was unclear what they were preparing for.
The old king of the Scarlet Sand Kingdom spoke, "The Northern Abyssal Realm's Eternal Winter Empire, Sage Beifeng is en route, but it will take considerable time." After all, one was in the south, and the other in the north. Sage Beifeng dared not traverse the central abyssal realm and had to take a detour.
"The Eastern Abyssal Realm, several days ago, seemed to have been attacked by the Blood Moon faction?"
"What about Kindling Academy?"
"We have sent them a plea for help, and they have indicated they are on their way." However, Kindling Academy had already departed their Southern Abyssal Realm. It would take a considerable amount of time for them to arrive. Moreover, even if they did, it seemed they might not make a significant difference. This was not a matter of them looking down on Kindling Academy. They considered themselves far inferior to Kindling Academy's two demigod powerhouses. But times had changed. Without wielding the power of a level-nine oasis, one could not influence the overall situation. Even with Sage Beifeng joining them, their strength would still be inferior to that of the evil god faction. However, regardless, the arrival of reinforcements was an encouraging piece of news. Their strengthened forces could hold out longer, creating more opportunities for survival.
Time flowed by. An hour. Two hours. A message suddenly arrived.
"Kindling Academy's reinforcements have arrived!"
"They're here? So quickly? Where did they come from?" The first two sentences expressed surprise; the last one concerned strategic arrangements. Most of the Yunhui Great Domain was currently under the control of the Black River faction. They needed to create opportunities for the reinforcements to rendezvous. A subordinate was inquiring. The Pure Water Demigod extended his divine sense, scanning the surroundings. Within Torrent Port, Sage Cangtu, who was stationed there, also exclaimed, "Eh?" He suddenly looked in a certain direction.
The space suddenly rippled. A point of silvery-white appeared. The object emerging from space grew larger and larger, like a great white shark slowly surfacing. But it was too enormous! One kilometer? Ten kilometers? A hundred kilometers? Far more than that! It blotted out the sky! It was like a world! It forcefully intruded into the Yunhui Great Domain, forcefully pushing aside the surrounding gray fog, black clouds, and black rivers. The Pure Water Demigod was also unable to describe the sheer size of this silvery-white war fortress. He only saw objects that resembled gun muzzles on it. They extended one after another, reaching towards the horizon. Yes, in his field of vision, one-third of the sky was occupied by this silvery-white sky fortress, and what he saw seemed to be merely a tiny corner of it.
The evil god servants were astonished. They reached out, unleashing palm strikes that could shield the world. At the same moment, the silvery-white sky fortress erupted with dazzling pure white light. It was the light of destruction! It was also the city of purification! There was no sound, but both the Pure Water Demigod and Sage Cangtu could see the darkness receding inch by inch. Tens of millions of malevolent entities were annihilated. The endless black rivers vanished. The light of righteousness spread across the land, and the spatial hum reverberated belatedly.
"What is this!" the evil god servants exclaimed in shock. The Pure Water Demigod was also greatly surprised. He seemed to have spotted a familiar symbol on the silvery-white fortress. It was a ball of fire.
"This is…"
The fourteenth God-Slaying Weapon, the Sky Dome World Fortress!
Debut!