Who Brought Him into the Cultivation World?

”Why the hell didn’t you dodge!”

The Artifact Spirit questioned in the Sea of Consciousness.

Han Yu looked around at the blood-red surroundings in irritation. Just as Ox threw out her little jar, a heavy pressure instantly bore down on him.

All sorts of negative energies filled this area, making it impossible to move, let alone dodge.

”You tell me how the hell to dodge.”

The blood light released from the Soul-Catching Banner was just as the Artifact Spirit had sensed before, full of blood and filth, especially when it pressed down on him, filling him with all sorts of hatred and resentment.

”Get me out of here quickly, I can’t hold on much longer.”

Qi Bai clutched his chest, feeling as if something inside was about to burst out, and his internal organs were in excruciating pain.

”At your age, you still eat anything like a kid.”

Ox shot him a flirtatious glance, then winked at Han Yu and blew a kiss.

”Little brother, if you survive this time, see you next time! Hehe!”

After saying that, she disappeared from the spot with Qi Bai...

As soon as they left, Che Dapao and a few of the Nine Sect Elders hurried over, looking anxious.

Cousin rushed out from beside his great-uncle, but before he could get close to Han Yu, someone pulled him back.

”Don’t go.”

The blood light around Han Yu was too strange, resembling an array yet not quite, but the dozen or so flags standing around seemed to be traces of a highly advanced formation.

”Where are they?”

Che Dapao looked around and asked urgently.

”They got tired of waiting for you guys to dilly-dally, so they left first.”

Han Yu snorted in annoyance.

This group of people took so long to come, they couldn’t even catch the action.

Everyone looked gloomy, their expressions not very pleasant, but there was nothing they could do. Their sect disciples had taken a hit, and those who survived explosions were helping their sects.

Yet somehow, the greatest villain was held back by Han Yu, who wasn’t part of the Imperial Court or Nine Sects, for god knows how long.

Qi Bai and Ox’s departure didn’t mean the battle stopped. In the air, there were still over a hundred of the Living Dead cultivators from the original hundreds, and the Corpse King on the ground was fiercely battling with the Nine Sect disciples.

The Mo Clan members jumped onto the back of the Mechanical Giant Beast, which soon began to move. Powerful blasts erupted from its mouth, and under its blinding light, rows of Corpse Kings fell.

”Why didn’t your Mo Family use this just now?”

Seeing the beast’s power, several sect elders puffed out their beards in anger, thinking their disciples could have suffered fewer casualties.

They soon knew the reason. The beast wreaked havoc for less than a cup of tea’s time before the Mo Clan members jumped out, each wielding various mechanisms to join the battle.

Cousin finally explained helplessly, ”The beast’s energy doesn’t last long. It needs to stop occasionally to cool down, or it’ll overheat and explode.”

The group of elders remained silent, more upset that with such a huge sect action, they were the last to know.

The Nine Sects hadn’t fought such a large-scale battle for the Imperial Court in ages.

They couldn’t understand how the Fifth Tower convinced their sect, or how Quan Xiaotong and Che Dapao persuaded them.

”Have you finished talking? If so, step aside, the Tribulation Thunder is coming.”

Han Yu spoke again, clearly annoyed.

What kind of people are these! Don’t they look at the sky? Chatting under tribulation clouds, are they asking to die early?

The group quickly looked up, seeing the sky above Han Yu already covered with dark clouds, rolling thunder rumbling continuously, with lightning flickering within.

”Damn! Tribulation Thunder!”

”Run!”

These old geezers ran faster than each other, afraid they might get caught if they were a step slow.

Cousin didn’t even have time to speak before his great-uncle dragged him back with a yank on his head.

Now alone, Han Yu hesitated, then looked up at the sky.

”Dodging is not an option. The ghostly stuff on you is rejected by the heavens. If you don’t let the Tribulation Thunder purify it, the thunderclouds won’t disperse.”

The Artifact Spirit thought he might be up to something and quickly reminded him.

If it was just purification, it wouldn’t kill him, but if he did something reckless, the escalating Tribulation Thunder could be unpredictable.

”No, I’m just wondering, meeting the Tribulation Thunder so often, would it get bored?”

Han Yu sighed helplessly. Lately, he frequently had to deal with the Tribulation Thunder, fearing he’d become too familiar with it.

If it got used to targeting him first for every thunderstorm in the future...

While Han Yu was lost in thought, the thunderclouds began to churn violently, as if an invisible hand was stirring them.

Bring it on!

Han Yu closed his eyes, waiting for the lightning to strike, but after a moment of silence, he looked up at the sky.

A giant beam of light blasted towards his face...

The Nine Sect Elders only dared to stop and watch from a mile away, still shaken.

Damn, the Corpse Refining Lineage even caused a Tribulation Thunder; how could anyone of high-level strength play with that?

If the opponent summoned Tribulation Thunder every time they couldn’t win, how could they possibly fight?

”Will he be alright?”

Cousin broke free from his great-uncle’s grasp, pacing anxiously.

The Tribulation Thunder, recorded by the Mo Family, was indeed powerful. The Nine Sects probably knew too, else they wouldn’t have fled like rabbits.

”Hard to say, he’s tough, but it is a Tribulation Thunder after all.”

The Great Elder said with a serious and grave tone.

”It’s not his first time enduring the thunder. In fact, as far as I know, this kid from Zhanzhou Prefecture survived the Purple Sky Thunder without dying.”

Che Dapao’s face was complicated, recalling that Ling Wuce had mentioned it when he returned.

In the distance, a sudden rumble of thunder was heard, prompting everyone to look up, as hundreds of lightning bolts descended simultaneously from the nine heavens.

Under the overwhelming power of the thunder, the location where Han Yu stood was tightly covered by lightning, obscuring the entire area from view.

Is this how tribulation lightning strikes?

This was not only the group’s bewilderment but also Han Yu’s last fleeting question before losing consciousness.

When countless bolts of lightning smashed into his face, he immediately lost sensation, then his whole body trembled, and finally, he thrashed about…

This process lasted for a full quarter of an hour. As the thunderclouds dispersed, a group of people cautiously approached.

A deep pit had formed where Han Yu had been, inside which lay a charred body, its limbs still twitching unceasingly, with foam at the corners of its mouth.

”I told you this guy could withstand tribulation lightning.”

Che Dapao looked at the pit’s bedraggled body, still quite shocked in his heart.

After all, hearing about it is one thing, but witnessing it firsthand is entirely another.

On the distant horizon, an unusual crimson appeared, and within the battle array, both the Corpse King and the Living Dead abruptly halted their assault.

As if receiving some command, the Living Dead cultivators turned and soared away, while the Corpse King below roared while retreating continuously.

”Should we pursue them?”

The group looked at Che Dapao, waiting for his decision.

This time, the operation was initiated by the Imperial Court, with the Nine Sects cooperating.

”Do not pursue!”

Che Dapao shook his head heavily; there was no longer any need for pursuit, as doing so would likely result in more casualties.

Dongling City had now been utterly destroyed, and the cultivators from the Nine Sects and the other cultivators still didn’t know their casualties, though it seemed apparent they had not gained any advantage.

-----------------

Nightfall had arrived.

Che Dapao and the group stood on a vacant lot in Dongling City, looking around blankly, witnessing only ruins and debris everywhere; fortunately, it was only collapsed structures.

Zhang Jia hurriedly arrived, cupping his fists and bowing. Initially, he had been left to not only guard the city but also bear the vital task of evacuating the city’s people in critical moments.

”Sir, everyone has been safely evacuated, no casualties inside the city.”

On the other hand, the Nine Great Sect elders looked somewhat grim, as each sect’s casualties were roughly thirty percent, like carving flesh.

As for those ragtag small sects, nearly sixty percent perished, reducing the once grand force to less than two thousand.

Yet this was due to the Nine Sects’ timely aid which attracted most of the Corpse Kings and Living Dead; had they delayed even a moment longer, more might have died.

Ou Mingdong unwittingly sidled up to Su Wanjun’s side, with the now elderly Great Elder angrily opening his mouth.

”What are you doing here, not staying at White Emperor City and instead running over to join the chaos?”

Ou Mingdong immediately stepped forward, awkwardly speaking.

The disciples of the Nine Sects outside were notified by their sects to assist Dongling City, having received the secret message once their fellow disciples had already gathered at White Emperor City.

The other elders were also inquiring with their disciples, yielding similar results; following the sect’s orders as they had already gathered forces before notifying them.

”How did you convince the Nine Sects?”

The Great Elder, in an aged voice, spoke to Che Dapao.

”Actually, it wasn’t me who convinced them, it was Quan Xiaotong. He provided you Nine Sects with a dossier…”

Che Dapao slowly explained, and after a quarter of an hour, the group was deep in thought.

That the Corpse Refining Lineage had extended its hand into the Imperial Court’s arrangements was genuinely terrifying.

Could there also be traitors within their sect?

The group pondered with concern.

”Quan Xiaotong convinced the Nine Sects with just a dossier?”

The Great Elder remained incredulous about this, wondering what on earth could prompt such a drastic commitment from the Nine Sects to aid the Imperial Court.

”After you return, you can take a look for yourselves, and you’ll understand.”

”Quan Xiaotong is probably pulling out the Imperial Court’s spies now, as the situation arose abruptly, requiring such measures.”

Che Dapao naturally understood Quan Xiaotong’s intentions; with the Dongling City matter resolved, he would hardly tolerate external forces’ spies infiltrating the Fifth Tower further.

”Everyone, today’s events, do you still believe the Corpse Refining Lineage lost back then?”

Che Dapao spoke with a solemn expression.

After the battle, Quan Xiaotong’s predictions were all proven correct.

With such a formidable force, how could they have been wiped out?

What about the rumors among the populace?

Why did the opposition choose to hide beyond the Cultivator Realm, all remaining mysteries?

These questions made the Nine Sect Elders’ faces extremely grim; they weren’t foolish, they could think of what Che Dapao could.

”We’ll return to the sect to discuss this.”

The elders from Nanli Sword Studio, Galan Temple, and Piaomiao City were the first to grow restless, hurrying to leave with their sect disciples.

”Then we should depart quickly as well.”

The elders from Star Moon Pavilion, Qinglan Sect, and Langya Mountain also rose to leave upon seeing the hastiness of others.

As the Mo Family’s granduncle wanted to leave, he couldn’t find his cousin anywhere; upon inquiry, he learned he went to settle Han Yu.

As for the Great Elder, he was already highly impatient, yet it was at the weakest moment among the Heavenly Dao’s twelve everlasting signs, rendering him unable to depart.

Watching Su Wanjun leave with her sect, Ou Mingdong also wanted to linger a bit longer on the way, hurriedly speaking up.

”Master, I can’t neglect the affairs of White Emperor City, perhaps I should leave first.”

But before he could turn around, the Great Elder had already called out to him.

”You may leave in the morning, but tonight, help me change a few diapers…”