The Lord of Void and Real-Chapter 1697 - 1693: No Retreat (Happy New Year)

The immense explosive force transformed into an overwhelming and indomitable power, sweeping in all directions, causing the entire valley entrance to collapse. The fox spirit’s half-face was blown apart, and its spell of devouring was interrupted.

Nie Caizhu’s time witchcraft could no longer be sustained either, and the energy fluctuations emanating from her body dissipated instantly.

The formidable fox spirit became furious, opening its mouth wide as it attempted to bite down on Shen Luo.

However, the Destruction Mingwang arrived just in time, intercepting the attack on Shen Luo.

At the same time, thunderous roars erupted, and Shen Luo, whose body had transformed into the Xuan Yang Demon Transformation, gripped the Hongming War Saber with his giant arm of Chiyou. His figure leapt over the Destruction Mingwang’s head, striking down at the fox spirit’s head.

A long, emerald-green blade of light erupted, carrying nearly all of Shen Luo’s remaining strength, and finally landed.

As a mere spirit without flesh and blood, the fox spirit was split by the blade of light. Its massive form tore apart at the center with a colossal rift, unable to sustain itself any longer, and collapsed. frёewebηovel.cѳm

This time, the scattered green fragments began evaporating like water vapor, dissipating into the heavens and earth.

Over the Morning Sound Valley, the dark clouds dispersed, and sunlight reappeared.

The body of the Destruction Mingwang vanished, while Shen Luo’s figure plummeted from the sky, caught in Nie Caizhu’s embrace.

Amid a brief moment of shock, the crowd erupted into ecstatic cheers. The joy of surviving the ordeal washed over everyone as they finally escaped from the Morning Sound Valley and returned to the camp.

...

Meanwhile, in Qingqiu City, a group of Fox Clan elders were astonished to discover the sudden vanishing of the Wanhu Extinguishing Formation. Some were in disbelief.

"A mere group of True Immortal cultivators—how could they possibly break the Wanhu Extinguishing Formation?" Su Xiao remarked.

"It’s possible that there’s a Taiyi Realm cultivator hidden among them; we just weren’t aware," someone speculated.

"That’s impossible. If there were a Taiyi cultivator in hiding, how could the Great Elder have failed to notice?" another elder refuted.

Standing to the side, the Chief Strategist You Su remained silent, immersed in deep contemplation, and did not participate in the discussion.

"Great Elder, regardless, they’ve suffered heavy losses this time. Why don’t we seize this opportunity to charge out of the valley and annihilate them completely?" Su Xiao suggested with a frown.

"No rush. Though their losses are severe, our Fox Clan has similarly expended a significant amount of vitality. Acting now would risk merely chasing down a desperate foe, provoking them to fight to the death. Besides... let them face the wrath of the Fox Ancestor first. If we kill them all now, who would take the brunt later?" The Chief Strategist You Su shook her head as she responded.

"Well then... could they seize this moment to flee?" an elder asked.

"Why did those middle and small sects join this campaign against us in the first place? Wasn’t it to gamble for greater benefits? Yes, they’ve lost much already, but abandoning the battle now would mean losing everything entirely. Only by pressing forward—toppling Qingqiu City—can they recover their losses. As for premier sects like the Great Tang Dynasty Government, they won’t retreat either for the sake of reputation and prestige," You Su explained with a smirk.

Upon hearing this, everyone was filled with awe and respect.

...

Elsewhere, outside the valley, the camp indeed erupted in a dispute as You Su had predicted. But ultimately, the coalition army chose not to retreat, preparing to wait for reinforcements to destroy the Qingqiu Fox Clan once and for all.

Shen Luo did not take part in these discussions. Having exhausted himself too severely earlier, he was under Nie Caizhu’s watch as he rested to recover from his injuries.

Lu Huaming and Bai Xiaotian, along with others, sent out messages to their own sects before entering secluded cultivation to restore their strength.

...

At night.

Qingqiu City fell into a deathly silence, devoid of its usual vitality. The corpses within Morning Sound Valley had yet to be collected, transforming the once peaceful and beautiful place into something grim and haunting.

A solitary moon hung high in the sky, radiating a cold, pale light. A white silhouette, swaying uncertainly like a fragile thread of silk, wandered through the pitch-black streets of the city, step by step heading toward the Fox Clan’s altar.

The usually heavily-guarded altar stood unguarded on this day, and the figure met no resistance as she entered. Kneeling on the central platform, she lowered herself onto the altar.

The moonlight shone on her face, cloaking her features in a hazy glow. It lent an eerie beauty to her visage, though her expression was suffused with sorrow.

She was none other than Tu Shanxue, who had just experienced the devastating loss of her mother.

As she entered the altar, its array was triggered. The charm patterns on the ground lit up, and clusters of flames soared upward to form a colossal fire dragon that coiled around her in the central space.

"Audacious junior! How dare you trespass upon the altar? Do you know your crime?" The fire dragon’s massive head extended forward, glaring down at the woman and speaking in a voice steeped in authority.

Tu Shanxue offered no reply. Instead, she raised her head silently, locking eyes with the fire dragon in defiance.

Seeing this, the fire dragon seemed to grow enraged, spewing forth scorching breath that blew Tu Shanxue’s robes and sent her hair streaming. It dried the tears on her face as it swept past her.

Tu Shanxue felt the heat and terrifying pressure. The sadness in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by an ever-deepening hatred.

The fire dragon noticed the transformation in her gaze and astonishingly retreated, spiraling back into the ground until it vanished entirely.

The solitary moon above slowly became obscured by heavy clouds, while shadows on the ground crept upward, draping themselves over Tu Shanxue’s slender shoulders.

...

Meanwhile, in the secret chamber of a great hall within the city, all remaining Fox Clan elders of True Immortal Stage or higher had gathered, numbering nearly twenty in total.

Among them were two scarcely-seen Taiyi Realm elders—thought to have long since perished—who had earlier used a formation to imprison the Lord of Qingqiu Kingdom.

It was also they who, when the situation spiraled out of control, were ordered to loosen the formation, allowing the Qingqiu Kingdom Lord to resolve the chaos, ultimately being forced to atone with their lives.

Naturally, the one orchestrating it all was none other than the Great Elder, Chief Strategist You Su.

At this moment, she stood at the heart of the gathering, basking in the combined reverence of a Great Elder and ruler, her demeanor increasingly imperious.

"Great Elder, the coalition forces suffered grievous losses this time. Next, their sect elders may take action directly. How should we respond?" a Fox Clan elder asked cautiously.

"What is there to fear? Everything we’ve done is under the direction of the Ancestor. The Ancestor will provide guidance," one of You Su’s followers replied before she could speak.

"The ever-turning wheel of time has already begun its silent revolution, though the beings of the Three Realms remain oblivious to the changes. The Human Race and Immortal Clan have enjoyed the fruit of overthrowing the Demonic God Chiyou for far too long. They believe order is eternal, that they can lord over the Three Realms and relegate us to eternal subjugation," You Su said slowly, her words casting an eerie silence over the hall.

She gripped a silver walking stick, striking it against the ground with every step. The sharp, ringing sound echoed beneath the vast night sky.

(Daoist friends, Happy New Year! Wishing you health and happiness in the coming year^^)