Chapter 1349: 1317: The Xianmen Sect Has Paid Too Much for the Peace of the Two Realms!

Chapter 1349: Chapter 1317: The Xianmen Sect Has Paid Too Much for the Peace of the Two Realms!

The chessboard of the Heavenly Dao has reached its conclusion.

Yet the outcome fails to satisfy either side, plunging both into silent contemplation, replaying the match within their Divine Souls, searching for potential disruptions of cause-and-effect upon the cosmic chessboard by their opponent.

The efforts yield some results.

“Yuan, you should compromise more!”

A Great Expert from the Wanshou Immortal Sect, a burly and wild-looking man, spoke bluntly: “Our greatest loss is merely the destruction of one human form. Six to seven thousand years later, even with the potent and terrifying Destructive Poison injuring some Divine Souls, at most, recovery will be complete within ten thousand years.”

“But you—you and all of yours—will die.”

His tone was icy, his gaze piercing as it swept across Shenji, Wan Ji, and the countless cultivators of the Immortal Sect fleet, carrying a chilling menace within his words.

“We do not fear death.”

Yuan responded lightly.

“Do not fear death?”

“Bold words, indeed!”

“From the lowest ant, to mortals, to True Immortals—mighty and unyielding even across infinite tribulations—who truly dares claim they do not fear death?”

“If you do not fear death, why not die immediately?!”

The Great Expert from the Wanshou Immortal Sect sneered coldly. “Furthermore, if you are not afraid, are the countless cultivators of your army also fearless of death? Such lies—there’s no need to use them to intimidate us.”

“At worst, we can fight to the death, granting you the death you claim to embrace.”

The cosmic starry sky fell silent for a moment.

“Indeed, you may have a point.”

Yuan pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, “Still, I will not compromise, and neither will the citizens.”

“We do fear death.”

“Yet history’s countless lessons have proven to us: compromise does not bring peace. Only war, only fighting to the death, can yield true peace.”

His expression of contemplation earlier had been a facade; in truth, it was the collective will of the Citizen Fleet that deliberated.

Now, his words were spoken like the clash of blades, a resounding echo forged by millions of voices. Layer upon layer, the sound carried an uncanny air, resembling something far removed from humanity—more alien than any normal cultivator.

Yuan knew himself well.

He was not deluded by the boundless might required to counter a Great Expert. Any dialogue he held with a Great Expert was tethered to the collective will of the Immortal Sect fleet; his every word and action represented that collective will.

Otherwise, as an individual Refining Nothingness Cultivator, an illusionary magic conjured by even a Harmonization God Monarch could easily twist his perceptions and obliterate any possibility of an equal exchange.

“If Senior Wanshou seeks a fight to the death, then so be it.”

“We are willing to accept destiny’s decree.”

Yuan spoke calmly.

“Presumptuous brat!”

The Great Expert of the Wanshou Immortal Sect erupted in fury.

For a moment, he could not utter another word.

A fight to the death.

The term, light as air, was often spoken by various cultivators—be they mortals, low-ranking, or high-level cultivators. Who among them hadn’t uttered it a few times, either to intimidate an enemy or bolster their own courage?

To others, it was as empty as air, dismissed as meaningless bluster.

No one took it to heart.

But the Eastern Devil School is different.

Since the Yuan Reformation and the establishment of the Central Array Spirit Computer, every critical battlefield they engaged in had concluded in true fights to the death. Never once, before their structure had completely collapsed, did they abandon a fight or display signs of hesitation and fear.

Even after structural collapse, the majority attempted reorganization. And if organization failed, they resorted to launching suicidal charges, battling to the absolute end.

Surrender from their cultivators did occur, but the proportion within their fleets was negligible.

Such lunacy—this disregard for life—was reminiscent of enslaved disciples in Demon Sects who bore Spirit Soul Restrictions, stripped of their sanity, invoking chills in the beholder.

The name “Eastern Devil School” arose during this era.

Thus, bolstered by countless historical battles, Yuan’s declaration of “death fight” was not a threat.

It was a statement of fact!

“Senior Wanshou, you claimed your side would merely lose a human form and recover within ten thousand years—such losses being minimal compared to those faced by the Immortal Sect.”

“That isn’t accurate.”

Yuan spoke evenly: “A span of ten thousand years is no short time, even for beings such as yourselves.”

“Particularly under the lens of a sect adept in the Heavenly Mechanism Dao residing within the Horned Ming Realm and Nine Spirits Realm. What level might this Heavenly Mechanism Sect reach after such a time?”

“Tianji will ascend to the Harmonization Middle Stage.”

“Its foundational strength is at least second among your group. Once Tianji achieves the Harmonization Middle Stage, could he not single-handedly contend against four Harmonization Early Stage cultivators? Would that not be reasonable?”

Yuan questioned.

The Great Expert from the Wanshou Immortal Sect said nothing.

Fighting across cultivation stages.

This was feasible for Taoist disciples against other cultivators.

However, attempting to span cultivation stages among Taoist disciples themselves was pure madness.

“Furthermore, the Heavenly Mechanism Dao excels in calculation—might Tianji go to any lengths to seal you all, delaying your recovery to fifteen thousand, or even twenty thousand years?”

“In those one to two decades, how many formations could be laid? How many Taoist Soldiers refined?”

“Might the Heavenly Mechanism Daoist even ascend to Harmonization during this time? Is it plausible to achieve such progress within two decades?”

“Thus, a Harmonization Middle Stage cultivator, a Harmonization Early Stage cultivator, an immense Harmonization Taoist Soldiers army formation, along with countless formations scattered across the Star Domain—”

Yuan offered examples one by one, his tone calm: “Could these forces not sweep away all seven of you?”

“So then, Senior Wanshou, do you truly believe a ten-thousand-year span is brief and that losing but a single human form is trivial?”

The surrounding Great Experts were silent.

“A deceitful and cunning plotter, speaking absurd drivel—fellow cultivators, don’t place any trust in this scoundrel,”

came the faint comment of a Great Expert from the Heavenly Mechanism Immortal Palace.

“Thus, the Immortal Sect’s losses are profound, and your own are equally significant—it is entirely unreasonable to demand even greater concessions from the Immortal Sect.”

“Let us instead chart a path to peace based on equality, mutual respect, and mutually beneficial cooperation, bringing an end to the suffering of billions across two realms.”

Yuan smiled.

“Agreed.”

The eight Great Experts exchanged glances and nodded in consensus.

“By the previous agreement?”

The Heavenly Mechanism Immortal Palace Great Expert looked to Yuan.

Indeed, the terms would follow the previous Heavenly Dao Pact—the parties weren’t planning to violate it further and appeared sincerely inclined toward adhering to it now.

Yuan did not immediately respond, instead channeling the collective will of the Immortal Sect fleet for extended deliberation.

“The Medium Thousand Worlds may be conceded—half of them,”

“The remainder will conform to the present factual boundaries.”

Yuan replied slowly.

“Half?”

“That’s too much! Previously, we agreed upon a quarter!”

The killing intent of the Xuanwu tiangong Great Expert flared coldly as he spoke.

It was clear that a single unwelcome word would incite immediate slaughter—and he sincerely wished for such bloodshed, having witnessed his sect’s Minor Thousand Worlds in the Horned Ming Realm reduced by half under Immortal Sect dominance.

“Senior.”

“This aligns with the strength of the Immortal Sect.”

Yuan did not flinch, his voice biting: “Since the eight of you joined forces to assail us, yet failed to subjugate the Immortal Sect, you should have anticipated such terms.”

“The Immortal Sect has already shown great restraint.”

“In the Horned Ming Realm’s four hundred Minor Thousand Worlds, the Immortal Sect obtained only one hundred fifty-five—not even close to half.”

“In the Nine Spirits Realm’s over two hundred Minor Thousand Worlds, the Immortal Sect claimed merely twenty-six, falling short of even one-seventh, utterly disproportionate to our sect’s power.”

“For the sake of peace in the two realms, the Immortal Sect has endured far too much, sacrificed far too much!”