No sooner had Yao Zhijian left than Liu Qinghui arrived. Landing in the courtyard, he glanced toward the room where Xu Xian was staying and looked up at Wen Qingxue. "Is the Little Grand-Uncle still in seclusion?"
Wen Qingxue nodded.
Liu Qinghui furrowed his brows slightly but said nothing more. He quietly withdrew from the courtyard.
A moment later, a plume of black spirit smoke rose slowly into the starry night, heading straight for the Wendao Sword Sect.
Yao Xiaoxiao and Wen Qingxue remained on the eaves, watching the scene unfold.
Concerned, Yao Xiaoxiao murmured, "It seems this is no small matter..."
Wen Qingxue shifted her gaze to the right. "If an auspicious beast has truly been born, the great demons of the East Desolation will certainly be determined to have it."
Yao Xiaoxiao tilted her head, only half-understanding. She looked at Wen Qingxue's profile and asked, "Is it just an auspicious beast? Does it really have that much draw?"
Wen Qingxue hesitated, then shook her head and spoke ambiguously, "I don't know."
Yao Xiaoxiao didn't press further, only saying, "I hope the Little Grand-Uncle comes out of seclusion soon."
Wen Qingxue gave a soft hum of agreement and fell silent.
For ten thousand years, the demon race had been suppressed by the humans. Now that an auspicious beast was born in the Demon Suppression Abyss, it was far more than just a creature to the demons.
It was the demon race's providence.
Whether they would continue to stay in their corner or compete for the Central Plains—both humans and demons knew what was at stake.
At this moment, regardless of whether they were human or demon, everyone wanted this exotic beast. For humans, having it alive was best, but dead would suffice. For the demons, it had to be alive.
If it had been born in the Great Desolation or even west of the Boundary Mountain, there would be little to say. But because it was born in these three thousand miles of the Demon Suppression Abyss, conflict was inevitable.
That night, Beast Kings and Beast Emperors emerged from the city on the eastern side of the Demon Suppression Abyss, vanishing into its depths under the cover of darkness.
That night, conflicts broke out everywhere deep within the Demon Suppression Abyss. Humans and demons fought relentlessly; the sounds of roars and explosions echoed through the black night.
The commotion continued until dawn, showing no signs of stopping.
No one knew the exact situation inside, but it wasn't hard to guess that an unprecedented bloodbath was taking place.
News of the auspicious beast's birth spread rapidly back to the Great Desolation.
At the Divine Moon Pool, Beast God Bai Ze learned of the news and issued a strict order.
"Bring that auspicious beast back to me at any cost. There must be no mistakes."
A red-haired woman sought instructions. "Emperor, what if the humans get to it first?"
Bai Ze’s presence was imposing without him even needing to show anger. "Did I not make myself clear?"
The red-haired woman tested the waters. "I mean, at a critical moment, can that contract be violated?"
Bai Ze repeated himself, his voice growing heavier with every word. "I said, at any cost."
"Understood!"
The red-haired woman took her leave and exited the Divine Moon Pool, leading her people straight toward the Demon Suppression Abyss in the west.
At the same time, the current patriarchs of the Eight Desolate Tribes also sent out their elites with the same instructions: bring back the auspicious beast at any cost.
In an instant, nearly all the seventh-grade Beast Emperors of the Great Desolation were mobilized, followed by Beast Kings, all rushing toward the Demon Suppression Abyss.
Streams of light from the depths of the Great Desolation could be seen crossing the banks of the Wild River and entering the abyss.
Along the border of the Wild River, eighth-grade Beast Sovereigns watched from the shadows, waiting for their moment.
If their subordinates successfully brought back the auspicious beast, all would be well. But if the humans took it, they would not hesitate to tear up that contract and slaughter their way into the Demon Suppression Abyss.
They would even march past the Demon-Slaying City and cross the Boundary Mountain to snatch it back.
Bai Ze was revered as the Emperor of the beasts of the East Desolation; thus, this newborn auspicious beast was the Imperial Son of the beast race, the future leader of all demons and beasts.
It was the hope for the beast race's resurgence. They had to have it.
Naturally, the news reached the human world as well. The Three Sects, the Hundred Schools, and even the thousands of sects and clans all began to harbor their own designs.
They dispatched people one after another, traveling day and night toward the Demon Suppression Abyss, fearing they would miss the chance to seize such a fortune if they were too slow.
Wait, the Wendao Sword Sect was no exception. When the black spirit smoke reached the sect, the sky was just beginning to brighten. The Lingyan Pavilion wasted no time; the intelligence was immediately delivered to Ye Xianyu.
At daybreak, Ye Xianyu ascended to the peak of Tianjian Peak. For the first time in eleven years, she struck the bell of the Sword Pavilion. After the bell tolled, the Pavilion Elders gathered.
Ye Xianyu informed everyone of the auspicious beast's birth in the Demon Suppression Abyss.
Upon hearing this, the Pavilion Elders all looked grave.
Compared to whether they could obtain the beast, the Wendao Sword Sect was more concerned with the trouble this beast would bring by being born in the three-thousand-mile neutral zone of the Demon Suppression Abyss.
A struggle was inevitable, and whether this struggle would escalate into a full-scale war was unknown. However, it was undeniable that this auspicious beast could very well be the fuse that ignited another great war between humans and demons, just like ten thousand years ago.
They had to be prepared.
As the news reached the elders, the hall erupted in discussion as they analyzed the situation.
"If it truly is an auspicious beast, this is going to be trouble."
"We don't even know the current situation inside the Demon Suppression Abyss."
"Many people have gone to the Demon-Slaying City recently. They won't miss this opportunity; they will definitely fight the demons for it. If they fail, that's one thing, but if they succeed, I fear the demons will turn hostile."
"What do you mean 'fear'? They definitely will."
"I say we can't just sit and wait. We must take the initiative."
"Isn't the Little Martial Uncle still in the Demon-Slaying City? We need to get him back quickly; that place isn't safe anymore."
"The contract was set by the Sword Ancestor himself. We cannot be the ones to break it. If it’s to be torn up, we must wait for those bastards from the East Desolation to strike first."
"So you mean we should just sit here and wait for death?"
"Enough! Stop arguing! The priority is to fortify the Boundary Mountain to prevent the demon race from catching us off guard."
"I agree."
After listening to everyone's opinions, Ye Xianyu signaled for silence and immediately issued orders in her capacity as Sect Master.
"You are all correct. If it is truly an auspicious beast, the demon race will not let it go. We cannot wait for them to act; we must prepare for the possibility of them breaking the contract."
"Qingshan, take the people from the Sword Suppression Hall and rush to the Boundary Mountain to set up defenses. Stand by for further orders. I must also trouble the Pavilion Elders to make the trip as well."
Everyone accepted the orders. The meeting was adjourned.
The sect began preparing for war in secret.
Disciples away on missions were recalled, and fifth-stage nascent soul cultivators were temporarily reassigned. The Merchant Hall's Cloud Boats were halted from trade, held in reserve to transport supplies at a moment's notice.
After visiting the Ancestral Peak, Ye Xianyu quietly made her way to the outskirts of the Demon Suppression Abyss. At the Boundary Mountain, she laid down a massive teleportation formation.
This formation would allow people to retreat from the Demon-Slaying City at any time and would also allow the Wendao Sword Sect's forces to reach the Boundary Mountain instantly.
The wind sweeping through the tower heralded a rising storm. In the three thousand miles of the neutral zone, blood rained down as tensions reached a breaking point.
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