Chapter 1180: Nether Crystal Towers
Chapter 1180: Nether Crystal Towers
After years of warfare, the cultivators of the two domains had been thoroughly tempered by battle. Throughout the entire camp, evasion lights crisscrossed the sky, yet there was not the slightest hint of chaos. Everything proceeded in perfect order.
Very soon, the battle formations were fully assembled, standing ready. The camp fell completely silent, filled with a grim and murderous atmosphere. Every person present had endured the hardships of war.
From the tall tower, Qin Sang looked down and recalled the battle at Yuncang Marshlands years ago. Back then, he had been just like the cultivators below, merely a pawn.
That great battle, viewed from the perspective of Spiritual Infant grandmasters, now seemed almost childish. The number of Golden Core cultivators sent out by each side had been very limited.
Even the cause had been absurd. So many lives had fought and died simply because the Spiritual Infant cultivators of the two domains had made a wager over who would provide the spiritual materials for the array. Perhaps there had even been some intention of tempering their disciples.
This time was different. Spiritual Infant cultivators were personally entering the battlefield. The conflict now involved the three domains and Heavenly Demon Hill. It was a true war for survival!
As the cultivators assembled, the array also began to change.
The frigid mist at the outer perimeter silently rolled inward toward the center. The power of the Cold Bell Array was contracting, and its range shrank to less than half of what it had been before.
Si Di stood at the very front of the battle formation, his gaze cold as he stared outward. A moment later, he abruptly waved his hand. The army began to move!
Si Di served as the core of the entire battle formation. Each Golden Core cultivator commanded a small squad, while the majority of the force consisted of Foundation Building cultivators. Squad after squad advanced in perfect order, flying toward the edge of the Cold Bell Array.
The composition of each squad was not arranged solely based on cultivation level or sect affiliation. Instead, it was organized according to cultivation arts and mastery of the five-elemental Dao techniques, allowing them to cooperate closely and unleash the greatest possible combat power.
Some cultivators wore armor, while others brought out various unusual instruments. It was clear that these were standardized equipment, specially designed to serve unique functions during large-scale battles.
Qin Sang had rarely witnessed such a scene before. Moreover, he still appeared outwardly as a member of another race, making it inconvenient for him to ask questions. He simply watched quietly.
The cultivators vanished into the cold mist. This was the battlefield Si Di had chosen. The cold mist was a manifestation of the Cold Bell Array. Their own cultivators all carried special artifacts that allowed them to ignore the mist’s effects, while the enemy would suffer various restrictions within it.
Furthermore, those controlling the array from inside could rapidly alter the array and provide support when needed.
"Daoist Ming Yue, we should move as well," Jinglin said in a low voice.
Qin Sang nodded. Activating a secret technique, he concealed both his aura and his form. Together with Jinglin, he flew out of the tower and quietly headed toward the center of the battlefield from the edge. For the moment, everything outside the Cold Bell Array remained calm.
The terrain of Sandi'e Stronghold was low in the center and high on both sides. Their current position was above the exit of the stronghold. Any abnormal movement below would be easy to detect.
The bitter winter wind cut like blades, especially fierce across the Tianxing Highland. Everywhere the eye could see was covered in silver-white snow, though it might soon be stained red with blood.
Qin Sang and Jinglin concealed themselves on a high ridge. Because time was limited, they could not stray too far from the battlefield. To ensure safety, they carefully set up a concealment array to hide themselves as much as possible from the enemy’s senses.
Qin Sang noticed that Si Di had sent cultivators out to scout. So far, there was still no sign of Sin Abyss' army.
However, everyone present was an immortal cultivator. The cold meant little to them, so they simply rested in place.
Time passed slowly.
After watching the surroundings for a while, Qin Sang turned and asked Jinglin, "Has there been no news from Shiqu Mountain yet?"
Jinglin nodded. "If Sin Abyss launches an attack, they will not target only Sandi'e Stronghold. Shiqu Mountain still needs to gather intelligence from various locations and determine the true situation. It cannot happen so quickly—"
As he spoke, a streak of evasion light suddenly shot into the array. Soon afterward, evasion lights appeared from multiple directions, while message talismans flew through the air like falling snow.
At the sight of this, there was no need to look closely to know that something had happened.
Qin Sang and Jinglin exchanged a glance. They immediately activated the concealment array to its fullest and held their breath.
Qin Sang secretly awakened the Sky-Eyed Butterfly and instructed it to activate its Sky Eyes, keeping watch for incoming enemies. If Sin Abyss concealed any treasures or hidden cultivators, encountering the Sky-Eyed Butterfly would be like meeting a natural nemesis.
Rumble... At Si Di’s command, war drums suddenly began to thunder, shaking the air.
They had even resorted to such mortal battlefield methods, but the effect was undeniable. Hearing the powerful drumbeats, everyone’s spirits soared and their blood boiled with excitement.
Dark figures suddenly appeared on the distant horizon. The scouts from both sides encountered each other first. After a brief entanglement, several evasion lights returned to the array. Sin Abyss scouts stopped some distance from the array, observed for a moment, then turned and withdrew.
After this brief clash, more and more dark figures appeared in everyone’s sight. A vast army advanced like a black tide. The figures at the front were already faintly visible.
The territories of Small Cold Domain, Tianxing Alliance, and Sin Abyss occupied roughly the northern and eastern regions of Beichen Realm. The areas between them were not separated by desert, forming a long and continuous stretch of land.
The three forces had originally been connected. All were human factions, and long ago they might even have belonged to the same side. The divisions had not always been so clear. Naturally, their methods were also largely similar.
The cultivators of Sin Abyss wore similar armor and carried similar equipment. The greatest difference, however, was that at the center of Sin Abyss formation stood three black crystal towers.
The towers appeared to be made from a kind of black crystal. Each had only three levels and no real doors or windows, although markings carved into the surface resembled doors and windows.
At the top of each tower sat a crystal ball made of the same material. Every tower stood nearly three zhang tall, and from the outside they appeared completely identical. Perhaps because of the material, it was impossible to see any runes on their surfaces.
Marching across the snowy field, the towers stood tall above the crowd and were extremely conspicuous. Several cultivators accompanied each tower, carrying it forward as the army advanced.
Sin Abyss clearly regarded these towers with great importance. All three were positioned deep within the formation and heavily protected.
When he saw the towers appear, Jinglin’s expression darkened. "Three Nether Crystal Towers! Once three of these towers are deployed, they must be controlled personally by Spiritual Infant cultivators. Old Devil Tan and Old Devil Pei must have come out in full force!"
The two men he referred to were the two Spiritual Infant cultivators of Sin Abyss. They had previously led the army confronting them and had often harassed this area, though neither side had managed to gain the upper hand.
Jinglin spoke of his enemies with obvious disdain.
"So these are the Nether Crystal Towers of Sin Abyss?" Qin Sang fixed his gaze on the three towers.
Although he had seen them described in the intelligence he had previously obtained, this was the first time he had seen them with his own eyes. Seeing them directly was very different from hearing about them.
The moment he faced the towers, Qin Sang felt a faint sense of discomfort, though he could not determine the reason.
According to the records, these treasures differed from ordinary astras. They were special artifacts designed specifically for battlefield formations.
"Yes, these are Nether Crystal Towers! Fortunately, they come with many limitations. The Sin Abyss cannot use them freely. Otherwise we would be constantly on the run, and it would be hard to imagine how we could fight them at all..." Jinglin sighed deeply, his expression full of relief.