Changban Empire was one of the most powerful empires in the Eastern Region. The headquarters of the Eastern Alliance was located in its imperial capital.
Since the establishment of the Eastern Alliance, most of the powers and martial artists from throughout the Eastern Region had come to join it.
After all, the strength of the Otherworldly Army was far too formidable.
Not a single power in the Eastern Region had the confidence to resist the Otherworldly Army alone, so the only option was to band together for survival!
During this period, the entire imperial capital had been shrouded in an atmosphere of tension.
According to reliable news, the Otherworldly Army was advancing toward the imperial capital in a massive, overwhelming tide.
Within the imperial capital, from the imperial family down to ordinary civilians, everyone was fixated on news of the Otherworldly Army.
For a time, a sense of panic and unease had taken hold.
At that moment...
Within the imperial capital...
In a certain small plaza...
People were seated densely packed.
They were all members of the Tianyuan Sect, the Ye Family, and the Luohai Trading Company!
Elder Ren, Shi Zongyang, Ye Tianpeng, Ren Xuantang, the Divine Medicine Valley Patriarch, Fengyun Jue, and others—all were present!
Over this period, martial artists from various powers across the Eastern Region had continuously arrived in the imperial capital of Changban Empire.
Although the imperial capital of Changban Empire was vast in scale...
As a massive influx of martial artists poured in continuously, the imperial capital became crowded, densely packed with people everywhere.
With housing in the imperial capital insufficient to accommodate everyone, people from various powers had no choice but to settle in whatever spots they could find.
They would simply find a clean spot in various large and small plazas, open spaces, or even by the roadside, then sit cross-legged.
Moreover, the more powerful a force was, the better the location they occupied.
Naturally, the weaker powers and martial artists ended up in the worse spots.
At a single glance, one could see a strict, hierarchical order.
Although the Tianyuan Sect had a Grotto-Heaven Realm expert holding the fort, Elder Ren was very low-key, occupying only a small plaza as their base.
"Reporting to Elder Ren! The Otherworldly Army is approximately one day away from reaching the imperial capital.
When it arrives, a bloody battle between our Eastern Alliance and the Otherworldly Army will be inevitable," a deacon hurried into the plaza, came before Elder Ren, and reported.
"Yes. Once the Otherworldly Army arrives, a bloody battle cannot be avoided," Elder Ren nodded.
"Patriarch Ye, why not immediately take your clansmen to the Central Continent and seek refuge with the Hudao Academy?
The Hudao Academy will surely be able to ensure the safety of your Ye Family members," Elder Ren thought for a moment, then looked toward Ye Tianpeng and suggested.
During this time, Elder Ren had persuaded Ye Tianpeng countless times, hoping he would go to the Central Continent's Hudao Academy.
Previously, the Hudao Academy had sent people to the Tianyuan Sect headquarters to escort the members of both the Tianyuan Sect and the Ye Family to the Hudao Academy in the Central Continent.
However, both the Tianyuan Sect and the Ye Family had only selected a portion of their members to be sent to the Hudao Academy.
Many more had insisted on staying in the Eastern Region to resist the Otherworldly Army.
"Elder Ren, please do not persuade me further.
Now, our Ye Family is also part of the Eastern Region.
With the Eastern Region suffering invasion by the Otherworldly Army and countless innocents being slaughtered...
Now is precisely the time for us martial practitioners to step forward, resist the foreign invaders, and defend our homeland!
How could we, the Ye Family, become deserters?" Ye Tianpeng declared.
"Indeed.
Although our Ye Family's strength is not great...
Our Ye Family members do possess backbone," the Ye Family's Grand Elder nodded in agreement.
The Ye Family had three elders, Ye Tianpeng, and a portion of their robust clansmen staying behind.
"Haha, no wonder your Ye Family could produce a monster like Ye Yunfei.
Your Ye Family truly has backbone," Elder Ren laughed heartily.
Just at that moment...
Suddenly.
"How bold of you! This plaza is my territory. Yet you dare to occupy it? What crime do you think you're committing?!" a stern shout rang out.
Then, a black-robed elder, leading over a dozen martial artists, walked into the small plaza occupied by the Tianyuan Sect.
"What nonsense!
This small plaza is the territory of our Tianyuan Sect.
Our Tianyuan Sect's forces have been resting here for seven days!
When did it become your territory?" Immediately, a deacon from the Tianyuan Sect stepped forward a few paces and retorted sharply at the black-robed elder.
"Daring to speak to me in such a tone? Die." The black-robed elder swung his sleeve.
Boom!
A terrifying surge of spiritual power, like a great river, crashed toward the Tianyuan Sect deacon.
"Watch out!" Elder Ren and the other Tianyuan Sect elders, sensing the spiritual pressure released by the black-robed elder, all paled and cried out warnings.
But it was too late.
Bang!
The body of the Tianyuan Sect deacon exploded on the spot, shattered into pieces.
"A Third Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert!" Fengyun Jue's eyes narrowed, showing apprehension.
As a First-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert himself, he saw at a glance that this black-robed elder before them was actually a Third Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert!
Elder Ren, Shi Zongyang, Ren Xuantang, and the others also sensed the disparity and all stood up, warily eyeing the black-robed elder.
"Hehe...
Excellent. You dare to defy me? That is simply unpardonable.
Men, seize them all!" The black-robed elder waved his hand and shouted.
Immediately, the dozen-plus martial artists behind the black-robed elder surged forward.
Boom! Boom!...
Powerful waves of spiritual pressure erupted from their bodies.
All were Mystic Liquid Realm experts!
"Everyone, be careful! They are from the Shenfeng Sect of the Central Continent!" Fengyun Jue suddenly cried out loudly.
He had finally recognized this black-robed elder as a deacon from the Central Continent's Shenfeng Sect!
"Oh?
You recognize us?
Just who are you?" The black-robed elder couldn't help but be taken aback, his gaze shifting to Fengyun Jue.
Fengyun Jue had cultivated the Thousand Changes technique imparted to him by Ye Yunfei. With his First-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm strength, the effects of the Thousand Changes he executed were excellent.
Both his appearance and his soul aura had been altered.
Thus, even if people from the Central Continent's Fengyun Family were to come, they would find it difficult to recognize Fengyun Jue.
Right then...
"Haha...
Deacon Lu, you all arrived quite quickly!" Suddenly, another dozen-plus people walked into the small plaza.
At their head was a tall, ruddy-faced elder.
"Hmph! Your Tianyan Sect is also here to join the fun?" the black-robed elder, addressed as Deacon Lu, snorted coldly.
"Such an occasion can hardly proceed without our Xiao Clan," another group of a dozen-plus people entered the small plaza. The leader, a small-statured, yellow-robed elder, spoke lightly.
"I never imagined... You all are truly early.
It seems our Fengyun Family is lagging behind," another voice sounded. A green-robed elder, leading a dozen people, entered the small plaza.
People from the Shenfeng Sect, Tianyan Sect, Xiao Clan, and Fengyun Family—the Four Great Powers of the Central Continent—had all arrived!
"Since everyone is here, how should we deal with them?
Shall we split these people up, each capturing a portion to take back?
Or should the four of us join forces to capture them and take them back together, holding them in a central location?" the Shenfeng Sect's Deacon Lu suggested.
"Who are you people? What do you intend to do?!" Elder Ren shouted sternly.
"Prepare for battle!" Shi Zongyang roared.
"It’s useless.
These are people from the Shenfeng Sect, Tianyan Sect, Xiao Clan, and Fengyun Family... the Four Great Powers of the Central Continent.
And there are four Third Level Grotto-Heaven Realm experts among them.
We stand no chance of resistance whatsoever," Fengyun Jue shook his head and laughed bitterly.
"What?!" Hearing this, the hearts of Elder Ren and the others sank.