The last time the two met, they were Dragon Country Martial Ranking contestants who had served the country and fought side by side.
Now, circumstances had changed, and time had passed. Both of their identities had undergone tremendous shifts, and they had even become enemies standing on opposite sides.
Recalling the cause and effect, Ye Tiannan couldn't help but show a complex expression as he sighed, "Long time no see, Brother Qianyang."
More than half a year ago, at the Fallen Immortal Cliff, dozens of experts from the five great sacred lands joined forces to kill Chen Jiuyang, but Chen Jiuyang single-handedly broke through their combined assault.
Chen Fengge of the Shu Mountain Chen family had an arm severed by Chen Jiuyang. A dignified Venerable realm mighty figure was thus reduced to a cripple.
After several years, the great era had revived. Ye Tiannan, under the full cultivation of the Shu Mountain Sacred Land, had achieved initial mastery of swordsmanship and great success in his sword intent.
However, due to the matter of Chen Jiuyang and the five great sacred lands, he chose to remain stationed outside, handling affairs and staying away from the core of the sacred sects.
He never expected to encounter Chen Jiuyang here.
After distancing himself from the core of the Shu Mountain Sacred Land sects, Ye Tiannan's cultivation had instead grown rapidly, and he had silently advanced into the Venerable realm.
How many years had it been since the great era revived? Chen Jiuyang, on his path as a Human Emperor, had naturally formed his own destiny, inherited the Pure Yang Medical Immortal lineage, and with the strong support of the True Demon Sect's destiny, coupled with the top-tier divine blade Yan Sheng Dao, he had only just entered the Venerable realm this year.
Ye Tiannan had also advanced to the Venerable realm, which indicated that Ye Tiannan's destiny, talent, and strength were not inferior to Chen Jiuyang's.
Chen Jiuyang looked at Ye Tiannan with a calm expression and said, "You are very good."
"Among us, you are currently the only one whose cultivation has kept pace with me."
"It is merely a matter of fate," Ye Tiannan replied. Although Ye Tiannan had advanced to the Venerable realm at a young age and achieved great success in his sword intent, he lacked a sharp edge and arrogance. Instead, there was a sense of ordinariness and weariness about him. No one knew what path of swordsmanship he was following that had transformed him from his once sharp and brilliant self into this state.
However, being able to keep pace with Chen Jiuyang and enter the Venerable realm meant that his strength could not be underestimated.
Ye Tiannan looked at Chen Jiuyang and said, "Brother Qianyang, I am an elder of the Immortal Alliance. Regarding today's matter, how does Brother Qianyang intend to proceed?"
Chen Jiuyang took a deep look at Ye Tiannan, then sheathed his long saber and said indifferently, "A group of cannon fodder is not worth my attention. Take your surviving trash and leave."
Ye Tiannan's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Aren't we going to have a fight?"
Chen Jiuyang slowly shook his head and said, "There's no need. If I were to make a move, you would only end up dead."
"To die here, to die at my hands, would be a pity."
Chen Jiuyang's ability to stack combat power with divine abilities such as Immortal Extermination Divine Ability, Myriad Races of the Mortal World, and Fear Me Like Heaven Divine Ability, along with his techniques like Zhu Rong, Chi You, and others, meant that even some old monsters in the Venerable realm would have to lament their fate when encountering Chen Jiuyang.
Coupled with the changes in Ye Tiannan, which made Chen Jiuyang vaguely see a shadow of himself, he decided not to act.
Chen Jiuyang waved his hand, and the Nine Dragon Robes on his body surged with a majestic and sacred black mist, enveloping hundreds of people from the True Demon Sect. Then, they flew towards the direction of the True Doctrine Sect.
At the scene, Ye Tiannan held his long sword, hesitated several times, but ultimately did not make a move.
He looked at the cultivators of the righteous path who were alive on the mountain peak below. His expression was solemn, and he was about to unbuckle his wine gourd to drink.
A gentle white light flew towards them. A Yuan Ying stage female cultivator with outstanding looks, dressed in the splendid attire of the Kunlun Sacred Land, arrived before Ye Tiannan.
"Tiannan, drinking in such a setting, be careful not to be reprimanded by the Grand Elder later."
"With so many fellow cultivators dead or injured below, it would sound bad if you were to drink. You and I are now Dao companions and are one. Even if you don't care about your own reputation, you should consider mine, shouldn't you?"
"Alright," Ye Tiannan said with a wry smile, putting away his wine gourd, "I'll listen to you, Jieguang."
This female cultivator was Wang Jiegua, Qin Rouyu's senior sister.
After experiencing the dream world at Fallen Immortal Cliff more than half a year ago, Wang Jiegua's Dao heart was affected. After waking up, she applied for an external posting to become a regional elder to further temper her Dao heart. During this period, she met Ye Tiannan.
The two had a deep karmic connection and hit it off immediately, thus coming together.
Wang Jiegua smiled and said, "I'll go down and use my medical skills. The casualties this time are not small. The Grand Elder in charge of this area will be here later, so you wait here."
Afterward, Wang Jiegua turned into a white light and flew down to begin saving people.
Ye Tiannan looked at Wang Jiegua with tenderness in his eyes. With such a virtuous wife, what more could he ask for? He only wished for eternal companionship, never to suffer Chen Jiuyang's fate.
...
True Doctrine Sect.
The entire sect was busy, and the hearts of the people were stirred.
There was a rule among the Nine Demonic Sects that if conflicts occurred within the demonic path, they were not allowed to activate the sect-protecting formation, and the matter was to be resolved by their own people.
Even if the sect-protecting formation was activated, as long as the sect's sacred artifact was brought out, the formation could be dispelled through communication with the artifact spirit.
The Sect Master of the True Doctrine Sect, Demon Lord Yuan Wu, had disappeared and his whereabouts had been unknown for more than half a year. Initially, Han Lixuan, who was the Holy Son, was overjoyed and secretly thanked Chen Jiuyang for resolving such a troublesome issue for him.
When the Sect Master disappeared and there were Holy Sons and Holy Daughters appointed, the new Sect Master would be chosen from among them.
Han Lixuan, with the support of the True Doctrine Sect's destiny, had also reached the Half-Venerable realm, similar to the former Half-Heavenly realm.
The Holy Daughter of the True Doctrine Demonic Sect was Han Lixuan's woman, and thus, the power of the True Doctrine Sect naturally fell into Han Lixuan's hands.
Han Lixuan hailed from the Heavenly Seven Han clan of the demonic path and was known externally as Qi Han Lixuan.
Han Lixuan looked at the large contingent of the True Demon Sect camped outside the sect with a calm expression, but his heart was filled with a heavy sense of dread.
As a former contestant on the Dragon Country Martial Ranking, he understood Chen Jiuyang's oppressive presence even more clearly than others outside.
Chen Jiuyang truly meant what he said.
He was in seclusion, comprehending the Dao of Condensation to advance to the Venerable realm and ascend to the position of Sect Master as soon as possible. Little did he know that the True Demon Sect would suddenly declare war on the True Doctrine Sect.
But as someone from the demonic path, how could he compromise his own prestige? Not to mention that he was the legitimate Holy Son of the True Doctrine Sect, supported by the nine lineages of the True Doctrine Sect's demonic path families.
The slumbering Grand Elders of the True Doctrine Sect had all been awakened.
There was also a rule that unless the righteous path attacked, leading to the sect's imminent peril, the slumbering ancestors were not to be awakened, otherwise, the consequences would extend to the nine generations of their clan.
Both sides exuded immense demonic energy, causing the heavens and earth to change color, and all directions to fall silent, leaving only a heavy killing intent.
"This True Sacred Sect insults our True Doctrine Sacred Sect by having its Sect Master absent. This brat dares to challenge our True Doctrine Sacred Sect. After slumbering for a long time, I haven't made a move in ages."
"This time, when we go to war, we will teach that brat of the True Sacred Sect a lesson, that the older generation is wiser."
"Our True Doctrine Sacred Sect ranks first among the Nine Sacred Dao Sects, and it is by no means a false reputation. It is not something that his True Sacred Sect can covet."
Han Lixuan slowly nodded. Clad in the Holy Son's ceremonial robes, his expression was indifferent as he said, "The Grand Elder speaks wisely. This battle will be an offering of blood from the True Sacred Sect, exchanged for my great success in the demonic path, allowing me to step into the realm of transcendence and sainthood!"