In the tranquil void, a figure gradually materialized, clad in a white robe, tall and slender, with handsome features, enveloped in an invisible Dao aura.

His voice was somewhat aged, yet his appearance was strikingly youthful.

For immortals at the sixth realm, maintaining a youthful appearance was effortless, like Mo Luo and the sixth-realm immortal from Dongying.

They all possessed youthful visages.

The difference lay solely in their willingness to do so.

Chen Yuan had long heard of Su Ming, the old master of the Heavenly Demon Palace. After all, with the ancestor of the Seven Kill Hall still alive, who could deny that the Heavenly Demon Palace, which had resisted the Seven Kill Hall and dominated the Demon Realm, had no immortals?

Moreover, although the lifespan of a sixth-realm immortal was typically limited to a millennium, this was not an insurmountable barrier. By employing certain secret techniques to slow down the erosion of their primordial spirit and entering a state of slumber, they could extend their lifespan to some extent.

However, in practical terms, this was akin to falling, as the price to pay for re-entering slumber after awakening was simply too great.

Therefore, Chen Yuan had long been aware of the existence of an immortal overseeing the Heavenly Demon Palace. Otherwise, a mere Heavenly Demon Palace would not have warranted his attention in the past.

"I wonder, Old Palace Master, what brings you here?"

Su Ming gazed at Chen Yuan, smiling serenely, showing no sign of underestimating the young man before him. In terms of achievements, he had lived for over a millennium, yet he could not compare to the mere years of this youth.

In terms of cultivation, he was a natural talent, much like the Chu Emperor Taizu of old, invincible at his level, forging ahead courageously, unifying the world. Even now, having just entered the sixth realm, he could still feel a profound sense of danger.

He had a premonition that, in a confrontation, it was uncertain who between him and this rising star would emerge victorious.

"I have come for the promise made by Prince Yan back then. Palace Master Dongfang had previously reported to me, but I was unable to extricate myself due to cultivation matters.

Now that those trivial matters have been resolved, I naturally had to come and meet Prince Yan."

"Heh..."

Chen Yuan did not believe Su Ming's words in the slightest. It was clear that he had only taken the initiative now that he had reached the sixth realm, possessed immortal power, and stood on the same level as him.

But such matters were best left unsaid, as verbalizing them would spoil the fun.

"The promise made back then naturally stands. Once Dongying is pacified, this prince will hand it over to the Heavenly Demon Palace. You may deal with it as you see fit, Old Palace Master."

"Good, good indeed. I am relieved to hear that."

Su Ming stood with his hands behind his back, laughing heartily.

"However... this prince also made a condition back then: the Heavenly Demon Palace must hold back the Buddhist sect with all its might. Otherwise, it will be difficult to convince the public in the future. What do you think, Old Palace Master?"

"That is natural, that is natural, hehehe..."

"That was then, but now..."

Just as Chen Yuan was about to say something, the sound transmission talisman between his sleeves suddenly trembled violently and quickly combusted. At the same time, a familiar voice entered his ears, causing his expression to darken.

Old Ancestor Su Ming, puzzled, asked with slight suspicion:

"Is something amiss?"

Chen Yuan pondered silently, paused for a moment, then looked up at Su Ming and said:

"Dongying has launched a full-scale invasion. The defense line established by Martial Emperor City in the sea area has fallen. I must now rush to Martial Emperor City to drive out the Wokou. I'm afraid I won't be able to entertain you, Old Palace Master."

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Prince Yan, attend to your affairs first. I will..."

"Hold on..."

"Does Prince Yan have other matters to discuss?"

Su Ming's eyes narrowed, already sensing something.

"This full-scale invasion by Dongying is somewhat peculiar. I suspect it may not be so simple. It is highly likely that disturbances will occur in other regions as well.

Could Chen request a favor from you here, Old Palace Master?"

"Prince Yan, speak your mind. If it is within my capabilities, I will not refuse," Su Ming said solemnly.

"Very well. Old Palace Master is a straightforward person. I won't beat around the bush. Nanzhou is the southern barrier of the Central Plains and cannot be lost. Under normal circumstances, it would not be necessary to trouble you, Old Palace Master.

However, the Northern Barbarians and the Western Regions are both unstable. I must also ask other immortals to oversee them. As such, we are somewhat stretched thin. Therefore, I hope you, Old Palace Master, can quickly go to Zhennan Pass and defend the Central Plains border, preventing the demonic creatures of the Southern Frontier from breaking through. Of course, I am not asking you to risk your life.

If the great formation of Zhennan Pass is breached and you cannot withstand it, you are free to leave. I will not blame you."

"Has the situation become so dire?"

Su Ming clicked his tongue in amazement. He hadn't expected that a mere visit would lead to such a situation, being roped in by Chen Yuan. He wasn't sure if it was good luck or bad luck.

"My mind is uneasy, and I must take precautions."

"Very well. Since Prince Yan has entrusted me with such a heavy responsibility, I naturally cannot refuse. After all, I am also a martial artist of the Central Plains, with a duty to defend our land.

If necessary, I will take action!"

Su Ming stated solemnly.

The Heavenly Demon Palace and the Buddhist sect have always been at odds. Now that he had placed his bets on Chen Yuan, he wouldn't mind adding a few more chips, betting on Chen Yuan's promising future.

Moreover, his previous statement was not without basis.

As a martial artist of the Central Plains, born and raised here, he would naturally not allow foreign enemies to invade, especially when it came to defending against the demonic creatures of the Southern Frontier. He would not hesitate to act.

Regardless of whether he was from the righteous path or the demonic path, first and foremost, he was a martial artist of the Central Plains.

"Thank you, Old Palace Master!"

Chen Yuan cupped his fist in a respectful salute, then turned to Xiang Guangsheng and said:

"Clan Leader Xiang..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiang Guangsheng interrupted him. Knowing what he was about to say, he immediately bowed and said in a deep voice:

"The Xiang Clan has been passed down for a millennium, upholding the will of Emperor Taizu, to defend and expand our territory for the human race. It is our duty. I will immediately summon all the descendants of the Xiang Clan and rush to Zhennan Pass to stop the demonic creatures. Please rest assured, Prince Yan."

"Good."

Chen Yuan nodded. The next moment, he turned and tore open the void, stepping into it directly and disappearing without a trace.

Su Ming took a deep breath, transformed into a stream of light, and flew towards the location of Zhennan Pass.

Xiang Guangsheng opened the mystic realm and said loudly:

"Transmit Prince Yan's decree: All members of the Xiang Clan above the Core Formation Realm, leave the mystic realm immediately and rush to Zhennan Pass to resist the demonic creature invasion! Those who disobey will be expelled from the Xiang Clan!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

Countless martial artists within the mystic realm, hearing Xiang Guangsheng's voice, quickly soared into the air, transforming into streams of light rushing towards the entrance of the mystic realm.

......

The transmission talisman came from the Earth Immortal powerhouse, Lu Chengfeng. He informed Chen Yuan that Dongying had launched a full-scale invasion, and all the defense lines above the sea area had been breached.

Countless martial artists of Martial Emperor City had been killed or wounded.

Jiang He, Ye Xiangnan, and Feng Jiuge, working together to fight Liu Shengjun, an immortal of the Liusheng Clan, were severely injured. If he hadn't secretly assisted them, some might have fallen.

In just half a day, the defense lines retreated again and again. As of now, the army had retreated to Martial Emperor City, relying on the great formation to resist the Dongying Wokou. But unexpectedly, after driving the Central Plains martial artists back to Martial Emperor City, the Dongying martial artists suddenly stopped advancing. Liu Shengjun even ceased to attack, simply besieging the four city gates.

As if waiting for something.

He suspected that Dongying had joined forces with other forces, with Dongying making the first move, followed by the other forces. Therefore, they had not revealed their true form.

He told Chen Yuan to take precautions early.

And this, in fact, was precisely what Chen Yuan was most worried about.

Being besieged from all sides was too much pressure, making it extremely difficult to resist.

But this seemed inevitable. After all, there were no fools in this world. Chen Yuan's momentum of swallowing mountains and rivers had already begun, and they would not sit idly by and watch Chen Yuan unify the Central Plains before launching another campaign.

The best option was to unite and launch simultaneous attacks on the four major defense lines in the southeast, northwest, dividing the Central Plains and preventing the Central Plains from raising its head ever again.

If he were any one of the Northern Barbarians, Dongying, the Western Regions, or the Southern Demons, he would definitely conceive such a plan, using powerful pressure to force the Central Plains.

Now it had finally arrived. It wasn't really that surprising, but it was just too difficult to resolve, and even with prior knowledge, there was no way to prevent it.

He could only rely on hard power to resolve it.

It was a pity. He had originally wanted to accumulate strength in secret, waiting until he reached Martial God before unifying, but he hadn't expected them to be unable to restrain themselves first.

He didn't know if it was his breakthrough that had stimulated these forces.

On the way, Chen Yuan also quickly contacted all the Dao Masters of the Dao God Palace, confirming that Jiang He had only suffered some injuries and had not harmed his foundation, which put him at ease.

He instructed Chu Changfeng to be careful of a large-scale invasion by the Southern Demons, relying on the great formation of Zhennan Pass for protection, and not to be careless.

Since the last battle of Zhennan Pass, he had repaired the formation and used many resources, adding immortal formation enhancements, increasing its power by more than one level.

With the assistance of the Old Palace Master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, they could also have some confidence.

As long as the demon gods of the Southern Frontier didn't come out together, they could hold on for some time.

He instructed Su Ziyue to immediately mobilize all resources and begin transporting them to Martial Emperor City, Lanzhou, and Zhennan Pass, activating the entire vast system of the Yan Army.

Awaken Mo Luo....

This was really not a good time for breakthroughs.

Fortunately, Mo Luo was not in deep seclusion and had been awake the whole time. After receiving Chen Yuan's instructions, he immediately set off for the direction of Liangzhou.

The three major royal courts of the Northern Barbarians were also a huge hidden danger, even greater than Dongying. It was impossible for the old Celestial Master of Wudang Mountain alone to block them.

There had to be two immortals, supplemented by the foundation of Wudang Mountain, to have any hope.

And Wei Jinfeng, far away at Jianmen Pass in Liangzhou, after receiving Chen Yuan's prompt, also quickly made adjustments, gathering the army, mobilizing resources, and preparing to contend with the Northern Barbarians.

As for Lu Chengfeng....

This time, Chen Yuan would not let him continue to hide, because there was no one to guard the direction of the Western Regions, and the strength of the Buddha was too terrifying.

If he disregarded the internal turmoil in the Western Regions and forcibly launched a campaign, no one could stop him, except... Lu Chengfeng!

Zhennan Pass had the Old Palace Master of the Heavenly Demon Palace and hundreds of thousands of Zhennan troops, Jianmen Pass had Mo Luo, the old Celestial Master, and 200,000 iron cavalry of Beiliang guarding it, and Lanzhou had Lu Chengfeng.

He would go to Martial Emperor City to deal with the Dongying invasion.

This was the decision he had quickly made. No one else objected and all supported it, allowing things to proceed very smoothly.

In fact, Lu Chengfeng couldn't act in Martial Emperor City, but one reason was that he couldn't find where Liu Shengjun was now, and he hadn't taken action when they fought before.

He couldn't keep waiting.

After all, the Buddhist sect was the great enemy.

Secondly, the Martial Emperor City great formation was terrifying, a killing formation he had set up in the past, and with Ye Xiangnan, Jiang He, and Feng Jiuge in charge, it could be said that even if Dongying had immortals, they wouldn't be able to break the formation in a short time.

The priorities were clear.

And what he had to do was to defeat the Dongying allied forces in the shortest possible time, drive them out of the sea, and then quickly support other defense lines to defend the Central Plains.

As long as they could withstand this wave, and after he obtained an opportunity and entered Martial God, it would be much easier, and even counterattacking would not be impossible.

And just as Chen Yuan rushed to Martial Emperor City, the Immortal Ascension Tower quickly announced this news of the Dongying invasion.

In the first year of Jianye, on the sixth day of the fifth month, Dongying launched a full-scale invasion. On that day, the sea defense line of Martial Emperor City was broken, and countless were killed or wounded. Ye Xiangnan retreated to Martial Emperor City, defending the city.

The world was shocked!

....

Countless Central Plains martial artists were filled with righteous indignation, feeling ashamed that a mere tiny place, the Wokou from overseas, dared to covet the Central Plains, causing the Central Plains to sink. It was simply unforgivable.

The pride of being a Central Plains martial artist was instantly ignited.

They went to the direction of Martial Emperor City one after another, vowing to kill the slaves!

Two days later.

The Immortal Ascension Tower in Liangzhou sent out a message that the three major royal courts had gathered a million iron cavalry and were about to arrive at the northern border of the Central Plains, and the two prefectures of You and Liang were shaken.

On the same day, the 36-nation allied forces in the Western Regions in Lanzhou changed their past style. The Buddhist sect disregarded the internal turmoil in the Western Regions and made preparations for a great battle, breaking three prefectures in Lanzhou in one day.

Dongfang Sheng, the master of the Heavenly Demon Palace, won a battle against the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra of Ling Mountain, bringing a ray of dawn.

It can be said that in just a few days, except for the demons of Nanzhou who had no movement, the east, west, and north sides all brought great pressure to the Central Plains.

Bodhisattva Jishi contacted Mo Luo. After some exchanges between the two sides, Mahayana Buddhism began to erupt within the 36-nation allied forces, involving thousands of people.

He was also at risk of being exposed!

The changes in the situation were earth-shattering. Perhaps no one would have thought that while many people were immersed in the shock of Chen Yuan breaking through to the sixth realm, the Central Plains would be besieged.

Many people hoped that Chen Yuan could turn the tide and maintain his legendary life.

And Chen Yuan did not disappoint them. The mobilization of the Yan Army was very large, which could not be hidden from all parties in the Central Plains, and all kinds of resources were being mobilized....

......

Outside Martial Emperor City, Chen Yuan, who had been rushing all the way, finally tore open the void and saw the still stable Martial Emperor City, and breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought about entering Martial Emperor City directly, but the great formation of Martial Emperor City had even sealed off the void. Even he couldn't enter silently.

"Open the door!"

Chen Yuan took out the Heavenly Book and transmitted the message.

After a while, a portal appeared in the void above Martial Emperor City. Jiang He appeared with a token in his hand. Seeing Chen Yuan, the two smiled at each other.

"It's good that you're here...."

"Are you okay?"

"Um...." Jiang He nodded slightly and continued:

"City Lord Ye is waiting for you in the city... "

"Let's go, let's go see him."