Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity

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After figuring out the truth, Li Wujie had no choice but to accept the fact that Hong Qianye was a man.

Looking at the direction ahead, Li Wujie asked in confusion, “Senior Sister Bai, is this the route to the Arid Province?”

Bai Xiaoxi tilted her head, seemingly reorganizing her words, and replied, “Master said he wants to wander around, travel the world, and experience the vicissitudes of life.”

Li Wujie was taken aback and then sighed, “Master’s realm is truly different; such a carefree and unrestrained mentality is indeed a model for us!”

“Haha, yes, yes…” Bai Xiaoxi scratched her head, a bit embarrassed.

The truth is, it was just a polished version of Ye Junlin’s original words, which were actually, “Damn it, my mount is so flashy, I have to show off everywhere! Ah Kun, charge!!”

While Kunpeng roamed for several months, the events that transpired during the banquet at the Xue Family quickly spread throughout the Eastern Domain’s cultivation world, leaving all factions shocked.

Ye Junlin isn’t a venerable? But a Virtual Immortal!

The Grand Sun Venerable of the Yuhua Sect broke through the Crossing Tribulation and specifically sought out Ye Junlin, but was ambushed instead?!

“This is fishing! Who would dare mess with him in the future? I’ve been in the cultivation world for years and I’ve never seen something so outrageous!”

“Expressing condolences for the Grand Sun Daoist; blame Ye Junlin for being too shameless! He’s hidden his cultivation level multiple times!”

“Damn it, is this old guy ever going to stop? Can’t people keep a little sincerity between each other?”

…

Tea houses and taverns were abuzz with discussions, with many cultivators even believing Ye Junlin was an ancient monster who had lived for eons and had come to play in the world.

As for the cultivation level he had currently revealed during the Crossing Tribulation, some people began to boldly speculate if that was also just a facade?

In short, one couldn’t view it from a normal perspective!

Cangzhou.

Rich in spiritual energy and resources.

Great Zhou Dynasty.

Panshi City was currently facing an unprecedented crisis.

The sound of war drums beat thunderously, and the battle cries shook the heavens.

One hundred thousand soldiers in gleaming metal armor rode beasts resembling tigers and leopards, raising their great swords high and charging forward like a meteor shower.

In an instant, a chilling atmosphere swept over the battlefield!

This was no ordinary mortal army, but the fearsome Tiger Leopard Cavalry of the Great Zhou Dynasty!

Every soldier here possessed Golden Core-level cultivation, making them the elite of the elite!

Swish, swish, swish~

They rode their tiger-leopard steeds, quick as lightning, communicating their magical powers as they unleashed terrifying blade auras that had a stacking amplifying effect.

Such a well-trained hundred thousand Tiger Leopard Cavalry would cause even Nascent Soul cultivators to retreat hastily, fearing they wouldn’t be able to escape once involved.

At this moment.

They were not battling another dynasty’s army but a grotesque group of sinister-looking undead beings.

These were the Ghost Clan!

“Kill! Kill all these humans!” A large group of ugly, multicolored ghost beings charged at the Tiger Leopard Cavalry with overwhelming force.

The brutal battle began.

In just a short while, over half of the hundred thousand Tiger Leopard Cavalry had fallen.

In contrast, the ghost beings, even when heavily injured, slowly recovered their wounds with the aid of the black smoke billowing in from the rear.

This battle left rivers of blood and corpses littered everywhere.

“Defend Panshi City!” Injured soldiers wielding long blades slashed at the ghost beings, roaring in fury.

“Kill!!” Their comrades, with bloodshot eyes, charged fearlessly, their only thought being to protect this city behind them.

Panshi City was filled with panic; women wept while holding their children, and young men wore expressions of deep anger.

Far above, at an altitude of ten thousand meters, Kunpeng happened to be passing by.

“Master, there’s a ghost clan attacking the city down below!” Li Wujie flew over and reported, cupping his hands in salute.

“Eat you!!”

A shout filled with imposing spirit echoed.

Ye Junlin reached out and grabbed his side’s cannon piece, directly placing it on the opponent’s commander piece.

Sitting across from him, Hong Qianye’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.

In his life, he had never seen someone so shameless!

Whose cannon pieces leap across the entire boundary river, ignoring all the obstacles in front, and strikes the command piece on the very first move?!

During this time, aside from cultivation, Hong Qianye had been serving Ye Junlin, accommodating all his peculiar plays.

Like during this game of chess, he thought he could dominate with his skilled techniques, only to find that this guy had repeatedly ignored the rules and devoured his command piece directly.

How absurd! What the hell am I even playing for?!

“Little Hong, you’re too weak; your master hasn’t used even a tenth of his strength, and you’ve already lost the whole board!” Ye Junlin tossed aside the piece, sighing.

Hong Qianye gritted his teeth to hold back the urge to curse, forcing a chuckle as he said, “Master, cannon pieces need to be properly positioned, and the range of movement is limited; even a three-year-old knows that…”

Ye Junlin stared with wide eyes, justifying, “This is a mortarman! Isn’t it okay?”

Damn mortarman!

Wait, what’s a mortarman again?

Hong Qianye was so angry he nearly fainted, thinking this was another of his opponent’s made-up terms to cheat and claim victory.

“It seems you’re quite unconvinced! Are you questioning your master’s chess skills?” Ye Junlin raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a warning.

“I wouldn’t dare!”

Hong Qianye immediately lowered his head in fear.

Even though he had just broken through to the Great Ascension and thought there was no one beneath that stage, he knew he was still too weak against this person.

“Little Xi, what do you think of your master’s chess skills?” Ye Junlin turned his head to ask the adorably innocent-faced Bai Xiaoxi behind him.

Bai Xiaoxi was seriously massaging Ye Junlin’s shoulders, and upon seeing this, without thinking, she nodded directly, “The little mouse thinks Master is the strongest!”

Hong Qianye watched from the sidelines, silently cursing, “This damn mouse really knows how to flatter.”

“Ah, at least Little Xi knows my level.” Ye Junlin showed a pleased expression and then turned his gaze to the scruffy middle-aged man, “Little Li, what did you just say?”

Seeing these two master and disciple, Li Wujie struggled to suppress a laugh.

During this time, he had learned that his master wasn’t as stern and serious as the rumors claimed; instead, he had a rather peculiar style and unorthodox thoughts.

Poor Senior Brother Hong had become the biggest victim.

“The disciple said we found a group of ghosts attacking the city not far away! The situation is dire!”

“Ghosts?”

Ye Junlin searched his brain for relevant information.

The Ghost Clan was one of the major dark races that hails from the ancient forbidden ground known as the Underworld Abyss in the Eastern Domain—a stronghold for many dark species.

According to legend, in ancient times, the Underworld creatures attempted to invade the outside world; at that time, the human race cultivators united and waged a massive battle against them. The Underworld beings were ultimately defeated and retreated, leading to a long-lasting period of peace where neither side infringed upon the other.

Who would have thought there would be a Ghost Clan army attacking human cities now? Could this mean that the stalemate maintained for thousands of years was finally being broken?

“If that’s the case, then let’s go take a look.” Ye Junlin stood up, standing with hands clasped behind his back.

Kunpeng flapped its wings and dashed toward the destination.

Below, smoke filled the air, and battle cries echoed all around, the battlefield looked utterly devastated.

“Jie jie jie jie, stop your foolish resistance; capturing this city is just the beginning, other strongholds will soon be under ghost attacks, and the entire dynasty will quickly be destroyed!”

The leading ghost commander, with a fierce face, sneered.

It rode a skeletal horse engulfed in green flames, wielding an ancient spear woven with runes, exuding a unique pressure.

“Shut up; you won’t succeed!” The middle-aged commander roared, wielding a large knife as he charged at the ghost commander.

With his Nascent Soul cultivation, along with the enhancements from the battle formation, his strength was tremendous, arguably rivaling that of sect geniuses.

Clang, clang, clang~!

The sound of metal clashing resonated, sending shockwaves through the air.

The ghost commander, spear in hand, and the middle-aged commander exchanged blows back and forth, but as black mist enveloped him, the ghost commander became stronger and stronger.

Meanwhile, on the Tiger Leopard Cavalry’s side, due to continuous losses, the battle formation’s power also diminished, putting the middle-aged commander at a disadvantage.

Swish!

The ghost commander, spear in hand, unleashed a terrifying thrust, dragging dark energy and struck right at the middle-aged commander’s chest.

“Not good!” The middle-aged commander hurriedly raised his blade for defense, but the impact was too strong, sending him flying off his mount and spitting blood.

“Commander Wang!!” The other soldiers’ eyes widened in horror as they rushed to protect Wang Defa, only to be blocked by the grinning ghost beings.

Wang Defa, wielding a black-gold long knife, struggled to stand up from the ground, watching the fearsome figure riding the skeletal horse draw closer while hearing the angry shouts around him, feeling utterly powerless.

At this rate, not only would his comrades be wiped out, but Panshi City would also fall.

Moreover, just like the ghost commander said, this was only the beginning; the Great Zhou Dynasty was certainly in grave danger this time.

“Filthy human, kneel before me!!” The ghost commander proclaimed arrogantly.

Wang Defa’s eyes narrowed in fury as he shouted, “I am the commander of the Tiger Leopard Cavalry, appointed by the Great Zhou Emperor, representing the face of the Great Zhou; how could I kneel to a beast like you? Come and kill me if you dare!”

“Very well, I shall do as you wish!” The ghost commander, furious yet sneering, thrust his spear skyward, exuding an overwhelming presence as if he aimed to pin Wang Defa to the city wall.

Suddenly.

A huge rumbling echoed through the sky.

An overwhelming kingly pressure descended, enveloping the entire battlefield, where no soldier, whether still fighting or ghost, dared to move like they were carved from clay.

Gazing upwards, terror filled their eyes as they spotted a gigantic figure piercing through the clouds.

“What, what is that?!” the ghost commander stammered.

At that moment, an unimaginable force of attraction erupted from the Kunpeng’s mouth, causing the ghost beings present to show terror, realizing they had completely lost control, as they were being drawn toward that vast, abyss-like maw.

“No!!”

The ghost commander tried to escape, but he was also sucked toward it.

Panic-stricken screams erupted in succession.

Before long, they were devoured cleanly by the Kunpeng, which then mischievously shook its body and let out a world-shaking burp.

The defenders of Panshi City were left in dumbfounded disbelief, almost suspecting it was an illusion.

“Is this a divine beast descending from the heavens to protect our Great Zhou?” Wang Defa murmured, momentarily forgetting his body’s pain.