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Chapter 328 Global Outcry
On the outskirts of Shengjing City, there are four major array gates.

As the first group of elders who arrived at the scene attacked fiercely, the horde of corpses that had been tightly surrounding the city was blasted hundreds of feet away, clearing a vacuum.

Just when the people in the city thought that an important figure was trapped outside the city and that the Yintian Academy had to do everything in its power, they saw the second and third batches of elders rushing in.

The second group of powerful beings took over the cleared land in an instant and continued to sweep away the evil seeds in all directions. Their magnificent magic was like a net woven from immortal light, carrying incomparably sharp killing intent, and continued to suppress the zombie horde.

boom!
An elder of the Divine Realm landed and waved his palm. Golden rays of immortal light shot out fiercely from his palm, the powerful force seemingly darkening the surrounding sky.

The straight beam of immortal light pierced through the thick horde of corpses, instantly crushing countless evil creatures into a pile of mangled limbs and flesh.

Immediately afterwards, the third group of elders arrived with a roar, pushing back those ferocious, writhing tide lines by dozens of feet once again.

At the same time, a large number of inner court disciples expanded outwards along the gap created by the immortal light.

Within the Chongwang Mansion, the magnificent celestial light was reflected in the eyes of those noble families, causing countless hearts to tremble.

After the Immortal Tour ended, the Heavenly Academy's ranking dropped to the bottom, which led to the Qingyun Family's long-term pessimism about it.

But only now did they realize that even in the end, the Immortal Sect was still the Immortal Sect.

However, they still didn't understand why the Heavenly Academy was in such a hurry, not to save people, but as if they wanted to fight their way out of a thousand miles.

The same doubts also exist in towns under the jurisdiction of other immortal sects.

Because at almost the same time, Lingjian Mountain, Daowen Sect, Shanhai Pavilion, Chen Clan Immortal Clan, and Xuanyuan Immortal Mansion were all continuously suppressing evil seeds.

As the magnificent light soared into the sky, it shattered the clouds, and a vast celestial light rose into the sky and rained down everywhere. This aura was quickly and keenly perceived by those of high cultivation levels from all over the world.

"It seems that other immortal sects have also begun to take action. Could it be that they are going to join forces to eradicate the evil species?"

"No, even the elders who have been in seclusion for many years have come out. This is not like the behavior of a celestial sect. The evil seed is probably not the goal."

"Brother Qian, do you mean there's something else going on behind this?"

Faced with this massive suppression, every corner of the city was abuzz with discussion, their curiosity rivaling that of someone experiencing the Dao of Heaven for the first time.

But soon, they no longer needed to guess.

As the six celestial clouds converged in the sky, a gigantic talisman surged and floated across the heavens, imprinting itself upon the azure firmament.

"Your Highness, this is a man-made disaster, not a natural one!"

"Reporting to the patriarch, a powerful clan is causing trouble, harming the Heavenly Dao, and attempting to overthrow Qingyun!"

"His Majesty……"

As the contents of the talisman flashed, countless transcribed scrolls were passed around in all directions.

The content is sharp and straightforward, directly pointing out that a number of powerful families, including the Chu family of Youzhou, the Zhu family of Qingzhou, the Zhuang family of Lingzhou, the Wei family of Yongzhou, the Li family of Zhongzhou, and the Du family of Liangzhou, have opened the ruins without authorization, stolen the immortal opportunities, and caused a great disaster.

He explained that they had been secretly plotting for decades, and the zombie horde was only the beginning. He feared that there would be a disaster at Qiling, so he ordered a nationwide manhunt to capture and kill them, and commanded all the noble families in the world to follow.

"The Chu family?"

"And the Li family and the Du family..."

"The disaster at Qiling..."

"This……"

The order to kill spread instantly, causing countless members of powerful families to widen their eyes, seemingly finding the news difficult to process for a moment.

The phrase "the calamity of Qiling" seemed to instantly transport everyone back to more than four years ago, to the incident where the Zheng family demon refined countless cultivators.

After that incident, many aristocratic families suffered heavy losses, and some families have not yet recovered.

Only now did they realize that the matter had not ended with the fall of that Zheng family sorcerer, but had instead led to such a terrible disaster more than four years later.

Upon seeing the talisman and learning what had happened in the world, all the major families left the gathering place.

They closed the doors and windows and began to discuss things in secret.

"If this matter is truly like the calamity of Qiling, it is definitely not something that aristocratic families can withstand. I think it's best not to go. Even if the world collapses, the immortal sects will still hold it up. This zombie horde has already severely weakened us, and we shouldn't suffer any more losses."

In the courtyard where the He family lived, He Long, who had originally planned to divide Fengzhou at the Immortal Gathering, gave him his advice.

I'm not going, I'm not listening, I don't care who it is.

Upon hearing his analysis, the other elders of the He family couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Although the Zheng family patriarch had become a demon, his combat strength was still genuinely at the Immortal Realm.

In the past, countless cultivators entered Qiling in order to seize the opportunity, but they all vanished without even seeing the face of the Zheng family patriarch. Now, more than a dozen powerful families have joined forces. Who can stand this?

Seeing that the elders around him agreed with his opinion, He Long turned to He Ye and said, "Patriarch, in my opinion, we should stay in Shengjing until this matter is over. We cannot let our family members die."

"idiot."

"?"

He Ye looked at him coldly: "This zombie horde has wiped out countless aristocratic families, leaving behind countless clan territories and ancestral properties, not to mention the foundations and inherited techniques of the Chu, Li, and Zhu families, which have existed for thousands of years. Do you think that if we can survive this calamity, Qingyun will still be the same Qingyun as before?"

Upon hearing this, the elders around him immediately became solemn: "The patriarch is right. If we survive this calamity, Qingyun will surely be turned upside down."

He Ye picked up the scroll containing the talisman's contents again: "If you disobey now, you'll find it hard to get a share of the spoils later. If other families are favored by the immortal sects and receive this legacy of war, my He family will decline for a hundred years if we remain indifferent."

He Long opened his mouth: "Are we related to Lord Zuoqiu by marriage?"

“But you don’t have the surname Zuoqiu, and he’s not the sect leader. Besides, there’s more than just the Heavenly Academy in the world.”

"This……"

At this moment, the patriarch of the He family gently opened his eyes: "According to the practices of the seven great immortal sects over the past thousand years, this must be the unspoken rule of this expedition. Even if we don't go, some surrounding families will choose to take the risk. Let's go."

Upon hearing this, the people gathered in the room immediately stood up.

As they pushed open the door to leave, members of other prominent families also came out, seemingly sharing the same thoughts as the He family.

War and disaster are never the goal. Whether it is those who manipulate events or those who go to war, they are all after the war.

While the aristocratic families were considering the gains and losses after this great calamity, the disciples of the Heavenly Academy were also discussing the matter.

However, most of them were young people and did not have the foresight of the heads of aristocratic families. Their discussion focused on those aristocratic families that were causing chaos in the world, and they chatted amongst themselves while packing their bags.

"The Chu family and the Li family are far too audacious to dare to oppose the Immortal Sect and bring about such a disaster. They deserve to be executed!"

"My uncles, aunts, and several brothers and sisters all died in the zombie horde. This revenge must be taken!"

"There are rumors in the academy that if one performs well in this battle, one might have the opportunity to become a disciple and receive the inherited magic techniques."

Ji You had already left Zizai Hall and had just arrived at Cao Jingsong's courtyard when he saw them gathered together. Upon seeing him, they immediately inquired about the authenticity of the talisman's contents.

Because they knew that what they hadn't dared to ask Ji You before must be what the talisman had said.

Ji You hesitated for a moment before nodding: "Most of it is true."

"Which part is fake?"

"Some insignificant details are fake."

"?"

Ji You sat down and poured himself a cup of tea: "The Immortal Sect's decree said that the Chu family and the Li family opened the ruins, but in reality, the Immortal Sect opened the ruins. They were tricked, but it was also convenient to put all the blame on them."

Upon hearing that the Immortal Sect had been tricked, Cao Jingsong, Wen Zhengxin, and Ban Yangshu immediately raised their hands to tell him to stop talking: "Just pretend we didn't hear anything."

"Now that this matter has been exposed to the world, it doesn't matter if we know some minor details of the truth."

"No thanks, that would make me subconsciously think the Immortal Sect is stupid."

Ji You shook his head: "The Immortal Sect isn't too stupid, but once they get greedy, they easily become blind."

Ban Yangshu nodded after hearing this: "Junior Brother Ji is the same way. He dares to pick up silver that someone throws at him to lure him to his death. Greed is indeed terrifying."

"The example you gave was good; please don't give it again in the future."

"Did you find out about this?" Wen Zhengxin couldn't help but ask.

Ji You nodded: "Part of it was what I found out, and part of it was what Immortal Emperor Rulong told me."

Wen Zhengxin's eyelashes trembled slightly: "Like a dragon..."

Cao Jingsong and Ban Yangshu also suddenly fell silent, unsure of what to say, because they both knew that the Bai family was also on the list.

Although Ji You did his best to vouch for Bai Rulong in front of the five palace masters and proved Bai Rulong's innocence, he must have felt terrible inside, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed away from the public eye for several days after returning.

This kid is a bit dim-witted, but he's not a bad person. It's hard for him to accept such a change.

However, soon after, as the mountain bell rang, the disciples of the Heavenly Academy were ordered to gather at the Jade Platform for Ascension, preparing to travel to the ruins. There, they met the Immortal Emperor Rulong. He was among the first to respond to the mountain's call, already carrying his sword, standing silently among the crowd, seemingly ready to set off with everyone else.

However, since his surname is Bai, he inevitably attracted a lot of attention and criticism.

Some said he was a spy, while others didn't understand why he hadn't been brought under control. These voices gradually faded away only after Ji You arrived.

"You want to go too?"

Bai Rulong had clearly not slept well for several days. His face was pale as he looked up at him and said, "There are some things I still want to ask you about in person."

After hearing this, Ji You couldn't help but ask, "What do you want to ask him?"

"Just as Brother Ji said, when my father locked me in the dungeon, I didn't know there would be a zombie horde. I just thought he didn't want me to get involved and that it was a form of protection. But it wasn't until I saw the zombie horde that I realized he didn't care about my life or death at all. I want to ask him what he was really thinking."

"Don't develop an obsession."

Ji You patted his shoulder, knowing that even if he did encounter the Bai family head during this campaign, he would certainly not be able to get a satisfactory answer.

why?
Since Chu Xian could even kill his pregnant wife, then this son who had never been favored by the Bai family was even less important to them. After all, birds of a feather flock together.

If they weren't all such ruthless and decisive people, they wouldn't have gotten together and taken things to this point.

Lu Qingqiu and Lu Hanyan arrived shortly afterward. Looking at Bai Rulong, they were unsure how to speak, and could only offer him comfort with their eyes.

Subsequently, He Lingxiu, Shi Junhao, Chai Ze, and other geniuses from the academy also arrived with a roar, their bodies surging with immortal light as they landed on the white jade platform, ready to participate in this expedition.

With disaster looming and time running out, the courtyard didn't have time to make many arrangements. Once everyone had arrived, they surged down the mountain towards the cleared area that the elders had cleared.

The aristocratic families, who had been prepared beforehand, stood on the streets of Yong'an. Upon seeing this, they all converged into the torrent, passed through the great formation, and charged towards the horde of corpses.

At the same time that the disciples of the Heavenly Academy set off, the five major immortal sects, namely Spirit Sword Mountain, Dao Asking Sect, Mountain and Sea Pavilion, Chen Clan Immortal Clan, and Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, also set out in full force, heading towards the heart of the Nine Provinces.

The three direct disciples of the sect, Shang Xiyao, Huo Xingzhong, Chen Luo, and Chen Xi, also appeared, each holding a precious treasure of their sect, to oversee the situation amidst the exclamations of their disciples.

These ancient families, having formed an alliance over millennia, have corrupted the Heavenly Dao and coveted immortal destiny; naturally, they must uphold the dignity of the Immortal Sect.

Moreover, they are now attempting to take over the sacred artifact and need to establish their authority in advance, making this a suitable time.

Om-! ! !
A crisp, metallic vibration reverberated.

Outside Shengjing City, Cao Jingsong roared as he rose to his feet, brandishing his sword and driving away the evil creature before him, his teeth clenching slightly.

"Why is this thing stronger than before?"

"Its ferocity is greater than before."

As Ji You slashed and killed, he answered while looking at Bai Rulong and the Lu sisters with concern.

The three of them are skilled enough to easily deal with evil creatures, but they would be in trouble if they were surrounded.

"With so many evil creatures, where are we supposed to go to kill them all?"

"According to the message from the five major immortal sects, the seven ruins that have been opened are now surrounded by a horde of corpses, making them completely impenetrable. We need to head towards the area where the horde is surging, which is roughly located at the border between Liangzhou and Zhongzhou."

They knew that the ancient families who had joined forces were up to something, but they didn't know their whereabouts yet. The only thing they could be sure of was that they were around the ruins, otherwise there would be no point in tempting the immortal sects to open the ruins themselves.

But it remains uncertain which ruins they are in, whether inside or outside, or in all of them.

Most importantly, what the Immortal Sect can think of, those ancient aristocratic families can naturally think of as well.

Are they really waiting in the ruins for the immortal sect to come and hunt them down?

Therefore, the task assigned by the six major immortal sects was to search all areas within a hundred miles of the ruins and identify all those involved in the matter.

Their destination was at the very center of those ruins.

Under normal circumstances, such a search would be a piece of cake for the Immortal Sect, but now that the zombie horde is all over the world, it has become extremely difficult, and they need to surround and encircle them all the way.

After answering Cao Jingsong's question, Ji You narrowed his eyes, and with a burst of energy, he drew his sword and killed the evil spirit that lunged at Lu Hanyan, while simultaneously pulling the impetuous girl back.

With a slap, the second young lady of the Lu family, who had just been spanked, instantly became obedient, no longer displaying the innocent and naive demeanor of someone risking her life.

Seeing this, Lu Qingqiu turned to glance at his younger sister and saw that his sister, who had been spanked for a long time, was very serious, as if nothing had happened.

buzzing-

Amidst the frenzied cries of the Dao Sword, the group continuously weaved through the horde of corpses.

During this time, Ji You reached out several times and pulled the overly aggressive slender figure back a few times, wondering if this girl had been given a reward again.

At this moment, Lu Qingqiu retreated to the middle of the group, rubbing his buttocks without making a sound, and glanced at his younger sister.

Lu Hanyan: "?"

Boom boom boom——

An elder flew in from behind, catching up with the group ahead. He descended with celestial light, instantly piercing through the three steps.

Upon seeing this, the surrounding aristocratic families began to disperse in other directions, while the Heavenly Academy's team also split into sixteen groups and scattered in all directions.

Seeing this, Ji You pulled the Lu sisters, along with Emperor Long Xian and Cao Jingsong, towards the southwest, away from the crowd.

"Senior brother, where are we going?"

"The route is still the same, but we need to spread out to avoid the evil species gathering in large numbers and forming an even larger zombie horde. We will briefly reunite after crossing the border mountains twenty miles away."

The more people gather, the stronger the popularity, and the more deadly the attraction to evil species becomes.

They need to work together to tear open a gap when they leave the city, but it is not advisable for them to gather again after they are out.

Therefore, it is wisest for everyone to split into multiple teams, maintain a distance that is neither too close nor too far, and reunite according to the stages of the journey.

This approach can both prevent the formation of a large-scale zombie horde and keep the evil species from pulling each other apart.

Lu Qingqiu knew that the Heavenly Academy had made this arrangement, but still said while brandishing his sword, "Before setting off, the academy divided into sixteen teams. Are we not going to join any of them?"

"Sixteen teams, plus those aristocratic families, are enough to keep the zombie horde at bay. We have fewer people, so we can slip through the gaps and move faster."

Ji You reached out and created a small mountain: "Anything can be terrifying once it gathers in large numbers. When facing a zombie horde, the key is not to be exhausted. If we go ahead, we can still have some time to catch our breath when we get there."

As he expected, as the Heavenly Academy and the aristocratic families dispersed and the zombie horde dispersed, the evil species around their seven-person team gradually became less dense.

This not only makes it faster, but also reduces the danger.

However, they also knew that this method of splitting into small teams to pass through the gaps in the zombie horde was probably something only they dared to do.

To fight against such a large horde of zombies, sometimes having more people is key, and the fact that they could do the opposite was entirely due to Ji You.

Even if he accidentally encounters a crowd and is surrounded, he has the ability to cut a way out in a short period of time.

In the bright daylight, on the densely packed, shattered earth, two waves are constantly colliding.

The dazzling celestial light, carrying the power to move mountains and fill seas, continuously overturned the tide of corpses, while countless beams of celestial light fell from the sky, piercing through all directions.

Dust surged and rolled upwards, while spiritual energy roared like a flood.

In addition to the continuous advance at the front, the city of Shengjing at the rear also provided some constraints.

Some families that suffered heavy losses were unwilling to risk their lives any longer, so they took on the task of attracting evil spirits at the edge of the city and cooperating with the great formation to prevent them from pursuing the teams heading to the ruins.

Meanwhile, Ji You and the others traversed the gaps in the zombie horde, crossed the northern part of the Central Continent, and successively arrived at the agreed-upon mountain ridge.

They were indeed fast; they were the first to arrive and quickly began to regulate their breathing.

Subsequently, the Heavenly Academy and various aristocratic families arrived one after another. They then set up magical artifacts to conceal their auras and block the evil spirits' keen sense of human energy, and began to seize the time to practice breathing exercises.

After resting and recuperating for a while, the tension on everyone's faces gradually subsided. Some people gripped their weapons tightly, wiped their magical artifacts, and began to prepare to continue their journey south.

They cooperated throughout their journey, attacking from the front and luring from behind, keeping each other in check, making it less difficult than their exile.

Those evil creatures have no consciousness; they only relentlessly hunt and kill. Only when their numbers become too great do they become incredibly terrifying.

However, while everyone felt a little relieved, the three leaders of the Heavenly Academy kept their expressions serious and kept looking around.

Of the sixteen teams from the Heavenly Academy, one team did not come here briefly as originally planned.

"It's Elder Yu's team, could there be some problem?"

"Elder Yu has already reached the Boundless Realm. Even if the zombie horde is raging, it is impossible for him to lose his life. Perhaps he was delayed."

“He chose the southeast route, where there are indeed many evil corpses, so it’s not impossible that he was delayed.”

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(End of this chapter)