5,570 years.
Five Great Saints from the Heavenly Rain Realm descended, killing 30% of the top-level cultivators in 30% of the realm's territories with overwhelming speed. They even nearly killed the Boiling Water Great Saint, who barely managed to escape otherwise he would have perished on the spot.
Afterwards, the Lords of the Seventh and Fifth Forbidden Zones took action, forcefully resisting the four Great Saints, then another Great Saint from the Saint Hall also joined in, managing to fight the five Great Saints to a draw.
Fortunately, the realm was not lacking in foundation, with the twelve Lords of the Forbidden Zones all possessing the strength at the pinnacle Great Saint level, at least that of a Second Stage Great Saint. After reacting, they quickly suppressed the five Great Saints.
But the five Great Saints from the Heavenly Rain Realm showed no fear of battle, and even blatantly provoked the Lords of the Forbidden Zones.
"We have long heard of the renowned Lords of the Forbidden Zones in this realm. We thought there would be some formidable characters, but it turns out to be just this - merely Second Stage Great Saints. We really wonder how you even dared to attack the Heavenly Rain Realm."
"Could it be that being shut away for so long has damaged your minds?"
The Great Saints from the Heavenly Rain Realm taunted in a very direct manner. And the facts proved that they did indeed have the qualifications to do so.
Because soon after, two Imperial Realm cultivators from the Heavenly Rain Realm also descended.
These were truly top-tier combat powers. A single Imperial Realm cultivator could fight two Lords of the Forbidden Zones and even gain the upper hand against them.
This made the twelve Lords of the Forbidden Zones unable to sit still. They began to take action, officially joining the battle against the Heavenly Rain Realm.
With the Lords of the Forbidden Zones having entered the fray, even saying that the foundations of this ordinary realm could not compare to a top realm was still speaking fairly. But in truth, it was not that weak either. Aside from the two Imperial Realm cultivators and five Great Saints, they later received reinforcements of one more Imperial Realm cultivator and seven additional Great Saints.
At this point, they really could contend with the twelve Lords of the Forbidden Zones.
The Heavenly Rain Realm was also ruthless this time, not leaving too many top-tier cultivators back home in their own realm but instead summoning them over here to do battle with the twelve Lords of the Forbidden Zones.
As such, the true victims were the cultivators of this realm. A single Saint from the Heavenly Rain Realm could easily annihilate all sects within a radius of thousands of miles.
The resulting deaths and injuries of the cultivators also indirectly reduced the battle power of this realm. Fortunately, the Saint Hall still stood. Led by the twelve Lords of the Forbidden Zones, the forty-odd Half Saints and Saints could barely fight the forces of the Heavenly Rain Realm to a draw.
This was destined to be a protracted war of attrition.
Half of the upper realm territories had fallen under the control of the Heavenly Rain Realm, becoming encampments for millions of cultivators from the Heavenly Rain Realm.
In the lower realm...
In a small house at the far end of an alley.
Wang Yangzi paid a rare visit. There were some minor injuries on him, and his brows were slightly furrowed, a heavy look in his eyes. Seeing Chen Xia lying in a rocking chair, he shook his head and said,
"The current situation of the realm is not very optimistic. The Heavenly Rain Realm came with too many cultivators, and their top-tier cultivators are astonishingly powerful, very difficult to deal with."
Chen Xia lifted his teacup and took a light sip, then smiled and said, "This is only normal. After all, it was this realm that attacked them first, you can't blame them for striking back."
"You're right, sigh..." Wang Yangzi let out a sigh. He did not step into the house but leaned against the wall. Shaking his head helplessly, he laughed and said,
"Leave if you get the chance. I remember you wanted to go to the Immortal Realm. Take advantage of the current chaos in this realm and go first."
"There's no hurry," Chen Xia waved his hand. "I'll watch the excitement first. Besides, if you can't hold out, you can also come hide in my little house. I'll guarantee your safety."
"Hahaha, then I'll definitely come rely on you when that time comes!" Wang Yangzi grinned. He looked over the small house again, his eyes downcast, and said softly,
"I don't know when I'll come by next time. This time, I'll just bid you farewell first. Nearly half of the Saints in the Saint Hall have died..."
"I still hope that you set off for the Immortal Realm soon and don't get involved in this matter. I'm a cultivator native to this realm. If I die, it doesn't matter - I can still get the reputation of dying a heroic death, my soul returning to my native soil."
He let out a hearty laugh and looked at Chen Xia again, his gaze deep as he asked,
"What about you? You're not a cultivator of this realm. You shouldn't die in this realm. And I suppose there are still many things that you can't let go of?"
"You really think I'll die, Old Wang?" Chen Xia asked back. Then he smiled and said, "Don't worry, my life is longer than all of yours. When all of you have died, I still won't. I will live for a very, very long time until I have outlived all of you."
"Just like I'm trying to outlive Old Zhang..."
Chen Xia pointed at the small grave mound in the house, a nostalgic look on his face.
"I hope that will be the case." Wang Yangzi sighed. Suddenly, he reached into his bosom and took out a box of pills, smiling as he said, "I've prepared this for you - all top-grade medicines of various effects. You'll probably need them."
This was the last time Wang Yangzi came to the small house. He left behind a box of pills.
Afterwards, the Heavenly Rain Realm's offensive grew increasingly fierce. They even invited cultivators from other realms to come help attack this realm. It seemed they had made prior arrangements on how to divide up the spoils of war from this realm.
The twelve Lords of the Forbidden Zones could no longer stand aloof from worldly affairs. They joined the battle on the frontlines, fighting fiercely against the Heavenly Rain Realm’s top-tier cultivators at the highest point of the firmament. The two sides formed their own boundary lines across the sky.
The flames of war did not cease, eventually spreading down to the middle strata of the realm.
The middle realm was completely powerless against Half Saints from the Heavenly Rain Realm. It instantly collapsed with numerous sects surrendering one after another to join the Heavenly Rain Realm’s side.
The strongest Triumphant Mountain had some resistance due to the existence of the Blood and Flesh Statue, being able to contend with Half Saints.
Because it was under Triumphant Mountain’s protection, the Zhang Family could still maintain stability for now.
The Half Saints from the Heavenly Rain Realm also did not linger for long in the middle realm. After all, in their eyes the middle realm was barren land, completely unnecessary to remain in.
Needless to say, the lower realm was even more so a place that Sea Inversing Realm cultivators were unwilling to go to.
Therefore, somewhat ironically, the lower realm ended up becoming the most stable place. Many cultivators wanting to avoid the war fled to the lower realm to hide among the common populace.
But the stability did not last long.
A hundred years into this war of attrition...
Cultivators of the Heavenly Rain Realm began turning their sights towards other parts of the realm, even arriving at the lower realm.
They started hunting down cultivators who had escaped to hide in the lower realm. Heavenly Rain Realm cultivators at the Heaven Mending Realm led the effort as they arrogantly descended upon the lower realm, beginning to search and kill cultivators.
As long as one’s cultivation level had reached the Greater Vehicle stage, they would be killed without exception. Annihilating a 10,000-person sect was even more commonplace, casually wiping them out in a blood sacrifice.
Cultivators of the Heavenly Rain Realm even made the lower realm cultivators slaughter each other, saying that only 30% of those still alive after ten years would be allowed to live. If the number of remaining cultivators still exceeded 30% after ten years, then they would all be taken and used as blood and flesh tributes.
For a time, a slaughtering atmosphere reached its peak in the lower realm. Everyone was fearful for their own safety. Although no one wanted to kill others, they were afraid of being killed themselves.
Even some of the larger sects had already started clearing out surrounding scattered cultivators.
There was no place one could escape to in the lower realm.
Including remote towns.
Chen Xia was lying in his small house, his mind and spirit dormant while nurturing the Great Dao within his little cosmos. Today, miserable shrieks came from beyond the courtyard walls, turning silent after a sharp cry.
He opened the door to take a look. A woman’s corpse lay in a pool of blood, a frightened expression frozen on her face, already devoid of breath.
More miserable shrieks rang out in the town.
"Such a malicious atmosphere." Chen Xia's brows furrowed. He did not like this bloody atmosphere. Reaching out with two fingers, he pressed down at the empty void before him.
Boom!
The sky seemed to sink down slightly.
Grayish colors instantly shrouded the town.
Chen Xia's pressing fingers pointed towards himself. The grayish colors instantly rolled back as the entire town began to rewind. Cultivators of lower cultivations bases and those whose lifespans were not yet finished were restored to life once more.
Chen Xia spoke in a heavenly voice,
"Within a hundred-mile radius of this small house shall be a safe zone. Killing is prohibited. Flying swords shall execute those who kill."
After he finished speaking, a million flying swords scattered, covering the hundred-mile area densely as if suspended rain droplets in the firmament, ready to rain down at any moment.
This was his first time taking action as the Saint Hall's chief, demarcating a hundred miles of safe territory. He wasn't specifically targeting the Heavenly Rain Realm, he just genuinely disliked such a bloody atmosphere.
The Heavenly Rain Realm's Boundary Realm cultivators naturally noticed something unusual. Stopping a few miles away to watch the million flying swords, their eyebrows were tightly furrowed, truly not understanding. They inquired:
"Who is stationed here?"
His companion at the Boundary Realm was stunned for a long time. "I have heard a legend, from interrogating a captive cultivator from the Domain... "
"He said the Saint Hall actually has another chief, but he hasn't made a move yet."
"Where is this chief?"
"Hmm..." The Boundary Realm cultivator hesitated for a moment, then pointed towards the very center of the million flying swords, "If I'm not mistaken, he should be inside there."
The two were still discussing.
It was as if a spring breeze had arisen.
Brushing their faces for just a moment.
One of the Boundary Realm cultivator's heads neatly severed and fell to the ground, dead.
The suddenly appeared figure in green clothes indifferently said to the other Boundary Realm cultivator.
"Take all the Heavenly Rain Realm cultivators and get out of here, otherwise I'll come kill you one by one in half a month."
The Boundary Realm cultivator's expression was fearful, not daring to hesitate at all. He promptly nodded, turned around, and quickly fled.
Half a month later, all of the Heavenly Rain Realm cultivators had fled the lower layer, and words had spread that the Saint Hall's chief was stationed in the lower layer of the Domain.
Today, the wind arose and the clouds surged.
A Great Saint from the Heavenly Rain Realm descended from the heavens in one step on a golden lotus, as if a god descending to earth, his hands held behind his back as he descended before the small house at the very center of the million flying swords. Before he could knock, there was already a sound from inside.
"Were my previous words of no use?"
"Does killing you all one by one include the Great Saints too?" the Golden Lotus Great Saint laughed as he asked.
"What do you think?"
The million flying swords trembled and unanimously reversed their sword tips, pointing straight at the Great Saint's head, their killing intent surging.
On this day, the spring wind rushed eight thousand miles in madness.
The Great Saint's blood dyed the heavens.
Chen Xia held the Immortal Sword, revealing his four greats. With his half-invincible stance, he wantonly beheaded half of the Great Saint's golden lotus. The two battled and shattered half of the lower layer's firmament.
When Chen Xia took the Thunder Emperor Sword, trampled the dragon's head, and ascended straight up.
He had already revealed an invincible stance.
Unequaled in all eternity!