In the central square of the main peak of the Dao Sword Sect, a Spirit Gathering Formation was set up. Around the formation, piles of spirit stones were stacked... The Dao Sword Sect may not have much else, but they certainly have an abundance of spirit stones.
Inside the Spirit Gathering Formation, there were two people, a man and a woman.
The woman was Yao Qingke, who was struggling to maintain the final vine barrier of the main peak.
The man beside her was Dong Zhongyuan, who was also struggling to hold on.
He had summoned his usual fan used for showing off... or rather, he had summoned it long ago.
From the beginning of the battle to the final decisive fight, if one were to nominate the person who contributed the most, Dong Zhongyuan would certainly be a candidate.
That fan was called the Geniuses Ranking.
Every generation of the Dao Sword Sect's Geniuses Ranking requires a disciple with top-tier talent to wield it. Dong Zhongyuan, with a talent not inferior to Li Shiyin, could only wield the Geniuses Ranking and had no path of his own.
This Geniuses Ranking, which every Dao Sword Sect disciple dreams of being on the list, might be one of the sect's greatest trump cards.
All disciples listed on the Geniuses Ranking receive boosts to their cultivation and comprehension during normal times. In times of crisis, if the Geniuses Ranking is summoned, the disciples on the list will receive combat power boosts ranging from one to ten times.
The tenth place on the Geniuses Ranking grants a one-time combat boost, while the first place, Lu Junxing, receives a ten-fold combat boost.
No wonder Lu Junxing is so unreasonably strong.
So, from the very beginning, the combat power of all Dao Sword Sect geniuses was enhanced.
This means Ye Qingxuan is truly weak.
Besides these two functions, the Geniuses Ranking also contains the spirits of the genius disciples (Li Shiyin fought against the spirits within the Geniuses Ranking during her trial at the Gate of Dao). Whenever a genius disciple dies in battle, their soul automatically returns to the spirits... potentially allowing them to be resurrected or to become ghost cultivators.
Previously, when only one or two genius disciples were fighting, Dong Zhongyuan could manage, but now, except for Liu Baixuan, Ye Qingxuan, and Lu Junxing, all other genius disciples are engaged in battle...
Dong Zhongyuan's body trembled continuously, and he could no longer hold on.
In the Dan Peak, the research building, and the alchemy room, chaos reigned. The place was dimly lit, with medicinal herbs and discarded pills scattered across the floor. The air was filled with black smoke, which was caused by burnt elixirs and also toxic fumes.
In the midst of the toxic smoke, beneath a large alchemy furnace, a small figure leaned against the furnace's wall.
Her hair, which had been blown up and burnt at some point, was a messy mop on her head. Her face was blackened, either from poisoning or from the smoke. Her clothes were tattered like a beggar's, either burnt or corroded, hanging loosely on her body.
She leaned against the alchemy furnace's wall, and the fire inside the furnace had not been extinguished. The back of her clothes was burnt, and the melted fabric fused with her melted back.
Yet, she seemed unaware of it. With a small, plump hand, she tugged at her hair, while another hand held a book larger than her head, reading it aloud:
“Elixirs, poisons, toxic elixirs, plant toxins, animal toxins... nerve toxins, flesh-eating toxins... magical poisons, spell poisons... toxic arts...”
She had become indistinguishable from a madman or a fool.
At the site of the old Hushan Great Formation of the Dao Sword Sect, a colorful poisonous barrier appeared.
In front of this rather dazzling barrier, a man stood in mid-air.
Having inhaled the first-hand toxic miasma, he was already severely poisoned. His body was a shifting patchwork of purple and green, with constantly oozing pustules, and he stank as if he had been dead for days.
Yet, he paid no attention to it. With his eyes closed, his soul was still within the poison formation barrier, rapidly reverse-engineering the formation.
At some unknown moment, Sun Yicheng's figure suddenly appeared behind him.
"Is this the result you wanted to see?" Sun Yicheng asked, looking at his back, "Zhican Valley and the Dao Sword Sect bloodied each other, resulting in mutual destruction, and the Boundless Sword Sect reaped the benefits.
"This battle has crippled the entire Land of Immortal Legacy, with over a hundred years needed to recover. It has severely impacted the cultivation development of the Land of Immortal Legacy.
"I wonder, at the very beginning, did you foresee this outcome?"
Qin Ran seemed dead, or perhaps he truly could not hear him, as he gave no response, no reply.
"You are quite cunning and cautious, with a steady temperament. I have always wanted to kill you, but I couldn't. You were too steady, never giving me an opportunity." Sun Yicheng took out a sword from his spatial pouch and continued, "But why did you play with fire? You deliberately escalated the tensions between the three sects, sowing discord, igniting this war... Ultimately, you harmed others and yourself, destroying the Dao Sword Sect and sealing your own fate."
Qin Ran remained motionless. His lips moved continuously, silently muttering something, as if he were calculating something crucial.
"Yes, you stopped Zhican Valley this time. But did you foresee this outcome?
The Dao Sword Sect is already destroyed, while the core of Zhican Valley, the alchemists, are still safe in Zhican Valley, focusing on their pill research. As long as the alchemists are alive, Zhican Valley will rise again sooner or later.
Sun Yicheng channeled his magical power, "But you are about to die, and so is the Dao Sword Sect." At this moment, Qin Ran's moving lips suddenly paused. Perhaps he had finished his calculations or figured out a crucial point.
He opened his eyes, which had been blackened by the toxins. Suddenly, he laughed wildly to the sky.
"Hahaha..."
He laughed incessantly, as if he had gone mad.
Behind him, Sun Yicheng aimed at his dantian and thrust his sword!
The foundation of the Dao Sword Sect might not be the spiritual vein beneath their feet, but the Dao Gate behind the main peak.
In front of the moss- and vine-covered stone gate, an old man with white hair stood, staring at the gate with a complex expression that was hard to decipher.
Behind this old man stood another old man.
Gu Yueming looked at He Daoguang in front of the Dao Gate, his expression equally complex.
"Why did you betray the sect?" Gu Yueming asked.
He Daoguang muttered back, "Why did you drag the sect to its death?"
"When have I ever led the sect to its death?" Gu Yueming didn't understand, "Zhican Valley provoked us first, attacking the Dao Sword Sect again and again. I merely led the sect in resistance. How is that wrong?!"
"No... You didn't want to resist. You were just satisfying your own ambition!" He Daoguang suddenly became angry, "You were deceived by Qin Ran, wanting to make the Dao Sword Sect the number one sect in the Land of Immortal Legacy. You completely disregarded the lives of the disciples, all to compete with Zhican Valley for that top spot!"
Gu Yueming couldn't refute, for he indeed wanted the Dao Sword Sect to be the last sect standing.
"We are cultivators, seeking immortality, seeking to become immortals. Why must we wage war? Why must we be as foolish as mortals in igniting the flames of war?"
He Daoguang turned around, staring at Gu Yueming. His spirit seemed unstable as he said, "The Dao Sword Sect wants to be number one; there are other ways.
"We could merge with Zhican Valley, uniting the two sects. Who in the Land of Immortal Legacy could be stronger than us? Isn't that number one?!
"Chief Qiu promised to share governance with me, with her as the sect leader and me as the deputy leader. Why did you lead the sect in resistance? You are just too power-hungry, too ambitious!
"Gu Yueming, your mindset is unstable, you have lost your Dao heart. You are unworthy of being the sect leader... You even refused to abdicate the position to me!"
Gu Yueming looked at He Daoguang, his mouth opening and closing. The situation was too complex; he didn't know what to say.
With a glare, He Daoguang suddenly turned and charged toward the Dao Gate!
"Stop!"
Gu Yueming was greatly shocked and quickly moved to stop He Daoguang.