Chen Ming entered the commanding tent and saw the nine Autarchs in a heated discussion of a plan of attack, Good.

  They rose at Chen Ming’s appearance, “Alliance Leader!”


  Chen Ming waved for them to sit, going to his Alliance Leader chair, “I just heard everyone discussing attacking. Good, I see that everyone is of this opinion. This battle couldn’t be more obvious. Each side has around the same number of Dao Initiation realm cultivators, ten million. In the case of King ranks, we once won a great victory, giving us an advantage in this aspect of the battle. And regarding our Autarch force, our number is double that of the demonic sect! This battle is on the course for victory. We only need to watch out for spreading our forces too thin, in case we need to unite and withstand Wu Jiang.”


  Chen Ming let the demonic sect’s battle map fall, “This map is something I found on Chi Ying, please look.”


  The Autarchs surrounded it, with Zi Tianzang being the first to comment, “Alliance Leader, we’ve had this map of the battle plan for some time now and the demonic sect might have caught wind of it. It should be changing tactics by now.”


  Chen Ming nodded, “Zi Tianzang is correct, therefore we must move swiftly and catch them in mid-deployment. Such an operation isn’t finished so quickly. We will take this chance and turn the tide of war completely on our side!”


  Chen Ming said, “I hope none of you will refrain in drawing the full power of your dear sects, leaving a gap in ranks and not achieve the desired result in this war. We are at the end of our ropes. If you have misgivings, they will only harm us. I will be the first to say that Yan Mountain’s army will be in the thick of things, as the vanguard, marching towards the heart of the battlefield.”


  The Autarchs sucked in a cold breath and nodded, “We obey!”


  Chen Ming said, “Each of you will command a million troops and will commence the attack according to plan. Dragon Sovereign!”


  Dragon Sovereign stepped forward, “Present!”


  Chen Ming said, “Dragon Sovereign, you don’t have an army. As Yan Mountain having no less than three million soldiers and since I am the Alliance Leader, tasked with overseeing the war, you shall take my place as commander!”


  Dragon Sovereign bowed, “Understood!”


  Chen Ming turned to the rest, “Now everyone has their tasks. This is the first battle and the most crucial one. We need to tear an opening in the demonic sect at the Sky Canyon so we can charge into the Demonic Domain. Dismissed!”


  Soon, all send their strict orders down the ranks. On this night, the righteous cultivators left their loved ones, bid farewell to their masters, and marched to the unknown battlefront, to fight for the future of the righteous faction in these lands.

  On the morrow.

  Banners fluttered like boats on a sea, a sea filled with men that stretched for a thousand li. One side exuded thick and righteous energy while the one across, volatile and demonic.

  A defensive wall ran along the Sky Canyon far into the horizon, broad, hardened, and a hundred zhang tall.

  That was the dividing line between the factions. The demonic sect that had the leading advantage at the beginning of the King ranked war, built this wall in the off chance that the righteous faction invaded their domain.

  Some might say, What good will a wall do in a cultivator war?

  But this was no ordinary war, with all kinds of arrays engraved on its surface. Its second use was to block hardship cultivators, those that had no mounts and were bound to earth. With few flying mounts, the army had no means to fit it all with such units. The hardship cultivators were thus forced to surmount this wall before they could attack.

  Banners of all colors were hoisted on the battlements, with the cultivators watching them feeling their hearts hammering in their chests.

  At the front of this endless army stood Yan Mountain’s Scarlet Tide.

  Chen Ming gave the hardest and most arduous task of all to Yan Mountain’s army, that of breaching Sky Canyon. He wasn’t one to let his disciples man the rear thanks to his position as Alliance Leader.

  They were cultivators, people who defied heaven for their lives and fates. Only by journeying through fire and steel would they harden their Dao Heart, paving their way further on the path of cultivation.

  Chen Ming heard a tale once, that of two men who planted trees. The first man planted his sapling then left it alone, while the second took care of it like the apple of his eye, protecting it for many hardships. He smiled to himself, thinking the first didn’t understand trees. But after a terrible storm, the second found his sapling blown away, while the first’s was standing tall and full of life. The second asked him why. The first said, “You watched over it and watered it every day. The roots of your sapling grew only on the surface because of this, while mine burrowed deep into the earth. You have to let its roots run deep, to hold against the harshest winds.”


  Teaching disciples had the same principle. He gave them the best he had to offer, but they now needed to walk through fire, to mature and grow into the best version of themselves!

  Chen Ming gazed at the far off winding wall then walked before the Yan Mountain Lords, “You must be hating your Master, right? He sent you in this battle.”


  The disciples replied, “We never blamed Master. We are cultivators. We wrest fate from the hands of heaven so why would we fear the earth!”


  “Why would a Yan Mountain disciple fear the earth!”


  “Three thousand Scarlet Tides shall swallow the sun and moon!”


  Chen Ming laughed, “Good. Show your Master how well you followed your Master’s teachings these past years!”


  Chen Ming turned to Zhuo Qingyao, “Begin.”


  Zhuo Qingyao nodded forcefully and said to Ling Xian, “Second junior brother, bang the drums!”


  Ling Xian arrived behind the army and bowed, “By head senior sister’s order, bang the drums!”


  Thunderous rumbling echoed across the battlefront, earning the curious gazes of others. Yan Mountain was ready to charge!

  The demonic cultivators were keyed up in the face of the enemy’s last call before battle. And the vanguard was the most mysterious force of them all, Yan Mountain. It was the last sect to appear, but fastest to grow in fame. It crushed and shattered most of Ghost Immortal’s allies.

  Zhuo Qingyao soared high on her cloud as she drew Obelisk, “First corps, attack the left flank. Fourth corps, cover them. Second corps, take flight and attack the front. Third corps, focus your attacks on the right flank. Fifth corps, protect them. Hardship corps, charge the front from the ground! Crush this wall to dust!”


  The army of millions of soldiers shifted under Zhuo Qingyao’s orders, covering the sky in a scarlet hue. The hardship cultivators sprung on their savage beast mounts, charging the wall!