Chapter 1189: Chapter 638: Fire Cloud Palace Submits
A week flew by!
After a brief rest, the Ghost Ridge Palace officially broke through the border, entering the territories of Qing Province, leading a massive army of hundreds of thousands of cultivators, with five flying celestial ships at the forefront, advancing rapidly towards the Fire Cloud Hall’s mountain gate.
Along the way, they naturally passed through some territories of the righteous sects of Qing Province.
But these righteous sects often humbly sent letters of surrender even before the Ghost Ridge Palace’s army approached, expressing their welcome for Ghost Ridge Palace to take over Qing Province, choosing a path of submission.
You can’t blame these righteous sects in Qing Province for their change of allegiance. The disparity in strength was too great—just Su Jie alone was enough to quash any thought of resistance. Apart from submission, resistance meant a dead end, and relocating meant abandoning one’s land and resources, gambling on an uncertain future. When submission allowed them to preserve their sect’s legacy, almost no sect would take the harder path.
Therefore, these righteous sects put aside their shame and chose to submit to the demon sect Ghost Ridge Palace, just as their friends in Qingzhou did, succumbing to the military prowess of Ghost Ridge Palace, or rather Su Jie’s Purple Mansion strength.
Without wasting any time along the way, the Ghost Ridge Palace’s army swiftly reached the Fire Cloud Hall’s mountain gate.
In the team, compared to the righteous cultivators’ fairy-like presence, with various golden magical treasures and spiritual beasts everywhere, the appearance of the Ghost Ridge Palace-led demon cultivators was much more terrifying.
Black clouds, like ink, blanketed the sky, sweeping toward the Fire Cloud Hall’s mountain gate—that was a black insect cloud composed of billions of human-faced moths.
Below, besides the Ghost Ridge Palace disciples, demon cultivators from Chongzhou carried an oppressive aura. Demon cultivators from the White Bone Tower held corpse oil lamps, lighting a ghastly green demon fire, illuminating a group of demon disciples with crimson eyes, who stood excitedly at the front, eager to begin a massacre and a plunder.
Demon cultivator powerhouses from the Lying Demon Bone rode a human bone jade chariot, with iron chains hanging from it shackling a fierce beast. The beast had a human face, a snake’s body, ox-like hooves, and made cries like a baby’s wail.
With each roar, the swords of the nearby righteous disciples hummed, and some evil suppression talismans self-ignited, automatically protecting their masters under the influence of demonic energy.
There were also fierce ghosts mingling within the demon cultivator ranks, disciples from the Heavenly Soul Sect, bringing twisted sick ghosts, hanging ghosts with hair touching the ground, and impregnable golden armor copper corpses, walking with gusts of chilly wind, causing the righteous disciples nearby to avoid them.
At the Fire Cloud Hall’s mountain gate, the ready Fire Cloud Palace disciples swallowed nervously, looking at the army of cultivators stretching to the horizon, as fear began spreading among the crowd.
In stark contrast, the righteous and demonic cultivators on the Ghost Ridge Palace side looked at the Fire Cloud Hall’s formation and secretly clicked their tongues.
At the forefront, a giant peak stood towering, its summit sharply defined, enveloped in mists. From the mountain’s belly, the scorching and surging Earth Flame Fire occasionally emitted heat, spewing towering fire pillars.
On top of the Giant Peak Mountain was the landmark building of the entire Qing Province, the Scarlet Radiance Immortal Palace suspended in the sky.
Constructed with various rare materials, it floated thousands of meters high, shimmering under the sun, magnificent and imposing. The sight of this super war fortress instinctively made many Ghost Ridge Palace disciples gulp and lift their hearts.
The Scarlet Radiance Immortal Palace may be hard to precisely strike high-flying Taoist Platform Realm strongmen, but when it came to slaughtering low-level cultivators, whether Secret Realm Elders or Yunling Realm cultivators, it served as a deadly clearing weapon. A round of large-scale attack formations could cause countless casualties.
Both sides feared their opponent, but the Ghost Ridge Palace held confidence because they had Purple Mansion strongmen, enough to determine the victory. Everyone believed the final victor would be them; they only needed to figure out how to survive the fierce battle until victory.
"No matter when I see it, this Scarlet Radiance Immortal Palace always leaves me profoundly shaken with an unending sense of awe."
Su Jie stood with hands clasped behind his back, atop the head of the thousand-hand centipede.
Sizzle sizzle!
The thousand-hand centipede made a couple of sounds in response, indicating that it might not be able to chew up this big fella.
Rumble!
At this moment, the Scarlet Radiance Immortal Palace suspended above the Giant Peak Mountain erupted with thousands of brilliant rays. The phoenix statues positioned at the four corners unfolded, and the central Great Sun Cloud Palace saw a golden, lifelike Three-legged Golden Crow soaring into the sky, like a high-hanging sun, with boundless spiritual power surging like an ocean, dyeing the heavens and earth in a red-gold hue.
The next moment, the entire massive Scarlet Radiance Immortal Palace began to move slowly, like a flying mountain.
"Form the formation!"
In the Ghost Ridge Palace’s camp, as they watched the mobilizing war fortress, many cultivators instinctively retreated. After all, cultivators are not an army, and especially those demon cultivators who were recently incorporated, their once fervent and bloodthirsty gazes cleared up upon seeing the moving and flying Scarlet Radiance Immortal Palace.
"Xiao Qian!"
Su Jie patted the thousand-hand centipede beneath him, signaling it was time for him to act.
The thousand-hand centipede roared, carrying Su Jie to the forefront of the army formation. Although the thousand-hand centipede was already quite massive, compared to the Scarlet Radiance Immortal Palace, it seemed rather insignificant.
But the morale of the Ghost Ridge Palace camp began to rise immediately because their invincible Sect Master Su stood atop the thousand-hand centipede.
Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint!
Su Jie hovered in the air and struck down with a palm, a giant hand of spinning five-colored spiritual energy descended, covering the Red Radiance Immortal Palace.
Bam!
A tremendous sound shook the area for a hundred li, emanating from within the Red Radiance Immortal Palace, where multiple three-legged golden crows flapped their wings, raising a flame barrier that enveloped the entire palace, blocking Su Jie’s Five Elements Demon Suppressing Handprint.
With the power of Su Jie’s Purple Mansion Realm handprint, it only made the Red Radiance Immortal Palace tremble a few times.
The Red Radiance Immortal Palace, constructed by Fire Cloud Palace over seven hundred years, causing them to bankrupt multiple times, was extremely formidable in both defense and attack, only lacking agility. Against a true master, it was somewhat insufficient, yet it was almost perfect.
"This thing, it will take quite some time to break through its defenses!"
Su Jie muttered to himself, feeling the tenacity of the Red Radiance Immortal Palace. Even though he was in the Purple Mansion Realm, he could only gradually wear it down to break it completely, fortunately Su Jie had time.
Having such a thought, Su Jie aligned his right hand fingers like a sword and slashed across his brow.
"Dharma Form, Chaos!"
The Tao River was pierced through, Su Jie’s Yang God left his body, ready to mix with the Tao aura, transforming into the Chaos Dharma Form.
"Sect Master Su, please hold your hand for now."
But just as Su Jie prepared to act, a man voluntarily flew out from the Red Radiance Immortal Palace.
It was seen that the man was tall and sturdy, with arms strong enough to race a horse, bald-headed, and possessed a flaming red beard, the color so pure it seemed like a burning flame, giving an intense sense of oppression.
Just standing there was like a live volcano about to erupt, containing terrifying fire attribute spiritual power within, his cultivation of the Seventh Realm of Daoist Platform was undoubtedly shown, it was the Fire Cloud Hall Sect Master Chu Yangang.
"Ah, it’s Sect Master Chu, long time no see!"
Su Jie paused his movements with his left hand when he saw who it was, looking towards Chu Yangang.
"Sect Master Su, our Fire Cloud Hall has no intention of waging war with Ghost Ridge Palace, for this battle, our Fire Cloud Hall is willing to surrender."
Chu Yangang lowered his head and spoke such words.
For a moment, the whole venue was shaken, whether from the Ghost Ridge Palace’s side or Fire Cloud Palace’s side, everyone was astounded by this sudden change. Fire Cloud Palace, the strongest sect in Qingzhou, the leader of the righteous, directly surrendered?
"Oh, surrendering, hoping it’s not a temporary compromise planning for future rebellion."
Su Jie squinted slightly, speaking with meaning.
"How dare I deceive Sect Master Su, I represent all the disciples of Fire Cloud Hall, numbering thirty-four thousand, willing to serve Ghost Ridge Palace eternally, at Sect Master Su’s service."
Chu Yangang’s mouth twisted bitterly, knowing that once this battle began, Fire Cloud Hall would become history.
Even possessing the Red Radiance Immortal Palace, such a grand structure, faced with the Purple Mansion Realm, hitting Purple Mansion Realm strongmen was far too difficult, only to be gradually worn down and consumed by them, eventually broken through.
By then, even if they could kill some cultivators in the Ghost Ridge Palace camp, it would be to no avail, Fire Cloud Hall would be destined to follow in the footsteps of Guan Chao Pavilion, sacrificed under the great tide.
Therefore, when the reinforcements from the Heavenly Patrol Department were delayed, Chu Yangang decided to submit to Ghost Ridge Palace.
Losing face is preferable to losing lives, to sacrifice the lives of over thirty thousand sect members is much more worthwhile.
"Sect Master Su, to express sincerity, I will offer our Fire Cloud Hall’s sect treasure, this Red Radiance Immortal Palace as a gift to Sect Master Su for use as a flying palace, conquering the world."
Chu Yangang gritted his teeth, his eyes full of reluctance and conflict, but ultimately took out a small three-legged golden crow statue, respectfully handing it to Su Jie.
Giving the Red Radiance Immortal Palace to Su Jie, this sect treasure that was built over seven hundred years, causing bankruptcies eight times, offering it to Su Jie was a decision Chu Yangang made after much tossing and turning, only in doing so would Su Jie spare Fire Cloud Hall.
Su Jie took this small three-legged golden crow statue, it was the core control array eye possession of Red Radiance Immortal Palace, possessing it allowed direct control of the red radiant palace.
Felt it, Su Jie’s smile widened, he patted Chu Yangang’s shoulder and laughed heartily: "Haha, Sect Master Chu, what are you talking about, Fire Cloud Hall and my Ghost Ridge Palace have always been like brothers, no need to be so distant. Today, I declare that our two families will be allies from now on, no more gaps, you and I are as one family. My Ghost Ridge Palace being the elder brother, we’ll assist Fire Cloud Hall, help you develop and flourish, and create more splendor."
Chu Yangang accompanied a smile, regardless of how his heart bled with pain, he still said on the face: "Sect Master Su’s words are indeed true, in this way, from now on everything at Fire Cloud Hall relies on Sect Master Su for guidance and support, our Fire Cloud Hall is deeply grateful."
Below, the Ghost Ridge Palace camp and Fire Cloud Hall camp all looked dumbfounded, the situation changed too quickly, originally thought a fight to the death was to occur, but then Fire Cloud Hall surrendered so glamorously?