High Martial Arts: I Travel Through Heaven and Earth Through Dreams

Chapter 309 Proclaiming to the World, Forced Conscription

.....

Duanmu Hong stood quietly to the side, watching everything unfold.

At this moment, a barely perceptible smile finally appeared on the corners of his mouth.

"very good."

He thought to himself.

"I was originally thinking about how to persuade these old foxes to agree to open the Soul Nourishing Hall, and even how to guard against their obstruction."

"Unexpectedly, with just a little prompting, they handed me the knife themselves."

In fact, from the very beginning, Duanmu Hong's goal was not to expect these cowardly old men to fight desperately.

His true target has always been the Hall of Nourishing Souls.

He intends to open the Soul Nourishing Hall and use the deception of the "Land of Inheritance" to lure all eighth-level cultivators into his trap.

Then, using the soul imprint of the Nether Spring Ancestor, he controlled the group of resurrected ninth-tier remnant souls.

Ultimately, they created a super suicide squad.

"Since the venerable ancestors have already made their decisions..."

Duanmu Hong suppressed his sneer and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Then I will make the arrangements immediately."

"Seven days later..."

"Open the Soul Nourishing Hall and invite all eighth-tier cultivators from across the land!"

"To create another ninth-tier powerhouse for my human race!"

.....

[Tianxuan Realm - Major Immortal Cultivation Cities]

As soon as the Demon Slayer Hall announced its message to the world, the entire cultivation world was as if a depth charge had been dropped, instantly boiling over to the extreme.

Teahouses and taverns, sect halls, and even gathering places for rogue cultivators in the wilderness—everyone is talking about the same topic: the opening of the [Sages' Heritage Site]!

"Hey, have you heard? The Demon Slayer Palace is opening its legendary forbidden area. Anyone who is an eighth-tier Venerable can enter!"

"Nonsense, who doesn't know about something this big? It's said that it contains the complete legacies of hundreds of ancient ninth-tier powerhouses! What an incredible opportunity that is!"

"Hundreds of ninth-tier cultivators? My god, in the entire Tianxuan Realm right now, it seems like the only publicly known ninth-tier cultivators are the Palace Master and that Sword Saint, right?"

"If I could gain the approval of just one of them, wouldn't I be able to reach the pinnacle of my life?"

Greed, desire, excitement.

Ambition burned in the eyes of countless cultivators.

The inheritance of a ninth-order powerhouse means a shortcut to the highest realm.

However, amidst the fervor, there were also voices of calm and reason.

[A teahouse in Zhongzhou]

Several old monsters with profound presences were gathered together, setting up a soundproof barrier and discussing in hushed tones.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch."

An elderly man with white hair took a sip of the spiritual tea and sneered.

"The Demon-Slaying Hall has controlled that forbidden area for millions of years, not even allowing a fly to enter. Why are they suddenly being so merciful and opening it up to the whole world?"

"In my opinion, there must be something fishy about this!"

A middle-aged scholar next to him nodded and said in a low voice.

"I have heard some unofficial historical rumors that although those ancient powerful beings died, their souls did not perish."

"This so-called inheritance might just be a facade, a way to lure those eighth-tier powerhouses in as vessels for possession!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the people around him changed slightly.

"Possession?"

"That's unlikely, isn't it?"

Another plump cultivator in brocade robes shook his head and retorted.

"Fellow Daoist, isn't that a bit too conspiratorial?"

"Just think about it, how many years ago was that powerful being? Millions of years ago!"

"Even a ninth-tier Mahayana realm expert's lifespan is only a few hundred thousand years. Even if they have secret techniques to prolong their lives, after millions of years of erosion, their souls will be extremely weak, and they would have no strength left to possess another body."

"Besides, if possession were truly possible, why would the Demon Extermination Hall, with its many talented disciples, wait until now to open its doors to the public?"

"In my opinion, this is the Demon Extermination Hall's trump card, which they had no choice but to unleash in response to the demon invasion!"

"The demon army is pressing in, and the void battlefield is in dire straits. They're just trying to use the inheritance to quickly cultivate a group of top-tier fighters to serve them!"

"This is also an open strategy; although dangerous, it is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The analysis by the brocade-robed cultivator was reasonable and well-founded, instantly dispelling most of the concerns of the surrounding cultivators who had previously harbored some doubts.

Yes, millions of years.

For cultivators, this is also a long period of time that can turn oceans into mulberry fields and turn celestial metal into mortal iron.

Who can live for a million years without dying?

Wouldn't that make him a legendary immortal?

Driven by greed, those reclusive eighth-tier monsters who were initially hesitant all left their secluded cultivation places and sped towards the headquarters of the Demon Slaying Hall.

They were confident that, with their experience and skills, even if there was something fishy going on, they could get away unscathed.

.....

However, just as the entire cultivation world was immersed in the jubilation of "a stroke of luck from heaven,"

The second bombshell announcement from the Demon Slayer Hall, however, was like a biting winter wind, instantly freezing everyone's enthusiasm and turning it into deep fear.

[Demon Extermination Order - A Worldwide Call!]

"Effective immediately, the Tianxuan Realm enters a state of full combat readiness!"

"All cultivators who have reached the fifth-tier Nascent Soul stage or above, regardless of their origin in a sect, family, or as independent cultivators, must unconditionally answer the call of the Demon Slayer Hall and serve in the Void Battlefield to resist the demon race!"

"Those who disobey orders will be executed without mercy!"

"Those who conceal or fail to report will be executed without mercy!"

"Anyone who deserts in the face of battle—will be executed without mercy!"

Three bloody "No Mercy" figures echoed throughout the entire Tianxuan Realm for three whole days via a sound transmission array!

The world was in an uproar.

"They've gone mad! The Demon-Slaying Hall has gone mad!"

"Recruit all cultivators above the fifth rank? This is tantamount to wiping out the very foundation of our cultivation world!"

"I'm not going! Is the Void Battlefield a place for humans? It's a meat grinder! Going there is just suicide!"

"I painstakingly cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage for immortality and freedom, not to become cannon fodder!"

Countless cultivators were terrified and complained bitterly.

Compared to the "carrot" given to an eighth-level expert, this "big stick" that hits fifth to seventh-level cultivators is far too painful and cruel!

Nobody wants to go and die.

As a result, a large number of cultivators began to have crooked ideas.

Some fled to the deep mountains and forests overnight; some tried to leave the Old World through teleportation arrays; and some even used the Turtle Breathing Technique to seal themselves ten thousand meters underground in an attempt to evade the conscription.

Especially those carefree cultivators who were used to living a life of ease, each displayed their unique abilities.

"Hmph! The Demon-Slaying Hall is nothing!"

"The world is vast, but I'll just disappear into my own little world, isolating myself from all the secrets of heaven. I refuse to believe that Duanmu Hong can find me one by one!"