Qing Gu True Monarch accompanied Prince Feng Xia Houfeng to this place to observe the enemy's defensive situation.
High up in the sky, they avoided the attention from below and secretly observed the situation.
Looking at the defense line below, Xia Houfeng sneered with disdain.
What a group of ignorant fools, thinking that with a crude and temporary defense line, they could resist the Dali Dynasty's army.
These Cultivators were brave and fierce when fighting individually or in small-scale battles, but when it came to large-scale battles with thousands of troops, they were far from competent and lacked experience.
Not to mention the overall battle, even in terms of top-tier experts, the Dali Dynasty held an absolute advantage.
Glancing at Qing Gu True Monarch beside him, Xia Houfeng said, "Qing Gu True Monarch, during the battle, I'll command the army, and you can deal with Jade Sword True Monarch."
"Do you think you can show mercy to an old friend when you fight against him?"
Qing Gu True Monarch shook his head indifferently. "What old friend? We only had a few encounters. When it comes to real combat, no one will show mercy."
True Monarch Azure Peak was able to lead his disciples to escape from Azure Origin Sect and flee all the way to the north of Jiuqu League. If it weren't for Qing Gu True Monarch deliberately letting them go, how could they have achieved it?
At this point, Xia Houfeng was about to scold Qing Gu True Monarch, but he held back his words.
Qing Gu True Monarch had seen the strength of the Dali Dynasty, and even if he had other ideas in his heart, he should have given up on them by now.
Actually, Xia Houfeng had misunderstood Qing Gu True Monarch a bit. He had genuinely pledged allegiance to the Dali Dynasty.
His goal was simple—to pave his own path.
Staying in Azure Origin Sect, his cultivation base could only reach the Primordial Spirit late stage, and there was no way to advance further in the Jiuqu League domain.
Azure Origin Sect was the ruler of the Jiuqu League, the regional overlord, and Qing Gu True Monarch was the supreme elder within the sect.
But what was the use of all that?
Without the Grand Dao and longevity, everything was illusory.
Everything he possessed would dissipate when his lifespan was exhausted.
Most cultivators, who were carefully cultivated by their sects from a young age, would prioritize their sect's interests and even sacrifice themselves for it.
However, Qing Gu True Monarch was obviously different. He prioritized his own path and cultivation base over the overall interests of Azure Origin Sect. For his own path, he was even willing to sacrifice the entire sect.
After reaching the Primordial Spirit late stage in cultivation, there was still a stage before entering the Return to Emptiness stage, known as the Primordial Spirit completion realm.
This realm was also known as Yang God.
The so-called Yang God referred to the pure and yang attribute of the Primordial Spirit.
Soul originally had a yin attribute, and to remove the yin qi from the Soul, one had to undergo the test and baptism of the Heavenly Tribulation.
The Heavenly Tribulation experienced by the Primordial Spirit was not an ordinary heavenly thunder but the Heavenly Tribulation of the Grand Dao, containing the power of the Heaven and Earth Grand Dao.
Even slightly weaker Primordial Spirits, if they were affected by the heavenly thunder, their Souls would be completely destroyed.
There were many Primordial Spirit late-stage cultivators in the Cultivation World, but few dared to brave the Heavenly Tribulation.
The Heavenly Tribulation was an unstoppable force, and failure meant death.
Cultivators reaching the Primordial Spirit late stage is an incredibly difficult process, filled with countless hardships and dangers. Those born in sects or clans bear the heavy responsibilities of their organizations, making it difficult for them to easily risk their lives.
The test of life and death is exceedingly dangerous.
However, many cultivators are unwilling to let their path to enlightenment end there. They have come up with various unorthodox methods, trying to deceive and bypass this crucial stage.
For instance, True Monarch Tian Zhu in the past attempted to use unconventional means to seize the body of a Fifth Rank Earth Spirit, hoping to directly enter the Return to Emptiness realm. Although he ultimately failed due to external interference, even without such interference, his success would have been unlikely.
Then there's Xu Huanshan True Monarch, the Cult Master of Yellow Lotus Sect, who wanted to break through the realm using the power of demonic cultivation. As a result, he ended up falling into demonic ways and almost lost all hope of redemption.
Having witnessed the failures of such shortcuts, Qing Gu True Monarch sought other methods.
In a fortuitous encounter, Qing Gu True Monarch learned something important.
The current emperor of the Dali Dynasty, Ba Wudi, was a Yang God True Monarch. Furthermore, Imperial Preceptor Chunyu Zhongda was also a Yang God True Monarch, and he achieved this status after joining the Dali Dynasty.
If Ba Wudi alone had become a Yang God, it might have been attributed to his extraordinary talent, making it an unrepeatable path. However, the fact that Imperial Preceptor Chunyu Zhongda also attained the Primordial Spirit completion realm indicates that Ba Wudi likely possessed a method to pass through the Heavenly Tribulation successfully.
Coincidentally, at that time, the Dali Dynasty was engaging in various conquests. Although they had not yet conquered the Crossing Severing Mountain Range, Ba Wudi, with his strategic foresight, had already set his sights on the next target—the Jiuqu League.
The Dali Dynasty had made early arrangements and sent spies to the Jiuqu League.
For example, True Monarch Crossing Blade, a well-known loose cultivator in the Jiuqu League, originally came from the Dali Dynasty's army as a Gold Core cultivator. During that time, he entered the Jiuqu League, concealing his identity and hiding among them.
Qing Gu True Monarch actively made contact with the Dali Dynasty and presented his own demands.
The Dali Dynasty attached great importance to Qing Gu True Monarch. With his identity and status, if he were to align himself with the Dali Dynasty, their campaign to conquer the Jiuqu League would be twice as successful.
Therefore, the Dali Dynasty agreed to Qing Gu True Monarch's request.
As long as Qing Gu True Monarch assisted the Dali Dynasty in conquering the Jiuqu League, Ba Wudi would impart him the method to pass through the Heavenly Tribulation, giving him the confidence to overcome the ordeal.
Subsequently, Qing Gu True Monarch used his status to sow discord within the Azure Origin Sect. He manipulated his supporters to oppose Jade Sword Sect at every turn and resist any sensible proposals they made within the Jiuqu League.
Within Azure Origin Sect and the Jiuqu League, some suspected Qing Gu True Monarch, but his Cultivation Base and status made it hard to question him.
Moreover, Qing Gu True Monarch was adept at employing political tactics, presenting all his actions as struggles for power and rights.
Throughout this process, Qing Gu True Monarch had moments of hesitation and vacillation. However, in the end, he arrived at where he stands today.
He knew that there was no turning back for him now, and the only path left was to devote himself wholeheartedly to the Dali Dynasty.
Having witnessed the formidable strength of the Dali Dynasty, he no longer had any thoughts of rebellion.
In his eyes, the folks from Jade Sword Sect were like praying mantises trying to stop a chariot, utterly incapable of resisting the Dali Dynasty's mighty army.
The true power of the Dali Dynasty had not even been fully revealed yet, and the forces currently deployed were already enough to crush everything in their path.
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