No one knew how much time had passed before the flesh of the Nine Nether Holy Lord split abruptly into two halves. Then, as if it were ancient rock weathered over billions of years, it disintegrated with the slightest gust of wind, vanishing without a trace. Completely fallen, utterly erased from the world.

From the depths of the boundless cosmos came a thunderous, earth-shattering roar... followed by two bursts of joyous laughter echoing to an extreme.

However, shortly thereafter, the roar faded to silence, and the laughter ceased.

With the demise of the Nine Nether Holy Lord, three or four Great Saint Realm cultivators of the Nine Nether Ancient Clan also began to disintegrate, their bodies splitting open. Just like the Holy Lord, they weathered away on this battlefield.

Next came the uncountable Nine Nether Ancient Clan cultivators scattered across the battlefield. Before they could even comprehend what was happening, their bodies shattered, weathered, and... disappeared into nothingness.

Starlight Kill!

Chu Mo had just summoned the infinite stars, and wherever the starlight passed, every cultivator of the Nine Nether Ancient Clan met their end.

This strike cost Chu Mo greatly, but it was worth it!

Because on this battlefield, there were almost no Nine Nether Ancient Clan cultivators left standing.

With this single blow, he had annihilated them all!

Everyone on the side of the Luotian Imperial Clan stood there, frozen like wooden statues, dumbfounded as they watched the cultivators of the Nine Nether Ancient Clan disintegrate in the void. With instinct ruling their reactions, they involuntarily turned their gaze toward the tall, slender figure standing in the void.

Suddenly, a supreme battle general of the Luotian Imperial Clan roared a thunderous cry: "Chu Mo… invincible! Imperial Clan… invincible!"

Instantly, the blood of everyone present ignited, as if it had been set ablaze.

"Chu Mo… invincible! Imperial Clan… invincible!"

The echoes of their voices reverberated across the vast expanse of the cosmic void, their momentum overwhelming, shaking the heavens to their core.

Even the Great Saint Realm cultivators could not help but shout with reddened eyes and fervor.

The war that had lasted for so many years had ended in such a manner, beyond what anyone had foreseen.

The Nine Nether Ancient Clan, an iron-fisted power that had dominated for untold years, had been decimated by Chu Mo alone, wielding two blades!

Though the clan was not completely eradicated since the Nine Nether Patriarch still existed, the day of their full extinction would likely not be far off.

Ji Qingyu's eyes sparkled as she spoke softly, "From this day forth, the world shall know no Nine Nether."

From this day forth, the world shall know no Nine Nether!

Chu Mo withdrew his gaze from the direction of the Nine Nether Patriarch's battlefield in the distant starry sky. Turning toward his mother, he said slowly, "It's still not enough. What we desire is—Luotian ruled solely by the Royal Clan!"

"Luotian ruled solely by the Royal Clan…"

This statement spread across the battlefield in an instant, with every cultivator of the Luotian Imperial Clan repeating these words.

"Luotian ruled solely by the Royal Clan!"

"What a majestic proclamation!"

Even when the Imperial Clan had once unified the realm and claimed supremacy over the universe, they had not truly achieved "Luotian ruled solely by the Royal Clan." Yet now, when these words came from the mouth of a Great Saint Realm cultivator, no one felt it was out of place. Instead, it seemed fitting and natural, as though the world should indeed abide by this.

Chu Tianji glanced at his son, a glimmer of pride flashing in his eyes. Yet soon after, he asked calmly, "Are you alright?"

Ji Qingyu, snapping out of her awe at her son's commanding presence, looked at Chu Mo with concern: "How are you?"

Chu Mo glanced at his parents and smiled faintly: "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Then, he began invoking the Heaven Will and My Will cultivation technique to restore his depleted energy.

This battlefield was abundant in essence energy, the kind that allowed many people to silently recover. However, their recovery soon stalled because they were utterly shocked.

Rivers of essence energy, visible to the naked eye, surged madly toward Chu Mo, flowing into his body like torrents.

"Is this cultivation?"

"What kind of technique is this?"

"Does our Imperial Clan possess such a powerful cultivation technique?"

Everyone's faces bore expressions of disbelief and blank amazement.

Even those closest to Chu Mo, including the Great Saint Realm cultivators surrounding him, found their lips twitching uncontrollably. Typically, when Great Saints cultivated at full power, their essence energy absorption was already astonishingly fast—but not this fast...

Ji Qingyu cast a glance at Chu Tianji. Chu Tianji shook his head: "I don't know…"

Though in truth, Chu Tianji was aware that Chu Mo's cultivation technique, Heaven Will and My Will, had been passed down to him by his former master, the Demon Lord. However, the technique was incomplete, merely a remnant. Chu Tianji had once considered finding a better cultivation method for his son. But as Chu Mo's realm continued advancing without hindrance, he'd forgotten about the matter altogether.

It wasn't until now that he realized Chu Mo's cultivation technique not only didn't hinder his progress—it might well be among the highest tier in all existence!

No, one could even say Chu Mo's cultivation technique was unparalleled in this world!

Ji Qingyu's beautiful eyes sparkled at the sight, her delight unmatched. Nothing brought her greater joy than her son's excellence. Nothing at all!

Chu Mo didn't spend much time recovering; he was keenly aware that greater challenges might lie ahead.

After more than an hour, Chu Mo opened his eyes, gazing at his parents in confusion as he asked, "Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"Young master's power and cultivation abilities… are truly unheard of. I have seen much in my years, but I have never encountered anyone as dazzling as the young master," said Ji Kaixuan, an elderly Great Saint of the Imperial Clan, with admiration etched across his face.

"Indeed, such talent as the young master's, I have never seen," echoed another elderly Great Saint cultivator of the Imperial Clan.

"In time, young master may very well ascend to the throne of the younger generation's foremost elite."

"That day should not be far off."

"It certainly won't be far away!"

A group of elderly Great Saints from the Imperial Clan encircled Chu Mo, showering him with praise as if no words of flattery could ever run dry. Their admiration grew so fervent it made even Ji Qingyu and Chu Tianji feel a hint of embarrassment. Yet they understood that these elderly Great Saints were not the sort prone to sycophancy. Generally, coaxing compliments from them was an uphill battle. Not even the reigning emperor escaped their gaze of measured disdain, seen merely as an accomplished youth. As for Ji Feng, the heir to the throne? In their eyes, he was just a naive, trivial child scarcely worth another glance...

Thus, their praises today reflected their sincere awe at Chu Mo's extraordinary performance. Were it not for that, wild horses couldn't drag such words from their mouths.

In the face of their praises, Chu Mo remained humbly composed, maintaining his gracious smile.

Eventually, the elderly Great Saints exhausted their words of admiration—but judging by the intense looks on their faces, they seemed ready to take Chu Mo home with them immediately, revealing the true depth of their appreciation.

To these elder Great Saints, ties of blood mattered little—whether one hailed from the royal lineage, side branches, or extended family. After thousands of years, the so-called royal bloodline's purity was no longer absolute. Their judgment rested instead on loyalty: those who supported the Imperial Clan were family; those who stood against them were enemies!

Many among current side branches were deemed irredeemable foes in their eyes.

"Mother, which battlefield is closest to here?" Chu Mo finally seized the opportunity to speak, turning to Ji Qingyu and asking.

Ji Qingyu was momentarily stunned and gazed at Chu Mo in surprise: "Son, don't tell me you plan to…"

Chu Mo nodded, replying calmly, "Three years from now, the Ancient Battlefield will reopen. This news—true or false—will not be ignored, no matter what. Even if we know it's a trap, no one will dare not attend."

Ji Qingyu and the others all nodded, agreeing silently. The Investiture of the Gods… its allure was irresistible, even for great powers.

No cultivator could withstand its temptation!

"Thus, this war initiated by the Imperial Clan will undoubtedly be paused. This involves complexities on many fronts. For instance, we may not hold significant advantages on certain battlefields," Chu Mo commented.

Everyone donned expressions of contemplation as Ji Qingyu sighed lightly: "Indeed, after launching this campaign across eight regions, the Imperial Clan has eradicated numerous forces—yet we find ourselves confronting several ancient clans. In truth, it is equivalent to declaring war against them simultaneously. As you said, we are less dominant in some battlefields. However, before initiating this war, the emperor had already planned for it to be a war of attrition."

The mention of "war of attrition" moved Chu Mo deeply.

Attrition warfare… A simple phrase, but the bloody implications embedded within it chilled the heart.

What is attrition warfare? It's trading one life for another, consuming human lives as resources, burying the enemy under the weight of corpses!

Ultimately, victory rests with the side whose foundation endures longer—who holds stronger reserves, who persists until the bitter end.

The Imperial Clan's foundation was undoubtedly vast and powerful. Yet, engaging in attrition warfare simultaneously against multiple ancient clans… The potential outcomes were uncertain. Only such methods could bind several ancient clans at once.

The emperor's strategy was not without merit, even profoundly clever, but undeniably cruel!

Chu Mo couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Mercy has no place in command!

Setting these burdensome thoughts aside, Chu Mo said, "These ancient clans surely harbor unrelenting hatred toward us. Take this instance—the Nine Nether Holy Lord challenged Mother, openly seeking to provoke and unsettle us. I suspect similar issues would arise on other battlefields as well."

Ji Qingyu nodded in agreement: "That's correct."

"But this won't do," Chu Mo remarked. "Are the powerful elites behind these ancient clans all tied up?"

Ji Qingyu nodded affirmatively: "In our southern battlefield, the Great Saint Roc and Great Saint Sea Dragon have restrained the Nine Nether Patriarch. In the west, the Monkey Great Saint holds off the Patriarch Zi. And in the northern Heavenly Sea battlefield, the Fox Heaven Great Saint and Bull Demon Great Saint confront the Patriarch Heiyu. These three fields comprise the primary battlegrounds of our Luotian Imperial Clan."

"Patriarch Zi? What an odd name." Chu Mo's thoughts drifted momentarily to Zi Dao, his sworn brother in the Immortal Domain. He instinctively wondered if there could be a connection between them.

------------

Delivered during the third night watch.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.