Chapter 819 Commencement of Sacred War

Barren State, Holy Zhi Palace.

From the expanse, a mighty procession came in, and behind them, the cultivators of Thousand Holy Islands followed.

The palace lord of Holy Zhi Palace, Ye Futian, had returned.

Moreover, they have already learned that at Nine State Forum, the Barren State had achieved brilliant records and placed first in all of the Nine States.

Yu Sheng took the first place in Nine State Forum. The Barren State had also performed brilliantly as well, making the top 100 and the top 50.

When those who went to Nine State Forum had brought back the news to the Barren State, it caused a great commotion. Those who had questioned Ye Futian before abandoned their old prejudices against him.

That kind of achievement was a first in the Nine States, and Yu Sheng was sure to have a saintly existence in the future.

The choice of the old palace lord had been correct; Ye Futian could indeed lead Holy Zhi Palace to a new height.

“The palace lord is back.” At this time, inside the Holy Zhi Palace, voices were heard, and many figures suddenly levitated in the air. Some young disciples showed fervent enthusiasm and wors.h.i.+p on their faces. These were youths who were of the same age, but when they were still cultivating at the Holy Zhi Palace, Ye Futian had already led the people of Holy Zhi Palace to compete with all the geniuses of the Nine States.

“Greetings to the palace lord,” said many people.

Ye Futian looked at the ground below and nodded slightly at the crowd. Sage Wanxiang and others who were on his side, upon witnessing this scene, also felt a great sense of comfort. Now, Ye Futian’s reputation in the Holy Zhi Palace had reached a new height; there were no longer those voices of doubt when he first took over the Holy Zhi Palace.

“Who are those people?” Many noticed the people from Tombkeeper Village, a great troop that followed behind Ye Futian.

An old man was standing almost by Ye Futian’s side. Even Sage Wanxiang and Zhuge Qingfeng were standing behind him.

One’s stance and position often indicated their status.

At this time, there were a few more figures coming out of the air. It was Sage Douzhan, Sword Demon, Sage Daozang, and a few others who smiled and walked toward this direction. The mighty cultivators formed a welcoming party, like welcoming the triumphant return of heroes.

However, Ye Futian, at this moment, did not have the joy of triumph. On the contrary, his mood was rather somber. The trip to the Eastern State was extremely rewarding, but at the same time, they would be facing an unprecedented strong enemy—the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty.

“Master, Uncle-Master.” Ye Futian called out, “Summon every one in the Holy Zhi Palace, I have an announcement to make.”

Sage Douzhan and Sword Demon had a strange look on their faces and seemed to have felt the strangeness in Ye Futian’s voice. They look at Sage Wanxiang and Zhuge Qingfeng and understood that something grave may have happened.

“Okay.” Several of them nodded immediately and began to summon all the cultivators of the Holy Zhi Palace, and even brought together the island master of the Thousand Holy Islands.

It did not take long. On the impressive steps of the Holy Sage Pavilion at the Holy Zhi Palace, Ye Futian and the others stood quietly, staring at the gathering crowd, and everyone at the palace was coming at an extremely fast speed.

Gradually, there were fewer and fewer people coming, and Ye Futian took a step forward and gestured to everyone. Immediately, they quieted down.

“A year ago, I took our people from the Barren State to the Eastern State to broaden our experiences, and some things happened, of which you must have heard about. At the Nine State Forum, our Barren State disciples achieved extremely brilliant results, no less brilliant than any other state in the Nine States.” As Ye Futian spoke, everyone saw the determination in his eyes, and they slightly balled their fists. Their achievements at Nine State Forum this time had really turned them into believers.

The Barren State had not been in contact with the Nine States for many years. Because there were no saints, many of them had felt inferior and did not feel they were equals. When Zhisheng Cliffs of Yu State arrived, with how dazzling Qin Zhong was, even the Holy Zhi Palace seemed somewhat less impressive in front of Zhisheng Cliffs. Thus, many princ.i.p.alities had chosen to attach themselves to Zhisheng Cliffs. However, Ye Futian’s appearance changed everything and proved some other things.

“Of course, I’m gathering you here today not to boast about the achievements of the Barren State disciples in the Nine State Forum, but to announce a few things,” Ye Futian continued and looked at the Village Chief.

The old Village Chief took a step forward and suddenly, countless people were looking at him, trying to guess his ident.i.ty.

“The Village Chief of Tombkeeper Village in the Eastern State is of the saint plane. Now, he will lead Tombkeeper Village into the Holy Zhi Palace and be conferred as a Holy Elder,” Ye Futian said with a calm voice, but just this sentence had shaken to their core.

Saint.

This old man was the cultivator of saint plane in the legends.

Moreover, he was to be part of the Holy Zhi Palace?

Even Sword Demon, Sage Douzhan, and others trembled in their hearts. Although they felt he was extraordinary, they did not expect that he was of the saint plane.

“Palace lord, saint plane?” someone asked with trembling voice. Ye Futian looked at the Village Chief and, in an instant, his temperament changed suddenly; a holy power swept out, and the world seemed to be under the pressure of this great power.

The entire Holy Zhi Palace, in every corner, could feel this holy power.

“It’s a real saint.” Many had a fervent look on their faces. Ye Futian brought a cultivator of the saint plane to the Barren State.

“You can greet the elder now,” Ye Futian said, and everyone responded by bowing and calling out, “Greetings to Holy Elder.”

For many years, the dream of the Barren State, with the efforts of several generations, was to have a saint. But today, a cultivator of the saint plane had actually appeared in front of them as a Holy Elder; one could only imagine how this had impacted everyone.

Even Sword Demon and Sage Douzhan stepped out to pay their respects. “Greetings, Holy Elder,” they said.

Even top sages had to pay respect to saints.

Sainthood was not only a plane but also a status symbol.

“In addition, the Holy Zhi Palace will create the Nether Palace, and the Holy Elder will also serve as the Palace Lord of the Nether Palace, and the people of Tombkeeper Village will become disciples of the Nether Palace,” Ye Futian continued. Tombkeeper Village had descended from Sword Saint of the Void, hence the name.

Everyone took a deep breath. Not only was he conferred as elder, but a special palace had been set up for him. Obviously, the palace lord was serious; this saint was really going to cultivate here.

How did the palace lord achieve this?

“Senior Yang.” At this time, Ye Futian looked at another, and Yang Xiao stepped out.

Many showed a look of curiosity. Who might this be?

The palace lord had addressed him as “senior.”

“Yang Xiao, the City Lord of Yujing City in the Eastern State, also a sage plane cultivator of the Sage and Saint Ranking of the Nine States, has led some of his people from Yujing City to come here and enter our palace to cultivate. Therefore, the Holy Zhi Palace will create the Matrix Palace, with senior Yang Xiao serving as the palace lord of Matrix Palace, with the study of matrixes as the main subject. Afterward, anyone talented in the way of matrices will enter this palace to cultivate.”

Everyone’s hearts trembled again. The strongest in the Sage and Saint Ranking of the Nine States, with levels existing below the saint plane, was enough to be at the forefront of the Barren Sky Rank.

The strength of the Holy Zhi Palace in the Barren State had greatly increased, and it was comparable to some of the holy lands in the Nine States.

“This is the good news. Next, there is bad news to announce,” Ye Futian continued to speak to the excited crowd, and suddenly, everyone focused on him.

Sword Demon, Sage Douzhan, and the others flashed a look of concern on their faces. Ye Futian had returned with saints, yet he was still very solemn; it must have been terrible news.

“Our Holy Zhi Palace, in the very near future, could be at war with the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty in the holy land of the Eastern State. Therefore, everyone must be mentally prepared, as this battle will be a matter of life or death. Even the survival of Holy Zhi Palace depends on it. This is not a threat.” As Ye Futian spoke, the excitement that was felt by the people turned into a sinking feeling.

Ye Futian paused for a moment and did not continue until everyone had time to digest what he had to say. “This war concerns life or death, and I don’t want to force anyone, so I will give everyone some time to think things over. Before the start of the war, you may choose to leave, but from then on, you will no longer be a disciple of the Holy Zhi Palace and won’t be affected by this war. However, once this war is announced, you must strictly obey the order. If you leave the Palace, you will be considered a deserter, your cultivation will be forfeited.”

Extreme times required extreme measures; this Sacred War would also be a baptism by fire for the Holy Zhi Palace.

This was the same thought as when he was choosing who to bring to the holy temple to cultivate. When the Sacred War began, only those who were willing to move in tandem with the Palace would be kept around, and those who lacked determination would be sifted out. There was no sense in forcing these people to stay; it would be counterproductive.

“Today, I just wanted to give you a choice regarding this news. You are dismissed,” Ye Futian said, then turned to leave, leaving behind countless shocked cultivators.

These few words from Ye Futian caused a strong impact in their hearts, a feeling that could not be expressed.

The Palace had finally been sanctified, but the Holy Zhi Palace would be at war with a holy land of the Eastern State.

Sage Douzhan and Sword Demon followed behind Ye Futian, and Sword Demon asked, “Is it really so serious?”

“Yes.” Ye Futian nodded. “All matters here at the palace, including Holy Elder and Palace Lord Yang, will require your attention, and I’m handing them over to you. I have been exhausted these days and I want to rest. If you have any questions, you can consult Master-Uncle Wanxiang. All that’s left to do now is to wait.”

“No problem.” Sage Douzhan nodded. “We will take care of things from here. Go do what you need to do.”

“Much indebted.” Ye Futian smiled and left with Jieyu and the others.

Ye Futian and Yu Sheng returned to their residence and saw a group standing quietly, waiting.

Yi Qingxuan walked to Yu Sheng’s side and stood on her toes to adjust his s.h.i.+rt for him. Then she smiled and looked at Ye Futian. “Did our Yu Sheng give you a long face?”

“Yes, but look who are we talking about,” Ye Futian responded with a smile. In the Palace, only those who were close to him did not treat him as the palace lord.

“Tired?” Nandou Wenyin regarded Ye Futian gently.

“I’m all right, masteress.” Ye Futian nodded with a smile.

“When he agreed to become the palace lord, he was destined to face all these issues,” Hua Fengliu whispered. Of course, he understood that Ye Futian had considered things carefully before agreeing to serve as the palace lord. This was not just about power, but truly a ch.o.r.e. Given that Barren State had no saints, he shouldered missions and responsibilities.

“The Master is right, now that I have chosen this road, I can only move forward.” Ye Futian nodded, and looked at Loulan Xue next to him and said, “You’ve worked hard.”

Loulan Xue was looking after Hua Fengliu and Nandou Wenyin. She shook her head gently.

“Brother Futian.” Just then a voice was heard, and Ye Futian turned and saw Long Ling’er and Mu Zhiqiu coming toward him. Everyone in the palace knew that these two were good friends of Ye Futian, so the guards would not have stopped them from entering.

Ye Futian looked at Long Ling’er and thought that time went by so fast. This girl was now 20, and she was had become more graceful than ever.

Looking at her reminded Ye Futian of Yaya. When he first got to know Ling’er, she was the same age as Yaya. However, she was a little more fortunate than Yaya. Even though her older uncle was gone, she had parents who treated her like a princess, and Yaya was the more pitiful one in comparison.

When his thoughts turned to this, his hatred for the Great Zhou Sacred King intensified.

He rubbed Long Linger’s head. Long Ling’er habitually gave him a look of annoyance but did not make a big deal, letting him messing up her hair.

“Did you cultivate well?” Ye Futian asked.

“Yes, brother Futian, I am pretty good now,” Long Ling’er said a little proudly.

“Go ahead and be boastful.” Ye Futian smiled. “Ling’er, go home and do not come to the Palace for the time being.”

“No.” Long Ling’er shook her head and looked at Ye Futian. “Brother Futian, you are the Palace Lord, you can’t give me preferential treatment.”

“You little girl…” Ye Futian tapped on her head. This girl was way too shrewd, even for him.

“Zhiqiu, when can you get on the Law Rank?” Ye Futian looked at Mu Zhiqiu and asked with a smile

“I…” Mu Zhiqiu was caught off guard and then smiled with a little bitterness. She had fought with Ye Futian once, but now, looking at everything that Ye Futian had done, she could only look from the sidelines; he had advanced too quickly.

“Don’t make fun of me,” Mu Zhiqiu replied.

“Your natural talent is very strong, so sooner or later, it will happen.” Ye Futian smiled, but Mu Zhiqiu did not say much.

“Loulan, have dinner prepared. I haven’t had a good meal for a long time.” Ye Futian smiled. Loulan Xue nodded, and the group enjoyed a peaceful dinner.

But in the world outside, because of what Ye Futian had said, everything was chaos.

Everything that Ye Futian had done spread toward in the Barren State. After a few days, the shockwave reached the Barren State.

Ye Futian had slaughtered a saint.

Even though it was done with the help of the matrix, it was still a slaughtering of a saint, a legendary figure. And the young leader of the Palace in the Barren State had done so to a legendary figure that the Barren State needed to look up to.

The Sovereign Family of Zhongzhou City, Tingxue House, the Zhuge family of the Northern Territory, Alchemy city in the south of the Barren State, and many other countless top forces were rocked by the news.

This time, the Barren State would face an unprecedented storm.

Ye Futian and his people cultivated quietly; he was waiting for a message.

A month later, finally, there was a procession of majestic figures appearing above the Holy Zhi Palace, and they came directly above the Holy Sage Pavilion.

Ye Futian took many of his people and levitated to meet those who were above.

“Where is Ye Futian?” someone in the expanse asked.

“Who wants to know?” Ye Futian asked.

“Nine States Supervising Inspector,” yhe person headed the group in the expanse replied.

Ye Futian’s eyes lit up. They finally came.

“What business does the supervising inspector have with us?” Ye Futian asked.

“Great Zhou Sacred King sent a message to Emperor Xia, saying that he desired to initiate Sacred War. He said that if Palace Lord Ye is willing to go to Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty to repent on his knees and send the Divine Sword and Yaya into the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty, the Sacred War can be avoided. Does Palace Lord Ye desire war or peace?” the supervising inspector announced.

As his voice faded, everyone in the Holy Zhi Palace revealed an angry look.

“It’s outrageous.” Several of the palace lords looked incredibly offended after hearing the proposal.

Ye Futian gazed at the supervising inspector in the expanse, a spirited look on his face. He replied, “War.”

“Very well.” The supervising inspector nodded. “From this moment forward, between the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty and the Holy Zhi Palace, the Sacred War has been permitted according to the regulations of Sacred War. Cultivators of the saint plane can only battle equals and are not permitted to kill anyone below the saint plane. Cultivators of the sage plane are not permitted to kill anyone below the sage plane. Families of cultivators who are outside of both domains are exempt from the war; Nine States Guards will monitor this Sacred War.

“Do you remember it all?” the supervising inspector asked.

“Yes.” Ye Futian nodded.

“Farewell.” The supervising inspector nodded, and then the group left.

Here was the declaration that the Sacred War had now started.

From this moment forward, Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty and the Holy Zhi Palace, following the rules, could kill anyone from the other side, unlimited by time, place, and means!

It was easy to understand why such rules were put in place; if saints could slaughter anyone below the saint plane, then both sides may exhaust all of their people except for cultivators of the saint plane!