The Transmigrator’s Cultivation

Arc 24: Nine Void Battlefield | Chapter 453: Finally Meeting

Xu Ziqing stood in the weak spot, a key location, meditating and regulating his breath while awaiting the demon wave.

As the wave drew nearer, the demons became increasingly restless. Every day, the shen cultivators fired arrows, and the ashes from the slain demons danced in the wind, accumulating like sand on the ground.

The mood among the shen cultivators grew tense.

Xu Ziqing gradually realized that when the demon wave arrived, not only would low- and mid-level demons wreak havoc, but many high-level demons and great demons would also launch attacks from this location. If this place fell, the entire Nine Void Battlefield would be in grave danger, and if they couldn’t eliminate the demons in time, the Nine Void Realm itself would be difficult to defend. However, the god cultivators in the Enlightenment Realm had long fought fierce battles against star-level demons to protect the battlefield.

If not for their years of battles in the void, these demons would have attacked other sky curtains when assaulting the key points. By then, with enough numbers, no defense would have been impenetrable.

But now, with the wave approaching, all high-level demons and great demons would appear only in weak spots, while the low- and mid-level demons, driven by instinct to seek blood, would mostly cluster at the weak points. The shen cultivators were stationed at many of these weak spots for defense. Thus, if the high-level and great demons were all slain, most of the crisis would be averted. As for the areas beyond the weak spots, due to the lack of blood, the low- and mid-level demons would gather mostly at the weak spots, with only a few stragglers venturing elsewhere. Those few were left to the main forces of the stationed regiments and the scattered shen cultivators and other practitioners who hadn’t joined the battle at the key locations.

Thus, although the war triggered by the demon wave involved the main forces of many regiments, in reality, no one on the Nine Void Battlefield could escape the fight.

… It was only a matter of how much they had to face.

But no matter how little they faced, it would always be much harder than before the wave’s arrival.

In the following days, small teams from various minor regiments began to gather at this location.

From within Li Xiuzhu’s divine manifestation came news from Li Xinglong: several large regiments had already discussed their plans, and the distribution of forces was complete. Because this weak spot was of strategic importance, five thousand soldiers, riding sun-god beasts, would arrive to participate in the battle.

Upon hearing this, the shen cultivators relaxed somewhat.

For now, all they had to do was prepare for battle.

Xu Ziqing saw that the shen cultivators who had arrived here had already been organized. The front line shot demons in rotation, while the rear collected the ashes of the fallen demons, extracting a fine powder from them. Using divine power, they gradually refined the powder into a paste-like substance, which was then placed into barrel-shaped containers and tightly sealed. At first, Xu Ziqing didn’t understand, but he soon realized that this was a type of healing medicine used by shen cultivators to neutralize the poison from demon-inflicted wounds and accelerate healing on the battlefield. Normally, the medicine exchanged in the various camps was also extracted from demon corpses, but those took longer to refine. These were quicker to make—thanks to the pure divine power drawn from the enormous sun left behind by the Clear Bright Realm god cultivators, resulting in even better healing medicine.

After a few more days, the shen cultivators had prepared dozens of barrels of healing medicine. With demon-slaying rotations, morale was high, and everyone was full of energy.

Now, all they awaited was the arrival of reinforcements, and they would be ready to face the battle!

At the same time, tiny cracks began to appear in the sky curtain. Each crack emitted numerous sinister auras, some large, some small, some strong, and some weak, but gathered together, they created an overwhelming sense of dread.

It seemed as if the demons were brewing something, and war was about to erupt. Xu Ziqing saw the many cultivators maintaining vigilant defense, and he too stood beneath the blazing sun, circulating his true essence within.

In the Realm of Ten Thousand Trees, the Wood Green Dragon exhaled and absorbed wood energy, and countless plants and trees showed signs of transforming into dragons!

Suddenly, a shen cultivator exclaimed in delight, “Reinforcements are here!”

Immediately, many others turned their heads to look, and sure enough, the sound of hooves echoed from the distance, with various auras approaching from afar. The next moment, many shen cultivators drew their bows and shot down the demons blocking their view, clearing a path.

Outside the demonic horde, waves of demons let out piercing screams, and the air filled with the stench of blood—evidence that many had also been slain.

With the demons being attacked both inside and out, the road was finally cleared, revealing the approaching army!

Xu Ziqing stood beneath the blazing sun, his heart suddenly skipping a beat. This strong premonition… He quickly looked up and gazed into the distance.

And in that moment, his eyes met another’s.

Shixiong?

It’s Shixiong!

Without a second thought, Xu Ziqing’s body blurred as he leaped several feet forward in an instant.

Before him stood a stern sword cultivator, who took two steps forward—already appearing right in front of him.

The two stood face to face, one with softened eyes, the other with gentle features, both filled with longing.

All of Xu Ziqing’s previous thoughts were suppressed, now replaced by sheer joy as he looked his Shixiong over. His earlier worries seemed to melt away at this moment. But… it was clear that Shixiong had been through many fierce battles.

Xu Ziqing could see it clearly—his Shixiong’s robes were badly damaged, and the once white garments were almost entirely stained with blood, evidence of the intense battles he had fought. The torn areas likely concealed many injuries, though they were not visible now. Still, Xu Ziqing could only imagine how severe they must have been at the time. Though his heart ached for him, he showed little of it, offering only a gentle smile. “Shixiong, while the battle hasn’t begun, you should change into a fresh robe.”

Yun Lie nodded slightly and accepted the plain robe Xu Ziqing handed him. Since most of those present were men, Yun Lie didn’t mind and simply tore off the tattered outer garment and replaced it with the plain robe. He then looked over his shidi.

Xu Ziqing wore a green robe, showing no signs of exhaustion, nor did he appear to have faced any major hardships. However, the bamboo flute he used to wear in his hair was gone, now replaced with a similar hairband tying up his long hair. His aura was stronger than before, indicating significant progress, and the cold and resolute air around his brows had deepened, suggesting that he too had faced battles. This was good.

Though neither spoke much, the unspoken warmth between them overflowed through their actions.

On the battlefield, few paid attention to them, though Li Xiuzhu and the others who knew Xu Ziqing had noticed his movements and soon spotted Yun Lie.

Li Xiuzhu, knowing Xu Ziqing’s feelings, immediately guessed that this sword cultivator must be the partner he had been searching for. Seeing the deep bond between them, Li Xiuzhu suddenly thought of his own wife, and a wave of sorrow washed over him. Entering the Tribulation Realm… every time he thought about it, the tribulation seemed more inescapable.

Meanwhile, the two brothers had just reunited and exchanged a few words, feeling content. With the demon wave about to strike, there was no need to rush their reunion. But their subtle actions and glances at each other were filled with undeniable intimacy.

At this time, the five thousand soldiers who had just arrived quickly began discussing tactics with the shen cultivators at this weak point in the defense.

Li Xiuzhu, along with four other shen cultivators in the Entering Tribulation Realm, were the leaders of the vanguard from the five major military divisions. They gathered with the leaders of the reinforcements to plan.

Since the message had been relayed by Li Xiuzhu’s true godly body, the soldiers who had arrived belonged to the Li family army, and were naturally familiar with Li Xiuzhu. After discussing with the generals of the five divisions, their tactical arrangements were smoothly coordinated.

Those who had fought in the Nine Void Battlefield against the demon waves numerous times had already established a clear battle pattern, so it didn’t take long to organize the troops.

The total number of those present, including the newly arrived soldiers, was about 5,500, divided into five groups. The first two groups were assigned to engage the demons—one thousand in the initial wave and one thousand as backup. The remaining three thousand were tasked with refining salves and preserving their divine energy. Once the first two groups retreated, the next two would take their place, following the same strategy. After a certain period, the last group would combine with the first group to handle the backup duties. Those tending to the wounded would be part of the second wave of reinforcements. Meanwhile, the two groups from the initial wave would rest and recover their divine energy.

The strategy was to ensure that those on the front lines had ample rest, the backups had sufficient preparation, and the group refining the healing salves could replace them if needed. This rotation was designed to sustain them through the countless days it might take to fend off the demon wave and ensure that this position didn’t fall.

If they could manage to quell the wave here ahead of time, the soldiers would need to head to another weak point to serve as reinforcements, and they could not stop until the entire battlefield was pacified!

Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie had already discussed everything about their reunion and parted ways for now.

As the commanders finalized their plans, this weak point became even more fortified and prepared for battle.

The cracks in the sky were growing larger.

Xu Ziqing glanced at them from a distance, suddenly recalling something. He said, “Shixiong, the hearts of the demons sometimes contain crystallized power of time and space. Later, I’ll arrange for some branches of Rongjin to accompany you, so you can retrieve them for me.”

Yun Lie replied, “That won’t be necessary. I will fight alongside you.”

Hearing this, Xu Ziqing’s gaze softened. “In that case, I’ll fight by your side, Shixiong.”

Yun Lie nodded slightly. “As it should be.”

At that moment, Li Xiuzhu, glancing at the sky, walked over. “Brother Xu, is this your Shixiong?”

Xu Ziqing smiled. “Indeed, this is my Shixiong, Yun Lie.”

Li Xiuzhu cupped his hands in greeting, and Yun Lie responded with a slight nod.

Since the two didn’t know each other well, they didn’t engage in much conversation. Li Xiuzhu then turned to Xu Ziqing and asked, “When the wave comes, I will fight alongside the soldiers with the main army. Do you have any plans, Brother Xu?”

Xu Ziqing responded, “My Shixiong and I will form our own small team. We’ll focus on slaying the demons here, so there’s no need to worry about us.”

Li Xiuzhu considered this. Although Xu Ziqing had once saved his life, shen cultivators and regular cultivators followed different paths, and it wasn’t feasible to integrate him into their forces. It was probably better for Xu Ziqing and his Shixiong to act independently, as they had before. Nodding, he said, “In that case, Brother Xu, please be cautious. If you find yourselves overwhelmed, prioritize your lives and retreat under the light of tomorrow’s sun to rest.”

Xu Ziqing appreciated his concern and smiled as he nodded. “Shixiong and I have our plans, but thank you for your kindness, Brother Li.”

With that settled, Li Xiuzhu returned to the formation.

Xu Ziqing and Yun Lie quietly waited.

A day later, the demons, unable to contain their impatience, finally began to pour out from the cracks in the sky.

This marked the beginning of the demon wave!

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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