Chapter 139: The Starry Cosmos Falls
"Forget it then. I suppose there is no need to continue this negotiation!" Wang Changsheng said in a deep voice. "For the Corpse Refining Sect, merely knowing the location of Cloud Palace Peak is of little use. The crucial point is being able to hold Cloud Palace Peak at bay for a while during a critical moment!"
"Even we in the Loose Cultivators Pavilion cannot manage that. Executive Wang is afraid to have made this trip in vain," Zhang Mingwang said helplessly. "With the strength of the Loose Cultivators Pavilion, even if every single one of us died, we wouldn't be able to hold Cloud Palace Peak..."
"Farewell!"
After cupping his fists in a formal salute, Wang Changsheng left the small building of the Loose Cultivators Pavilion directly.
"Executive Wang, are we still heading to the He family?" Chen Yuan asked via voice transmission.
Wang Changsheng nodded.
Immediately, Wang Changsheng led Chen Yuan to the front of the small building occupied by the He family.
"What? Wang Changsheng, are you looking to start a war right now?" He Feng asked in a cold voice upon seeing Wang Changsheng's figure. "At worst, my He family will simply give up the God of War's Tomb this time and fight you Corpse Refining Sect to the bitter end!"
"Anyway, my He family has its heritage; we can do without the God of War's inheritance, but the feud with your Corpse Refining Sect must be settled!"
Wang Changsheng looked at He Feng, smiled, and remained silent.
...
"Saintess Caiyun, Wang Changsheng has left the small building of the Loose Cultivators Pavilion!" a disciple of Cloud Palace Peak reported, bowing deeply to Caiyun.
Hearing the disciple's report, a contemplative expression appeared on Caiyun's face. "What was his expression when he left?"
"It was unreadable," the Cloud Palace Peak disciple said in a deep voice.
Caiyun pondered for a moment before continuing, "Go and summon Zhang Mingwang to me!"
As an executive of the Corpse Refining Sect, Wang Changsheng was responsible for all external affairs of the sect. This fact had already spread when he first confronted the He family, and now everyone knew that Wang Changsheng's words and actions represented the Corpse Refining Sect.
Especially as various factions noticed Wang Changsheng entering the Loose Cultivators Pavilion, they all began to ponder his intentions.
Without even needing to think, the various factions knew that Wang Changsheng must have gone to seek cooperation. After all, the Loose Cultivators Pavilion possessed immense numbers, and many factions wished to cooperate with them—the Corpse Refining Sect being no exception.
What the various factions did not know, however, was how the talks between Wang Changsheng and Zhang Mingwang had actually gone!
"Investigate! Immediately find out which faction the Loose Cultivators Pavilion is cooperating with!"
"Make sure to find out whether the Loose Cultivators Pavilion has joined forces with the Corpse Refining Sect!"
"Find out clearly whether the Loose Cultivators Pavilion chose the Corpse Refining Sect or Cloud Palace Peak!"
...
One order after another came down, setting the entire small town into motion because of Wang Changsheng's visit to the Loose Cultivators Pavilion. Clearly, everyone wanted to know which faction the Loose Cultivators Pavilion was aligning with!
As for Wang Changsheng's subsequent entry into the He family's building, it was noticed by only a sparse few.
Zhang Mingwang was one of them!
Hearing the report from a pavilion disciple that Wang Changsheng had entered the He family's small building, a heavy expression appeared on Zhang Mingwang's face.
"Wang Changsheng, oh Wang Changsheng, how wonderful it would have been if I could have kept you in the Loose Cultivators Pavilion back then. At the very least, I wouldn't have to worry about so many things!" Zhang Mingwang shook his head and said with a trace of regret, "Alas, I had no way to refuse your second uncle's arrangements!"
To this day, Zhang Mingwang still remembered Wang Changsheng as he was back then—a minor cultivator whose cultivation had barely reached the Houtian realm. Zhang Mingwang could never have imagined that in such a short span of time, Wang Changsheng's every word and action would be capable of stirring the movements of all the factions.
"If he really has allied with the He family..." Zhang Mingwang thought heavily, "Then I must truly admire you, Wang Changsheng!"
...
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
Just as Wang Changsheng left the small building occupied by the He family, a series of deafening roars immediately echoed through the air. Looking toward the direction of the booming sounds, Wang Changsheng's expression instantly turned one of shock.
"What is that?" An exclamation escaped Wang Changsheng's lips.
"A natural disaster?"
He saw a vast expanse of the starry cosmos slowly descending from the sky. Wang Changsheng understood that it wasn't that this expanse of stars was falling slowly, but rather that it was still too far away, making it only *appear* slow. As for how fast it was actually plummeting, Wang Changsheng had no way of knowing.
"Let's go back!"
Wang Changsheng immediately called out to Chen Yuan.
The two of them hurried back to their small building at top speed, only to find that all the disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect had already emerged from the building. Wu Li's figure was among them as well, all of them staring up with shocked expressions at the falling starry cosmos.
"What is that?" Wang Changsheng immediately asked Wu Li.
Only true Dao-enlightened cultivators at the Golden Core Great Dao realm had the ability to traverse the void of the starry cosmos. Wu Li must surely know something about the cosmos currently falling.
Every Corpse Refining Sect disciple present looked at Wu Li, waiting for his answer.
"This should..." Wu Li pondered for a moment before speaking in a deep voice, "If I'm not mistaken, this falling expanse of stars should be the God of War's Tomb!"
"The God of War's Tomb?"
"This is the God of War's Tomb?"
"Is the God of War's Tomb a piece of the starry cosmos falling from the void?"
...
A chorus of shocked cries immediately rose from the Corpse Refining Sect disciples.
The God of War's Tomb was a minor world that had appeared only after the Corpse Refining Sect had sealed its mountain gates, so the sect had very little understanding of it.
"Anyway, as far as I know, all minor worlds are actually hidden within the void of the starry cosmos. If the God of War's Tomb is a shattered minor world, it must certainly be located within the cosmos!" Wu Li said solemnly.
Hearing Wu Li's explanation, the disciples of the Corpse Refining Sect looked on with shaken expressions as the starry cosmos slowly descended.
Minor worlds were all hidden within the void of the cosmos—this was the first time Wang Changsheng had ever heard of such a thing. Coming from Wu Li's lips, the credibility was naturally extremely high.
Rumble, rumble, rumble...
The descent of the starry cosmos grew faster and faster, and the deafening roars grew louder by the moment. The immense might caused the Corpse Refining Sect members, witnessing it for the first time, to display looks of profound shock.
Just as everyone was reeling from the shock, they saw ten figures shoot out from the small town, instantly landing upon the town's defensive walls. Along the walls, at regular intervals, were watchtowers, and the ten figures happened to occupy one watchtower each.
Each of the ten figures produced a jade-like key from their hands and placed it atop their respective watchtower.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
The moment the keys were placed, rays of profound light shot out from the watchtowers, projecting directly toward the descending starry cosmos.
"If what's falling really is the God of War's Tomb, then what those ten people placed down must be the keys!" Wang Changsheng said in a deep voice.
"This is an array formation!" Wu Li also spoke up solemnly at that moment. "Furthermore, it's a formation laid out on a massive scale. If my eyes do not deceive me, this array is meant to dock with the falling starry cosmos!"
"Are you certain?" Wang Changsheng immediately asked.
"Not entirely!" Wu Li replied gravely. "I only have some understanding of array formations; I am not an expert. If the First Elder were here, he would undoubtedly be able to tell. Among the Corpse Refining Sect, only the First Elder is truly proficient in array formations."
Inside the small town, many cultivators had already taken flight into mid-air, gazing at the descending cosmos with faces full of shock. Yet, not a single person showed any fear. Wang Changsheng guessed that the expanse of stars dropping from the void was undoubtedly the God of War's Tomb.
Before long, the starry cosmos ceased its descent, halting high up in the sky. At that moment, Wang Changsheng saw that the profound light shooting from the watchtowers had actually condensed into a gateway suspended between the cosmos and the small town.
The moment the gateway opened, a dense surge of spiritual energy poured out from within.
"Let's go!"
A stern voice rang from Caiyun's lips, and all the cultivators of Cloud Palace Peak immediately took flight, soaring toward the gateway.
Three figures were even faster than the Cloud Palace Peak cultivators. Looking closely, Wang Changsheng saw they were precisely the three cultivators from the He family.
Following closely behind, numerous other cultivators surged toward the gateway. In the blink of an eye, the mid-air was filled with a dense sea of figures, all moving toward a single destination: the newly opened portal.
The first to charge into the gateway were the three He family cultivators, closely followed by several rogue cultivators wrapped entirely in long robes.
As for Cloud Palace Peak, because they had brought a large contingent with them and possessed considerable numbers, they lagged slightly behind.
As for the disciples of the Loose Cultivators Pavilion, Wang Changsheng noticed that Zhang Mingwang was in no particular rush, choosing instead to wait within the small town alongside several hundred pavilion cultivators.
"It seems that merely entering this gateway screens out cultivators below the Huayuan realm!" Wang Changsheng said in a deep voice. "Any rogue cultivator who hasn't broken through to the Huayuan realm would never even be able to approach the gateway without someone carrying them!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"We're leaving too!" Wang Changsheng commanded solemnly.
With that, Wang Changsheng readied himself to fly toward the gateway.
"Wait!" At that moment, Wu Li reached out and pulled Wang Changsheng back.
"What is it?" Wang Changsheng asked.
"Executive Wang, I think it would be better for you not to go in," Wu Li said gravely. "The bloodshed inside the God of War's Tomb will certainly be immense. Given Executive Wang's current cultivation realm, if a real battle breaks out, I'm afraid..."
The remaining Corpse Refining Sect disciples also looked at Wang Changsheng.
"Executive Wang, Senior Brother speaks the truth. I think you can just wait here and await our triumphant return!" Vajra also chimed in with a solemn voice.
Many of the Corpse Refining Sect disciples began trying to persuade him. Evidently, while Wang Changsheng had been visiting the Loose Cultivators Pavilion and the He family, the sect disciples had already discussed this matter amongst themselves.
Hearing everyone's persuasion, a contemplative look crossed Wang Changsheng's face.
In truth, according to his own innermost desires, Wang Changsheng had no wish to participate in the God of War's Tomb expedition. Given his strength, entering the realm was extremely dangerous; should the Corpse Refining Sect disciples fail to protect him properly amidst the chaos, he could easily perish at the hands of others.
However, now that the God of War's Tomb had opened and he had already laid out certain deployments, Wang Changsheng truly wasn't certain whether Chen Yuan and the others could handle everything without him. After all, judging by the cultivation levels of the Corpse Refining Sect disciples, they held no particular advantage whether they faced Cloud Palace Peak or the He family.