Battle Through the Heavens: Harmony of Flame and Shadow

Today was supposed to be an ordinary day, but after a special envelope reached the six major factions of the Northern Alliance yesterday, this day became somewhat unusual.

The space above the main city of the Great Luo Realm twisted, and a figure slowly emerged. Simultaneously, a voice resounded through the heavens.

"Mandara, you invited us here to discuss important matters. Why don't you show yourself?"

The person who appeared was a man in a white robe. His appearance was quite ordinary, but his eyes were strikingly red, appearing as though they were burning with fire.

"The Lord of the Divine Pavilion!"

Sensing the aura of the newcomer, the Three Emperors of the Great Luo Realm swiftly appeared in mid-air, staring at the arrival in shock.

The Divine Pavilion was the oldest force in the Northern Realm, having grown through numerous great hunts. Among the leaders of the top forces in the Northern Realm, the Lord of the Divine Pavilion held the highest prestige, almost the uncrowned king of the Northern Realm.

Moreover, the Divine Pavilion Lord was known as the super strongman most likely to advance to the upper earth supreme in the Northern Realm of the Tianluo Continent.

Although this rumor was debunked when Mandara advanced to the perfect earth supreme, it was undeniable that the other held significant sway in the Northern Realm.

Such a powerful figure suddenly visiting the Great Luo Realm, claiming to be invited by Mandara, was indeed surprising.

Before the sleep emperor and the others could recover from their shock, laughter echoed from the sky again. "Hahaha, as the strongest in the Northern Realm, Mandara Realm Master is indeed entitled to some airs!"

The laughter filled the heavens, and the voice seemed to carry endless sinister Qi, lowering the temperature of the world in its wake.

From the northwest direction of the sky, a middle-aged man in black floated in mid-air, exuding a chilling aura. Black mist swirled continuously in his eyes, and a black line between his brows seemed to hide another eye, giving him an extremely sinister appearance.

"The Netherworld Heavenly Lord!" Seeing another leader from a major force in the Northern Realm appear, the sleep emperor and the others felt even more despondent.

"Hahaha, the two of you arrived quite early. I hope I am not late!" The void rippled once more, and a figure emerged, gathering his spiritual light. This was a middle-aged man in a blue robe with deep eyes like the starry sky, exuding a terrifying oppressive force with every move.

This man was Liu Tiandao, the lord of the Tianxuan Hall in the Northern Realm, a top strongman with a renowned reputation on the Tianluo Continent.

In the east, an elderly man in a star-studded white robe, holding a white jade staff, stood—it was the ancestor of the Wansheng Mountain.

Black gas swirled as a towering figure clad in a black armor, enveloped in demonic energy, stood in mid-air. His demon-like face, with purple eyes, stood cold, causing even heaven and earth to dim. He was the Demon Emperor of the Demon Gate.

The sky filled with hissing sounds as an elderly man in green robes, with a snake staff, appeared standing on a thousand-foot giant python. The snake exhaled, filling the air with poison, forming a cloud. This was the Demon Snake Hall Lord, Old Ghost Tianshe.

As the six earth supremes of the Northern Alliance appeared, the entire sky's energy became exceedingly chaotic.

Each of these figures represented the pinnacle of the current Northern Realm. Common folks rarely saw them, yet now they all gathered. Seeing the six, the sleep emperor and the others grew increasingly uneasy.

Even though their realm master was a perfect earth supreme, at this moment, there stood six earth supremes. Could their realm master win?

All present, including the leaders of the six major forces, had no idea of the terrifying power of a perfect earth supreme. Otherwise, they wouldn't have assumed that gathering six would mean not fearing Mandara.

Most crucially, the matter mentioned in Mandara's letter was incredibly enticing.

"Since you have arrived, come in for a chat!"

Just then, a faint voice sounded, and a beam of golden light shot out, with a faint floral fragrance sweeping over, as petals seemed to fall from the sky.

The void twisted imperceptibly, and an overwhelming pressure stronger than anyone present assaulted them. Before the crowd realized, a golden figure appeared in mid-air ahead, cloaked in a golden mantle, obscuring their true form.

"Great Luo Realm Master!"

Seeing Mandara, Liu Tiandao and the others frowned, realizing the situation might be worse than anticipated. They had assumed that even if the six joined forces, they might not lose to Mandara. But now, feeling her abyssal aura, their hearts sank heavily.

"You may leave now; carry on as usual!" Mandara glanced at the six and then at the three emperors below, speaking calmly.

After speaking, she took another look at the six, and her entire form turned into starlight, disappearing from everyone's sight—it was merely an energy clone!

Seeing this, Liu Tiandao and the six exchanged glances, their hearts sinking. None had detected anything unusual, indicating Mandara's strength far surpassed theirs.

Now, the Great Luo Golden Hall seemed like a menacing beast, filling them with unease.

"Let's go. Since she invited us, there must be room for discussion. Otherwise, the day we received the letter wouldn't have been from a supreme, but a Great Luo Realm army."

Taking a deep breath, the Divine Pavilion Lord slightly relaxed his expression and addressed the others.

Hearing this, they nodded in agreement. Since they had arrived, they could only proceed cautiously.

Entering the grand hall and seeing the scene inside, their pupils contracted, and they felt their scalps tingle, minds going blank.

What they saw shocked them—a young man in a green robe sitting in Mandara's seat. His face was as smooth as jade with a faint glow, and his jet-black eyes occasionally gleamed with brilliant hues, exuding an exceptionally gentle and deep aura.

The slender figure sat silently on the throne, with no trace of fighting spirit, resembling an ordinary man who had never cultivated.

"Hmm."

Just then, Jiang Yun's gaze swept over the six. The next moment, they felt a searing heat inside. To their horror, the spiritual power flowing within them was gradually boiling and showed signs of burning.

"Heaven, Heaven, Heavenly Supreme!!!"

The six looked terrified, collapsing to the ground, shakily addressing Jiang Yun.

At this moment, they finally understood why Mandara mysteriously broke through to the perfect earth supreme and why she had been secluding herself—it was all under the guidance of this Heavenly Supreme.

Suddenly, everyone thought of one thing: why would the Great Luo Realm, with a Heavenly Supreme, go through such trouble inviting them? There must be a larger scheme behind it.

Thinking this, they couldn't help but smirk bitterly. Getting involved in a Heavenly Supreme's struggles meant the slightest mistake could lead to their doom, yet they had no choice but to comply.

"I imagine you already guessed why I've invited you here," Jiang Yun's calm voice echoed in the hall, sending shivers down the six.

"What are your orders, Heavenly Supreme? We will do our utmost!" Hearing Jiang Yun speak, the six scrambled to stand, respectfully bowing to him.

"Not entirely foolish!" Seeing their submissive attitude, Jiang Yun nodded. Their approach was sensible, without any rebellion in sight.

Hearing Jiang Yun's evaluation, they shivered inwardly, convinced that any error in their reply would have meant facing the Heavenly Supreme's wrath.

"The matter of the Ancient Heavenly Palace mentioned in Mandara's letter is true. I have obtained the means to enter, and I already possess the Heavenly Emperor's legacy. I intend to resurrect the Ancient Heavenly Palace within Tianluo."

Hearing Jiang Yun's words, a sense of fervor welled up in their hearts. As forces on Tianluo Continent, they were well aware of the Ancient Heavenly Palace's treasures. If they could cultivate there, their efforts would be multiplied.

Otherwise, why would they be so easily gathered by Mandara if not for the Ancient Heavenly Palace's treasures?

"We'll fully support and help the Heavenly Supreme revive the palace's glory!"

The six quickly adopted their roles, earnestly facing Jiang Yun, as though they were the most loyal servants of the Ancient Heavenly Palace.

Though swiftly submitting to Jiang Yun, gaining another ruler in place of their original autonomy caused some discomfort.

However, this hesitation soon vanished. After all, Jiang Yun was a Heavenly Supreme, possessing the Heavenly Emperor's legacy. Helping him revive the palace would be a considerable accomplishment.

In the future, they might achieve what Mandara did, reaching the peak of the earth supreme.

Seeing her old rivals submit so easily, Mandara couldn't help but roll her eyes. She hadn't realized they possessed such acting skills.

"In the future, you'll take orders from Mandara. The tasks at hand require more strength than you currently possess." Jiang Yun paused and tossed out six jade bottles. "These pills can help you advance to upper earth supreme. Once you break through, you'll barely meet my requirements."

The six, seeing the bottles, took them eagerly. Opening them carefully, the pill's fragrance brought immediate comfort, stirring their stagnant spiritual power. They looked at Jiang Yun with overjoyed faces. "Thank you, Heavenly Supreme! We are deeply grateful."

Hearing their pledges, Jiang Yun waved a hand, and they retreated to break through to upper earth supreme, aiming to return with greater strength.

At that moment, their remaining reservations vanished. Finding such a generous leader was rare. Advancement to perfect earth supreme seemed within reach now!

"When they break through, you can lead them to unify the Northern Region," Jiang Yun said to Mandara after everyone left.

"The three lords of the Northern Region aren't simple!" Mandara replied pensively to Jiang Yun's suggestion.

While not fearing the three lords, leading forces like the Ziyun Sect, Leiyin Mountain, and Jindiao Mansion, whose leaders were perfect earth supremes, Mandara knew how to win.

As an ancient flower, comparable to a true dragon, Mandara believed in her unrivaled power among peers. Fearing the three was unnecessary.

Moreover, her strength had touched the Heavenly Supreme's realm. Single-handedly battling one faction wasn't daunting.

Yet, the Tianluo Continent's depths were complex. The Daxia Dynasty and Sacred Demon Palace, despite their recent rise, still couldn't compare to ancient dominant forces.

True dominant forces on the continent often had secret support. Her concern was the entities behind these forces, the Heavenly Supremes beyond the Tianluo Continent.

The chaotic situation on Tianluo was a result of these supreme powers' mutual checks.

"I want you to draw out all the Heavenly Supremes behind Tianluo!" Jiang Yun's calm voice stated.

Many coveted the fertile Tianluo. Instead of visiting each painstakingly, he preferred the simpler way of drawing them all out and dealing with them once and for all.

Startled, Mandara realized once more who Jiang Yun was—the first Demon Slayer King of the Great Thousand World.

Able to kill even the Demon Emperor, his power was nearly at the old Heavenly Emperor's level. Several Heavenly Supremes wouldn't faze him.

"This is for you." Seeing Mandara's shifting expressions, Jiang Yun's sleeve flicked, and a black light shot towards her.

Mandara blew lightly, causing the black light to hover before her. It revealed itself as a black thorny whip.

"What is this?" Mandara exclaimed upon recognizing it. "A quasi-absolute sacred object made from the branch of an ancient Mandala Flower?"

Her true form, being an ancient Mandala Flower, allowed her to sense the item's prior owner's strength, certainly at the Heavenly Supreme level. It wasn't just a weapon but a tool to help her ascend to Heavenly Supreme.