# Chapter 1718: Calamity and Human Hearts
The news that ten star realms in the northern region had been invaded by demon people had just begun to spread when an even more terrifying calamity suddenly descended upon the entire northern region of the Eastern Domain.
The sky was filled with darkness, thunder rumbled endlessly, and a great number of Dark Mystic Arks arrived at extreme speed in one star realm after another, then countless dark demon people leaped down.
The demon people were as numerous as a world-burying rainstorm.
The darkness, terror, and ferocity that followed covered the land like cruel sharp blades, piercing through the lives and defenses of countless Eastern Domain profound practitioners.
The strategy Chi Wuyue executed was extremely simple and crude.
Use mid-level star realms to suppress lower-level star realms, use upper-level star realms to suppress mid-level star realms.
Then use the millions of living beings in mid-level and lower-level star realms as hostages to restrain the upper-level star realms... without any intention of directly clashing with upper-level star realms.
Despicable? Shameless? Cruel? Inhumane?
Wasn't this precisely the label the three divine regions had pasted on the Northern Domain!
How could they possibly fail to live up to their expectations!
Every Dark Mystic Ark descended directly toward the sect leading the realm king's sect.
Destroy their core, and the will of the entire realm could easily collapse.
A fiercely tragic battle unfolded simultaneously in over a hundred star realms of the Eastern Domain's northern region. Lands that were once peaceful turned into rivers of blood in an instant, with piles of bones and mountains of corpses scattered across.
Above the battlefield, countless Dark Mystic Arks continued flying deeper into the Eastern Domain, seemingly endless, further terrifying the already frightened Eastern Domain profound practitioners.
This day, a nightmare suddenly descended.
Familiar lands turned into thick seas of blood before their eyes;
Fellow disciples who had been chatting and laughing moments ago now lay dead across the fields;
Darkness spread through the air, lives slipped away around them, profound formations collapsed, sects crumbled, their resistance grew increasingly powerless, until finally only endless despair remained...
More and more people knelt to the ground in despair... knelt before the demon people they had once looked down upon, despised, and hated, allowing themselves to be sealed into dark prison cages.
Surrendering to the demon people would cost them their dignity, but at least they could survive.
The demon people who suddenly rushed into their world were different! Completely different!
Previously, the demon people they encountered were prey to be slaughtered.
For the first time, they realized how terrifying these beings wreathed in dark profound energy truly were.
Massive sects with tens of thousands of years of foundation were leveled within a few short hours; families with centuries of heritage were uprooted in an instant... Gradually, the core of entire star realms was trampled and controlled by darkness.
As the realm king sects were destroyed, the sky grew darker and darker. Those profound practitioners who had not yet been attacked stopped their advance to provide support, then all fled in retreat... some even fleeing with their entire clan, their entire sect.
In one day—a shockingly short twelve hours—nearly two hundred star realms in the northern region of the Eastern Domain had completely fallen.
But twelve hours was just the beginning.
The Eastern Domain could never have dreamed that this time, the Northern Domain had truly deployed their entire forces.
Because they didn't need to leave anyone behind in their Northern Domain! They would never need to worry about their empty nest being attacked.
With no worries about the rear, only demons erupting with a million years of anger, hatred, and endless battle intent—the Eastern Domain would personally experience and bear what kind of terror that was.
In Han Kui Realm, Tian Guhu stood atop the ruins of Han Kui Immortal Mansion. Around him were groups of Eastern Domain profound practitioners sealed in dark prison cages, growing in number until they formed an endless sea of people stretching as far as the eye could see.
Tian Guhu's gaze, looking down at the masses, shifted toward the south.
At that moment, a giant mystic warship arrived from the south at extreme speed, carrying an immensely vast surge of air.
And the aura released by this mystic warship belonged to an upper-level star realm's terrifying might.
The warship hovered in the air, and an upper realm king in a blue robe appeared, releasing a world-shaking Divine Lord's pressure.
The Great Realm King of Xing Luo Realm—Luo Chuanyun!
Behind him, a million powerful profound practitioners filed out, quickly forming an offensive formation.
Xing Luo Realm was one of the nearest upper-level star realms. Their arrival could be considered perfectly normal.
Luo Chuanyun's majestic eyes swept downward, his brows deeply furrowed. The strength of the demon people in his field of vision completely exceeded his understanding of demon people. Even though they were not in darkness, they showed no sign of weakening.
And the hatred in the eyes of these demon people, the murderous aura they released, made his heart tremble.
When his spiritual sense swept over Tian Guhu, his pupils sharply contracted.
"Xing Luo Realm King, I've been waiting for you." Tian Guhu stood with his hands behind his back, not drawing his sword. "But I advise you not to make a move, otherwise..."
He pointed his finger at the hostages in the dark prison cages below: "All this blood debt will be on your head!"
"Heh!" The Xing Luo Realm King sneered. "A mere demon, how dare you be so arrogant before this king!"
His profound energy erupted, and he took a step forward.
But with that step, he saw Tian Guhu's face twist into a ferocious smile.
Boom!!
Darkness exploded, and a bloody hole appeared in the sea of people below, with hundreds of thousands reduced to nothing.
"You!!!" Luo Chuanyun's entire body froze, his expression instantly changing.
In the eyes of an upper realm king, the lives of mortals were as cheap as weeds. The number of living beings he had personally destroyed, openly or secretly, in his lifetime probably far exceeded that number.
But now, standing on the position of Eastern Domain versus Northern Domain, righteous path versus demon people, these lives that died because of his step forward would undoubtedly be counted against him... likely an irredeemable stain for the rest of his life.
Frightened screams spread across the blood-stained snow domain, stretching for a thousand miles, sending chills down the spines of the profound practitioners of Xing Luo Realm.
"Cry and wail to your heart's content. If you want to blame someone, blame Zhou Tian God Realm!" There was no trace of reluctance or pity in Tian Guhu's eyes, only a near-twisted satisfaction. "We had already willingly confined ourselves to the Northern Domain, yet Zhou Tian God Realm still had to destroy our star realms and exterminate us!"
"Since they force us to the brink, don't blame us for fighting back!"
He slowly raised his head, looking at the Xing Luo Realm King. "Are you sure you want to bear the blood debt of this entire star realm for Zhou Tian God Realm, hmm?"
Looking at the boundless tide of people below, the Xing Luo Realm King's hands trembled... Tian Guhu's words deeply reminded him that it was Zhou Tian God Realm who had first destroyed Northern Domain star realms out of personal grievance. Everything before him was indeed caused by Zhou Tian God Realm.
Then Zhou Tian God Realm would certainly take action, and should, must take action!
These demon people seeking revenge from a dead end clearly had no intention of attacking upper-level star realms. Why should they come to bear the debt for Zhou Tian God Realm!
A thought of retreat arose in his heart. But having already arrived, if he retreated now, it would severely damage his face and dignity.
At that moment, his Sound Transmission Jade vibrated violently, and then a panicked voice echoed in his mind: "Sect Master! Demon people have invaded! They've reached the main city! The city-protecting barrier is under attack! Return quickly to provide support!"
The Xing Luo Realm King was instantly horrified. But he saw Tian Guhu sneer before him: "Our purpose this time is only to force Zhou Tian to apologize. If we wanted to simply vent our hatred, these people would have been slaughtered clean long ago."
"As long as the upper-level sects obediently stay home, the two sides will be at peace. But if you dare to sell your lives for Zhou Tian... don't blame us for wiping you all out in one fell swoop!"
The Xing Luo Realm King's expression shifted several times. He completely withdrew his aura and said in a low voice: "Immediately have your people withdraw from Xing Luo Realm. I swear in the name of Xing Luo Realm King Luo Chuanyun that I will retreat immediately and never interfere."
Human nature is selfish, especially when facing debts that belong to another.
The Xing Luo Realm King's current stance was also the result of Chi Wuyue and Qianye Ying'er's previous arrangement of moves.
A common enemy would unite in shared hatred.
But if Zhou Tian provoked it... then Zhou Tian should take the lead! Why should they sacrifice and sell their lives for something they could safely stay out of!
"Excellent, a wise choice." Tian Guhu laughed lowly. But then his smile froze, and his voice suddenly turned low: "What did you just say your name was?"
"?" The Xing Luo Realm King frowned, then said arrogantly: "Xing Luo Realm King, Luo Chuanyun."
"Heh," Tian Guhu laughed, then muttered darkly as deep as an abyss: "Such a disrespectful name, better to be erased!"
Weng—
The Huangtian Sword appeared, and as the power of an Eighth-rank Divine Lord spread with Yama's might, the profound practitioners who had come to support from Xing Luo Realm, including Luo Chuanyun, all turned pale.
"You... you!" Luo Chuanyun's heart and pupils constricted.
When he arrived, he had sensed Divine Lord aura from Tian Guhu. Though shocked, he had not lost his arrogance.
But now, the terrifying demonic might that completely suffocated him and made his body feel like it would shatter told him that this young man before him was at least half a major realm above him—very likely a late-stage Divine Lord standing at the pinnacle of the current profound path!
The Divine Lord realm, each step is heaven. As a second-level Divine Lord, he was separated from Tian Guhu by at least six heaven-steps!
If he had gone to support other mid-level star realms controlled by Northern Domain upper-level star realms, he could have retreated safely. But he had to come to Han Kui Realm, and of all things, he had to announce his innocent name.
"Go... go!!"
Facing the soul-piercing killing intent, Luo Chuanyun roared, directly abandoned the mystic warship, and turned to flee.
But behind him, dark fangs followed closely, mercilessly dragging him into the abyss of death.
Similar scenes played out in many mid-level and lower-level star realms that had been broken through by the Northern Domain.
Millions of living beings as hostages, the righteous path as leverage, revenge against Zhou Tian as the reason...
Not entering upper-level star realms, but if upper-level star realms intervened, their nests would surely be attacked...
The Northern Domain's attacks would continue until Zhou Tian apologized.
As one lower-level and mid-level star realm after another was breached and occupied by the demon people, these rumors spread rapidly through the Eastern Domain, eventually reaching the Western Domain and Southern Domain.
The Northern Domain demon people truly did not touch the upper-level star realms, and every upper-level star realm was filled with self-preservation. They waited for Zhou Tian God Realm to make a statement and resolve the matter. None were willing to be the fools who bore blood debts and sold their lives for Zhou Tian God Realm.
Under the instinctive selfishness of human nature... every moment their silence continued, darkness penetrated deeper at a terrifying speed.
Even fewer knew that one dark pawn after another was silently implanted in the chaos and disaster.
And the former reverence and praise for Zhou Tian God Realm, the cheers for their "destruction of three Northern Domain star realms," gradually turned into complaints, accusations, and curses under the violent "retaliation" of the Northern Domain and the sudden calamity of darkness.
---
Western Domain, Dragon God Realm.
"Lord Ashes, news from the northeastern region: The Northern Domain demon people have suddenly launched a large-scale invasion of the northern Eastern Domain. It is said that many lower-level and mid-level star realms have already been occupied by the demon people... The cause is revenge for Zhou Tian Realm's earlier destruction of their three star realms."
"Hehehehe."
On a spacious seat, a tall figure slouched sideways. He had silver-gray long hair, a devilishly handsome face carved like a sword, and even his pupils were an eerie grayish-white.
One of the Nine Dragon Gods of the Dragon God Realm—the Ashes Dragon God.
Also the most arrogant and overbearing among the Nine Dragon Gods.
He sneered, a mocking tone in his voice: "Those pitiful demon people—just let them live and die in their cage. But those idiots in the Eastern Domain had to go and provoke them. Don't they know that even a dog will jump over a wall when cornered?"
"Lord Ashes, should we intervene to suppress them?"
"Intervene? Suppress?" The Ashes Dragon God said lazily: "Have these demon people stepped into the Western Domain?"
"No, they have not. I specifically observed—they have all stayed far away from the border of the Western Domain. They wouldn't dare approach our Western Domain anyway."
"Then why should we intervene? What duty do we have to clean up the mess for those fools of the Eastern Domain?" The Ashes Dragon God's dragon eyes slanted: "They stirred their own shit, so let them clean it up themselves."
"But," the Ashes Dragon God's gray eyes narrowed slightly, "this matter still needs to be reported to the Dragon Emperor."
"No need."
A cold and steady voice came. The Cang Dragon God walked in slowly and said: "The Dragon Emperor has recently gone into seclusion, which will last at least several months, and has ordered that nothing should disturb him, let alone this trivial matter of the outer domains."
"Seclusion?" The Ashes Dragon God became interested: "Why does the Dragon Emperor suddenly have such a pastime? His cultivation had already reached the limit of this world twelve thousand years ago. What is the point of a mere few months of seclusion?"
"As for this matter," the Cang Dragon God looked at him with a warning gaze, "after the Dragon Emperor 'comes out of seclusion,' you'd best not delve into it or ask." He then turned and left.
As for the Northern Domain's sudden large-scale invasion of the Eastern Domain, he basically paid it no mind.
Zhou Tian God Realm caused the trouble—what did that have to do with his Dragon God Realm!
In this war, the Northern Domain demon people would surely be completely annihilated, and the Eastern Domain would also suffer heavy losses... As a dragon god of the Western Domain, he was happy to watch such a "win-win" outcome.