Chapter 145: The Seven Strongholds
Fortunately, the Ancient Immortal Battlefield was sealed off by barriers left behind by ancient powers, preventing the Cloud Beasts from invading the Small Cold Domain.
It was unclear whether the passageways had been intentionally left open or if the barriers had weakened over time, but now some of the ancient barriers were damaged. The cultivators of the Small Cold Domain constructed strongholds at these breach points, effectively trapping the Cloud Beasts within the Ancient Immortal Battlefield. They also sent disciples to hunt within the strongholds, preventing the beasts from moving south and wreaking havoc in the ordinary world.
These strongholds served as the gateways to enter and exit the Ancient Immortal Battlefield.
The introduction in the jade slip provided more detailed information.
At the edge of the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, there were seven major strongholds: Wanyao City, Jiuyong Stronghold, Xuanlu Stronghold, Chungang City, Yinshan Stronghold, Tianyou City, and Qingyang City.
In addition to these, there were also several smaller cities occupied by rogue cultivators or some immortal sects and families. The sizes and types of these strongholds varied greatly.
Among the seven strongholds, three were guarded by the Eight Major Sects: from west to east, they were Jiuyong, Xuanlu, and Chungang. The vast areas behind these strongholds, including the relics discovered within, were naturally under the control of the righteous sects.
However, moving deeper into that area led to a completely unclaimed territory, especially in the regions near the spatial rifts. Both temptation and danger existed there, and over the years, countless Golden Core Realm cultivators had perished within.
To guard these strongholds, eliminate the Cloud Beasts in the Ancient Immortal Battlefield, and explore the ruins within, the major sects would often summon their disciples to enter the battlefield, and Shaohua Mountain was no exception.