As for how many of the nine Dao Integration experts from the Five Elders Association ultimately perished, the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals made no mention in its announcement.
Yet their losses were unequivocally catastrophic.
Otherwise, the Five Elders Association, which had just been strutting with overweening arrogance, would not have shrunk back like a defanged tiger in an instant, contracting its forces and pivoting from offense to defense.
In this entire incident, the only fallen Dao Integration cultivator publicly acknowledged by all actually belonged to the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals.
However, he did not die in battle; he was executed.
For he was a spy.
A spy of the Five Elders Association who had hidden deep within the Alliance for nearly a thousand years without a soul ever suspecting him, held in lofty reverence before his true identity was exposed.
From Tianyu Province, Immortal Venerable Ziqiong.
Presiding over the headquarters of the Alliance's Martial Practice Hall, of supreme and exalted stature.
It was precisely because this Immortal Venerable Ziqiong had secretly relayed intelligence—which the Five Elders Association then verified through probes—that they became utterly convinced of the news that "a Dao Integration cultivator is on the verge of ascending to Longevity Heavenly Venerable."
Only then did they make the exceptionally high-risk strategic decision to dispatch nine Dao Integration cultivators deep into enemy territory.
This was not the first time such an operation had been undertaken.
In several previous operations, the Five Elders Association had reaped immense benefits.
The last time they had acted in such a manner was their surprise raid on the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven.
Indeed, back then, the one who leaked the news of the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven had also been this very Immortal Venerable Ziqiong.
His subordinates had received a distress call from the exploration team, requesting the Alliance headquarters to send personnel to assist in relocating the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven.
Immortal Venerable Ziqiong understood the profound value of that grotto-heaven better than almost anyone else in the Alliance.
Thus, he secretly passed the intelligence to the Five Elders Association.
That was why the Five Elders Association had reacted with such astonishing speed, arriving even before the Alliance's reinforcements could reach the scene.
Even when the humiliated and furious Alliance later dispatched a pursuit force of eight Dao Integration cultivators, the leak from the highly placed Immortal Venerable Ziqiong ensured that the Five Elders Association knew every detail of their lineup.
Had an unforeseen anomaly not occurred—where an overlooked Soul Formation cultivator within the ranks suddenly erupted with combat strength rivaling a Dao Integration expert, turning the tide at the brink of disaster—all eight Dao Integration cultivators sent in pursuit might well have perished on that battlefield.
Even so, the Alliance had bled profusely in that incident.
Although the Five Elders Association had also suffered some losses, by comparison, they were entirely acceptable.
The only regret was that the event had unfolded so abruptly, leaving no time to mobilize enough manpower in the rush, and thus their mission to seize the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven ended in failure.
Regardless, as the deepest nail the Five Elders Association had driven into the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, the intelligence Immortal Venerable Ziqiong provided was considered beyond doubt.
Therefore, even though dispatching nine Dao Integration cultivators deep into enemy territory carried an astronomically high risk in theory, the Five Elders Association still went through with it.
And so they plummeted headlong into this snare painstakingly woven for them by the Alliance.
Regarding the inexplicable leak of information about the Five Elements Great Grotto-Heaven last time, there had always been someone within the Alliance who refused to let it rest.
The announcement did not reveal this cultivator's name.
He was referred to only by the code name Gu Ying.
A close friend of Gu Ying had been among the eight Dao Integration cultivators involved in the pursuit.
With his friend dead so tragically and duty weighing upon his shoulders, Gu Ying swore that he would uncover the spy lurking within the Alliance headquarters.
After the battle of Tianling Province concluded, an internal investigation was launched within the Alliance.
It was Gu Ying who took charge of this matter.
Unfortunately, Immortal Venerable Ziqiong's standing was too exalted and his cover too flawless.
Even if there were faint suspicions, nothing could be done to him without substantive evidence.
In the end, the investigation had to be dropped without resolution.
Yet Gu Ying did not surrender so easily.
A daring plan took shape in his mind.
To put it plainly, it was quite simple.
It amounted to nothing more than the four words: "lure the snake out."
However, the implications of this plan were so vast that the slightest misstep would cause the entire endeavor to collapse.
Gu Ying had hesitated at first.
Yet he ultimately withstood the pressure and steadily orchestrated the pieces.
Gradually, a rumor that a Dao Integration cultivator within the Alliance was about to attain Longevity began to circulate quietly among the highest echelons.
Moreover, numerous Dao Integration cultivators received invitations to assist and promptly vanished from public view.
Immortal Venerable Ziqiong naturally caught wind of this development.
However, Ziqiong had no way to guarantee the veracity of the news.
Coupled with the fact that he had only recently fallen under investigation and had not yet completely dispelled suspicion, Ziqiong had no intention of risking himself to verify the authenticity of the information personally.
Yet the matter was simply of too great a magnitude.
If a new Longevity Heavenly Venerable were truly to be born within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals...
After long hesitation, Ziqiong relayed the news to the Five Elders Association nonetheless, leaving it to them to verify it independently.
Upon receiving the report, the Five Elders Association attached the utmost importance to it.
It so happened that the ruins of a sect suddenly descended upon Jiushan Province, bordering both factions, drawing the gazes of countless cultivators.
The Five Elders Association seized this opportunity to send a Soul Formation cultivator to stage a conspicuous, provocative probe.
The Alliance's response was exceedingly peculiar.
They voiced threats fiercer than anyone else's and issued solemn warnings claiming that "to dare enter is to die."
Yet they dispatched only a mere handful of Soul Formation cultivators to hold the line.
Since when could Soul Formation cultivators hold the line in such a confrontation?
Where were the Alliance's myriad Dao Integration cultivators at this very moment?
One had to realize that without a Dao Integration cultivator presiding, even without deploying additional forces, what could the Alliance possibly do to this Soul Formation cultivator named Luo Xi if he went in alone, given that Jiushan Province was manned only by Soul Formation cultivators?
The Alliance could not possibly be ignorant of this.
Could it be that after taking a resounding slap across the face, they would simply swallow their pride?
What had happened?
In the eyes of the Five Elders Association, the Alliance's so-called solemn warnings reeked of fierce bluster concealing inner weakness.
Rather than putting on a show for the Five Elders Association, it seemed more like an empty posture meant to pacify their own people and reassure the populace.
It seemed the intelligence relayed by Immortal Venerable Ziqiong was highly likely to be true!
Within the Alliance of Ten Thousand Immortals, a Dao Integration cultivator was indeed preparing to undertake the act of defying the principles of Heaven and Earth.
Even repeated divinations and deductions confirmed that this matter was genuine!
The Five Elders Association grew anxious at once.
No wonder the Alliance had swallowed its pride. Compared to a newly ascended Longevity Heavenly Venerable, what was a bit of face? Even losing several provinces would be entirely acceptable.
Once the ascension succeeded, whatever was lost would be recovered in a heartbeat.
No, it had to be stopped at all costs!
Thus, the Five Elders Association abruptly declared war.
Simultaneously, a force composed of nine Dao Integration cultivators set out for Tianyu Province based on the intelligence provided by Ziqiong, tasked with sabotaging the ascension.
Little did they anticipate that the entire affair had been a trap.
...
Li Fan's expression was unreadable as he read through the haughty announcement from the Alliance several times over.
Only then did he exhale a long breath.
"Unless one stands at such a height, one cannot perceive the full picture of what transpires."
"As for what truly occurred, perhaps only when the dust has settled and one looks back can a glimpse of the truth be understood."
Chapter 263