Gathering Clouds

Even though this clash between the Nine Cauldrons Sect and the Xuanming Sect was not an engagement between Great Cultivators, sects often measured their might against one another through their high-tier combat forces when they had not yet escalated to an open war to the death. Under such circumstances, the Nine Cauldrons Sect's flawless thirty-two to zero sweep shocked everyone. It was said that Song You, Sect Master of the Xuanming Sect, had come close to hauling Origin Spirit Great Cultivator Ma Ke—who had led the expedition—before the Law Enforcement Hall for a tribunal. Had War Hall Master Lü Ming and several other hall masters not stepped in to plead on his behalf, Ma Ke, despite being an Origin Spirit Great Cultivator, would likely have faced severe punishment. Even so, suffering such losses left many Xuanming Sect elders clamoring for an immediate, all-out war with the Nine Cauldrons Sect. Of course, Song You knew perfectly well that those words were mere bluster. If they actually went to war… Without outside assistance, the Nine Cauldrons Sect could crush the Xuanming Sect with ease. Consequently, the Sect Master immediately summoned Lü Ming and Grand Elder Song Xuan of the Council of Elders to deliberate. "According to Ma Ke, the Nine Cauldrons Sect has developed an extraordinarily advanced third-generation flying sword. Its performance exerts overwhelming dominance over our own sword equipment, and our disciples… simply could not withstand its edge. Should we continue pressing our claims on Posuo Island?" Song You posed the question directly. "My recommendation is to organize another major counterattack and test the waters. What if it was just a coincidence? Besides, Vice Hall Master Bailu of the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Jiuxiao Domain branch is said to already be capable of ascending into the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer. Could it be that her individual might is simply too formidable, or that she has mastered a new divine ability, allowing her to thoroughly suppress Ma Ke and produce such a result?" Lü Ming said in a heavy voice, "We have invested so much manpower and resources into Posuo Island. How can a single battle frighten us into a retreat?" "I agree with Hall Master Lü. What if Bailu truly has mastered some other divine ability?" Song Xuan stated bluntly, "I propose dispatching an even stronger Origin Spirit cultivator to Posuo Island to suppress Bailu!" "An even stronger Origin Spirit cultivator…" Song You fell into quiet contemplation. Retreating like this was indeed hard to stomach. However… The Xuanming Sect was nothing like the Nine Cauldrons Sect. They were only a small-to-mid-sized sect, possessing barely a thousand elite sword cultivators in total, and only forty or so Origin Spirit Great Cultivators. That was precisely why Ma Ke had only received a reprimand despite committing such a massive blunder, suffering a thirty-two to zero rout, causing the Xuanming Sect to lose face, cratering morale, and turning them into a laughingstock. "Assuming Bailu has already weathered the first bolt of Zixiao Divine Lightning, the only ones in our sect capable of suppressing her would be myself, Elder Bei Yingxing, and Master Fernand…" "Send Elder Bei Yingxing." Lü Ming glanced at Sect Master Song You. "We need not belittle ourselves too much. Powerful though the Nine Cauldrons Sect may be, forces from every quarter divide their attention. Even in the East Sea Archipelago, they face more enemies than just us. The cooperative exercise held by the Great Sun Sword Sect is prime evidence of that. The strength they can truly mobilize is limited, so Elder Bei can strike boldly without hesitation or fear." "Indeed. If the Nine Cauldrons Sect truly tries to march into the East Sea Archipelago in force to stir up trouble, factions like the Great Sun Sword Sect, the Astral Sea Sect, the Shouyang Sect, the Ancient Immortal Sect, and the Great Yue Dynasty will never sit idly by. If things go poorly for them, it could trigger a coordinated assault from all sides. Thus, the ones who ought to be afraid are not us, but them." Song Xuan nodded as well. "Furthermore, we should request aid from the Wuji Astral Palace. Our recent clashes against the Nine Cauldrons Sect have already shown them our sincerity. Even if they refuse to dispatch personnel, they must at least sell us a batch of third-generation top-grade spirit artifact flying swords. Paying a steeper price does not matter." "Then so be it. Instruct Elder Bei to launch a full-scale counteroffensive! If we fail to strike back, our disciples will grow fearful of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, and other sects will mistake our Xuanming Sect for an easy mark. Every faction in the East Sea Archipelago will close in like wolves. When that happens, how will we safeguard the Xuanming Sect's interests in the archipelago?!" Song You made the decisive call. A score of thirty-two to zero… It dealt far too severe a blow to their morale. Their lost face had to be reclaimed. *** Just as the Xuanming Sect made its swift decision to retaliate, other neighboring powers across the East Sea Archipelago also learned the outcome of the battle. Spanning three hundred thousand li, the East Sea bordered more than a dozen sects. Although certain smaller sects lacked the qualifications to intervene in the affairs of the East Sea Archipelago, they paid no less attention to the situation than the Xuanming Sect or the Nine Cauldrons Sect. This was particularly true for the Great Sun Sword Sect, the primary beneficiary of the East Sea Archipelago. When Chisongzi—Vice Hall Master of the War Hall and Director of the East Sea Archipelago Affairs Department—received the news from Nan Bisheng, head of the East Sea Situation Awareness Department under the Intelligence Hall, he nearly thought he was hallucinating. Since when could the Nine Cauldrons Sect, with their outdated equipment, pull off such a casualty ratio against the Xuanming Sect? To their eyes, any life-and-death struggle between the Nine Cauldrons Sect and the Xuanming Sect was nothing more than two pecking roosters. Yet… A casualty ratio of zero to thirty-two still startled this War Hall vice hall master tasked with overseeing all matters throughout the archipelago. "Investigate! Spare no expense to find out what happened! How could the Nine Cauldrons Sect possess such strength?! Who is backing them? The Myriad Beasts Sect? Not a single destabilizing factor can be allowed to jeopardize the Great Sun Sword Sect's interests in the East Sea Archipelago!" Chisongzi issued his command in a stern voice. "Understood. Our people have already headed to the Xuanming Sect, intending to question Song You in person…" Nan Bisheng paused before asking, "Then what about the exercise near Haige Island…?" "The Haige Island exercise…" Chisongzi pondered for a moment. Ultimately, the Nine Cauldrons Sect was a formidable power built upon the foundation of the Artifact Sect. Within the Cangwu Alliance, they still carried out the duties of the Artifact Sect. It was merely that the dominant sects never paid them much mind, treating them as little more than background noise. However… There was no denying that no one truly knew what hidden trumps the Nine Cauldrons Sect had inherited from the Artifact Sect's legacy. What was more… The Nine Cauldrons Sect was a power overseen by a Golden Core. With that in mind, Chisongzi said in a grave tone, "Although our Great Sun Sword Sect holds the power to defeat the Nine Cauldrons Sect at any time, safety comes first. Do not make any rash moves, lest we walk straight into a trap like the Xuanming Sect and suffer needless losses." With a wave of his hand, he added, "Wait until we determine who is backing the Nine Cauldrons Sect before making our next move… Until then, treat the Haige Island exercise… as an ordinary drill." "Yes, Vice Hall Master." *** The shifting tides of the East Sea Archipelago had no effect on Yaoguang whatsoever. Only on the third day after the battle did Branch Sect Master Zhao Siliang and Luo Yunhai, the City Lord of Longxiang City, personally visit the Zixiao Institute to place a follow-up order for four hundred more Zixiao Type 12 modified flying swords. At the same time, they brought exhilarating news that set the entire Zixiao Institute cheering. The Zixiao Institute would undergo another expansion in preparation for its eventual promotion to a key main-sect-level artifact refining institute. Yaoguang had anticipated this outcome. Though he had no desire to rely on such "fame" to elevate his status, it was beyond his power to prevent. For the sake of that order of four hundred Zixiao Type 12 modified flying swords, he could only receive Zhao Siliang with "enthusiasm." *** The defeat at Posuo Island had not cowed the Xuanming Sect. In the aftermath, they launched several small-scale probes, but all were crushed decisively by the Nine Cauldrons Sect at great cost to the attackers. A month later, Bei Yingxing—whose Origin Spirit had withstood the tempering of Zixiao Divine Lightning—led more than eighty high-rank sword cultivators in a massive counterattack across the Posuo Island maritime region. Throughout the battle, Bailu's divine mind was almost entirely suppressed, leaving her able to spare barely ten or twenty percent of her focus to guide mid-course trajectory shifts for the flying swords. Even so, the great clash concluded with an eight to thirty-one casualty count. Thirty-one elite Xuanming Sect sword cultivators shed their blood across the sky, while the survivors fled in frantic haste under Bei Yingxing's protection. The Xuanming Sect's disastrous defeat unequivocally proved the Nine Cauldrons Sect's rapid rise in elite sword cultivator combat power to the rest of the East Sea Archipelago. Achieving a casualty ratio of eight to thirty-one against the Xuanming Sect while their own Origin Spirit Great Cultivator was thoroughly suppressed was a feat… That compared favorably even to the Great Sun Sword Sect, or superpowers on the level of the Six Great Immortal Sects such as the Taiyin Sect and the Fatian Pavilion. Through this engagement, the Zixiao Type 12 modified flying swords wielded by the Nine Cauldrons Sect entered the wider world's sight for the first time. All at once, countless intelligence operatives and hidden agents from various sects flooded into the Nine Cauldrons Sect and the Jiuxiao Domain to spy out information. As a result, currents of intrigue and gathering storm clouds began to churn around the perimeter of the Zixiao Institute. *** Inside the Zixiao Institute. Yaoguang quietly forged one flying sword after another, steadily fulfilling the sect's orders. At that moment, a ripple of energy fluctuations drifted in. Yet the disturbance lasted only an instant before falling silent. Moments later, Yaoguang sensed Qin Yi's approach and called out, "Another hidden agent?" "Yes. This one was from the Astral Sea Sect." Qin Yi straightened his posture and said solemnly, "Rest assured, we will never allow anyone to bring you the slightest harm." He then added, "We have already applied for an Origin Spirit Great Cultivator to assist our guard." "An Origin Spirit Great Cultivator?!" Yaoguang was somewhat surprised. Across the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect, there were only around a hundred Origin Spirit Great Cultivators on the surface. Every single one either held a critical post, guarded a strategic location, or protected vital figures. Had he already reached the point where he warranted the protection of an Origin Spirit Great Cultivator? Still, he did not refuse. Before he achieved his breakthrough, the tighter his security, the better. "Who is it? Elder Zhang Jianlin?" Yaoguang asked. "No. Old Zhang was transferred to the External Publicity Department. If all goes as expected, he will serve as the spokesman for matters concerning the East Sea Archipelago." Qin Yi explained, "For now, it is Hall Master Bailu. I don't know who will replace her later on." "Bailu?" Yaoguang glanced at him. She was a formidable Origin Spirit cultivator who treated the Blazing Sun Heavenly Lightning layer as child's play. Why would such crucial combat power be placed in the rear to guard him? "Hall Master Bailu sustained minor injuries during her clash with Bei Yingxing of the Xuanming Sect and needs to recuperate for a time. Furthermore, that grand battle pushed her cultivation forward once more. If all goes smoothly, once she finishes recovering, she will consider entering the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer to undergo true tempering beneath the divine lightning," Qin Yi explained. Yaoguang understood. "In truth, the higher-ups assigned Hall Master Bailu to protect you with an additional motive: they hope she can resolve your questions regarding spirit refining cultivation, making it easier for you to condense an Origin Spirit and step into the realm of Great Cultivators." Qin Yi smiled. Yaoguang nodded, unsure of what to say. It was a kind gesture from the Nine Cauldrons Sect's leadership. Yet in reality… Why would he need someone to teach him how to break through? Still… Yaoguang took note of the lingering scent of blood clinging to Qin Yi. *I only crafted top-grade spirit artifacts and it's already caused such a stir. If I actually forge Treasure Weapons, what then…?* However, gaining renown was not entirely without its advantages. He turned to Qin Yi and said, "Please invite Master Zi Qiangwei over for me. Inform her that I have completed optimizations for the export models of both the Zixiao Type 12 and the modified Zixiao Type 12. We can open for business."