Setting Out to Battle

Within the Virtual Spirit Realm, the voice of Zhou Lijian, Hall Master of the External Publicity Hall, echoed continuously. "The internal contradictions within the Xuanming Sect are escalating by the day. The chaos caused by their internal mismanagement has posed a severe danger to members of the Nine Cauldrons Sect. In accordance with Articles 44 and 46 of the Cangwu Alliance Diplomatic Relations Convention, our Nine Cauldrons Sect is formally dispatching ten large flying boats into the Xuanming Sect to evacuate our disciples and property. This operation is not directed against any individual or force, but solely to guarantee the property and personal safety of our sect's disciples beyond our borders..." As early as three hours ago, when the External Publicity Hall announced that a press conference would be held in the Virtual Spirit Realm regarding the Xuanming Sect's internal turmoil, countless people had gathered before the broadcast feed, awaiting the Nine Cauldrons Sect's ultimate decision. Over the past three days, driven by the External Publicity Hall's deliberate public campaign, the entirety of the Nine Cauldrons Sect had been filled with righteous indignation. Although many had voiced grievances over how the Artifact Sect descendants still hadn't returned to the Nine Cauldrons Sect after its founding, that did not dampen their sympathy and empathy. In particular, after seeing the heinous, beastly atrocities committed by many in the Xuanming Sect against the descendants of the Artifact Sect, the disgust felt across the Nine Cauldrons Sect reached an absolute peak. Many academies and institutes even saw spontaneous rallies and parades protesting these crimes against humanity committed by the Xuanming Sect. These news reports were then uploaded by relevant personnel to the Virtual Spirit Realm portals, drawing even more people to uncover the truth behind the crisis. Under such circumstances, as this heavyweight figure announced the Nine Cauldrons Sect's final decision word by word, everyone watching the broadcast couldn't help but cheer. Watching this press conference were not only members of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, but also representatives from neighboring sects. Right then, someone stood up. "Hall Master Zhou, has this action of yours received the Xuanming Sect's permission? If not, does it constitute a violation of another sect's sovereignty?" "According to Article 41 of the Cangwu Alliance Diplomatic Relations Convention, when members of our sect face persecution within another sect's territory, that sect has the obligation to protect our members' safety. If that sect no longer possesses the capacity to fulfill this obligation, we possess the right to intervene and evacuate our sect members. At present, the Xuanming Sect is incapable of controlling the situation within its borders and has consistently failed to guarantee the personal safety of Nine Cauldrons Sect members. Under this provision, our impending operation is fully compliant and lawful, and in no way violates the sovereignty of any sect." Zhou Lijian responded with crisp clarity. "We object! Our Xuanming Sect is entirely capable of maintaining internal stability. Your sect's actions are an outright overstepping of authority, and even an overt provocation against our Xuanming Sect..." Immediately, another person stood up. From his remarks, it was easy to tell that he was from the Xuanming Sect. "We have no intention of provoking a dispute with the Xuanming Sect. During this period, we have made no fewer than ten requests to your sect demanding protection for our personnel's safety. However... as verified by facts gathered from multiple sources, the Xuanming Sect lacks the ability to maintain internal order. Therefore, we have no choice but to take matters into our own hands," Zhou Lijian answered calmly. "Conducting an operation within another sect's territory requires deliberation by the Cangwu Alliance Council and approval by vote before it can proceed. Has your sect not bypassed the Cangwu Alliance Council, using the excuse of an evacuation to commit an act of bullying and aggression?" another voice chimed in. Zhou Lijian recognized him at a glance. He was someone from the Great Sun Sword Sect. "Matters have their priorities and urgencies. We are going to rescue our sect's disciples. Under the Emergency Response Act in Article 47 of the Cangwu Alliance Diplomatic Relations Convention, when a situation is exceedingly perilous, an affected sect possesses the right to act first to ensure the safety of its personnel, and subsequently report back to the Cangwu Council while providing evidence to substantiate the legality of its actions." The External Publicity Hall Master replied methodically, "During this period, there have been no fewer than ten thousand slaughter incidents across the Xuanming Sect. The entirety of the Nine Cauldrons Sect unanimously agrees that the situation has reached the point where Emergency Response Act No. 47 must be invoked." And while Zhou Lijian engaged in this war of words with representatives of the various sects, more than two hundred and thirty cultivators from the Nine Cauldrons Sect's two battle institutes, Qingfeng and Shenwei, were already streaking through the sky, escorting ten large flying boats directly toward the Xuanming Sect. Flying boats were not particularly fast, traveling at only three to ten times the speed of sound. Furthermore, the ten vessels deployed by the Nine Cauldrons Sect were medium-to-large flying boats measuring over a thousand meters in length, each capable of accommodating tens of thousands of people. The flight speed of such colossal behemoths naturally could not be very high, maintaining a steady cruise at only three times the speed of sound. This severely slowed the march of the two battle institutes. They could only cover about a hundred thousand li per day. With the Nine Cauldrons Sect and the Xuanming Sect separated by three hundred thousand li, the journey would take three full days. The consumption of spirit stones during this period naturally numbered in the tens of thousands. Moreover, three days... also gave the Xuanming Sect ample opportunity to prepare. Song You, Sect Master of the Xuanming Sect, immediately convened a meeting within his sect, determined to teach the Nine Cauldrons Sect a harsh lesson. In the battle of the East Sea Archipelago, they had lost more than three hundred Great Cultivators. They had to settle that score and reclaim their face. For their defeat in the East Sea, he had shifted the blame onto the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Heavenly Palace cultivators. But this battle would erupt on the Xuanming Sect's home turf. On their home soil, countless reinforcement and amplification formations were arrayed. With the amplification of their Origin Spirit formations, no matter how capable the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Heavenly Palace cultivators were, at best they could only keep their own communications intact; suppressing the Xuanming Sect's transmissions would be nothing short of a fool's dream. In addition to actively preparing for war, the Xuanming Sect did everything possible on the diplomatic front. They could not rely on the Wuji Astral Palace for now, but powers like the Great Sun Sword Sect, the Great Yue Dynasty, the Ancient Immortal Sect, and the Astral Sea Sect could still be leaned upon. After Sect Master Song paid a humble visit to Chisongzi, Deputy Hall Master of the Great Sun Sword Sect's War Hall and Minister of the East Sea Archipelago Affairs Department, and promised who-knew-what concessions and interests, the Great Sun Sword Sect quickly made its move. With the Great Sun Sword Sect on the move, the Great Yue Dynasty, Ancient Immortal Sect, and Astral Sea Sect followed suit. Of course, compared to the Great Sun Sword Sect's major maneuvers, these factions merely mobilized troops and generals within their own spheres of control. Leave alone encroaching into the waters controlled by the Nine Cauldrons Sect—they didn't even dare to utter harsh words. The mystery behind how more than three hundred Great Cultivators of the Xuanming Sect had fallen had yet to be unraveled, and under such circumstances, none dared act rashly lest they follow in Xuanming's footsteps. It was enough to cheer and wave flags from behind; as for the real probing... best leave that to the Great Sun Sword Sect. Under these circumstances, a battle institute from the Great Sun Sword Sect code-named "Shenhuo" departed from Liuli Island, approaching the zone controlled by the Nine Cauldrons Sect under the guise of patrolling maritime security. Upon receiving the report, Li Qingshan immediately ordered the Sword-Bearing Institute to monitor them. Moreover, he gave explicit orders: if the Great Cultivators of the Great Sun Sword Sect's battle institute attacked, the Sword-Bearing Institute was authorized to retaliate at once. However, less than an hour after the Sword-Bearing Institute departed, another movement was observed and reported by the Heavenly Palace cultivators. The sky-patrol warship Chunyu had taken flight, following close behind the Shenhuo Institute. ... Within the Virtual Spirit Realm. Murong Hui, Hall Master of the Heavenly Palace Hall, spoke with a solemn expression. "The Great Sun Sword Sect has deployed two elite battle institutes in the East Sea—Shenhuo and Shenfeng—along with four main battle institutes garrisoning various areas. Setting aside the garrison institutes for a moment, the crux is the force they have mobilized right now. While Shenhuo and Shenfeng are considered elites, they are distinctly inferior when compared to the two sky-patrol warships, the Chunyu and the Vajra." With a wave of his hand, the phantom projections of six warships promptly materialized. "Across the entire Great Sun Sword Sect, there are six sky-patrol warships, eight elite battle institutes, thirteen main battle institutes, plus dozens of standard garrison battle institutes. Part of this strength is deployed in their homeland, part in the Sea of Storms, and the remaining—nearly a third of their forces—is concentrated in the East Sea Archipelago. Among them, the Chunyu is a second-generation sky-patrol warship, somewhat weaker in combat power, but when combined with the Shenhuo Institute... even our Sword-Bearing Institute cannot be certain of standing against them." Murong Hui paused, then continued, "The most critical aspect of sky-patrol warships is not their firepower, but that they act as mobile fortresses, providing cultivators ample space to rest and recuperate." This explanation was directed at Yaoguang. "When two battle institutes of similar strength clash in life-and-death combat, if one side finds the situation unfavorable, they can immediately withdraw to a safe haven to adjust and recover, while the other side has no choice but to stay on high alert against incoming threats... After only a few days of tangled fighting, the battle institute granted no breathing room will break. At that point, they will either be forced to retreat or be worn to death by attrition while degraded to sixty or even forty percent of their peak state..." "Sect Master, perhaps I should recall our personnel," Lou Yuyu suggested. "What the Great Sun Sword Sect wants is precisely for us to pull back. If we do, their purpose and the Xuanming Sect's will be achieved," Li Qingshan said calmly, turning to Yaoguang. "The coming battle will depend on you." Others assumed this major battle would rely on Yaoguang's Zhenhai Institute, but Yaoguang knew exactly what Li Qingshan was referring to. "I understand. However..." Yaoguang looked at Li Qingshan. "Why don't the Sword-Bearing Institute handle the Great Sun Sword Sect's Shenhuo Institute, while you leave the Chunyu to me to tie down?" Li Qingshan was slightly taken aback. "Out of the question," Xu Qiexing, who acutely understood Yaoguang's importance, could not help interjecting. "Against a sky-patrol warship, only the Sword-Bearing Institute stands a chance. Even the Qingfeng Institute and Shenwei Institute might not match such a vessel, and your Zhenhai Institute's loadout isn't even on par with theirs... Going up against the Chunyu, wouldn't you be walking straight into the tiger's jaws?" Li Qingshan, however, did not voice agreement with Xu Qiexing. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Yaoguang's expression, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Are you confident?" "To say I could destroy the Chunyu would be arrogant, but pinning them down is no problem," Yaoguang said. "With me keeping the Chunyu occupied, the Sword-Bearing Institute should be able to rout the Shenhuo Institute, right? Once you achieve victory, Sect Master, it won't be too late to reinforce me." "Good!" Li Qingshan nodded heavily. He knew very well that the true combat power Yaoguang, this "Dharma Idol cultivator," could unleash was far beyond expectations. If anything, the strength the Zhenhai Institute could bring to bear might even surpass that of the Sword-Bearing Institute he led. "In that case, the Chunyu is in your hands. I will settle matters with the Shenhuo Institute as swiftly as possible," Li Qingshan said. "Sect Master!?" Xu Qiexing, Gao Shenghan, and the others were alarmed. Risking a talent like Yaoguang on the battlefield was already a reluctant necessity—and now they were letting him face a sky-patrol warship head-on? Had the Sect Master lost his mind? "Have faith in Yaoguang," Li Qingshan said with a smile. "Don't forget, during the counteroffensive at Longxiang City directed by Hall Master Yaoguang, even a sky-patrol warship from the Wuji Astral Palace was driven off. However advanced the Chunyu may be, it cannot compare to the Wuji Astral Palace, can it?" Seeing him so brimming with confidence, the others exchanged glances and had no choice but to acquiesce. "Safety comes first. The East Sea can be lost, but nothing must happen to you," Xu Qiexing cautioned gravely. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Yaoguang smiled faintly. Having served as the First Seat of the Zhenhai Institute for so long, and after a full year of rigorous drilling... it was time to test the institute's true strength.