Warship

Beidou Domain. The Third Sky-Patrol Research Institute. At that moment, the dean of this research institute, Fang Jinxue, along with formation masters and artifact refiners transferred from several other institutes, had been assembled. After signing a series of non-disclosure agreements, they arrived at a skyport shrouded by formations. Recalling the agreements they had just signed, incredulity was written across every face. "Is it really a second-generation sky-patrol warship?!" "Capturing a second-generation sky-patrol warship intact?! That's practically a fairy tale! Just... how on earth did the sect pull this off?" "First-generation sky-patrol warships focused on combat amplification, second-generation sky-patrol warships reinforced defense, and third-generation sky-patrol warships shifted their emphasis to divine mind amplification, information blockade, and information support, capable of generating an information black zone like a Dharma Idol cultivator... In other words, in terms of defense alone, a second-generation sky-patrol warship is hardly inferior to a third-generation one. To capture a second-generation warship, at least four elite battle institutes would have to deploy together, and only if the other side didn't call for reinforcements, didn't flee, and stubbornly fought to the death would there even be a glimmer of hope..." "This isn't a joke, is it? I still have several tough research problems waiting for me back at my station." These formation grandmasters and artifact refining grandmasters gathered in clusters, abuzz with discussion. Even having signed the agreements, they still found the reality difficult to believe. Seeing this, Fang Jinxue could not help but speak up. "All right. Since higher-ups had us wait here, they wouldn't be doing it without good reason. Let us just wait patiently." His words calmed everyone down slightly, but various discussions continued unabated, keeping the courtyard rather lively. Right then, a particularly perceptive Origin Spirit cultivator who was also a formation grandmaster seemed to sense something. He abruptly looked up toward the far edge of the sky. The moment he lifted his head, other Origin Spirit cultivators who specialized in the Divine Path felt it as well. "The airflow is off." "Something is approaching. Wait, how could I have failed to sense it earlier?" "The surrounding astral force field has distorted very slightly. A massive target is incoming..." Everyone followed their respective perceptions and looked toward the horizon. Before long, light rippled and flowed. A behemoth nearly a thousand meters across gradually shed its camouflage and concealment, revealing itself before the crowd. It was none other than the Chunyu, the warship Yaoguang had hurried over from the East Sea Archipelago after capturing it. Upon seeing the warship, every artifact refiner and formation master who had harbored doubts just moments ago widened their eyes in shock. As the sword cultivators and body cultivators guarding the research institute took to the air to guide the sky-patrol warship down into the pre-activated formation zone, the onlookers could restrain themselves no longer and rushed forward. "Is that really the Great Sun Sword Sect's Chunyu?! How on earth did we capture it?!" "The Great Sun Sword Sect's Chunyu?! Is this for real? Did we reclaim the East Sea Archipelago?" "I took a nap on the way here... Did I sleep for a hundred years?!" One formation grandmaster and artifact refining grandmaster after another acted like children discovering brand-new toys, boarding the Chunyu to touch here and examine there, their eyes brimming with uncontrollable delight. Meanwhile, Fang Jinxue immediately hurried up to Yaoguang as he flew out from the warship's bridge, offering an excited bow and greeting. "Hall Master Yaoguang." He rubbed his hands together. "Is this sky-patrol warship truly for us to study?" "Yes." Yaoguang nodded. "To be precise, it is for us to study together. I will also take part in researching the Chunyu sky-patrol warship. We will use this warship's layout to learn from it and ultimately develop our Nine Cauldrons Sect's own sky-patrol warships." "Hall Master Yaoguang understands sky-patrol warships as well?" Fang Jinxue was somewhat surprised. As the head of the Third Sky-Patrol Research Institute, he had naturally heard of Yaoguang's renowned name more than once. A sixth-rank, three-star formation master! A ninth-rank, four-star artifact refiner! Which of these titles was not world-renowned on its own? Placed within any of the Six Great Immortal Sects, he would be a foundational pillar of the sect! If placed in a mid-sized sect, he could single-handedly drive the progress and flourishing development of the entire organization. Even as a sixth-rank, three-star formation master proficient in multiple disciplines—Origin Spirit amplification formations, Origin Spirit interference formations, and Origin Spirit stabilization formations—Fang Jinxue could not begin to compare to such a figure. Yet... Hadn't rumors claimed he only understood Spirit Gathering Formations? How could he now...? Before Yaoguang could reply, Tang Fenghua, who had accompanied him, smiled and said, "Hall Master Yaoguang's attainments in the Dao of Formations far exceed ordinary imagination. For a genius like him, mastering one path unlocks them all. Do you know why we were able to capture this Chunyu sky-patrol warship completely intact? Why the Great Sun Sword Sect forces didn't flee or scuttle the ship at the final moment? It was because they never had the chance!" As he spoke, the fourth-tier grand sword cultivator looked toward Yaoguang with undisguised admiration. "Under Hall Master Yaoguang's direction, thirty-six spell cultivators from our Zhenhai Courtyard used a single cast of the Yin-Yang Dissolution Art to completely dismantle all twelve layers of defensive formations on the Chunyu. It was nothing short of a miracle!" "Thirty-six spell cultivators?! A single cast of the Yin-Yang Dissolution Art?!" Hearing Tang Fenghua's words, Fang Jinxue cried out almost instinctively, "That's impossible! How powerful are the defenses of a sky-patrol warship? Even if a hundred and eight spell cultivators spent over an hour unleashing the Yin-Yang Dissolution Art, they wouldn't necessarily break all twelve defensive formations with absolute certainty! Thirty-six spell cultivators? That's..." "I found it hard to believe as well, yet it is fact," Tang Fenghua said. "The entire way here, I kept wondering how Hall Master Yaoguang created this miracle. But reflecting on how he repeatedly had us strike specific critical nodes throughout the battle, I caught a glimpse of the truth... Hall Master Yaoguang was analyzing them! Through our attacks on those formations, he deciphered their operating principles, and then... he succeeded!" He looked at Yaoguang as though gazing upon a legend in the flesh. "In under twenty minutes, he deciphered all twelve defensive formations of the Chunyu sky-patrol warship. Then, relying on a single Yin-Yang Dissolution Art cast jointly by thirty-six spell cultivators, he collapsed every defense the Chunyu possessed in one fell swoop, giving them no room to breathe and executing a fatal checkmate!" "Under twenty minutes?! Deciphered twelve defensive formations?!" The formation grandmasters transferred from other research institutes had gathered around as well, listening to Tang Fenghua's words as if listening to scripture from the heavens. "How is that possible? How could such a person exist in this world?! Even a Formation Grandmaster... wouldn't be able to decipher twelve sixth-rank formations in such a short span, surely?" "When constructing the defensive formations of any sky-patrol warship, diversity and complexity are deliberately prioritized to counter every manner of formation-breaking method! I've glanced over the Chunyu's defenses—they span five major categories..." "Could the Chunyu's formation data have been leaked beforehand?" These formation masters felt as though their very understanding of the Dao of Formations was being overturned. Yaoguang glanced at Tang Fenghua. He knew that Tang Fenghua had spoken both out of genuine awe that he wished to share with others, and to help build Yaoguang's prestige, ensuring that the others would cooperate fully during the upcoming research on the warship. Yaoguang spoke up. "Whether it is true or not will become clear once we begin our research on this warship. For now, have people take charge of the vessel, and..." He looked at Wang Feng. "Take the warriors of Zhenhai Courtyard back to rest. In three days, the sect master will personally pin honors upon everyone who took part in this battle." "Understood!" Wang Feng nodded. The situation in the East Sea remained unresolved, so they truly needed to seize every second to recover the true essence exhausted in the battle against the Chunyu, preparing to redeploy at a moment's notice. *** With two battles of such enormous scale erupting in the East Sea Archipelago, the news naturally could not be contained. It first leaked from the Virtual Spirit Realm domain of the Wuji Astral Palace. Next, it swept across the nations surrounding the Tianxing Continent. Finally, it reached the Nine Cauldrons Sect's own Virtual Spirit Realm domain. As the insider details of the two major engagements were disclosed, the members of the Nine Cauldrons Sect felt an indescribable sense of surreality upon reading the battle reports. The news that Lou Yuyu, Deputy Hall Master of the War Hall, had led forces to heavily batter and shatter all of Xuanming Sect's strength in the East Sea—slaying over three hundred Great Cultivators and thousands upon thousands of high-level cultivators—was already astonishing enough, yet they had more or less begun to accept it. However, what followed... Sect Master Li Qingshan had led the Sword-Bearing Institute, while Yaoguang, Deputy Hall Master of both the Artifact Refining Hall and the Mystic Formation Hall, had led the Zhenhai Courtyard to intercept the Great Sun Sword Sect's Shenhuo Institute and the Chunyu warship. The result... A glorious triumph in which the Shenhuo Institute was nearly wiped out in its entirety, and the Chunyu was 'sunk.' Such an achievement... They wouldn't have dared dream of it in their wildest fantasies. As a result, when the news first surfaced, Nine Cauldrons Sect members dismissed it as an elaborate prank for quite some time. It was not until three days later, when Sect Master Li Qingshan held a brief yet exceedingly prestigious decoration ceremony for the Sword-Bearing Institute and Zhenhai Courtyard, that everyone dazedly realized this appeared to be real. Immediately after, individuals ventured into the Xuanming Sect's Virtual Spirit Realm domain and cross-posted the messages and recordings Lou Yuyu had broadcast there. Only then did people discover with astonishment that the Nine Cauldrons Sect had not merely crippled all of the Xuanming Sect's forces on the East Sea, but had pushed directly into Xuanming territory and forced them to bow their heads and sue for peace. When this news spread, the Nine Cauldrons Sect's Virtual Spirit Realm exploded. The sensation it caused was even greater than that of the East Sea battle against the Xuanming Sect. *** The Nine Cauldrons Sect made no move to suppress the spread of these reports, for the situation was now well within their control. In particular, after Li Qingshan disseminated the information that the 'Dharma Idol spirit treasure' was suspected to be the 'Origin Realm,' the Great Sun Sword Sect—which had initially mobilized with great fanfare to avenge the Shenhuo Institute and the Chunyu—instantly quieted down. Before thoroughly ascertaining whether this legendary spirit treasure truly possessed all the mystical properties rumored outside, they dared not act rashly, lest they suffer further grievous losses. Under these circumstances, following two massive clashes, the East Sea Archipelago strangely settled into calm. It was at this time, on the second day after Yaoguang brought the Chunyu to the Third Sky-Patrol Research Institute, that Li Qingshan returned to the sect's home territory at the head of the Sword-Bearing Institute. He came directly to the Beidou Domain, found Yaoguang, and gravely conveyed a message. "Martial Uncle wants to see you."