A Great Battle

The Star Slayer Alliance. The headquarters of this rebel faction was a battleship less than ten li in length. Yet the rank of such a vessel stood above pinnacle Dao artifacts, reaching the tier of a semi-immortal artifact. Moreover, it was a semi-immortal artifact specialized in concealment and traversing space. Though it was ill-suited for frontal clashes, it was precisely thanks to this semi-immortal artifact that the Star Slayer Alliance had managed to survive the Xingri Sect's repeated purges to this very day. At this moment, deep within the vessel, Vice Alliance Leader Dao Lord Zhuanhe walked in hurried strides. As one of the initial twenty-three core figures, the fall of a pinnacle combatant like Dao Lord Huijin immediately drew the serious attention of the entire alliance upper echelon. "Alliance Leader, something terrible has happened." The moment the vice alliance leader received the news, he confirmed the report and rushed before the Alliance Leader, Dao Lord Jiugong. Dao Lord Jiugong promptly gathered his divine mind and scrutinized the intelligence Zhuanhe handed to him. Once he finished reading, his expression turned grave. "What do you make of this?" "Yunmiao has betrayed our Star Slayer Alliance," Dao Lord Zhuanhe said without the slightest hesitation. "Otherwise, the three of them went to Yunji Starport on a mission to seek out Daoist Po Suo—how could the strongest among them, Huijin and Quanzhen, perish, while an ordinary figure among Dao Lords like Yunmiao managed to survive?" "Betrayal." As the leader of the Star Slayer Alliance, Dao Lord Jiugong had witnessed more than a few betrayals over the years. The Dao Lords who had turned traitor could not be counted on one hand. Although every betrayal had inflicted heavy losses on the Star Slayer Alliance... Where there was oppression, there would be resistance. So long as the Xingri Sect monopolized the Gate of the Immortal Realm for even a single day, there would always be Dao Lords throwing themselves forward to join the Star Slayer Alliance, stepping onto the path of defiance against the Xingri Sect. "Yunmiao was one of the earliest Dao Lords to join us. If he wanted to betray us, he would have done so long ago. Besides, even if he did turn traitor, the Xingri Sect would hardly trust him. Perhaps he managed to retreat unscathed because he cultivates the Grand Dao of the Void and possessed greater life-preserving capabilities?" Dao Lord Jiugong still retained a degree of trust in Yunmiao. "It is precisely because the Xingri Sect does not trust him that he needed to offer up a heavyweight like Dao Lord Huijin from our alliance as a pledge of allegiance to prove his resolve!" "I have a request here. Yunmiao stated that he hopes to return to the alliance as soon as possible to report an urgent matter to me. The people below confirmed his identity and have already transmitted the coordinates." Dao Lord Jiugong produced another piece of intelligence. At these words, Dao Lord Zhuanhe's expression changed abruptly. "Alliance Leader, you must not fall for it! This is undoubtedly a scheme concocted by Yunmiao and the Xingri Sect against our Star Slayer Alliance! We must relocate immediately! Otherwise, what awaits us is an all-out assault by the Xingri Sect!" "If the Xingri Sect wishes to deal with us, they must commit all their might to ensure they wipe us out in a single sweep. Up until now, those powerful Dao Lords within the Xingri Sect have remained under our surveillance, and I have not detected anything unusual from them." Even as he spoke, Dao Lord Jiugong took Zhuanhe's advice to heart. "However, the reason our Star Slayer Alliance has survived to this day is that we have always remained prudent and cautious! Rally our forces and prepare to withdraw at once... Of course, arrange some people to prepare for an early clash with the Xingri Sect." "Alliance Leader..." "Yunmiao used an extremely veiled cipher in his message—one known only to the two of us. Although the message was brief, it offered a hint. It is just that I do not know whether I should trust him," Dao Lord Jiugong said after a moment's contemplation. "A cipher? A hint?" Dao Lord Zhuanhe was slightly taken aback. "Yes." Dao Lord Jiugong's eyes flickered with uncertainty. "The information that could be conveyed via the cipher was not exact, but piecing together Yunmiao's phrasing, he seems to have fallen into the Xingri Sect's hands. Furthermore, the enemy's strength is formidable—likely nearing the tier of a Dao Sovereign. He claims he will lead these Dao Lords to our alliance headquarters, warning us to prepare to suppress them." "A Dao Sovereign!?" Dao Lord Zhuanhe's complexion paled. "The Star Brilliance Guard or the Dark Moon Guard!?" The Xingri Sect possessed three elite forces dedicated to guarding the sect's security. Aside from the Sky Patrol Guard tasked with logistics, the Star Brilliance Guard and the Dark Moon Guard represented the pinnacle of the Xingri Sect's combat power. Each of these divisions consisted of six Dao Lords. Their commanders were pinnacle Dao Lords, and the remaining members were standout veterans specialized in lethal combat. Nearly every time they were deployed, it inevitably meant the death of Dao Lords. More critically, these units were enigmatic and exceptionally difficult to monitor, making them nothing short of a nightmare in the minds of the alliance's Dao Lords. "Power nearing the tier of a Dao Sovereign... I fear the Star Brilliance Guard and the Dark Moon Guard have been deployed together." Dao Lord Jiugong's eyes gleamed with determination. "The Xingri Sect's other powerhouses are all under our surveillance. Though the Star Brilliance Guard and Dark Moon Guard are formidable enough that even an invincible Dao Lord might be cornered and slain by their combined assault, and only power at the Dao Sovereign level could truly eradicate them... they represent the entirety of the force the Xingri Sect can mobilize without disrupting its core operations." Zhuanhe's heart jolted, instantly guessing Dao Lord Jiugong's intention. "Alliance Leader, you mean..." Dao Lord Jiugong nodded. "Once we wipe out this force... the Xingri Sect will no longer be able to effectively deter other Dao Lords. When that time comes, even the wavering Dao Lords who have already joined us will certainly answer our call to charge into the Gate of the Immortal Realm in one fell swoop, thereby shattering the Xingri Sect's rule." With that, he seemed to have made up his mind. "Therefore, we must take a gamble—gamble on whether Yunmiao is trustworthy." "Take a gamble..." Zhuanhe regained his composure and calm. Taking a deep breath, he said in a heavy voice, "Indeed, we must gamble. After all, time is running out for us." Having said that, he glanced at Dao Lord Jiugong. "Besides, you have already made your decision, have you not, Alliance Leader?" Dao Lord Jiugong nodded slightly. "We will keep a portion of our forces behind and prepare to face both the Star Brilliance Guard and the Dark Moon Guard simultaneously. If we can swallow them whole, we shall do so without hesitation. If we cannot... we will have to wait for another opportunity." Hearing this, Dao Lord Zhuanhe raised no further objections. Time was indeed running out. The Gate of the Immortal Realm had already begun to open; at the earliest, within just several decades, anyone would be able to ascend to the Immortal Realm. That was the crux of the matter. ... On the other side, Dao Lords Yaoguang and Yunmiao traversed the void aboard their battleship. Yet after a stretch of travel, just as they were approaching the coordinates Yunmiao had provided, Yaoguang abruptly halted. Dao Lord Yunmiao blinked in confusion. "Dao Sovereign, with just one more jump, we will arrive at the Star Slayer Alliance. If the Alliance Leader learns that you are willing to join us against the Xingri Sect, he will be overjoyed—he might even yield the position of alliance leader to you. It is entirely possible for you to lead us against the Xingri Sect." Yaoguang paid him no heed, directly summoning the immortal artifact, the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm. At once, the surrounding space seemed to distort, vanishing entirely from the original starry expanse. Not only did they vanish spatially, but they also disappeared without a trace on the level of soul awareness. Even if a Void Dao Lord and a Soul Dao Lord adept at reconnaissance were to personally arrive in this region, they would never detect the slightest anomaly. Having accomplished this, Yaoguang waited patiently. While waiting, he cast a glance at the Wuji Sword in his hand. After two rounds of sacrificial refinement, the blade's quality had climbed another tier. Though it had not yet transformed into a true immortal artifact, it was likely not far from the pinnacle semi-immortal artifact tier, comparable to the Golden Book of the Grand Dao. By his estimate, after completing another forty to fifty percent of the refinement, this semi-immortal artifact would undergo a complete metamorphosis. When that time came, using this immortal artifact to channel the power of the Grand Dao and unleash the Great Void Art would be far easier. It would not be like now, where executing it eight or ten times would destabilize his immortal body's structure. He then glanced at the experience accumulated on the 【Demon Hunting】 and 【Merchant】 branches... Ultimately, with some reluctance, he channeled all this "experience" into the 【Formation】 branch. Although a level sixteen Formation could be considered the zenith of the lower realm, in certain places it was already beginning to fall short. Raising it to level seventeen was the safer choice. Once 【Formation】 reached level seventeen, he would pour everything into pushing 【Artifact Crafting】 to level nineteen, paving the way to glimpse the Supreme Sacred Artifacts and Grand Dao Godly Weapons belonging to the domain of Dao Ancestors. Yaoguang quietly comprehended the myriad changes brought about by the elevation of his 【Formation】 skill. Yet Dao Lord Yunmiao, enclosed within the Ten Directions Heavenly Realm alongside him, grew somewhat flustered. He did not know why Yaoguang had suddenly stopped, nor did he know whether his secret transmission had been discovered. This state of utter ignorance made the waiting excruciating. Yet he dared not make any reckless move. For a time, waiting and leaving his fate to the heavens seemed to be the only thing he could do. ... Yaoguang did not have to wait long. Before long, two ahead and one behind, three battleships bearing the insignia of the Xingri Sect appeared within his awareness. "Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. The Xingri Sect certainly acts with bold resolve. They have mobilized nearly all the available forces they can spare without crippling their operations. Eighteen Dao Lords striking together—even if they plunge straight into a trap laid by the Star Slayer Alliance, they will be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive." Yaoguang deduced the Xingri Sect's thoughts at a glance. Next came the response from the Star Slayer Alliance. Soon, in that stretch of starry space, a great battle erupted. Over a dozen well-prepared Dao Lords of the Star Slayer Alliance quickly clashed with the eighteen Dao Lords leading the three fleets. Although their numbers were comparable, the Dao Lords of the Xingri Sect not only cooperated seamlessly and possessed formidable Dao arts, but more than half of them were equipped with pinnacle Dao artifacts—truly outfitted to the teeth. In contrast, the dozen or so Dao Lords of the Star Slayer Alliance fought individually without any coordination. After only a brief exchange, they had already been severed and isolated by the Xingri Sect. At this rate, casualties would soon arise on the alliance's side. It was precisely at this moment that a battleship flashed into existence. Its speed and stealth were such that... Even Yaoguang had failed to notice it beforehand due to the distance. "That battleship!?" Yaoguang's heart stirred. With the battleship's arrival, over thirty Dao Lords joined the fray, instantly tilting the scales of victory. "Excellent, they've engaged." Yaoguang nodded slightly. "Those Xingri Sect Dao Lords should call for reinforcements immediately. Confronted by such a massive force from the Star Slayer Alliance, the Xingri Sect will have to deploy everything they have. Now, all that remains is to wait for the Xingri Sect's Time Dao Lord to make a move."