Lei Ting

What kind of place was Dayu? At best, a nation qualified to serve as a pawn on the board. In ordinary times, Chixing would never spare it much attention. Yet when a global hegemon like Chixing truly cast its gaze upon Dayu and the Central Continent, the terrifying pressure loomed like dark clouds threatening to crush a city, instantly throwing countless people into jittery panic. Only a single day after Chixing declared the Jishi Society a terrorist organization instead of a civic group, six nations chose to sever ties with the society. And practically on that same day, Chixing's invincible fleet steamed directly toward the Central Continent. A colossal navy whose tonnage and numbers surpassed the combined fleets of every nation in the Central Continent prompted another five countries to halt their support for the Jishi Society. Immediately afterward, ostensibly to guard against threats posed by the Jishi Society to Chixing's foreign military bases, Chixing announced another troop increase across its overseas installations. Especially in the Central Continent, it planned to dispatch higher-ranking generals—namely, Martial Saints—to oversee Central Continental affairs. With this, the dozen-plus nations of the Central Continent erupted into turmoil. If Chixing truly carried out this decision, the Central Continent—spanning over fifteen million square kilometers—would see a sudden influx of more than a dozen Martial Saints! This was practically equivalent to half the total number of Martial Saints in the entire Central Continent. Though only half in number, one could not forget that Chixing's Martial Saints were not only better equipped, but the battle techniques they mastered were an entire tier above those of the Central Continent. Facing Central Continent Martial Saints, claiming they could fight two to one was no exaggeration. What did that mean? It meant the military force Chixing deployed to the Central Continent would exceed the combined total of the Central Continent itself. In less than half a month, led by the few nations that had supported the Jishi Society most vigorously, an internal emergency meeting of the society was convened. Had it not been for the respect owed to Ji Pingtian as a Divine Realm Martial Saint, he, as president, would undoubtedly have been cursed into the ground. Even so, these nations expressed vehement dissatisfaction with the Jishi Society's strategy. One after another, they threatened to pull their funding, withdraw their personnel, and leave the Jishi Society to fend for itself. Radicals even pushed to disband the Jishi Society entirely. ... The Red Sea Republic, home to the Jishi Society's Central Continent headquarters. Having just concluded a round of hearings, Ji Pingtian massaged the bridge of his nose. Before he could catch his breath, however, the door was pushed open. Zhao Xuanbing and Hong Chuan, who had likewise rushed here, walked inside. Seeing Ji Pingtian's exhausted state, Hong Chuan gave a slight smile. "I thought you might buckle under the pressure. I didn't expect you to maintain such a resolute stance throughout." "I'm managing. I just didn't expect such a massive reaction from Chixing, as well as the nations across the Central and Eastern Continents." Ji Pingtian replied, shaking his head. "I don't understand. Don't these people realize that if the Jishi Society is disbanded, every power in the Central and Eastern Continents will be left entirely at Chixing's mercy, with no hope of ever rising again?" "It's a simple truth," Zhao Xuanbing sighed. "If you contract a chronic illness that might kill you in ten or twenty years, and you have the option to undergo surgery right now with a fifty-percent chance of failure, do you take the surgery or not?" "The two aren't the same," Ji Pingtian said. "Whether they're the same doesn't actually matter. When we resolved to stand in Chixing's path, we already anticipated this scenario, didn't we?" Hong Chuan said with a smile. Hearing this, Ji Pingtian nodded. "I just didn't expect Chixing to act so swiftly and with such ferocity." "Something we're unaware of must have happened. Or perhaps... Jiang Shengtian values Yaoguang even more than we imagined..." Hong Chuan said. The Jiang Shengtian he spoke of was the current ruler of the Crimson Star Empire. Not only was he a visionary leader who ran Chixing with impeccable order, but he was also a Martial Saint who had attained spirit intent. Even though Chixing and Xuelong were on the verge of their rotation, Chixing had managed to stall on this side for so long largely thanks to his remarkable capabilities. "If it were me, I would likewise view a nineteen-year-old Martial Saint as an immense threat. Next would be either finding a way to draw him into our camp, or... destroying him outright." Zhao Xuanbing said, "Our previous conclusion was too optimistic. We factored in the assumption that Chixing, perched high above, would look down on outsiders. But facts prove that while proud and aloof, they are not complacent. They know full well which enemies must be won over and which must be eliminated." "We need to consider how to resolve this problem," Ji Pingtian said solemnly. "If this continues and the various nations withdraw their resources, manpower, and supplies, the Jishi Society will truly be on the verge of dissolution." "This problem can't be resolved. At the very least, not a single nation possesses the courage to truly stand up against Chixing. When it came to skirting the edge, they had some nerve, but the moment Chixing gets serious, every last one of them is scared into inaction, hushed in sheer terror," Hong Chuan said. "If it can't be resolved, then what about these nations—" Ji Pingtian frowned and began to speak, but Hong Chuan cut him off before he could finish. "There's one thing they've forgotten." He looked at Ji Pingtian. "They are politicians. But we are martial artists." "Martial artists!?" "Yes! Martial artists standing at the pinnacle of the Martial Path! Beings who concentrate immense might in a single person, where one man rivals an entire army! Our strength has never come from the outside world; it originates from within ourselves." As Hong Chuan spoke, he waved his hand forcefully. "Let them oppose all they want; we will do what we must! If Chixing's Martial Saints truly dare come, we'll fight them to the fullest—treat it as an early rehearsal for the All-Under-Heaven Martial Meet!" Hearing this, Zhao Xuanbing remained silent. The All-Under-Heaven Martial Meet? Based on the intelligence they had gathered so far... Whether the ultimate purpose of the All-Under-Heaven Martial Meet still held any meaning was completely unknown. Chixing and Xuelong had lost contact with the Artifact Sect... Even if they won the All-Under-Heaven Martial Meet and secured slots to go to the Artifact Sect, what point was there? A slot that could never be redeemed was nothing more than a joke. Zhao Xuanbing's silence caused the smile on Hong Chuan's face to fade slightly. His gaze couldn't help but fall upon him. Ji Pingtian turned to look at him as well, seemingly waiting for his reply. "I think we should yield to their momentum for now," Zhao Xuanbing finally said after a long pause. Seeing that Ji Pingtian and Hong Chuan were about to speak, he immediately added, "Hear me out. I know you've placed your bets on Yaoguang. But right now, there are two primary issues. First, Yaoguang hasn't given us much of a positive response; our investment may not yield the returns we anticipated." He spoke rapidly. "Second, Chixing has lost contact with the Artifact Sect—and according to our data, contact has been broken for at least forty years! Who can guarantee how long this blackout will last? Another forty years? And without entering the Artifact Sect... Yaoguang will have to face Chixing head-on. He won't survive long enough to become a high-tier cultivator." Without entering the Artifact Sect... Yaoguang, facing Chixing head-on, would never live to the day he became a high-tier cultivator. At those words, Hong Chuan and Ji Pingtian fell silent as well. Deep down, they knew this was by no means mere fearmongering. Those who had never opposed Chixing could never fathom just how terrifyingly powerful Chixing truly was. "We pour in everything we have, even wagering our lives and fortunes, and what we get in return might very well be total ruin," Zhao Xuanbing said heavily, "And that is overwhelmingly likely. Therefore..." He paused, then sighed. "I don't plan to play along anymore." At those words, Hong Chuan and Ji Pingtian's hearts sank. After a long while, Hong Chuan spoke. "The three of us have known each other for a decade. Our cooperation during the Jishi Society's existence has been more than pleasant... We agreed together to head to the Artifact Sect, to make names for ourselves together..." "Yet right now, something has gone wrong with the Artifact Sect, and we... are still pinning our hopes on someone else." Zhao Xuanbing shook his head. "You..." "Right now, the various nations are already pulling out. If it comes down to us facing Chixing directly... we won't last even a year. Especially since Jiang Shengtian takes this far more seriously than we expected. If we stubbornly fight Chixing to the bitter end for the sake of a Yaoguang whose stance remains ambiguous, even we won't meet a good end," Zhao Xuanbing said. "Enough! Even without anyone's support, we can still hold up the sky!" Hong Chuan's tone carried a hint of displeasure. "A martial artist should ultimately rely only on their own strength—those words ring true. But the moment we pinned our hopes on others, we lost our aggressive drive. Once a person takes a single step back, there will be a second step, and a third..." Zhao Xuanbing glanced at Hong Chuan, then at Ji Pingtian, and finally said, "Just like right now..." At those words, Hong Chuan and Ji Pingtian seemed to realize something, their expressions abruptly changing. "Xuanbing, what do you mean by that!?" Soon, they had their answer. A clamor of shouts and cries of alarm erupted from outside, accompanied by explosive booms and agonized screams. Hong Chuan and Ji Pingtian exchanged a glance and burst out of the conference room immediately. Outside, a figure over two meters tall, clad in what resembled exoskeleton armor and wielding a massive 1.6-meter greatsword, was leading a squad into the courtyard. The instant they saw that figure, Hong Chuan and Ji Pingtian's hearts plummeted. "The Star Shrine! Lei Ting!" The master of the Star Shrine, clad in armor resembling an exoskeleton, turned his gaze upon them. His face was emotionless, his eyes filled with the cold indifference reserved for ants. "Allowing you to form the Jishi Society was originally just a convenient way to herd the disobedient together so we could wipe you all out at our leisure. In recent years we were delayed by other matters, and we gave you enough face that you thought you could start prancing around. Since you're eager to die... I might as well grant your wish." He coldly leveled his greatsword. "Leave none alive!" ... Not long after. Sixteenth Prince Jiang Zhengming, having relaxed on vacation for more than half a month, glanced at the message he had just received and gave a breezy whistle. "The little rats have mostly been crushed." He organized the information slightly, then summoned Shangguan Xiong. "Go, deliver this to our little friend Yaoguang. Let him see clearly what the adult world truly looks like."