The man’s brows furrowed. “Who killed him? How did he die? Don’t leave out any details.”
Meng Cai quickly recounted the events that had transpired.
“Brother, I did not mean to disturb your cultivation, but the two guild elders and I are of a similar level of strength. None of us are able to handle a situation of this magnitude. After much consideration, we decided to seek your guidance.”
Within the Pleiades Guild, Meng Cai held full control over the day-to-day operations. Thus, he quickly learned about Shadow Blade’s harvest from the immortal realm and immediately rushed to Cloudhill.
But deep down, Meng Cai knew that the reason the Pleiades Guild still stood alongside the Starcom Consortium and Great Jin, even after Guild Elder Dong Qian’s departure, was solely due to the man before him—Niu Hao!
A true ascetic who had spent years cultivating in the unforgiving wilderness of ice and snow, Niu Hao was now the sole late-stage Qi Sea cultivator left in Pleiades Guild.
“No trace of spiritual qi fluctuations… A giant golden hand that can instantly kill a fourth-stage Qi Sea cultivator?” the disheveled man’s eyes filled with disbelief. “Could it be…a Domain?”
Meng Cai was taken aback. “A Domain?”
Niu Hao softly replied, “The Domain stage lies above the Unity level and signifies a high level of mastery over a type of heaven and earth’s power. A Qi Sea cultivator who can manifest a Domain becomes virtually invincible below the Golden Core phase.”
“What?” Meng Cai’s eyes widened. Invincible below the Golden Core phase?
“I am only speculating; nothing is certain,” Niu Hao said, shaking his head slightly. “From what you’ve told me, Fang Xia has not shown himself in a long time. Perhaps he has been adventuring overseas. It is difficult to predict what abilities he might have.”
“We are unqualified to intervene in this battle,” Niu Hao spoke softly. “Furthermore, according to your account, Shadow Blade is also an affiliate member of our Pleiades Guild?”
“Yes,” Meng Cai nodded.
“Send a gift to the Cloudstride Sect along with an apology to Grandmaster Shadow Blade,” Niu Hao declared, his tone indifferent. “Then, inform the Starcom Consortium and Great Jin about the battle. Of course, do not divulge my speculations. Just inform them that Fang Xia may possess the strength of a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator.”
Meng Cai felt a tinge of confusion. Apologize? He could understand that. But deliberately hiding information?
“Let them clash! I don’t know what Fang Xia’s motives are for his ruthless actions, deliberately provoking the Starcom Consortium. Perhaps he has a grand objective in mind. We mustn’t interfere with his intentions,” Niu Hao calmly declared, “You must understand that we cannot afford to entangle ourselves with Great Jin, the Starcom Consortium, or the Cloudstride Sect, and I have no wish to provoke their ire.”
“For the Pleiades Guild, this matter concludes here! Remember, no matter the victor, we must remain impartial. Should a Golden Core Superior truly emerge, our submission must follow immediately.”
“Or…wait until I emerge from seclusion.” Niu Hao waved his hand dismissively, “Go now, and bear in mind, the Cloudstride Sect’s rise is inexorable, akin to the rise of Jin Quan in the past, destined to shake the world. Maintain a low profile, refrain from meddling, and abstain from taking sides.”
“Understood.” Meng Cai replied solemnly. He bowed and departed.
“Domain? Fang Xia has reached such heights in just over two centuries of cultivation?” Niu Hao muttered to himself.
He closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation. Within his middle dantian lobe, his boundless qi sea hosted nine swirling whirlpools, with the essentia converging into a raging deluge. In those dark whirlpools, golden radiance seeped through, as if on the verge of bursting forth at any moment!
…
As the days went by, the news of the clash at Cloudhill and the fall of a Heavenly Ranker spread like wildfire, unimpeded by the Cloudstride Sect or the Pleiades Guild.
Fang Xia of the Cloudstride Sect was now a figure that shook the entire world, thrust into the limelight as someone with the strength to slay another Heavenly Ranker, instantly solidifying his status as one of the top powerhouses in existence.
Five days following the clash at Cloudhill, the Cloudstride Sect’s armies gathered, commanded by three Grandmasters. An unstoppable force of 60,000 soldiers invaded Yuanhu Province. Simultaneously, under the might of two Great Grandmasters, the Four Provinces of Baijiang submitted to the Cloudstride Sect, and were seamlessly absorbed into its territory.
Almost immediately, the armies of the Four Provinces of Baijiang advanced into the turbulent Guangping and Dalong Provinces in the Jiang Continent, effortlessly pacifying both regions. In the blink of an eye, the territory of the Cloudstride Sect ballooned from three provinces to an astounding ten, causing waves of astonishment to reverberate throughout the world. [1] Countless civilians and martial artists were taken aback by such large-scale expansion, an event that had not been witnessed in centuries, not since the founding of the Great Jin Empire 200 years past.
Confronted with the bold expansion of the Cloudstride Sect, the Great Jin Empire and the eight major sects of the Dong Continent kept silent, as though they had tacitly agreed to it.
Three days after assuming control over the ten provinces, the Cloudstride Sect sent forth a statement that reverberated across the world – “A Letter to the Forefathers of Chu-Jiang”. Within it lay words of accusation and condemnation of the Great Jin Empire’s transgressions, culminating in an ultimate aim – the restoration of the old borders of the Chu-Jiang Empire. This was nothing short of an open declaration of war against the Great Jin Empire, a proclamation that shook the world once more.
All eyes were now on the Great Jin Empire. How would they respond to the audacious challenge from the Cloudstride Sect?
…
September 28th marked the declaration of a National Mobilization by the Great Jin Empire. From the Yuan Continent in the North to the Nan Continent in the South, from the Jiang Continent in the East to the Xi Continent in the West, a combined force of two million soldiers was activated, ready to conquer the Jiang Continent.
Needless to say, the mobilization of such a vast army, scattered across multiple continents, was certain to consume a great deal of time. For example, the Westward Expedition Army was stationed thousands of li away in the Xi Continent. It would take them ages to arrive.
Within the Jin Hall in the Holy Continent, a sense of trepidation permeated the air. Countless palace maids and servants quivered in fear, dreading the wrath of the increasingly irate Emperor Jin.
“Curse that Cloudstride Sect!” bellowed Emperor Jin, his tall and slender frame seated upon the imposing dragon throne. “How did a Heavenly Ranker suddenly emerge from the Cloudstride Sect? And to compound matters, he’s powerful enough to slay another Heavenly Ranker.”
Despite his royal image, Emperor Jin looked utterly helpless in the face of their provocation. He knew all too well that whether it be an army of one million or even ten million, when a major faction backed by a Heavenly Ranker powerhouse openly declared war on the Great Jin Empire, the outcome would not be decided by conventional military alone.
Suddenly, a voice as indifferent as the winds tore through the air, resounding throughout the resplendent Jin Hall. “Cang’er, what troubles you so?”
“Mm?” Emperor Jin’s eyes widened in astonishment, soon replaced by unbridled joy. “Ancestor?”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Emperor Jin, a Great Grandmaster, rushed out from the hall in a blur. Before him, suspended in mid-air, stood seven figures. All seven were Heavenly Rankers.
Emperor Jin humbly prostrated himself, trembling with a mixture of reverence and anticipation. “Jin Cang offers my deepest respects to the deities.”
In his heart, Emperor Jin knew what their arrival signified: the Heavenly Rankers of Great Jin were finally taking personal action against the Cloudstride Sect.
1. Three after they lost the Hillstride Province ☜