“Father!” Jin Ji bowed his head in shame.
He knew that Uncle Black must have already communicated with his father. As a spirit beast who was bonded to his father with a soul pact, it was able to communicate with its master in mysterious ways.
“Jin Qing is gone, Jin Long too. The array flags of the Septet Ignis Array are all lost as well.” Sitting atop the jade platform, his father looked down at him. The disappointment in his eyes cut deep. “It was a mistake to entrust Great Jin to you.”
Jin Ji dared not lift his gaze any further. He knew his father was truly angry.
After a long silence, the illusory purple-robed figure finally commanded, “Rise.”
“Recount every detail of this past month, particularly the encounter with Fang Xia,” the purple-robed figure instructed, his voice measured and calm.
“Understood. After I received the treasure from Father, I visited the Yuanxia Palace and Starsea Pavilion…” Jin Ji explained everything with his head bowed, his voice growing softer until it was nothing more than a whisper. “In the end, I was the sole survivor.”
“Father, this is the battle footage I recorded.” With a wave of his hand, he conjured a light screen. It showcased Jin Ji controlling the Septet Ignis Array, pursuing Fang Xia through a dense, white fog.
The purple-robed figure watched the light screen without speaking. Jin Ji lowered his gaze, not uttering a single word. The scene on the screen replayed over and over again until the mana imbued in the image was completely depleted, causing the light screen to burst into a brilliant cascade of light particles.
“Father, I can re-” Jin Ji was halted by a firm gesture from his father. He promptly shut his mouth.
Seated on the jade platform, the purple-robed figure spoke with measured deliberation. “This Fang Xia appears to have reached the Domain stage.”
“The Domain stage?” Jin Ji’s eyes widened in astonishment. He knew what this implied. Once a ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivator reached this stage, they were practically invincible within the Qi Sea phase.
“You don’t believe me? There was nothing wrong with your battle tactics. Perhaps if the seven qi refiners controlling the array were ninth-stage Qi Sea cultivators like the Arctic King or Deity Huang, there might have been a chance of winning,” the purple-robed figure said slowly.
“Without utilizing any powerful artifacts, Fang Xia could withstand your attacks with just an array and some arcane arts?” The purple-robed figure shook his head. “If the array he constructed was really that strong, why would he allow you to destroy the array bases one by one? It doesn’t add up!”
Jin Ji immediately felt enlightened.
“It only means that Fang Xia himself is incredibly powerful. From the battle footage, those golden flows of qi should be the power of the Domain stage. With enough time, Fang Xia could easily reach the Golden Core phase. It will only be a matter of time,” the purple-robed figure sighed.
Jin Ji was shocked. The Golden Core phase? From the ‘Amethyst Cradle Jade Record’, he knew that even in the vast higher world, a Golden Core Superior could lead a decent life. And Fang Xia was someone who could definitely reach the Golden Core phase? It should be noted that since the Martial King divided the land into continents thousands of years ago, not a single Golden Core Superior had appeared in the Middle Land.
“It makes sense. As the spiritual qi continues to recover to its original levels and the population of the Middle Land grows, more and more geniuses will emerge,” the figure in purple robes said. “More than a thousand years ago, there were only a dozen Heavenly Rankers in the world at most.”
“And now? Adding up all the factions in the world, both overt and underground, there are probably more than 70 Heavenly Rankers,” the purple-robed figure remarked. “With so many qi refiners, a Golden Core Superior is sure to emerge sooner or later.”
Jin Ji listened intently.
“Ji’er! Though you played a significant part in this battle, you are not solely to blame for our defeat,” the purple-robed stated as he turned to Jin Ji.
The young man’s head drooped in response.
“If only Zhao Xing and Hai Feizhang had been willing to cooperate with you earlier,” the purple-robed figure continued. “If the three of you had controlled the array together, the outcome of the battle might have been different. Unfortunately, they refused to act, and thus our loss was inevitable.”
“Now, the Septet Ignis Array is gone. Even if I leave the treasure realm right now, confronting Fang Xia will prove challenging.”
“Let this matter end here,” the purple-robed figure declared.
“Father, are you giving up?” Jin Ji protested, his disbelief apparent.
They had suffered immense losses, were they truly surrendering so easily?
“What other choice do we have?” the purple-robed illusory figure retorted coldly. “Go fight Fang Xia to the death? Wake up, my son. When something is impossible, we must cut our losses.”
“You must understand that the Wu Sect and Starcom Consortium are closely monitoring Great Jin,” the purple-robed figure added, his tone softening. “I will negotiate with both holy sanctuaries. We will relinquish the six provinces within the Jiang Continent under our jurisdiction to halt Fang Xia’s advance.”
“Cede six provinces?” Jin Ji struggled to accept it. “Won’t that allow the Cloudstride Sect to fully unify the Jiang Continent?”
These six provinces had been hard-won territories, acquired after countless battles.
“After suffering defeat, how can we expect to appease the Cloudstride Sect without concessions?” the purple-robed illusory figure replied, his voice growing colder. “Giving up the six provinces is just a way for us to buy some time.”
“The Cloudstride Sect, which previously had a territory of just three provinces, has suddenly gained more than ten at once. It will take them some time to fully integrate their newfound territories. For the next decade or two, they will not initiate any new wars. This period is critical. Once I successfully emerge from the treasure realm, it won’t matter whether Fang Xia has reached the Domain stage or not.” The purple-robed figure slowly said. “As long as he has yet to make a breakthrough to the next phase, I can kill him all the same!”
Understanding glimmered in Jin Ji’s eyes as he finally comprehended the meaning behind his father’s words.
“Go have some rest. Prepare the official document, and deliver it to the Cloudstride Sect,” the purple-robed figure instructed. “Also, hand over the treasure to Dong Guang. Among the Heavenly Rankers in the royal clan faction, he is the only one who has the ability to wield it.”
“Understood!” Jin Ji replied respectfully.
The Jin royal family didn’t only nurture disciples from their bloodline, but also invited numerous experts to join their faction. Unfortunately, producing Heavenly Rankers was no simple task, and with the royal family’s concerns with regard to their secrets getting leaked, they only managed to produce two in the past two centuries. One had met their demise in the Xin Continent, leaving only one alive.
…
Watching Jin Ji depart, the purple-robed illusory figure fell into silence. After a moment of contemplation, he waved his hand, causing two streaks of light to flash through the hall. After some time, countless specks of light converged, forming two illusory figures – one in black robes and the other in blue robes. Both turned their gazes toward the purple-robed figure.
“Daoist Zhao, Daoist Hai,” the purple-robed figure greeted with a slight smile. “It has been many years since we last met.”
The figures in the black and blue robes exchanged glances. They were none other than Zhao Xing, the leader of Yuanxia Palace, and Hai Feizhang, the leader of Starsea Pavilion.
“Jin Quan, since you used the precious Illuform Talisman, I’m guessing there must be an important reason for convening a meeting out of the blue,” the figure in black robes said softly.
“Mm.” The figure in purple robes gave a solemn nod, speaking calmly. “Daoist Zhao is a straightforward man, so I shall not mince words. Daoists Zhao Yi and Hai Jian have perished.”
“What? Yi’er is dead?” Zhao Xing’s eyes widened in shock.
“Hai Jian has fallen?” Hai Feizhang’s countenance subtly shifted, betraying his inner turmoil.
The battle at Cloudhill had only just concluded, and the two of them had been preoccupied in secluded cultivation, unaware of the outcome. The weight of this news struck them like a thunderbolt. Whether it was Zhao Yi or Hai Jian, they were the second-strongest experts of their respective sects. Their significance to their factions could not be overstated.
“Fellow Daoists, please calm down and listen to me first. Both met their demise at the hands of Fang Xia from the Cloudstride Sect,” the purple-robed figure spoke with composure. “Allow me to explain in depth…”
He swiftly recounted everything Jin Ji had reported. With each passing word, the initial rage within Zhao Xing and Hai Feizhang gradually morphed into disbelief, and eventually, a profound silence.
After a long pause, Zhao Xing finally spoke, his voice hoarse, “All of them… gone? Jin Quan, do you comprehend the gravity of this loss? My Yuanxia Palace only had seven Heavenly Rankers! Three of them are now dead due to this conflict! How many more losses can we afford?” Zhao Xing’s voice was filled with barely restrained wrath.
“My Starsea Pavilion, too, has been reduced to a mere four Heavenly Rankers,” Hai Feizhang sighed softly, his voice tinged with sorrow.
These were Heavenly Rankers he was talking about! The entire Great Jin Empire, including the three holy sanctuaries, hadn’t even produced twenty such individuals in total.
One had to understand that the few Heavenly Rankers that were part of the Yuanxia Palace and Starsea Pavilion Heavenly Rankers had been painstakingly accumulated by these factions over centuries. Yet in a single battle, six of them were gone!
“The quest for unification exacts a grievous toll,” the purple-robed figure let out a soft sigh. “The demise of Jin Long and the loss of treasures weigh heavily on my heart. If anything is to blame, it’s that Fang Xia is simply too strong.”
Zhao Xing’s eyes turned icy as he questioned, “Jin Quan, are we simply going to let the Cloudstride Sect off the hook? This war was initiated by you.”
The purple-robed figure spoke slowly, “Fang Xia’s individual strength surpasses any of us three. Even if we were to unite, we would still fall short of breaching Cloudhill.”
“I will be attempting to make a breakthrough soon. Once I succeed, he won’t be able to stop me. No one in the Middle Land can,” the purple-robed figure whispered, leaving Zhao Xing and Hai Feizhang shocked.