LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 141: The Situation
In the afternoon.
Alkaid met with all the Artifact Refiners from the Artifact Refining Court.
When they first saw him, the Artifact Refiners were somewhat astonished.
But as he directly revealed his Primordial Spirit form...
Even though it was obvious that his Primordial Spirit was somewhat insubstantial, all voices of opposition were immediately silenced.
Who didn't know that in the current environment of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, the weight of a Divine Cultivator was heaviest?
With this move from Alkaid, in the future when applying for funding, the difficulty would drop by more than one level, and everyone would give at least some face to this future Great Cultivator of the Primordial Spirit Realm.
After gaining the recognition of all Artifact Refiners, Alkaid had them focus on the "aesthetics" of Flying Sword development, while he himself plunged into the research of the "Purple Cloud" series and "Immortal Shadow 60" series Flying Swords.
One month later, the Immortal Shadow 60 series of Flying Swords were fully finalized.
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Compared to the original Immortal Shadow 50 series, the new version Immortal Shadow 60 not only brought spiritual consumption down to 91, but its maximum flight speed was also increased to 510 meters per second. Although its offensive capabilities were slightly reduced, in terms of Magical Artifact Level Flying Swords...
Most were mainly for practice, just like small training planes. Who would actually let them go onto the battlefield?
In addition, the stability coefficient of the Immortal Shadow 60 compared to its predecessors improved significantly, greatly reducing the possibility of encountering dangers in complex environments. Coupled with a good protection system, a balance system, and an operating system, it made this Flying Sword even easier to master, suitable for all ages.
Sword Cultivators who had reached the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refinement could send the Flying Sword soaring straight into the blue depths.
...
Inside Nine Heavens City.
The headquarters of the Immortal Shadow Flying Sword Institute.
This was a towering peak that soared into the clouds, resembling a giant vertical sword.
This peak was especially invited by the Chief of Immortal Shadow, who asked a Great Technique Cultivator who had mastered the Mountain Moving Technique to collect mountain rocks from a thousand miles away and merge them, forge them, and then move them to Nine Heavens City after laying down formations.
Although the mountain was relocated from outside the area, it was adorned with flowers, surrounded by greenery, and embellished with antique buildings among the shade of trees, perfectly embodying the harmony between humans and nature.
To this day, the mountain has become a famous check-in spot in Nine Heavens City.
At the moment, on a several-thousand-square-meter open-air platform at the top of the mountain, high-rank Artifact Refiners, high-rank Cultivators, and high-rank Martial Artists were gathering together, raising their cups and toasting to celebrate the "Immortal Shadow 60" series' launch.
As the most meritorious external contributor, Alkaid was also invited and had some contact with the upper circles of the Nine Heavens Domain.
...
At this time, accompanying Alkaid were the special professor Qin Yadong as well as Yun Lai, the Chief Master Artifact Refiner of the Immortal Shadow Refinement Institute.
Knowing that Alkaid was unfamiliar with the surrounding circles, Qin Yadong continually introduced the important personalities at the event.
"That one there is the City Lord of Nine Heavens City. He is one of the most outstanding True Disciples of our Nine Cauldrons Sect, a figure who has built his Dao Foundation. After retiring from his original profession, he directly became the Deputy City Lord, and ascended to City Lord three years ago..."
"Beside the City Lord is an Elder stationed here from the Main Sect. He is not just any common Elder, but one from the Elder Council of the Main Sect. All appointments of positions in Nine Heavens City that involve the Nine Cauldrons Sect fall under his jurisdiction."
"That one is Hall Master Zhao He of the Campaign Hall of the Sub-sect. One of the top three Great Sword Cultivators in the entire Nine Heavens Domain, his mastery of the Nine Profound Streaming Light Sword Art is exquisite. It is said that at full power, his Flying Sword can reach speeds up to a hundred times the speed of sound."
Qin Yadong introduced them one by one.
Upon hearing Zhao He's Flying Sword could reach a hundred times the speed of sound, Alkaid couldn't help but glance at him.
This glance seemed to make the Campaign Hall Master sense something.
He smiled at Alkaid, promptly beckoning to Qin Yi nearby and started walking towards him.
"This must be the Chief Alkaid, the major contributor to the optimization of the Immortal Shadow 60. I regretted not being able to meet Chief Alkaid sooner due to a patrol in the Eastern Sea. At last, I get to see you in person."
"Hall Master Zhao."
Alkaid also greeted him.
After some pleasantries, Zhao He gestured to the side, "Let's talk over there."
Alkaid didn't understand why, but seeing Qin Yi gesturing to him, he nodded anyway.
"Master Yun Lai, please join us as well."
As they spoke, they arrived at a shimmering area.
This area was segmented into booth-like seats, and every scratch on the ground was part of a medium-sized silence formation. Conversations within a certain delineated area could not be overheard outside, providing a private space for confidential discussions without arousing suspicion from others.
After taking their seats, Zhao He expressed his admiration, "Chief Alkaid's work on optimizing the Immortal Shadow 60 series has reached a top-notch standard in our times, to the extent that even the Great Sun Sword Sect, let alone the Limitless Star Palace and the Immortal Alliance, dare not claim they could achieve what Chief Alkaid has in the optimization of Eighth Rank Flying Swords."
"You flatter me, I can only show off a bit with Magical Artifact Level Flying Swords. I would be of little use when it comes to the mid-to-high-end Spirit Artifact Level Flying Swords."
"You are too modest, Chief Alkaid."
Zhao He shook his head, then continued, "Chief Alkaid must have heard about the Xuanming Sect seizing our Nine Cauldrons Sect's Posuo Island, right?"
Alkaid nodded.
"To address this situation, we deployed twenty-four Sword Cultivators and sixteen Technique Cultivators to patrol Posuo Island, with more than a hundred Body Cultivators staying on Longquan Island to be fully prepared."
Zhao He's tone became slightly solemn, "Yet even so, the two sects still came close to clashing."
Alkaid knew that the Sword Cultivators, Body Cultivators, and Technique Cultivators Zhao He mentioned were, without exception, at the level of Great Cultivators.
Hundreds of Great Cultivators facing off.
One could imagine how dangerous the situation must have been.
"But in the end, we chose restraint."
Zhao He spoke in a heavy voice, "Xuanming Sect might not amount to much, but in the East Sea Archipelago, there are also Cultivators from the Great Sun Sword Sect and the Dayue Dynasty, especially…"
He slightly paused, "Behind Xuanming Sect, there lurks the shadow of the Limitless Star Palace."
The Limitless Star Palace!?
Upon hearing this, not just Yun Lai, a native Master Artifact Refiner, but even Alkaid's expression changed slightly.
The Limitless Star Palace!
One of the most formidable forces in the Cangwu Great World today.
Ever since sixteen years ago, when the Limitless Star Palace obliterated the Quicksand Sect, which commanded six thousand Star Masters, with a thunderous momentum—forcing the Northern Alliance, led by the Myriad Beasts Sect, to disband—no sect in the world has been able to contend with the Limitless Star Palace.
It was that battle which thoroughly awakened the Nine Cauldrons Sect to the importance of cooperation between Sword Cultivators and Divine Cultivators in siege scenarios.
They realized that the world had entered an era of multi-dimensional and multi-professional combined combat.
Without the power to confront Sword Cultivators, no matter how many Body Cultivators you have, they are all just live targets.
You'd be eradicated by the adversary from several hundred or even thousands of miles away without even catching a glimpse of them.
You must know...
The Quicksand Sect and the Nine Cauldrons Sect were quite similar, both considering themselves sects that believed in expanding their own strength through the multitude of their Body Cultivators.
If we set aside that Golden Core ancestor who coordinated the overall situation from beyond the Great World, the Nine Cauldrons Sect was not much stronger than the Quicksand Sect sixteen years ago.
Yet such a large sect was annihilated by the Limitless Star Palace within a month. If it were the Nine Cauldrons Sect...
The outcome would not have been any different.
"Why would the Limitless Star Palace turn its attention to the East Sea Archipelago? Aren't they busy hunting down the Northern Alliance led by the Myriad Beasts Sect?"
Yun Lai couldn't help but ask.
"They're likely setting up their chess pieces."
Zhao He said, sneering, "Currently, of the ten major Immortal Sects, the Northern Alliance led by the Myriad Beasts Sect has disintegrated. The Immortal Alliance, Supreme Yin Sect, and Heavenly Law Pavilion have joined them in this feast of divvying up the Northern Alliance. The Golden Holy Palace is a business partner of the Limitless Star Palace.
Of the remaining four major Immortal Sects, the only one that poses a threat to us is the Nine Cauldrons Sect."
The remaining Pill Sect, Divine Demons Palace, and Yang Divine Sect have become history, disappearing even more completely than the Artifact Sect.
"The Limitless Star Palace, are they aiming to unify the Cangwu Great World?"
Yun Lai felt heavy-hearted.
"Ever since the war ended, haven't they been striving towards this goal?"
Zhao He said.
The original Artifact Sect was also one of the members of the Northern Alliance. However, with the destruction of the Artifact Sect, the newly established Nine Cauldrons Sect no longer mingled with them.
But the Limitless Star Palace might not see it that way.
After all, setting up a chess piece and having Xuanming Sect play against the Nine Cauldrons Sect doesn't cost them anything.
"Just because of the Limitless Star Palace, we're going to endure what happened on Posuo Island?"
Qin Yadong, who was beside them, couldn't help but ask.
"Of course not."
Zhao He said with a smile, "Actions from Great Cultivators would lead to escalated conflicts, and there's a good chance that the two sects would move towards war... Xuanming Sect alone, of course, we are not afraid of, but we do need to guard against the Limitless Star Palace, as well as the likes of the Great Sun Sword Sect, Star Sea Sect, Ancient Immortal Sect, and Dayue Dynasty.
Therefore, it's best to keep the intensity of the battle within an appropriate range."
"You mean to control the intensity of the conflict to…"
"The range of High Rank Cultivators."
Zhao He nodded, "Xuanming Sect knows it's just the Limitless Star Palace's chess piece and similarly wouldn't dare to completely fall out with us. Otherwise... the Limitless Star Palace might support them, but before the Limitless Star Palace has the time to divert their attention from dividing up the Northern Alliance, we would definitely have already obliterated Xuanming Sect."
Everyone agreed deeply.
The Nine Cauldrons Sect might not stand a chance against the Limitless Star Palace, and even facing the large Sect of the Great Sun Sword Sect, they were at a disadvantage, but it wasn't a difficult task to take care of Xuanming Sect if they truly took action.
"The East Sea Archipelago is dominated by oceans and islands, making it hard for Body Cultivators to exert their strength, and even Technique Cultivators are quite restricted. Moreover... such conflicts are about efficiency. You strike and then retreat thousands of miles in an instant, allowing no time for dawdling.
Thus, Sword Cultivators, with their strongest lethality and assault capabilities, are the most suitable!"
Zhao He stated.
"Divine Cultivators for reconnaissance, Sword Cultivators for sudden assaults."
Yun Lai stated.
The battle in which the Limitless Star Palace destroyed the Quicksand Sect within a month had made the world realize the true combination of Divine Cultivators, Sword Cultivators, Technique Cultivators, and Body Cultivators.
"But, the biggest problem currently is that the East Sea Archipelago is too vast, spanning three hundred thousand miles."
Zhao He said, sighing, "And this conflict is destined to last for a considerable period. If we were to have Sword Cultivators patrol an area of three hundred thousand miles for a long time, the Spirit Stones required each year would be an astronomical number."
He said with a serious expression, "Although Posuo Island is invaluable as our Sect's territory, the Sect must consider whether it's worth investing tens or even hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones into this fight."
"Hall Master Zhao means…"
"We need a new type of Flying Sword!"
Zhao He declared, "A Flying Sword that... possesses both high speed and low energy consumption at the Spirit Artifact Level!"
At the end, he paused and added, "There's news from the Main Sect that if anyone can design a Flying Sword that meets the requirements, not only will the Main Sect provide a private award of no less than a thousand Spirit Stones, but the order quantity for this sword will also not be less than three thousand."