Chapter 1095
The Northern Expedition!
"If it weren't for your righteous intervention, the ecological environment of the border region would have suffered a devastating blow. On behalf of the trillions of lives on the border, we thank you, Fellow Daoist."
Inside the main hall of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, Ancestor Xuanlei personally appeared, along with True Monarch Leixiang, Yi Tianzheng, and Song Changsheng, and solemnly bowed to Supreme Jingxuan.
Upon seeing this, Lord Lone Shadow quickly stepped aside, for he dared not presume to accept such a supreme honor.
Supreme Master Jingxuan also turned slightly to the side and did not accept the bow.
"The borderlands are the shield of the human race. This time, we fought on two fronts and were also disturbed by the demonic calamity. Not only did we achieve a great victory, but we were also able to stabilize our own position and keep the vast territory north of Tianshan free from the ravages of war. If anyone should be thanking us, it should be us who thank you all."
These words were not mere polite flattery, but came from the bottom of my heart.
In this battle, the border region almost single-handedly bore all the pressure. If the surrounding cultivation world had provided support, this battle could have ended much faster and would not have caused such heavy losses, thus preventing the demonic calamity from taking advantage of the situation.
The cultivation world has been completely overrun, and the mortal world has suffered losses of nearly 100 million. These figures, written in blood, are too painful for anyone to look at.
This also made her realize a problem: the Demon Subduing Hall's control over the border regions has been too weak in recent years, making it impossible to communicate effectively and in a timely manner. If they had received the news earlier, at least the demonic disaster would not have grown to that extent.
If the demonic calamity can be contained within the Southwest Nine Realms, at least tens of millions of people can be saved.
Currently, the cultivation world north of Tianshan is relatively peaceful, and the Demon Subduing Hall is wasting too much power. With the ancient demons now stirring up trouble, she feels it's time to make some adjustments.
However, following the consistent principles of the Demon Subduing Hall, it is necessary to consult with forces such as the Myriad Manifestations Palace before making any adjustments.
"I intend to build an ultra-long-distance spatial teleportation tunnel in the location of the abyss, so that I can react in time if there are any further anomalies. What do you think, fellow Daoist?"
From the borderlands to the north of the Tianshan Mountains, apart from the teleportation arrays built by the black market, there is only one long-distance spatial teleportation tunnel in the Great Chu cultivation world. The places that can be reached are few, and the efficiency is extremely low.
Adding a long-distance space teleportation tunnel would undoubtedly greatly facilitate communication between the two locations.
This should be good news for the border region, but there was little joy on the faces of Ancestor Xuanlei and the others.
The construction of a long-distance space teleportation array requires a massive amount of manpower and resources. Although the Demon Subduing Palace has a profound foundation, its quarterly expenditures are also staggering, barely managing to break even.
After all, the Demon Subduing Hall operates differently from other forces. The territory it controls is far from matching its size, and most of its branch halls are only self-sufficient with very little savings.
Those located in more remote areas may even need assistance from the headquarters.
Under these circumstances, it is clearly unrealistic to expect the Demon-Subduing Palace to bear the entire cost of building the ultra-long-distance spatial teleportation tunnel; the border regions would likely have to foot the bill.
In the past, with the foundation of the Myriad Manifestations Palace, there would have been no problem. However, just as True Monarch Lonely Shadow guessed, after the previous battles and the consumption of a large amount of resources by summoning clouds and rain, their treasure trove of resources is now almost below the safety line.
Such a massive project is unlikely to be sustained for more than a century.
However, there are other ways.
After pondering for a moment, Ancestor Xuanlei frankly told Supreme Jingxuan about the current predicament of the Myriad Manifestations Palace. Then, he suddenly changed the subject and said, "Although the Myriad Manifestations Palace lacks resources, others do. If you are willing to stay and wait, I may be able to give you a satisfactory answer."
The Pure Profound Supreme reacted just as quickly, soon understanding what Ancestor Xuanlei meant: "Fellow Daoist means, the Supreme Ceremony?"
"Indeed, over the years, the border region has always been the front line of resistance against the sea tribes and demon tribes. Now, not only are the remnants of the old era frequently causing trouble, but even the ancient demon tribes are eyeing us covetously."
The border region has now become a battleground on all sides, and such sacrifices will never happen again.
"This spatial teleportation tunnel must be built!" Ancestor Xuanlei said firmly.
What if they don't cooperate?
"Not cooperating?" A cold glint flashed in the eyes of Ancestor Xuanlei. He clenched his right hand, and fierce lightning gathered in his palm. The [Xuanlei Sky-Piercing Spear] appeared in his palm and landed heavily on the ground, as if it had landed on everyone's hearts.
He said in an icy tone, "If you don't want to provide resources, then go face the war!"
"You intend to abandon the borderlands?" A strange light flashed in the eyes of the Pure Profound Supreme.
"So what if we give up? Our ancestor was able to build the Myriad Manifestations Palace from scratch through hardship, and we can do the same."
Located in a land of constant warfare, our palace has been managing the East Sea for tens of thousands of years. How could we not be prepared?
However, that's only a path taken as a last resort.
With lightning flashing in his eyes, Ancestor Xuanlei said in a resounding voice, "Although the border region is poor, it still has trillions of people. Rather than letting them lose their lives in endless wars, we should cross the Tianshan Mountains and launch a northern expedition!"
The last two words exploded in everyone's ears like thunder, the sky outside the hall suddenly darkened, and lightning streaked across the sky.
Upon hearing such a shocking statement, Song Changsheng and the others remained calm and composed.
Because this was originally the result of their joint discussion.
It's not just a threat; if they don't get the results they want from this Supreme Ceremony, it will become a reality in the near future.
Apart from the Great Zhen Immortal Dynasty, there isn't a single sixth-tier expert in the cultivation world near the Tianshan Mountains. Under the leadership of Xuan Lei Supreme, they should be able to take a piece of their flesh.
With the addition of the power of the demon race, the sea race, and the ancient demon race, they will definitely be able to leave them with an unforgettable memory!
It's always better to die together than to be used as a pawn all the time.
The Myriad Manifestations Palace has been planning for tens of thousands of years, all for the sake of producing a Nascent Soul expert to lead them out of their shackles. Now that this day has finally come, they can no longer continue to swallow their anger.
Faced with such "treasonous" remarks, Supreme Master Jingxuan thought he would try to dissuade him, but the words just wouldn't come out.
If there were other ways, who would have gone to this point?
The war resulted in over 100 million deaths and injuries; if we include all the blood debts from the past, the figure would be astronomical.
Their decisions are beyond reproach.
Seeing that Supreme Jingxuan remained silent, Ancestor Xuanlei softened his tone and said, "Fellow Daoist, there is no need to make things difficult for you, nor do you need to express your opinion. Just participate in the Supreme Ceremony as usual."
"can."
Supreme Master Jingxuan nodded in agreement.
Not intervening in local conflicts has always been the guiding principle of the Demon Subduing Hall. Although the situation is different this time, she is not rigid in her approach.
Those people really went too far.
"These are the spiritual liquids left over after the rainmaking ended. They are very effective in dealing with evil spirits and can also be used to cleanse the body." "Thank you for your trouble." Ancestor Xuanlei personally accepted them, then turned to look at Yi Tianzheng.
Yi Tianzheng understood and stepped forward to bow respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, you have worked hard. I have already ordered someone to prepare a room for you. Please rest for a while."
"If Fellow Daoist Lone Shadow intends to attend the upcoming Supreme Ceremony, please join us."
"Thank you for your trouble."
Gu Ying very sensibly agreed.
Not to mention that with Ancestor Xuanlei present, it would be extremely disrespectful for him to say such things. Given that he had just heard so many things he shouldn't have heard, it's impossible for him to leave before the Supreme Ceremony ends.
After watching the three leave, Song Changsheng stepped forward and said, "Guests from all sides should be arriving at Wanxiang Mountain one after another. Since we are already prepared to break off relations, should we make some preparations first?"
The time for this grand ceremony is tight, and even less after deducting the time needed to send out invitations.
Those who can come are mostly Nascent Soul cultivators, and there might even be Deity Transformation Supremes coming in person. If they don't make some preparations in advance, they may not be able to gain the upper hand if a conflict breaks out.
Upon hearing this, Ancestor Xuanlei sneered and said, "Hehe, if these people were this united, these alien races wouldn't have the chance to be so arrogant."
They'll definitely agree; the only question is how much they'll contribute.
Upon further reflection, Song Changsheng realized that this was indeed the case.
It takes courage to fight against a Nascent Soul True Monarch, let alone a sixth-level powerhouse.
Why work so hard when something can be solved with just a little effort?
“Master, the guests have not yet arrived, so I plan to go to the East Sea first.”
"You've been traveling a lot lately, it's time to go and see them. You can also go and greet Ling Xiao and Dong Hua while you're at it."
Lei Xiang Zhenjun, who had been silent all along, slowly spoke.
Song Changsheng proposed going to the East Sea because he was worried that the escaped Shadow Lord of the Shadow Pavilion would harm Xu Miaoyin, and he planned to bring her to his side to protect her personally.
Only after being reminded by Lei Xiang Zhenjun did he remember this matter, and he couldn't help but frown and say, "More than a month has passed since the end of the decisive battle. Haven't they discovered the Blood Soul Demon Sect's lair yet?"
Lei Xiang Zhenjun nodded slightly and said, "It is indeed a bit strange, but news has been coming in one after another, and the condition of the soul lamp is relatively stable, so they should not have encountered any danger."
Perhaps seeing the defeat of the sea tribes, the Blood Soul Demon Sect realized that they might be purged by us, and thus moved to the far seas ahead of time.
If you have the time, you can personally resolve this potential problem.
For some reason, Song Changsheng recalled You Lianyue, with whom he had once fought. At the same level, You Lianyue's strength was only slightly inferior to Ling Xiao's. If it were Baili Yuntu or Gu Xueying, they might not be his match.
The other party has the potential to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. If we let him escape, it would be like releasing a tiger back into the mountains.
Even if we can't find the Blood Soul Demon Sect's hiding place, we absolutely cannot let this person go.
With that in mind, he readily agreed to the task: "This junior will personally make the trip and bring Fellow Daoist Lingxiao and the others back."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Changsheng's figure disappeared into the surrounding space...
After arriving in the East China Sea, he did not go directly to the Twin Islands, but instead went to the Wind Whisper Hall branch located in Linhai City.
Xu Miaoyin is not a quiet person; except when she is in seclusion, it is virtually impossible to find her in the Twin Islands.
Only the Wind Whisper Palace can accurately track her current whereabouts.
The person in charge of this branch was still Song Jingxiu. Upon learning that Song Changsheng had come in person, he hurriedly led a group of deacons from the branch to pay their respects.
Song Changsheng waved to dismiss the others, looked Song Jingxiu up and down, and said with satisfaction, "Not bad. It seems that while you are expanding the intelligence network for the family, you have not neglected your own cultivation."
"Once this busy period is over, I will have Qingxi send someone from the clan to temporarily take over your work. Then you can return to the clan and focus on your cultivation breakthrough."
The Song family has produced many talented individuals in the "Jing" generation.
Song Jingrun, the ninth-generation grandson, is not the most talented, but he is calm and meticulous in his work. Over the years, he has served as a steward in several branch halls in rotation. Once he breaks through to the Purple Mansion stage, he will be able to take charge of a hall.
Song Jingxuan, with his Earth Spirit Root, has been learning alchemy from Wu Jie and is the most promising genius of the Song family to break through to the fourth-level alchemist.
Although his main focus was alchemy, he also performed exceptionally well in the previous great battle against the demon race.
Song Jingxiao, with his lightning-strength, is born with superhuman strength. Born into a family of hunters, he has been fighting wild beasts since childhood. Over the years, he has been training and fighting in the East China Sea, making him incredibly brave. He is expected to succeed Song Qingxing as the family's guardian elder in the future.
Further down the line are Song Jingyuan, who inherited Xia Yunxue's brewing techniques; Song Jingrui, known for his wisdom and strategy; Song Jingyuan, skilled in swordsmanship; and Song Jingwei, Song Jingwan, and others.
These people each have their own strengths and all have the potential to break through to the Purple Mansion stage.
Song Jingxiu is one of the few talents in domestic affairs, and his ability can be seen from the rapid expansion of the intelligence network in the East China Sea in recent years.
If he breaks through to the Purple Mansion stage before Song Qingluo, then the Wind Whisper Palace will eventually be handed over to him for full control.
Once he has gained experience in this position for a while and achieved some results, he might be able to take over from Song Luzhou or even Song Qingxi.
There shouldn't be any major developments in the East China Sea for the foreseeable future, so there's no need for him to personally oversee things anymore.
Upon hearing this, Song Jingxiu suppressed his excitement and humbly replied, "As you often say, one must be strong to forge iron, and cultivation is the foundation of one's character. I have never dared to slack off for a moment."
"You're very good." Song Changsheng nodded with satisfaction, which made him even more determined in his heart.
"May I ask what business the clan chief has with me on this trip?"
Do you know where Miaoyin is right now?
"Although the great war is over, there are still many remaining sea creatures causing trouble in various places. Miaoyin and Jingxiao should be clearing out the remaining sea creatures now."
"They'll most likely be in this area during this period," Song Jingxiu said, drawing a circle on the nautical chart behind him.
Upon seeing the area he had circled on the nautical chart, Song Changsheng's expression suddenly turned serious.
……
...(End of this chapter)