Chapter 667 : The Gathering of True Lords

Outside the Grand Hall, Eldrin Chen and over thirty other True Lord [a title for powerful cultivators at the Golden Core realm and above] gathered together to begin deliberating on the candidates to garrison the various territories.

Eldrin Chen cast his gaze over the seven Fifth Rank Spirit Island [islands imbued with potent spiritual energy, suitable for high-level cultivation] within the Star Mansion Sun Horse [a celestial region named after the mythical Sun Horse constellation] area. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke: "Within the Star Mansion Sun Horse region, the main island, Star Sun Island, is a Fifth Rank High Grade Spirit Island. It is also one of the seven Formation Eye [a critical node or anchor point in a large-scale defensive or offensive array] of the Vermilion Bird Star Palace archipelago. It requires a substantial garrison force to ensure its absolute security."

Magnus the Virtuous nodded and then stated, "I am responsible for overseeing the entire Star Mansion Sun Horse region and cannot be confined to a single Spirit Island."

"What if Star Sun Island were jointly garrisoned by forces from Ji Continent, The Vast Sea, and Heavenly Abode Continent? What are your thoughts?"

Upon hearing this, the assembled cultivators felt a slight stir in their hearts. The thirty-eight True Lord present hailed from over a dozen major continents.

However, the core of their strength clearly originated from three continents: Ji Continent, The Vast Sea, and Heavenly Abode Continent.

For this campaign, the Chen Clan had contributed seven True Lord, and Heavenly Abode Continent had sent Tianlu Sect Master, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Late Stage [an advanced stage of the Nascent Soul realm], along with two other True Lord.

This was not to mention the five Nascent Soul True Lord [True Lords who have reached the Nascent Soul realm] present: Yvonne the Violet Consort, Spirit Consort, Lingxu the Ethereal Immortal, Ancestor Mo, and Daoyi Qiu.

It could be said that this assembled force was exceptionally formidable, constituting roughly seventy percent of the total military strength present.

Nevertheless, as a core Formation Eye, Star Sun Island held strategic importance far surpassing that of the other Spirit Island, and it truly did require a heavily fortified garrison. This chapter appears courtesy of audio‑novel.com.

With this thought in mind, everyone nodded in agreement. The master of the Celestial Star Sect then declared, "Since that is the case, our Celestial Star Sect shall take responsibility for guarding one of the Fifth Rank Spirit Islands [islands imbued with Fifth Rank spiritual energy]."

"Our Desolate Continent shall be responsible for guarding a secondary Formation Eye [a key node in a large-scale defensive or offensive array]," stated the Desolate Wilderness Sect Master from the Desolate Continent.

As one of the major continents within the Three Veins Ancient Domain, the Desolate Continent was home to three Nascent Soul Immortal Clan immortal sects. The Desolate Wilderness Sect alone now boasted six Nascent Soul True Lords [powerful cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm]. Its Clan Lord was a mighty cultivator at the Nascent Soul Late Stage. For this battle, this lineage had dispatched five of its Nascent Soul True Lords and now shouldered the great responsibility of defending a secondary Formation Eye, committing their full strength to the effort.

With three of the seven Fifth Rank Spirit Veins [land veins of Fifth Rank spiritual energy] already claimed, the remaining parties took on their assignments. Those with formidable power occupied an island alone, while those of lesser strength joined forces to guard a single Spirit Island.

After the tasks were allocated, Magnus the Virtuous spoke again, "The eighteen Treasure Ships [massive, enchanted vessels used for transport and warfare] we brought can also unleash significant combat power at critical moments."

"Let each Treasure Ship retain a force of one hundred thousand cultivators. They shall serve as a mobile reserve for the younger generation, tasked with reinforcing the various Spirit Islands as needed."

"We understand," the assembly replied.

Eldrin Chen gave a firm nod. He had already assigned the less combat-oriented Lior Chen and Elara Lin to command the Crimson Flood Dragon War Junk and the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship, ready to provide swift support to any front.

With these arrangements settled, everyone immediately departed to organize the defense of their assigned Spirit Islands.

With these assignments finalized, everyone immediately departed to arrange the garrisoning of their respective Spirit Islands.

However, Lior Chen left behind the two of them, Eldrin Chen and his Dao Companion [a cultivator's lifelong partner, often sharing cultivation resources and facing tribulations together], along with Tianlu Sect Master, Desolate Wilderness Sect Master, and three other combatants of Nascent Soul Late Stage [the penultimate major stage of the Nascent Soul realm, representing immense power and nearing the peak of mortal cultivation] caliber.

With a faint smile, he then spoke: "The Vermilion Bird Star Palace [a celestial palace or strategic region named after the Vermilion Bird, one of the Four Symbols] sector is entirely garrisoned by forces from our Three Veins Ancient Domain [an ancient and powerful territory named for its three great spiritual veins]. While we still have some time, let us, the combatants at Nascent Soul Late Stage and above, convene first."

"Very well."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod and followed Magnus the Virtuous to a courtyard within the compound.

Before long, mighty figures whose names shook the Three Veins Ancient Domain gathered. Some were Fellow Daoist [a respectful term used between cultivators, implying a shared pursuit of the Dao] known to Eldrin Chen, while others were powerhouses who had only recently emerged from decades or centuries of secluded cultivation.

The assembly gathered, exchanging greetings and smiles in small groups.

For instance, the renowned Ivy the Verdant Enchantress, along with the familiar Nine Rivers Daoist, both converged with smiles towards Eldrin Chen, beginning to recount events of recent years.

The Nine Rivers Daoist greeted Eldrin Chen and said with a laugh, "The territory I guard is the Spread Mansion Moon Deer [a mystical domain or region named after a powerful divine ability or celestial phenomenon] sector, merely five million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] from your own. I hope we Fellow Daoist can lend each other crucial support when the time comes."

"It shall be so."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. A distance of five million Li-length was but a journey of two days for those possessing Nascent Soul Late Stage combat prowess.

It is a pity that the space near the Heavenly Scar is unstable, making it impossible to deploy a Teleportation Formation [a magical formation for instantaneous travel over vast distances]. Otherwise, a mere territory of several hundred Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] would have significantly eased the pressure on everyone.

Seeing this, the Verdant Enchantress Palace Master offered a slight bow and said, "The Chariot Mansion Water Earthworm [a defensive region named after a celestial constellation and a mythical creature] sector under my watch lacks a Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator on the verge of achieving the Primordial Spirit realm] powerhouse to anchor it. In times of dire crisis, I must humbly request your assistance."

"Rest assured, Immortal Maiden. We would never stand idly by," came the unanimous reply.

Nine Rivers Daoist smiled faintly. The Verdant Enchantress Palace Master was ranked among the top ten beauties of the Eastern Wastelands and had recently broken through to Nascent Soul Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Nascent Soul realm]. Naturally, she was admired by many True Lord [a title for powerful Nascent Soul cultivators], Nine Rivers Daoist himself included.

However, a peerless talent like the Verdant Enchantress Palace Master typically possessed exceedingly high standards. Without truly exceptional qualities, winning her favor was no easy feat.

Those present seized this opportunity to forge closer bonds with one another, all in hopes of securing mutual support when the great battle commenced. Original publication: audi novel.com - The source of this chapter.

Meanwhile, Magnus the Virtuous and the other few with combat power equivalent to a Half-Step Primordial Spirit also convened. Their purpose was to discuss strategy.

With a grave and solemn expression, the Feathered Pavilion Master spoke, "Although our Vermilion Bird Star Palace [a celestial palace named after the Vermilion Bird constellation] is positioned on the periphery, we lack a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a Nascent Soul cultivator who has comprehended a profound Dao principle] to anchor our defenses."

"If a Nascent Soul Realm Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [a malevolent entity from beyond this world] breaks through to our sector, we would be in grave peril."

Everyone present nodded in agreement. Maris the Sea Steader stated with intense focus, "Should a Primordial Spirit [the realm of spiritual essence cultivation, superior to Nascent Soul] Heavenly Demon breach the blockade lines, none among us would be capable of stopping it."

"Aside from relying on the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and conduits for defense or other purposes], the only way to hold out is to join forces and leverage the power of two Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [artifacts imbued with the pure, unadulterated energy of the sun]."

Magnus the Virtuous also drew a deep breath, glanced at Maris the Sea Steader, and said, "If it truly comes to that, only by you and I joining forces can we hold the line for a brief moment, defending the Formation Eye [the central, most critical node of a formation] of the Vermilion Bird Star Palace."

"Let us hope it does not come to that."

Feathered Pavilion Master sighed. Given their combat prowess, as long as no Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing a high level of cultivation] Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses malevolent, often soul-consuming methods to gain power] appeared, their chances of survival were exceedingly high.

However, should matters progress to that desperate stage, their hope of returning alive would grow exceedingly faint.

The gathering lasted for three Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours]. After finalizing plans for mutual offense and defense, Maris the Sea Steader produced a set of Communication Spirit Talisman [enchanted paper slips used for instant long-distance communication] and distributed them among the group.

"Although each Spirit Island is equipped with communication Spiritual Object [objects infused with or radiating spiritual energy], as a precaution, these Communication Spirit Talisman will be far more reliable in a critical moment."

With that, the assembly dispersed.

Eldrin Chen returned to the Crimson Flood Dragon War Junk [a massive, enchanted vessel shaped like a crimson flood dragon] and commanded the Treasure Ship to set course for the Vermilion Bird Star Palace. After flying for over half a month, they finally arrived at Star Sun Island.

Upon reaching Star Sun Island, Eldrin Chen gathered the numerous Nascent Soul True Lord [cultivators who have formed a nascent soul, a profound stage of power] and unfurled a map of the entire area surrounding Star Sun Island.

"Esteemed colleagues," he began, his gaze sweeping over the assembly, "consider these isles. How shall we deploy our forces?"

Eldrin Chen studied the map, a thoughtful furrow forming between his brows. Star Moon Island served as a crucial Formation Eye [a key node anchoring a larger defensive or offensive array], and surrounding it were over one hundred Fourth Rank Spirit Islands [islands imbued with potent spiritual energy, suitable for high-level cultivation].

These Spirit Islands [islands rich in spiritual energy] were all integral Formation Eyes for Star Moon Island. Should any be fully breached, the potency of the grand formation protecting Star Moon Island would be diminished. Therefore, each required a substantial garrison of cultivators for its defense.

Tianlu Sect Master pondered for a moment before proposing, "Our total forces number three million. Let us allocate two million cultivators to garrison these subsidiary Spirit Islands."

"Furthermore," he continued, "let us assign three Golden Core Cultivators [practitioners who have condensed their spiritual energy into a stable, golden-hued core, marking a major advancement] to each Spirit Island. What are your thoughts on this arrangement?" Access the full story on audio_novel.com.