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Chapter 106: Chapter 103 Scanning
Starlight City.
Dragon Sparrow Manor Station.
At this moment, the Refining God Elder in charge of this station, Chen Yue, was respectfully reporting to a woman who appeared to be in her early thirties.
The woman looked unremarkable.
However, the sharp sword resting on her lap was radiant with light and full of a bitter cold fierceness.
If the head of any intelligence agency were here, they would be able to identify the sword’s origin at first glance.
Wind and Snow River and Mountain.
A top-grade spiritual sword with both sharpness and sky-breaking traits.
The number of Great Demons and Refining Gods who died under this sword was not less than two handfuls.
Its most glorious battle was against a Divinity Transformation Cultivator from the Cold Moon Demon Sect of the same realm, where it severed the opposing flying sword with its trait of sharpness.
The owner of this spiritual sword was none other than the Divinity Transformation Cultivator from Dragon Sparrow Manor, who named herself the Sword Master Xue He based on the name of Wind and Snow River and Mountain.
"Master, Gu Jinlai had to travel to Lingxiao City back then because he was aggressively pressed by the Heavenly Grass Pavilion. Facing the formidable might of three Refining God Immortals, he had no choice but to avoid their sharp edge as his power was not yet consolidated at the time," said Chen Yue, her eyes flashing with insight.
She continued, "Now, after his victories in the battles of Monument Mountain and Yuanhua City, he has made the Meteor Star Guard and the Purgatory Sect bow their heads as he rises like the sun at noon. With Yuanhua City and Lingxiao City bolstering his power, he is bound to be unconcerned with others. If we provoke him now under the name of the Heavenly Grass Pavilion, which already has grievances against him, old and new hatreds will ignite simultaneously. He will surely make a direct charge at Starlight City and make his move against the Heavenly Grass Pavilion."
"Correct," acknowledged Sword Master Xue He with a slight nod. "I trust in the way you handle things."
"However..." Chen Yue carefully chose her words. "As for the Heavenly Grass Pavilion, we need not worry. Without the support of our Dragon Sparrow Manor, they would have been suppressed by the Meteor Star Guard long ago. The key issue is the Meteor Star Guard..."
"Starlight City, as the capital of Star State, is fortified so tightly that any Cultivator above Refining God entering would be detected by the Meteor Star Guard. Under such circumstances, do you know how I managed to avoid everyone’s eyes and ears to enter Starlight City?" asked Sword Master Xue He.
Chen Yue was startled and soon thought of something. "We, and the Meteor Star Guard..."
"Xin Tianqi’s entry into our Dragon Sparrow Manor was not merely for intimidation; his real goal was to seek cooperation," revealed Sword Master Xue He.
"Cooperation?"
"Star State has always been a transportation hub and a battleground for wars. It lacks defensible terrain and relies on no strongholds. Moreover, it connects the top forces like the Purgatory Sect, the Netherworld Sect, the Cold Moon Sect, the Yellow Sky Sect, and our Dragon Sparrow Manor. Even the Star State Governor, no matter how talented and ambitious, knows that continuing to forcibly hold on would result in Star State being torn apart," she explained, smiling slightly.
"For example, in the southwest of Star State, if not for the conflict between Gu Jinlai and the Purgatory Sect, several cities there would have already split off into separate territories by now," said Sword Master Xue He with a subtle smile.
Chen Yue nodded in agreement.
"Instead of watching Star State disintegrate, it’s better to choose one side to cooperate with decisively. By forming a strong alliance, we can settle internal troubles first, then resist external enemies," Sword Master Xue He stated. "Decisive action is required! Whether it’s Qi Zhongsheng, Xue Yue, or Xin Tianqi, none lack such resolve."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yue inhaled sharply. "We... are cooperating with the State Lord Mansion?"
"Given your position, you don’t have the right to be privy to this matter, but as you are the person in charge of Starlight City, there are many areas where you need to cooperate. To prevent any slip-ups, I’m making an exception and informing you," the Sword Master Xue He said as she glanced out the window. "Do you really think the summoning of various Sects to Star State for an alliance meeting is simply about dividing territories? This game... is very big. If successful, all obstacles within Star State will be completely swept away."
She paused and continued, "As for Gu Jinlai... he is already a bone in the grave. Su Wen has already marked his head, it’s just that since he still holds value, I gave him a hand, offering him a chance to live."
Chen Yue’s heart trembled.
She seemed to already foresee the bloody storm that was about to sweep over Star State.
...
On the highway, a group of more than thirty people were riding horses at full speed, covered in dust from the travel.
The man leading these forty-odd people was dignified and indifferent.
The thirty-odd people at his side were without exception, all possessed strong auras.
Even the nearest young man and woman among them walked with ease and demonstrated exceptional movement techniques.
From the emblems on their clothes...
They were unmistakably from the Overlord-level force, the Qiushui Sword Sect of Heavenly Gate City.
A Sect founded by a Refining God, with six Hugging Pill Elders, and dozens of Gang Condensation and Qi Refining Realm experts.
While traveling, the Sect Leader of Qiushui Sword Sect, Shao Yaoguang, was explaining something to the two young Disciples. "Our Qiushui Sword Sect, if not the best in Star State, is among the very top forces. Other than a few forces like the Nine Formulas Sword Sect, the Fengyun Meeting, the Taihe Sword Sect, and the Heavenly Gang Sect, we are more than capable of going head to head with others like the Zhengyi Dao and Yunhua Valley."
Upon hearing Shao Yaoguang, his two Disciples felt a sense of shared pride.
"Both of you are indeed talented, having achieved Qi Refining to Gang at a young age, and even have the potential to Refine God. However, most of your time has been spent within the Sect, and your occasional outings are limited to the vicinity of Heavenly Gate City, lacking broader experience. This banquet is an excellent opportunity for you to broaden your horizons," Shao Yaoguang said with a smile.
One of the disciples was saying something when suddenly, the sound of rumbling came from behind them.
Shao Yaoguang looked back, only to see a surge of dust approaching, barely a few miles away.
"Is this... an army passing through!?" he wondered.
Shao Yaoguang quickly estimated the size and changed his expression. He urged, "Quick, let’s take the side road."
The group of more than thirty hurriedly advanced, soon turning onto a side path ahead.
After they entered the side path, a dozen riders arrived first to scout the road.
Following them, a hundred riders escorted several horse-drawn carriages onward.
The mounts they rode were either Fierce Beasts or Horned Horses.
Each one was worth a fortune.
Once the vanguard had passed, the main force began to arrive.
The military might was formidable, with an imposing momentum sweeping across the land.
They had long since noticed the group from the Qiushui Sword Sect but paid them no heed.
The army marched swiftly, stirring up dust that filled the sky, gradually vanishing from everyone’s sight.
"This is... the military of Lingxiao City."
Shao Yaoguang’s expression was grave.
"Lingxiao City?"
The young man had heard of the city before.
It seemed...
Was it a city about the same size as their Heavenly Gate City?
"Lingxiao City is different from the past, now occupied by the Gu family."
"The Gu family?"
This power was unfamiliar to many disciples.
"The Gu family has risen in less than a year, filled with powerhouses. Not to mention the Patriarch Gu Jinlai, under him alone are the Refining God Immortal Su Nanxing and several Hugging Pill Masters. In addition, they have a large number of demons... Demon God Warriors, with hundreds who have cultivated the Demon God Physique. They are a burgeoning and enormous force within our Star State."
Looking at the disappearing grand army, Shao Yaoguang’s face showed a hint of concern: "After Patriarch Gu Jinlai converted to the way of the Heavenly Master, he created gunpowder, Chain Fire Guns, and various other deadly weapons. Among them, one Spiritual Artifact is so powerful that it could match a Divinity Transformation, and possessing such weapons, he still leads the elite on this journey... I fear they are about to start a significant conflict."
For a moment, a shadow fell over the upcoming trip to Starlight City.
"Speaking of which, the gathering at Starlight City is supposedly to combat the invasion of demons from Mu State, as if pledging to resist the demons and protect the land would prompt the State Lord Mansion to grant us legitimate status, allowing us to rightfully occupy a county, or even a city, but..."
Shao Yaoguang’s expression turned serious: "Will things really be so simple?"
He couldn’t help but regret not bringing more people.
...
"The Nine Formulas Sword Sect, Fengyun Meeting, Taihe Sword Sect, the Four Great Families..."
Inside the carriage, Gu Jinlai flipped through the information in his hands.
A census some fifteen years ago showed nearly 60 million people in Star State, a bustling and prosperous Upper State.
Even if located south of Tianhe, not the center of political power, relatively more peaceful, the state still housed numerous powers.
Forces like the Nine Formulas Sword Sect, Taihe Sword Sect, and the Four Great Families all had Divinity Transformation Cultivators in seated positions.
Others like the Fengyun Meeting, Heavenly Grass Pavilion, and Xuanwu Sect, along with the Heavenly Gang Sect that he had destroyed half a year ago, had numerous Refining Gods who were ambiguously connected to the Netherworld Sect, Dragon Sparrow Manor, and Yellow Sky Sect.
Compared to these powers, the Demon Refining Hall and City Lord Mansion of Changjun City were less formidable, not to mention Zhengyi Dao, which only had a single Refining God.
"Speaking of Zhengyi Dao, I wonder if they will attend this time."
Gu Jinlai mused aloud. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
The possibility was not small.
Zhengyi Dao also covertly controlled a county within Changjun City’s territory.
They might well want to use this opportunity to legally secure control of that county.
"If they come, that will be interesting, especially if the Zhengyi sixth son could join. I wonder if these young talents of Zhengyi Dao have made progress over the past year or so."
Gu Jinlai talked to himself.
The group continued on their journey.
After ten days, the wall-less Starlight City was finally within sight.
At this time, reports from Gu Chifeng became noticeably more frequent.
"Patriarch, the alarm has sounded again."
Gu Jinlai nodded in acknowledgment.
He knew what Gu Chifeng was referring to.
Short Range Defense Cannon.
After evolving through Co-spirit, the radar of the Short Range Defense Cannon changed its search method, capable of scanning for Divine Thought Fluctuations within a forty-mile radius.
Originally in Lingxiao City, with no Refining Gods, the Short Range Defense Cannon naturally had no targets to scan for.
But now, near Starlight City...
And with the gathering about to start... the density of Refining God Immortals significantly increased.
So much so that the Short Range Defense Cannon’s alarm frequently sounded.
This greatly affected the defense against flying sword attacks.
"Increase the scanning Energy Level, only include targets with sufficient Divine Thought intensity in the scanning range."
Gu Jinlai instructed.
"Understood."
Gu Chifeng nodded and left.
However, as Gu Jinlai’s party finally arrived at Ten Miles Slope outside Starlight City, Gu Chifeng once again approached: "Patriarch, something... is not right..."
"Hmm?"
"Although I have slightly raised the scanning Energy Level of the Short Range Defense Cannon."
Gu Chifeng spoke, pausing slightly, "But... it keeps detecting many threat targets."
In conclusion, he added, "More than ten!"
