Chapter 1019: Wang Mingren Joins the Battle

On Golden Snake Island, Wu Yao'er lay on a stone bed, her face pale, her eyes tightly closed.

Wu Yue stood by her side, an anxious expression on her face. Wu Yao'er was the most outstanding junior of the Wu Feng clan, and Wu Yue certainly didn't want anything to happen to her.

"Mmm!"

Wu Yao'er slowly opened her heavy eyelids, her breathing shallow.

"Yao'er, you're finally awake! How are you feeling?" Wu Yue asked with a sigh of relief and concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Ancestor," Wu Yao'er said weakly. "Your granddaughter is much better, but I won't be able to fight for a while." Recalling the previous battle, a trace of fear appeared in Wu Yao'er's phoenix-like eyes. All this time, relying on her Lightning Escape technique, she had been unhindered even when two or three Nascent Soul cultivators attacked her. Chen Ang, one of the Five Immortals of the Overseas, had also been injured by her. Yet, she had never imagined that she would be defeated by an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. If Wu Yue hadn't intervened to save her, she would surely have died.

"Hmph! How many times have I told you to always act cautiously?" Wu Yue lectured sternly. "You're still too overconfident! You didn't even know their divine abilities, yet you dared to use your Lightning Escape technique for close-quarters combat. I've told you repeatedly: avoid close combat if at all possible! Now you've paid the price, haven't you? Never be so reckless again!" Truth be told, Wu Yue also bore some responsibility. Since the war began, Wu Yao'er had garnered significant renown by injuring several Nascent Soul cultivators. Even Wu Yue herself had become somewhat complacent, let alone Wu Yao'er.

"Your granddaughter will remember Ancestor's teachings, and I will certainly act cautiously from now on," Wu Yao'er agreed honestly, rubbing her aching chest. If she hadn't quickly summoned a shield to block most of the damage, she might already be dead.

"It's good that you understand. Rest well and recover from your injuries. Once the next wave of reinforcements arrives, you'll be transferred to the rear for recuperation. Who knows when the human race might launch a counterattack; it's too dangerous for you to remain here."

"Yes, Ancestor. Your granddaughter obeys." Wu Yue gave a few more instructions, then turned and left.

Coral Sea Region, Spirit Turtle Island.

In a secluded courtyard, Wang Mingren and Ximen Feng were sitting in a stone pavilion, drinking tea and chatting. They had originally intended to go to the Red Moon Sea Region to ask Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan to return to the Eastern Wasteland and participate in the war. However, as soon as they arrived in the South Sea, they were surprised to find that all large market cities had been requisitioned. Without a token or proof from one of the Ten Great Sects, they couldn't use the teleportation arrays to reach the Red Moon Sea Region. Relying solely on their flying techniques, it could take several years to get there, as the Red Moon Sea Region and the Coral Sea Region were hundreds of millions of li apart.

They consulted Liu Jin, who instructed them to remain on Spirit Turtle Island. Seeing the great war approaching, Wang Mingren felt deeply frustrated, possessing cultivation but having no opportunity to contribute. He had hoped to use this chance to become one of the Five Prodigies of Taiyi.

"Sigh, I wonder if Changsheng and Ruyan have received the news," Wang Mingren sighed, a hint of longing in his eyes. "It would be great if they could rush back to the Eastern Wasteland." He hoped Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan would return to fight in the Eastern Wasteland, so he could earn merit alongside them.

Ximen Feng shook her head. "It's probably difficult. Teleportation arrays only go to the front lines, so it would be quite hard for Changsheng and the others to teleport to the Coral Sea Region. Furthermore, Martial Uncle Meng had arranged to meet them in five years, but the timeline has been brought forward. Even if they don't return to the Eastern Wasteland, it's perfectly justifiable. To be honest, I don't advocate for their return. They haven't been in the Nascent Soul stage for long; they should be given time to cultivate. With them around, Martial Uncle Chen won't be able to make things too difficult for us."

Wang Mingren was eager to earn merit, but Ximen Feng took a longer view. As long as Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan were present, they served as a deterrent to Chen Haibin. Chen Haibin wouldn't dare go too far, and the Sect Master of Taiyi Immortal Sect wouldn't allow him to act recklessly. What the sect needed was balance.

Wang Mingren gave a wry smile and sighed, "That's true, but if Martial Uncle Chen decides to make things difficult for us, we'll be in a bind."

He seemed to sense something, taking out a communication disk and sending a magic seal into it. A majestic voice suddenly rang out: "Nephew Wang, come to Taiyi Palace. I have something to tell you."

"Yes, Martial Uncle Liu," Wang Mingren replied, putting away the communication disk. He then left their residence with Ximen Feng.

Not long after, they arrived at Taiyi Palace. Liu Jin and a young woman in a green skirt stood at the front, with several Core Formation cultivators standing before them. Wang Mingren and Ximen Feng quickly joined the ranks of the Core Formation cultivators, their expressions respectful. More Core Formation cultivators entered one after another, lining up in formation. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, fifteen Core Formation cultivators had gathered in the hall.

"Everyone is here, Martial Brother Liu. Please explain the situation to them!"

Liu Jin nodded, his face stern. He said gravely, "The foreign races have invaded and are slaughtering our human race. Our Taiyi Immortal Sect has the responsibility and obligation to go to war and contribute our meager strength. You are all elite disciples of our sect. Martial Sister Chen and I will lead you into battle. You must obey all orders. Those who perform great deeds will be heavily rewarded, and those who make grave mistakes will be punished. Two positions among the Five Prodigies of Taiyi are now vacant; you must seize this opportunity."

With the demon, sea, and barbarian races allied, the Ten Great Sects were struggling. They invited external forces to join the war, but the Central Plains cultivation world made exorbitant demands. Unable to reach an agreement with the Central Plains, the Ten Great Sects of the South Sea instead sought help from the Seven Great Immortal Sects of the Eastern Wasteland. The Northern Frontier was billions of li away from the South Sea, too distant for timely aid. Even with large-scale teleportation arrays, mobilizing and deploying a batch of reinforcements would take at least five or six years round trip, by which time the war might already be over. Since the Eastern Wasteland and the Central Plains were the closest to the South Sea, they had no choice but to request their assistance.

The terms offered by Taiyi Immortal Sect were relatively more generous than those from the Central Plains cultivation world. Simply put, the Eastern Wasteland was too poor. The Central Plains cultivation world, serving as a transit hub for the human realm, boasted prosperous trade. Relatively speaking, the Eastern Wasteland cultivation world was easier to satisfy than the Central Plains. After comparing options, the terms from the Eastern Wasteland cultivation world were relatively lenient and acceptable to the South Sea cultivation world.

Taiyi Immortal Sect had nearly twenty Nascent Soul cultivators. Three were stationed in the South Sea, three at the Northern Frontier branch, and six remained at the main sect headquarters. The rest were fighting on the Eastern Wasteland front line. To be honest, Taiyi Immortal Sect had taken a rather large step by fighting on two fronts. Fortunately, the Eastern Wasteland was the main battlefield; on the South Sea front, Taiyi Immortal Sect's members were merely participants, not decision-makers. If they failed to defeat the foreign races, Taiyi Immortal Sect wouldn't gain much benefit either.

"Yes, Martial Uncle Liu!" Wang Mingren and the other disciples responded in unison. Wang Mingren's expression was particularly excited. He had been waiting for this day for a long time. As long as he could participate in the war, he could earn some merit, and if he performed great deeds, he would have a chance to be elected as one of the Five Prodigies of Taiyi.

Liu Jin gave a few more instructions, then, along with the young woman in the green skirt, led the fifteen Core Formation cultivators out of Taiyi Palace. They used a large teleportation array to rush to the front lines and engage the foreign races in battle.