Chapter 1023: Decisive Battle

A faint tremor vibrated. Wang Qingshan took out a palm-sized silver jade plate, whose surface glowed with shifting runes. He struck a magic art into it, and a line of small characters appeared: "Come quickly to the council hall."

Wang Qingshan put away the silver jade plate, sighed deeply, and muttered to himself, "Is it time for the decisive battle?"

The war had been ongoing for several years, and Wang Qingshan had been recovering in the rear for over a year. He expected to be transferred back to the front line soon.

The Carefree Sword Venerable had told him to rest and recover, as he would be needed for the decisive battle.

Wang Qingshan quickly tidied up. Upon arriving at the council hall, he saw Jun Qianshang standing at the very front, his expression respectful.

Liu Mei'er was already there. She beamed with joy upon seeing Wang Qingshan.

Wang Qingshan nodded to Liu Mei'er and went to stand next to her.

Core Formation cultivators gradually entered the hall. Jun Qianshang remained silent, and the atmosphere grew solemn.

After a brief moment, twenty Core Formation cultivators and three Nascent Soul cultivators had gathered in the hall.

Jun Qianshang's majestic gaze slowly swept over Wang Qingshan and the others. He then spoke in a deep voice, "The front lines are critical, and we need to deploy more personnel. You are all the elites of your respective forces, and the time has come for a decisive battle against the demon race. It's your turn to join the fight. I will lead you to the front lines, where a single battle will decide our destiny. We will utterly crush the demon race and establish an immortal foundation."

"A single battle will decide our destiny! Utterly crush the demon race and establish an immortal foundation!" Wang Qingshan and the others exclaimed in unison, most of them looking quite excited.

Wang Qingshan frowned slightly. Humanity had developed the Eastern Barrens for four millennia, yet still occupied only a small portion of its territory; the vast majority remained under the control of the demon race. The demon race certainly wouldn't be easy to defeat. In his opinion, the Seven Great Immortal Sects should invite support from the Central Plains and Northern Frontier cultivation worlds. They should leverage their advantages and slowly wear down the demon race's power. He didn't believe the demon race could withstand a multi-pronged attack.

He had forgotten a crucial truth: cooperation between the leaders of the three cultivation worlds was impossible. The Northern Frontier cultivation world had refused to provide support, and the Central Plains cultivation world had only sent a contingent from the Great Zhou Dynasty. The Seven Great Immortal Sects could not afford to sustain a prolonged war.

If the Seven Great Immortal Sects were defeated, humanity in the Eastern Barrens wouldn't be annihilated; however, the rulers would no longer be the Seven Great Immortal Sects. The Central Plains and Northern Frontier cultivation worlds sought to exploit the situation. Originally, they had fostered the Seven Great Immortal Sects, but the Seven Great Immortal Sects had then declared independence, breaking free from their control. Now, with a chance to regain control of the Eastern Barrens, they naturally wouldn't let it slip away.

"Depart!" Jun Qianshang conjured a flying boat. It was entirely white, with shifting, iridescent light. Carrying twenty Core Formation and two Nascent Soul cultivators, it flew off and disappeared into the sky.

Northern Frontier, Nine Nether Sect.

In the Nine Nether Hall, Shangguan Wei sat on the main seat, her expression cold.

Five elders were reporting sect affairs to her, their expressions tense.

Shangguan Wei ruled with extreme strictness, tolerating no opposition to her views. She was autocratic and decisive.

Otherwise, Shangguan Wei would not have been able to repel the attacks of multiple major sects.

"Well? Have you found neither Ye Lin's body nor the Nine Nether Token?"

The Nine Nether Token was the sect master's token for the Nine Nether Sect, and also the master token used to control the sect's protective formation.

Over a hundred years ago, infighting broke out within the Nine Nether Sect. Shangguan Wei, through forceful means, eliminated her rivals, sustaining minor injuries herself. Ye Lin fled the Northern Frontier, and the Nine Nether Token disappeared along with him.

After the infighting, the Nine Nether Sect was severely weakened. Several major forces jointly attacked the Nine Nether Sect, and the sect was almost destroyed. Shangguan Wei, acting autocratically, led her disciples to repel the enemy's attacks. Shangguan Wei was severely injured during the major battle and had spent these years recovering.

Without the Nine Nether Token, her position as sect master lacked true legitimacy. Most importantly, if the Nine Nether Sect faced a crisis in the future without the Nine Nether Token, relying solely on the eighteen sub-tokens, they wouldn't be able to unleash the full power of the protective formation. Had she possessed the Nine Nether Token, even strong enemies attacking their gates wouldn't have left her so severely injured.

The five elders turned pale. A white-robed old man with a goatee quickly replied, "Sect Master, Ye Lin has been to the Eastern Barrens and the South Sea. Rumor also has it that he visited the Northern Frontier, and even the Western Desert. Our manpower is limited, so we humbly ask for more time. We are certain to recover the Nine Nether Token."

"I will give you another thirty years. If you still fail to recover the Nine Nether Token, you will personally report to the Law Enforcement Hall for punishment.'" Shangguan Wei said coldly, showing no leniency.

"Yes, Sect Master. Sect Master, the Eastern Barrens demon race is invading, and the Seven Great Immortal Sects have invited us to provide support. What are your thoughts?"

"'Hmph, it sounds good, but if they truly repel the demon race's attack, the Seven Great Immortal Sects will certainly turn hostile. If it hadn't been for our support of the Taiyi Sect back then, would they be where they are today? They became powerful and declared themselves kings, even adding the 'Immortal' character to their name. Isn't that just to distance themselves from us? Ignore them. Deploy heavy troops to the border between the Northern Frontier and the Eastern Barrens. Wait for them to decide the victor, then we will make our move against the demon race. For now, leave them to their fight.'"

Initially, the cultivation worlds of the Northern Frontier, South Sea, and Central Plains all supported forces to develop the Eastern Barrens. After much effort, a large territory was finally occupied. However, the Taiyi Sect, in conjunction with other forces, declared themselves independent rulers. Shangguan Wei saw through the Seven Great Immortal Sects; they were ungrateful wretches who could never be satisfied. If the demon race won this battle, it would be a pyrrhic victory, and the Nine Nether Sect could then unite with other forces to attack the Eastern Barrens demon race. If humanity won, it went without saying that they would intensify their efforts against the Eastern Barrens demon race.

If the demon race hadn't actively attacked humanity, and given the Seven Great Immortal Sects the moral high ground, Shangguan Wei would have used this opportunity to eliminate the Taiyi Immortal Sect's branch in the Northern Frontier!

"Yes, Sect Master."

South Sea, Golden Dragon Island.

The Golden Dragon Tower, the most prosperous inn on Golden Dragon Island, had two Core Formation cultivators standing at its entrance, their eyes frequently scanning the distance.

"'Why hasn't Fairy Wang arrived yet? Fellow Daoist Li, are you certain you sent the communication talisman to Fairy Wang? You didn't send it to the wrong place, did you?'" A golden-robed man in his early forties looked at a yellow-shirted young man beside him, frowning as he spoke.

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan achieved fame in their first battle by killing one opponent and severely injuring another. Now, whenever the 'Azure Lotus Immortal Couple' was mentioned, every cultivator on Golden Dragon Island knew who they were.

Huangfu Rong had been ordered by the clan elder to cultivate good relations with the Wang family's Core Formation cultivators. The Core Formation cultivators waiting outside were retainers of the Huangfu family, tasked with awaiting Wang Qingling and her two companions.

Huangfu Rong hosted a banquet for the Wang family's Core Formation cultivators. To demonstrate the Huangfu family's regard for them, Huangfu Rong had two Core Formation cultivators wait at the entrance, giving the Wang family ample face.

In fact, Huangfu Rong didn't need to go to such lengths, but he insisted. The Huangfu family, having thrived for tens of thousands of years, naturally didn't fuss over such elaborate courtesies. Of course, if Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan hadn't achieved such significant military successes, the Huangfu family wouldn't have placed such importance on the Wang family.

Soon after, Wang Qingling, Wang Qiuming, and Wang Mengbin emerged from a street corner. They saw two Core Formation cultivators waiting at the entrance and exchanged bewildered glances.

What was Huangfu Rong trying to achieve? The sight before them truly surprised Wang Qingling and her two companions. They had expected a simple gathering, but Huangfu Rong's elaborate preparations suggested anything but.

The golden-robed man smiled sincerely and said, "'Fairy Wang, you've finally arrived. I was beginning to think Fellow Daoist Li had sent the communication talisman to the wrong person!'"

"Fellow Daoist Sun, what is all this about?" Wang Qingling felt a little uncomfortable. Previously, Huangfu Rong and other young masters from aristocratic families had been merely polite to Wang Qingling and her companions. Now, however, there was a clear hint of flattery in their demeanor. Wang Qingling couldn't fathom Huangfu Rong's true intentions.

"'It's nothing, Fairy Wang. Please come in. Young Master Huangfu has been waiting for a long time. The Golden Dragon Tower has been reserved by us, so we can drink and chat freely without worry.'" The golden-robed man gestured for them to enter, and ushered Wang Qingling and her two companions into the Golden Dragon Tower.