Chapter 1676: Storm is Coming

On the frontline of the Eastern Fence Realm, on a steep mountain peak on an island spanning a thousand miles, a palace over ten zhang tall stood at the summit. Its plaque bore the three large characters, "Heavenly Azure Hall."

Inside the main hall, dozens of cultivators, including Lei Yunbin, gathered. Lei Yunbin sat in the main seat, his face filled with killing intent.

"Senior Martial Brother Shangguan sent a message, informing us that the Eastern Fence Realm dispatched many experts to our Heavenly Azure Realm, killing a large number of our cultivators," Lei Yunbin said slowly, his face grim. "Junior Martial Brother Zhao was killed, and Junior Martial Brother Lu and others were severely wounded. Over fifty Nascent Soul cultivators alone have fallen."

"It seems we've been too lenient with the Eastern Fence Realm. We must make them pay," one cultivator declared.

"Exactly, we must kill a few Spirit Transformation cultivators to avenge Junior Martial Brother Zhao!" another added.

"Blood for blood, tooth for tooth!"

The cultivators voiced their agreement, their faces contorted with anger. Yan Que, however, remained silent, appearing self-possessed.

"Senior Martial Brother Shangguan shares this view," Lei Yunbin said gravely. "Fellow Daoist Yan, Junior Martial Brother Zhao, Junior Martial Brother Sun, you will lead teams to destroy the Shen Family, the Dugu Family, and the Myriad Flames Palace. I will lead the others in a decisive battle against the Eastern Fence Realm cultivators. Junior Martial Brother Long, Junior Martial Sister Sun, Junior Martial Brother Yang, and Junior Martial Brother Li, the four of you will join me to confront Sun Tianhu. Our goal is to draw the attention of the Eastern Fence Realm cultivators and strive to eliminate one or two Spirit Transformation cultivators." Lei Yunbin stated grimly. He admitted that it was difficult to eliminate a Spirit Transformation cultivator in such a large-scale chaotic battle; the primary objective was to contain the Eastern Fence Realm's high-level combatants.

"What about the Wang Family of Green Lotus Island? And the Sun and Moon Palace? Their threat is considerable. Why don't Junior Martial Brother Liu make a trip to eliminate the Wang Family?" Long Xiaoyao suggested. The Sun and Moon Palace possessed secret arts that allowed Nascent Soul cultivators to temporarily elevate their cultivation to the Spirit Transformation stage, making it highly impractical to target them. However, dealing with the Wang Family posed no such issues.

"The Wang Family's influence in the South Sea Cultivation World, and even the Eastern Fence Realm, is minimal," Lei Yunbin stated flatly. "We aren't old women who only pick on the weak. The Shen Family, Dugu Family, and Myriad Flames Palace are powerful and influential. Eliminating these three forces will intimidate other powers in the South Sea Cultivation World and allow us to subdue several factions. As for the Wang Family, Fellow Daoist Yan, you can send someone to deal with them!" Lei Yunbin spoke with a deep voice. He genuinely held the Wang Family in low regard; their lineage was less than a millennium old, they had produced no Spirit Transformation cultivators, and their influence was negligible. The Shen Family, Dugu Family, and Myriad Flames Palace, however, were strong and had inherited tens of thousands of years of profound heritage. To serve as a warning to others, it was natural to target forces with significant influence.

"How many Nascent Soul cultivators should we send?" Yan Que asked, frowning. "The Wang Family isn't weak, and our Barbarian tribe doesn't have many Nascent Soul cultivators." He had no retreat; Lei Yunbin and the others were personally entering the fray, leaving him no reason to remain on the sidelines.

"You yourself said the Wang Family isn't weak," Lei Yunbin retorted. "Send twenty Nascent Soul cultivators. I will assign people to assist you. We will show no mercy to any force that opposes us."

Lei Yunbin's face was still filled with killing intent. If not for the shortage of manpower, he would have certainly sent a Spirit Transformation cultivator to destroy the Wang Family. The Heavenly Azure Realm currently had fourteen Spirit Transformation cultivators in the Eastern Fence Realm: two were stationed at the spatial portal entrance, three had gone to attack the Shen Family, Dugu Family, and Myriad Flames Palace, and the remaining nine were leading teams to battle the Eastern Fence Realm's experts. Having too few Spirit Transformation cultivators would put them at a disadvantage. If the Eastern Fence Realm hadn't sent people to cause trouble in the Heavenly Azure Realm, the Heavenly Azure Realm would have already deployed an additional seven Spirit Transformation cultivators and three hundred Nascent Soul cultivators to the Eastern Fence Realm to conquer it in one fell swoop.

"Good, I will certainly send elite personnel," Yan Que agreed. With the Heavenly Azure Sect willing to send assistance, it would be much easier.

---

In the Five Dragons Sea Region, on Green Lotus Island. The sky had grown dark, and stars twinkled across the firmament. On a steep peak, Wang Qingshan stood at the summit, gazing at the starry sky, lost in thought.

The soft sound of footsteps broke his reverie. Wang Qingjun approached, smiling, and asked, "Seventh Brother, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm wondering how Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt are doing," Wang Qingshan sighed. "And what the situation is like in the Heavenly Azure Realm." Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan had gone to the Heavenly Azure Realm to cause disruption, and Liu Ruyi had sent word to Wang Qingshan, advising him to prepare defenses.

Wang Qingshan had dispersed most of the clan members on Green Lotus Island, sending them back to the Eastern Barren Lands. The South Sea was the main battlefield, and no one knew how the war would progress. The Ten Great Sects of the South Sea had issued an order: powerful forces were not allowed to abandon their islands without cause. Otherwise, Wang Qingshan would have considered abandoning Green Lotus Island. If the Wang Family abandoned Green Lotus Island, other forces might follow suit, triggering a chain reaction that could lead to the collapse of the rear defensive line. The Dongfang Family had been attacked by Spirit Transformation cultivators from the Heavenly Azure Realm and reportedly suffered heavy losses.

"Nothing should happen to them," Wang Qingjun reassured. "With Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt's abilities, I'm sure they'll be fine."

A chilling wind swept by, and Ye Haitang suddenly appeared behind them, her face radiant with joy. Spirit Transformation cultivators from the Heavenly Azure Realm had caused disturbances in the Myriad Ghosts Sea, tearing open seals. Millions of ghosts swarmed out of the Myriad Ghosts Sea, and Ye Haitang seized the opportunity to collect over a hundred thousand of them using her Heavenly Ghost Banner. The Heavenly Ghost Banner successfully advanced to the rank of a Spirit Treasure. If it were to absorb millions of ghosts or hundreds of Nascent Soul-stage ghosts, it could even advance to a Heavenly Spiritual Treasure. The Heavenly Ghost Banner's promotion to a Spirit Treasure was primarily due to absorbing over a hundred thousand ghosts. However, if these ghosts were to perish in battle, the Heavenly Ghost Banner would revert to an ordinary magic tool. Ye Haitang could now contend with late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, a testament to her newfound power.

"Cousin Haitang, you're back? I heard there was trouble in the Myriad Ghosts Sea, with millions of ghosts emerging. Are you alright?" Wang Qingshan asked, his face full of concern.

"Cousin Qingshan, I'm fine," Ye Haitang replied, smiling broadly. "Have Uncle and Aunt led an expedition?"

"Ninth Uncle and Ninth Aunt have gone to the Heavenly Azure Realm," Wang Qingshan asked somewhat nervously. "They were ordered to cause disruption there. Is that relic site alright?" The Wang Family had a cultivation sect relic site in the Myriad Ghosts Sea, where thousands of clan members resided.

"It's fine," Ye Haitang reassured them. "Cousin Qingjing and the others are all well, you don't need to worry." The Zhenhai Sect relic site was located at the bottom of the sea and was inaccessible without a special token. The Eastern Fence Realm cultivators were busy eliminating the ghosts and hadn't discovered the Zhenhai Sect relic site's existence.

Her primary reason for returning this time was to ask Wang Changsheng to help re-temper the Heavenly Ghost Banner. However, since Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan had gone to cause trouble in the Heavenly Azure Realm, she could only ask Fairy Ziyue for assistance with artifact refining. She had spent some time with Fairy Ziyue, and their relationship was quite good.

"Alright, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't chat any longer. I'm going to the Zhenhai Sect to find Fairy Ziyue. If you need me, you can come to the Zhenhai Sect." With that, Ye Haitang transformed into a black cloud and flew away into the distance.

"It seems Cousin Haitang had a considerable harvest in the Myriad Ghosts Sea," Wang Qingjun remarked with a smile. Ye Haitang was usually reserved and rarely smiled unless something truly joyful had occurred.

"Speaking of which, Tenth Sister has been in seclusion for so long and still hasn't emerged. I hope she comes out soon!" Wang Qingshan sighed. "Who knows when I might receive orders to go to the frontline? We can't have no one overseeing the clan." With Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan away, Wang Qingshan was the strongest member of the clan, followed by Wang Qingling, and then Wang Mengbin.

"Who knows!" Wang Qingjun said with a laugh. "Perhaps Tenth Sister will have advanced to the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm when she emerges." Wang Qingling had been in seclusion for several decades, making it highly probable she would achieve mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation upon emerging.

After chatting for a while, they each returned to their respective homes to meditate and cultivate.