Chapter 2336: Chance Encounter with Lan Fukung

In the Council Hall of Zhenhai Palace, over a hundred elders were gathered, whispering amongst themselves, each with a different expression.

Multiple border cities had been attacked by alien races, prompting various major sects to dispatch their experts to the front lines for support.

Song Yiming entered, and the elders all rose to their feet.

"Greetings, Sect Master (or Martial Uncle-Grandmaster)."

Song Yiming took his seat at the head of the hall, his expression solemn.

"You must have heard the news! Multiple border cities have been attacked by alien races. We have already dispatched a group of experts there, led personally by Junior Martial Brother Li. However, this large-scale invasion by the alien races is somewhat puzzling. According to reliable intelligence, another wave of alien forces will attack us by sea. We must heighten our vigilance."

Song Yiming's tone was stern.

If he wasn't mistaken, the alien races' major offensive was connected to the Heavenly Mystic artifact. Even within Zhenhai Palace, few elders knew of its existence. Hearing is not as reliable as seeing. Few Integration Stage cultivators had actually seen the Heavenly Mystic artifact, so the alien races couldn't verify the intelligence. This attack might be a probing action or a feint. Although Zhenhai Palace had done its utmost to conceal the information, some alien races had entered the Xuanling Grotto-heaven to search for treasures at that time, so there was no guarantee the news hadn't leaked. They had to be prepared.

"Sect Master, we have already increased our patrol forces and activated some of the restrictions of the sect-protecting grand formation."

A young woman in a moon-white fish-scale dress spoke. Her features were delicate, her breasts prominent, her waist slender, and her hips ample. This was Ma Yingying, an Early Integration Stage cultivator belonging to the local faction.

"The alien races' target might be Zhenhai Palace itself. Let's dispatch another group of experts from our affiliated forces!" Ma Yingying suggested.

"I have no objection to dispatching experts, but we must be fair. Most of the experts dispatched belong to our Ascension Faction, Sect Master. Isn't this unfair?" A woman's angry voice suddenly rang out.

Just as she finished speaking, Chen Yueying and Yang Qinglong entered.

"Ascension Faction?" Song Yiming said in a low voice. "I've already stated that there are no factional distinctions. The dispatch of personnel was approved by me. I have also deployed another group of experts for other purposes." Song Yiming said in a deep voice that factional disputes existed in every sect, but they were rarely discussed openly. Discussing factional disputes openly would only escalate conflicts and be detrimental to unity.

Chen Yueying snorted softly, expressing her displeasure. She had been away undergoing a major heavenly tribulation. It was precisely at this time that alien races attacked the border cities, and Zhenhai Palace dispatched experts to the front lines. Since most of these experts belonged to the local faction, Chen Yueying naturally had to fight for the interests of her own people. If she turned a blind eye too often, her subordinates would not work wholeheartedly for her.

"Junior Martial Sister Chen, you've just returned, and there are many things you're not yet aware of," Song Yiming said. "Junior Martial Brother Yang, please take Junior Martial Sister Chen back first. I'll talk to both of you later." Song Yiming instructed, his tone stern.

Though displeased, Chen Yueying and Yang Qinglong agreed.

Upon returning to their residence, Chen Yueying summoned Fang Ming to inquire about the personnel deployment. Fang Ming managed the Hall of Deacons, so any personnel dispatch had to go through him.

"To dispatch so many experts, it seems the alien races have caused quite a stir," Yang Qinglong remarked, his expression grave. The alien races' grand offensive surely had an ulterior motive.

Chen Yueying frowned deeply. Her first thought was the Heavenly Mystic artifact. If the alien races confirmed the rumor that humanity had obtained the Heavenly Mystic artifact, the scale of the war would be even greater.

After about fifteen minutes, Song Yiming arrived.

"Junior Martial Sister Chen, you've passed your major heavenly tribulation; I trust you're unharmed?" Song Yiming asked, his face full of concern.

"For now, I'm fine," Chen Yueying replied, frowning with displeasure. "Sect Master, you promised to be fair, but your deployment of personnel this time isn't, is it?"

"The Song family has more than eight Void-Refining cultivators, yet you only dispatched two from them," Yang Qinglong said with some dissatisfaction. "The Wang family only has three Void-Refining cultivators, and one was dispatched. This is utterly unfair!"

"Song Yunlong has advanced to the Integration Stage," Song Yiming said in a low voice. "Outsiders are not aware of this." Song Yiming said in a deep voice that Zhenhai Palace couldn't be too overbearing with an affiliated force that had an Integration Stage cultivator.

"I recall he's not even ten thousand years old yet!" Chen Yueying asked, puzzled. "His cultivation speed is so fast; does he possess some kind of spirit body?"

"That's right, he must be a spirit body possessor; otherwise, his cultivation speed wouldn't be this rapid," Song Yiming affirmed. Song Yiming nodded, adding that affiliated forces with promising talents didn't necessarily report them to Zhenhai Palace.

"Even if he has advanced to the Integration Stage, you only dispatched two Void-Refining cultivators?" Chen Yueying asked, perplexed. "Does that mean he's going to the front lines himself? One Integration Stage cultivator participating in battle is more valuable than ten Void-Refining cultivators."

"Yes, but he has other assignments," Song Yiming instructed. "Don't spread this news to outsiders." Song Yiming then looked at Chen Yueying and continued, "You've passed your major heavenly tribulation, so take some time to recover well. Junior Martial Brother Li and Junior Martial Sister Sun have already led their teams to the front lines. Isn't that fair enough now?"

Hearing this, Chen Yueying and Yang Qinglong said nothing more.

A streak of light swiftly streaked across the high sky at an extremely fast speed. Wang Qingshan stood at the very front, his hands clasped behind his back, his expression solemn. Wang Qingfeng and the others stood behind him. None of them spoke, their expressions grave.

At their current speed, it would take them less than half a year to reach Xuanguang City. They had used multiple large-scale teleportation arrays along the way, which significantly sped up their journey. If they had relied solely on the Qiankuang Evasion Shuttle, it would be ages before they reached Xuanguang City.

"Fellow Daoist Wang, please wait for this old man!" A fawning male voice suddenly rang out.

Wang Qingshan found the voice somewhat familiar. He formed a hand seal, and the Qiankuang Evasion Shuttle immediately came to a halt. A red streak of light flew in from the distance. Not long after, it stopped less than a thousand zhang from Wang Qingshan and his group. The red streak of light was, in fact, a shimmering red flying boat, a flying spirit treasure. Lan Fukong and over a hundred cultivators stood on board. Lan Fukong had already advanced to the Void-Refining Stage.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, you've advanced to the Void-Refining Stage! Congratulations!" Wang Qingshan greeted with a smile.

"The pleasure is mutual! Fellow Daoist Wang, is your Wang family being led by you? Where is True Monarch Taihao?" Lan Fukong asked politely. If Wang Changsheng hadn't rescued him, he would have long since died at the hands of demonic beasts, let alone advancing to the Void-Refining Stage.

"Ninth Uncle is occupied and couldn't come. I am personally leading the team to Xuanguang City for support. What? Are you also heading to Xuanguang City for assistance?" Wang Qingshan asked casually.

"Indeed," Lan Fukong replied sincerely. "I thought I would finally get to see True Monarch Taihao and thank him in person! If True Monarch Taihao hadn't intervened, I would have died long ago."

"Ninth Uncle saved you? He never mentioned it to me," Wang Qingshan said, puzzled.

"Ah, True Monarch Taihao might not remember it, but I could never forget! We're heading the same way, so let's travel together!" Lan Fukong suggested, his face fawning. "Perhaps we can even look out for each other when we confront the alien races." He had witnessed Wang Qingshan's strength firsthand and believed it would be beneficial to stay with him.

Wang Qingshan did not object. Together, they ascended higher into the sky and disappeared into the horizon.