Chapter 525: Double-Pupil Rat Advancement

"By the way, which fellow Daoists died in battle, and who was gravely injured?"

Chen Yuhua's advancement to the Nascent Soul stage had already disrupted the balance. Fortunately, she hadn't attacked any neighboring states. Otherwise, the fall of one nation would endanger others, prompting a collective retaliation. Any state that suffered significant losses among its Core Formation cultivators would find its strength severely diminished, making it highly susceptible to attacks from other factions—a clear demonstration of survival of the fittest.

"Fellow Daoist Lin from the Myriad Beasts Sect of the Northern Liang State, and Fellow Daoist Li from the Wind and Fire Sect of the Tang State. The one gravely injured is Fellow Daoist Jiang from the Pure Void Sect of the Han State."

"Myriad Beasts Sect!" Wang Changsheng felt a hidden thrill. Given the private feud between the Myriad Beasts Sect and the Wang family, the death of one of their Core Formation cultivators was excellent news for him.

After a brief chat, a disciple from the Hundred Flowers Sect arrived, stating that Chen Yuhua requested Wang Changsheng's presence for a discussion. Wang Changsheng dared not delay. He and Li Qingshan immediately headed to the discussion hall.

Chen Yuhua occupied the main seat, while eight Core Formation cultivators sat beneath her. The expressions on all eight cultivators' faces were grim. Out of fifteen Core Formation cultivators dispatched this time, three were lost. The most significant gains were reaped by the three Core Formation cultivators who raided the market. Hailing from the Tang State's cultivation world, they faced minimal danger and plundered immense wealth.

Wang Changsheng and Li Qingshan entered, cupped their hands towards Chen Yuhua, and simultaneously said, "Greetings, Senior Chen."

"Dispense with the formalities, young friend Wang. Of those who attacked the Hundred Ghosts Sect, only you two have returned? Where are the others? Please recount the events of your assault on the Hundred Ghosts Sect, so everyone can listen carefully."

Wang Changsheng held nothing back, narrating the events comprehensively. Naturally, he omitted their plundering of fifteen cultivation families.

"Martial Nephew Hua's group was ambushed while besieging the Nether Corpse Sect, and young friend Wang, your group also encountered an ambush attacking the Hundred Ghosts Sect. Someone must have leaked the information. Who could it be?" Chen Yuhua's tone was calm, and her gaze swept over the Core Formation cultivators present. Everyone exchanged glances, their expressions varied, and their gazes at each other held a hint of suspicion. No one could believe there wasn't a spy from the demonic path among them. But who?

"Senior Chen, we discovered a teleportation array in a secret chamber within the Hundred Ghosts Sect. Several Hundred Ghosts Sect disciples we interrogated knew nothing about it. We sent someone through, but they couldn't return. It's possible that the five sects of Qin State have built teleportation arrays between themselves."

Wang Changsheng proposed a theory: if Qin State were conquered, he would at least gain control of a county. Naturally, he wished to avoid infighting within the allied forces. Wang Changsheng was eager for the six states to immediately conquer Qin State and divide it among themselves. He had taken considerable risks in this campaign, so he naturally wanted a larger share of the benefits. He wasn't greedy; he only wanted one county. If given more, he wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Regardless, the five sects of Qin State are no match for our six states. The longer we delay, the more complications will arise, so we should conquer Qin State as soon as possible! They won't surrender unless we make them suffer significantly! Fellow Daoist Wang has already fought, so you may rest and recuperate for a while. The rest of you should each lead a group of cultivators to Qin State and seize crucial locations such as metal mines and spiritual medicine gardens."

The five sects of Qin State had limited Core Formation cultivators who also needed to guard their main strongholds, making it impossible for them to oversee everything. This was a lucrative assignment, especially the spiritual medicine gardens, and the Core Formation cultivators present eagerly volunteered. Due to the concern about spies, Chen Yuhua personally selected the individuals for this mission and transmitted their assignments via sound transmission. This way, if they were ambushed again, it would indicate an issue with Chen Yuhua herself.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Wang Changsheng returned to his residence. Wang Ruyan brewed him a pot of spiritual tea, and the couple chatted while sipping it.

"Wife, once the great battle is over, you should go into seclusion for cultivation! Strive with all your might to reach a higher realm." Wang Changsheng made this suggestion. Wang Ruyan, already over 140 years old and still at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, was in a precarious situation. Had the Wang family possessed more Foundation Establishment cultivators, she wouldn't have needed to go to battle. Wang Ruyan nodded and said, "Once the great battle is over, I will go into seclusion for cultivation. However, we don't know how long this battle will last! I hope the war ends quickly."

Wang Changsheng flicked his wrist, and the storage bead bracelet on his hand glowed with spiritual light, causing a large pile of items to appear on the ground. These items were plundered riches, gathered in haste at the time, and he hadn't had a chance to examine them. The loot included three low-grade Tier 3 talismans, twenty-one sets of Tier 2 formations, a substantial amount of artifact refining materials, over two thousand Tier 1 and 2 spiritual herbs, more than a million spirit stones, and a quantity of raw materials.

Wang Changsheng's expression shifted. The spirit beast bead bracelet glowed with a shimmering light, and a yellow ray flew out from it. A half-human-tall yellow giant rat, it was indeed the Dual-Pupil Rat. It had already become a low-grade Tier 3 spirit beast. Wang Changsheng was delighted, his expression filled with excitement. The Dual-Pupil Rat had finally reached Tier 3. He mused how much better it would have been had it advanced before he entered the Heavenly Wolf Secret Realm.

The Dual-Pupil Rat's tail swished back and forth, and it stared at Wang Changsheng with eager eyes, seemingly begging for food. Wang Changsheng smiled and fed it ten century-old spiritual herbs, but the creature was not satisfied. It insisted on eating thirty century-old spiritual herbs before it was content. Wang Changsheng put away all the items and ordered the Dual-Pupil Rat to display its divine abilities. Having advanced to Tier 3, the Dual-Pupil Rat should have comprehended new divine abilities.

The Dual-Pupil Rat opened its mouth and emitted an extremely sharp screech. A powerful, invisible sound wave flew out, causing the light barrier on the stone wall to ripple and distort, flickering wildly. Upon hearing this sound, Wang Ruyan's face showed an expression of pain. Wang Changsheng was fine, only feeling a strong gust of wind sweep past. He quickly ordered the Dual-Pupil Rat to stop casting, and only then did Wang Ruyan feel better. After playing with the Dual-Pupil Rat for a while, he returned it to the spirit beast bead. Wang Ruyan entered the secret chamber to cultivate, while Wang Changsheng continued with artifact refining. With a great battle impending, he intended to quickly improve his refining skills, ideally to the point where he could forge magic treasures.

***

In Qin State, at the Nether Corpse Sect.

Song Wuya sat in the main seat, with five Core Formation cultivators seated on either side below him. Every one of them had a grim expression. While they had repelled the righteous cultivators' assault, inflicting heavy casualties, they had also paid a steep price, losing eight hundred of their own to three thousand enemy casualties.

"The six states are attacking fiercely! If we stubbornly defend Qin, we will only suffer futile losses. I propose we withdraw from Qin State to preserve our forces and, at the same time, report to the Yin Corpse Sect. The six states' invasion of our Qin State has become too significant for the Yin Corpse Sect to ignore."

"But last time we launched a war, the seven major immortal sects didn't intervene so swiftly. Has Chen Yuhua gone mad, initiating a war immediately after forming her Nascent Soul?"

Song Wuya shook his head. "Last time, it was about that minor realm teeming with ghostly beings. This time is different. Chen Yuhua, having reached the Nascent Soul stage, intends to use our Qin State to assert her authority and solidify her position. Simultaneously, it's a personal vendetta. According to reliable intelligence, her great-grandson—her only direct bloodline—died at the hands of our demonic cultivators during the last righteous-demonic war. It's no wonder she initiated hostilities immediately after her breakthrough."

"I see. In that case, let's all withdraw from Qin State! As the saying goes, 'As long as the green mountains remain, there'll be wood to burn' – meaning, as long as we survive, there's hope."

After deliberating for about half an hour, the Core Formation cultivators present gradually departed.

Song Wuya went to a side chamber. Fang Mu held a skull that pulsed with dark light, his expression serene, with a coffin resting beside him.

"Fellow Daoist Fang, as per your instructions, we plan to withdraw from Qin State." Song Wuya treated Fang Mu with extreme courtesy. While others might be unaware of Fang Mu's true background, Song Wuya knew it perfectly. Fang Mu was the Senior Disciple of the Yin-Sha lineage within the Yin Corpse Sect, and a key figure in the sect's cultivation plans. His master, Senior Yin-Sha, the peak master of the Yin-Sha lineage, possessed a terrifying cultivation at the sixth level of the Nascent Soul stage.

"What you choose to do is your concern; I'm merely offering a suggestion. The seven major immortal sects have long-standing rules against interfering in the disputes of subordinate forces, unless the conflict becomes too widespread. You should consolidate your troops as much as possible, escalate the situation, and create the impression of an all-out war between the righteous and demonic factions. Only then can our Yin Corpse Sect legitimately intervene. Once we do, you can reclaim a portion of your lost territory, ensuring your sect isn't utterly destroyed." Fang Mu spoke slowly, his tone unhurried.

"Yes, we will certainly comply."

"I won't stay long. I will return to the sect now to report to my master." Fang Mu hoisted the coffin onto his back, transformed into a streak of black light, and flew away.