Chapter 895: Counterattack

The Taiyi Immortal Sect and the Cold Flame Gate have escalated matters to such an extent that it will certainly be difficult to resolve.

"Everyone, share your thoughts! This situation is different from before. The Taiyi Immortal Sect has personally intervened, claiming we colluded with evil cultivators to assassinate their elder. This will be difficult to resolve." Yellow Dragon True Lord’s gaze was grim.

The Taiyi Immortal Sect is a major sect capable of contending with the South Sea’s Ten Great Sects. It boasts a heritage of thousands of years, profound foundations, and countless masters.

"When did we ever collude with evil cultivators to assassinate a Taiyi Immortal Sect elder? It's a fabricated charge; they're just looking for an excuse! The Taiyi Immortal Sect attacked us directly without warning. This is outrageous! In my opinion, we should retaliate immediately. Otherwise, if the Skysea Pavilion also gets involved, we'll be in serious trouble."

"The Taiyi Immortal Sect is, after all, one of the Seven Great Immortal Sects of the Eastern Desolation. They have several times more Nascent Soul cultivators than we do. I believe we should seek aid from the Sun Moon Palace, dispatch our own masters to eliminate the Taiyi Immortal Sect's and Cold Flame Gate's Core Formation cultivators, and respond in kind. At worst, we'll fight to the death. Even a clay figure has a bit of temper!"

"Exactly! Blood for blood, an eye for an eye!"

The cultivation world of the South Sea is relatively chaotic, where strength dictates respect. Showing weakness will only encourage enemies to take advantage. To establish a foothold here, one's power must be substantial.

Yellow Dragon True Lord turned to Yellow Jade Void, who pondered for a moment before speaking: "Grandfather, the Taiyi Immortal Sect has launched retaliatory actions before. However, due to the influence of the South Sea’s Ten Great Sects, they never escalated conflicts. This time, the Taiyi Immortal Sect has mounted such a massive operation. Could they have received tacit approval from the South Sea’s Ten Great Sects? Or perhaps, they have the support of the Four Seas Gate? Or have they formed another agreement for deeper cooperation?"

Hearing this, Yellow Dragon True Lord nodded with satisfaction. In truth, he already knew how to handle the situation; he merely wished to gauge the attitudes of his disciples.

Retaliation is essential. While the Taiyi Immortal Sect is powerful, Yellow Dragon Island is no pushover. At worst, it will be a fight to the death. The higher one's cultivation, the harder they are to kill. Yellow Dragon Island has three Nascent Soul cultivators, meaning the Taiyi Immortal Sect would need to deploy at least six Nascent Soul cultivators, perhaps more, to completely wipe out Yellow Dragon Island’s forces.

Most importantly, if the Taiyi Immortal Sect were to destroy Yellow Dragon Island, the Sun Moon Palace would certainly not stand idly by.

Furthermore, the Cold Flame Gate's involvement indicates that the Taiyi Immortal Sect is wary of antagonizing the Sun Moon Palace, thus bringing in the Cold Flame Gate to share the burden.

"The Eastern Desolation is a desolate region, suitable only for farming, with scant cultivation resources. I suspect the Taiyi Immortal Sect has made some sort of deal with the Four Seas Gate, ensuring this conflict won't escalate too much; otherwise, it would be difficult to resolve. The demon forces in the South Sea are stronger than those in the Eastern Desolation. To be safe, Junior Martial Brother Li, take a group of disciples and depart the Coral Sea region. Head to the Sun Moon Palace to seek aid."

"Island Master, please rest assured," a blue-robed elder solemnly stated, "if Yellow Dragon Island is truly annihilated, I will sacrifice my life and fight them to the bitter end, even if it means mutual destruction." An infuriated Nascent Soul cultivator seeking revenge against a sect could have severe consequences. For instance, if a Nascent Soul cultivator were to launch relentless attacks on lower-level cultivators, it would be impossible to defend against. The Taiyi Immortal Sect’s lower-level disciples cannot possibly remain indoors indefinitely, and with so many strongholds, they wouldn't be able to defend them all.

"Fight to the death, to the bitter end!" Yellow Jade Void and the other Core Formation cultivators echoed in unison, their voices grim and their faces etched with killing intent.

Yellow Dragon True Lord nodded with satisfaction, then proceeded to outline the specific operational details. Yellow Jade Void would also participate in the battle.

An hour later, the cultivators gradually departed, leaving only Yellow Dragon True Lord and Yellow Jade Void.

"Yu Xu, you are my descendant. Until the very last moment, you cannot flee. Pay close attention to your safety, and prioritize your well-being above all else." Yellow Dragon True Lord’s expression was grave as he cautioned him. At this critical juncture, Yellow Jade Void represented him; he had to lead the charge. If Yellow Jade Void were to hide in the rear, others might not fight to the death. If one didn't care about their own foundation, why would others?

Yellow Jade Void had already reached the eighth layer of Core Formation. He was not a mere playboy, and his own strength was considerable.

"Your grandson understands. With such powerful enemies invading, I will make them realize the might of our Yellow Dragon Island. They pick on the weak, do they truly think we are easily bullied?" Yellow Jade Void nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with killing intent. He then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Grandfather, is there still no news of Fairy Ziyue?"

During their trip to the Zhenhai Sect ruins, they had followed Fairy Ziyue but hadn't managed to acquire many treasures.

Yellow Dragon True Lord shook his head. "The South Sea is vast. I've sent many people to inquire about her whereabouts, but there's been no news. She's likely in seclusion somewhere. With her artifact refining skills, joining a sect with a Nascent Soul cultivator as a guest elder wouldn't be an issue. Once Junior Martial Nephew Li reaches the Nascent Soul stage, perhaps he'll be able to sense the location of the Zhenhai Sect ruins." Disguise techniques are not a secret; Yellow Dragon True Lord knew them, and many evil cultivators did too. With dozens of sea regions in the South Sea, Yellow Dragon Island simply couldn't investigate everywhere, so Yellow Dragon True Lord had given up.

Yellow Jade Void let out a soft sigh, his expression tinged with disappointment.

After a brief chat, Yellow Jade Void withdrew.

***

On a small island within the Red Moon Sea region, territory of the Cloud Sea Sect.

A team of Wang family cultivators, led by Wang Jiayun, was fiercely attacking the cultivators stationed on the island.

This island served as the main stronghold for a minor sect called the Tianyun Gate. Its current sect master was only at the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment stage, and the entire sect comprised fewer than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. The previous sect leader of Tianyun Gate had been a Core Formation cultivator but had perished over a century ago. The Tianyun Gate was now affiliated with the Cloud Sea Sect, had three hundred disciples, and controlled seven islands.

Wang Jiayun's opponent was a tall, thin, white-robed elder. The elder, a fifth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator, wielded a white long-bladed saber, half a *zhang* in length.

"Strike!" Wang Jiayun shouted. With a sword seal, nine blue flying swords converged, transforming into a colossal sky-piercing sword that cleaved fiercely towards the white-robed elder. As a key cultivation prodigy of the Wang family, she had consumed numerous Soul-Nourishing Pills, possessing powerful spiritual consciousness. Wang Qingshan had personally guided her on multiple occasions, making Wang Jiayun far superior to ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.

The white-robed elder’s face twisted in despair. With a horizontal slash of his white saber, a stream of white saber energy, over ten *zhang* long, shot out, heading straight for Wang Jiayun.

A harrowing scream echoed as the white-robed elder was sliced in half by the colossal sword. Suddenly, a yellowish-brown tortoise burst forth from underground, positioning itself in front of Wang Jiayun. The white saber energy struck the tortoise, leaving only a shallow white mark. The yellow tortoise was clearly a puppet beast.

"Those who surrender shall live! Those who resist will be executed without mercy!" Wang Jiayun, holding the white-robed elder's head, shouted loudly.

The Wang family had long intended to annex the Tianyun Gate. They had dispatched spies who had successfully infiltrated the sect and even reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

"We surrender! We surrender!" The spies led the way in surrendering. After a dozen escaping cultivators were slain, the remaining individuals also capitulated.

Three hours later, Wang Jiayun and her team returned to Silver Snake Island with a substantial amount of wealth and a group of captives. The Tianyun Gate had three hundred cultivators, and even if only half of them genuinely surrendered, they would be a significant asset.