Calm Before the Storm

Mohism!

The undisputed overlord of the Nine Paths of the Northern Region.

Even the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect, the ruler of the Xuanxian Realm, tacitly acknowledges that the Northern Region will be under the rule of the Mo family.

The five overlords—the Central Xuan Yuan Sword Sect, which occupies the richest and most expansive land of gold; the Mo family, which occupies the Sunset Plains of the Northern Region; the Chi family, which rules the fertile hills of the Southern Region; the Bai family, which manages the Heavenly Fire Canyon of the Western Region; and the Ji family, which entrenched themselves in the Dragon Meteor Mountains of the Eastern Region—together form the ruling class of the entire Xuanxian Realm.

After tens of thousands of years of development, the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect and the Lineage have long since developed to a level far surpassing other forces.

Taking the Mohist school as an example, the number of its disciples alone exceeds one million.

This is a member of the Mo family who possesses Spirit Vein and has good talent for cultivation.

If you include those collateral and branch families who lack Spirit Vein and have mediocre talents, the number of Lineage would definitely be in the hundreds of millions.

With such a large population, countless powerful individuals naturally emerged.

The Mohist school alone has more than a dozen openly recognized immortal masters and Dao masters, and countless powerful individuals who have joined the Mohist school as guest ministers or sons-in-law.

Through years of management and accumulation, no one knows exactly how much wealth and resources the Lineage possess.

However, even top-tier forces as powerful as the Myriad Stars Sword Sect can only submit to the rulers of the Xuanxian Realm and the four overlords, acting at their beck and call, and daring not to disobey the orders of these overlord-level forces.

At this moment, in Sunset City, the main city of the Mo family.

The Myriad Manifestations Immortal Lord, in his avatar form, was communicating with Mo Longxuan, the patriarch of the Mo family, who handled matters large and small within the clan.

However, Mo Longxuan's face was filled with displeasure and coldness. "If I'm not mistaken, if it weren't for the fact that Jiang Yufeng's strength is far beyond the limits that your Myriad Stars Sword Sect can control, you probably wouldn't have told our Mo family the secret of the Longevity Realm."

"Absolutely not."

The Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations replied without hesitation, "The reason we didn't mention the existence of the Eternal Life Realm to Patriarch Mo beforehand was because we were worried about causing some misunderstanding. What if the Eternal Life Realm wasn't a newly discovered world, but rather a member of the Xuanhuang Alliance back then? Wouldn't that be counterproductive? After all, since the gate to the realm was closed a hundred years ago, our Xuanxian Realm has been cut off from the outside world. What if a world has changed after a hundred years of development? If we report this matter rashly without investigating it clearly, wouldn't Patriarch Mo be happy for nothing?"

Mo Longxuan gave the Immortal Lord of Myriad Phenomena a deep look.

He knew that not a single word of the Immortal Lord of Myriad Phenomena's reasons was credible.

However, now is not the time to dwell on the issue of the Myriad Stars Sword Sect discovering a new world but choosing to keep it a secret.

"Is the gateway to the realm you call the Realm of Immortality located in the Crimson Flame Canyon? No wonder your Myriad Star Sword Sect's Suspended Sword Dao Master recently moved his cave heaven to the Crimson Flame Canyon, and even claimed to have discovered a mineral vein as a cover."

Mo Longxuan said.

Just as the Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations was about to explain further, the head of the Mo family waved his hand and said, "Alright, I will report this matter to the Ancestor, and the Ancestor will make the decision personally."

"Speed is of the essence in war."

The Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations hurriedly said, "Jiang Yufeng broke through our blockade and fought his way out of the Crimson Flame Valley. His purpose should be to deal with the Heavenly Fire Sect. We can take advantage of the fact that the main force of the Creation Sect is tied up in the Heavenly Fire Sect and kill the Creation Sect and Jiang Yufeng with overwhelming force. Without the Creation Sect as an inside agent colluding with external enemies and Jiang Yufeng, a Primordial Saint with amazing combat power, it will only be a matter of time before we conquer the Longevity Realm."

"I know what's going on. Even if Jiang Yufeng is a Primordial Saint whose combat power is comparable to a Profound Immortal, the Heavenly Fire Sect is not a small sect. The Heavenly Dao of No Light is suitable for defense. In addition, the Heavenly Fire Sect has rich resources. Even if a Profound Immortal comes in person, he will not be able to do anything to their sect in the slightest within three to five days."

As Mo Longxuan spoke, he glanced at the Myriad Manifestations Immortal Lord: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. The reason why your Myriad Stars Sword Sect suffered such a great loss to Jiang Yufeng and the Longevity Realm is because you didn't even understand Jiang Yufeng's specific strength before you acted rashly. In the end, you lost both your wife and your army, and wasted an opportunity to lead the Myriad Stars Sword Sect to a higher level, become the overlord of the Xuanxian Realm, and even become the ruler of the Xuanxian Realm in the future."

The Immortal Lord of Myriad Phenomena knew that what Mo Longxuan said was true.

But Jiang Yufeng was so cunning and treacherous that they were caught off guard.

However, he naturally wouldn't say these words aloud, but simply waved his hands repeatedly and said, "No, no, our Myriad Star Sword Sect absolutely has no intention of coveting the position of Lord of the Northern Region or the ruler of the Xuanxian Realm."

"Which other factions did you inform about the matter of the Immortal Realm?"

Mo Longxuan said.

"We need to rely on the power of the Heavenly Fire Sect to fight against the Creation Sect, so the Heavenly Fire Sect knows about this. In addition, the Mo family leader should know that the Yue family has a close relationship with us and we cooperate in many ways. Even if we wanted to hide it from them, we couldn't..."

The Immortal Lord of All Things explained.

"The Heavenly Fire Sect and the Yue Family..."

Mo Longxuan pondered for a moment and nodded, "You contact the Yue family. We will meet in the Crimson Flame Canyon. Our Mo family plans to have a good talk with them about the distribution of benefits in the Longevity Realm. As for the Heavenly Fire Sect... Not long ago, the Heavenly Fire Sect's request for help was sent to our Mo family. Perfect timing. I will personally go there to save the Heavenly Fire Sect and make the Purple Flame Dao Master understand what can be said and what cannot be said."

"As you wish."

The Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations respectfully responded.

Mo Longxuan got up and walked out of the hall.

Before they had even left the main hall, a middle-aged man rushed over, his expression solemn. "Patriarch! Something's happened! News just came from the Heavenly Fire Sect that the Creation Sect's attack intensity has increased several times over, and they can't hold them off..."

"It can't be stopped anymore?"

Mo Longxuan was taken aback. "Even if Jiang Yufeng is truly a Xuanxian, he shouldn't be able to break through the Heavenly Fire Sect's cave heaven so quickly, right? He couldn't hold out for more than half a day!?"

"We are investigating the specific reasons."

"That's what the middle-aged man said."

As soon as he finished speaking, a communication jade talisman on his body vibrated slightly.

He quickly took out the jade talisman and checked the message from the direction of the Heavenly Fire Sect.

In just a moment, his expression changed. "The Heavenly Fire Sect claims that although Jiang Yufeng's attacks are not strong, they are relentless and almost never stop, and their efficiency in destroying the cave heaven is no less than that of a top-tier Xuanxian..."

"A sustained attack!? Its destructive efficiency against grotto-heavens is comparable to that of a top-tier Xuanxian!?"

Mo Longxuan's expression had become serious.

"It's a spirit crystal!"

The Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations hurriedly said, "The wealth of the Longevity Realm allows them to easily accumulate dozens, hundreds, or even hundreds of spirit crystals. Relying on these spirit crystals to recover and amplify, Jiang Yufeng is not afraid of consumption at all, and his attacks are naturally continuous."

"Spirit Crystal!"

To enable an ordinary Xuanxian to achieve an output efficiency comparable to a top-tier Xuanxian...

How many spirit crystals would that take?!

Even as the head of the Mo family, Mo Longxuan felt a pang of heartache just thinking about it.

"Not only were Jiang Yufeng's offensive methods beyond expectations."

The middle-aged man continued, "The Creation Sect also deployed over a hundred war weapons of unknown origin. The destructive power of these war weapons rivals that of a peak True Immortal! With over a hundred peak True Immortals and a top-tier Profound Immortal attacking simultaneously, the damage caused directly exceeded the limits that the Heavenly Dao of No Light could withstand... The Heavenly Fire Sect has fallen!"

"Hundreds of peak True Immortals!?"

At this, even Mo Longxuan couldn't help but show a look of astonishment. "The Creation Sect actually has over a hundred peak True Immortals!?"

The Mohist school has a profound and rich history!

There are four Immortal Lords, nine Top Dao Lords, and nine Dao Lords in the open. If you include Celestial Immortals, the number reaches as high as nineteen.

However, if we consider the number of peak True Immortals, the entire Mo family combined still has less than one hundred.

Even including ordinary True Immortals, there were only a little over three hundred people.

One Xuanxian, hundreds of peak True Immortals...

This power far surpasses that of any top-tier force, and it has truly demonstrated the aura of a hegemon.

"This matter must be reported to the Ancestor so that he can make a decision personally."

Mo Longxuan realized the seriousness of the problem.

Immediately afterwards, he turned to the Immortal Lord of Myriad Phenomena: "The fact that the Heavenly Fire Sect was destroyed so quickly is truly unexpected. The Creation Gate, which has demonstrated such power, is worthy of our consideration as a rising hegemonic force. Therefore, we must first concentrate our efforts to destroy the Creation Gate before we begin to develop the Realm of Immortality."

"Does the Mo family leader mean... that we, the three families, should first unite to destroy the Creation Sect?"

The Immortal Lord of All Things reacted extremely quickly.

"Good."

Mo Longxuan nodded. "If we destroy the Creation Sect first and eliminate Jiang Yufeng, this innate saint, we will have far fewer troubles when we develop the Longevity Realm in the future. Otherwise, as long as Jiang Yufeng and the experts of the Longevity Realm join forces to block the passage between the two realms, even if our Mo family ancestor rashly crosses the passage, he may face mortal danger."

The Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations understood that, in Mo Longxuan's mind, the Northern Region was probably more important than the Realm of Immortality.

For them, the Northern Region is their base of operations.

However, it's not surprising that they have this idea, since they haven't been to the Realm of Immortality and don't know how dense the spiritual energy there is.

That's fine too.

If we could make both the Mohists and the Creation Sect suffer heavy losses...

"I understand. I will contact the Yue family immediately, and our Wanxing Sword Sect will also send elites into the Northern Region. The three of us will unite to jointly attack the Creation Sect."

The Immortal Lord of Myriad Phenomena immediately agreed.

"Very good."

Mo Longxuan nodded. "The combat power of over a hundred peak True Immortals should not be underestimated... If they defend the cave to the death, without enough cultivators to wear them down, we, as the attackers, simply cannot afford to wait. Therefore, in any case, your Myriad Star Sword Sect, besides you, must provide one hundred True Immortals and one thousand Immortals. The Yue family must provide at least three Dao Lords or three Dao Lord-level combatants, and the number of True Immortals cannot be less than one hundred."

"One hundred True Immortals, one thousand Immortals!?"

The Immortal Master of Myriad Manifestations narrowed his eyes, and then hurriedly said, "Master Mo... even if our Myriad Stars Sword Sect mobilized all its forces, we still couldn't gather a hundred True Immortals and a thousand Immortals."

Mo Longxuan looked at the Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations and sneered, "You know better than I whether you can gather them all."

After saying that, he said in a scrutinizing tone, "Or perhaps, your Myriad Stars Sword Sect wants to sit back and watch our Mo Family and the Creation Sect fight to the death, so you can reap the benefits?"

"That's absolutely not true, it's just... we really can't gather hundreds of True Immortals and thousands of Immortals..."

"Then let the Celestial Immortal and the Dao Lord step forward!"

Mo Longxuan said without room for doubt, "Otherwise, when we develop the Longevity Realm after the battle of the Creation Gate, don't blame the Mo family for showing no mercy."

Upon hearing this, the Immortal Lord of Myriad Manifestations looked bitter, but could only say, "I'll try to think of a way..."

"I'll give you three months. After three months, I want to see this power enter the Flame River."

Mo Longxuan waved his hand.

Sky Fire Sect.

Ye Yan led his group into the territory of the Heavenly Fire Sect.

Accompanying him were Zhong Shu, a True Immortal from the Nine Refinements Pavilion, and Yun Zhen, Yun Fenglei, and Yun Qiankun, True Immortals from the Cloud Soaring Sect. As for Void Immortals, Saints, and Returning Void Realm cultivators, the total number was in the thousands.

However, at this moment, whether they were Void Returners or True Immortals, they were all filled with uncontrollable shock as they looked at the Heavenly Fire Sect, which had been reduced to scorched earth and where many places still had embers of fire.

Especially the illusory immortal who came with Ye Yan, Yu Xu felt dizzy.

"We... we've really conquered the Heavenly Fire Sect? From now on, all the Heavenly Fire Sect's grotto-heavens and Spirit Vein belong to our Creation Sect?"

He muttered to himself, as if he were in a dream, feeling unreal.

In reality, Ye Yan, the Supreme Elder of the Creation Sect, was no better off.

However, during the battle in Crimson Flame Canyon, Ye Yan had already learned that Gu Jinlai's strength was no less than that of a Xuanxian. In addition, he had witnessed the output capabilities of the Cheng Ying mecha more than once, so he forced himself to calm down.

He quickly called out to Yun Zhen, Yun Fenglei, and the others. "Immediately repair the Heavenly Fire Sect's cave heavens! The Heavenly Fire Sect has four cave heavens. Apart from the main cave heaven being severely damaged, the other three cave heavens can be used after some repairs... Even the main cave heaven of the Heavenly Fire Sect can be rebuilt with just some resources."

At this point, his spirits rose even higher. "At that time, the number of cave heavens possessed by our Creation Sect, Cloud Soaring Sect, and Nine Refinement Pavilion will reach ten, and every peak True Immortal will be able to have a cave heaven to try to break through to the Celestial Immortal realm."

"Every peak True Immortal can have a grotto-heaven to attempt their breakthrough to Celestial Immortal..."

Zhong Shu, Yun Qiankun, Yun Fenglei, and the others exchanged glances, their eyes revealing a deep longing.

"I never imagined that our Creation Sect would one day rule the Flame River Road."

Yun Zhen sighed.

Then, he thought of something else, "Now I want to see how the Dragon Sword Sect and the Wind and Rain Pavilion can compete with our Creation Sect."

"The Dragon Sword Sect, the Wind and Rain Pavilion, and our Creation Sect are all acting in their own interests. As everyone strives for development, friction is inevitable. However, to say that there is any deep-seated hatred that is irreconcilable is making a mountain out of a molehill. Therefore, I think we can still try to win over the Dragon Sword Sect and the Wind and Rain Pavilion."

Zhong Shudao.

"We don't need to waste our energy here. Whether the Dragon Sword Sect and the Wind and Rain Pavilion are destroyed or preserved is entirely up to the Supreme Elder."

Ye Yan waved his hand. "What we need to do now is to rebuild the structure of the Heavenly Fire Sect as quickly as possible."

He paused, then said, "Of course, once the framework is set up, it can no longer be called the Heavenly Fire Sect; it should be called a branch of the Creation Sect."

"Using the mountain gate of a large sect as a branch sect... We also have that kind of ambition!"

Yun Feng Lei was filled with emotion.

"All of this is due to the changes brought about by the Supreme Elder."

As Ye Yan spoke, his gaze drifted toward the figure that was faintly visible in the clouds at the edge of the sky.

Not only him, but Zhong Shu, Yun Fenglei, Yun Qiankun, and others also looked at that figure, their expressions filled with respect, even...

Fear.

The sheer power of wiping out the Heavenly Fire Sect was so immense that even knowing the Supreme Elder belonged to their Creation Sect, they couldn't help but feel awe for such a great power.

"It seems that the Mo family's reinforcements will not be coming."

With the help of the power of the stars, Gu Jinlai, who was floating in the void, said a word.

It has been six days since he defeated the Heavenly Fire Sect's cave and killed the Purple Flame Dao Master. If the Mo family really wants to come to the aid of the Heavenly Fire Sect, or target the Creation Sect, they should be able to react within six days.

But right now, there's been no movement from the Mo family...

"That's right. The strength we've shown is not weak after all. At least, even if the Mo family wants to defeat the Creation Sect, they will have to pay a huge price. In this situation, if they really clamor to punish the Creation Sect and avenge the Heavenly Fire Sect, it will only make the Creation Sect prepare for war. On the contrary, their current appearance of not caring much about the war between the Creation Sect and the Heavenly Fire Sect seems to make people lower their guard more."

Gu Jinlai, he has already shaken his head.

But he knew, and the Mohists knew, that this matter would not end easily.

The tranquility before my eyes...

It's just a harbinger of an impending storm.

"The Mohist School... the Mysterious Immortals..."

From Gu Jinlai, they have murmured to themselves.

He glanced at Ye Yan and the others who had already arrived, then moved and landed.

"Supreme Elder."

Upon seeing Gu Jinlai arrive, Ye Yan, Yun Fenglei, Zhong Shu, and the others quickly put down what they were doing and respectfully bowed.

Gu Jinlai nodded to the group. "Although the Heavenly Fire Sect has been defeated, there are still many remnants of the Heavenly Fire Sect hiding in various parts of the Flame River Road. The first thing we need to do is to clean up all parts of the Flame River Road to ensure that the Heavenly Fire Sect will not rise from the ashes."

"Purge all areas along the Flame River?"

Ye Yan, Zhong Shu, Yun Fenglei, and the others were slightly taken aback.

Zhong Shu couldn't help but say, "We annihilated the Heavenly Fire Sect in one blow, and the Mo family made almost no response. But this is definitely not because the Mo family allowed our Creation Sect to rise. Nine times out of ten, they will do something big against us next. So shouldn't we try to conserve our resources and focus on defending the Heavenly Fire Sect and the Creation Sect in preparation for the Mo family's impending counterattack?"

"The actions of the Mohists are inevitable, but we must first secure our internal stability before we can fight external threats. If the internal situation of the Flame River Sect is not cleared, the Mohists only need to raise their arms to call for action, and war will inevitably break out around the Creation Gate. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to quickly eliminate the Flame River Sect and complete the overall coordination of its forces."

Gu Jinlai, he turned to Ye Yan and said, "I will take Zhang Yukun and the others to various places and cities to inspect them one by one. You should mobilize the intelligence department of the Creation Gate to fully cooperate with my actions."

"Yes."

Although Ye Yan also felt that it was a bit of a waste of time and energy to focus on clearing out the Flame River at this time, he believed that the Supreme Elder would not joke about himself or the future of the Creation Sect.

Gu Jinlai once again took out a Qiankun Ring: "Inside are the spirit crystals I brought from the Realm of Immortality. Next, continue to produce the Cheng Ying Mechs at full speed and vigorously train the disciples of Shenwu Peak. You have already experienced the power that the Cheng Ying Mechs can unleash when attacking fortified positions. As long as we can withstand the Mo family's next move, the rise of the Creation Sect will be a smooth road. At that time, what will restrain our expansion will no longer be external forces, but the manufacturing efficiency of our Cheng Ying Mechs."

"I understand. I will personally escort them back to the Creation Gate."

Ye Yan said solemnly.

Gu Jinlai nodded.

"Elder, in this purge of the Flame River Path, the Dragon Sword Sect and the Wind and Rain Pavilion will inevitably be affected. What are your plans for them?"

Yun Fenglei inquired.

"Not just the Dragon Sword Sect."

Gu Jinlai said, "You should tell us how to deal with the other forces in the Flame River Path."

Yun Fenglei was slightly taken aback, then his pupils shrank. "The Supreme Elder is going to... take action against all the forces in the Flame River Sect!? This... if things go wrong, it might trigger a full-scale counterattack from many forces in the Flame River Sect..."

"A full-scale counterattack? Not necessarily! We just need to make an example of them, and the other sects will naturally make the right choice next."

This Gu Jinlai.

"This..."

Yun Fenglei was about to offer some advice.

With the Mo family about to make a major move, their unilateral purge of the Flame River Path could easily provoke all forces in the Flame River Path to become hostile towards the Creation Gate. In Gu Jinlai case, the Creation Gate will not only have to deal with the Mo family, but will also have to be wary of other forces causing trouble.

If we really want to deal with other sects, we'll have to wait until we've withstood the Mo family's actions.

Before he could speak, Ye Yan said, "I suppose the Supreme Elder has his own plans. We should have faith in the Supreme Elder."

Gu Jinlai at Ye Yan and nodded. "I want these forces to step forward and make their move before the Mo family takes action. It's better than them sabotaging us from behind during the crucial period when we are at war with the Mo family."

"It's just... too risky..."

Yun Fenglei smiled wryly.

"Adventure, perhaps not?"

Gu Jinlai shook his head. "The strength of the major sects is actually based on their grotto-heavens. In other words, they are more than capable of defending cities, but far from being able to attack. Therefore, there is no need to think of them as too powerful."

This is a common problem throughout the entire Xuanxian world.

Once outside the grotto-heaven, the destructive power of true immortals in the Xuanxian Realm is far less than that of true immortals in the Changsheng Realm.

"Alright, let's expedite the cleanup of the Flame River Sect, starting with the Dragon Sword Sect. There must be people from the Heavenly Fire Sect who have fled to the Dragon Sword Sect. We need to demand an explanation from the Dragon Sword Sect for this act of protection."

This Gu Jinlai.

Yun Fenglei, Zhong Shu, and the others exchanged glances and did not stop them further. They simply said, "We will arrange manpower to cooperate with the Supreme Elder's purge operation."

The northern region of the Xuanxian Realm is in turmoil due to the destruction of the Heavenly Fire Sect.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was equally tense in the Star Glory Federation on Blue Star.

Apocalypse Project Team.

President Edward asked the deputy team leader, Laucorlen, with a serious expression, "Still unable to contact Zhang Yun, Edlun, Olson, and the others from the Immortal Realm?"

"Yes, Mr. President, we have lost contact with them for several months since they sent a message saying they were attacked by what appeared to be mortal immortals and had to evacuate as soon as possible... They are either still not settled and unable to establish a communication system to contact us, or... their fate is probably grim."

Laucorlen immediately said.

"The odds are against them!"

Edward was somewhat agitated. "These people from the Realm of Immortality are truly audacious! This behavior is a declaration of war against our Star Radiance Federation and our Blue Star human race!"

After saying that, he couldn't help but think of the combat power data about the True Immortals who had survived the world, which Zhang Yun and the others had sent when they disappeared—that kind of strength...

Edward gradually calmed down.

His gaze shifted to the other important figures in the conference room.

"Gentlemen, perhaps... we need to expand our military strength in preparation for a possible war."