Ch. 301Expedition
Gu Jinlai prepared Lingxiao City to confront Li Province and the Nine East Sea Islands, relying on newly modified Blackbird fighters and summoning allied sects to witness the battle. As the observers boarded Xin Tianqi’s small fleet, he predicted the allied fleet might already be defeated by the time they arrived.
- Gu Jinlai learned that fifteen factions from Li Province and the Nine East Sea Islands had assembled fourteen Primordial Spirit True Lords under the pretext of negotiating trade.
- Gu Jinlai ordered the allied sects to watch the battle, told Xin Tianqi to focus on capturing prisoners, and revealed that Lingxiao City would use Blackbird fighters.
- Gu Jinlai departed for River Province with eight Blackbird fighters while Lu Zhanxian, Liu Jingtang, Youquan, Wuyou, Sansheng, Fang Linghai, and Leng Ningshuang traveled there as observers.
- Lei Jie withdrew from personally joining the operation, reducing the opposing force from fourteen Primordial Spirit True Lords to thirteen.
- Xin Tianqi welcomed the observers at Yulong City Harbor and led them aboard the fleet, saying Gu Jinlai would not fight in person and that the enemy fleet might already be defeated by their arrival.