War

The Startling Dragon Bell is a Law Treasure that can emit the sound of a dragon's roar. The Spirit Control Sect will only ring the Startling Dragon Bell to summon its high-ranking members for a meeting when a major event occurs.

"Fortunately, it was just one bang; the situation isn't too serious."

Shen Long said.

The more times the Startling Dragon Bell is struck, the more serious the situation. In the history of the Spirit Control Sect, the highest number of times it has been struck is nine. On that occasion, the Spirit Control Sect faced annihilation, and it was the guardian Spirit Bird that helped the Spirit Control Sect overcome the crisis.

"The last time the Startling Dragon Bell was rung was hundreds of years ago; we don't know what happened."

Chen Bing said.

In the Discussion Hall, Chen Xiao stood on the main seat, with more than a dozen Core Formation Cultivator sitting on either side. After Master Ice Silkworm arrived, he sat down.

"Sect Master Leader, what major event has occurred? Why must the Startling Dragon Bell be rung?"

A tall, golden-robed old man asked. He had a square face and large eyes, and his gaze was imposing even without anger.

Master Golden Toad, Core Formation Mid Stage.

"A medium-sized Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein has been discovered at the border between our Human Race and the Sky Wolf Tribe. Senior Qin from the Mystic Yang Sect sent us a message that Aunt Du plans to personally lead a team to deal with the Sky Wolf Tribe. In addition to the Qin Kingdom, Zhao Kingdom and Wei will also send people to participate in the war. We must take that Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein."

Chen Xiao's tone was heavy.

Qingxu Crystal is a fourth-tier refining material, usually used to forge defensive treasures. It is quite valuable, and a medium-sized Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein is worth tens of millions of Spirit Stone, so it is impossible for them to give it to the Sky Wolf Tribe.

"The Sky Wolf Tribe! This is one of the Eighteen Great Barbarian Tribes."

Master Ice Silkworm frowned and said.

"Therefore, the idea behind our three-way alliance, according to Senior Qin and Aunt Du, is to let the younger generation fight first, to deplete the Barbarian Race forces as much as possible. If the Barbarian Race Nascent Soul Cultivator don't make a move, they won't either."

Chen Xiao explained.

"How did a medium-sized Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein suddenly appear? Was the boundary not properly surveyed when it was demarcated?"

The Fairy Ice Centipede asked, puzzled.

It's understandable that small veins haven't been discovered, but it's strange that medium-sized veins haven't been found either.

"I heard it was left behind by a large Barbarian Race. They hid it with a great formation as a means to make a comeback, but I guess they never used it."

Chen Xiao said.

The Barbarian Race almost unified the East Hua Cultivation World. The Human Race fought with the Barbarian Race for many years, destroying many large Barbarian Race and expanding their territory.

"Should we meet up with the Mystic Yang Sect members then, or go directly there?"

The Master Golden Toad asked.

"We're heading straight to the front lines. Senior Qin has already led a team there, and Senior Leng from the Cold Flame Sect of Wei Kingdom is also personally leading a team to the front lines. Aunt Du has asked me to select a group of cultivators to go to the front lines."

Chen Xiao explained.

"Sect Master Leader, count me in this time."

The Master Golden Toad volunteered.

"I'll go too."

Master Ice Silkworm echoed.

Several Core Formation Cultivator volunteered for the battle, seeing this as a golden opportunity to earn merit.

"Aunt Du takes this matter very seriously. Make preparations. Send ten Core Formation Cultivator and five hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivator to the front lines. Logistics and supplies must also keep up. Each branch is responsible for producing various strategic materials, such as pills, Talisman, Formation, Law Artifact, and Spirit Beast. Anyone who retreats in battle will be severely punished, and anyone who betrays and surrenders to the enemy will be executed without mercy."

Chen Xiao's face was filled with a murderous aura.

"Yes, Sect Master Brother Sect Leader."

The Master Ice Silkworm and more than a dozen Core Formation Cultivator agreed in unison and left one after another.

Soon, the massive machine of the Spirit Control Sect was up and running. All the branches received orders to rush to produce various strategic materials, and a batch of Spirit Beast Spirit Bird were also dispatched.

Ice Silkworm Valley, Ice Silkworm Pavilion.

Master Ice Silkworm sat in the main seat, while Shen Long and Chen Bing stood to the side.

"Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein!"

Shen Long suddenly realized that the Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein was even more precious than the Golden Jade Ore Vein he had discovered.

The Sky Wolf Tribe was one of the Eighteen Great Barbarian Tribes, possessing formidable strength. The fact that the three kingdoms joined forces to deal with the Sky Wolf Tribe demonstrates its power.

"Shen Long, come with me to the front lines! The front lines need Alchemist too. This is a great opportunity to make a name for yourself. Chen Bing, your junior brother is stronger than you, so you stay at the General Headquarters to manage Ice Silkworm Valley."

"Master Ice Silkworm said."

Shen Long is quite strong; with just a little effort, Master Ice Silkworm can secure more benefits for him.

"Yes, Master."

Shen Long and Chen Bing agreed in unison.

After giving Shen Long a few more instructions, Master Ice Silkworm left.

Back at Green Lotus Garden, Shen Long took out his Communication Disk and contacted Qian Dafu, asking him to call Ye Yutang and the others to come to Green Lotus Garden, as he had something to tell them.

In less than a quarter of an hour, Qian Dafu, Lin Shan, Ye Yutang, Qin Bao, Ye Yuqing, Sun Furong, and others arrived.

Have you heard?

Shen Long asked.

"I heard. We've been ordered to the front lines. Junior Brother Shen, are you going too?"

Ye Yuqing asked.

Shen Long nodded and said, "Master is planning to take me with him. If you're also going to fight, it'll be good for you to look out for each other."

"Hehe, this is a chance to make a name for myself, I'm definitely going. After this battle, the 72 Talents might suffer some losses. If I make a great contribution, I might be promoted to one of the 72 Talents or be taken in by Core Formation Cultivator."

Qin Bao said excitedly.

He is currently in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Shen Long shone brightly at the Mystic Yang Dharma Assembly and was accepted as a disciple by Master Ice Silkworm. This great battle is their chance to shine.

"That's right. Staying at the General Headquarters is certainly safe, but it's too difficult to get ahead. Even doing menial tasks on the front lines can yield a lot of Merit Points."

Li Lei echoed.

They can accumulate Merit Points by completing tasks issued by the sect, but the efficiency is too low. It's unknown how long it will take to accumulate enough Merit Points to exchange for Golden Core Spirit Item.

In the last battle between the Five Sects of Qin and the Four Sects of Zhao, some disciples of the Spirit Control Sect made great contributions, such as Lin Sisi, who was promoted to the 72 Talents.

"I have not received orders to go on the expedition; I will remain at the General Headquarters."

Lin Shan said.

"I've taken on a job transporting supplies. I can leave the business matters to Junior Brother Lin. There's not much work to do; the goods are already stocked, the prices are set, and all I have to do is collect the money."

Qian Dafu said.

"I haven't received orders to stay at the General Headquarters."

Sun Furong said.

They don't have the final say on going to war; they can volunteer to join, but once they receive an order to go, they can't refuse.

"That's settled then! Junior Brother Lin and Junior Sister Sun will manage the business matters, we'll go on the expedition."

Shen Long said.

After chatting for most of the hour, Qian Dafu and the others left one after another to go back and make preparations.

Early the next morning, thousands of disciples, mostly at the Qi Refining stage, gathered at a vast Bluestone Square covering tens of thousands of acres.

Qi Refining Cultivator mainly participate in the battle by doing odd jobs, such as setting up camp, patrolling and guarding the gates.

Shen Long, Qian Dafu, Lin Sisi, Bai Yunlong, Wang Chong, Xu Feng, and others were all present; more than ten Core Formation Cultivator had gathered.

A red light appeared on the distant horizon, then flashed and stopped, appearing above the Bluestone Square.

The Escape Light, revealing a hundred-foot-long Red Flying Boat, upon which stood a voluptuous woman in Red Flying Boat.

The woman in the red dress had exquisite features and skin as white as snow, and wore a Red Jade Lock on her chest.

Du Yinyin, Nascent Soul Early Stage.

"Greetings, Aunt Du (Grandmaster Du)."

Master Ice Silkworm and thousands of other disciples bowed respectfully, their expressions solemn.

"Is everyone here?"

Du Yinyin asked in a sweet voice.

"Aunt Du, everyone is here."

"Master Ice Silkworm said."

Du Yinyin made a hand seal, and the Red Flying Boat slowly landed on the ground.

Master Ice Silkworm and thousands of other cultivators boarded the Red Flying Boat Red Flying Boat after another. After everyone was on board, Du Yinyin made a hand seal, and the Red Flying Boat immediately emitted a dazzling red light and flew into the sky at a very fast speed.

Before long, the Red Flying Boat disappeared into the horizon.

······

Sky Wolf Mountain Range, Sky Wolf Tribe.

In a Quiet Manor, Gu Hong and a beautiful White-Skirted Woman sat in a Cyan Stone Pavilion, sipping tea and chatting.

"The Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein is such a large and lucrative piece of meat. It won't be easy for our Sky Wolf Tribe to take it all for ourselves. The combined strength of the Qin, Zhao, and Wei kingdoms is even greater than that of our Sky Wolf Tribe."

Gu Hong frowned and said.

"They have helpers, and we have helpers too. I have already contacted Fellow Daoist Bian of the Thunder Eagle Tribe, and he has agreed to join the war. This Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein must be in our hands."

The White-Skirted Woman looked confident.

Gu Bing, Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

"The Thunder Eagle Tribe is willing to cooperate with us, so acquiring this mine shouldn't be a problem. However, the Human Race won't give it to us easily; we might even have to intervene."

Gu Hong frowned and said.

"Let's make a move. If we can obtain this Qingxu Crystal Ore Vein, it will enhance our strength. Not to mention, we can sell the Qingxu Crystal elsewhere to exchange for other cultivation resources."

Gu Bing said dismissively.

People die for wealth, birds die for food; this has been true since ancient times.

Gu Hong nodded and said, "Before that, let the younger generation compete. This will be a test for them; outstanding clansmen can stand out, while the incompetent will be eliminated."

"I'll lead the main force to support the front lines first. You stay behind and hope the High Priest will return soon."

Gu Bing said.

"The High Priest has been traveling for many years; he should be back soon."

Gu Hong said.

······

The Qiyun Grassland is located at the border between the Human Race and Barbarian Race, stretching for millions of miles.

Deep in the grasslands, one can see a magnificent city, built of massive blue stones, stretching as far as the eye can see.

Above the city gate hung a golden plaque with three large silver characters that read "Barbarian-Resisting City," its surface shimmering with light.

Teams of cultivators patrolled near Barbarian-Resisting City, and some were setting up Formation to strengthen the Barbarian-Resisting City's defenses.

A red light appeared on the distant horizon, then stopped with a flash, revealing a red-glowing flying boat with thousands of cultivators standing on it, led by Du Yinyin.

"He is a senior from the Spirit Control Sect."

Someone recognized Du Yinyin and the others.

True Man Ganyang and Master Jinxia flew out and stopped in front of Du Yinyin with respectful expressions.

"Senior Du, Senior Uncle Qin has been waiting for a long time. Please come with me. Fellow Daoist Lin and the others will be properly taken care of by Fellow Daoist Jin."

True Man Ganyang said respectfully.

Du Yinyin nodded, made a hand seal, and the Red Flying Boat landed in an open area within the city. Shen Long and the others disembarked.

Du Yinyin put away the Red Flying Boat and left with True Man Ganyang.

Master Jinxia Spirit Control Sect responsible for settling Master Ice Silkworm and others. All disciples of the Spirit Control Garden lived in the Spirit Control Garden, which was very large and could easily accommodate tens of thousands of people.

Shen Long lived in the Golden Cicada Courtyard, where there was a two-story Cyan Pavilion with the three large characters "Golden Cicada Pavilion" on the plaque.

After settling in, Shen Long left the Spirit Control Garden and strolled around the streets.

Barbarian-Resisting City is very large and has all kinds of facilities, including elixir shops, spirit medicine, weapon shops, Talisman shops, and Spirit Beast shops.

Shen Long walked around, occasionally going into the store to take a look.

The city is a gathering place for cultivators from the three kingdoms, making it convenient for Shen Long to sell spirit medicine and fruits; perhaps he can even buy Golden Core Spirit Item.

As they passed a fork in the road, Xu Yunfeng and two disciples of the Hundred Ghosts Sect walked towards them.

Xu Yunfeng was slightly taken aback when he saw Shen Long, but quickly recovered.

Shen Long acted as if he hadn't seen anything. When his back was to Xu Yunfeng and the other two, he gently patted the White Spirit Beast Bag with his right palm.

This was to allow the Spirit-Tracking Beast to record the Divine Sense strength of the three people. Shen Long did not recognize Xu Yunfeng, but judging from the slight change in Xu Yunfeng's expression, this person knew Shen Long.

If they are old friends, they can greet Shen Long openly. Only if they are enemies will they pretend to be indifferent. Shen Long prefers the latter.

Shen Long secretly memorized the faces of the three men, planning to investigate their backgrounds later. As long as they were within a certain range, the Spirit-Tracking Beast could sense their Divine Sense and thus warn Shen Long.

After a short while, Shen Long appeared in a vast Bluestone Square. In the center of the square stood an eighteen-story Golden Pavilion with the three large characters "Seven Clouds Pavilion" written on its plaque.

He inquired around and found out that this was a shop opened by the Seven Clouds Merchant Alliance, and it was also the largest shop in the city.

Logically, the best location for the Barbarian-Resisting City, jointly established by the three kingdoms, should have been reserved for the most powerful forces of the three kingdoms. However, the Seven Clouds Merchant Alliance is no ordinary force.

The Seven Clouds Merchant Alliance has a long history, with Spirit Transformation cultivator presiding over it. Its influence extends throughout the Gan Yang Realm, making it the largest merchant alliance in the Gan Yang Realm, bar none.

Shen Long strode in. The hall was spacious and bright, with tall shelves displaying various goods, and a group of Green-Shirted Attendant were introducing and recommending products to the guests.

Shen Long noticed that most of the guests in the hall were at the Foundation Establishment Realm, which was not surprising, as the Seven Clouds Merchant Alliance's goods were indeed good, but the prices were not cheap.

A Green-Shirted Attendant hurried over and said warmly, "Welcome to our shop, senior. How may I help you?"

Where is your manager?

Shen Long asked.

"Fifteenth floor, please come upstairs, senior."

The Green-Shirted Attendant spoke politely, gestured for them to proceed, and led the way.

Shen Long followed the Green-Shirted Attendant to the fifteenth floor, where he saw a graceful woman in a blue dress. Judging from her aura, she was clearly Core Formation Cultivator.

"Shopkeeper, this senior is looking for you."

The Green-Shirted Attendant explained.

"So you're a young friend from the Spirit Control Sect. You may step aside!"

The woman in the green dress waved her hand, dismissing the Green-Shirted Attendant.

"My master is the Master Ice Silkworm of the Spirit Control Sect. I wonder if your shop has Third Rank refining materials?"

Shen Long asked politely.

"So you're Fellow Daoist Lin's disciple? Of course, did Fellow Daoist Lin send you here?"

The woman in the green dress asked in confusion.