Lu Xuan had read this intelligence before, but hearing it recited piece by piece again felt completely different. He was utterly immersed in the shock, unable to pull himself out of it.
If all information concerning [Akatsuki] were concealed and Lu Xuan had to use his own knowledge to guess which faction had carried out these acts, the first things that would come to mind were first-tier cultivation forces and several exceptionally powerful second-tier cultivation forces. Yet even for such forces, accomplishing what the intelligence described would have been extremely difficult. And if everything were arranged according to the cultivation levels of those who had acted as listed in the report, then there probably was not a single force like that in the entire Central River Continent.
But [Akatsuki] had done it. In the brief span of three incense sticks, they had attacked eight factions, succeeding in every case. One of those targets had even been a place like Prince Gong City. More importantly, after succeeding, they had all withdrawn without suffering a single loss, leaving behind no trace whatsoever. That was the most terrifying part.
Because that meant the [Akatsuki] Organization still had the means to launch another attack, and they were confident they could leave safely again. Once this news spread, every cultivation force below the first tier would likely be in danger—and even first-tier cultivation forces might be drawn in, just like Prince Gong City at present.
"Th-This... how is this possible?"
The expressions of every Great Ascension cultivator who heard this intelligence turned exceedingly grim. With each faction's destruction they heard of, their faces worsened further. In particular, the Great Ascension elders from several second-tier cultivation forces revealed alarmed expressions, because according to the intelligence, [Akatsuki] was fully capable of striking at their own factions as