Chapter 358 - 167: Jiangbei Defense Line, Prototype Complete

Chapter 358: Chapter 167: Jiangbei Defense Line, Prototype Complete

At some point, nearly a hundred Flying Ships had appeared in the sky above Hidden City, packed densely together. One of them was now slowly descending, preparing to land inside the city. On each Flying Ship, menacing gun turrets were clearly visible.

’Are those... Flying Ships?’

The Sheep Race Patriarch’s expression changed in an instant. He had only heard of this kind of Vehicle in rumors, never seen one in real life. ’Is this the work of the Heaven-Hating Sect?’

The top powers of the Guanxi Plain were far too terrifying. In comparison, his Sheep Race’s greatest asset, the Night Watchers, seemed utterly insignificant.

Hidden City had no Anti-Aircraft Cannons.

They had no way to fight back.

Just as the Flying Ship was about to land, the Sheep Race Patriarch shrieked his last command hysterically: "Flee! Flee Hidden City! I’ll cover the rear!"

He didn’t flee.

He was the Patriarch of his clan. By staying here, he could buy his people more time to escape.

"What’s with all the shouting?"

The Flying Ship slowly touched down on the ground.

Chen Fan stood on the Flying Ship Deck, looking down at the panicked group from the Sheep Race. He glanced up at the ninety-nine other Flying Ships suspended in the air, then broke into a grin. "So, what do you think? Quite the spectacle, isn’t it?"

"A full one hundred fully-loaded Flying Ships."

"Cost me a pretty penny in Ghost Stones, too."

The moment he received the news, he had started laughing. He had found his "chicken" on the Guanxi Plain—and it was a plump one.

He immediately upgraded the Vehicle Workshop in the Mortal Realm to Level 7 and crafted a hundred Flying Ships.

A single Flying Ship costs only 100,000 Ghost Stones.

But to install a total of seventeen Godslaying Cannons in all its hardpoints, plus enough Ghost Stones for ammunition and a round trip, a single fully-loaded Flying Ship cost 1.04 million Ghost Stones.

He built a hundred of them.

He’d thrown away a hundred million.

The Mortal Realm Warehouse’s Ghost Stone reserves were now down to about one hundred million, but he felt it was worth it. Taking over the Guanxi Plain wasn’t just about earning Ghost Stones. The main goal was to extend his High-speed Rail line to Guanxi, which meant the Mortal Realm’s sphere of influence would expand even further, making everything much easier to accomplish.

A hundred Flying Ships—now that was a display of maximum pomp!

He’d also investigated the Heaven-Hating Sect. A hundred Flying Ships should be enough to take them down. And if they weren’t, it was no big deal. He’d just head back and bring his Jiangbei Defense Line.

His defense line wasn’t just for defense, after all.

"What are you still standing there for?"

Standing on the deck, Chen Fan looked down at the group from the Sheep Race, who were frozen in place. He beckoned to them with a smile. "Let’s go."

"I’m taking you to go beat up the Heaven-Hating Sect."

...

「Meanwhile—」

A proclamation of war spread rapidly throughout the Guanxi Plain via the Mortal Realm’s intelligence network.

「A Proclamation Against the Heaven-Hating Sect」

「To the members of the Heaven-Hating Sect on the Guanxi Plain.」

「In these dark times, the Heaven-Hating Sect has, with blades of treachery, struck a covert blow against a bloodline of our Mortal Realm. They ambushed and slaughtered the merchant caravan of our core Pavilion Master Qi Yue’s wife’s clan in the Silent Wind Canyon.」

「Twenty-seven envoys and over one hundred Skeleton Horses were all slaughtered, burned, and plundered. Not even women and children were spared. Their skulls were made into cups, their blood soaking the scorched earth.」

「This was no common raid, but a deliberate trampling upon the very foundation of our Mortal Realm!」

「Our Mortal Realm rose from Jiangbei, tamping the earth with blood and building our walls with bone. We walk with fire through the Eternal Night, seeking nothing more than a sliver of peace, a path for our bloodlines to continue.」

「Today, the Heaven-Hating Sect has torn asunder the kin of our comrades, severing the bonds of humanity itself. This vengeance is no private grudge, but a war at the border of civilization and savagery!」

「Therefore, we issue this proclamation to all on the Guanxi Plain.」

「To all under the banner of the Heaven-Hating Sect—

「If you still hold to human decency, if you know that courage is for protecting life, not for slaughter, then lay down your blade, cast off your robes, and flee the Sect this very night. The Mortal Realm will leave a path of survival for the repentant. Those who depart within one hour will have their past transgressions forgiven.」

「But if you remain within the Sect, still clad in black robes and bearing the Resentful Heaven Talisman Seal...」

「...you will be deemed to have sworn a blood oath, willingly becoming accomplices in the slaughter of women and children.」

「On the day our Mortal Realm descends, we will take the very earth from the Heaven-Hating Sect’s ancestral hall to fill the bloody chasm of the Silent Wind Canyon!」

「This war is not for riches, nor for territory! It is fought for a principle of order in this world, for a righteous path where women and children do not die in vain!」

「Wherever the war banners of the Mortal Realm point, our only wish is that the Eternal Night will have one less nest of man-eating maggots, and a bit more clarity and justice!」

「A blood oath from the Jiangbei Mortal Realm. Year 380 of the Eternal Night Calendar, the eighth day of the third month.」

-

This proclamation, transmitted through the Mortal Realm’s Signal Tower installed in Jiangnan Fuyao City, spread like a plague across the entire Guanxi Plain.

Many people were completely bewildered when they received it.

It was only then that they belatedly learned that the Heaven-Hating Sect had slaughtered the Jiangnan Sheep Race’s merchant association.

The proclamation had spread far too quickly.

Before long, it reached the Slaughter Immortal Holy Land.

"Saint Master."

The Grand Elder sat silently to the side, remarking grimly, "It seems that if the Mortal Realm intended to reply to you, they would have done so by now..."

"Don’t be hasty, don’t be hasty."

The Saint Master of the Slaughter Immortal Holy Land was gazing at the proclamation in his hand, praising it repeatedly. "A perfect proclamation. It seems I still have much to learn."

"Look at this line."

"This war is not for riches, nor for territory!"

"It is fought for a principle of order in this world, for a righteous path where women and children do not die in vain!"

"So well said!"

"..."

The Grand Elder also looked down at the proclamation in his hand. He suddenly realized, ’These people who fight with pens are a devious bunch. Anyone in the know understood that the Heaven-Hating Sect had merely slaughtered a merchant caravan that had little to do with the Mortal Realm. But anyone who didn’t know better would read this and assume the Heaven-Hating Sect had run off to the Mortal Realm and dug up its ancestral graves.’

’And that line about "not even women and children were spared"...’

’What kind of proper merchant caravan brings women and children along?’

’And the bit about "skulls were made into cups"...’

’He was sure that never happened.’

"A fine ’bit more clarity and justice’ indeed."

The Saint Master of the Slaughter Immortal Holy Land couldn’t help but praise it again.

"Save this proclamation. Next time our Slaughter Immortal Holy Land issues one, we’ll write it in this format."

"We’ll get a chance to issue a proclamation? Not another letter of apology?"

"There will always be a chance. Just save it for now."

"Then, Saint Master, what do we do next?"

"We’re heading to the Heaven-Hating Sect to watch the show."

"Right now?"

"Of course. Didn’t the proclamation say all members of the Heaven-Hating Sect have one hour to leave, or be killed without question? Let’s go early to get a good spot and see what the Mortal Realm has up its sleeve."

"Saint Master... sometimes words have a literal meaning, and sometimes they’re just for show. A one-hour deadline to leave isn’t meant to be taken literally. It’s a symbolic gesture, like when someone says, ’Let’s have dinner in a couple of days.’"

"Let’s go first and see what happens."

...

ps: Writing 20,000 characters a day is a bit difficult. The extra 5,000 characters in this Chapter are for half of a bonus Chapter dedicated to the Alliance Leader. The other half of the bonus Chapter will be made up tomorrow. *Sob sob...*