Chapter 617 - 97: Disturbance in the Southern Sea Region

In a small courtyard at the Mountain Peak Dojo, Wang Ping and Yu Lian emerged from a distortion in space the moment the Transfer Array flared to life. His attention was immediately drawn to the ringing of a bell—the summons from the front hall for the Entering Cultivators to assemble.

As his Primordial Spirit Consciousness spread out, he quickly learned from the assembling disciples what had happened. Warships from Lishui Prefecture had suddenly appeared in the waters south of Shang’an Prefecture.

The scouting cutters on the front lines had already clashed, with both sides suffering losses.

Wang Ping did not disturb Xia Wenyi’s strategic deployment. He walked to a pavilion at the edge of the garden and stood still, gazing at the bustling Zhonghui County Town in the distance. He said to Yu Lian, "They don’t intend to give me any time at all!"

"They’re likely trying to slow your cultivation. A clever move, I have to admit!"

Yu Lian commented softly, her gaze following Wang Ping’s toward the distant Zhonghui County Town. Sensing the lively atmosphere of the approaching Spring Festival in the town, she said, "This Spring Festival won’t be a peaceful one, I fear."

Wang Ping formed a Spell with his hands and summoned the Pocket World Mirror, connecting to a puppet he had placed in Lishui Prefecture. The puppet had been conscripted by a draft order from an island under the Seventh Prince’s command. By the time a sliver of Wang Ping’s consciousness descended into the puppet via a secret communication relay in the Southern Sea Region, it was in the middle of basic naval combat training, facing into the sea breeze.

Thanks to the puppet’s exceptional physical constitution, its ability to complete every training session without a hitch, and the fact that it was literate, it had been appointed leader of its squad. This position afforded it more free time.

After one training session, Wang Ping guided the puppet to the ship’s rail and gazed at a nearby pier. It was a military dock, with over a dozen warships moored in the vicinity. The dock was situated far from town, and the road leading to it was choked with a supply column that stretched as far as the eye could see, endlessly ferrying materials to the pier.

This was tantamount to an open war mobilization. The soldiers at the dock were clearly reservists. They were preparing for a protracted war!

Next, drawing on the puppet’s memories, Wang Ping directed its gaze toward a rammed-earth fortress on the docks. At that exact moment, a streak of light flashed across the sky and landed on the watchtower outside the fortress.

It was a Third Realm Cultivator!

All the nearby soldiers gasped and turned to look. Wang Ping took the opportunity to observe the man openly. Each of his puppets had specially enhanced vision, so he could see the newcomer’s features with perfect clarity.

The man was clean-shaven and looked to be in his early twenties. He wore a yellow cross-collared shirt under a white, wide-sleeved robe and a scholar’s cap popular among the literati. With his refined and gentle features, he looked like a young academic from a great clan.

As he landed on the watchtower, he heard the cheers and proudly straightened his back. He flicked his long sleeves and, with a confident smile, walked toward the large gate that two Qi Cultivators held open for him.

The interior was a stark contrast to the ’scholar’s’ sunny disposition—it was dark and oppressive. A long shaft of light from the open doorway pierced the gloom, falling upon an exquisitely detailed nautical chart.

"Hey, don’t close the door!"

He called out, stopping the Qi Cultivators at the entrance who were about to shut the doors. He then stepped forward, cupped his hands toward the person standing beside the map, and asked, "Martial Uncle Ziyu, have you given any thought to what we discussed the other day?"

The bright light revealed the figure before the map—it was none other than Yue Ziyu, the very man Wang Ping had been hunting. He was as elegant and refined as ever, but his skin was a sickly white, a result of having not seen the sun for years.

Yue Ziyu turned his head slightly at the words, casting an icy gaze at the two Qi Cultivators by the door. Terrified, they shut the doors with the greatest possible speed.

The bright light vanished, plunging the room back into the dim glow of candlelight. A faint, cyan halo appeared in Yue Ziyu’s eyes as he stared silently at the map, his focus on the potential landing sites along the coast of Nanlin Road.

"Martial Uncle, you don’t need to worry about any mishaps. Fifty or sixty years ago, with just a fifth of our current strength, we shattered the coastal defenses throughout the south and plundered untold resources. This time, our only enemy is Nanlin Road. Given its internal situation, taking it will be a simple matter."

Yue Ziyu replied evenly, "Last time, we had the element of surprise. This time, they are prepared. And they have a steady stream of supplies from the mainland."

"Then we’ll just overwhelm them with bodies. We can still recruit a million more sailors, build a thousand warships, and we have hundreds of Entering Cultivators. If they all march over, they could drown Nanlin Road in spit alone."

"Though Zi Luan of the Six Heart Sect is missing, Changqing of Qianmu Temple is no pushover. To his north, he has an ally in Hu Yin of the Demon Race. To the south, Zhi Gong of the Earth Cave Sect and Wu Quan are in a defensive alliance. And just recently, he seized control of the Chu Kingdom Court with thunderous momentum. We must be prepared for a protracted war."

Yue Ziyu’s eyes, still glowing faintly cyan, turned to fix upon his martial nephew. "They also possess an unknown quantity of ’Power Pills.’ Even if you added another million sailors, it probably wouldn’t be enough to exhaust his supply!"

His gaze grew severe. "Master’s intentions were clear: we only need to pin down Qianmu Temple and disrupt their plans. Do you want to sacrifice soldiers’ lives for your own selfish ambitions?"

"Martial Uncle! Why are you still so worried about Qianmu Temple? Has being hunted by them given you a Heart Demon? They’re nothing but a minor sect that’s not even two hundred years old. I’ll admit, that Changqing has some ability, but that’s as far as it goes. He has allies, yes, but he has far more enemies!"

The young man spoke rapidly, a smile on his face. "Someone is already tying down his Demon Race allies to the north for us. Mozhou Road and Hai Zhou Road won’t be able to send reinforcements anytime soon. What’s more, our friends in the Liangjiang Region have agreed to coordinate with our army as we push south. When that time comes, Nanlin Road will be in the palm of our hand. So why shouldn’t we take it?"

Yue Ziyu’s eyes narrowed. "Have you forgotten that the Third Prince’s men are watching us like hungry tigers? Is this Master’s will? Or did you make this decision on your own authority?"

"The Grand Master is in seclusion, but before he entered, he decreed that my Master would have full authority. With such a perfect opportunity before us, how could we possibly let it slip by?"

"You’re ruining Master’s plan!" Yue Ziyu snapped, but he made no move to report them.

The Seventh Prince had tasked them with pinning down Qianmu Temple. The objective was to secure the secret support of the Taiyan Sect’s branch in the Southeast Sea Region, then use that opportunity to counterattack the Third Prince. But some among them wanted to repeat the plundering of the past, or even seize Nanlin Road for themselves.

"Martial Uncle, that Changqing from Qianmu Temple still has a bounty on your head. You don’t even dare to step into the sunlight... he’s at least partly to blame for that, isn’t he? Don’t you want to go out and see the world? To see these magnificent lands for yourself?"