Chapter 287 - 235: Pressure

Jinmen’s location was critically important. If the Neon Nation seized it, they could use it as a springboard for an invasion, which would have a massive impact on the entire situation in the Divine Land.

After all, it was from Jinmen that the Six Nations—the Great Powers of old—had landed to menace the Divine Land.

Ordinarily, if trouble befole Jinmen, the surrounding regions could provide swift aid. But with the war in the Northern Territory now raging, the Divine Land’s forces were steadily losing ground. The various armies were heavily constrained, and a large number of masters were already trapped within Jinmen. It was impossible to dispatch reinforcements on such short notice, and the Neon side would certainly not grant them the time to rally masters and troops.

The time between tonight and dawn would be Jinmen’s most critical moment. Whether or not they could withstand the Neon forces’ offensive would determine the fate of the entire city.

"Telegraph our personnel in Jinmen! They are to coordinate with all local units and do everything in their power to intercept the Neon masters!"

"Open our resources in Jinmen to the Martial Arts Association for the time being. The only condition is that they must stop the Neon forces from taking control of the city at all costs."

"Telegraph the Jinmen Martial Arts Association..."

"..."

The high commands of the Beidou Army, Phoenix Army, Shenxiao Army, and others all issued orders to their respective assets and networks in Jinmen. They were to contact the Martial Arts Association immediately and fully cooperate with the upcoming operations of the Association and the masters from the various armies.

They had no choice. Under the current circumstances, armies like the Beidou and the Phoenix needed to focus their full attention on the campaign in the Northern Territory, and reinforcements couldn’t possibly arrive in time. Thus, they were forced to make certain concessions and compromises.

...

...

Inside a meeting room at the Neon Concession Consulate in Jinmen.

An Yuan Wuyan was a stooped figure, his skin covered in wrinkles, like an old man on the verge of death. He sat at the head of the table. At this moment, however, his seemingly cloudy, aged eyes were filled with a bone-chilling cold.

In the meeting room, all the Harmony masters who had participated in the operation—save for Sano Hideyuki and Yamada Ichirō—were present. Every one of them bore injuries to some degree. The most seriously wounded was Nishida Youji, his face pale and his body swathed in bandages.

Their gazes were all lowered, none daring to meet An Yuan Wuyan’s eyes.

All three teams had failed their missions. Their targets had escaped. While this was partly due to the unexpected interference from masters of the Martial Arts Association and the National Salvation Association, that fact could not conceal their failure.

"The Jinmen Martial Arts Association... the National Salvation Association... and especially Zhao Xuanqi of the Hundred Beasts Fist. They are a grave threat to the heart of the Empire!"

An Yuan Wuyan said in a low voice, a cold, murderous light glinting in his eyes. "The campaign in the Northern Territory has begun. The Three Saints have made their move, successfully taking Liuhu Town and pushing south. The plan for Jinmen cannot be allowed to fail. We absolutely cannot let our incompetence jeopardize the Empire’s grand strategy!"

"The Harmony masters of Jinmen must be completely eliminated. Only then can we take over the city in the shortest possible time and use it as a springboard for the Empire. This cannot be delayed. If we wait, the enemy armies will free up personnel to send as reinforcements, and our plan will be a total failure!"

"However, the advantage is still ours. Though our last operation failed, they also paid a heavy price. Their wounds will not heal quickly, and they won’t be at their peak strength. Therefore, we cannot give them any time to recover. This time, there will be no escape for them!"

"In one hour, we will attack them again. This time, I will take action myself."

An Yuan Wuyan’s gaze swept over the room, pausing on the more heavily injured masters like Nishida Youji and Ning Yuanchen.

One hour, even with the aid of superior Wound Medicine, was not enough for their Physical Ability to return to its peak.

COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!!

Suddenly, An Yuan Wuyan began to cough violently. His stooped body curled up, the wrinkles on his face scrunching together. He looked as if he might drop dead at any moment.

Ning Yuanchen and Ji Zeyuan both frowned slightly. They actually knew very little about An Yuan Wuyan’s true strength. However, seeing that the others remained unfazed, the two of them decided to simply watch and see what was going on.

The coughing grew more violent until, finally, it turned into a dry heave. It sounded as if he had coughed something up from deep within his body, and it landed in his palm.

As he opened his hand, Ning Yuanchen and Ji Zeyuan saw clearly what he had coughed up: several objects that looked like plant seeds, still coated in a viscous fluid.

An Yuan Wuyan straightened up, pinched the seeds in his palm, and with a flick of his fingers, sent them flying in front of the more heavily injured masters.

"Eat them," An Yuan Wuyan said faintly. "Heal your wounds as quickly as possible. We cannot afford any more slip-ups in this operation."

"Thank you, Mr. An Yuan."

Nishida Youji and the other Neon masters looked grateful. Without hesitation, they picked up the seeds before them and swallowed.

Ning Yuanchen, however, stared at the viscous-coated seed before him and fell into a moment of contemplation.

...

...

Martial Arts Association Headquarters.

For the past hour, the Martial Arts Association Headquarters had been a flurry of activity. Army representatives and intelligence agents from across Jinmen moved in and out constantly, compiling and relaying the latest intelligence. The armies’ forces had also been rapidly deployed to positions throughout Jinmen, putting the city on high alert.

The main hall of the Martial Arts Association Headquarters.

A host of masters had gathered.

Seated in the positions of honor were the Three Elders, Zhao Xuanqi, Li Ping, and Yang Xun.

Below them sat Qi Hongxuan, Bi Celestial Mansion, Huo Ming, and Cao Ying.