Chapter 288 - 235: Pressure (2)

Meng Dongtai, the Azure Dragon Star previously captured by Zhao Xuanqi, had also been released. After all, with his strength, he was a formidable combatant even if he had only partially recovered from his injuries.

However, Meng Dongtai’s injuries had been quite severe. Even though Zhao Xuanqi’s group had arranged for his release through the Three Elders to begin his recovery before the operation, he had not been able to fully regain his Physical Ability in just a few hours. His face was still slightly pale. From time to time, his gaze would land on Zhao Xuanqi, who sat at the head of the assembly with a cold expression, his thoughts unreadable.

Not long ago, everyone present had been mortal enemies, ready to kill one another at a moment’s notice.

But now, only a few short hours later, they were gathered to face a common foe. The unpredictable twists of fate were truly baffling.

A glance around the room revealed a distinct look of exhaustion on everyone’s faces. The short rest they had gotten was nowhere near enough.

"The latest intelligence reports that the Neon and the Chengtian Army in the Northern Territory have jointly launched a war. Liuhu Town has fallen. Yijue Zhang Hu was severely injured and escaped; his whereabouts are currently unknown. Among the Harmony masters, three are dead and five are wounded—our losses are heavy. It is suspected that a restricted-level master from the Neon Nation was involved. The Northern Territory’s defensive line has now been breached, and Shangjing is under threat. It will be impossible to spare any manpower or forces to support us in the short term. Besides, the enemy won’t give us that kind of time," Li Ping said to everyone present.

"We’re already aware. I’ve received orders from my superiors to join forces with you and stop the Neon Nation’s plot. Time is short, so let’s skip the small talk; we can’t afford to get sidetracked. Let’s focus on the enemy at hand," Bi Celestial Mansion said in a low voice, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Very well. In that case, I’ll cut to the chase. Based on collated intelligence, there were seven Harmony masters who raided our armies. Six of them have strength comparable to the Sixteen Generals. Two are the Chengtian Army’s Double Generals, Ning Yuanchen and Ji Zeyuan. The intelligence on them is clear, and I’m sure you’re all familiar with them, so I won’t waste time on introductions. The other four, according to our investigation, are masters from the Neon Far East Army. They are part of the ’Twenty-Eight Celestial Emperors.’"

"The Twenty-Eight Celestial Emperors are a group of twenty-eight powerful masters within the Neon Far East Army, all of whom are Divine Transformation Warriors. They are also called the Twenty-Eight Demon Stars, a group created to mimic our Divine Land’s own Twenty-Eight Star Constellations. They’re divided into the Four Directions Celestial Emperor—East, South, North, and West—with seven members in each group for a total of twenty-eight. We have very few records of them making a move, so we lack a detailed assessment of their strength."

"The Seven Eastern Demon Stars specialize in Spiritual Secret Techniques and giving form to their aura. The Southern Seven Demon Stars focus on manipulating Magnetic Field Energy, making their abilities unpredictable. The Seven Northern Demon Stars possess special organs that grant them Superpowers. The abilities of the Seven Western Demon Stars are related to flesh and bone."

"We’ve gathered some intelligence on the four who attacked you. But because time is short, even with data from multiple sources, we’ve only managed to get their ability codenames. The two who attacked the Phoenix Army were Nishida Youji and Yamazaki Hikariho. Nishida Youji is one of the Southern Seven Demon Stars and can unleash flames. His techniques are incredibly powerful, and his Divine Transformation is codenamed ’Divine Burst.’ Yamazaki Hikariho is one of the Western Seven Demon Stars. His body tissue can apparently transform into something like steel, granting him extreme durability and defense. His offensive bursts are not to be underestimated. His Divine Transformation is codenamed ’Xuan Iron.’"

"The other two attacked the Beidou Army. One is named East Mountain Good Horses, a member of the Seven Northern Demon Stars. He appears to have special organs on his palms that produce intense Sound Waves and Vibrations, making his Gang Qi frighteningly powerful. His Divine Transformation is codenamed ’Clapping Hands.’ The last one is Furukawa Naoto, one of the Seven Eastern Demon Stars. He excels at Spiritual Secret Techniques, using his Spirit to create illusions and amplify a person’s inner turmoil. His infiltration is extremely effective, and his Divine Transformation is codenamed ’Desire Realm.’"

Li Ping laid out all the intelligence they currently possessed in a rapid-fire briefing.

For a moment, Qi Hongxuan and the others fell silent.

They had all personally experienced the enemy’s strength, especially that of the Neon Divine Transformation Warriors. None of them were confident of winning a one-on-one fight, let alone in their current, heavily injured state.

"And that’s not all. According to our intelligence, this is likely not the full extent of their forces. Within the Neon Concession, there is probably a ’Master’ who has not yet made a move," Li Ping added suddenly.

"Master?"

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"Within each of the seven-man groups of the Four Directions Celestial Emperor, one is acknowledged as the strongest. The Neon People call this person the ’Master.’ Their strength and status are roughly equivalent to one of our own Unique masters compared to the Sixteen Generals. The intelligence is still very vague, so we don’t know which Master we’re dealing with, nor can we determine their exact capabilities."

"However, it’s highly probable this person will join the operation, posing an immense threat to us."

"So, for now, that’s the general situation with our opponents," Li Ping concluded.

Everyone took a sharp breath at his words.

They hadn’t expected that the force that had attacked them wasn’t even the full strength of the Neon Influence. An even stronger master was hiding in the shadows, yet to make a move.

As members of the Sixteen Generals, they knew just how powerful a Unique was. Any individual comparable to a Unique would be terrifyingly strong.

They already felt immense pressure facing the seven masters. Now, with a "Master" added to the equation, their hopes for victory felt incredibly slim.

"The enemy is stronger than we are, but we have no room for retreat. We must respond. Let’s discuss a counter-plan. I don’t advocate for a direct confrontation, though. Given their strength, our chances of winning a straight fight are slim," Bi Celestial Mansion said grimly.

"I agree. Our wounds haven’t healed, and we’re not at our peak. I think our strategy should be to stall for time. Masters from the Sixteen Generals of the Giant Spirit and Yun Ling armies are on their way. If we can just hold out through the night, the situation in Jinmen will take a turn for the better," Meng Dongtai added.

"Stalling won’t be easy," Qi Hongxuan said. "The best way to do that would be to scatter and hide throughout Jinmen. But the city is crawling with enemy informants. We’d be easily exposed, giving them the chance to pick us off one by one."

"What’s your plan?" Bi Celestial Mansion asked, looking at Li Ping and his group. The others also turned their gaze toward them, but most eyes landed on Zhao Xuanqi.

With all of them injured, the main force for this operation would have to be the masters from the Martial Arts Association and the National Salvation Association.

And the core of that force, without a doubt, was Zhao Xuanqi.

They had already heard about Zhao Xuanqi’s exploits in rescuing the members of the Phoenix Army. Besides, among everyone present, he was the only one in peak condition.

"We definitely can’t just dig in and defend," Zhao Xuanqi said, feeling the weight of their gazes.

As things stood, everyone but him was injured, while their opponents were superior in strength. In a direct confrontation, even he would be overwhelmed by their numbers.

What’s more, their enemy still had a stronger expert in reserve.

"Therefore, we need to take them by surprise. Our plan is to attack," Zhao Xuanqi said calmly.

"Go on the offensive?!"

Hearing this, everyone was stunned. They thought Zhao Xuanqi must be crazy.

"An offense is the best way to stall for time," Li Ping continued, picking up where Zhao Xuanqi left off. "While the Neon Nation’s masters currently hold the initiative in Jinmen, this is still the soil of the Divine Land. We have the absolute advantage in numbers and our ability to mobilize them."

"If we mobilize our soldiers and Martial Artists to attack key locations in the Neon Concession—their chamber of commerce, the port, their granaries—we can disrupt their plans for a larger landing. The Neon masters would be forced to respond."

"The garrison in Jinmen has limited strength," Qi Hongxuan countered, frowning. "And in an urban environment, we have to worry about civilian casualties, so we can’t fully unleash our power. Our forces won’t be able to stand against their Harmony masters, and the offensive would quickly fall apart. In a localized conflict like this, the decisive factor is always the clash between the top-tier experts."

"Which is why it won’t just be the soldiers attacking. We will strike at the same time," Zhao Xuanqi said. "The plan is for everyone here to split into three groups and attack the Neon Concession from three different directions. We’ll draw out the Neon masters and split their forces. I’ll form one group on my own."

"As you all know, I’m in the best condition, and the Neon Nation is well aware of that. After everything that’s happened, they must see me as a major thorn in their side. If I appear alone, I’m confident I can draw their main forces, which will significantly reduce the pressure on the rest of you," Zhao Xuanqi stated, his expression calm.