CSMCDB - Chapter 153
Chapter 153
The Empire widely publicized the failure of the Huanling Continent's first invasion. Of course, the fact that twelve Star Emperors attacking together had failed to kill the man was a shocking testament to the Huanling Continent's strength. They speculated that the severely injured individual from Huanling was likely a half-step Star Saint, not far from the Saint rank itself.
It was unknown how many experts of this caliber existed on the Huanling side; if there were too many, the Empire would find the situation difficult to handle. Fortunately, the portal couldn't let them all rush over at once, so it wasn't a hopeless fight. Moreover, judging by Huanling's tactics, their leaders didn't seem to understand strategy. Perhaps the plane had granted them immense power at the cost of some of their intelligence?
The Empire had third-layer Star Emperors who were only a step away from breaking through to the Star Saint rank. However, there were also old-timers who had been stuck on that step for decades—all of them were national treasures. If the Huanling side proved to be truly powerful, they might have to ask these old masters to come out of seclusion.
As for the lord who had broken through to the Star Saint rank back then... the Empire had no way to contact him. With the Huanling Continent's formidable advance, that lord hadn't appeared, so the Empire wasn't pinning any hopes on him.
After that almost comically clumsy first attack, the second invasion began.
First, they opened portals on the continent's fringes, far from central areas like the Imperial Capital, to begin their teleportation. The Fu organization must have provided them with maps and optimal locations. Portals opened in the western desert region, within the Demonic Beast Great Forest, in the northern coastal cities, and on Dragon Island. They all opened in the middle of the night, and each portal was extremely far from the others—at the very edges of the continental plate. This strategy prevented the Empire from destroying all the portals and intercepting the transmissions in a short amount of time.
The portal on Dragon Island was concealed with the Dragon King's help, so the Empire remained unaware of it.
"Six half-step Star Saint generals have arrived."
Protectors and Star Emperor experts rushed to the three locations, but they could only manage to fight their opponents to a draw. The Huanling Continent had come fully prepared this time. The Star Emperors didn't even know how they did it, but in the blink of an eye, fortresses of a style clearly not native to the Starry Sky Continent had been erected. Using these distinctively Huanling-style buildings as strongholds, the generals and armies from Huanling refused to venture out, single-mindedly defending against the pincer attacks of the Star Emperors. The Star Emperors' attacks were blocked by two generals working in tandem. The Empire was completely unfamiliar with the magic treasures and combat styles used by the Huanling Continent, whereas the Huanling side had some knowledge of them.
The battle reached a stalemate.
Residents of the western, southern, and northern towns began migrating inland, while armies and experts were dispatched to garrison these three locations. The Empire's research labs also began working at full capacity to develop instruments for detecting planar portals. This passive situation, where Huanling could open a hole in their continent at any time, was untenable. They had to at least be able to track the enemy's movements.
"Dragon Island... something has likely happened there as well," a former Protector muttered, laughing sarcastically. "Those idiots from the Dragon Race, always wanting to seize the continent, thinking they're the true masters. They've even gotten mixed up with people from another world... Heh, you think they see you as partners? They probably see you as nothing more than worms, or perhaps mounts."
"Watch your words. The specific situation is still unknown." Another former Protector's eyes flickered. "Don't investigate for now. Even a half-step Star Saint would need to go with at least two others."
The situation was changing by the second.
Only a week had passed since the first attack.
Wen Yuncheng was waiting for Lin Jinyu to come out of seclusion. She spent a long time studying a map, inquiring about the war's status every day. When she heard that the group from the other world was holed up in their self-built fortresses and refusing to come out, she was delighted. Isn't this simple? As long as the Protectors can guarantee my safety, I can just sit on my Mechanical Throne in the rear and have all sorts of machines bombard their city. What's stopping me? Experience, it's all experience! Wen Yuncheng was most interested in the fortress near the Demonic Beast Great Forest. If she brought Xiao Shi'er along, the sovereigns deep within the forest would surely give her some face. While bombarding the Huanling army, she could also hit a few demonic beasts to farm some experience. It was killing multiple birds with one stone.
By the time Lin Jinyu broke through to the Star King rank, stabilized her cultivation, and exited the secret realm, Wen Yuncheng was already rushing to the entrance, clutching a map that was nearly worn out from use. She threw her arms around Lin Jinyu. "You're finally out!"
"...What's wrong?" Lin Jinyu looked bewildered. She had only been in seclusion for about ten days. Why was Wen Yuncheng... so excited? Though she didn't understand, she still wrapped her arms around Wen Yuncheng's waist. The moment she did, Wen Yuncheng went limp and hung right off her.
"You'll never guess what happened in these short ten days!" Wen Yuncheng found it amusing. Every time Lin Jinyu came out of seclusion, the continent had undergone some earth-shattering change. It felt like she was time-traveling. Wen Yuncheng hung on Lin Jinyu for a moment before feeling a bit embarrassed to have Lin Jinyu hold her like that. She hopped down and began to seriously explain the recent events to her Little Ice Mountain.
Lin Jinyu after hearing the story: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Lin Jinyu truly hadn't expected so much to happen in just ten days, especially while she was in seclusion. However, Lin Jinyu's first reaction after hearing all this was: Now that I'm a Star King, even if I could take over the Flowing Cloud Sect, I can't have a grand wedding with Wen Yuncheng.
Wen Yuncheng didn't know why Lin Jinyu had suddenly gotten angry while listening. She reviewed what she'd said, feeling puzzled. But it seemed Lin Jinyu wasn't angry at her. "You said you want to go to the Demonic Beast Great Forest to help kill the enemy?"
"...If you don't want to, we don't have to..."
"We're going. Let me rest for a day. We'll set out tomorrow." Lin Jinyu was surprisingly decisive. Having made up her mind, she immediately went to see Sect Master Lin.
Wen Yuncheng rubbed her nose. She really still didn't understand her Little Ice Mountain's thoughts...
She picked up Xiao Shi'er and gave her a good petting. Seeing Xiao Shi'er transform back into her puffy-cheeked, good-luck-doll human form, Wen Yuncheng couldn't resist pinching her chubby face. "Xiao Shi'er, tomorrow we're going to the Demonic Beast Great Forest to kill some of the invading otherworldly army. If your father comes looking for you, could you ask him what he's thinking? People from another world are, after all, not from our world. Cooperating with them is like asking a tiger for its skin—it's not a good deal." As she spoke, Wen Yuncheng bought a pair of braised, boneless chicken feet and handed them to Xiao Shi'er.
"Okay, since you put it that way~" Xiao Shi'er happily accepted the offering, not even minding when Wen Yuncheng poked her chewing cheek. "Besides, I don't like the people from the Huanling Continent either. They're so contemptuous, and they made demonic beasts test the portal's stability... They don't treat the lives of us demonic beasts as if they matter at all." Wen Yuncheng hadn't hidden anything from Xiao Shi'er when she was gathering information, so Xiao Shi'er knew quite a bit and had her own considerations.
No matter what, Xiao Shi'er was a Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, a member of the demonic beast race. When she saw people from another continent sending demonic beasts to their deaths, showing such disregard for their lives, she lost any favorable impression of them. The law of the jungle among demonic beasts was one thing, but outsiders bullying demonic beasts was another matter entirely. In some respects, Xiao Shi'er held a double standard.
Furthermore, based on the talk of "slaves" in their projected declaration, Xiao Shi'er found them utterly repulsive. She followed Wen Yuncheng, who had never bullied or ordered her around. Instead, she was served delicious food and drinks every day. Even when facing powerful enemies, Wen Yuncheng would tell her to run first while she covered the rear. This moved Xiao Shi'er deeply. In comparison, the Huanling Continent seemed even more detestable. Xiao Shi'er thought that if she really saw her father, she absolutely couldn't let him get mixed up with the Huanling Continent. There was no future in it. When the Huanling Continent failed, they would just pack up and leave. What would happen to them then?
An organization like Fu, despised and hunted by the Empire, naturally wished for the world to fall into chaos. The deaths of others meant nothing to them. It would be even better if the Empire was destroyed. Best if all the experts on the continent dropped dead, leaving them as the strongest. Then they could rule supreme, act openly, and at that point, they would be "justice." As for losses and crises? Overthrowing everything requires a price. The birth of a new era naturally needs to be washed with the blood of the old. —In any case, the Fu organization had its own methods of brainwashing, making its members firmly believe that their actions were just, that all their sacrifices and periods of dormancy were valuable and meaningful. They were carrying out the greatest event in the continent's history, and they even had the help of a higher plane!
Uh, yes. The wanderer had deceived them into thinking the Huanling Continent was a higher plane. The Huanling Continent might have been a tiny bit more advanced than the Starry Sky Continent, but in 1947's eyes, both were low-level planes, six of one and half a dozen of the other.
After a night of rest, Wen Yuncheng, Lin Jinyu, and Xiao Shi'er set off together.
When they arrived at the town outside the Demonic Beast Great Forest, Wen Yuncheng suddenly realized it had been a long time since she'd last been here. She looked at the open space by the city gate, remembering how she and Lin Jinyu had landed there on a Gugu Bird and then seen Sect Master Lin...
Now, the town was devoid of residents. The bustling streets of vendors had vanished, leaving only guards resting inside the city, all of them looking exhausted.
The moment Wen Yuncheng landed, Protector Chu Han, who was garrisoned there, hurried over. "What are you all doing here?"
"For training. We also want to contribute to the fight against their army," Wen Yuncheng said seriously. "With you Protectors here, their experts surely won't make a move. Soldiers against soldiers, kings against kings. We'll just blend in with the troops."
"Alright." Chu Han pondered for a moment and agreed. Wen Yuncheng was right. In the beginning, they had clashed with those two generals several times, only to find it was always a draw, so both sides had settled into their respective positions. If the Huanling side were to attack the soldiers, they would naturally intervene as well.
As for why they didn't immediately ask the secluded seniors to emerge, it was, of course, to guard against a backstab from the Dragon Race. Revealing all their strength would put them in a very passive position.
"Go on, but don't be too conspicuous."
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