Baifu City. The Purple Sword Immortal Palace. Ye Qin arrived at the Purple Sword Palace just before the deadline set by the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s decree of conquest, gathering with the Foundation Establishment stage cultivators from the Purple Sword Palace who were set to depart that day. As per the agreement he struck with Zhou Yi, the Young Master of the Purple Sword Palace, Ye Qin was to join the Purple Sword Palace faction, while Zhou Yi would have him represent the sect in the battle against the Plunder Sea Tribe.
"Brother Ye. For this expedition against the Plunder Sea Tribe, the Purple Sword Palace has twenty-two cultivators participating. I’m entrusting them to you. This is the Purple Sword Palace Token I specifically requested from the Palace Master. During the mission, if anyone in the team dares to defy your orders, you have the authority to execute them first and report later." Zhou Yi, clad in a plain cyan robe, smiled as he handed a sword-shaped token to Ye Qin. Normally, a Core Formation cultivator leading a mission from the Palace would not require such a token. However, since Ye Qin was newly arrived and lacked sufficient prestige, Zhou Yi worried that the Purple Sword Palace team members might feign compliance with Ye Qin's orders, so he specifically gave him this Palace Token to subdue any insubordination.
Ye Qin accepted the Purple Sword Palace Token. It flashed with a light, and a small insignia representing the primary captain of the Purple Sword Palace squad appeared on his sleeve. Ye Qin was slightly surprised, nodded, and then swept his gaze over the assembled Purple Sword cultivators, asking with curiosity, "Brother Zhou, there are twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators here; who else is joining?" "Yao Yao is also going. She only recently attained Core Formation, and the Palace Master ordered her to gain experience by participating in the campaign against the Earth Tribe."
Zhou Yi turned and smiled at Zhou Yao, who had been silent beside him, "Sister, for this expedition, Brother Ye is the primary captain for the Purple Sword Palace cultivators, and you will be the vice-captain. You must assist him wholeheartedly in completing this mission and leading our disciples against the Plunder Sea Tribe. Do not make any mistakes, or I won't be able to explain myself to the Old Ancestor." "Brother, I understand," Zhou Yao replied somewhat sullenly, clearly not paying full attention to Zhou Yi’s words. She felt a pang of bitterness; she truly couldn't fathom what Zhou Yi was thinking, giving the leadership role to an outsider. She was also a Core Formation cultivator; couldn't she lead?
Zhou Yi sighed at Zhou Yao’s petulance, shook his head with a wry smile, and said to Ye Qin, "Brother Ye, please bear with her a little. I won't see you off. You two should depart; the cultivators from the other Immortal Palaces are likely waiting." Ye Qin nodded faintly, saying nothing more. Having Zhou Yao as the vice-captain was acceptable; after all, he was unfamiliar with the Purple Sword Palace cultivators, and having a Core Formation cultivator from their sect lead was advantageous.
"Let's go!" Zhou Yao didn't even look at Ye Qin, immediately leading the group of Purple Sword Foundation Establishment cultivators away. The assembled Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Purple Sword Palace exchanged uneasy glances, looking towards Ye Qin with uncertainty. Ye Qin was the primary captain, and he possessed the Purple Sword Palace Token granting life-and-death authority; logically, all actions within the team should follow his commands. However, Zhou Yao was a core member of the Zhou clan within the Purple Sword Palace, and this young mistress was not someone they dared to offend, lest they face repercussions later.
Ye Qin remained placid, showing no reaction to Zhou Yao’s departure, unconcerned about who took command. Seeing Ye Qin's attitude, the Purple Sword Palace cultivators immediately understood: Ye Qin had no intention of vying for command authority with the Zhou family's young mistress. They promptly followed Zhou Yao out of the Purple Sword Palace and hurried towards the teleportation array in Baifu City. Ye Qin followed at a leisurely pace.
Since he did not command the cultivators, the Purple Sword Palace team had no obligation to heed his instructions. Consequently, Vice-Captain Zhou Yao also found herself unable to manage him, the nominal primary captain of the Purple Sword Palace. In effect, Ye Qin had become an idle observer within the Purple Sword Palace contingent.
The Heavenly Dao Alliance’s conquest decree against the Plunder Sea Tribe was issued to the Northern Isles, explicitly naming the Immortal Palaces of the Northern Isles to participate. The named Immortal Palaces of the Northern Isles each dispatched their Core Formation cultivators, accompanied by a contingent of Foundation Establishment cultivators to join the fight. In reality, for the vast Heavenly Dao Alliance, this was merely a small-scale punitive expedition to clear out an Earth Tribe village on a small cluster of islands. Because the enemy's strength was limited, only a small number of Immortal Palaces were involved, and the rank of the cultivators was relatively low; even cultivators like Ye Qin, who had just entered the Core Formation realm, qualified to participate.
Baifu City possessed a massive teleportation array that led to the peripheral islands of the Northern Isles. The cultivators from the Heavenly Dao Alliance Immortal Palaces gathered here for mass teleportation. As the assembly time neared, the Immortal Palace cultivators converging here rapidly increased in number. The cultivators from the White Float Palace, Purple Sword Palace, Treasure Gathering Palace, Vast Utterance Palace, and others—twenty Immortal Palaces from the Northern Isles, with forty Core Formation cultivators and four hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators—arrived sequentially near the Baifu City teleportation array to muster.
The Core Formation cultivators from various Immortal Palaces naturally engaged in mutual greetings upon meeting. Ye Qin did not know these cultivators and silently assessed the strength of the Core Formation cultivators present. Perhaps due to prior arrangements, each Immortal Palace sent only two Core Formation cultivators as primary and vice-captains, with twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators as team members. A majority of these Core Formation cultivators were early-stage, Tier One or Two. A minority were mid-stage Core Formation. Not a single high-stage Core Formation cultivator was seen.
Judging solely by the cultivation levels of these Core Formation cultivators did not reveal true strength; only on the battlefield would their prowess be evident. Clearly, the various Immortal Palaces treated this conquest of the Earth Tribe as a form of refinement for their Core Formation cultivators, an opportunity to gain combat experience. Otherwise, the Immortal Palaces could have simply sent high-stage Core Formation cultivators, and the punitive action would undoubtedly have been smoother.
As Ye Qin was observing the cultivators from the various Immortal Palaces, he saw the fat man Jin and Liao Xiaozǐ, two Core Formation cultivators, approaching the Purple Sword Palace contingent with their respective subordinates.
"Eh? Sister Yao, how did this brat become one of your Purple Sword Palace members? Huh? He's your Purple Sword Palace captain?" The fat man Jin spotted Ye Qin, his eyes widening as he noticed the insignia of the Purple Sword Palace primary captain on Ye Qin's sleeve. He was extremely shocked and bewildered to see Ye Qin leading the Purple Sword Palace group. It had only been a year since they last met, and this fellow he couldn't stand had already joined the Purple Sword Palace; the transition was too swift. His status was now on par with his own position as the primary captain of the Treasure Gathering Palace.
"I am the leader of the Purple Sword Palace contingent; ignore him," Zhou Yao said with a hint of arrogance. Ye Qin smiled faintly, unconcerned. He noticed the quiet and reserved Liao Xiaozǐ standing beside the fat man Jin, and felt a slight apology stirring within him. Liao Xiaozǐ had invited him to the Vast Utterance Palace, but due to various considerations, he had declined and instead joined the Purple Sword Palace. Liao Xiaozǐ seemed slightly surprised but quickly offered Ye Qin a gentle smile, appearing unbothered by Ye Qin joining the Purple Sword Palace cultivators.
Zhou Yao shot Ye Qin a glance. Seeing his indifferent reaction, she stomped her foot in annoyance, called the fat man Jin and Liao Xiaozǐ to leave with her, and joined the discussions with the cultivators from the other Immortal Palaces. Among the young, handsome, and elegant Core Formation cultivators from the various Immortal Palaces, there were many who gathered around Zhou Yao, showering her with attention. Many of them also stole glances at Ye Qin, confused as to why the primary captain of the Purple Sword Palace was the utterly unfamiliar Ye Qin instead of Zhou Yao.
Ye Qin stood awkwardly in place for a moment, then resignedly found a spot to rest near the teleportation array. Although the cultivators from the other Immortal Palaces were curious, none inquired into the Purple Sword Palace's internal affairs. After waiting for nearly half a day, the cultivators from all Immortal Palaces arrived sequentially.
The cultivators from the Northern Isles Immortal Palaces of the Heavenly Dao Alliance were led by Yu Weifeng, a Core Formation cultivator from the White Float Palace. Although his cultivation level wasn't the highest, he was a descendant of Sect Master Yu and had been appointed by the Heavenly Dao Alliance as the overall commander for this conquest of the Earth Tribe, directly overseeing the actions of the Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators.
The twenty primary Core Formation captains from the Immortal Palaces were designated as minor commanders, each responsible for directing their respective Immortal Palace contingents. "Fellow Daoists, our enemy this time is the Plunder Sea Tribe, entrenched on a small cluster of islands to the east. Based on reconnaissance conducted over the past year, we have determined this to be a medium-sized Earth Tribe village. The strength of our Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators is approximately half that of this Earth Tribe village. Furthermore, cultivators from the Heavenly Demon Alliance will be coordinating with us. Therefore, overall, the enemy and us are relatively evenly matched."
"Although the Immortal Alliance has never truly been defeated in conflicts against the Earth Tribe, the cultivators dispatched in this current wave face the possibility of defeat. Should we be routed, the Heavenly Dao Alliance will send the next wave of cultivators to continue the conquest of the Earth Tribe villages." Yu Weifeng spoke with a serious expression.
"Brother Weifeng, is this Earth Tribe village truly that strong?" Many Core Formation cultivators present showed surprise. They had assembled nearly forty Core Formation cultivators from twenty Immortal Palaces; this force was already extremely powerful. In their minds, this expedition against the Earth Tribe was almost akin to an outing, a chance to simply go and reap rewards from the Earth Tribe village without taking the threat too seriously.
Yu Weifeng nodded solemnly. "Indeed. Before departing, the Sect Master cautioned me. Half a year ago, a mid-stage Core Formation scout was sent to investigate that island, but he only managed to reach the periphery of this small island cluster before his physical body was destroyed; only his primordial spirit escaped back. Based on his findings and estimations, the Earth Tribe village in this small island group is considerable in scale, possessing numerous high-level Earth Tribe warriors. Our contingent of cultivators may not necessarily be able to subdue them easily. Therefore, fellow Daoists, do not be complacent and bring shame upon the Heavenly Dao!"
The Core Formation cultivators of the Heavenly Dao Alliance exchanged glances, their relaxed smiles vanishing, sensing the pressure of this conquest. Since ancient times, the conflicts between cultivators and the Earth Tribe have never lacked for bloody, desperate battles. Such warfare serves, to some extent, as a means of refinement for the Alliance's cultivators: estimating the opponent's strength and dispatching an appropriate number of cultivators to contend with the Earth Tribe, thereby honing practical combat skills.
The massive teleportation array in Baifu City flashed brilliantly, and the cultivators from the various Immortal Palaces disappeared one after another. When this group reappeared, they were already on a large island in the Northern Isles named "Boundary Stone Island." This island was the easternmost large island in the Northern Isles, housing a teleportation array within a medium-sized city. Beyond this point, they would have to rely on sword flight to traverse the sea.
The cultivators residing in this city were shocked and began discussing amongst themselves when they saw streams of Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators emerging from the teleportation array. Although Core Formation cultivators occasionally appeared here, such a large group arriving simultaneously was rare; it clearly signaled an impending war. The hundred-plus Core Formation and Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Heavenly Dao Alliance exited the city, each casting forth their flying swords and magical artifacts, transforming into hundreds of beams of various colors as they soared across the sea. After flying for about three days, they arrived at a solitary, ten-mile-wide, gourd-shaped islet.
Yu Weifeng stopped, took out a scroll map, examined the small island, and then turned to the assembled cultivators, saying, "Gourd Island should be here. We will rendezvous here with the cultivators from the Eastern Isles Immortal Palaces of the Heavenly Demon Alliance, and then proceed to the island cluster where the Earth Tribe village resides." The Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators retracted their magical artifacts and landed on the islet to rest temporarily. The continuous flying over the past few days had left the Foundation Establishment cultivators weary, although the Core Formation cultivators were fine; a rest was welcome.
Yu Weifeng displayed the bearing of a commander. Although their contingent numbered several hundred cultivators, and the area around Gourd Island was usually safe, he remained cautious. He arranged for the cultivators of the various Immortal Palaces to take turns standing guard around the island to prevent any unexpected incidents.
Ye Qin chose a spot near a rock on the island and sat down cross-legged, meditating silently. Although he was the nominal primary captain of the Purple Sword Palace and one of the twenty minor commanders for this operation, Zhou Yao had unceremoniously replaced him. As time passed, no one paid him any particular attention.
"The Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators have arrived!" Around sunset, a Foundation Establishment cultivator on guard duty shouted in alarm. The Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators on the island immediately stood up. A group of several hundred Heavenly Demon Alliance Core Formation and Foundation Establishment cultivators appeared on the horizon, flying towards them at high speed. In terms of both Core Formation and Foundation Establishment numbers, this contingent matched the Heavenly Dao Alliance exactly; clearly, both sides had dispatched an equal force, with neither gaining an advantage.
"Brother Weifeng, long time no see!" Leading the Heavenly Demon Alliance contingent was a lean, sharp-featured middle-aged man with two thin whiskers, a man known for his decisive ruthlessness. Seeing Yu Weifeng from the Heavenly Dao Alliance side, he burst into loud laughter and flew over on his artifact.
"Brother Yan!" Yu Weifeng showed a flicker of surprise. The one arriving was Yan Hao, the direct descendant of the Heavenly Demon Alliance's formidable leader, Yan Ju.
The two men knew each other well. The cultivators of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance converged on Gourd Island. The relationship between the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators was quite subtle. Inheriting their lineage from the Central Lands, the two Immortal Alliances shared deep historical entanglement. Over the past one hundred thousand years, the Immortal Alliances had erupted in several violent conflicts over resources, resulting in countless casualties. Yet, they had also joined forces to fight the Demon Race when they invaded. In the past thousand years, conflicts between the two Immortal Alliances had been fewer; while they occasionally engaged in intense covert struggles, they maintained a facade of peace publicly, frequently cooperating against the Earth Tribe and the Demon Race. In Immortal Palace City, the core disciples of the various Immortal Palaces within the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance were well acquainted, and unless a major confrontation arose, they would not easily stir up trouble between the Alliances. This current conquest of the Plunder Sea Tribe was decided upon after discussions and disagreements among the high leadership of both Immortal Alliances, agreeing to dispatch forces together.
Ye Qin looked towards the Core Formation cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Alliance, quietly noting each one down. What astonished him was that among the Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators, he recognized one very familiar figure: Shi Hanyang, the leader of the Chaos Lands. He had already reached the first layer of Core Formation but was maintaining a low profile, completely devoid of the flamboyant demeanor he once held as a leader of a faction in the Chaos Lands, blending in among the Heavenly Demon Alliance cultivators.
Shi Hanyang was also surveying the Heavenly Dao Alliance cultivators. When he saw Ye Qin, he paused momentarily, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. However, he did not move forward, acting as if they were strangers, making no move to greet Ye Qin. Ye Qin, for his part, only felt a flicker of surprise internally; his expression remained neutral as he scanned the other cultivators. With so many Core Formation cultivators from both Immortal Alliances present, the situation was complex, and he certainly had no intention of revealing any prior acquaintance with a Heavenly Demon Alliance Core Formation cultivator, lest he draw unwanted attention.
Internally, however, he wondered. Shi Hanyang, even during his Foundation Establishment stage, possessed great ambition and was not the type to remain subservient to others. Now that he had reached Core Formation, he could easily establish his own faction with his Foundation Establishment subordinates; why join an Immortal Palace? Shi Hanyang’s participation in the conquest of the Earth Tribe likely harbored some scheme.
"Brother Ye!" Liao Xiaozǐ approached Ye Qin's side. "Miss Liao, is something the matter?" Ye Qin asked calmly upon seeing her. "My combat strength is average, far inferior to Sister Yao and Brother Jin. When we reach the Earth Tribe village, I ask that Brother Ye lend some assistance. I worry I won't be able to hold out against the Earth Tribe warriors." Liao Xiaozǐ looked somewhat concerned.
"Miss Liao, you worry too much. With your Core Formation cultivation, as long as you are careful, nothing major should happen. Besides, the Vast Utterance Palace, Purple Sword Palace, and Treasure Gathering Palace have numerous cultivators; everyone will certainly support each other," Ye Qin replied with a faint smile, deflecting gently.
Regardless of Liao Xiaozǐ’s actual strength, he could not rashly intervene. His purpose for coming here was to see if he could obtain the Plunder Sea Tribe's rare treasure, the Child-Of-Night Lotus. He could not afford to be distracted by other matters. If this Plunder Sea Tribe truly possessed the tenth-grade spiritual material, the Child-Of-Night Lotus seed, the competition among the cultivators would likely be brutal. The magical properties of the Child-Of-Night Lotus seed were not known only to him. Most of the Core Formation cultivators participating in this expedition were probably eyeing this item. Otherwise, why would so many Core Formation cultivators risk coming here? Was it not precisely to see what good things they could find from this Plunder Sea Tribe?
After gathering on Gourd Island, the cultivators from both Immortal Alliances rested for half an hour before taking flight eastward over the sea. They flew for more than ten days until they finally stopped over a vast expanse of open ocean. A look of surprise crossed their faces as they exchanged glances. Ahead of them, the sea surface was dominated by a massive island cluster spanning several thousand miles, but what was astonishing was the thick, bluish-black mist rising and swirling around the thousand-mile expanse, vaguely revealing the shadows of the islands within. This small island cluster appeared somewhat mysterious and deep. From the outside, nothing could be discerned about the activity within this island group. Such clusters of islands were uncommon in the East Sea.