The war-prep chat group.
After sending his request for aid, Su Yiyun sent no further messages in the group chat.
The Great Emperors all sent him, Emperor Hades only disciple, @ messages, but they might as well have tossed stones into the ocean; they received no further response.
Hermit Emperor: @Fox Empress, Zhao Ying has already led three thousand grandmaster physicians and twenty thousand medical experts. They’re hurrying to fox territory as we speak.
Fox Empress: Does he have a token of some sort to confirm his identity?
Hermit Emperor: Zhao Ying carries a jade pendant of mine. The other physicians all carry the standard jade pendants of the Hermits Palace.
Hermit Emperor: You’ll pass through the Jade Pool en route. @Jade Pool Palace Master, please coordinate with them accordingly.
Jade Pool Palace Master: Got it.
Fox Empress: Thank you, Hermit Emperor, for your assistance. We of the Fox Clan will remember this benevolence for the rest of our lives.
Hermit Emperor: It’s no trouble.
Fox Empress: There’s internal conflict within the Fox Clan, so I can’t stay any longer. I wish you all the best of luck. Bye for now.
The other great emperors all wished her well. Then, they refocused their attention on the River Styx.
Seventh Dragonborn: They have Emperor Hades to hold down the fort, but they’ve still sent out a call for reinforcements. This is clear proof of the severity of the situation.
Third Dragonborn: The Saints Palace can send three hundred thousand elite warriors as reinforcements.
Ocean Emperor: No!
Jade Pool Palace Master: The empress already said that the demons are readying for their forces for their general offensive. No one can say for sure just how many they’ll send. We can’t afford to act rashly.
Ocean Emperor: Exactly. Besides, we still need to send a portion of our troops to the Hermits Palace so they can defend themselves.
Little Princess: Then what do we do about the River Styx?
Lady Providence: The Profound Pavilion will go!
Only Idealism: The Upheaval Alliance will go!
Ye Zichen and Xuan Ji responded practically in unison. Afterward, they glanced at each other and smiled. Then, Ye Zichen sent a follow-up message in the group chat.
Only Idealism: Leave the River Styx up to me and Aunt Xuan Ji.
Only Idealism: If the two of us join forces, our peak fighters are no inferior to the Divine Mountains’ Holy Lands. We’re just inferior to the Southern Kingdom in terms of supreme-level, rank and file troops. There’s no comparison at all in that regard.
Only Idealism: But thinking about it, the River Styx shouldn’t be lacking fighters at that level anyway.
Ocean Emperor: Emperor Star, you’re absolutely right.
Ocean Emperor: My main body is at the palace by the River Styx, so I have some understanding of the situation. What we’re missing is peak experts like @Monkey King and @Erlang Shen.
Monkey King: Haha, there’s nothing I, Ol’ Sun, love more than a good fight!
Erlang Shen: Hmph, with a true powerhouse like me around, the River Styx has nothing to fear!
Invincible Adorable Beauty: Why not @ me? How am I inferior to them? (Angry emoji)
The three of them couldn’t help but snipe and wisecrack. The great emperors knew this and ignored them. Ye Zichen disregarded them completely as well, instead sending a couple messages in the chat.
Only Idealism: It’s settled. I’ll start preparing my forces right away. Leave the River Styx up to me.
Only Idealism: Great Emperors, please take appropriate precautions against the demons.
Ocean Emperor: Take care.
Seventh Dragonborn: Take care.
Third Dragonborn: Take care.
Only Idealism: If anything unusual happens, let us know in the chat.
As soon as he sent the message, Ye Zichen closed the chat. Xuan Ji had already gone off to contact Hu Bazi, but for Ye Zichen, rallying his troops was even simpler.
“Heavenly yao of the Yao-Sealing Pagoda!” Suddenly, the skies filled with yao servants. Then, Ye Zichen cried out again, “Enter the pagoda.”
The pitch-black tower was so huge, it reached the clouds. Everyone in Heavenly God City could see the vast tower floating in the skies above the Upheaval Alliance base. Countless yao servants took to the skies and disappeared into it.
In around a hundred breaths of time, all of them were inside.
At the same time, Xiao Yumei led the Outsider rulers as well as the rulers sent from other divine mountains, plus many of their diviner-level experts, and gathered them together.
Ye Zichen stepped into the sky as well and looked at the strictly arranged, patiently-waiting soldiers. “Yumei.”
Xiao Yumei walked over, only for Ye Zichen to reach out to the Yao-Sealing Pagoda and summon all the women and children he’d rescued. There were quite a few of them. They were the survivors of the massacre back in the Xiao Family estate, and they’d been staying in the pagoda ever since.
“It’s up to our Upheaval Alliance to take these people in. Please ensure they’re well cared for.”
“You…”
“Right, you don’t need to come on this trip to the River Styx.”
Back when Ye Zichen first suggested reinforcing Su Yiyun, Xiao Yumei guessed he’d say this. She pursed her lips, and although she didn’t question him, it was obvious from her expression that she wanted answers.
“We can’t send all our troops and leave our base unguarded. Someone has to stay behind.”
“But….”
Without waiting for her to speak, Ye Zichen pulled her into his arms, then gently kissed her forehead. “No one knows the exact situation at the River Styx. It’s too dangerous; I can’t possibly take you somewhere so perilous.”
“Zichen, are you ready?” At that moment, Xuan Ji appeared. She’d already ordered the forces of the Profound Pavilion to take to the skies.
When she landed beside Ye Zichen, he could hear the sound of countless figures cutting through the skies like a sudden rain of swords.
“Ready.” He grinned at Xuan Ji, then turned and smiled gently at Xiao Yumei. “I’m leaving.”
Suddenly, Xiao Yumei pulled him into an embrace. Ye Zichen couldn’t escape, so he turned to look at her, only to see the intense reluctance in her gaze. “You absolutely have to come home safe.”
“Of course. Trust me, I’ll definitely return victorious!” He could tell that her grip showed no signs of loosening, and he felt a twinge in his nose. He gently but forcefully separated her hands, turned away, and didn’t look at her again; he didn’t dare.
Instead, he looked up into the army of rulers, diviners, and supremes gathered overhead, then shouted, “Let’s go!”
The Upheaval Alliance and the Profound Pavilion had joined forces. Ten million cultivators had gathered together. When they left, they did so as a vast current, blocking out the skies over Heavenly God City.
The cultivators of Heavenly God City had been living under the shadow of Xiao Ting’s betrayal, and when they saw this, they looked up in alarm. “This….”
This scene stunned and startled countless cultivators, but some of them quickly realized what was happening. “Those people are most likely from the Upheaval Alliance and the Profound Pavilion. If I’m not mistaken, they’re headed toward the front lines.”
“Because of the yao and demons’ invasion?” The invasion of god race territory was no longer a secret; between the incident and the Xiao Family, contact from friends and family of other Divine Mountains, and word of mouth, they’d all learned of it by now.
For both the Upheaval Alliance and the Profound Pavilion to take action now suggested they were going to defend the god race’s territory.
In stark contrast, there were no movements on the Lightning Emperor’s Estate’s side. Quite a few cultivators sneered, but this only made them feel an even stronger sense of awe and reverence for the two factions marching into battle.
“Be safe.” Countless cultivators put their hands to their chests and prayed for the Profound Pavilion and Upheaval Alliance’s safety. Those who remained in Upheaval’s headquarters were much the same; they watched their allies leave in a grand procession, their ranks flowing like a river.
Xiao Yumei was among those who remained behind, and her eyes were misty with tears. She bit her lips. She wanted to follow Ye Zichen and meet the enemy in battle, side by side. She wanted to be with him, but now, all she could do was put her hand to her chest and pray.
Finally, she mustered all her sincerity, looked at the dazzling, distant figure at the forefront of this grand procession and said, “Be safe!”
