Nuclear-powered Sword Immortal-Chapter 616 - 608: Cost Performance

"It seems the Yunxiao Sect plans to make a big move in this siege battle?" fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Yu Xu looked at Immortal Yun Zhen and the Void Immortal behind him, and said with a smile.

"Make a big move?"

Immortal Yun Zhen glanced at the Heavenly Fire Sect, Wind and Rain Tower, Dragon Sword Sect, and other forces gathered together discussing the second step of the battle plan, and switched to telepathic communication, "What if I said that I’m just trying to preserve our Yunxiao Sect, ensuring that the members involved in the siege can retreat safely, would Elder Yu believe me?"

"This?"

Yu Xu was stunned.

Was it necessary to deploy such a grand formation just to ensure the safe retreat of the participants from the Yunxiao Sect?

Immortal Yun Zhen seemed to read Yu Xu’s thoughts and shrugged, "In fact, I always feel that Immortal Fei Hong, who has achieved True Immortal status, is not the type to act recklessly. Without sufficient confidence, how would he dare to forcefully construct a Grotto Heaven?"

"His confidence must lie in quickly bringing the Grotto Heaven to operation, right?"

Yu Xu looked towards Baihe City, "Although the Grotto Heaven cultivated by Immortal Fei Hong is not perfect, it is already barely operational, and its construction speed is quite astonishing."

He said with a grave expression, "Fei Hong himself is one of the strongest figures among True Immortals. With the support of the barely operational Grotto Heaven, his combat power may have reached a level comparable to a Heavenly Immortal incarnation, that is, Supreme True Immortal status. It is precisely with this strength that he has prevented our group of more than a dozen True Immortals, including two Peak True Immortals, from rashly attacking."

"However, he must know that provoking trouble in Flame River Dao would cause the Heavenly Fire Sect to not stand idly by. To make the Heavenly Fire Sect wary and back down, he would need at least Daoist Master level power, and at the bare minimum, a Heavenly Dao incubated just like the Creation Gate. If the Heavenly Fire Sect pressures too much, they would fully activate the Heavenly Dao, severely depleting the Spirit Mechanism of Flame River Dao and leaving it weak for hundreds of years."

Immortal Yun Zhen said.

Yu Xu understood his point, "You’re worried that Fei Hong has other tricks up his sleeve?"

Immortal Yun Zhen nodded and glanced at the forces dispatched by the Creation Gate, "Anyway, you’re not planning to compete for benefits in this siege battle. That’s the wise choice. Just stay behind and cheer when it’s time."

Upon hearing this, Yu Xu glanced at Gu Jinlai, nodded, and held his tongue.

At this moment, Zi Ruyan of the Heavenly Fire Sect, Peak True Immortal Long Congyun of the Dragon Sword Sect, and the Top True Immortal Dong Ming of the Wind and Rain Tower appeared to have almost finished their discussions.

Thereupon, Zi Ruyan coldly addressed the crowd, "Although this operation is led by our Heavenly Fire Sect, other than capturing Immortal Fei Hong to face charges, we will not interfere much with the distribution of interests in Baihe City. However, without rules, there is no standard. This siege on the Red Cloud Sect is based on the principle of ’more work, more gain’, and according to our discussions, whoever captures Immortal Fei Hong will take the lead, followed by breaking the Red Cloud Cave Heaven, then killing the Red Cloud Sect elders..."

Zi Ruyan distributed the tasks.

Basically, those who contributed more would gain more interests in Baihe City.

Although this method of distribution meant that the stronger parties would inevitably reap many benefits, none of the dozen or so forces present objected.

After finishing the allocation, Zi Ruyan straightaway said, "Since none of you have any objections, please adjust your conditions well. Tomorrow morning, we will launch the full assault."

"Just as Sect Master Zi said."

Long Congyun and others agreed.

Thereupon, Zi Ruyan took the lead with Immortal Yan Liu and others to leave, while other smaller forces started to gather in small groups to leave as well.

It was then that Long Congyun strolled over to Yu Xu, smiling, "What, the leader of your Creation Gate didn’t come?"

"The Leader is cultivating in seclusion and certainly won’t bother with such trivial matters."

Yu Xu said.

"Why bother so hard? Besides, what’s the point of such hard cultivation? Resources are king. With enough resources, wouldn’t cultivation progress by leaps and bounds?"

Long Congyun looked at Yu Xu, smiling, "Our sect leader’s previous words still stand. Even though Jiang Yuxue has married, I recall that Master Jiang has a brother, Jiang Yukong. If he is willing to become Daoist companions with a True Inheritor from my Dragon Sword Sect and in time make his son the next Sect Leader, our Dragon Sword Sect will surely support your Creation Gate fully and help you through these challenging centuries."

"The Dragon Sword Sect’s kindness is well noted by our Creation Gate, but while our situation has been somewhat difficult, maintaining our current state is still not a problem. The Creation Heaven Dao, though not adept in combat, when urged by Venerable Daoist Ye, can suppress ordinary Heavenly Immortals without issue."

Yu Xu did not diminish his own presence.

Long Congyun shook his head, but turned his gaze to Gu Jinlai: "You are Jiang Yufeng, the third brother of Jiang Yujian, right? You have even greater talent than Jiang Yukong. You wouldn’t want the entire burden of the Creation Gate to rest on just your elder brother, would you? I heard you’re now a Daoist of our sect. Our Dragon Sword Sect is willing to have one of its saintesses become your Daoist Companion and gift you enough Thunder Magnetic Elemental Gold to help you undergo your Tribulation, along with lending you a Supreme Dao Artifact to aid your enlightenment. Just say the word, and you would ease your brother’s burden while gaining both wealth and status. Why would you decline such an offer?"

After speaking, he directly handed a Communication Jade Token to Gu Jinlai, "You don’t have to rush your answer. Think it over, and whenever you’re ready, you can contact me directly through this Communication Jade Token."

With that, he led the people of the Dragon Sword Sect away in big strides.

"This Dragon Sword Sect... are they plotting to take over the ’Creation’ Heaven Dao of our Creation Gate?"

Gu Jinlai, holding the Communication Jade Token, asked.

"It’s almost public knowledge now."

Yu Xu scoffed, "In the sixty years since our internal strife, we’ve lost sixty percent of our territory, of which thirty percent fell into the hands of the Dragon Sword Sect. But evidently, they are still not satisfied and plan to completely swallow our Creation Gate."

"Two medium-sized sects fighting, and the Heavenly Fire Sect, or should I say, the Mo Family, doesn’t care?"

Gu Jinlai was somewhat surprised.

"This kind of conflict is limited to a level not involving the use of Spirit Mechanisms. The Heavenly Fire Sect is happy to watch us medium-sized sects consume each other."

Yu Xu said, filled with resentment.

"What if we use the Power of Heavenly Dao to disturb the Spiritual Mechanism?"

"Isn’t this what the Dragon Sword Sect fears, pushing us to this point? That’s why they always maintain a gradual, devouring stance."

Yu Xu added, his expression somewhat grave, "But if one day our Creation Gate becomes weak enough that the consumption caused by disturbing the Spiritual Mechanism could be compensated by the Dragon Sword Sect, they will probably take decisive action."

Gu Jinlai listened and nodded.

Spiritual Mechanism.

The stance of the Mo Family was very clear.

No matter how you fight, you cannot reach the level of consuming the Spiritual Mechanism. Whoever initiates the war causing the consumption of the Spiritual Mechanism will have to take responsibility.

If the Dragon Sword Sect really attacks the Creation Gate, the Creation Gate can fully activate the Heavenly Dao, and even if the Heavenly Immortals of the Dragon Sword Sect intervene, they will be suppressed by the Creation Gate.

Once the Dragon Sword Sect also sends a Daoist Master into the fray, it would involve a battle of Heavenly Dao.

Once the Heavenly Dao of the Dragon Sword Sect crushes the Heavenly Dao of the Creation Gate, the amount of Spiritual Mechanism consumed in the battle will be so vast that even if the Dragon Sword Sect swallows up the Creation Gate, they would be bankrupt beyond recovery.

If the Creation Gate goes further and destroys its resource points and Grotto Heavens before their defeat, should the Lord of the Northern Domain investigate afterward, the Dragon Sword Sect would lose even more, down to their last penny.

"By the way, if the Dragon Sword Sect becomes strong enough to crush us effortlessly, leaving us no chance to even activate the Heavenly Dao, wouldn’t they be able to take over the Creation Gate without any cost?"

Gu Jinlai remarked.

"That’s true, but how is that possible?"

Yu Xu shook his head, "For us not to even have the chance to activate the Heavenly Dao? Even a Daoist Master wouldn’t have that capability."

He was stating a fact.

The strength of a Daoist Master is built upon the amplification of the Heavenly Dao.

Activating the Heavenly Dao requires tapping into the power of the Cave Heaven Spirit Mechanism; this process has the entire Grotto Heaven operating at full speed. It creates too much noise, and everyone would know they are preparing for a major action.

Moreover, there is considerable distance between sects.

As strong as a Daoist Master, unless they relocate the Grotto Heaven itself, the incarnations they send to fight across tens of thousands of miles would only manifest the power at the Supreme True Immortal level.

Of course, thanks to the deep foundation of a Daoist Master, they might have developed stronger Divine Skills and wielded Supreme Taoist Devices, potentially achieving the level of a Heavenly Immortal. Still, it would not be easy to quickly break through the Creation Gate that possesses the Creation Heaven Dao.

If the Creation Gate still holds enough latent power of the Spiritual Mechanism, it would not be odd if the Daoist Master’s incarnation exhausts to death.

"The scarcity of Spiritual Mechanism brings a fragile peace to the Profound Immortal Realm,"

Gu Jinlai sincerely lamented.

...

The next day, led by the Heavenly Fire Sect, sixteen major forces encamped outside Baihe City, enveloped in Formation.

On the city walls, Immortal Fei Hong appeared to materialize, her powerful Divine Thought sweeping through the void, "I have inherited the Bai Family’s legacy, and Baihe City was the site of the Bai Family Sect three thousand years ago. Now, I establish a Grotto Heaven here and rebuild the Bai Family, which is righteous and just. Heavenly Fire Sect, why must you persist in this relentless oppression? Has this Flame River Dao really become your private territory, needing your approval for everything?"

"Utter nonsense. The Bai Family lineage has long been severed. Who knows where you jumped out from, attempting such an act of stealing a bird’s nest?"

Zi Ruyan coldly rebuked, then, without further words with Immortal Fei Hong, waved her hand, "Attack the city, destroy the sect."

The True Immortals from the several major forces behind her stepped forward, each wielding a Dao Artifact.

Especially, the Dao Artifacts in their hands appeared to be sets, and under the leadership of True Immortal Zi Ruyan, the radiant light of the Dao Artifacts manifested, forming a...

It was equivalent to a light column of Great Divine Power Level striking toward the Red Cloud Sect.

This scene made Yu Xu, who was rallying from behind, remark sentimentally, "This is the Heavenly Fire Sect’s set of Dao Artifacts, the Sky Flame Twelve Rings. When twelve True Immortals jointly activate it, the power unleashed is no less than that of a Great Divine Power released when True Immortals manifest their True Bodies."

He said enviously, "The key is it consumes very little. With the power of twelve True Immortals, even launching hundreds of attacks is not extravagant. After hundreds of rounds, even Immortal Fei Hong, being one of the Strongest True Immortals, would find it difficult to resist and would have to rely on the Spiritual Mechanism Power accumulated in the Grotto Heaven. But how much can a barely built Grotto Heaven muster?"

What Gu Jinlai saw made him twitch his mouth.

Is this all!?

The attack launched by these twelve True Immortals is just this!?

"Aren’t they going to deploy the True Immortal Bodies?"

"Only at the moment when life and death are to be determined, the True Immortals will summon their True Immortal Bodies to deliver a fatal blow. To bring out the True Immortal Form in ordinary fights, the consumption is enormous. If others simply flee or retreat, within a dozen breaths, you would collapse without fighting. This kind of minor consumption, yet powerful Divine Skill, is the most effective in True Immortal combats,"

Yu Xu advised, appearing experienced.

Gu Jinlai looked again at the twelve True Immortals besieging Baihe City and, thinking about the environment of scarce spiritual energy in the Profound Immortal Realm...

He suddenly felt that in the Profound Immortal Realm, the Eternal Furnace was truly a divine skill.