Bombarding Cultivators with Cluster Artillery

”Solution?”

”Solution, huh...”

Facing the expectant gazes of the Nine Great Daoists, Jiang Ding sighed softly, ”It’s nothing more than taking more risks, and the likelihood of exposure has increased.”

”There is no other way.”

”Preserve yourselves and try not to expose anything; you don’t need to do anything. Don’t interfere with my work.”

”Interfere with you?”

Heavenly Calculator Daoist’s mouth twitched.

Such arrogance, as if the few of them were just dead weight with no use at all, their pride knew no bounds.

Enough, enough.

The Dari Swordsman had always been like this, with the greater situation at heart, not worth bickering over.

”Hmph!”

”We will hide well.”

Ji Liuyue said unhappily, ”You better resolve this matter as you claimed.”

”That’s good.”

Jiang Ding nodded slightly, and his figure gradually disappeared from view.

...

Within the Flame Stone Star Domain, the troops of Yanliu Imperial Child suffered a crushing defeat.

Retreating continuously, retreating continuously.

Retreating in defeat all the way, with multiple Minor Thousand Worlds being lost. The upper-tier fighters of the Slave Clan were forced to fight to the death under the coercion of the Spirit Soul Restrictions, while the mid- to low-tier members of the Slave Clan kept surrendering.

The cultivators of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan were even more decisive, promptly choosing to defect to the Cangkong Imperial Child.

This was a tradition within the Horned Demon Imperial Clan.

Imperial Clan cultivators are free; it is a matter of course to pledge loyalty to the victorious Emperor. No one can blame them for that, not to mention Cangkong Imperial Child originates from an Ancient Emperor Family, absolutely capable of ensuring the rules are followed, preventing the Flame Stone Great Emperor from reneging.

Along the way, as they kept retreating, Cangkong Imperial Child’s forces grew like a snowball banking momentum.

Continuously suffering defeat, Yanliu Imperial Child lost five or six Minor Thousand Worlds in a row until, at the Flower Cloud Minor Realm in the middle of the Flame Stone Star Domain, Cangkong Imperial Child’s offensive finally eased.

Yanliu Imperial Child got some breathing space, able to gather the fleeing soldiers and rely on the Formation Method to hold out for some time.

This bit of luck wasn’t because Cangkong Imperial Child couldn’t press on.

Rather, too many Imperial Clan cultivators and lower-tier Slave Clan members had defected along the way, causing a rapid expansion of forces, leading to some indigestion issues.

Moreover, with continuous World Arrays across various Minor Thousand Worlds, Yanliu Imperial Child resisting step by step leveraging these arrays, shifting to a new Formation Method to fortify their defense whenever one was broken, refusing to surrender, vexed Cangkong Imperial Child to no end.

Even with more than two thousand Imperial Guards, immensely strong, after breaking many arrays in five or six Minor Thousand Worlds in succession, they too began to show signs of exhaustion. Continuing to force their way through would only increase the danger; they weren’t invincible.

Cangkong Imperial Child, having been born into an Ancient Emperor Family—even if he was not knowledgeable himself—naturally had strategists by his side, who saw these issues.

Therefore, he paused to consolidate his conquered territories, dealing with the internal politics, enticing defectors to build a large army of servants for the main attacks, while letting the Imperial Guards recuperate and save their strength for a critical moment.

Only by doing so could he ensure absolutesafety.

Cangkong Imperial Child’s stable and steady deployment immediately brought despair to the struggling Flame Stone Family cultivators, eliminating any last bit of wishful thinking, and they defected to him.

As cultivators of the Flame Stone Family, they were very inclined to support their own Imperial Child; under no circumstances did they wish to surrender.

However, given such an overall situation, for the survival of their family, they had no choice.

They need not worry about Cangkong Imperial Child reneging on his promises afterward.

The families within the Horned Demon Imperial Clan were related by blood; the Cangyan Ancient Emperor Family and Flame Stone Family were already relatives, with mutual calling of uncle, nephew, sister, brother.

Apart from fighting fiercely on the battlefield, they usually had their boundaries.

Much like the battle for Emperor from years before fought by the children of Flame Stone Great Emperor.

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Flame Stone Great Emperor likewise preserved the rival Emperor families, bestowing upon them high-ranking positions and generous rewards.

Now, the Horned Demon Imperial Clan rulers and Cultivators outside of the Flame Stone Family within the Flame Stone Star Domain are the descendants of those rival Emperor families. These descendants remain loyal to the Flame Stone Family for tens of thousands of years, without any rebellions.

If Cangkong Imperial Child simply dislikes someone after the event, harboring hatred and finding a reason to execute them, it’s not an issue.

But if Cangkong Imperial Child conducts large-scale purges of Cultivators from the Flame Stone Family, slaughtering members of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan.

Thus, even if the Flame Stone Great Emperor has passed away and he has ascended to be a Great Emperor, he would still face terrible consequences. It’s possible that he would be jointly killed by many Great Emperors, or at the very least, be severely punished, having his foundations destroyed and being forbidden from advancing to higher Realms.

The Flame Stone Family, after all, has many marriage alliances, including with Great Emperors and even Ancient Emperors, who would not allow Cangkong Imperial Child to cause chaos.

These relatives by marriage of the Flame Stone Family chose to forsake Yanliu Imperial Child because of the rules, and more so because Cangkong Imperial Child is also their kin, with even closer relationships compared to Yanliu Imperial Child.

You’re in me, and I’m in you.

If Cangkong Imperial Child doesn’t follow the rules, it would mean actively giving up all relationship networks and being ostracized by the entire Horned Demon Imperial Clan.

Because of all these reasons, the Cultivators of the Flame Stone Family also began to surrender in large numbers.

In this war, not everyone will face utter defeat.

Except for Yanliu Imperial Child.

His imperial crown and his life, according to the tradition of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan, must be lost—for the Imperial Child wars’ brutality demands the life of the rival Imperial Children to water the imperial crown, to reach even greater heights.

Yanliu Imperial Child’s foundations are in jeopardy.

It seems that a gust of wind could blow it all away.

Flower Cloud Minor Realm, Pink Imperial Palace.

This is the palace built by Flame Stone Great Emperor at his prime for a beloved consort of his, relying on the unique advantages of the Flower Cloud Minor Realm. Around the palace, pink petals dance in the sky and between the clouds constantly. From a distance, it looks like an ocean of pink petals that never ceases.

However, at this moment, these beautiful scenes seemed to have acquired a hint of desolation.

Just like the consort of Flame Stone Great Emperor, who had already died more than ten thousand years ago, Flame Stone Great Emperor no longer returned to the Pink Imperial Palace that he often visited in his youth, losing interest in everything.

Around the Imperial Palace, countless warriors of the Magic Stone Clan, Fox Tribe, Tiger Clan, and the Skull Blood Vine Demon Clan stood guard silently around the palace, standing firm and quiet; the military might appeared still formidable, without any sign of morale shaken by a great defeat.

Empress Yan Hua slowly walked into the palace, an overwhelming grief involuntarily welling up in her heart, almost to the point of tears.

Around her, there were hardly any imperial guards of the Imperial Clan.

All were servants, all were lowly slaves.

Everyone who could run had already fled, including the generals of the family; only these loyal servants still guarded her brother, from beginning to end, never leaving or forsaking, truly loyal servants.

But, after all, they were just slaves and could not reverse anything.

Empress Yan Hua felt a twinge in her nose and walked into the Pink Imperial Palace.

Bang!

A beautifully ornate, priceless Spirit Stone-embedded glass vase brushed past Empress Yan Hua’s hair, shattered on the ground, and its Mana-infused fragments, sharp as arrows, scattered in all directions.

One of the glass shards slid across the absentminded Empress Yan Hua’s cheek, drawing bright red blood that flowed over her beautiful face.

Inside the palace, there was even more disorder, destruction everywhere.

”Yan Wu?”

Emperor Yanliu’s past heroism and majesty were gone, his face twisted and ferocious: ”He is my Flame Stone Family’s ruler, my own uncle! How could he be a traitor?”

”Ah? Have you no shame?!”

”The glory of the Flame Stone Family has been defiled by such vermin!”

”Father!”

”I must inform Father, to have these traitors executed! Executed!”

He roared hysterically.

Empress Yan Hua let the blood drip from her cheek to the ground, forming pools of blood, and remained silent.

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