The Modern Martial Immortal

Chapter 192: Information

On Fangyuan Island, Lyu Ming remained on high alert. He had dispatched more than thirty reconnaissance teams, totaling one hundred twenty high-tier sword cultivators, and he had them spread out and scout the surroundings, ensuring early detection of any forces from the Nine Cauldrons Sect.

”Where are Song Xuan and the others?” Lyu Ming asked.

”They are heading in our direction. According to their report, they should arrive soon,” a primordial psyche cultivator replied.

”And the Nine Cauldrons Sect?” Lyu Ming asked.

”Roughly the same distance. Should we have Elder Song lie low first, to avoid the two forces running into each other?” the primordial psyche cultivator suggested.

Lyu Ming briefly contemplated the options. However, the rapidly changing situation left them little time to consider. Lyu Ming hadn’t even given an answer when the primordial psyche cultivator monitoring the thousands of kilometers around Fangyuan Island through arrays quickly sensed something. ”A large number of targets are approaching our position. Judging by their numbers, they are from the Nine Cauldrons Sect. They have arrived... Crap! They ran into each other! The Nine Cauldrons Sect and Elder Song’s team have collided!”

The moment these words were spoken, Lyu Ming’s expression darkened. ”Didn’t I tell Elder Song Xuan to take a detour and avoid encountering the Nine Cauldrons Sect? How did they still run into each other?”

”It was the Nine Cauldrons Sect!” the primordial psyche cultivator monitoring the arrays said rapidly. ”They had the same idea and took a detour to attack us from the other side. By sheer coincidence, they ended up meeting Elder Song’s group!”

He immediately added, ”Should we contact Elder Song Xuan and have them retreat to Fangyuan Island?”

”No,” Lyu Ming replied at once. ”If Elder Song retreats here, the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s sword cultivators will follow straight in. We would lose all the advantage given by the arrays!”

The primordial psyche cultivator seemed to receive new information and said urgently, ”Hall Master, Elder Song reports that the Nine Cauldrons Sect deliberately targeted them. This meeting was no coincidence. They created a huge commotion in advance, openly marching out of the Nine Heavens Domain and locking onto Fangyuan Island, precisely to keep us pinned here and unable to act!”

He looked up, shaken. ”By seizing the initiative, they are effectively forcing us to make a choice. Either we turtle up on Fangyuan Island and allow twenty or thirty percent of our forces in the East Sea to be tied down for nothing, or we watch helplessly as they gradually kill our cultivators, until their advantage grows to the point they’re able to launch a final assault on Fangyuan Island.”

Lyu Ming was not surprised by the assessment. As the attacking side holding the initiative, how could the Nine Cauldron Sect possibly give up that advantage to assault Fangyuan Island head-on?

”Elder Song has sent word that a major battle between both sides is inevitable. Since it cannot be avoided, why not strike now? We still have the numerical advantage. Fighting now would allow us to face fewer enemies and deliver a heavy blow to the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s morale.” While Lyu Ming was still weighing the situation, the primordial psyche cultivator spoke again.

Almost simultaneously, another primordial psyche cultivator suddenly said, ”Hall Master, the sect master has issued an order. Assist Elder Song and defeat the Nine Cauldrons Sect! The Nine Cauldrons Sect marched out of the Nine Heavens Domain with overwhelming momentum. We must fight this battle!”

”The sect master’s order?” Lyu Ming was slightly startled. ”How did the sect master issue orders so quickly?”

”Perhaps Elder Song already explained the situation and its pros and cons to the sect master?” the primordial psyche cultivator replied cautiously.

After a moment’s thought, and to be safe, Lyu Ming personally contacted Sect Master Song You. Almost immediately after initiating contact, Song You’s projection appeared. Before Lyu Ming could speak, Song You spoke first. ”Hall Master Lyu, I was just about to contact you! Elder Song has already explained the current situation to me. This battle must be fought, and it must be fought with the full might of our Xuanming Sect on display. Only then can we obtain greater support from the Infinite Star Palace.”

He looked at Lyu Ming with a grave expression. ”I have already contacted the Infinite Star Palace. If we can severely damage this Nine Cauldrons Sect force, the Sky Patrol Warship currently under negotiation will be officially sold to our Xuanming Sect. At that point, we will become the second sect in the East Sea to possess a Sky Patrol Warship! Do you understand the importance of this battle?!”

Lyu Ming’s heart tightened. ”I understand! I will not disappoint you, Sect Master!”

”Good! This battle will be commanded primarily by Elder Song!” Song You said solemnly.

Lyu Ming nodded heavily. He felt that the sect master seemed harsher than before, his tone more forceful than usual. But considering that the matter involved the Infinite Star Palace and the sale of a Sky Patrol Warship, such stern instructions were only natural.

He immediately turned to the primordial psyche cultivator overseeing the arrays. ”We will fully cooperate with Elder Song. What is Elder Song saying?”

”Elder Song reports that they can barely hold off the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s attack. He requests that we take the initiative and enter the battlefield within a five-hundred-kilometer radius. Spell cultivators are to concentrate long-range fire and cover the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s direction. Primordial psyche cultivators are to assist in countering the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s primordial psyche experts. Meanwhile, our sword cultivators should circle behind the Nine Cauldrons Sect for a pincer attack, preventing them from fleeing if the battle turns against them.” The primordial psyche cultivator relayed the orders swiftly.

”Sending our sword cultivators behind the Nine Cauldrons Sect?” Lyu Ming paused slightly. ”Then won’t the spell cultivators and primordial psyche cultivators be left without protection?”

He immediately said, ”Confirm the order again with Elder Song.”

At the same time, he activated his psychic consciousness, instructing everyone on Fangyuan Island to prepare for battle.

”Yes, Hall Master!” The primordial psyche cultivator overseeing the arrays quickly sent out a message. Not long after, he received a reply. ”Elder Song says that with the support of the Fangyuan Island’s primordial psyche cultivators, they will fight to the death to block the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s attacks and ensure their sword cultivators cannot harm our spell cultivators. As long as your speed is fast enough, the Nine Cauldrons Sect will not be able to break through their defense line.”

He paused briefly before continuing, ”Elder Song also said... If we want to severely damage this Nine Cauldrons Sect force and secure the support we desire, they will fight to the death, holding back the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s attack until they can form a pincer with you.”

Lyu Ming’s heart sank. Elder Song was essentially shifting almost all of the pressure onto them, forcing them to bear it head-on. But if that were the case, the forces under his command would inevitably suffer losses.

However, the Nine Cauldrons Sect was no weak opponent. If they wanted to inflict serious damage on them and secure a glorious victory, it was clearly impossible without paying a price. Just as Song Xuan had said, as long as they were fast enough and managed to circle behind them for a pincer attack, the Nine Cauldrons Sect might not be able to break past the forces led by Song Xuan and turn around to strike their spell cultivators.

With that thought, the Xuanming Sect’s Warfare Hall’s hall master made a decisive call. ”Pass down my orders. High-tier cultivators will remain behind to guard the island. All great cultivators are to converge with Elder Song’s forces. Primordial psyche cultivators are to enter the battlefield and assist Elder Song’s people in suppressing the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s primordial psyche experts. Spell cultivators are to prepare single-target attack spells from five hundred kilometers out and eliminate designated targets. Our primordial psyche cultivators will guide your attack directions. All other sword cultivators will follow me and sneak behind the enemy. We will strike from two sides and annihilate this elite group from the Nine Cauldrons Sect. We’ll make them understand that Fangyuan Island and the surrounding region have now become the territory of our Xuanming Sect, and we will absolutely not allow them to set foot here!”

”Yes!” The cultivators, already prepared, responded in unison. One after another, they took to the air.

”Crush them!” Lyu Ming roared as the great cultivators rose skyward.

In an instant, sword light tore through the air, carving streaks across the heavens that ripped apart the clouds before vanishing at high speed. Spell cultivators and psyche cultivators boarded modified flying vessels with some combat capabilities and rushed toward the battlefield to reinforce Song Xuan and the other elders.

A distance of five thousand kilometers was not a lot for sword cultivators. Even while maintaining formation and flying at full speed, they could arrive in just over ten minutes. Those particularly skilled in sword flight could compress that time to under ten minutes.

However, this group of Xuanming Sect sword cultivators had to take a detour to sneak behind the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s forces, and their total travel distance would likely reach ten to fifteen thousand kilometers. Under such circumstances, the spell cultivators and primordial psyche cultivators would undoubtedly reach the battlefield before them.

The truth was that the spell cultivators and primordial psyche cultivators got into combat even earlier than expected. After advancing less than two thousand kilometers, a primordial psyche cultivator skilled in detection sensed something. ”Targets are approaching. I detected abnormal separation in the clouds at the horizon. That is a sign of sword light tearing through them.”

The leading primordial psyche cultivator projected powerful psychic thought across the void toward the battlefield three thousand kilometers away. A moment later, he said, ”It is Elder Song’s people. The Nine Cauldrons Sect’s assault is extremely fierce. He is worried about our safety and sent a squad of sword cultivators to meet us.”

The other primordial psyche cultivators nodded. Moments later, another primordial psyche cultivator sensed that something was wrong. ”It seems like more than one squad of sword cultivators is coming...”

Even as he said that, he prepared to activate all his psychic thought to probe ahead. Yet, just as he was about to do so, an immense and overwhelming wave of psychic thought swept across the battlefield like a mountain pressing down.

That primordial psyche cultivator felt as though his psychic thought had been crushed by a stellar force field and instantly ground into dust. His psychic mind suffered severe damage, and his face turned deathly pale. Risking the collapse of his primordial psyche, he forced out a breath and roared, ”Heavenly Palace cultivators!”

That warning immediately jolted the other primordial psyche cultivators accompanying them. Heavenly Palace cultivators?! We have no Heavenly Palace cultivators. That means the ones suppressing us with psychic thought right now are—

”Nine Cauldrons Sect!”

”Stay alert!” Suppressed shouts rang out almost simultaneously.

At the same time, the clouds on the horizon were torn apart. Two groups of 108 sword cultivators, forming battle formations from the front and rear, suddenly burst into the vision of the primordial psyche cultivators and spell cultivators. Immediately after, sword qi surged skyward with loud whooshing sounds!

More than a hundred life-bound flying swords pierced through the void, forming sword light. That sword light, after being further amplified and folded through arrays, ultimately formed a curtain of swords that filled everyone’s vision.

”The Nine Cauldrons Sect’s sword cultivators!” Even though everyone had already seen the suffocating truth pressing down upon them, the primordial psyche cultivator responsible for vigilance still fulfilled his duty, shouting the warning in an almost despairing tone. ”Flying swords incoming!”