645: The ancestors gathered

With this vast and peerless power, the Xili Empire has undeniably ascended to the peak of the Cultivation World's powers, becoming the well-deserved supreme authority that no force can contend with.

Those once-arrogant top Sects now, under the Xili Empire's might, can only restrain their brilliance and shrink into their core territories to linger on, no longer daring to show the slightest disrespect.

After hearing the officer's report, a sharp cold light flashed in He Dong's originally calm eyes. He said "Good" three times in a row, his tone carrying an irrepressible decisiveness.

"Good, good, good! Pass down my order: in half a month at the latest, launch a sweeping operation across the entire line! Any forces or Cultivators within the Cultivation World who are unwilling to submit or refuse to join the Xili Empire shall be thoroughly eliminated without leaving any future troubles!"

His words were powerful and resonant, carrying an unquestionable iron-blooded authority.

Since leading the troops into this Cultivation World, He Dong had stayed here for too long.

He missed his hometown and was even more concerned about the various deployments back home. The thought of returning home grew in his heart like a vine, and he could no longer hold it back.

But he was not blinded by the urgency of returning home, knowing that the most critical hidden danger had not yet been removed.

Those Tribulation Crossing Stage Old Ancestors hidden deep within the major top Sects.

These old monsters had each lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years, with unfathomable cultivation. They were the Cultivation World's final trump cards and the greatest obstacle to unifying the world.

If a general offensive were launched rashly and these Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors were pushed to a dead end, their desperate counterattack—even if the Empire could ultimately win—would inevitably come at a tragic cost, which was definitely not what He Dong wanted.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent so much time slowly completing this plan.

He Dong tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, his gaze falling on the holographic map of the Cultivation World. The red dots marked on the map represented the Empire's spies planted within the major forces, densely packed and covering almost all the top Sects.

Especially in the Lingxiao Immortal Sect, the Elders who had joined had already begun operating openly. Every move within the Sect could be reported back immediately. In contrast, the Lingxiao Immortal Sect Old Ancestors had yet to respond.

He had his own calculations; during this time, the Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors of the major top Sects were clearly caught in a dilemma.

Submitting to a so-called "Xili Empire" from the Universe was equivalent to abandoning the Sect's foundation and Legacy that had been passed down for tens of thousands of years.

But if they resisted, facing the crushing weight of tens of millions of Cultivators would be like an egg striking a stone.

It was precisely this hesitation that provided an opportunity to persuade them to surrender.

"Wait another half month."

He Dong spoke slowly, his tone certain.

"This half month will be enough for those wavering forces to see the situation clearly. Perhaps we won't even need to act; some Sects will take the initiative to bring their Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors to surrender."

He knew very well that the Cultivation World had always been a world of following the trend and respecting the strong. As the Empire's might grew, the psychological defenses of those Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors would eventually be gradually dismantled.

The half-month period was both a final ultimatum for the other side and a buffer period for the Xili Empire to integrate its internal forces and prepare for the general offensive.

At that time, whether they submitted voluntarily or resisted stubbornly, the Xili Empire would thoroughly clear all obstacles and truly unify this Cultivation World. Then, he could return with the glory of victory, having perfectly completed the task Li Yang gave him... Inside the Lingxiao Hall at the summit of the Main Peak of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect, clouds and mist swirled, and sandalwood incense curled, yet they could not suppress the heavy atmosphere in the hall that was almost stagnant.

Dozens of figures stood solemnly in the hall, all of them elderly men dressed in ancient Daoist robes with auras as deep as an abyss.

Looking around, there wasn't a single Sect Elder; they were all reclusive Old Ancestor-level figures of the Lingxiao Immortal Sect. From those who had been in seclusion for a thousand years just to strive for Ascension, to those who had only entered the Tribulation Crossing Stage in the last thousand years, all of them had broken through their seclusion and gathered together.

The thousand-year Spirit Pearl hanging from the ceiling of the hall emitted a soft spiritual light, but it could not illuminate the gloom in the depths of the Old Ancestors' eyes.

Below the head seat, the Seventh Ancestor slowly rose. His hair and beard were all white, and his Daoist robe was covered with dark patterns settled by time. His voice was old but carried an unquestionable gravity.

"Fellow Daoists, I presume you have all heard of the actions of that 'Xili Empire'."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, and said word by word.

"According to the news sent back by Grand Elder Lu Jun, who joined the Empire long ago, that so-called Empire will eventually launch a 'Great Sweep' of the entire Cultivation World. All who do not submit will be thoroughly eliminated."

"A Great Sweep?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a cold snort full of disdain broke the silence.

In the row on the left, an Old Ancestor with a ruddy face and an aura still carrying the heat of just having left seclusion looked up, his eyes full of indifference.

"An Outer Domain force of unknown origin dares to speak arrogantly of sweeping the Cultivation World? Does He Dong have the qualification?"

This Old Ancestor had just broken free from a death seclusion, focusing solely on breaking through his Realm, and knew very little about the external changes. In his view, the Lingxiao Immortal Sect had a Legacy of tens of thousands of years, with Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors gathered together and an unfathomable foundation. Why would they fear a suddenly emerged "Empire"?

"Old Ancestor, you are mistaken..."

Before the Seventh Ancestor could respond, Xu Yuan quickly took a step forward, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice.

"I am not trying to boost their morale and diminish our own, but according to the detailed intelligence provided by Lu Jun, the power of this Xili Empire has already grown beyond imagination. In just a few months, the number of Cultivators they have taken in is countless; a conservative estimate is nearly fifty million!"

His words were powerful, and several suppressed gasps immediately sounded in the hall.

Xu Yuan continued to add, each word like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of the Old Ancestors.

"Among them, there are over eight million high-level Cultivators at or above the Nascent Soul Stage, nearly a thousand Integration Stage Cultivators, and even Mahayana Stage Cultivators have gathered nearly a hundred!"

These words were like a sudden clap of thunder. The faces of those Old Ancestors who had just shown disdain and had been in seclusion for a long time, unaware of the changes outside, instantly changed drastically. Their surprise could no longer be hidden; they straightened their bodies, their eyes full of disbelief.

They were all old monsters who had lived for thousands of years, so they naturally understood what this set of data meant.

In terms of the number of Mahayana and Body Integration Stages alone, this force already far exceeded any single top Sect. Even the Lingxiao Immortal Sect could not compare at all. If not for the Undergoing Tribulation Old Ancestors presiding over the Sect, in terms of middle and high-level combat power alone, they would have already been far surpassed by the other side.

The atmosphere in the hall became increasingly heavy, and even the sandalwood incense seemed to become sluggish.

The Old Ancestors looked at each other. The disdain and contempt from before had long since vanished, replaced by deep wariness and gravity.

They finally realized that the Xili Empire before them was by no means a clown to be taken lightly, but a colossus capable of overturning the entire structure of the Cultivation World.

"Hmph... You make it sound as if our major top forces have no foundation!"

A disdainful Old Ancestor snorted coldly, his tone still stubborn.

"As long as our Lingxiao Immortal Sect takes the lead and unites those old-guard forces to gather all Undergoing Tribulation and Mahayana Cultivators, could we possibly be afraid of this rabble of tens of millions?"