289: Chapter 289 The Shangqing Plot!

Boundless Sea, southern coastal waters.

The sky was gloomy, and the gale stirred up ten-zhang-high waves, slamming fiercely against the reefs.

Several merchant ships loaded with spiritual items swayed violently in the waves, their protective Formations flickering, teetering on the brink of collapse.

On the deck, dozens of Cultivators stared in terror at the churning sea.

"Quick! Fill the Formation eyes with Spirit Stones!"

A Foundation Establishment Stage steward roared hoarsely, but before the words left his mouth, the sea surface exploded with a boom.

A water-black tentacle broke through the surface, instantly entangling the Flying Sword in mid-air, dragging the Cultivator who was controlling the sword into the deep sea, leaving behind only a pool of glaring blood.

Immediately after, dense swarms of shrimp soldiers and crab generals, strange fish with bone spurs on their backs, and massive sea beasts surged out of the sea like boiling water.

"Beast Tide! The Beast Tide has erupted early!"

Screams and the sounds of Magical Artifacts shattering intertwined.

In less than half an incense stick of time, the merchant ships were torn to shreds, the Cultivators perished, the ships sank, and several islands of Loose Cultivators near the coast were instantly razed to the ground.

The revenge from the Sea Beast race had only just begun!

Qingcang Kingdom, Shangqing Sect.

In the Main Peak's great hall, purple Qi swirled, and the light of Dao manifested across the firmament and the earth.

Thirteen white jade armchairs floated in mid-air, arranged in a circle.

The hall was so quiet that a falling needle could be heard.

Thirteen Nascent Soul True Monarchs were gathered together; the Shangqing Sect had not seen such a Formation in thousands of years.

"Abnormal movements in the Southern Sea; twelve of the thirty-six coastal islands have already fallen."

"According to scouts, Demonic Qi is soaring from the seabed; at least several million sea beasts are assembling. This is no small commotion."

In the center of the hall, the Sect Head, True Monarch Ziyang, spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, but it resonated like a great bell, vibrating everyone's eardrums.

True Monarch Ziyan, who sat to his left, was a female Cultivator of extreme beauty. She played with a strand of dark hair and chuckled:

"In previous years, the Beast Tide was merely some low-level sea beasts coming out to forage. Calculating the dates, it is still two or three sixty-year cycles away from the great tide that occurs every three hundred years."

"Could it be that the Liang Kingdom and Wei State are playing tricks behind our backs, causing this early eruption?"

"Do they want to use the hands of the sea demons to exhaust the foundation of our Shangqing Sect?"

"The Liang Kingdom is currently overwhelmed and has no energy to provoke the sea demons."

An old man with a withered face spoke coldly. He was True Monarch Zihe, the member with the most seniority in the Sect:

"As for the Wei State, those old immortals of the Xuanqing Sect don't even dare to leave their Sect gates, let alone have the courage..."

True Monarch Ziyang nodded and flicked his finger.

A light curtain radiating spiritual light unfolded in the center of the hall.

"If it were only abnormal movements in the Southern Sea, that would be one thing."

True Monarch Ziyang pointed to the northernmost part of the light curtain: "Yesterday, reports came from the North Territory. The Sea Ape Beast race of the Boundless Sea is also pressing down with a large army, and three cities in the northern border of the Wei State have already been breached."

"Not only that, the Eight-Clawed Giant Beast race of the East Sea is also approaching the eastern waters of the Liang Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, the Nascent Soul True Monarchs in the hall frowned slightly.

"A pincer attack from north and south, striking from three directions?" True Monarch Ziyan retracted her smile: "This is definitely not an ordinary Beast Tide. It is that those old Demon Kings of the Boundless Sea have reached a consensus to target the Xuanling Continent."

"Sect Head, have you found out the reason?"

"It is said that the Poison Flood Dragon race of the Southern Sea suffered the fall of that Poison Flood Dragon, and Great Lord Ao Qin is using this as an excuse to launch an attack." True Monarch Ziyang's tone was flat:

"But we all know the truth about the fall of that Poison Flood Dragon."

"That was merely our excuse to test that Thunder Bear."

"They are all just excuses."

"The sea race simply sees the conflict among the three kingdoms of our Xuanling Continent and wants to take the opportunity to plunder flesh and blood and weaken the foundation of our Human Race."

The great hall fell into silence once again.

The thirteen Nascent Soul True Monarchs were all old foxes who had lived for hundreds or nearly a thousand years; no one could use righteousness to kidnap anyone else...

"Fight, or defend?" True Monarch Zihe broke the silence, pointing straight to the core.

True Monarch Ziyang looked at everyone, his gaze profound:

"Although our Shangqing Sect has thirteen Nascent Soul True Monarchs, if we really go to war with the Boundless Sea, we have a good chance of winning, but it would only exhaust our foundation."

"The Wei State and Liang Kingdom are dying for us to fight to the death with the sea demons."

"What does Senior Brother Sect Head mean?"

"Abandon the chariot to save the commander."

True Monarch Ziyang's finger pointed heavily at Feng Prefecture on the light curtain: "Feng Prefecture is located in the southern territory, and its water system is developed, making it the most vulnerable to the impact of the sea demons."

"Ziyang, Mingyuan, Hanyuan, Fangyi, you four Junior Brothers will go to Feng Prefecture to garrison."

"Remember, only defend the core cities and large Spiritual Veins. As for those Mortal cities, Loose Cultivator markets, and surrounding small Family clans..."

True Monarch Ziyang paused, his tone devoid of any ripples:

"Discard them. Do not worry about it."

No one in the hall refuted this.

Abandoning most of Feng Prefecture meant that millions of Mortals and hundreds of thousands of low-level Cultivators would become the flesh and blood for the sea demons.

But in the eyes of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs, this was just a string of numbers on an account book.

Using millions of flesh and blood to feed the sea demons and delay them for some time—this deal was very cost-effective.

"Remember, focus on defense and do not clash head-on with those Transformed Demon Kings. If the situation becomes untenable, retreat to the interior."

Hearing this, the four True Monarchs bowed in unison: "Understood."

True Monarch Ziyang turned his head and looked at another True Monarch who looked like a middle-aged Confucian scholar: "Junior Brother Yuanshang, you make a trip to the Liang Kingdom. True Monarch Tongming has become a Loose Cultivator."

"He holds the foundation of the Qingfeng Sect in his hands. Go and win him over. As long as he is willing to join our Shangqing Sect, he can name his conditions."

"Rest assured, Senior Brother, this matter is easy to handle."

True Monarch Yuanshang shook his folding fan and agreed with a chuckle...

"As for the rest of us..."

True Monarch Ziyang sneered, reached out, and pressed firmly on the territory of the Liang Kingdom on the map: "The Liang Kingdom is in chaos, and the three major Sects are entangled by the Holy Blood Sect."

"Now that the sea demons are holding them back from the East Sea, this is a god-given opportunity!"

"Station troops on the eastern border! Be ready to invade the Liang Kingdom in a big way at any time!"

"The sea demons eat the Mortals, and we, we eat the Liang Kingdom!"

Hearing this, greed and fanaticism flashed in the eyes of the group of Nascent Soul True Monarchs. Troubled times are the best time for large Sects to expand!

At the same time, those Golden Core Cultivators of the Liang Kingdom.

If any are suitable, they will be excellent rations for them...

Back then, the reason the Demonic Path abandoned many Golden Core forces was to pay them as rations for this group of Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Shangqing Sect!

Compared to their own descendants, eating those from other Sects is more cost-effective, isn't it.

Feng Prefecture, Evil Water Marsh.

The news spread quickly. Although the decision of the Shangqing Sect was secretive, the contraction of the border defense line could not be hidden...

Countless Mortals dragged their families along and fled north.

The Loose Cultivators were like headless flies, scurrying around, trying to find a safe sanctuary to survive.

But the sea demons were faster.

The black tide had already crossed the coastline, and following the developed water system of Feng Prefecture, it poured madly into the interior.

Wherever it passed, villages turned into swamps.

Towns became ruins, and fresh blood dyed the rivers into rivers of blood!

Yunjian Mountain Range, Zixiao Peak.

Shi Jian lay in the Lightning Pool, listening to the report of Old Daoist Yundu.

"The Shangqing Sect has abandoned most of the defense line in Feng Prefecture, and the four Nascent Soul True Monarchs are only defending the main city."

Old Daoist Yundu's face was pale, and the hand holding the whisk trembled slightly: "The sea demon army has already approached the northern land of Feng Prefecture, less than several thousand miles away from the industries under the governance of our White Cloud Temple."

"Millions of Mortals, abandoned just like that. This move by the Shangqing Sect is truly cold-blooded."

Shi Pan lay to the side, sneering repeatedly.

Yundu smiled bitterly: "In the eyes of Nascent Soul True Monarchs, there is only the Dao and the Sect's Legacy. Mortals are like leeks; harvest one crop, and they grow back after a hundred years."

"It is truly bitter!"