Chapter 1401: Immortal Gate's Ninth Star-Sea Army Group, Deputy Commander of Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun

"Array frequency fluctuation adjustment, army soul fluctuation adjustment…"

"The Immortal Gate's Ninth Star-Sea Army Group is about to set out. Fleet transition will begin in ninety-five minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Please…"

Above the Immortal Gate's mother star, a sea of steel fleets spread out, covering every place within the line of sight, endless and boundless, a powerful sense of oppression emanating from the cold metallic sheen.

This Immortal Gate fleet was about to set out, heading to the Tian Yuan Domain realm passage to garrison it.

When necessary, when war machines appeared, this fleet would be thrown directly into the Ancient God Domain battlefield, completing the destruction and occupation of Dao Merging-level forces in the Ancient God Domain, bringing more light and happiness to all beings there—at the very least, a life far better than that of the past sect-rule era.

In the mother star's super teleportation array, many Immortal Gate soldiers were boarding warships, sky-carriers, and starry fortresses amid farewells from their loved ones.

Many relatives wore sorrowful expressions, many children saw off their parents, many elders saw off their children, their eyes filled with reluctance, weeping beyond words.

Because this was a star-domain-level war.

Regardless of victory or defeat, this might be the last time they saw each other. Protracted star-domain wars often lasted hundreds or thousands of years, exceeding the lifespans of many cultivators.

Yet, despite so much reluctance, no one retreated.

Because this was the duty of a citizen!

A duty that arose while enjoying the many rights of citizenship.

The world is balanced, and Immortal Gate citizens are balanced too. All citizens must fight for the Immortal Gate. No one is more equal than anyone else; no one can stay comfortably in the rear enjoying peace while frontline soldiers fight for their lives, reaping the many dividends brought by the frontline soldiers' fierce battles.

Weakness is no excuse; the strong and the weak are equally equal.

Both the strong and the weak must contribute to the Immortal Gate, must fulfill the Immortal Gate's military obligations—otherwise it is a betrayal of the Immortal Gate and all citizens, and citizenship is automatically forfeited.

A citizen who evades military obligations is not a citizen of the Immortal Gate.

In one corner of the many farewells, an ordinary spot, Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun was also being seen off.

"I never thought today, again, it would be me left behind to garrison the mother star…"

Teacher Gu Lin said with a bitter smile: "The last Jiao Jiao Mingyu war was like this, and this time it's the same. It's fortunate I'm not a sword cultivator, otherwise my entire Dao path would be ruined."

"When will I ever get to go to the battlefield?"

She was on the Immortal Gate's Facheng list.

Once things went awry—for instance, if the frontline suffered a great rout, the citizen fleet was wiped out, or a powerhouse above Dao Merging appeared—the Immortal Gate would flee, and a batch of seeds had to be left behind to await future revival.

"Leaving behind the seeds of the future is likewise an important military operation."

"That Yuanci Rail-body cultivator, although already at Soul Transformation and about to comprehend

the power of Order, is still quite strained and has not reached your level, Teacher."

Jiang Ding consoled: "As a seed for future revival, one's potential must be high enough. Naturally, Teacher, you are the one who should bear this responsibility without yielding."

"If you wish to participate in the war, there will be opportunities. If the war goes smoothly, the Immortal Gate will need to complete the annihilation of many Dao Merging forces, which will inevitably take an extremely long time—ten thousand years may not be enough. When that time comes, you will not lack opportunities for service."

That Yuanci Rail-body cultivator was named Tianci Canghai Tianjun, an outstanding Soul Transformation cultivator the Immortal Gate had produced over several thousand years, who had made many breakthrough achievements on the Yuanci path.

But unfortunately, he had not reached the top-tier prodigy ranks of the realm. Among the human race, top-tier talent can determine the lower limit, but the upper limit still depends on one's own brilliance and effort.

Of course, that Tianci Canghai Tianjun was not lacking in brilliance or effort; he was likewise very dazzling, not a mediocre sort, and his future advancement to Void Refinement was highly likely.

It was just that he was not dazzling enough.

"I'll take your auspicious words."

Teacher Gu Lin said helplessly.

She was about to advance to Void Refinement, within these several hundred years.

When that time came, she might be nominated as one of the Immortal Gate's participating administrators to garrison the mother star. She was an absolute prodigy the Immortal Gate had nurtured through its arduous years; her past experiences were precious wealth that had forged a foundation no less than that of the Dao Sons of the Badaxian Sect.

The two chatted for a long while, each with their own feelings.

"Master Canghai Canghai Tianjun,"

"Deputy Commander of the Ninth Star-Sea Army Group, sir!"

Teacher Gu Lin straightened her body, saluted, and said: "I wish you victory in return, bringing boundless light between the endless realms, and moving one step closer on your path to immortality, further expanding the living space of the citizens."

"It will be so."

Jiang Ding returned the salute.

Jiang Ding turned and left. Beside him were Siyan Canghai Tianjun and Jin Lingfeng Canghai Tianjun; they also served in the Ninth Star-Sea Army Group, holding the position of Group Army Commander, though they were still some distance from the positions of Deputy Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Staff—those belonged to Void Refinement cultivators like Mieri Zhenzun.

The three walked together toward the massive steel fleet formation in the starry sky.

"Everyone,"

"How is your preparation for Void Refinement?"

Jiang Ding looked at the two women and asked softly.

Excluding time spent in slumber, An Siyan and Jin Jin Lingfeng were roughly seven or eight thousand years old—not very young even for Soul Transformation cultivators, already in the later stage of their lives.

If they could not break through to Void Refinement, in just over two thousand years they would become nothing more than a pile of dry bones.

Two thousand-plus years.

That seemed like a very short span of time; it might pass in the blink of an eye.

"Not so good. The war merits needed for the Void Refinement opportunity have only been gathered to less than one-third, it seems."

"Over this past period,

the realms have been too peaceful—no chance to earn merit. As for Immortal Dao research, I haven't been able to produce any major breakthrough results."

An Siyan adjusted her black-framed glasses and sighed.

"I'm about the same."

Jin Jin Lingfeng's silver hair fluttered in the void, swaying left and right as the netherworld gale blew past, and she sighed: "After Soul Transformation, looking around in all directions, everyone is a genius, an outstanding talent—there's not even an ordinary person to be found. We can no longer manage to be among the top tier of Soul Transformation cultivators."

This was even with Jiang Ding's usual heavy support—many high-quality research projects, if the two of them were suited, they were the first to be thought of.

All the usual difficulties in cultivation and research were repeatedly discussed and exchanged; the external environment was quite favorable.

But regrettably, with the passage of time, generation after generation dying off and new generations appearing, and combined with the Immortal Gate's powerful Immortal Dao education system, realm-level geniuses emerged in endless streams. They truly had the will but lacked the power, and now showed a trend of falling behind the topmost tier of Soul Transformation cultivators.

The two women were therefore somewhat sorrowful.

"Why worry?"

"You're not inferior to anyone."

Jiang Ding smiled slightly: "Siyan, Jin Lingfeng, the two of you possess a top-tier talent even in the endless cosmic starry sky, far surpassing many peerless prodigies. Your future is bright, the Great Dao within reach — what is there to worry about?"

"What talent? How come I don't know about it?"

An Siyan and Jin Jin Lingfeng shot him a withering look.

"That's exactly it!"

"You share an extraordinarily deep friendship with the young Great Sun Sword Progeny!"

Jiang Ding straightened up and declared loudly: "Isn't this talent stronger than some innate Dao Body?"

"The ancients said, 'when one rises to heaven, even the chickens and dogs ascend with him.' The very existence of the Great Sun Sword Progeny can completely elevate the strong ones around him, granting them potential far beyond their own. In the future, what's so remarkable about advancing to Refining Void?"

"This is inevitable!"

He patted his chest, brimming with confidence.

"Nonsense!"

"You're the chicken and dog!"

An Siyan and Jin Jin Lingfeng couldn't bear to look, quickly casting spells to shield this utterly chuunibyou speech from view, lest the many cultivators of the Ninth Front Army witness their commander's towering image crumble in an instant.