Chapter 237: The Confidence of Dharma Appearance Against Communion with God

Fang Xu is currently in closed-door cultivation, so the matter of taking action against the Great Yan Sect must be decided by a vote of the seven temple elders.

Zhongli Hui is well aware in his heart that the seven temple elders will certainly not oppose this matter.

After all, although the Dark God Temple fled from the Central Continent to Three Mountains Island, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse, so dealing with a minor branch of the Great Yan Dao Sect is still easy.

After deciding this matter, he immediately had someone summon all the temple elders.

After the remaining few arrived, Zhongli Hui put forward his opinion, then, according to the rules, he had them begin voting.

As expected, the remaining six all approved the proposal.

However, regarding the dispatch of personnel, it sparked some controversy.

Chu Ren Di said the Great Yan Sect's strength is not strong, so we can send some new disciples over as a form of training.

After all, Three Mountains Island has been peaceful these years, with no major battles.

The new disciples who joined the Dark God Temple have greatly increased their strength over these years, but they have never had a chance to engage in combat; this operation against the Great Yan Sect is thus a good training opportunity.

Cultivators only grow faster by experiencing life-and-death battles.

Qi Shaoyu also agreed with Chu Ren Di's view, believing that temple disciples, especially newcomers, indeed need some combat to improve themselves.

Such combat cannot be compared to sparring between disciples.

However, Zhongli Hui and a few other elders are not too in favor.

Even Ku Lun feels that dispatching a large number of new disciples is somewhat inappropriate.

After all, the Great Yan Sect is a branch of the Great Yan Dao Sect; according to reconnaissance, those of the Great Yan Dao Sect who have infiltrated Three Mountains Island have already manifested a Dharma Appearance Realm cultivator.

Moreover, we still do not know how many Primordial Warrior Realm experts exist beneath that Dharma Appearance Realm.

If the situation gets out of control, sending a large number of new disciples would undoubtedly be sending them to their deaths.

You should know that the Dark God Temple has spent vast resources over the years to cultivate these new disciples.

It's merely training; it can be done at any time.

When the time comes to advance into the Central Continent, it certainly won't start with a full-scale decisive battle; it will definitely begin with localized skirmishes.

Each side held its own view, and for a while neither could persuade the other.

Zhongli Hui, helpless, could only initiate a vote on this matter again.

"Those in favor of letting the new disciples gain experience, please raise your hands."

Scanning his gaze over the few people, Zhongli Hui spoke.

Qi Shaoyu and Chu Ren Di immediately raised their hands.

After a moment, the Third Elder also slowly raised his hand.

"Third Elder, you……"

Seeing the Third Elder raise his hand, Zhongli Hui looked at him in puzzlement.

The temple's Third Elder, Liao Yunfeng, nicknamed "Unmoving as a Mountain," is the most steady person in the entire Dark God Temple.

Zhongli Hui never expected Liao Yunfeng to actually endorse Chu Ren Di's proposal.

In his view, Liao Yunfeng should be able to see the hidden dangers of this matter.

"Grand Elder, the times are different now."

Liao Yunfeng gave a faint smile and said: "Since the temple has chosen to accept newcomers, we must not keep them sheltered in a greenhouse."

"They need to experience life and death; this is also the fate that was set for them when they joined the temple."

"If this campaign to exterminate the Great Yan Sect truly meets with misfortune, we can only say it is fate."

After saying that, he glanced at the Second and Fifth Elders and said: "Besides, for this battle against the Great Yan Sect, do we old fogeys not need to take action ourselves?"

"If we take action yet fail to protect the disciples below, that would be our incompetence!"

His words said, Zhongli Hui and the three others were stunned for a moment.

"Haha, Elder Liao is right."

"I, the old one, also agree."

The ever-silent Ku Lun laughed heartily and slowly raised his hand.

Four to three, the outcome of this vote was already decided.

Seeing this, Zhongli Hui said nothing more.

"In that case, let us send the new disciples forward as the Fifth and Seventh Elders intended."

"However, the number should be larger; I suggest dispatching all fifty thousand new disciples."

Zhongli Hui still wanted to err on the side of caution.

Unreassured by the new disciples' strength, he decided to increase the headcount as a safety margin.

Upon hearing this, Qi Shaoyu frowned slightly, wanting to say more, but Chu Ren Di beside her tugged at her sleeve.

Since Fang Xu is absent, Zhongli Hui's move is also meant to ensure stability.

Qi Shaoyu hesitated a moment, then said nothing further.

"The choice of team leader……"

"I'll go!"

"I'll go too!"

Before Zhongli Hui could finish speaking, Qi Shaoyu and Chu Ren Di immediately jumped in to speak.

The proposal to let the new disciples gain experience was theirs, so they naturally must personally lead the team.

Otherwise, if problems truly arise later, the two would have no way to explain things to Fang Xu.

"Or else, bring along the Bone Senior." Zhongli Hui pondered for a moment and said.

"Bring Gu Yuxi?" Qi Shaoyu was bewildered.

The peak strength of the Great Yan Sect is in the Dharma Appearance Realm; our side deploying fifty thousand disciples and two Communion with God Realm experts is still not enough.

They even had to bring along a cultivator at the half-step True God Realm.

Is this still considered training?

"Grand Elder, this is going too far."

Ku Lun could no longer bear to watch, laughing as he looked toward Zhongli Hui and said.

"Is that too much?" Zhongli Hui still didn't know what the two were thinking, only feeling that letting Gu Yu Xi go together would be more secure.

"Grand Elder, there's no need to trouble Senior Gu; we can handle it ourselves."

Qishao Yu also hurriedly spoke up.

After all, in the entire Dark Divine Temple, aside from Fang Xu and Gu Yu Xi, Qishao Yu's strength is considered the strongest.

Thanks to the complete Immortal Scripture that Fang Xu had passed to her earlier, Qishao Yu's current strength is now on par with the Five Emperor Lords of the Great Expansion Dao Sect.

Zhongli Hui hesitated for a moment, but ultimately still felt uneasy.

But seeing Qishao Yu and Chu Ren Di insist, he felt helpless and could only entrust the matter to the two of them.

"Remember, safety must come first."

"The temple's current strength cannot afford any losses."

Qishao Yu nodded.

She also understood that every bit of the temple's present strength was painstakingly accumulated by everyone.

"Grand Elder, just wait for our good news."

The two rose and left the room, beginning to select the disciples for this journey.

Time quickly passed three days; after some screening, the two finally selected fifty thousand new disciples.

Among these new disciples, the lowest cultivation level is Martial Venerable, while the highest have already approached the Dharma Appearance Realm.

After the personnel selection was complete, Qishao Yu found Princess Lu Qing Luo, and using her status as a princess, she mobilized over a hundred naval treasure vessels from a coastal city next to Canghai City.

The lord of Canghai City, Wang Jian, had already confirmed that he was a member of the Great Expansion Sect; if these treasure vessels were requisitioned from Canghai City, it would surely alert the enemy.

To avoid detection, the over a hundred naval treasure vessels did not approach the shallow sea but instead anchored directly at the boundary between the deep and shallow seas.

The fifty thousand disciples of the Dark Divine Temple each used their own means to cross the shallow sea and gather at the designated point; once everyone had assembled, Qishao Yu ordered the fleet to set sail.

Over a hundred huge treasure ships set sail toward Cloud Immortal Island, where the Great Expansion Sect is located.

Cloud Immortal Island is a small island standing in the eastern sea of the Yu State, with a straight-line distance from Canghai City exceeding a thousand li.

By rights, this distance already exceeds the maximum sailing range of fishing boats.

Fishing boats from the Yu State's coast rarely venture three hundred li offshore into the deep sea to catch fish.

However, due to the presence of the Great Expansion Sect, many fishermen from Canghai City often risk their lives, piloting small fishing boats deep into the ocean to head for Cloud Immortal Island.

Such abnormal behavior is naturally the work of the Great Expansion Sect's members.

After investigation, the Great Expansion Sect initially had some martial artists escort and protect the fishermen as they ventured into the deep sea to fish.

Compared to the deep sea, the shallow sea not only has fewer fish, but the varieties are also quite ordinary and not worth much money.

But the deep sea is different.

Most of the fish in the deep sea can be considered ferocious beasts, some even on the verge of demonic transformation.

If one happens to catch a fish on the brink of demonic transformation, it is enough to sustain an ordinary fisherman's family for a lifetime without worry of food or drink.

It could even enable one's descendants to become martial cultivators.

Under such temptation, many fishermen eagerly joined the Great Expansion Sect.

Fang Xu was initially unaware of these matters.

Even deciding to have the Immortal Engraved Stone Boat stop in that sea area was merely a spur-of-the-moment idea of his.

He felt that, being five hundred li from the coast, ordinary fishermen would never go there, nor would any ocean-crossing treasure ships choose to pass through that spot.

Who could have predicted that the location where the Immortal Engraved Stone Boat stopped would happen to be the necessary passage to Cloud Immortal Island?

As a result, large numbers of fishermen often passed through the waters where the Immortal Engraved Stone Boat was stationed.

Fortunately, Fang Xu had kept a trick up his sleeve, having Qu Huan lay the teleportation array on the seabed.

Otherwise, they would likely have been discovered long ago.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Lu Qing Luo still prepared to have the waters designated as a forbidden zone in the name of the imperial family, ordering Lord Wang Jian of Canghai City to prohibit fishermen from approaching.

But Wang Jian directly refused.

This also led to the exposure of the Great Expansion Sect.

After the fleet passed the waters where the Immortal Engraved Stone Boat was stationed, it continued eastward and, by nightfall, reached the sea area thirty li outside Cloud Immortal Island.

This distance is still somewhat remote for Martial Venerable cultivators, making direct flight difficult.

But once one's cultivation reaches the Primordial Martial Realm, it becomes different.

Therefore, after the fleet halted, Qishao Yu began to devise a plan according to her own ideas.

She directly divided the fifty thousand people into two parts.

One part, consisting of ten thousand, was to accompany her and Chu Ren Di to Cloud Immortal Island to hunt down the enemies of the Great Expansion Sect.

The other part, forty thousand strong, needed to encircle the entire Cloud Immortal Island to prevent any fish that slipped through the net from escaping the island.

The forty thousand were organized into boats of four hundred each, with each boat assigned a cultivator of the Dharma Appearance Realm.

They mutually responded to one another from afar.

If any side detected a Great Expansion Sect member attempting to flee, the nearby strong cultivators could quickly reinforce.

After the assignments were distributed, the fleet began to move.

After the hundred treasure ships had completely surrounded Cloud Immortal Island, the disciples preparing to land and engage in battle were also ready.

Under the leadership of Qishao Yu and Chu Ren Di, ten thousand cultivators rose into the air and flew straight toward Cloud Immortal Island.

Once they had departed, the over a hundred naval treasure vessels directly tightened the encirclement, sealing Cloud Immortal Island completely watertight.

On Cloud Immortal Island, the people of the Great Expansion Sect also seemed unaware that they had already been exposed.

Sensing a large number of strong experts approaching, the entire Cloud Mountain Island instantly sounded an alarm.

Swish! Swish!

Figures rose from all parts of the island in succession, and in the blink of an eye they appeared before Qi Shaoyu and the others.

As more and more Great Expansion Sect cultivators took to the air, Qi Shaoyu's brows furrowed slightly.

She hadn't expected the Great Expansion Sect to have so many cultivators whose strength surpassed Martial Sovereign.

Cultivators below Martial Sovereign lack the ability to fly.

Now, the number of people from the Great Expansion Sect in the skies above Cloud Mountain Island had surprisingly reached seven or eight thousand.

Seven or eight thousand cultivators above Martial Sovereign, placed on Three Mountains Island, aside from the Dark God Temple, would be an existence capable of sweeping everything away.

Chu Ren Di was also secretly startled at this moment.

The Great Expansion Dao Sect didn't know what method they used, but they actually secretly transported so many strong experts to Three Mountains Island! If it weren't for Lu Qing Luo's accidental discovery of the Great Expansion Sect's existence, after they had been on the island for a period of time, allowing the enemy to accumulate enough power, the unprepared Dark God Temple would likely suffer unimaginable devastation! "Kill!"

Both sides seemed to know each other's identities, so without a word of nonsense, they immediately launched into battle.

Among the Great Expansion Sect's crowd, several Dharma Appearance Realm cultivators stared at Qi Shaoyu with solemn expressions.

"That is the Seventh Elder of the Dark God Temple, a sword dao genius."

"His strength is not much inferior to that of the Emperor Lord."

One of them, a burly bald man, spoke in a deep, resonant voice.

Facing the God-Penetrating Realm with only Dharma Appearance Realm cultivators, they showed little fear, which made Qi Shaoyu feel something was off.

"Old Seven, be careful; I think there's definitely catnip in here."

Qi Shaoyu whispered to Chu Ren Di.

Chu Ren Di nodded, his spiritual power quietly spreading as he cautiously probed the surroundings.

Although the Dharma Appearance Realm and God-Penetrating Realm differ by only one level, their powers are worlds apart.

Frankly speaking, the Dharma Appearance Realm is the pinnacle of humanity.

While the God-Penetrating Realm is a leap in the level of life.

Igniting the divine fire means stepping into the realm of gods.

Without exaggeration, a cultivator who has just entered the God-Penetrating Realm can easily slay more than ten Dharma Appearance Realm experts.

The other side certainly cannot be unaware of this.

Now, even though they know Qi Shaoyu's identity and her strength, under normal circumstances those few should have no fighting spirit at all, their minds only on how to escape.

Qi Shaoyu couldn't fathom the source of their confidence, so she could only choose to strike directly.

Only by forcing the opponent to reveal their trump cards could she feel at ease.

Thinking of this, a Heaven-Reaching Long Sword suddenly burst forth from behind her!

The sharp sword aura was so intense that even the surrounding space could barely withstand it, appearing as fine cracks.

Sword rises!

Qi Shaoyu hesitated not, and slashed toward the several Dharma Appearance Realm cultivators ahead!

The endless sword aura, carrying terrifying pressure, enveloped and locked onto them.

If the opponent had no means or trump cards, this move would surely slay them on the spot!

Qi Shaoyu's reason for using this move right away was naturally to see what hidden means the opponent possessed.

The Heaven-Reaching giant sword slanted downward; the faces of several Great Expansion Sect Dharma Appearance Realm experts changed slightly, and each took out a pitch-black bone staff from their bosom.

That bone staff resembled the skeleton of some creature, entirely dark black and gleaming with metallic luster.

After the bone staff was drawn, they immediately moved to block the descending giant sword.

Clang! The seemingly unremarkable bone staff, upon being struck by the giant sword, actually emitted a clear, loud ringing.

Although they blocked Qi Shaoyu's sword, the bone staffs in their hands showed fine cracks, each spewing out large amounts of blood mist as their bodies retreated hundreds of meters.

"Is this your source of confidence?" Seeing her attack blocked, Qi Shaoyu furrowed her beautiful brows and muttered.

No, this is definitely not the trump card those few thought could block my attack! (End of chapter)