“Sect Master.”
In Iron Bone Peak’s great hall, Li Qingyang entered and cupped his hands. “This disciple has returned.”
Jun Changxiao said, “Perfect timing. The battlefield stronghold has expanded considerably during this time. I’ve been waiting for you to build it.”
“Yes.”
Li Qingyang withdrew.
“Hall Master Li.”
Jun Changxiao transmitted his voice. “Notify the Northeast Lu Province branch to send people to hide in Little Cold Village and secretly protect that girl. If any problems arise, have the branch master bring his own head to the sect to apologize.”
He’d already learned about the situation between Li Qingyang and Sister Qiao’er, so he absolutely had to eliminate all danger. He couldn’t allow a tragic scenario of lovers being separated forever.
“Understood.”
Li Luoqiu immediately communicated with the Northeast Lu Province intelligence network.
Before long, the small village already protected by Extreme Cold Palace also gained many experts skilled in assassination arts, hidden in the shadows for protection.
At this point, forget bandits causing trouble—even if fourth or fifth-rate sects sent people to make trouble, they would surely meet their end.
Martial artists of Star Meteorite Continent would never imagine that a small village with only a hundred residents would have such powerful experts hidden in the shadows, with a defensive level no less than a third-rate sect.
This was still just bandits causing trouble. If the situation had been even more dangerous, Jun Changxiao dispatching an entire legion from War Cavalry Hall wouldn’t have been impossible.
For his disciples.
Jun Dog Leftover just loved making mountains out of molehills.
—
The next day.
Li Qingyang led fellow disciples into Star Meteorite Continent and began planning and construction.
His beloved hadn’t returned with him to Eternal Ancient Sect, which left him quite dejected. Only by throwing his energy into work could he temporarily forget his unhappiness.
A new round of construction began.
Eternal Ancient Sect disciples worked with great enthusiasm.
Since the area was already large enough, Li Qingyang could finally fully display his construction talents.
As for Jun Changxiao, he wasn’t idle either. While disciples built the stronghold, he continued using the Treasure Seeker to find opportunities, with territory extending outward at intervals.
This expansion speed exceeded that of dozens of other planes combined.
—
Central Supreme Province, the Altar.
Just as Jun Changxiao stole another opportunity and returned to the stronghold, the time displayed on the Earth Spirit Instrument suddenly shortened to only two years remaining.
“What?”
The High Priest shot to his feet in alarm. “How did the time to enter the Planar Battlefield accelerate!”
After the Upper Realm issued the command for Star Meteorite Continent to enter the Planar Battlefield, the Earth Spirit Instrument began counting down. Originally over three years remained, but now it had suddenly been reduced by more than a year. This was utterly inconceivable!
“What’s going on?”
“Are they making us go to our deaths a year early!”
Several elders’ eyes filled with despair.
The Demon Emperor Gate had suddenly emerged, stirring up endless trouble for the major sects.
Now the time to enter the Planar Battlefield had been accelerated by a year—truly misfortunes never came singly, like a leaking roof meeting continuous rain, a boat encountering headwinds.
“Ai.”
The High Priest shook his head. “Inform all the major sects of this matter.”
“Yes.”
That very day, news that the entry time to the Planar Battlefield had been moved up by a year spread throughout Star Meteorite Continent’s major sects.
“Damn it!”
A major sect’s Sect Master raged, “The timeline has become even more urgent!”
“Sect Master, we must find Demon Emperor Gate as quickly as possible. Otherwise, when we enter the Planar Battlefield and they take advantage of the chaos to cause havoc, the entire continent will likely face great disaster!”
“Exactly!”
That Sect Master said, “We must resolve this internal threat within two years!”
Because the entry time was moved forward, each sect realized the severity of the problem. Countless meetings, large and small, were held, producing innumerable plans targeting Demon Emperor Gate. But since they couldn’t find its hiding place, they remained at an impasse.
—
“Sect Master Jun!”
In the cafeteria, visiting Mu Changhong said with a bitter face, “The time to enter the Planar Battlefield has accelerated. Now only two years remain.”
“It accelerated?”
Jun Changxiao thought in bewilderment, “Could it be like the bound soul bomb, with its own little temperament?”
Speaking of the soul bomb, Dog Leftover wanted to cry.
All these years, he’d worked tirelessly for the sect without any relaxation of vigilance, yet that thing sometimes reduced the time for no reason whatsoever.
Later, Jun Changxiao gradually figured out the pattern.
Not getting up at the prescribed time resulted in deductions. Spending too long in the bathroom also resulted in deductions.
Most unacceptable of all.
Taking too long in the bath also resulted in deductions!
The hundred-year countdown had only been going for about five years, with ninety-five years remaining—that’s how it should have been. In reality, it had already counted down to ninety-three years.
The missing two years were naturally deducted.
I clearly haven’t been slacking off or treating things passively—why reduce the time!
“Ding! Self-destruct remaining time: 93 years 150 days 14 hours 23 minutes 32 seconds.” Just as Jun Changxiao complained internally, the soul bomb’s countdown suddenly accelerated by another hour.
The system said, “The soul bomb has emotions. The host better be gentle with it.”
“…”
Though Jun Changxiao was full of rage and grievance, he could only grit his teeth and swallow it.
Though the soul bomb was unreasonable, because it could deduct time anytime, anywhere, Sect Master Jun had developed good habits of not sleeping in and finishing bathroom business quickly.
Give him a phone now, and he absolutely wouldn’t scroll through news or browse social media while on the toilet.
“It’s just two years.”
Jun Changxiao said, “City Lord Mu needn’t worry excessively.”
Given the current scale of stronghold development and his reputation in the Planar Battlefield, even if Star Meteorite Continent’s martial artists entered now, there would be no danger.
“Ai.”
Mu Changhong said enviously, “If I had Sect Master Jun’s mentality, I wouldn’t suffer from insomnia every day.”
“City Lord Mu, the food’s getting cold.”
“Smack smack!”
City Lord Mu began eating in large mouthfuls.
At this moment, only delicious food could console his despairing mood.
“Oh, right.”
Jun Changxiao said, “Hong Lian is about to break through to Martial Emperor.”
With various resources assisting them, many non-core inner disciples had also reached peak Martial King level during this period.
Hearing this, Mu Changhong’s mood became even more dejected.
His daughter breaking through to Martial Emperor was worth celebrating, but once she achieved it, she’d have to enter the Planar Battlefield.
“Ai.”
Mu Changhong shook his head. “What must come will come. We can’t avoid it. We can only leave it to fate.”
“Sect Master Jun.”
“Could I have another bowl of fried rice?”
—
Among Eternal Ancient Sect’s inner disciples, Lu Qianqian, Li Qingyang and others were the absolute core.
Li Shangtian, Sima Zhongda, and students from Heavenly Oracle Academy like Mu Honglian, Huo Ling, and Chu Xiunan, who joined the sect later, belonged to the second tier.
Due to spiritual roots and late entry, they had gaps compared to the first batch of core disciples. However, by now, they’d successively reached peak Martial King level.
One day.
Jun Changxiao summoned these people, distributed True Yang Sets and Surge Talismans, and led them into the Planar Battlefield.
Inside the battlefield, Li Shangtian broke through to Martial Emperor using the talisman and flew around the stronghold, laughing excitedly, “I’ve ascended! I’ve finally ascended! Hahaha!”
“Hall Master Zi.”
Jun Changxiao said, “These new recruits are in your hands. Take them out for some training.”
Demon King Zilin said coolly, “Follow me.”
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Li Shangtian, Mu Honglian and others flew out of the stronghold. Only after flying quite far did they sporadically see experts comparable to Martial Emperors or even Half-Saints, and they exclaimed in shock, “There really are experts everywhere here!”
“Look, they’re Star Meteorite Continent martial artists!”
“Retreat, retreat!”
Eternal Ancient Sect disciples’ uniforms were distinctively bright, so after being discovered by martial artists from various planes, they immediately fled like they’d seen ghosts.
Li Shangtian said in bewilderment, “Hall Master Zi, they seem very afraid of us?”
Mu Honglian, Huo Ling and others were equally confused.
Their senior brothers had told them the Planar Battlefield was full of experts and very unfriendly—they had to be extremely careful after entering. But in reality, others ran away upon seeing them. The situation was completely different from what they’d been told!
—