Chapter 93: Chapter 93: Dark Clouds Gather, The Weight of the Crown
Donglong Island.
The Qi Family’s fleet advanced swiftly.
The clouds of war now hung heavy over the island!
A great war was imminent!
However, even so...
The Donglong Island Marketplace was still brightly lit and bustling with activity!
In fact, due to the Luo Family’s strategic withdrawal...
After many Luo Family cultivators who were originally stationed on the outer islands returned to Donglong Island, the marketplace beca even more crowded!
Whether they were Luo Family cultivators or Loose Cultivators,
everyone felt the tense atmosphere. They desperately purchased all sorts of items to strengthen their ans of self-preservation.
The prices of all kinds of elixirs, talismans, and Magical Artifacts were skyrocketing.
As a result, the Donglong Island Marketplace beca even more prosperous, the market booming like never before!
But...
Whether it was the increasingly cold and stern Luo Family Law Enforcent Team inside the marketplace...
Or the increasingly frequent incidents of murder for treasure, bloodshed, and death among Loose Cultivators on the outskirts of the marketplace!
So much bloodshed cast a scarlet, bloody shadow over this twisted prosperity!
...
「Luoyue Mountain.」
The Luo Family’s ancestral ho.
Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was oppressive.
Nine Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Luo Family were gathered here.
Luo Qing’e was among them.
With the help of a rank-breaking elixir, she had already reached the seventh level of Qi Refining and joined the upper echelons of the Luo Family!
Moreover, as the daughter of the previous Patriarch, her status was extrely high; she could almost be considered the ’acting Patriarch’.
At that mont, Luo Qing’e presided over the eting. Her gaze was steady as she spoke with a grave tone.
"Everyone, we’ve received news from the front lines. Qingzhu Island has fallen!"
"What..."
"Qingzhu Island..."
The seated Luo Family elders’ expressions all changed, their hands tightening on the wooden armrests.
Even though they had been ntally prepared, the reality of it still ca as a massive shock!
After all, the fall of Qingzhu Island ant one thing—
—the Qi Family’s fleet would soon be at Donglong Island’s doorstep!
"Currently, the Qi Family’s fleet is rapidly approaching Donglong Island!"
"Even though the Soul Gold is relatively slow for a Tier-2 spirit ship, they’ll reach Donglong Island in ten days at the latest..."
"When that ti cos, we will face... a battle for the family’s very survival!"
Luo Qing’e’s expression was as grim as still water as she spoke solemnly.
"The Qi Family’s fleet has two Foundation Establishnt cultivators. Our only hope of resisting them is to rely on the Island Protection Array."
"Therefore, we must destroy—or at the very least, heavily damage—the Soul Gold..."
As a Tier-2 spirit ship, the Soul Gold could be considered a ’mobile Tier-2 Array,’ capable of nullifying the advantage of our Island Protection Array.
And without the Island Protection Array, the Luo Family—with only Luo Xiyin as a Foundation Establishnt cultivator—would undoubtedly be defeated!
"Everyone, I have a plan!"
"According to the intelligence sent back by our spies, the Soul Gold lacks the ability to deal with small, fast-approaching targets!"
"The family possesses several Tier-2 mid-grade fire-elent talismans. Combined with fire-ship tactics, there’s a significant chance we could heavily damage the Soul Gold..."
"Of course, this will only be possible if we all work together with one heart..."
Luo Qing’e explained seriously.
There were also certain conditions for using talismans.
It wasn’t as if a Qi Refining cultivator could just take a stack of Tier-2 talismans and obliterate a Foundation Establishnt cultivator as if they were playing cards.
If that were the case, how could the Way of Talismans be ranked last among the four arts of cultivation: Elixir, Artifact, Array, and Talisman?
In truth, using a talisman placed certain demands on a cultivator’s cultivation level and Spiritual Sense.
A Tier-2 mid-grade talisman, especially an offensive fire-elent one, required at least a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator to activate and control it with any stability.
Otherwise, if mishandled, the talisman’s Magic might just shoot off toward the sun like a rocket...
Therefore...
Luo Qing’e and the cultivators present all understood that this plan required them to risk their own lives!
Luo Qing’e’s gaze was heavy. As she looked at the Late-stage cultivators of the Luo Family, a sincere plea appeared in her eyes.
"Everyone, I ask that you..."
Just then, a discordant voice interrupted her.
In the hall, an old crone with white hair and wrinkled skin spoke in a raspy voice.
"Heh... You want us old bones to sacrifice ourselves for the family? I have no objection to that."
"But..."
"I have a question."
"Where is Su Ye? Why isn’t he joining the battle? He’s a Late-stage Qi Refining cultivator too!"
"Besides, in the battle at the shipyard, he killed four other Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. With strength like that, his participation in the plan would increase our chances of success significantly!"
"My husband has other important matters to attend to..." Luo Qing’e said calmly, her expression unchanging.
"Heh..."
The old crone chuckled, her cloudy eyes turning stiffly. "Important matters..." she said in a low, haunting voice. "Could it be that Su Ye has already taken the Ghostly Flood Dragon to prepare an escape route for the direct family line?"
The sharp accusation was like a cold, venomous snake slithering onto the back of her hand in the middle of a dream, causing Luo Qing’e’s pupils to shrink!
At that mont, the other Late-stage cultivators in the hall turned to stare at her in unison!
The cultivators from the branch families, in particular, had complex and speculative looks in their eyes.
Luo Qing’e’s heart tightened, and she imdiately retorted.
"How could you say such a thing!"
"Su Ye is carrying out a secret mission. Forgive
for not being able to reveal too much, but..."
Luo Qing’e took out an exquisite silver Token and held it in her hand.
"I have already reported this to the Matriarch!"
"It’s actually the Matriarch’s Token..." the old crone murmured, lowering her head and falling silent.
Luo Qing’e inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and regained her composure.
"If there are no other questions."
"Next, I will assign the defensive tasks..."
...
「An hour later.」
The Luo Family’s Late-stage cultivators left one by one to carry out their defensive assignnts.
The main hall quickly fell silent, leaving only Luo Qing’e behind.
"Mmm..."
A trace of exhaustion appeared in her star-bright eyes. Her body relaxed as she leaned back in the Patriarch’s seat.
’Acting Patriarch.’
’This isn’t just about power; it’s about a heavy, crushing responsibility!’
’Heavy is the head that wears the crown.’
’There is no responsibility without power, and no power without responsibility!’
’Only by shouldering responsibility can one firmly grasp power.’
’I know all these principles...’
’But I’m just so tired...’
Alone at last, she finally shed her confident, composed facade, revealing a hint of vulnerability.
With a great war imminent, Luo Qing’e, as the acting Patriarch, had to be responsible for the Luo Family’s survival...
The Luo Family’s three-hundred-year legacy, the hard-won Donglong Island that their ancestors had carved out, the lives of several thousand kinsn...
The responsibility was too heavy!
The incredibly slim chance of victory, in particular, made Luo Qing’e’s heart feel even heavier.
Lately, she often woke up from nightmares in which she dread of Donglong Island being reduced to ruins...
The burden on Luo Qing’e’s slender shoulders was unbearable.
She was, after all, only in her twenties...
"Mmm..."
Luo Qing’e drew up her legs, planting her jade-like feet, clad in white silk, on the chair.
She wrapped her arms around her knees, curling her body up like a little hedgehog.
Her body trembled, and tears shimred at the corners of her eyes. She let out a few quiet sobs, forcing herself not to cry out loud.
"Husband, where are you..."
Luo Qing’e had lied.
There was no secret mission.
She had no idea what Su Ye was doing out at sea...
"He only said that this trip to sea was very important, and that if all went well, he could completely turn the tide of the war..."
Rationally, Luo Qing’e didn’t quite believe it.
After all, with such a huge disparity in strength, it seed impossible for a single Qi Refining cultivator like Su Ye to turn the tide of the war...
What’s more, taking the Ghostly Flood Dragon out to sea at a critical ti like this was tantamount to desertion.
’But...’
’Just this once, let
follow my heart...’
Reviews
All reviews (0)