MTLNOVEL Chapter 165: The Gap
Sect Master Zhao Siliang of the Sub-sect of Nine Heavens Domain?
Such a personage, within the Nine Cauldrons Sect, was already equivalent to a high-ranking official.
A weight heavier than an ordinary elder by a margin.
Comparable to a Hall Master who held a crucial position in the Main Sect.
They were already considered the true high-level core of the Nine Cauldrons Sect.
For a moment, the gazes of several deputy warship captains, along with the other staff members in the captain's chamber, simultaneously fell on Captain Qiao Man.
And Qiao Man...
Sensing this information-carrying Divine Sense, he pondered for a moment and soon scoffed coldly, "Humph, I don't think they have the guts!"
However, considering some extreme scenarios...
He added another sentence, "Moreover, I don't believe that the power of a mere sub-sect in the Nine Heavens Domain could pose a threat to our Patrol Heaven Warship."
With these words, he stood up, his powerful Divine Sense enveloping the whole warship, "Pass my command, increase the power of all defensive formations, perception formations, auxiliary formations, interception formations, and offset formations to the maximum, then, advance at full speed. I demand we reach Dragon Majestic City within three minutes, and at the same time, launch a full power attack formation. Have the Sword Cultivators and Technique Cultivators prepared, and once we arrive at Dragon Majestic City, breach the City Defense Formation within one minute!"
"Yes!"
The person in charge of each formation and each department cordially agreed.
They immediately busied themselves at full speed, all carrying out the captain's orders.
"Captain... this Zhao Siliang..."
"No need to worry about it."
Qiao Man chuckled lightly, "They can't afford the consequences of attacking our Limitless Star Palace Patrol Heaven Warship! Nor can they afford the cost of provoking a Third Generation warship!"
...
Elsewhere.
A command center in the Sub-sect Hall was decked with numerous Divine Sense reception and conversion formations.
Through precise scanning by Heavenly Palace Cultivators, Zhao Siliang saw the image of the Patrol Heaven Warship remaining indifferent, yet all formations' power levels were climbing to their peak with uncontrollable fury in his eyes.
Such disdain.
The Limitless Star Palace completely disregarded the Nine Cauldrons Sect!
Such disregard...
Was plainly treating the territorial sovereignty of the Nine Cauldrons Sect as nothing.
"Sect Master, Hall Master Zhao He is inquiring whether to order an attack?"
One after another, cultivators who were pursuing the Path of Divine Refining turned their gaze towards Zhao Siliang.
As for the other Deputy Sect Masters, Hall Masters...
The had already returned to their respective posts to address this immense crisis.
"Limitless Star Palace!"
Zhao Siliang stared intently at the warship projected in front of him.
"Sect Master, shall we attack?"
"Sect Master, in one more minute, this Patrol Heaven Warship will enter a relatively populated residential area, where regardless of whether we take action, the resulting energy fluctuations will completely destroy the residential area that lacks any formation protection..."
"We must seize every second. Based on estimates, it will take us ten to fifteen minutes to break through the Patrol Heaven Warship's defensive formations, but they... will reach Dragon Majestic City in three minutes. Within three more minutes, they will breach the defensive formations of Dragon Majestic City, thus exposing the entire Dragon Majestic City to the Patrol Heaven Warship's attack!"
One piece of information after another rapidly arrived before Zhao Siliang.
Everyone was waiting for the Sect Master's decision.
And he...
Though hesitating in his mind, reflecting on the contributions of Purple Cloud Courtyard to the Nine Heavens Domain, considering the weight of the Chief of Purple Cloud, and remembering the words spoken by the Sect Master...
Finally, he made a resolute decision!
"Attack!"
He slammed the table sharply.
"Pass my orders! Attack!"
Standing upright, fire seemed to burn in his eyes, "Shoot down this Patrol Heaven Warship!"
The moment the command was given, the minds of the disciples in the command center seemed to freeze for half a second.
The next moment, everyone became busy.
Divine Sense continuously radiated from these disciples.
Orders from Sect Master Zhao Siliang were instantly conveyed to every corner.
"Attack!"
"The Sect Master's command! Sword Cultivators in the Anti-Magic Formation, launch the attack!"
"Order confirmed, please release spells in the Yin Yang Lihuo Formation, target the Limitless Star Palace Patrol Heaven Warship, coordinates have been sent..."
"Nascent Soul seniors in the Primordial Spirit Thought Formation, please be prepared. The wave is about to be triggered, please cooperate with the power of the formation to launch a Divine Sense assault, shattering the information blackout!"
...
And just as the order was delivered.
In Dragon Majestic City, the target of the Patrol Heaven Warship, thirty-six Foundation Establishment Technique Cultivators simultaneously took action, unleashing an ancient divine technique known only to Nascent Soul Cultivators—the Annihilating Purple Light!
The purple light filled the sky, generating an unprecedented annihilation reaction under the amplification of the Yin Yang Lihuo Formation.
The process of annihilation between Yin and Yang energies released an unprecedented terrifying power and carried a brilliance that not even the Great Sun True Fire could match, resembling a Divine Sword that tore through the heavens. It streaked across the void and, guided by the Divine Sense of a Primordial Spirit Cultivator, hurtled towards the Patrol Heaven Warship thousands of miles away.
Simultaneously, in another direction, forty-nine Great Sword Cultivators jointly offered up their Lifebound Flying Swords, which, combined with the formation, seemed to merge into one, forming an imposing giant sword spanning thousands of kilometers.
The giant sword, mixed with the thunderous roar of lightning, followed closely behind the Annihilating Purple Light that tore through the sky, tearing through the thousand-mile sky and slamming toward the Patrol Heaven Warship of the Limitless Star Palace.
As these two waves of attacks were about to reach their target, the Divine Senses of several Primordial Spirit Great Cultivators, like storm winds, invaded the information blackout zone upheld by the Patrol Heaven Warship.
However, whether it was the sword light or the spells, even with several amplifying formations operating at full strength, the Patrol Heaven Warship's sensory and scouting systems had already detected them in advance and quickly transmitted the news to the captain's room.
"Captain, an attack from Nine Heavens Domain is imminent," someone reported.
The message appeared to shock and surprise Qiao Man, followed swiftly by fury...
"How audacious! They actually dare to attack our Patrol Heaven Warship!"
He muttered angrily, and his angry eyes revealed a hint of ferocity, "Then they can't blame me now. Pass my orders... Our warship is under attack, all departments, go into combat mode, intercept with full force... and prepare for a counterattack!"
As his commands were issued, the Primordial Spirit cultivators belonging to the Limitless Star Palace on the warship methodically operated the formations, embedding one after another and merging their power of Divine Sense into a single force.
Soon, a similarly ferocious Divine Sense Storm swept out in a fan shape, colliding with the Divine Sense attacks from the numerous Nine Cauldrons Sect's Primordial Spirit cultivators.
Although the Divine Sense was formless, this collision still rippled visible ripples in the void.
It seemed as if some microscopic materials were disturbed, radiating thousands of weak electrical lights within a few hundred miles, turning the region into a sea of faint electricity.
However, before this sea of weak electricity could settle, the thousand-kilometer giant sword unleashed by the forty-nine Great Sword Cultivators struck.
But...
The Patrol Heaven Warship was aglow with countless lights and spell flashes, quickly causing the thousand-kilometer giant sword to tremble incessantly.
Subsequently, dozens of sword lights, boosted by the warship's formation power, shot out from the ship. Guided by the Primordial Spirit Great Cultivators, they crossed hundreds of miles in an instant at many times the speed of sound, targeting the trembling nodes and instantly shattering the giant sword.
The formation of flying swords was immediately broken.
Despite a swath of Annihilating Purple Light tens to hundreds of meters in diameter piercing the void immediately afterward, similar beams of light were also emitted from the Patrol Heaven Warship, continuously depleting the energy of the Annihilating Purple Light.
By the time the Annihilating Purple Light successfully struck the Patrol Heaven Warship, its potency had reduced tenfold. Even though the exploding energy created a visible white atmospheric ring that shredded the surrounding cloud layers, it...
...failed to breach even a single formation on the Patrol Heaven Warship.
This outcome caused a slight pause in the atmosphere on the battlefield.
The attacks from Nine Cauldrons Sect were either intercepted in advance or shattered, reduced to a tenth of their original strength.
On the Patrol Heaven Warship...
Not a single formation was breached.
The defenses of the Patrol Heaven Warship were layer upon layer...
At least thirty layers!
"How can it be so strong..." someone murmured.
"Third Generation Flying Swords. They are using at least Third Generation Treasure-Level Flying Swords! Those responsible for breaking through and attacking simply couldn't reach the Patrol Heaven Warship!" another exclaimed.
"The Technique Cultivators, even though they chose the highly destructive Annihilating Purple Light, still couldn't touch the formations of the Patrol Heaven Warship by a hair..." another lamented.
"How can we possibly win!?" yet another cried out in despair.
Although the cultivators of Nine Cauldrons Sect had long known that there was a great gap between them and Limitless Star Palace, they never anticipated it to be this vast.
The results displayed in this first clash made many feel a wave of despair.
Meanwhile, aboard the Patrol Heaven Warship, Qiao Man was evidently very pleased with the outcome.
"A bunch of junk metal. How dare they contend against our most advanced flying swords, our strongest formations, and our finest cultivators?" the captain scoffed, then announced, "Send a message to the other side. Tell them that our mission was prompted by a shameless thief who stole advanced technology from our Limitless Star Palace, which is why we entered the territory of Nine Cauldrons Sect. We have no intention of destroying Nine Heavens Domain. Once we take the thief, we will depart. If the sub-sect of Nine Heavens Domain continues to be obstinate and attacks our warship like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, we will counterattack full-scale."
The adjutant was slightly taken aback.
An announcement?
However, Qiao Man did not offer any explanation.
The warning had already been sent.
And since Nine Cauldrons Sect had initiated the first move, and they had restrained themselves to merely intercepting without immediate retaliation, it had already been considerably restrained.
If Nine Cauldrons Sect dared continue their attacks, then they would obliterate the sub-sect of this district of Nine Cauldrons Sect.
If they really handed over the individual...
Then they should not blame them for sending people to take over and inspect the city formations, to see if there were any other "thieves" present.
...
Stay tuned with empire
The command was swiftly transmitted within the sub-sect.
Zhao Siliang, witnessing their first round of attacks not even breaking a single layer of formation on the Patrol Heaven Warship...
...was deeply shocked.
Not just him.
Even Alkaid, situated at the very heart of Dragon Majestic City protected by layers of formations and observing through some using modified Purple Cloud Mk. 12 Flying Swords ideally positioned in the battle zone, felt an indescribable sense of suffocation when he saw this.
At that moment, he finally realized the vast gap between Nine Cauldrons Sect and an ultimate sect like Limitless Star Palace.