Chapter 311: Chapter 309: Advance Deployment
The Demon Cultivators present started whispering amongst themselves when they heard this.
"A prophecy from the Heavenly Dao... so it’s really true."
"Is something big about to happen in the Cultivation World again?"
"I was observing the celestial phenomena the other night and felt that something major would happen soon. It seems my prediction was right on the mark."
Hearing him say that, the Demon Cultivator sitting next to him couldn’t help but roll his eyes. "Oh, come on. That prediction art you practice has never been right. Three years ago, you said my face showed signs of romance and that a Taoist Companion would show up on my doorstep. In the end, nothing happened."
"Brother, sometimes staying single is a talent all its own. I only said you were fated for romance, but the moment you open your mouth, you nip those romantic prospects in the bud yourself. How can you blame me for that?"
"I did? When did that happen!"
"To give a recent example, three years ago in a Secret Realm, you came across a female cultivator who had fallen into a swamp. But you found her too dirty, so after using your Magic Artifact to haul her out, you just turned and left without a backward glance. When she asked for your name, you turned and snapped, ’None of your damn business.’ Situations like this have happened to you at least a dozen times in the last century. If your mouth weren’t so cursed, your kids would be old enough to run errands by now."
"Well... you never told me that the person who climbed out of the swamp, whose face I couldn’t even see clearly, was my destined love."
He said, scratching his head, "How about you do another reading for me?"
"No..."
"I’ll treat you to BBQ at the night market. All you can drink."
"Deal."
Celeste Grant raised a hand to stop them.
The whispers below ceased.
"Alright, quiet down and listen to me."
"Yes, My Lady."
The Demon Cultivators present responded in unison.
Celeste Grant’s gaze swept over them before she continued, "The Heavenly Dao has delivered a prophecy. In six months, the Cultivation World will face a catastrophe. An Outer Realms Race will break through the void, tear open this world’s protective Barrier, and invade the Cultivation World. We don’t yet know what this Outer Realms Race is, but the prophecy states that these creatures feed on the flesh and blood of Cultivators and all living beings in the world. They are powerful and vicious. Therefore, we must prepare for battle in advance."
"The Immortal Sect is already taking action, and we of the Demonic Sects cannot fall behind. We may not be ’good people,’ but this concerns the very survival of the Cultivation World. This is the world we depend on for our existence. Therefore, at a time like this, we must set aside our prejudices. It’s no longer about the Immortal and Demonic Paths. We must unite all our forces to fight a common enemy and protect the Cultivation World together."
As she spoke, she opened a plan she had prepared. "This document contains the various response strategies for before the disaster and some points on post-disaster reconstruction, all drafted by myself, your Exalted One, and the Left Protector. Everyone, take a good look. Do you have any objections?"
’What objections could they have? The right thing to do is to follow the Lady and The Exalted One. If even The Exalted One and his people have no solution, then the Cultivation World is truly finished.’
"We have no objections. My Lady, just tell us what to do."
"That’s right, we have no objections."
"What The Exalted One and the Lady want is what we want."
Celeste Grant gestured with her hand.
Celeste Grant was very pleased with their support and trust. "Good. This is the attitude I like to see. In any case, thank you all for your support and trust. Next, let’s discuss the specifics..."
In the Council Hall, Celeste Grant began to explain her views, which were mostly details from the plan. She allowed anyone who didn’t understand to raise their hand and ask questions, and she would continue explaining until everyone understood.
The meeting went on until dusk.
Her throat felt a little dry.
Only then did she speak again, "Today’s council ends here. When you return, the first thing you should do is organize your personnel. In the first phase, we will construct several Undercities. The main focus will be on defense and combat. Therefore, all Cultivators in the Demonic Sects with extremely high attainments in Arrays are to remain at the Bloodfiend Den with Elder Lawson and the others to study and develop a Defense Array."
She paused for a moment before continuing, "Furthermore, for all forces within the Demonic Sects, led by the Bloodfiend Den: any disciples who are already in seclusion or are preparing to enter seclusion must be forced to come out. They are to participate in combat training to strengthen their practical experience. Getting hurt now, feeling pain now—it’s all to prepare you to stay alive later. I don’t want to see your corpses lying on the ground when the time comes."
"Yes, My Lady!"
"As you command."
"We will follow your orders, My Lady."
Celeste Grant raised a hand, signaling for silence.
Once they had quieted down, she looked at Nerida and said, "Nerida, make preparations. Start a live broadcast to inform the Cultivation World about this matter. Oh, and the Mortal Realm as well—it’s imperative that everyone is mentally prepared. The Cultivators of the Immortal and Demonic Paths, as well as all mortals, must cooperate fully so we can overcome this disaster together. If anyone dares to use this opportunity to stir up trouble, they will be killed without question."
’I’m trying to save everyone’s lives. But if someone insists on making trouble, they absolutely cannot be spared. After all, one rat dropping ruins the whole pot of congee. Besides, we are Demon Cultivators. You don’t reason with Demon Cultivators.’
’So, sometimes, what can’t be achieved through legitimate means becomes simpler with unconventional ones.’
’Celeste Grant knew from the countless TV shows and novels she’d seen that if you don’t have enough power to keep things in check, a few loudmouths with no real ability can easily incite the masses and cause trouble.’
’That was something she didn’t want to see. Under no circumstances did she want to deal with that kind of moron.’
Nerida nodded grimly.
"Yes, I will see to it at once."
Celeste Grant stood up.
"Alright, that’s all for today. Everyone is dismissed. I have already marked the locations for the underground shelters on the map for you. Get it done as soon as possible."
An underground shelter built by the Cultivation World wouldn’t be a simple little thing; it would be developed on the scale of an Undercity.
After all, in the Cultivation World, moving mountains and filling seas was no problem. Completing such a project didn’t require any advanced machinery, just enough people.
And people were the one thing she didn’t lack.
「The next morning.」
Nerida started the live broadcast.
She informed the Cultivation World of the Heavenly Dao’s warning. Watching were not only people from the Cultivation World but from the Mortal Realm as well.
At that moment, Nerida’s figure appeared on the mobile phone screens of everyone in the Cultivation World.
She had already said what needed to be said, but before ending the broadcast, she didn’t forget to add a few last instructions.
"So that’s the situation. We’re telling you all in advance so you can be mentally prepared. But there’s no need to panic. We in the Demonic Sects have already joined forces with the Immortal Sect to begin constructing Undercity shelters. They will be protected by top-tier defensive Arrays, both inside and out. We will not abandon a single one of you."
"Once the Undercity shelters are built, you will be notified. To the people of the Mortal Realm, we will send Cultivators to bring you to safety. In the meantime, all you need to do is wait peacefully, not cause trouble, and cooperate fully. The same goes for our fellow cultivators in the Cultivation World. We need your cooperation with our work. If anyone dares to use this as an opportunity to cause trouble, the Lady has said: they will be killed without question."
