Chapter 695: Chapter 695: The Brewing Storm
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The high-frequency communication array at the center of the command deck suddenly flared to life, projecting a massive, encrypted military hologram directly above the tactical table. The glowing red seal of the central sect headquarters pulsed with a heavy, urgent rhythm.
"Orders from the supreme high command have officially arrived, Vice Leader," the communication officer announced, reading the incoming data with a tense, rigid posture. "The directives are. We are strictly commanded to maintain our current coordinates and hold a defensive posture. We are explicitly forbidden from initiating direct combat or entering the frontier ruins until the main armada arrives. The entire Northern Fleet has been mobilized and is currently shifting toward our exact position."
The officer paused, swallowing hard as he scanned the massive reinforcement roster.
"They have deployed a second Impenetrable-class heavy transport flagship," the officer added, his voice shaking slightly. "Furthermore, twelve additional *Invictus-class* dreadnoughts have just broken orbit to reinforce our sector."
The General let out a low, sharp whistle, his weathered face tightening as he looked at the flashing battle map. "It appears the high command is taking your diagnostic report with extreme seriousness. If they have mobilized the sister flagship, it means at least two more high-ranking Generals will be arriving on this frontier alongside a vanguard of no less than one thousand elite cultivators. We should prepare our logistics immediately; this is no longer a border skirmish, this is a full-scale territorial war."
"So it seems," the Vice Sect Leader murmured, his sharp eyes narrowing as he looked out through the quartz viewing array toward the silent, desolate mountain ridges. "Since we have a brief window before the army arrives, I shall head down to execute a localized aerial investigation of the surrounding perimeter. I want to map the terrain before the theater turns chaotic."
"Allow me to accompany you, Vice Leader," Ethan said, stepping forward smoothly, his gravelly voice entirely calm and steady. "I would highly appreciate examining the local flora and energy flow within the sector. If the miasma is leaking from a subterranean source, my clinical senses might allow us to precisely localize the exact coordinates of whatever the local branch unearthed."
Seeing the young doctor’s willingness to step into a volatile zone, the General’s eyes flashed with profound respect. "An exceptional proposal, Doctor Ethan! It would be our pleasure to have your insight on the field. I shall mobilize the vanguard security detail to escort you down immediately."
The boarding ramp slammed down onto the rocky earth once more. Ethan smoothly descended into the canyon alongside the Vice Sect Leader, their long robes rustling against the freezing frontier wind as they began to advance toward the deep, jagged ravines. Behind them, the General’s tactical orders echoed across the valley with unyielding authority.
The colossal silver Impenetrable-class* flagship and its three Invictus escort dreadnoughts began to drift forward at low velocity, casting massive, protective shadows over the tracking party as they tracked their movements from the sky. On the ground, more than four hundred elite Golden Core practitioners immediately deployed into a flawless, ironclad defensive formation around Ethan.
The operational mandate delivered to every single soldier was crushing, and left zero room for failure: the divine physician was the supreme asset of the sect, and he could not be allowed to die under any imaginable circumstance.
As they walked deeper into the jagged ravine, Ethan occasionally bent down to examine the gray, dusty soil, letting it filter through his fingers before looking up at the towering rock faces.
"The structural layout of this terrain is exceptionally strange..." Ethan remarked, his gravelly voice echoing softly over the sound of the low-flying dreadnoughts above. "How long exactly has our sect maintained a permanent administrative presence in this sector?"
The Vice Sect Leader kept his hands tucked into his silver ceremonial sleeves, his eyes scanning the horizon. "The sect aggressively expanded its territory toward the northern frontier roughly three hundred years ago. It took massive political leverage, but we eventually forced the Soaring Dragon Kingdom to officially recognize this entire sector as our sovereign domain."
The old man paused, a reflective look crossing his face. "Originally, this entire mountain range served as a primary military bastion for the Golden Dragon Empire. However, following a catastrophic internal situation that aggressively forced them to execute a total retreat from the northern lines, the territory fell vacant under the loose regency of the Soaring Dragon Kingdom. That was when we moved our pieces to claim it."
"I see..." Ethan murmured, his amethyst eyes narrowing as he locked onto a series of unnatural terraced ridges along the canyon walls. "This area does not possess the natural baseline to support high-tier mineral veins, nor does it host any valuable spiritual vegetation. Yet, the historical activity metrics here are incredibly high. This entire zone was heavily developed and modified in the past."
He extended a hand, pointing toward a sequence of smooth, weathered stone platforms half-buried in the dirt.
"Look right there, and further up along that ridge," Ethan explained, his clinical voice precise. "There are distinct, unmistakable traces of ancient, widespread logging. Originally, this entire barren canyon was a dense, massive forest ecosystem, and it was thoroughly destroyed by intentional human intervention."
Ethan suddenly froze, his amethyst eyes locking onto a jagged crevice tucked beneath a massive, weathered boulder.
"What on earth is that...?" whispered Ethan.
Before the Vice Sect Leader or the elite guards could even execute a response, Ethan violently accelerated, sprinting straight toward the dark fissure at the base of the canyon wall.
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From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.
Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.
Body Refinement Realm
Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement
Spiritual Gathering Realm
Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation
Spiritual Core Realm
Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)
Spiritual Soul Realm
Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion
Golden Core Realm
Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction
Spiritual Sea Realm
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ? ? / Stage 3 ? ?
Dao Manifestation Realm
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ? ? / Stage 3 ? ?
Spiritual Transcendence
Stage 1 ? ? / Stage 2 ? ? / Stage 3 ? ?
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Sword mastery levels
Sword Intent.
Sword Aura.
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