Chapter 367: Chapter 260: Alliance (Second Update)
“The remuneration is fair, but they intend to establish a mountain gate in Nanyang City and then cling to Qingzhou without leaving? That place is not far from us,”
With a furrowed brow and a heavy voice, Taoist Qiu said.
Although Ghost Ridge Palace is now forced by the Righteous sect into treacherous mountains filled with crises, it still holds ambitious aspirations.
In Qingzhou, although there is more than one Demon Sect, Ghost Ridge Palace stands as the only significant one.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible for it to withstand the siege of the Five Righteous Sects for so long while still maintaining its combat effectiveness.
Ghost Ridge Palace does not wish for more powerful Demon Sects to enter Qingzhou, especially when they are so close to their own base.
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Even villains don’t like living next to other villains! Let alone allowing others to snore beside one’s bed.
“Let’s allow them to stay here for now. If those Righteous Sects continue the siege, having two sects nearby could provide mutual support,”
Zhang Junwei said this and then added, “Once we have regained our strength, we will address the opposition. Now is the time to unite outside forces.”
The elders below whispered among themselves. Through Divine Soul transmission, Xiao Fengyuan asked Su Jie, “Brother Su, what do you think?”
“I’ll sit and watch.”
Seeing Xiao Fengyuan’s speechless face, Su Jie corrected himself, “Right now, the key for Ghost Ridge Palace is to survive. Whether Heavenly Soul Sect will be trouble for us in the future, at least for the current stage, we have no other choice.”
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Su Jie was whispering with Xiao Fengyuan, and Zhang Junwei caught on to their conversation.
Zhang Junwei looked over and said indifferently, “Su Jie, you are our sect’s Immortal Seed and the youngest from the Secret Realm. I’d like to hear your opinion.”
Su Jie didn’t expect to be called upon, but he wasn’t stage fright and spoke, “I think the Sect Master is right. His considerations are for the overall situation. No one wants a new competitor in their territory, but as elders, you should be aware of our sect’s current plight.
A large number of low and mid-level disciples have fallen in battle, trade routes are cut, and Righteous disciples continually harass us. Our sect’s reserves of wealth, materials, and manpower are all being consumed. We can barely keep going by relying on the Mountain Protection Array, and that’s only because those Righteous Sects have slowed down their offensive. If we continue like this, we will definitely be the first to falter.”
With this well-spoken plea, many elders nodded in agreement.
Zhang Junwei looked at Su Jie a few more times and revealed a faint smile on his face – obviously, he was satisfied with Su Jie’s response.
“That’s right, Ghost Ridge Palace has reached a do-or-die moment. If we still care about our reputation now, we’ll only end up losing this war. When our mountain gate is breached, what face will we have to meet the founders of Ghost Ridge Palace in the afterlife?”
At that time, Tang Peiqing also provided assistance, sharing Sect Master Zhang Junwei’s concerns.
The discussions gradually died down. Clearly, everyone understood the rationale behind what Su Jie and Tang Peiqing had said, but there was an innate reluctance, an unwillingness to accept other Demon Sects encroaching on their territory.
“Now, anyone who disagrees with this alliance, please raise your hand,”
Zhang Junwei knocked on the armrest and made the proposal.
Only a few hands were raised, with the majority of the elders in concurrence with the alliance.
“Then it’s decided. We’ll join forces with the Heavenly Soul Sect and fend off the siege of the mountain gate by the Five Righteous Sects led by Guan Chao Pavilion,”
Zhang Junwei brought down the gavel, settling the alliance with Heavenly Soul Sect.
“As for the specific time of combat, we’ve set it for four months from now. During this time, Refining Hall, Alchemy Pavilion, Sword Casting Platform, Spirit Medicine Garden… all departments must work together to produce various war necessities. This will determine the outcome of the great battle,”
Upon this declaration, many elders stood up to express their support.
“Sect Master, Refining Hall and Alchemy Pavilion will spare no effort to provide Magic Artifacts and spiritual elixirs, arming our disciples,”
Tang Peiqing bowed and said. He managed the Refining Hall and Alchemy Pavilion, second only to Zhang Junwei in status within Ghost Ridge Palace. His stance said a lot.
“Sect Master, the Sword Casting Platform I oversee will also give it our all, crafting more Flying Swords and Demon Swords to help our sect weather this storm,”
Another elder stood up. The Sword Casting Platform was also part of Artifact Refining, but specialized in crafting Flying Swords. Those who worked there were rare Sword Cultivators in Ghost Ridge Palace.
Though few in number, their combat prowess should not be underestimated. Cao Yuan, the previous owner of the Sword Nourishing Gourd hooked on Su Jie’s waist, was a member of the Sword Casting Platform, and the gourd was cultivated by them.
“Sect Master, from tomorrow on, Puppet Hall will dedicate all our manpower to talisman production, ensuring each disciple is equipped with three talismans before the battle commences,”
“Array Pattern Palace will expedite the creation of war-related Arrays. When the great battle comes, we’ll deploy them for slaughter and help the sect achieve victory,”
“Sect Master, I, Xiao Fengyuan, may not have much, but I do have this life. When the decisive battle comes, I will lead the charge, opening a path of victory for our sect,”
One after another, elders stood, even those without departments to oversee, indicating they were ready to exert their utmost for the sect.
Zhang Junwei, looking at this fervent scene, said with gratification, “I appreciate your dedication. The sect will allocate funds to all departments, working together to secure victory in this decisive battle,”
“Yes,”
The elders shouted in unison.
“Sect Master, Puppet Hall also has something to say,”
At this time, Su Jie stood up, indicating that his Puppet Hall was also ready to contribute.
However, upon hearing Su Jie’s words, the eyes of many elders turned strange.
That was because the Puppet Hall was so marginalized that it was almost unnoticed.
In past sect affairs like this, they were practically non-existent.
Zhang Junwei was rather puzzled and asked, “What are you trying to say? Let me make it clear upfront, there is no spare funding for Puppet Hall to carry out puppet research. Any extra money has to be spent on the war.”
“Sect Master, I’m not here to ask for funds. I’m here to contribute to the sect.”
With a confident smile, Su Jie said, “I’ve designed a brand new type of special puppet that can play a huge role in the war. You may not believe me just by my word, so I’d like you to come and see the quality of the new puppet for yourself.”
“Oh, that’s news to me. Then let’s take a look,” he replied.
Zhang Junwei was somewhat skeptical, but Su Jie’s expression didn’t seem like he was boasting.
“Please, Sect Master, and all Elders, you might also want to take a look. Our Puppet Hall has changed.”
Turning to invite the other Elders, and considering the face of the Immortal Seed as well as their genuine curiosity about what new inventions Puppet Hall had created to make Su Jie so confident, the Elders all nodded and agreed to go.
After the sect’s grand hall meeting concluded, Su Jie had someone notify Zhu Zhangqi, while he personally led the Sect Master and Elders outside the Mountain Gate.
Half an hour later.
In a flat grassy valley, Su Jie led a group of Ghost Ridge Palace higher-ups to the site.
The terrain here was open with a clear view, an excellent place for a trial.
“Where is the puppet you spoke of?”
Tang Peiqing’s curiosity was piqued by Su Jie and he wanted to witness the secret puppet Su Jie had mentioned.
The other Elders felt the same; in their minds, Puppet Hall was only known for flashy but impractical combat puppets.
The fighting power was passable, but they were too costly. A large-scale battle could deplete all resources, and most still preferred poisonous insects.
“Please look, the people have arrived.”
Su Jie extended his hand toward the south, where a row of huge dark silhouettes appeared on the horizon.
The Elders turned to look and saw groups of twelve Horned Scale Horses, each cluster dragging a strange steel puppet behind them.
This puppet was entirely different from the humanoid ones they had seen in the past; it didn’t share any similarities.
Round, black wheels with a silver-gray, rectangular steel shell; it looked quite ordinary.
The Horned Scale Horses, known for their stamina and strength and as the primary beasts of burden for the sect, moved effortlessly over mountains as if on flat ground. Even while dragging the heavy Rocket Artillery, they quickly reached Su Jie’s location, accompanied by dozens of Puppet Hall disciples making their way over.
“Hall Master, all thirty Rocket Artilleries have been brought here,” said Zhu Zhangqi as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurried over to Su Jie.
Ever since receiving the task from Su Jie, the entire Puppet Hall had been working nonstop, busying themselves in the Rocket Artillery production.
Although the process was simple, the workload became significant when producing in large numbers. And since they were handcrafted, it was very tiring.
“This is the Sect Master and the Elders. Introduce the Rocket Artillery to them. Sect Master, this is Zhu Zhangqi, the most skilled disciple of our Puppet Hall. He was the one who oversaw the initial production and final shape of the Rocket Artillery,” Su Jie said, patting Zhu Zhangqi on the shoulder, offering him this rare opportunity to show his face.
“Sect… Sect Master, Elders… good, the puppet is called Rocket Artillery, it’s a… a kind…”
Zhu Zhangqi, a burly man, started to tongue-tie, struggling to speak clearly under the gaze of the Elders.
“Take it easy, no rush,” said the Sect Master with a wave of his hand, then walked over to examine the odd steel machine up close.
“…this was independently designed by the Hall Master, a special puppet that launches attacks using remote firepower. Powered by Spirit Stones, it fires a warhead filled with poison…”
As Zhu Zhangqi talked about the puppets he specialized in, he became more fluent and began to speak more freely and at length.
After listening, Zhang Junwei gave no reaction; one simply couldn’t grasp the allure of the Rocket Artillery from words alone.
“Sect Master, this is the secret puppet I mentioned, the Rocket Artillery that can help our sect win the decisive battle. You may not think much of it just from hearing about it, but please allow me to demonstrate the attack effect. I promise you won’t be disappointed,” Su Jie said with a smile, gesturing for the Puppet Hall disciples to start adjusting the Rocket Artillery for a live demonstration.
“Can you pull this off, kid?” Taoist Qiu couldn’t help asking, hoping his most promising disciple wouldn’t be looked down upon in his first sect assembly.
“Master, when have I ever let you down?” replied Su Jie confidently, watching the Puppet Hall disciples get the Rocket Artillery ready to fire.
As the Rocket Artillery slowly elevated to an angle, pointing its dark maw towards the sky dome, disciples brought out rockets and began to load them.
Once everything was prepared, Zhu Zhangqi looked at Su Jie and said, “Hall Master, all is ready. We can fire at your command.”
“Fire,” commanded Su Jie with a nod, issuing the directive.