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Chapter 211: Counterattack Horn
"I see..." Chen Xuan chuckled. "You're overthinking it. Whether the Immortal Alliance exists or not is just a passing cloud to me. Your decision isn't wrong; it's simply a matter of taking responsibility for your choices."

You're not angry with us?

“If it’s not a mistake, then why blame me?” he retorted.

The two were overjoyed and said, "Thank you very much, Immortal Master!"

"I told you, Immortal Master would understand us." Ji Lian nudged her brother with her elbow and whispered, glaring at him.

"But you were the one who said not to speculate about what the immortals are thinking," Ji Yun said helplessly.

So the reason they haven't summoned the Ability Shop for so long is because they're worried about being held accountable? Chen Xuan was somewhat amused and exasperated. If it weren't for Liu Shuyue wanting to know the details of the spiritual energy device, it would probably be over a hundred years before he could connect to this world again.

"Actually, the Immortal Master also deserves some credit for the success of our plan." Ji Lian winked mischievously at Chen Xuan.

"Why do you say that?"

Ji Yun explained, "The failure to defend Chang'an City was already a huge blow to the Immortal Alliance. However, the establishment of a stronghold in the Western Continent and the allocation of demon resources allowed the Immortal Alliance to retain its real power. If the teleportation array continues to operate, their authority will only increase day by day."

“But you disappeared.” Ji Lian continued with a smile, “We agreed to activate the grand formation every now and then, but years have passed without any news. The Immortal Alliance has contacted us many times, trying to find out your whereabouts. Without the grand formation, their control over the cultivators in the Central Plains has decreased significantly, which is why the Lotus Cloud Sect had the opportunity to grow.”

Thinking back, during this period when time seemed to be flowing at an accelerated pace, he should still be trapped in the Second New Paris.

"Perhaps this is cause and effect," Chen Xuan said, feigning profundity.

"Oh, right..." Ji Yun suddenly clapped his hands, "Over the years, I have painstakingly studied the spells taught by Immortal Master Liu and made some improvements to them. Immortal Master, could you please examine my improvements and tell me how they are going?"

"Oh?"

Since he had said so, how could Chen Xuan not take a look? He took out the barcode scanner and pressed the scan button on Ji Yun.

The opponent's abilities were clearly more than five. After filtering through them several times, he found that apart from the legendary ability "Twins", the highest grade were still those few Lotus Cloud Sect techniques.

For example, "Heavenly Cloud Divine Skill" LV8, gold.

"It can permanently evolve the body, taking the first step towards ascension. It removes the limitations on the lifespan of the physical body, and now the mental cultivation method can prolong life and improve health."

"Thousand Thoughts Sword: Breaking the Law" LV4, Purple.

"It can be used to cut vegetables, to fight tanks, to break spells, and to pierce through phantoms. The one who wields this sword can cut down anything."

Even the beginner-level mental cultivation technique, the Mind-Clearing Mantra, has changed.

"True Secret of Purifying the Mind" LV10, Blue.

"It has the effect of regulating emotions and protecting the body and vital energy. It is not impossible to use it to prolong life."

"You changed all of these?" Chen Xuan was greatly surprised.

He originally thought that the other party's so-called improvement was that the spells had been upgraded by one or two levels, but he did not expect that the names of these spells had changed!
From the store's perspective, this should be considered a new capability.

"As expected of the Immortal Master, you really can tell the difference." Ji Yun said happily, "This is not my achievement alone. Ahua also helped me a lot. She can sense any thoughts in my mind. In this way, one of us can test and the other can correct during practice, which is how we achieved these results."

The power of a cultivation genius is indeed not simply reflected in their ability to absorb spiritual energy...

Chen Xuan couldn't help but feel a little envious.

"The improvements are all quite good... at least in my opinion, they are more comprehensive than the previous spells."

"That's good." Relieved by the immortal's affirmation, the brother and sister were at ease—after all, unlike Chen Xuan, they couldn't directly see the ability descriptions and grades. It was not uncommon in the cultivation world for someone to ruin themselves by adjusting their cultivation techniques. "We have recorded these improved cultivation techniques and methods in detail. If the immortal and immortal masters don't mind, they are welcome to take them for reference."

This time, Chen Xuan abandoned his reserve and immediately agreed. He knew these things would be useless to him, but it would be different if Liu Shuyue got them. If she could learn the techniques, it would essentially be the same as having them himself.

However, he was slightly concerned about the description of "Tianxia Divine Skill".

The restriction on physical lifespan has been lifted... What does this mean? Was the Heavenly Cloud Technique deliberately designed to prevent the increase of lifespan?

He remembered Liu Shuyue saying that people who sense Qi generally live long lives, easily reaching seventy or eighty years old; and disciples of the Lotus Cloud Sect can even live to be over one hundred and twenty years old... if nothing unexpected happens to them.

However, this longevity seems to have nothing to do with the cultivation method; it is simply a direct manifestation of the body becoming stronger and more robust after absorbing spiritual energy.

He always believed that practitioners could not achieve immortality.

However, it now seems that this viewpoint has significant problems.

If the Heavenly Cloud Technique could increase lifespan from the very beginning, what would happen? When the next generation of Lotus Cloud Sect disciples emerges from seclusion, the previous generation's disciples will still be alive and well, their bodies showing no signs of aging, and their abilities not declining. Will these two generations still be able to peacefully hand over their responsibilities?

That being said, if a kingdom can be assisted by a generation of disciples, why would a sect need to send out a new batch every hundred years?
Ultimately, the mystery still lies with the Lotus Cloud Sect itself—what exactly is its relationship with the six kingdoms? Based on the information currently available, the patronage of the kingdoms increasingly seems like an excuse.

Is the Lotus Cloud Sect in front of us the same Lotus Cloud Sect that nurtured Liu Shuyue?
If the two exist in the same world, where are the Great Wilderness of Ten Thousand Mountains and the Abyss Sea now?
"My lord... is there something strange on my face?"

Perhaps because Chen Xuan had been staring at Ji Yun absentmindedly, the latter asked somewhat strangely.

"No...it's nothing." He coughed twice and looked away. "If the Lotus Cloud Sect grows bigger in the future, don't come up with any kind of ordinary people observation plan or anything like that."

"Uh... what is that?" the two asked, bewildered.

Chen Xuan didn't know how to explain it, and he was worried that revealing too much would have a chain reaction on the future, so he could only reply casually, "Just remember this sentence."

"Yes, disciple will remember." Ji Yun clasped his hands in agreement.

Seeing Chen Xuan nod in satisfaction, he continued, "Immortal Master, this disciple has another request."

"You said."

"I would like to invite you to witness the prelude to this counter-offensive with us," Ji Yun said earnestly. "Tomorrow, the fleet will enter enemy territory, at which point the enemy will surely launch a fierce counterattack. You do not need to take action; you can simply stand on the flagship and observe—I believe the allied forces will surely be victorious!"

Chen Xuan had no reason to refuse the invitation.

According to Ji Yun and Ji Lian, the four major sects today can all be considered successors of the Heaven and Earth Supreme Sect. The siblings also passed on the theoretical knowledge taught by Liu Shuyue to Luo Huizhi and others, such as the advantages and disadvantages of absorbing natural spiritual energy and cultivating by slaying demons, as well as basic mental techniques like the Heart-Cleansing Technique. In a sense, the cultivators of the Immortal Alliance era twenty-five years ago are fundamentally different from the sect cultivators who rose to prominence in the last ten years.

If the former is still groping its way forward in a state of chaos, then the latter is a new generation of cultivators trained according to a mature cultivation system.

He was also eager to know what kind of effect this change would have.

……

At 9:40 a.m. the following morning, the horizon appeared above the gray edge of the island.

The deep, resonant sound of horns traveled from one windship to another, like thunder rumbling in the sky.

Chen Xuan, Liu Shuyue, and Lin Qing also boarded the command platform of the "Crimson Feather" at this moment. As soon as they appeared, the three heard a roar of cheers. Whether they were sect cultivators, French soldiers, or witches from the gathering place, they were all waving at the command platform and shouting the names of the immortal masters or divine messengers.

"Are these people welcoming us?" Lin Qing asked, somewhat uneasy.

"So that's how it is." Chen Xuan couldn't help but chuckle. So this was the other reason why the siblings asked him to stay?
While witnessing the first battle of the counterattack was certainly not a lie, it now seems that they hadn't fully revealed their true reasons. In the eyes of all the participants, they represented the Celestial Realm or the Heavenly Lord, who had suddenly reappeared after years of silence and was personally present at the flagship's command post. Even if they did nothing, this would greatly boost morale.

In a close contest, the brave prevail, which undoubtedly added another trump card to the Allied forces' victory.

(End of this chapter)