Chapter 590: Meeting of the Two Sects

“Valley Master!”

“Chief!”

As Chen Che arrived and the crowd parted, a chorus of greetings rose through the camp. However, the cultivators blocking the entrance did not disperse. They warily watched the group of Golden Core cultivators from the Star-Picking Sect who had made a sudden appearance.

After all.

Even Duobao of their own Primordial Sect had dared to turn on them after the battle. Who could say what the Star-Picking Sect—their mortal enemies until just recently—might do at a time like this? Many of them even let their True Essence flare, poised to strike at a moment’s notice.

Above the camp, countless cultivators had already begun silently circulating their True Essence.

At least several hundred arrows were already aimed at her.

“Fellow Daoist Yu, to what do we owe this sudden visit?”

Chen Che cupped his hands, his demeanor neither warm nor cold.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, we were ambushed here by the Mist Rain Tower, which disrupted our progress. After a discussion amongst ourselves, we of the Star-Picking Sect have decided to invite the Chiefs of the Primordial Sect to discuss how we should retaliate.”

Yu Yunko cupped her hands and said with a smile,

“We’ve been extending invitations as we came. The other Chiefs from your sect are already heading to the banquet. Would you be willing to join us?”

“Lead the way.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Chen Che gestured for her to lead. He then turned and waved away the many people behind him who wanted to follow. “Go back to your posts…”

Hearing this, the people in the camp finally dispersed.

After nodding to Yu Yunko, Chen Che took his grandfather and followed her party out of the camp.

…

The meeting was held on a mountain peak situated between the Primordial and Star-Picking Sects. This mountain, called Dragon Gazing Mountain, had once stood thousands of feet tall. The “dragon” in its name referred to the great river where Wen Chaocan’s Demon Python had once hidden.

From its summit, the great river winding through Chu State looked like a coiling silver dragon, giving the mountain its name.

But after a great battle, the mountain had been reduced to a small hill. The river was blocked and had long since been rerouted. Now, Dragon Gazing Mountain was less than a hundred meters tall—nothing more than a mound—and its base was now a river flat.

When Chen Che arrived, he saw that, just as Yu Yunko had said, the representatives from the other great Halls were all present.

Everyone sat on the ground, gathered around a central bonfire. Attendants from the Star-Picking Sect moved among them, placing platters of Spirit Fruits and jugs of Spirit Wine before each Chief.

Even for wartime, the banquet was remarkably lavish. Everyone present was a figure of authority—a Chief or a regional hegemon—and they were served Tier Two and Tier Three Spirit Fruits. The only thing that was humble was the location.

During the banquet, several True Masters from the Star-Picking Sect showed great interest in Chen Che’s Sword Pill, frequently inquiring about it.

Although most of them had been occupied with their own opponents during the ambush in Chu State, nearly everyone present had witnessed Wen Yangxi’s escape. Many of them knew they were powerful, but they also knew their odds of victory against Wen Yangxi would have been slim.

To see this veteran Hall Master, who had long since retired from the front lines, beaten half to death by Chen Che was one thing. But for him to choose to flee after all his descendants had been slain, rather than launching a frenzied counterattack, was truly shocking to them all.

When they learned that this Sword Pill had come from a brocade box, they couldn’t help but show their envy.

Even Duobao was no exception.

The chances of acquiring such treasures left over from ancient times were incredibly low. Obtaining one was purely a matter of luck and destiny. Anyone with a discerning eye who managed to get one would never let it go.

They would even spend the efforts of several generations trying every possible method to open it.

Of course, some also tried to inquire about the Sword Pill’s power.

At this, Chen Che became evasive, and even Duobao remained silent. On this particular point, Duobao and Chen Che were, unsurprisingly, on the same side. No one would reveal their trump card.

Revealing the secrets of Chen Che’s Sword Pill was tantamount to exposing one’s own power.

“Right Protector, I thought you summoned us to discuss how to counterattack the Mist Rain Tower?”

After the persistent questioning from the Star-Picking Sect’s Chiefs, Chen Che took a small sip of his Spirit Tea and fixed his gaze on Jiang Shaotian, who was seated directly across the bonfire from him.

“Patience, Chief Chen.”

Jiang Shaotian, keenly sensing Chen Che’s impatience and realizing they wouldn’t get any more information out of him, set down his wine cup. His voice suddenly grew impassioned.

“The Mist Rain Tower’s ambush in Chu State cost us over thirty percent of our forces before we even set foot on their lands. This is nothing less than a vicious slap in the face to both the Primordial and Star-Picking Sects.”

“This Thirteen Water Light Array will only last for three days. I’ve brought you all here to ask: do we fight, or do we retreat?”

“We fight, of course!”

“Why would we even think of retreating?”

“Exactly. Unless the Star-Picking Sect is thinking of retreating?”

The moment he finished speaking, the Chiefs of the Primordial Sect erupted in angry shouts.

After suffering such a huge loss, who would be willing to back down? Duobao glared furiously, and even Chen Che gave a slight nod. For a moment, it was a perfect picture of “brothers who squabble at home but unite to repel an outside insult.”

“The Star-Picking Sect has no intention of retreating, of course.”

Jiang Shaotian said with a serious expression,

“Our forces are exhausted from the battle in Chu State, but the Mist Rain Tower also suffered heavy losses. We must seize this opportunity. As soon as we’ve crossed Chu State, we will launch an all-out offensive and give the Mist Rain Tower no chance to recover…”

“And in my humble opinion, the Mist Rain Tower draws its resources from its subordinate territories. We simply need to cut off that supply.”

Jiang Shaotian’s resonant voice echoed across Dragon Gazing Mountain as he laid out his strategy, analyzing the Mist Rain Tower’s situation and even detailing the distribution of power among its Four Great Halls.