A fleet of thirty profound ships were seen floating above an unknown mountain range, hidden away in the thick clouds.
This great armada was actually consisted of the ships from six of the major orthodox clans; the Celestial Orthodox Sect, the Mystic Profound Pavilion, the Profound Heaven Sword Manor, the Great Inevitable Divine Clan, the Burning Heavens Pavilion and the Iron Righteous Clan.
The only missing major orthodox clan was the Blue Phoenix Sacred Sect.
However the other six major orthodox clans were not overtly concerned about the absence of the Blue Phoenix Sacred Sect. It was because Saintess Fang Zhenfei was renowned for her non-interference in the affairs of the Desolate Celestial Fraternity.
Now a force of thirty profound ships is a mighty force that can annihilate any celestial clan. Primary because none of the celestial clans can even muster that many profound ships in the first place. Even the major orthodox clans only have 3-6 profound ships at the very most.
It is because building one profound ship is extremely expensive and it will require dozens of heavenly relics to keep it afloat. And at least three to nine heaven-step heavenly relics are required to create the array core that can keep it afloat, depending on the profound ship size.
At the same time these profound ships will be burning high grade spirit stones at a massive rate just to move it.
That was why these thirty profound ships were now floating above the mountains and were not moving until the next destination could be determined.
These profound ships were still anchored in the territories of the orthodox fraternity while waiting for their scouts to bring back strategic information about the Spirit Blue Moon Sect that they were attacking.
And they had some pretty good news recently; none of the other four major unorthodox clans were going to side with the Spirit Blue Moon Sect.
And according to their most reliable intelligence, the Spirit Blue Moon Sect only had one large profound ship and two medium profound ships.
Therefore the six major orthodox clans will have a clear domination over the skies. This will make their advance into the unorthodox fraternity far less risky.
The six major orthodox clans had purposely flown their profound ships together to intimidate the unorthodox clans in a show of might.
This strategy had worked all too well and it had caused many of the unorthodox clans to severe ties with the Spirit Blue Moon Sect.
At the start of the campaign, the support for Dark Mistress Ling Feiyue was actually quite high as many unorthodox cultivators had thought that what she had done at the Celestial Orthodox Sect was a slap to the faces of the orthodox cultivators and this brought delight to the faces of the unorthodox cultivators.
However when the six major orthodox clans had come knocking, many of the unorthodox cultivators were inconspicuous missing from their support for the Spirit Blue Moon Sect.
Two of the major unorthodox clans had even demanded that Ling Feiyue married their scions to receive some help from them.
This caused the Spirit Blue Moon Sect to be blackmailed by their former allies and enemies.
While the Celestial Orthodox Sect, the Mystic Profound Pavilion, the Burning Heavens Pavilion and the Profound Heaven Sword Manor were busy destroying Little Princess' secret citadels throughout the orthodox fraternity, they had received a good news that had come from the Great Inevitable Divine Clan; they would send in their full strength against the Spirit Blue Moon Sect.
It was because the Great Inevitable Divine Clan had their Eldest Young Master Zhan Long killed by Little Princess and Ji Yuan. Obviously the Great Inevitable Divine Clan was now out for blood.
Through the reports of their scouts, they had heard that Little Princess and Ji Yuan were now at the Spirit Blue Moon Sect and that Ji Yuan was even the new Dark Lord of the Spirit Blue Moon Sect!
Now the Great Inevitable Divine Clan is the most powerful of the seven major orthodox clans and is closely allied with the Iron Righteous Clan, which is the second most powerful of the seven major orthodox clans. Their combined strength is actually on par with the four other major orthodox clans.
Suddenly the expedition against the Spirit Blue Moon Sect had doubled and this caused the number of profound ships to balloon from twenty to thirty.
This was not a matter of the honor of the Celestial Orthodox Sect anymore but that of the Great Inevitable Divine Clan as well!
Because of the size of their fleet, the six major orthodox clans needed more preparation time to gather their cultivators and the precious high grade spirit stones to power their profound ships.
At this moment, there were five Lightning Eagles that were flying toward a profound ship with a white and golden hull. The figurehead of this beautiful profound hull had a maiden with six wings and this profound ship was the main profound ship of the Celestial Orthodox Sect.
As the Lightning Eagles approached the deck, dozens of holy maidens were all bowing respectfully. It was because today their Sacred Maiden Zhao Songjin had arrived with her four priestess protectors.
On the deck were also dozens of cultivators from the other major orthodox clans. They had just finished a meeting together and they were now on their way back to their profound ships.
Second Young Master Zhan Zhong of the Great Inevitable Divine Clan happened to be on the deck when he saw a dazzling Zhao Songjin appearing right in front of him. Ever since his eldest brother Zhan Long was killed by Little Princess and Ji Yuan, he was now the official successor to the future sect master position of the Great Inevitable Divine Clan.
He gasped softly, "She is so beautiful…"
A trusted aide immediately whispered to him, "I have heard of a rumor that Jin Yilong and Zhao Songjin is an item."
Second Young Master Zhan Zhong laughed discreetly, "As long as she isn't married to anyone else, she is still a fair game to me. Moreover I am way better than Jin Yilong and also my good-for-nothing deceased older brother."
His deceased brother Zhan Long was a middle mortal-step saint while he was a middle heaven-step saint. His talents and cultivation strength was above his older brother.
As for Jin Yilong, he was only an initial saint and he seemed to be struck in his cultivation practice for a long time.
Zhan Zhong had always thought that it was a miracle that the good-for-nothing Jin Yilong did not perish when he was attempting his seventh realm breakthrough.
"I am a middle saint and so is Sacred Maiden Zhao Songjin. We are more compatible compared to that Jin Yilong." Zhan Zhong was smirking coldly. From this point onward, he was determined to have Zhao Songjin as his consort.
His aide asked him curiously, "Second Young Master, you are not going after Xue Qianxue anymore?"
Zhan Zhong sighed softly at the mention of Xue Qianxue. "Of course not! But she is a little hard to get."
There was a burning hatred for Xue Qianxue. In the past, Xue Qianxue had rebuked him for being unromantic, bad at poems and openly insulted his bushy beard.
If he can lay his hands on Xue Qianxue, he will show her what a true man he really is! He quietly resolved to himself.
Now that Xue Qianxue was captured by the Spirit Blue Moon Sect, he doubted that she was a chaste maiden anymore. When he had thought of this, he was extremely angry that numerous men from the Spirit Blue Moon Sect were probably saddling his goddess day and night now.
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Zhao Songjin was now kneeling in front of Matriarch Sacred Maiden Han Yuchi's door as she sought an audience with her.
"Matriarch, your disciple Songjin is here to lend you my puny aid for the expedition against the unorthodox cultivators of the Spirit Blue Moon Sect." She said respectfully. "May I enter to speak with you?"
Han Yuchi was startled as she quickly said from beyond the door, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the Holy Maiden Peaks?"
Zhao Songjin replied respectfully, "I know that I was supposed to be defending our Holy Maiden Peaks but when I thought that Matriarch and many of our priestess elders will be risking your lives to fight against the unorthodox cultivators on the front line. How then can I allow myself to be in a safe position while my Matriarch is risking yourself for our sect? Therefore Songjin decides to join Matriarch in the fight as well as to repay the trust that Matriarch has placed in me."
"Songjin, I have always trusted you. Don't think too much about it. Why don't you go back to the Holy Maiden Peaks first?"
Zhao Songjin was quite startled that Han Yuchi did not ask her to enter inside but she dared not barge in or use her divine sense to pry. Therefore she politely said, "I have another matter to report. I have found out that the Evil Cultivation Palace may have a hideout nearby. We ought to take advantage of this opportunity to wipe them out."
"I talk to you later, alright? I'm not feeling too well after the meeting earlier. After my rest, I will talk to you." Han Yuchi replied gently.
"I will await Matriarch's instructions then…" Zhao Songjin was feeling a little perplexed as she slowly turned around.
Behind the heavy doors, Han Yuchi secretly heaved a soft sigh of relief.
It was because Zhao Songjin had really come at an inconvenient timing; at this moment she was naked in her bed and Jin Yilong was saddling her.
Even when Zhao Songjin had left, Jin Yilong did not stop what he was doing and he continued to saddle her.
Han Yuchi said in exasperation to him, "Do you want Songjin to know what we are doing? Why didn't you stop when she had arrived?"
Jin Yilong chuckled lightly, "You're too lovely. I can't stop."
Han Yuchi returned a flushed look before she said quietly, "Please don't let Songjin know about us. You're supposed to be betrothed to her to cement your sect position."
Jin Yilong laughed, "What if I say I want the two of you to be my consorts?"
Han Yuchi: …
Han Yuchi: …
Han Yuchi: …
She quickly sighed, "It is not possible between the two of us."
"But we already have." Jin Yilong pointed out with a smile.
Han Yuchi shot a cold gaze at him. Secretly she was startled that this Jin Yilong was really too daring. She had been thinking on how she could seduce him but he had actually made the first move.
Jin Yilong smiled, "I will bear responsible for you. You will be one of my beloved consorts."
Han Yuchi smiled bitterly, "You have better leave now. There is a secret passage behind me. Make sure no one knows that you have come. I don't want Songjin to know about our relationship, not ever."
Jin Yilong smiled as he gave her a last tight embrace, "Alright. But I won't give you up."
Han Yuchi said hatefully to him, "You have better treated Songjin well in the future. You had already taken her chastity so you cannot let her down."
Jin Yilong laughed softly, "When I had taken her, she had already long lost her chastity."
Han Yuchi was startled by this revelation. Then she had given her chastity to whom?
When Jin Yilong had left, Han Yuchi began to stare blankly in the air. "What have I done…"
She had suspected that Zhao Songjin had been secretly practicing an evil dual cultivation art that can weaken her dual cultivation partner. It was actually a no brainer deduction because the Evil Cultivation is known for their various evil dual cultivation arts.
From her deduction, this may be a reason why Jin Yilong only had a single daughter in all these years.
The higher cultivation realm a celestial is, it is more difficult for them to conceive. Therefore there are many celestials that have a lower cultivation realm celestial as their dual cultivation partner. However even then, it is still hard to conceive especially if one is a golden saint like Jin Yilong. Therefore in the Desolate Celestial Fraternity, it is quite common for the high level and influential celestials to have multiple consorts and concubines.
But if Jin Yilong's vitality had been weakened by the evil cultivation arts then it would be even harder for him to conceive with Zhao Songjin.
Because she had suspected that Jin Yilong's vitality had long been drained by Zhao Songjin on the sly, she had sought to secretly replenish Jin Yilong's vitality that Zhao Songjin had secretly stolen.
If there is a secret profound art that can do so, it is the Sacred Maiden Profound Art.
Her plan was simple enough; she would help Jin Yilong to get a child. Of course she would ensure that Jin Yilong did not use his new vitality to have other children. Therefore she had purposely ensured that only Zhao Songjin could reap the benefits by instructing her on the basic foundation of the Sacred Maiden Profound Art.
The benefits of her Sacred Maiden Profound Arts to Jin Yilong will not be released unless he can copulate with someone who has cultivated the Sacred Maiden Profound Art. In this case, the basic foundation of the Sacred Maiden Profound Art is actually enough.
In short, she had specifically tailored this scheme so that Zhao Songjin would receive the most benefits.
She sighed regretfully that Zhao Songjin was not able to master the Sacred Maiden Profound Art because she did not meet the requirements for it.
The Sacred Maiden Profound Art has several sets of requirements. Firstly, the cultivator has to be a seventh realm saintess. Secondly, the first rank requires the cultivator to have a pure body to begin with before practicing. If not at the most they can only attain to the basic foundation rank and this is not even the first rank.
But this was enough for Han Yuchi's plan. Because even the basic foundation rank will be sufficient enough to have a perfect union with her Sacred Maiden Profound Art and help Zhao Songjin to regain her fertility.
But she had to pay a heavy price herself and that was to sacrifice her body to Jin Yilong in order that Zhao Songjin may have a successor to take over the leadership position of the Mystic Profound Pavilion in the future.
The reason why she had so painstaking planned this was because Zhao Songjin was actually her secret illegitimate daughter. At that time, when her master the previous Matriarch had discovered that she was with child, she had made her sworn upon her soul sea never to acknowledge Zhao Songjin as her daughter lest it would bring upon a scandal upon the Celestial Orthodox Sect.
The previous Matriarch was actually the one that had also appointed Xue Qianxue to be the succeeding Sacred Maiden even though Han Yuchi was Xue Qianxue's celestial teacher and master.
But in secret Han Yuchi have always wanted to appoint Zhao Songjin as the Sacred Maiden.
That was why over the years, she had been secretly grooming Zhao Songjin but to her disappointment she had discovered that this daughter of hers was actually a mole of the Evil Cultivation Palace.
Needless to say, she could guess how her pure body had been taken.
"Songjin, you have really disappointed me. Do you know that if you had kept to your station, I would still have many ways to promote you to the position of Sacred Maiden one day? But you have literally screwed yourself with your wanton ways."
"I don't know if you are still with the Evil Cultivation Palace or not but I hope you are not because the Sacred Maiden Profound Art that I had given you is a fake."
She began to sigh heavily, "Even though I can condone you but I can't allow the Sacred Maiden Profound Art to fall into the hands of the evil dual cultivators. This is the unbroken instructions of our past matriarchs and I cannot allow myself to become a sinner to our sect."