455 An emergency
"Zhan Chen, come out quickly. Something major has happened", Zhan Chen received a mental communication from Shui Liying. Deng Yue also received the same message as a concerned expression appeared on her pretty face.
"Zhan Chen, put on your clothes. We need to go out. Martial aunt seems really worried", Deng Yue spoke. She freed herself from Zhan Chen's embrace and looked for her clothes.
Shui Liying was standing outside Deng Yue's room. There was a worried expression on her face as she looked towards the closed door.
"Creak", the closed door got opened as Deng Yue and Zhan Chen came out. Deng Yue was slightly uncomfortable as she didn't know how to face Shui Liying.
"Martial aunt, what is the matter?", she asked without looking at Shui Liying's eyes.
"It is about the battle in the frontline. You can hear the details from Ying Chao. Let's go the ground floor first", Shui Liying replied. She flew downward as Deng Yue and Zhan Chen followed her.
The main hall of the Xuantian sect's base was buzzing with low murmurs. Elders, gathered in a semi-circle were discussing the latest event. There was worried expression on each of their faces as they talked with eachother.
The steady hum of their conversation stopped abruptly when they noticed Shui Liying, Deng Yue, and Zhan Chen. All of them stopped talking and fixed their eyes on the approaching trio.
Zhan Chen trailed behind the two leading women with a calm expression on his face. From the elders' expression, he could tell that the matter was very important. Deng Yue looked towards Ying Chao after they settled at the center of the hall, "tell me. What is the matter?"
Ying Chao hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Sect master, news has come from the frontline. Devils have suddenly ambushed three cities. Though two managed to fend them off, one city succumbed to their attack."
"Have the imperial family and the Spirit palace not sent reinforcements?", Deng Yue raised her eyebrows.
Ying Chao shook his head, "They did, but the devils were very cunning. They bypassed the protective formations, slaughtered the guards, and opened the gates from the inside. Our reinforcements were outnumbered."
"What about the Grey Ash City? Is the base of our Xuantian sect attacked?", she inquired with a concerned expression.
Ying Chao's expression became grave after he heard Deng Yue's question. "Grey Ash City is also attacked. It is one among the three cities which devils have attacked yesterday. We managed to repeal them but there are a lot of casualties in our side", Ying Chao replied. His tone was slightly sad as he replied to Deng Yue.
"How are Elder He and Elder Poyun? And what about Senior Bo Shi?", Shui Liying asked from the side. She was feeling concerned as well after hearing Ying Chao 's words.
"They are all gravely injured. If not for the extra emperor we had placed in the city, we would have lost each of our men yesterday", Ying Chao spoke.
"How many members, have we lost exactly?", Deng Yue asked. She was trying to appear calm but her mind was in disarray.
"Sixty disciples have perished. We have also lost six of our outer court elders. Our allies sects have also suffered casualties", Ying Chao informed.
The main hall became silent after Ying Chao spoke. Deng Yue clenched her fists after she heard the number of cultivators, the Xuantian sect has lost.
"Prepare to reinforce our forces immediately. Let me check what the Sky dragon alliance has to say", Deng Yue spoke. She threw a look at Zhan Chen and Shui Liying before flying away from the Xuantian sect's base.
"Ying Chao, we need to be extra cautious. Send words to the sect. Ask them to send two more emperors and four tribulation realm experts from our reserve forces", Shui Liying instructed.
"Also send words to the Red lily sect, the Glowing amber sect and the Su clan. As the prominent powers of our Earth province, they need to send more experts to the battle", she further added.
"Senior, I will do as you say. We are indeed lacking cultivators at this moment", Ying Chao nodded his head.
"Inform me if there is anything urgent. I will visit the Grey ash city after little Yue come back from the Sky dragon alliance's head quarter", Shui Liying spoke.
"Come with me", she looked towards Zhan Chen before flying towards the first floor. Zhan Chen followed her back as they returned to her room.
"Husband, are you really planning to participate in this battle?", Shui Liying asked. She had a worried expression on her face as she looked towards Zhan Chen.
"I acknowledge that there is danger in the frontline but you don't have to worry. I will breakthrough to the fourth stage of the Heavenly tribulation realm before joining the battle", Zhan Chen spoke.
"Fourth stage! Husband, are not you worried that your foundation will become weak if you cultivate in such a rapid pace?", Shui Liying asked. She felt concerned about Zhan Chen after hearing his words. It was only few days in which Zhan Chen had broke through three stages of the Heavenly tribulation realm. She thought, he would consolidate his cultivation base a little but to her surprise, Zhan Chen was already thinking about breaking through to the fourth stage. Such a godly speed in cultivation was unheard of and it made her worried about Zhan Chen's cultivation foundation.
"Liying, you will not believe me even if I say my cultivation foundation is completely solid at this moment. Rather than asking me, why don't you take a look inside my body. You can check for yourself whether my cultivation foundation is alright or not?", Zhan Chen spoke.
"Okay, I will take a look", Shui Liying nodded her head. She sent her soul consciousness towards Zhan Chen's body and Zhan Chen didn't resist at all. Rather he guided her soul consciousness to enter her body.
Shui Liying's eyes widened in surprise after she took a look at Zhan Chen's energy sea. There were three oversized energy whirlpools hovering above Zhan Chen's energy sea.
"How is this possible?", she exclaimed in surprise. Zhan Chen's energy sea was extremely vast and it's size could be compared to the energy sea of a seventh stage Heavenly tribulation realm cultivator. Moreover, she felt more surprised after seeing the size of energy whirlpools in Zhan Chen's body.
It was a common knowledge among higher realm cultivators that energy sea expanded along with improvement in cultivation but the size of energy whirlpools remained the same. Only the number of energy whirlpools increase with the advancement in cultivation stages.
The size of energy whirlpools of Zhan Chen was almost thrice as big as an average cultivator. Even the size of her own energy pool was almost half compared to Zhan Chen's energy whirlpools. His energy sea was vast and his energy whirlpools were oversized. There was not a single trace from which one could say that his cultivation foundation was unstable. Rather, Shui Liying would like to say that Zhan Chen's cultivation foundation was more stable than anyone else in the Xuantian sect.
"How is it? Have you checked throughly?", Zhan Chen asked.
"Yes, it is unbelievable but husband's cultivation foundation is more stable than anyone else", Shui Liying replied.
"You don't have to worry about me. Only sage realm experts can pose challenges to me now. I need to cultivate faster. Otherwise, we can't handle the situation once the gate of the Archaic palace got opened", Zhan Chen spoke.
"Husband, what about the devils? Are you not worried about their emperors?", Shui Liying asked.
"There are some difficult ones but there is no need to worry. In short, I am safe as long as devils can't get help from their sages", Zhan Chen spoke.