The calm before the storm did not last long. Soon, an unknown immortal attacked the Howling Ravine, a second-rate force on the Sword Continent. Although all the first-rate forces occupied large islands in the sea, it did not mean that there was only the Numinous Sword Sect on the Sword Continent. The only reason no first-rate forces were on the Sword Continent was because of the Numinous Sword Sect’s decree.
The Sword Continent was too large for the Numinous Sword Sect to manage by itself, unless it wanted to lower the standards for recruitment. Since they didn’t want to lower their standards, the Numinous Sword Sects bequeathed provinces for second-rate forces to manage for them. Of course, truecontrol was still ultimately in the Numinous Sword Sect’s hands, and the second-rate forces had to pay offerings every year.
Although the Numinous Sword Sect bequeathed provinces for the second-rate forces, it didn’t mean the Sword Continent was at peace. If anything, it had more wars than the islands controlled by the first-rate forces.
If each second-rate force developed peacefully, it was not impossible for them to nurture immortal emperors and many half-emperors, but if each second-rate force developed an immortal emperor, then their numbers would directly exceed the Numinous Sword Sect.
To prevent this, the Numinous Sword Sect secretly encouraged the second-rate forces to fight each other. Although the resources were abundant on the Sword Continent, it was impossible for it to fill up every forces’ needs. So, wars over resources on the Sword Continent often occurred. If the Numinous Sword Sect felt a second-rate force was becoming too powerful, they would work in the dark to weaken them and maintain the balance.
The Howling Ravine was an average second-rate force on the Sword Continent. Its attacker was the War Saint Clan from the sea. Normally, second-rate forces outside the Sword Continent would attack second-rate forces that ruled provinces in order to replace them. As long as they won, the Numinous Sword Sect would christen them as the new province rulers, but this attack was obviously different.
If the previous attacks on the second-rate forces were an internal conflict, this was an external conflict.
However, except for the two forces involved, everyone adopted a wait-and-see attitude. The Numinous Sword Sect was clear this was a provocation from the Void Moon Alliance or the Three Island Alliance, but as long as they did not explicitly reveal anything, they were content to watch everything.
The Numinous Sword Sect wanted to see which of the second-rate forces had already surrendered to one of the two alliances, which force wanted to stay neutral, and which one stayed loyal.
Soon, it wasn’t only the Howling Ravine and War Saint Clan that warred, but several others. Like on a schedule, more and more second-rate forces attacked the province rulers of the Sword Continent. Fourteen years passed and war covered over ten percent of the Sword Continent. Still, the Numinous Sword Sect bided its time and did not casually intervene. Nor was there any visible sign of the two alliances attacking the Numinous Realm’s hegemon.
Ding Mian released a misty breath as he watched the newest batch of pills fly out of his cauldron. Although war hadn’t erupted since the Monarch Solesword and the others retreated, he and the other alchemists were being pushed constantly.
Even Meng Tingfeng didn’t bother him much, except telling him to be careful and not to leave the Numinous Sword Sect's headquarters. Meng Tingfeng had secluded himself in his chambers. He was touched a bit during the battle against the Void Moon Alliance. Although the insights weren’t enough to push him to become an immortal emperor, it was enough to further strengthen his foundation and lessen the difficulty of entering the Extremity Immortal Realm.
After stretching his muscles a bit, Ding Mian sat down on a couch in an uncouth manner. A jade slip appeared in his left hand while his right hand slapped the air.
Each time he slapped the air, an invisible wave would rush forward. Before the first wave could travel far, Ding Mian would slap the air again, producing another wave. The second wave traveled farther than the first and would superimpose on the first one, doubling its power. The same thing happened on the third and fourth slaps, doubling the power each time.
On the ninety-seventh slap, the wave only merged with the previous waves for a split second before it collapsed. The collapse caused the other superimposed wave to collapse as well, creating a minor explosion in the alchemy chamber.
“Failed again, huh,” Ding Mian muttered.
Of course, applying the Wavefold Divine Art to alchemy was almost meaningless. Perhaps someone who had the talent in the divine art and alchemy could forge a new branch of alchemy, but that person was not Ding Mian. He was constantly improving his alchemical skills in the orthodox way. Why would he spare the energy to create a new method that he didn’t need?
Ding Mian’s hand stopped slapping the air, and the jade slip in his left hand disappeared. He waved his hand, and the newly finished pills flew into a bottle that appeared in his hand. He sealed it with a cork and opened the door. Upon entering the main hall, he saw a familiar figure.
“So why is Senior Meng here? Don’t tell me you came specifically to pick up the pills I refined,” Ding Mian said.
“Of course not. Someone else will come,” Meng Tingfeng said with a shake of his head.
He looked at Ding Mian with some hesitation. Finally, he opened his mouth. “Mian’er, I’m actually—forget it.”
Meng Tingfeng shook his head. He handed a golden talisman to Ding Mian. “Take this. I feel like the Numinous Sword Sect isn’t going to be peaceful in the future. Even if you stay, you have to be careful. This is a talisman I refined for your protection. Although I say protection, it only has offensive capabilities.”
A self-deprecating smile appeared on his face. “After all, I’m a sword immortal. We don’t really have good defensive talents. You have five uses, and each use will release a sword light at the level of a peak fifth-step monarch. Or, you can use all five uses at once to release an attack at the level of half-emperor.”
After saying those words, Meng Tingfeng left. “Take care of yourself.”
Ding Mian stared at the space where Meng Tingfeng had left. After a while, he sighed. He had a pretty good idea as to what Meng Tingfeng wanted to say, but even if Meng Tingfeng didn’t stop, he would have found a chance to stop Meng Tingfeng from continuing.
Shaking his head, Ding Mian returned to his chambers. He didn’t immediately start concocting pills, but studied the talisman given to him. ‘The Law of Stars is quite interesting. I can improve my own understanding of the Law of Stars by studying it.’
A few days later, a disciple of one of the Numinous Sword Sect’s elders arrived to pick up the pills. Such menial tasks should have been left to servant-disciples, but the pills Ding Mian concocted were too precious. However, it was too much to have an immortal elder pick them up, so the person in charge became the disciples of those elders. Each one was at least a venerable or a saint.
Life returned to normal after they left. No, it shouldn’t be said returning to normal. News spread that the Seven Star Sword Monarch clashed against a monarch from the Hanging Spear Sect. Both sides led a team, and each team included immortals from second-rate forces.
That battle seemed to announce the war between the Numinous Sword Sect and the Three Island Alliance. Although the Void Moon Alliance did not play a role on the surface, many people sighted the space monarchs of the Void Ripple Sect appearing back and forth between battlefields. Though they did not participate in the battle, they definitely helped transport the immortals of the Three Island Alliance.
Not only that, but several second-rate forces suddenly attacked. Although they did not implicitly announce, it was obvious that they had joined one of the two alliances, becoming traitors at a critical time and forcing the Numinous Sword Sect to dispatch squads to quell the turmoil. And it remained unknown how many traitors were lying in the dark, waiting to erupt.
Perhaps because of the pressure, many saints of the Numinous Sword Sect turned their potential into power and successfully transcended the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Tribulation. Although those true immortals injected fresh blood into the sect, it was still the monarchs that determined the overall situation of the war, and many immortal monarchs were born as the war continued. The two alliances also birthed monarchs, but they only equaled the number of monarchs birthed by the Numinous Sword Sect.
Finally, in the thirty-seventh year of the war, an immortal monarch entered the Extremity Realm.