Chapter 1389 - 701: The Washing Sword Pavilion’s Compromise

At this moment, Ning Xiaoxian realized the critical importance of Immortal Tribulation to a sect, and understood that the Mirror Sea King Mansion’s action of removing Wu Li had objectively gifted Hidden Stream with a great favor.

The immense temptation was right before him, and it was surely false to say Chi Bihu wasn’t tempted. The person who set this condition truly understood the nuances of the human heart, and even the timing of offering this condition was impeccably perfect.

After Chi Bihu met the envoy, he pondered deeply for half a day, and then his trusted aides advised him to accept the other’s peace terms. With this, Chi Bihu could easily fulfill the military pledge he made on that day—if he nods now, his subordinates would have little objection. Everyone knows that to lead an army long-term, the key is to maintain stability and not constantly seek extraordinary achievements.

Ning Xiaoxian also saw that Chi Bihu himself was inclined towards this.

However, it was later that afternoon when Ning Xiaoxian received a verbal message from Sect Leader He, and the first question asked was: "Where is Lord Divine Monarch?"

Her concerns turned into reality. Originally, the northeastern front of Bashe Forest had been endlessly entangled with the Qinan Sect, and they had finally persuaded the opposing side to surrender last year; who could have known that before the year was over, Qinan Sect suddenly reneged. Hidden Stream was furious, and thus the battle commenced on the night of the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.

Regarding Qinan Sect, Hidden Stream always aimed to conquer rather than annihilate, otherwise there wouldn’t be such a dilemma. This is because Qinan Sect is a family-heritage Demon Sect, and this Demon Clan is quite unique, often producing twin giant elephants. This is not like the human Helian Family, which is famous for beautiful twin sisters. Among Qinan Sect’s twins, one is destined to never cultivate into a demon, remaining in beast form, known as "Blood Kin," and when they go to battle, they can carry their sibling across the battlefield.

These giant elephants from Qinan stand over twenty-three meters tall, their skins more resilient than general heavy armor. When they charge in battle, the effect is comparable to a bulldozer, let alone one carrying its own sibling. The so-called "father-and-son soldiers on the battlefield, tiger-fighting brothers," Qinan Elephant Cavalry is a devastating force on the battlefield, such a combination can terrify enemies.

What Hidden Stream wanted was such a powerful unit formed by these troops. Demons are willing to submit to opponents stronger than themselves, so Changtian always planned to bring this sect under his control.

However, this time, Qinan Sect secretly acquired strong support, taking Hidden Stream by surprise.

This battle was extremely brutal; Hidden Stream lost over four thousand seven hundred demon soldiers, two Capital Commandants died on the spot, which was the highest-ranking officer to die in the Hidden Stream Demon Army in three years, and even Qi Zai, who had accompanied Ning Xiaoxian westward all the way, was seriously wounded.

Only at this time did each army realize that they had lost contact with their Divine Envoy and Changtian, unable to seek his instructions in real-time. Several Great Demon Generals had to use the Divine Descent Technique to seek guidance from Langya. Urgent reports returned to the Forest Palace, Elder He struggled to reassure while feeling overwhelmed, as he too didn’t know what happened to Shaking Heaven God, nor dared to alter Changtian Yuan’s original decision and apply Hidden Stream’s usual method to annihilate Qinan Sect. Thus, Earth Yin Envoy was dispatched to Ning Xiaoxian, as she had ventured out with Changtian, and only she knew Changtian’s whereabouts.

Given Changtian’s prestige in Hidden Stream, Sect Leader He stated clearly in the message: "The disappearance is kept from the lower ranks. However, should Divine Monarch not appear soon, morale will eventually waver."

In recent years, Hidden Stream expanded its territory significantly, so besides the northeastern front, minor conflicts often arise at the borders needing resolution. These minor issues cannot be ignored, as failing to mend small holes now will mean suffering when they grow large. Ultimately, Hidden Stream’s expansion was too rapid and took too little time; when Changtian was present, no problems seemed apparent. With his disappearance, foundational instability, shifting loyalty of vassal clans, and other issues have surfaced.

It’s predictable that under the current circumstances, if Changtian remains missing for long, the impact on the morale and spirit of Hidden Stream will be significant. On the Southern Continent, all Immortal Sects demonize Hidden Stream, both hating and fearing it primarily because Hidden Stream hasn’t truly been defeated in three years, naturally establishing an image of invincibility.

If Hidden Stream shows signs of defeat, the myth ends. All Immortal Sects will no longer regard Hidden Stream with such reverence, similar to humans discovering a tiger’s claws and teeth aren’t as sharp as imagined and start organizing tiger-fighting squads. The hard-won territories of Hidden Stream will be coveted by others. With Changtian absent, this... could not be good news.

She thought for a long, long time until the sky darkened before sending a message back to Sect Leader He, and then went to find Chi Bihu.

She spoke directly: "General, are you considering accepting the conditions of Washing Sword Pavilion?"

Chi Bihu hesitated for a moment, then nodded. If he received Tuqing State, his task would be perfectly accomplished, why entertain further complications?

Ning Xiaoxian first relayed Sect Leader He’s message, then stared at him and said: "For you, accepting Washing Sword Pavilion’s compromise request is the best choice; but for Hidden Stream, capturing Washing Sword Pavilion is the best choice." She straightforwardly said, "We now need a truly decisive victory to stabilize the morale of the front and rear; if Changtian remains absent for long, various rumors might soon spread, and we need to remind all Immortal Sects in the bloodiest, most brutal way that even without Changtian present, we are still the original Hidden Stream."