Qiyuan looked at the projection and nodded in satisfaction after seeing the enemy had been decimated. His eyes shifted to Wang Wei and Wu Hong on the corner, who were trying to set up a formation. "So, even you can’t do anything?"
"The power inside the Black Dinsion is beyond my abilities," Wu Hong admitted.
"I understand," Qiyuan sighed. The effect of his plan would have been better if everybody in the court could see the destruction inside the Black Dinsion, but the current victory would have to do. While the three were still talking, Ye Guang walked into the room with a somber look.
"How is it?"
"The morale has been raised."
"But?" Qiyuan asked.
"Everybody is also scared and wary."
"That’s expected," Qiyuan nodded. The upgraded Array Virus is now a weapon of mass destruction. Not only does it work for anyone who has not optimized their souls, but its ability to hide and spread made it the stuff of nightmares. Qiyuan can predict how all the Overlords and factions will desperately try to develop thods to detect and stop this weapon.
"Have you told them the Saint has placed a seal on this weapon and can only be used during tis of war and against a foreign enemy?" Qiyuan asked.
"I did, but as you can imagine, that wasn’t as reassuring for many people," Ye Guang explained. He was one of these people. As the Second-in-Command of the War Room, while he was aware of this weapon, he did not participate in its creation, aning he had no idea how it operated. Only Wang Wei, Qiyuan, Wu Hong, and the Saint knew such a secret.
"It doesn’t matter," Qiyuan stated. "As long as they don’t use this opportunity to start spreading misinformation and cause chaos."
"They wouldn’t dare," Ye Guang said.
"Are you sure about that?" Wang Wei butted in. "It’s been over 300 years since the Saint showed up; so people should start to get so ideas. You might want to be on the lookout for that."
"No need."
"Saint," everybody stood straight as they called the person suddenly appearing in the middle of the room, holding a severed head and a tal orb.
"At ease," Maitreya said.
"I’m glad you were victorious," Qiyuan said as he looked at the tal Saint’s terrible conditions.
"I was lucky this ti," Maitreya replied as she glanced at this puppet. Those were not humble words. During the fight, she learned that the enemy’s chanical construct was weakened from 12 pillars to 9 once it passed through the gate. Additionally, the conversation with Wang Wei about 2000 Yuan Epoch ago allowed her to reach eight pillars. Then, by using her status as the Heavenly Emperor and World’s Guardian, she temporarily raised her strength to 10 pillars and finally destroyed the creature. The only good news is that she discovered a secret that will boost her confidence against all future Primordial Chaos Saints from the Divine Tiline, but she needs to verify it first.
"Here," Maitreya said as she handed the puppet’s head and core to Wu Hong. "See if you can learn sothing from this. You can open it to your entire departnt once you’re done."
"Thanks," Wu Hong said with shining eyes.
"I wanted to save more of his body, but that wasn’t feasible."
"This is more than enough."
Maitreya then looked at Qiyuan. "I’ve already removed the second-stage parasites."
"The third stage?"
Maitreya shook her head. "I have deduced a few suspicious people in the court. I have already sent a list to Ma Liquiu for investigation. However, for now, we will have to rely on the [History Lock] to protect our information."
"I guessed that’s better than nothing," Qiyuan groaned. "Lord Saint, while you’re here, can you see if you can help complete this array?"
"The power of the Black Dinsion is also beyond my abilities," Maitreya shook her head, which made Qiyuan sigh. His desire to have eyes inside the Black Dinsion is not just because he wanted to show up and raise the troops’ morale; it’s also because he did not like how impenetrable the enemy’s base was. His life will be a hundred tis more challenging if he has to conduct a war in which the enemy has an absolute free safe zone, but they don’t.
"Hmm?" Maitreya suddenly uttered before closing her eyes. Everybody suddenly stopped moving and breathing as they waited. They didn’t know whether sothing had happened or whether she had an epiphany, so they stopped moving and waited.
A few minutes passed before Maitreya opened her eyes, and a strange expression crossed her face; it was a mixture of sadness, weakness, and hope. She glanced at Qiyuan, and without explaining anything, she asked: "Give the core control of the Array Virus."
Qiyuan did not hesitate to draw a complicated talisman in the air. Maitreya held it in her palm before opening her mouth to say an incantation. A weird atmosphere filled the room, but strangely enough, no one could hear the words she was saying, nor rember them. If not for the odd atmosphere and knowing that Maitreya was not the kind of person to play pranks, everybody wouldn’t have noticed sothing was happening.
’Quickly, use the seals to record the strange rhythm,’ Wang Wei said to his wife.
’I’m on it.’
As Maitreya finished her strange display of power, a projection screen started to materialize in the room. The process seed to be hindered by sothing, so the screen was stuck in a loop of appearing and disappearing. And for a brief mont, it revealed Wan Yani’s face before collapsing.
’That was inside the Black Dinsion, wasn’t it?’ Wang Wei asked Wu Hong.
’Yes.’
’You know what that ans?’
’Grand Dao has interfered,’ Wu Hong stated. The rules of the Black Dinsion belonged to the Divine Tiline and the Highest Sovereign. However, Grand Dao has regained so of the control it lost.
’It’s one thing to use us as pawns, but at least pay us for our work,’ Wang Wei complained. As soon as he finished these words, Wang Wei found his mind connected to a hidden dinsion that only he could access, which contained a ton of rit. He glanced at Wu Hong. ’Did you?’
’Yes.’
’Well, it’s better than nothing,’ Wang Wei nodded. Considering what was at stake and how instruntal their Array Virus was, he felt the rit was not nearly enough.
’You should have enough to buy a Ti Mansion, right?’
’Yes.’
’How lucky,’ Wang Wei sighed.
’Once I’m done, there should be half the required ti for the mansion. If we combined what you’ve saved, it should be barely enough for a second.’
’No need. Use the remaining money to make up for your Emperor Taboo Realm,’ Wang Wei refused. The last thing he wanted was to slow down her progress.
’Are you sure?’
’Yes. I’m just going to use my rit in a raw form by boosting my understanding. It should shorten the ti I need to master the Grand Constructs.’
’Alright.’
The projection was blurry, but by now, the group could recognize Wan Yani and the other two. She stood on an elevated podium, looking at the soldiers below, who were quite blurry. It took a few seconds, but the audio continued to follow.
"Saddened...but we have a duty...I have failed...But the glory of the High Sovereign...We must fight for it, no matter what...Grand Sacrifice...Option...Bare...Consequences...Mission...Continue...For the Future...Court...For the High Sovereign."
The blurry figures of the soldiers raised their hands, seemingly cheering for her words. Then, these soldiers — including the puppets or the boats’ crew — slowly walked to an array located before the Ti Gate. There was no hesitation or panic in their actions. On the contrary, even though they looked blurry, the observers could feel a sense of pride and duty in these people as they marched to their death. Then, the formation sucked their flesh, blood, and souls to nurture the gate.
"A ruthless approach, but also the correct one," Wang Wei comnted. Most of these people are already destined to die, so it’s in Wan Yani’s best interest to make good use of their death.
"Can’t we stop them?" Qiyuan asked.
"We would need to regain even more control before we can physically enter."
"Physically?"
"Just watch for now."
After nearly everybody died, the gate released a purple light. Wan Yani sent in a talisman and waited. A few seconds later, a tallic creature walked through the gate. It imdiately raised its head to look at the sky – to look at the group in the court. It waved its hand, and the projection collapsed.
"Is it , or does this one feel more threatening than the previous Puppet Saint?" Wang Wei asked.
"It’s not just you," Maitreya agreed. Now that the gate had received enough soul and destiny, the power that weakened the previous tal Saint should have been further countered, aning this Saint — at a minimum — will have a strength of 10 pillars.
"Then, you?"
"Don’t worry about it," Maitreya said before turning to Qiyuan, "There is no need to use this recording to regain morale. You two, follow ." Wang Wei and Wu Hong were confused, but they followed after her.
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