As the elders of the Immortal Nation concluded their grand council, they swiftly finalized their strategy: first and foremost, they would station a formidable army at the key border towns of the Ancient Desolation to prevent any covert attacks.
Meanwhile.
The passage between the two realms would soon be fully opened, allowing cultivators from the Qingyang Realm to freely traverse and enter the Ancient Desolation for cultivation.
The reason was simple: the spiritual energy in the Ancient Desolation was far richer than in the Qingyang Realm. Entering the Ancient Desolation to cultivate was a rare, heaven-sent opportunity for anyone.
However,
The Immortal Nation could not allow everyone to flood into the Ancient Desolation unchecked, leading to the neglect of the Qingyang Realm.
After all, the foundation of the Immortal Nation remained in the Qingyang Realm and could not be abandoned.
If, worst-case scenario, a powerful enemy were to invade from outside the Ancient Desolation and the Immortal Nation could not withstand it, they would still have the option to retreat to the Qingyang Realm and preserve a line of survival.
Thus,
After careful consideration, the high-ranking officials of the Immortal Nation decided to establish an academy for cultivation. Those of appropriate age could enroll and study there.
Subsequently, the nation would select the elite from these students and send them to the Ancient Desolation, utilizing its abundant resources for their cultivation.
This approach aimed to optimize resource allocation and cultivate elites, avoiding the waste of precious resources on mediocre individuals.
It was known that what the Qingyang Immortal Nation currently lacked was not ordinary cultivators but top-notch experts who could take on significant responsibilities.
The battle with the three great caves had made it clear that they were vulnerable in terms of having top-level strongmen to face powerful opponents.
Of course,
The existence of Lu Qingyang was beyond the expectations of the Immortal Nation.
In their eyes, Lu Qingyang was like an exalted celestial being who seldom intervened directly, so the nation had to rely on its own strength to overcome difficulties.
To this,
Lu Qingyang understood well and did not oppose.
The establishment of a cultivation academy was indeed a good plan. Future cultivation talents could be discovered and nurtured in a timely manner, reducing the likelihood of valuable talents being overlooked.
Meanwhile,
Lu Qingyang used his divine sense to survey the Immortal Nation. In just a few days, the number of followers in the Ancient Desolation had surged, breaking through the thirty billion mark from twenty-six billion.
Including the followers in the Qingyang Realm, Lu Qingyang now had a total of thirty-three billion followers.
This number was astonishing.
Among these thirty-three billion followers, low-tier cultivators were in the minority. The vast majority were first-tier or higher, and the incense power they contributed far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.
Even compared to before the great calamity, when the people of the Qingyang Realm all worshipped him, the situation was not as favorable as it was now.
At that time, there were hardly any extraordinary beings in the Qingyang Realm, with first-tier experts being few and far between.
Additionally,
The number of devout followers had also seen a significant change.
Before the great battle, Lu Qingyang had only about 150,000 devout followers, but after the battle, this number had skyrocketed to 500,000.
These 500,000 devout followers could provide him with no less than fifty million incense points daily.
In a year, the incense points contributed by these devout followers alone would amount to 18.2 billion, nearly reaching twenty billion.
In summary,
The significant increase in Lu Qingyang's follower base resulted in a daily harvest of incense points that was spectacular. As time passed, his progress in establishing the seventh-tier Heavenly Court accelerated greatly.
While the Qingyang Immortal Nation was steadily advancing, the Central State, Xianhuang, Tianhuang, and other regions received news from the Ancient Desolation, causing great shock.
Alien invasion!
The destruction of the three great caves of the Ancient Desolation!
This was catastrophic news.
Though the strength of the Ancient Desolation was far inferior to that of the Central State, Xianhuang, and other regions, the three great caves were formidable, each guarded by ancient saints.
Moreover, the contemporary Ancient Desolation Holy Body had recently proven itself and was in its prime, showing signs of leading the caves to glory and restoring ancient honor.
Even other major imperial forces paid close attention to this.
The Ancient Desolation Holy Body!
A leading saint!
Gu Tiangang undoubtedly possessed the potential to become an emperor. Given time, as long as he avoided sudden misfortune, he could compete with other top geniuses.
However, who would have thought that under the protection of the newly ascended saint, the Ancient Desolation Cave would still face annihilation, and the other two caves would not be spared either.
By the time various forces learned of this, the Qingyang Immortal Nation had fully occupied the Ancient Desolation, becoming the undisputed ruler.
...
"What do you all think of the Qingyang Immortal Nation?"
In the Taichu Cave, the Cave Master's gaze was indifferent, his tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
However, the high-ranking members of the cave could feel that the Cave Master was genuinely angry.
His anger was not because of the destruction of the three great caves of the Ancient Desolation, nor the occupation of the Ancient Desolation by the Qingyang Immortal Nation, but because his carefully nurtured first disciple turned out to be a traitor.
Yes!
Zhang Ming's treachery had been exposed.
As a top expert of the Qingyang Immortal Nation, his actions naturally drew attention. Coupled with his joint efforts with other experts of the Immortal Nation to besiege saints, Taichu Cave could not ignore it.
As soon as the Cave Master finished speaking, the Northern Peak Master coldly said, "We cannot tolerate alien invaders, but Zhang Ming being a traitor is entirely the responsibility of the Eastern Peak!"
"No need for Northern Peak Master to worry. I, the old man, failed to recognize a traitor and trusted this scoundrel. The Eastern Peak will clean its house."
"I swear here and now, if I cannot bring this scoundrel to justice, I will willingly step down as the Eastern Peak Master!"
Yin Hong snorted coldly, his words full of indignation.
He was angry not only because the Northern Peak took advantage of the situation but also because Zhang Ming turned out to be from the Qingyang Immortal Nation, betraying Taichu Cave at a critical moment.
This was something Yin Hong could not let go.
He had once viewed Zhang Ming as the successor of the Eastern Peak, pouring resources into his cultivation, helping him become the top disciple of Taichu Cave, hoping he would lead the cave in the future.
Who would have thought that such nurturing would raise a tiger that would become a threat, turning the carefully cultivated disciple into a strong enemy of the Eastern Peak and Taichu Cave, bringing them shame.
The Cave Master of Taichu Cave said indifferently, "Our Taichu Cave stands in opposition to alien races, but this matter involves multiple parties. We need to consult with other forces for a joint strategy."
"As for Zhang Ming, since he came from the Eastern Peak, let Peak Master Yin handle it. Capture him alive if possible, otherwise, kill him!"
"In a battle between two realms, there is no place for leniency. Peak Master Yin, do not let the cave down."
"I understand what needs to be done!"
Yin Hong's face became serious, and he responded with a fist salute.
The Cave Master of Taichu Cave nodded lightly and said no more.
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