Chapter 382 - 309: Half a Year of Settling, the Expedition is at Hand
「Yalan Continent.」
Morning light pierced through the clouds. Li Xing had been standing atop the High Tower for three hours.
Behind him, the Holy City sprawled out below.
Forty districts formed an unbroken expanse. The streets crisscrossed like a chessboard, and the dense rows of houses stretched to the horizon.
Wisps of cooking smoke rose, forming a thin haze in the air.
From the streets below, the clamor of the morning market began to rise, mingling with the laughter of children chasing one another.
Thirty years ago, this was all just Blue Cave Mountain.
The Corruption Area began a mere ten miles outside the city walls. At night, one could hear the roars of Corrupted Beasts.
Now, those sounds were gone.
The Purification Area had been pushed outward for thousands of miles, and the tents of new immigrants dotted the plains like white specks.
Every day, convoys arrived from the newly reclaimed territories, laden with ore, timber, and refugees who had survived the devastation.
Li Xing retracted his gaze and looked down at his hand.
He turned his palm upward. The sunlight on his skin made it shimmer with an extremely faint silver hue.
This wasn’t a reflection. Something was flowing just beneath his skin, fine and uniform.
Ever since breaking through to the True Form Realm half a year ago, he had touched the very limits of this world.
He knew his main body was in another world and had just completed an arduous Purification.
’It’s time to bring matters on the Yalan Continent to a close.’
Footsteps sounded from behind him.
Li Yao pushed the door open and entered. His leather boots on the Stone Slabs made a heavier sound than usual.
It was a gait he adopted only when he was in a foul mood, a change Li Yao himself was likely unaware of.
"Brother."
Li Yao walked to his side and placed a letter on the railing.
Parchment, a wax seal, and the Sun Badge of Xuri City stamped upon it.
"It’s been a month," Li Yao said, his voice low.
"It arrived this morning. Same old line... ’Forwarded to the Venerable.’"
Li Xing didn’t look at the letter. His gaze was fixed on the northern horizon.
There, gray clouds churned without end, like a great beast sprawled across the Earth, greedily draining the world of its nourishment.
"It’s been thirty-four days since our envoy returned."
Li Yao continued, his fists clenching and unclenching.
"Even if the Sunrise Venerable is in seclusion, they should give us an official response. This attitude of theirs..."
"Then we won’t wait any longer."
Li Xing replied softly, his face betraying no hint of displeasure.
Li Yao froze, turning to look at him.
The morning light cast a faint, ethereal glow on the side of Li Xing’s face.
His eyes remained fixed on the north, his pupils reflecting the churning gray clouds.
There was no anger, no disappointment—only a sort of calm that Li Yao couldn’t comprehend.
"Brother, Xuri City is the foremost city in the post-catastrophe human world. It was the only mega-city presided over by a True Form Venerable. If they don’t support us..."
"Yao."
Li Xing cut him off, finally turning his head.
He looked into Li Yao’s eyes, at the face that bore a strong resemblance to his own.
In over thirty years, Li Yao had grown from a fifteen-year-old boy into the de facto Controller of the Starlight Holy Land.
But at times, he still wore the same expression he did all those years ago.
"Go. Summon everyone to the council hall," Li Xing said with a flick of his sleeve.
「A quarter of an hour later」
The council hall was filled, with people seated on both sides of the long table.
The Thirteen Starlight Guard Captains were all present.
Only six of the original Starlight Guard Captains were left: Chi Xiao (Ah Ku), Qing Lan (Stone), Mo Chen (Ah Shu), and three others.
The other seven, including Xiaozhou, had fallen in battle one by one during the campaigns in the Corruption Area.
The rest were replacements from the second and third generations, most of whom Li Xing was not familiar with.
The youngest Guard Captain was barely in his thirties, at the Peak of the Condensation Realm, his face still bearing the characteristic zeal of youth.
The oldest, Ah Ku, had fought in the great bloody battle three years prior. His left hand had been severed at the wrist and was now replaced with a Fine Steel Hook.
It was a shame he hadn’t broken through to the Manifested Saint Realm; otherwise, his limb could have been regenerated during the advancement.
Aside from Li Yao, a few of the veterans in Starlight City like Stone and Ah Shu were at the Initial Stage of Manifestation.
There were also three Honored Guest Elders. In total, nine Manifested Saint experts stood quietly below, waiting.
When Li Xing entered, everyone rose to their feet.
He walked to the head of the table but did not sit, remaining standing.
"Regarding the proposed Alliance with Xuri City... you all know the outcome."
The room fell silent. No one responded.
The youngest Guard Captain opened his mouth as if to speak, but a look from the person beside him stopped him.
Li Xing’s gaze swept over every face before landing on the young Guard Captain.
"Whatever you want to say, speak freely."
The hall was silent for three long breaths.
The young Guard Captain could no longer hold back and stepped forward from the line.
"Venerable! I... I have something to say!"
His face flushed red. He realized his outburst was a breach of etiquette the moment the words left his mouth, but it was too late to take them back.
So he committed to it, dropping to one knee and striking his chest with his right fist.
"Venerable, I am not afraid to die! If you order us to fight the Corrupt Monarch, I will be the first to charge! But...
Xuri City isn’t making a move. Shouldn’t we... shouldn’t we wait a little longer? What if they have a plan of their own..."
His voice trailed off.
Because Li Xing was watching him, his expression unchanging.
No anger, no disappointment. He just watched him calmly, as one would watch a naive child.
That calm pressure was more agonizing than any reprimand.
The young Guard Captain lowered his head, his voice trembling.
"Venerable, I... That’s not what I meant..."
"Lift your head," Li Xing commanded softly.
The young Guard Captain’s head snapped up as if he’d received an electric shock.
"Actually... whether the Alliance is formed or not... is irrelevant to me."
After speaking, Li Xing raised his hand.
Three rings of Star Orbits slowly unfurled in the center of the council hall.
This wasn’t even his combat state—just the natural overflow of his True Form’s power.
But this overflow alone was enough to make it difficult for everyone to breathe.
As the Gravity Orbits rotated, the air began to distort. The documents on the long table began to slide on their own, tilting in one direction.