As the dumbfounded expressions of the recruits lingered, all themanders wore satisfying expressions on their faces. Everything was going ording to n.
The First Commander gave the stupefied recruits a couple of seconds to digest what they had just witnessed.
To them, killing a Golden Core Realm was nothing. It was like they were swatting a fly.
Finally, he spoke, but his expression was solemn. "We know some of you were spies sent by your ns, but we don''t care. If you have the strength to achieve whatever mission you have, let us see."
Instantly, everyone held their breath, weariness etching onto their faces.
Spies among them?
The thought sent a cold shiver down their spines.
Immediately, a seed of doubt began to gnaw on their souls like a vice.
Watching the scene unfolding before him, the First Commander nodded slightly.
Their enemies thought they had everything under control.
Unknown to them, they were ying into the palm of the Celestial Heavenly Sect.
In front of absolute strength, every plot or scheme would be rendered meaningless.
But what would unfold next in this intricate game of power and deception was yet to be seen.
"Remember, we have eyes on you all. When we detect you''re a spy…" His voice trailed off, sending shivers down their spines.
"Do you know how the Celestial Heavenly Sect punishes their enemies?" He asked no one in particr. "They will kill every one of their nsmen without leaving even their animals alive."
"So, if you have the guts to bear that consequence, let''s see you try."
"But let me tell you, before you even entertain any nefarious actions in your mind, we will discover you, and then…" He clicked his tongue and grinned evilly.
"Get ready. We''re moving out in an hour," hemanded with a stern voice before he left the podium, leaving the recruits to ponder the weight of his words and the imminent danger lurking in the shadows.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the prefecture capital, inside a dimly lit room, the group gathered with solemn expressions on their faces.
"What is going on?" Patriarch Xu asked, panic and shock evident in his voice.
"We need to do something," Patriarch Fang added. The rapid spreading of the news about the Spirit Bay was already giving him a headache.
As a merchant, all his money came from exploiting the weak and inting the prices of goods.
But now, if the Spirit Bay were to seed, he wouldn''t be as rich as before.
He would have topete like every other merchant in the prefecture.
Patriarch Yu looked at his two most trusted aides and frowned.
''What is happening? They should havepleted the mission by now.'' He thought.
The more he thought about it, the more he found it strange.
Their absence at this critical juncture was concerning, and it hinted at unforeseenplications or obstacles in their ns.
They had invested a massive amount of their resources to force a weak Core Refining expert to break through to the Golden Core realm.
This was just to ensure that everything went ording to n, and now, it seemed they had failed.
"Should we send our men to check if there was any sound of battle ormotion at the Celestial Forte?" one of the n masters asked, the tension evident in his voice.
The silence was killing them inside out, and if they did not do something, they might resort to the unthinkable.
Coming out of his thoughts, Patriarch Yu looked at the man and forced out a smile. "Thank you. Do that."
His response was terse, his mind already racing with contingency ns and potential repercussions of their failure to maintain control over the situation.
Quickly, the n master sent a message to his men to find out what was happening.
However, it barely took ten minutes when he received his men''s feedback. Reading the message, his expression turned unsightly.
"We have a problem," his voice loud, filled with urgency.
"What!" Patriarch Yu snapped.
"The city is on lockdown."
"WHAT!"
Patriarch Yu, Xu, and Fang shouted in unison, while Patriarch Yu stood on his feet in astonishment.
"Are you sure of what you''re saying?" He asked, his voiceced with panic.
If they put the city on lockdown, how could theyplete their ns?
Now, their top priority had changed. Each of the n masters was on their feet with confusion and panic etched on their faces.
"Let''s meet another time," he said and quickly rushed out of the room.
They had nned to sabotage the army from going to the border, only to realize their opponent was a step ahead of them.
It was not only the Prefecture capital that was on lockdown. Every city in the prefecture was on lockdown.
While the inhabitants of Zizhu Prefecture were still trying to understand why every city would be on lockdown, the Celestial Forte began their deployment, moving toward the prefecture border.
Inside the Cold Steel Pass, the atmosphere was filled with tension and anticipation.
They had received news of the deployment of the Celestial Forte Army. Now, the burden fell on them to keep the border secure until their arrival.
Inside the army headquarters, General Shi was giving outmands one after the other.
The seriousness in his voice showed how important the arrival of the Celestial Forte Army was.
He turned to look at his fatmander and said. "I don''t want our enemies to have any idea what is going on. For the next three days, no one should enter the prefecture."
He paused as if thinking of something and added. "Send our spies to monitor any strange movement at our borders."
He turned to the thin old man and said. "Get our elite soldiers and begin a 24-hour patrol at every exit on the border."
Quickly, the twomanders left to execute their orders, leaving only General Shi in the room.
With only him in the room, his expression softened, and he entered through a secure door to the back of the hall.
On the training ground, Meiling was sweating profusely as she was trying to understand how to use the Bronze Metal Construct.
Watching the power and speed of her daughter, a look of anticipation appeared on his face.