The Myriad Immortals Alliance's announcement did not specify how many of the Five Elders Council's nine Dao Unity powerhouses had perished. But the losses were undoubtedly severe.
Otherwise, the Five Elders Council, that was acting so arrogantly just moments before, would not have withdrawn their forces like a tiger with its fangs pulled, shifting from offense to defense in the blink of an eye.
The only Dao Unity cultivator publicly known to have fallen in this incident was ironically from the Myriad Immortals Alliance.
Yet he did not die in battle; he was executed.
For he was a spy.
A Five Elders Council spy who had hidden within the Myriad Immortals Alliance for nearly a thousand years, completely undetected.
With his esteemed status, no one would have ever suspected him before his identity was exposed.
Immortal Venerable Ziqiong of Tianyu Province.
He presided over the Martial Hall of the Myriad Immortals Alliance's headquarters, a figure of immense prestige and authority.
It was precisely because Immortal Venerable Ziqiong had secretly relayed the information, and the Five Elders Council verified it through probes, that they became utterly convinced of the intelligence stating that a Dao Unity powerhouse was on the verge of advancing to Eternal Heavenly Venerable.
This led them to adopt the extremely high-risk strategy of dispatching nine Dao Unity powerhouses deep into enemy territory.
This was not the first time they had done so.
In previous operations, the Five Elders Council had reaped substantial benefits.
The last time they employed such a tactic was during the surprise attack on the five elements grotto-heavens.
Indeed, it was this same Immortal Venerable Ziqiong who had leaked information about the five elements grotto-heavens back then.
His subordinates had received an urgent message from a scouting team, requesting that the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters send assistance to relocate the five elements grotto-heavens.
Immortal Venerable Ziqiong understood the immense value of these grotto-heavens far better than most within the Myriad Immortals Alliance. So he secretly passed the information to the Five Elders Council.
That was how the Five Elders Council reacted so swiftly, arriving even before the Myriad Immortals Alliance's reinforcements.
Later, the enraged Myriad Immortals Alliance dispatched a pursuit force of eight Dao Unity powerhouses. But with the high-ranking Immortal Venerable Ziqiong leaking secrets, the Five Elders Council knew the exact composition of that force down to the last detail.
Those eight pursuing Dao Unity powerhouses would likely have all been lost on the battlefield had it not been for an unforeseen event: a single Spirit Transformation cultivator within the group, who was previously overlooked, erupted with combat power rivaling a Dao Unity powerhouse and single-handedly turned the tide at the most critical moment.
Even so, the Myriad Immortals Alliance suffered grievous losses in that clash.
Although the Five Elders Council also sustained some damage, theirs was comparatively acceptable.
The only regret was that, due to the suddenness of the situation, they had been unable to mobilize sufficient personnel in time. Their mission to seize the five elements grotto-heavens ultimately failed.
Regardless, as the most deeply embedded nail the Five Elders Council had placed within the Myriad Immortals Alliance, the intelligence Immortal Venerable Ziqiong provided was considered absolutely trustworthy.
Thus, even though dispatching nine Dao Unity powerhouses deep into enemy territory was, in theory, an extremely high-risk maneuver, the Five Elders Council proceeded with it anyway.
And so they fell into the trap meticulously woven for them by the Myriad Immortals Alliance.
Within the Myriad Immortals Alliance, a certain individual had remained deeply troubled by the mysterious information leak regarding the five elements grotto-heavens.
The announcement did not reveal this cultivator's true name, referring to him only by the alias Lone Hero.
One of Lone Hero's close friends was among the eight Dao Unity powerhouses who had participated in the pursuit.
His friend died tragically, and driven by both personal grief and duty, Lone Hero vowed to uncover the spy hidden deep within the Myriad Immortals Alliance headquarters.
After the great battle of Tianling Province concluded, the Myriad Immortals Alliance initiated an internal investigation.
Lone Hero was placed in charge of the matter.
Yet Immortal Venerable Zi Qiong's status was too exalted, his concealment too perfect. Even with growing suspicions, without concrete evidence, nothing could be done to him. The investigation ultimately reached a dead end and was abandoned.
But Lone Hero refused to give up. A bold plan began taking shape in his mind. In essence, it was simple—lure the snake from its hole.
Yet the stakes were immense; a single misstep could undo everything.
Lone Hero hesitated at first, but he ultimately steeled his resolve and meticulously laid his trap.
Gradually, whispers began circulating among the Alliance's upper echelons: a Dao Unity cultivator within their ranks was preparing to defy the principles of heaven and earth and attain eternal life. Furthermore, many Dao Unity cultivators had received invitations to assist and had since vanished without a trace.
Immortal Venerable Zi Qiong naturally learned of this rumor. However, he couldn't verify its accuracy.
Having just been under investigation and not yet fully cleared of suspicion, he was unwilling to risk confirming the information personally.
Yet the matter's significance was too great to ignore. If the Myriad Immortals Alliance were to gain a new Eternal Heavenly Venerable...
After much deliberation, Zi Qiong finally passed the intelligence to the Five Elders Council, leaving the verification to them.
The Five Elders Council treated this information with utmost seriousness. Coincidentally, the ruins of an ancient sect had suddenly emerged in Jiushan Province, the volatile border region between the two powers, drawing the attention of countless cultivators.
Seizing this opportunity, the Council dispatched a Spirit Transformation cultivator named Luo Xi to openly provoke and test the Alliance's response.
The Myriad Immortals Alliance's reaction was odd to say the least. They issued the sternest of warnings, threatening that anyone who dared come would "meet their death," yet they only deployed a handful of Spirit Transformation cultivators to preside over the arrays.
How could Spirit Transformation cultivators be enough? Where were the Alliance's numerous Dao Unity cultivators?
With no Dao Unity expert present, even if the Council sent only Luo Xi and no additional support, what could the Myriad Immortals Alliance hope to accomplish with just the Spirit Transformation cultivators stationed in Jiushan Province?
The Alliance had to be aware of this. Could they truly just endure such a public slap to the face? What was happening?
To the Five Elders Council, these "stern warnings" reeked of bluster and emptiness. They seemed less for the Council's benefit and more for internal circulation within the Alliance—a feeble attempt to placate their own people.
It appeared the intelligence from Immortal Venerable Zi Qiong was likely true! A Dao Unity cultivator within the Myriad Immortals Alliance was indeed attempting to defy the principles of heaven and earth.
Multiple divinations and deductions further confirmed the event's veracity!
The Five Elders Council grew anxious. No wonder the Alliance was swallowing its pride.
Compared to gaining a new Eternal Heavenly Venerable, losing a little face or even several provinces was an acceptable price.
Once the advancement succeeded, everything they had lost would be reclaimed in an instant. This could not be allowed to happen! They had to intervene!
Thus, the Five Elders Council abruptly declared war.
Simultaneously, a team of nine Dao Unity cultivators, acting on the intelligence provided by Ziqiong, headed for Tianyu Province to carry out their mission of disrupting the advancement.
Yet none of them realized it was all a trap.
***
Li Fan’s expression was inscrutable as he read and reread the Myriad Immortals Alliance’s haughty proclamation several times over.
Finally, he let out a long, slow breath.
Without standing at that height, one cannot grasp the full picture.
As for what truly occurred... Perhaps only when looking back after it’s all over, will we begin to understand even a fraction of it.