Immortal King Qingwei also said solemnly,
“Leaving aside righteousness, judging purely from interests, the Ancient Realm is the forward barrier by which our Immortal Domain resists the darkness. If that barrier breaks, the darkness will drive straight in. What price will our Immortal Domain have to pay then to hold it back? Now that the Ancient Realm is still resisting, this is precisely the perfect chance for us to fight shoulder to shoulder with our allies and keep the darkness beyond our borders!”
Although Immortal King Hunyuan had a fiery temper, at this moment he too stood with the war faction, his voice booming like a great bell.
“Fight! We must fight! Are we supposed to wait until those damned things come killing to our doorstep before we act? We don’t want our mountains and rivers shattered like the Ancient Realm’s! If we send aid now, we can still keep the battlefield contained within the Ancient Realm!”
However, another faction, led by veteran Immortal Kings such as Immortal King Qingmu and Immortal King Xuangui, opposed the motion or reserved judgment.
Immortal King Qingmu stroked his beard and shook his head, his tone steady yet laced with concern.
“Fellow Daoist King Pan’s words are not without reason. However, our Immortal Domain has only just gone through a great war with the Foreign Realm. Though we won, it was a bitter victory, and every side suffered tremendous losses. Our foundations have yet to fully recover. If we raise armies for another distant expedition now, plunging deep into perilous territory to battle those unknown dark beings, I fear our strength may be insufficient.”
Immortal King Xuangui was even more direct.
“The darkness of the Realm Sea is mysterious and unfathomable. We know very little about its true strength. If we rashly become involved and suffer disastrous losses, shaking the very foundation of our Immortal Domain, who will take responsibility? The Ancient Realm may be an ally, but in the end, it is still an outer domain. In this old man’s view, we should make defending the Immortal Domain our foundation and strengthen our own defenses. That is the best strategy.”
Some neutral or conservative-leaning Immortal Kings echoed him:
“Indeed. The Immortal Domain cannot withstand successive great wars.”
“Since those dark beings are targeting the Ancient Realm, they may not immediately threaten our Immortal Domain. Why not observe how things change?”
“Send aid? How? How many troops should we send? Who will command them? Where will the resources come from? If we lose soldiers and generals, what benefit will there be?”
For a time, arguments raged endlessly within the Starry Sky Pavilion.
The war faction emphasized the crisis of shared peril and the righteousness of alliance, while the anti-war faction worried about the Immortal Domain’s own losses and the unknown risks.
Both sides clung to their own views, refusing to yield, and the situation fell into a deadlock.
The representative of the Golden Crow clan, their clan leader Jin Qing, was also present.
As he listened to the arguments, his brows were tightly furrowed.
He knew full well the deep friendship and covenant Immortal King Lu Xuan had formed with the Ancient Realm, and he understood even more clearly that if Lu Xuan were here, he would undoubtedly support the rescue without the slightest hesitation.
But at this moment, he represented his entire clan and could not express his stance lightly. He could only say in a deep voice,
“Our clan’s Immortal King is at a critical juncture in seclusion. However, the Golden Crow clan and the Ancient Realm have a covenant. If the Immortal Domain decides to dispatch troops, my Golden Crow clan is willing to contribute its strength.”
These words both revealed a potential stance and pushed the final decision back to the Immortal Kings of the Immortal Domain.
King Pan looked at the endlessly arguing crowd, his heart filled with anxiety.
The pleas for aid from the Ancient Realm had become more urgent each time. Clearly, the situation was already perilous to the extreme.
He suddenly slapped the jade table, raising his voice.
“Enough! You are all still haggling over gains and losses! Do you know that lives in the Ancient Realm are being plunged into misery every single moment?! If we wait until the darkness completely devours the Ancient Realm and strengthens itself, when that time comes, even if we want to defend ourselves, will we still be able to? When the Immortal Domain is reduced to scorched earth, you will all be sinners for the ages!”
Immortal King Hunyuan also roared angrily, “A pack of short-sighted cowards! Afraid of this, afraid of that—you might as well go home and hug your children!”
The anti-war faction was also enraged and began refuting him one after another. The scene nearly spiraled out of control.
Just as the deadlock remained unresolved, an aged yet majestic voice rang out, suppressing all the clamor.
It was Immortal King Wudao, who had not spoken for a long time.
“Silence.”
The assembled kings looked toward this one among the most ancient giants.
Immortal King Wudao slowly said,
“Argument is useless. Whether or not to send aid concerns the future fate of the Immortal Domain. We cannot be careless, but neither can we delay.”
His gaze swept over everyone. “The concerns of Fellow Daoists Qingmu, Xuangui, and the others have their reason. The Immortal Domain has not yet recovered its vitality. We cannot commit all our strength.”
Then, he looked toward King Pan and Qingwei. “However, what Fellow Daoists King Pan and Qingwei have said is also correct. The threat of darkness truly concerns the survival of the Immortal Domain. We cannot simply sit by and watch.”
He pondered for a moment, then proposed a compromise.
“In that case, we may dispatch an elite vanguard, led by several Immortal Kings, to rush to the Ancient Realm at once. First, to fulfill our covenant and investigate the true state of the darkness; second, to help the Ancient Realm stabilize its battle lines and buy time. Meanwhile, within the Immortal Domain, we shall immediately enter the highest state of war readiness, consolidate resources, and reinforce our defenses in preparation for any unforeseen changes.”
“In this way, we can avoid having the main forces of the Immortal Domain sink deep into an unknown war, while also making clear the stance of our Immortal Domain to the outside world. Moreover, it can buy time and intelligence for our subsequent decisions.”
Immortal King Wudao looked at everyone. “What do you all think?”
This plan responded to part of the war faction’s demands while also taking into account the concerns of the anti-war faction.
Though it could not immediately resolve the Ancient Realm’s urgent crisis, it was already the most likely consensus that could be reached amid the current deadlock.
King Pan and Qingwei exchanged a glance. Though they felt it was insufficient, they also knew this was the best result they could currently secure, and said in deep voices, “Agreed.”
Immortal Kings such as Qingmu and Xuangui pondered for a moment before slowly nodding as well.
“Then let it be as Fellow Daoist Wudao says.”
“Good!” Immortal King Wudao made the final decision.
“Form the reinforcements at once! King Pan and Immortal King Hunyuan shall lead the force, Immortal King Qingwei shall coordinate the rear, and elite True Immortals from the various clans shall be conscripted. Depart with all haste!”
Though the resolution had been made, the fractures and disputes within the Immortal Domain had been laid bare in this crisis.
Just as the Immortal Domain’s reinforcements were hurriedly gathering and preparing to set out, the flames of war in the Primordial Ancient Realm had already grown ever more intense.
Immortal King Wuzhong sensed that the aura of the Immortal Domain’s main force beyond the realm had still not arrived, and he could not help but let out a heavy sigh in his heart.
He knew that some trials, in the end, had to be faced by oneself.
And some prices might become even more grievous because of hesitation from afar.
Far away in the darkness-shrouded Foreign Realm, the five giants also obtained, through hidden channels, news that the Primordial Ancient Realm was suffering a massive invasion by the dark beings of the Realm Sea almost at the same time.
Within the Dark Divine Hall, the eternally burning dark source flame flickered with unusual liveliness, illuminating five faces—some gloomy, some savage, some sinister and strange.
“The news has been confirmed.”
King Chi’s voice carried a suppressed excitement.
“Those monsters from the depths of the Realm Sea have indeed made their move against the Primordial Ancient Realm! The scale is enormous, and their offensive is fierce!”
“Good! Good! Good!”
Kundi, whose injuries were still severe and whose aura remained weak, said “good” three times in a row, his eyes bursting with a light woven from resentment and delight.
“Wuzhong! Ancestral Sacrificial Spirit! And that damned Golden Crow Immortal King! So you have this day too! How does it feel to be targeted by the darkness? Hahaha!”
He began coughing violently from excitement, but the savage smile on his face never disappeared.
“When the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman profits.”
The Soul Lord’s cold voice came from the shadows, carrying a trace of calculation.
“When the darkness of the Realm Sea and the Ancient Realm fight until both sides are grievously wounded, that will be our realm’s opportunity.”
A river of blood surged around the Blood Fiend King, his killing intent chilling.
“If we do not strike now, when will we? While the Ancient Realm’s defensive lines are being entangled by the darkness and its main forces are pinned down on various battlefields, we can drive straight into its heartland! Even if we cannot seize back the Origin Ancient Artifact, we must utterly smash that broken world to pieces to vent the hatred in our hearts! We must also avenge the fall of Demon King Pu and the rout of our army!”