Chapter 399: Chapter 280: The Winds of Change, Conflict Erupts in Jun City (Part 1)

"Acknowledged."

But just then, a voice suddenly rang in the man’s ear.

These golden earrings were a specially crafted Dharma Artifact. They could communicate over long distances via magnetic field induction, allowing lifeforms wearing them to converse through magnetic fluctuations.

Of course, this was impossible for an ordinary person. Only beings with terrifyingly massive personal magnetic fields and the ability to manipulate them with microscopic precision could use such a method.

This was the communication method used among the core members of the Secret Organization, the Illuminati.

"Black Earl, connected."

"Acknowledged."

"Duke of Destruction, connected."

"Acknowledged."

"Knight of Omen, connected."

"Acknowledged."

"..."

One after another, the Purifier heard voices chime in. After about fifteen minutes, everyone was present.

"Everyone is here. I am the Eye of the Sun, and I will be presiding over this pre-war council. All key Illuminati personnel have gathered in Constantinople. The clearing operation was not perfect, but we have no more time to deal with the people of the Mortal World. The Spiritual Talismans will soon be impossible to suppress. Next, we will exchange the intelligence we’ve gathered and discuss our subsequent arrangements."

"Let’s all share the intelligence you’ve gathered over the past few days."

The voice of the man codenamed Eye of the Sun entered the Purifier’s mind through the earrings.

"The Five Divine Sealing Veins are suspected of occupying Gibraltar."

"I’ve found traces of the Judicial Court in Paris, France."

"Northern Egypt is Abyss Court territory. They’ve mobilized local armed forces and made extensive preparations..."

"..."

Voice after voice spoke up, reporting on the forces they and their various subordinates had scouted.

"I have discussed this with several others in the organization. We currently hold two Spiritual Talismans, while some Secret Organizations don’t even have one. They will inevitably launch an all-out assault in the first round of contention."

"Among the major organizations of the Hidden Realm, the Five Divine Sealing Veins hold three Spiritual Talismans. Although they have declined in recent years, the five veins are all connected and still possess immense strength. Furthermore, the leaders of the Five Divine Sealing Veins are all Quasi-Celestial Monarch Level beings. If they were to use the ’Divinity Transformation Technique’ at any cost, they could unleash Celestial Monarch Level power. I doubt any faction will want to provoke them in the first round."

"The Pioneer Group also holds three Spiritual Talismans. They possess extremely advanced avatar technology, a large number of Super Warriors, and high-powered weapons specifically designed to target the Saint Realm. Most importantly, they have grown tremendously powerful over the years. Who knows how many ruins they’ve secretly excavated, or how many units of Earth Immortal Cells they’ve absorbed. The few members of theirs who walk the world possess power comparable to the Sleepers. Lotus, for example."

At the mention of the name Lotus, a slight waver entered the Eye of the Sun’s voice.

During the struggle for the Antarctic Ruins, he had been outplayed by Lotus. Not long ago, Lotus had sowed lotus seeds in various cities along the Mediterranean coast, gathering members of other Secret Organizations to initiate the clearing plan. He had followed the trail and used an Immortal Forbidden Technique to manifest within their Lotus True Realm, only to be repelled. He had lost all face in front of the other organizations, and the two of them now shared a deep-seated animosity.

"Therefore, the probability of the Pioneer Group being targeted in the first round is not high."

After taking a moment to calm himself, the Eye of the Sun continued.

"In other words, we, who hold two Spiritual Talismans, will likely become the primary target for those Secret Organizations that hold none. I’ve received intelligence that Secret Technique Heaven and Abyss Court have already formed an alliance. They are preparing to move against us and split our two Spiritual Talismans between them."

"I have reason to suspect they deliberately leaked this information. They want to make us the common enemy."

The Eye of the Sun’s voice was grim.

Upon hearing this, the others immediately understood the intentions of Secret Technique Heaven and Abyss Court.

What would be the result of them deliberately leaking the news of their alliance?

This fight for the Spiritual Talismans was bound to be bloody and brutal. It would take several rounds of battle to determine the final victor. In this process, the most crucial thing was to cripple one’s opponents and eliminate them from the competition.

When the other major Secret Organizations heard that Secret Technique Heaven and Abyss Court had joined forces, they would inevitably send their own forces to Constantinople. Although their chances of seizing a Spiritual Talisman would be slim, Abyss Court and Secret Technique Heaven would be leading the charge and bearing the brunt of the pressure. This would allow the scattered forces of other organizations to take the opportunity to muddy the waters. The risk for them wouldn’t be great, but there was a high probability they could weaken the Illuminati’s strength, crippling them and knocking them out of the conflict. Doing so would remove a powerful competitor from the board for the other organizations. It might even result in Abyss Court, Secret Technique Heaven, and the Illuminati all suffering heavy losses.

Abyss Court and Secret Technique Heaven, in turn, wanted to use the strength of these other factions to scatter the Illuminati’s defenses, borrowing their power to strike their foe.

As for who would ultimately succeed, that would come down to their own abilities.

But no matter what, the Illuminati would be under immense pressure, and Constantinople would likely become the most intense battlefield in the first round of the conflict.

Understanding this, the Purifier’s eyes narrowed, and his previously relaxed, slouched body subconsciously sat up straight.

"So, the current resolution is to pull back our members and networks from all regions and focus on the defense of Constantinople. We must protect the Spiritual Talismans in our possession during the first round and find a way to cripple our opponents, especially Secret Technique Heaven."

The Eye of the Sun said in a low voice.

It was during the conflict over the Antarctic Ruins that they had snatched a Spiritual Talisman from a member of Secret Technique Heaven, which was how they now had two. The enmity between the two sides ran deep.

"What is the position of the Sleepers within our organization?"

Just then, someone asked.

"I have already found a way to contact them. Two of them will likely awaken from their slumber, but they will absolutely not act in the initial battles and waste their energy pointlessly. Only by acquiring more Spiritual Talismans can we receive a greater share of resources from them afterward."

the Eye of the Sun said.

"Now we can begin predicting which organizations might attack, as well as our corresponding groupings and deployments."

Seeing that no one else spoke, the Eye of the Sun continued.

"The Pioneer Group will certainly send people to intervene. Even if their core members don’t appear in their true bodies, they will definitely send avatars, along with units of Super Warriors."

"The Judicial Court has always had friction with us, so we can’t rule out the possibility that they’ll stick their oar in."

"And then there’s the Original Vein. Those guys are as elusive as a Divine Dragon. They didn’t even participate in the conflict over the Antarctic Ruins, but it seems their members have appeared this time. They might take advantage of the chaos to move against us and join the fray."

"..."

The Ancient Ones of the Illuminati exchanged opinions via the communication link, speculating on potential enemies and attacks, and making corresponding arrangements and preparations.

"Do we need to pay any attention to the people of the Mortal World? I’ve received word that Donghua’s Martial Artists have gathered in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Region. Their position is not very far from us. Should we be wary and make some preparations?"

Just then, the voice of the Black Earl spoke up.

"People from the Mortal World? Is that really necessary? They probably don’t even know about the eruption of the Spiritual Talismans. By the time they sense the aura and rush over, the battle will likely already be over. Besides, with the meager strength of the Mortal World, how could they possibly pose a threat to us unless they use high-powered weaponry to wipe Constantinople completely off the map?"

someone said.

"Black Earl, you’re being a bit too cautious. The people of the Mortal World have indeed shown considerable strength, which is why the clearing plan failed. But they still can’t affect the bigger picture. And in fact, the clearing plan wasn’t a total failure. At the very least, many countries in the Mediterranean Region have now refused to participate in the conflict. That’s the best proof."

another person added.

What they feared wasn’t the Saint Realm of the Mortal World, but the threat posed by those in the Saint Realm when combined with modern weaponry and local armies. The clearing plan may have seemed like a failure when our avatars were slain by the Starry Sky Country and Donghua, but the fact that it made the local nations hesitant to act means it was already a success.

"Mm, I don’t think we need to discuss this any further. The Saint Realm of the Mortal World alone cannot possibly affect the grand scheme of things. It’s just five or six people. If they really dare to interfere, then we’ll just eliminate them along the way."

the Eye of the Sun said, signaling that there was no need to waste any more time on the topic.