Faced with the exquisite technology of modern drones, these Grandmasters lost all hope of leaving things to chance. Instead, they were dead set on latching onto the Jiuzhou Sect. As a result, they dug up almost every last secret of the Qing Emperor, even revealing that he hadn't slept with his concubines in over a decade and was likely too old to perform.
Shen Yun and Wei Er were somewhat shocked by this information. Their surprise didn't stem from the fact that a Grandmaster was impotent, but rather from his sheer brutality. If these rumors were true, the man had completely lost all reverence for life and was no different from a wild beast. No, he was worse than a beast!
"If the other top-tier Grandmasters are like this as well..."
Shen Yun and Wei Er exchanged a glance, both seeing the grave caution in each other's eyes. It would be best to leave none of them alive. The existence of such people was an absolute blasphemy against human civilization. However, they needed the strength to back it up. For now, it was unwise to make enemies of all the top-tier Grandmasters. Co-opting some while suppressing others was the most beneficial approach. Besides, they had plenty of time. Given the cultivation speed and population base of the Chinese people, in another decade or so, they would likely usher in a new cultivation era where Grandmasters were a dime a dozen.
Wei Er continued with his busy preparations. Considering the high probability of a Grandmaster-level battle breaking out, ordinary soldiers would merely be cannon fodder and offer little help. Therefore, Wei Er decided to shift the Jiuzhou Sect closer to being a genuine Artifact Refining sect. He specifically requisitioned hundreds of brand-new service robots from the homeland and established signal stations. Operated remotely by personnel at the main base, these robots would serve as receptionists during the upcoming ceremony. They were guaranteed to completely astound the native Grandmasters.
In addition, hundreds of Cultivator soldiers equipped with DJI drones hurried to various major sects around the world to deliver invitations.
According to the information provided by Yi Bozhong and the others, there were a total of seven top-tier Grandmasters in the world. Three belonged to the empire, two to the Buren Empire, and two to the northern Hundred Barbarian Alliance. The War King mentioned earlier was the only top-tier Grandmaster who hadn't claimed an imperial title, simply because he was the biological uncle of the current Emperor. Among the three top-tier Grandmasters of the empire, Wei Er placed the most importance on the Sword Emperor of the Sword Pavilion.
Having broken through to the Grandmaster realm at fifty and becoming a top-tier Grandmaster at one hundred and fifty, the Sword Emperor was still considered quite young at two hundred and eighty-four years old. More importantly, the Sword Pavilion was the only sect passed down from the Ancient Times. They likely possessed a method to break past the Grandmaster realm.
Wei Er took it upon himself to personally deliver the invitation to the Sword Emperor. He went entirely alone, accompanied only by a hovering DJI drone.
"Wei Er, Grandmaster of the Jiuzhou Sect, has come to pay his respects."
"Please come in, Grandmaster Wei!"
The Sword Pavilion also sent out a Grandmaster to welcome him. At the same time, no fewer than six strands of Grandmaster-level Divine Thought swept back and forth across the drone. Wei Er felt a slight chill in his heart. Publicly, the Sword Pavilion was only supposed to have five Grandmasters! However, according to the information provided by Yi Bozhong's group, the Sword Emperor had never gotten along with the Qing Emperor—or rather, he unilaterally despised him.
Maintaining a calm exterior, Wei Er followed behind the welcoming Grandmaster. The imposing man flew on a soaring sword, frequently turning his head, unable to tear his eyes away from the drone.
"How should I address this Sword Immortal?" Wei Er asked, feeling quite pleased with himself.
"I wouldn't dare claim the title of Sword Immortal. My name is Lin Yi, the second disciple of the Sword Emperor," he replied with a bow, before asking, unable to hold back his curiosity, "I notice that this artifact doesn't seem to contain any of Grandmaster Wei's Divine Thought or Spiritual Power. How does it..."
"Oh, this artifact isn't controlled by me," Wei Er said with a casual expression. "It is controlled by our Jiuzhou Sect's top-tier Grandmaster—Shen Yun."
"Grandmaster Lin, I am Shen Yun." Suddenly, a man's voice transmitted from the DJI drone.
Lin Yi was so startled he nearly plummeted from the sky.
"Since Grandmaster Shen is here, why not show yourself?" he asked with a bitter inward smile.
He wasn't the only one; the other Grandmasters paying attention to the situation were all caught completely off guard. Several strands of Divine Thought instantly began scanning the vicinity of the Sword Pavilion, desperately trying to locate the top-tier Grandmaster.
"HAHAHA! You misunderstand, Grandmaster Lin," Shen Yun laughed heartily. "I am still thousands of miles away. Due to my heavy burden of sect affairs, I could only visit in this manner. Please forgive me."
Thousands of miles away! How could that be possible?!
Lin Yi was completely horrified. Even for an existence that had surpassed the Grandmaster realm, it was impossible for their Divine Thought to span such a vast distance! He didn't know whether to believe it or not. But... there was no point in telling such a lie. Moreover, this artifact truly was miraculous. Despite appearing incredibly fragile, its internal structure was unimaginably precise and mysterious.
"Our Jiuzhou is an Ancient Refining Grand Sect," Wei Er said with a smile. "Transmitting messages across thousands of miles is nothing more than a minor trick. There's no need to mind it, Grandmaster Lin."
He didn't believe a single word of it. Transmitting messages across thousands of miles was completely unheard of, yet they called it a minor trick? Lin Yi did his best to steady his breathing, but all he could manage was a strained smile.
"Your sect is truly miraculous. It's no wonder you were able to deflate the Qing Emperor's ego."
"You flatter us," Wei Er replied, adopting a humble demeanor. "It was merely because the Qing Emperor pushed things too far."
"..."
Lin Yi didn't want to speak anymore. Killing another faction's Grandmaster and sending the corpse back... no matter how you looked at it, the Jiuzhou Sect were the ones being overbearing. However, since the Sword Pavilion had never gotten along with the Qing Emperor, they were more than happy to watch him suffer.
During the silence that followed, Shen Yun continuously observed the situation inside the Sword Pavilion through his tablet. Even without satellites, establishing a few hidden base stations ensured a smooth and stable signal. The Sword Pavilion disciples were almost all dressed in white robes, training diligently with their swords.
"Master, have you figured out how you're going to bluff them in a bit?" Xiao Jiu asked as she stood behind Shen Yun, massaging his shoulders. She was leaning almost her entire upper body against his back, pressing her soft form against him.
"We worked that out a long time ago." Shen Yun felt quite relaxed. He didn't have to meet them in person, and he was more than familiar with online video chatting.
"Mhm!" Xiao Jiu nodded and fell silent. She simply peeled a grape and fed it into Shen Yun's mouth with her pale fingers.
Since he was using push-to-talk anyway, a little extra noise on his end wouldn't matter.
By this time, the drone's camera feed finally reached the Sword Pavilion's main hall. It was classically luxurious, exuding an aura of weathered antiquity. A young man who looked no older than thirty sat in the central seat of honor—this was the Sword Emperor himself. Four people stood on either side of him, Mu Hui among them. All of them were Grandmasters.
"This artifact of yours is quite miraculous, Thunder Emperor." The Sword Emperor kept his gaze fixed on the drone, directly addressing him by his imperial title.
Shen Yun hadn't even held his title conferment ceremony yet. Logically, he shouldn't be addressed as an Emperor until after the event. Was he showing goodwill? The thought flashed through Shen Yun's mind, but his response was swift.
"Our Jiuzhou is also a lineage passed down from the Ancient Times. We have established our own comprehensive system, which differs greatly from the inheritances of the outside world." Shen Yun's voice was unhurried yet dignified, projecting a majestic and imposing presence.
The surrounding Grandmasters couldn't help but nod in agreement. A great deal could be inferred from this single artifact. First of all, it was incredibly new. Secondly, this was absolutely not something that could be created from occasionally stumbling across a legacy or two; the technical system embedded within it was simply unimaginable.