Deep below the sea and inside a gigantic underwater ravine that led to a seemingly unending deep abyss, there was the Astral Sky Abyss Sect. This sect was taken by Yasenia a few years ago when she participated in the World Summit.
While Yasenia wanted to create an underwater power, she was going to ask the Mermaid race for a location she could buy to build it. However, after a series of attacks, she ended up in a situation where she had a chance to steal a sect, which she did.
Using trampling power, Yasenia arrived at the sect and made it hers.
Over the last few years, this knowledge has spread to many people, so each time one person from the sect is seen, almost everyone knows who they work for.
Because of propaganda and other methods for social manipulation, Yasenia was not quite acclaimed in the underwater world.
Spreading a false and flawed reputation was not hard because almost no one paid attention to what happened outside the seas and oceans in which they lived.
If the general consensus was that someone from inland was evil, then most accepted it as a fact.
Even with the mermaids and their allies doing their best to increase her reputation, recent events were exploited against Yasenia.
The Ocean Chasm Empire was quick, and as soon as they discovered the capture of the wolf clan and the destruction of the Silent Fang Sect, they twisted it around and sold it as meaningless slaughter.
Thanks to the propaganda from the Ocean Chasm Empire, the reputations of those two powers were not bad, so Yasenia's actions had more effect than expected.
Now, using all that justification, the Ocean Chasm Empire mounted a joint attack to raze the Astral Sky Abyss sect to the ground.
In front of the Astral Sky Abyss Sect, a 60 million men strong army floated imposingly, like an underwater cloud full of powerful creatures. At the lead of this army, 100 peak-level Epoch Cores stood tall, their auras making the ocean waters turbulent.
Not even the strongest first-rate powers would be able to resist and defend against such a powerful army on their own.
The Ocean Swallowing Mermaid wanted to send their own leaders into the sect to protect, but the peak-level Epoch Cores told the Mermaid Queen this. "Linghui Mingyu, you've been one of the best leaders our race could've ever hoped for. Don't make a mistake that you will regret."
Linghui Mingyu, the Mermaid Queen, shouted. "Yasenia Dravory is our ticket to expand even outside this world! Why won't you understand this? While some of us might sacrifice our lives, if we manage to defend and defeat this army, fighting back and taking control would be 100 times easier!"
The Mermaid Elder asked calmly, "We are only 18 Peak-Level Elders, Linghui. What do you want us to do against 100 people with similar strength to ours? We can't sacrifice our lives for a random female dragon that has suddenly started a World War."
Linghui slammed the table and shouted, her eyes burning with wrath. "FIGHT! I want you to fight before it is too late! Don't you want to reach the next cultivation realm!? Yasenia Dravory has the answer to that and much more!"
Another Mermaid Elder sighed. "We act to clean up after the mistakes of a person that's not our race."
Linghui said through gritted teeth. "She is not of our race, but she is the one capable of providing us with so much more!"
As she spoke with them, a mermaid stormed into the room with an urgent look on her face. "Queen! We've received a letter from Yasenia Dravory!"
The Mermaid Queen moved quickly and snatched the letter. After reading it, she was puzzled. However, her puzzlement and incredulity were evident to the elders.
One of the elders asked, with a mocking smile, "What? Has she finally asked all her allies to help her clean up the mess she has created over the last few years?"
Linghui Mingyu snorted with a ridiculing gaze and threw the letter at them. One of them caught it with surprise at such actions. After all, they expected that the Mermaid Queen wouldn't allow them to read it to avoid humiliating Yasenia.
Still, since she had given it to them, the elder read it aloud. "Mermaid Queen, I ask you to gather your troops…" The elder smiled mockingly. "See? I told you."
The Mermaid Queen pointed at the letter with her chin. "Continue reading."
The elder rolled her eyes and read aloud. "... When you've gathered your troops, please attack the undefended forts of the enemy. Now that so many peak levels are out targeting me, you can probably strike in a few hurtful locations with your elders, right? You can also keep track of such powerhouses that are in the open so that in the future, you can tell your elders to eliminate those people. Anyway, I trust your judgment. I have a few things to do, happy hunting.
P.S.: As for the sect, don't worry. I can defend it myself."
Everyone in the room was silent, stupefied beyond words. Even the messenger was confused. After all, she knew of the situation.
Linghui Mingyu looked at them and waved her hand, summoning a complex map and asking the seniors with a smile. "Which city did you lose in the past and want to recover while the person that needs so much of your help holds back an army of several top powers alone?"
Meanwhile, the leader of the Astral Sky Abyss Sect, a high-level shark man who joined the Astral Sky Clan a while ago, commented. "Sect Master has told us to activate the formation and last until reinforcements arrive. Then, we can reverse the situation."
He was a man with a slender body but a profound aura. He was giving off a peaceful feeling, but his dark eyes seemed to hide blood rivers behind them.
A fish woman at the side asked. "Vice Sect Master Sha Yu, should we really trust Sect Master so much? I understand that she is someone with deep thinking, but what if we are being used as a sacrifice for a larger stage?"
Sha Yu shook his head. "Activate the formation and wait for my instructions. Sect Master wouldn't do anything to lose us because we are essential for her overall objective. Without a strong foothold underwater, Sect Master will have a lot of trouble."
"Which one is Sect Master's overall objective?"
Sha Yu commented. "Since we are at this stage, there is no need to hide it anymore. Sect Master wants to dominate the entirety of the Distancia Continent. The purpose of it is giving her descendants a relatively safe place to develop until they can leave to have their own adventures."
Another fish-like man spoke with a frown. "Doesn't that sound like a… nest?"
"Exactly!" A cheerful-looking, slender, and brown-skinned woman entered the room. Her silver hair and eyes created an exotic beauty contrasting with the pure white sword-wielding woman at the side.
There were 20 people with similar outfits behind those two.
The way they walked was clearly protective toward the one woman that was walking in the middle. The peerlessly beautiful, silver-winged Phoenix Woman's face was cold as ice, her mere presence creating ice particles that floated upward.
Sha Yu stood up and respectfully bowed. "Lady Cecile, I thought you were trapped in Astral Dragon City."
Cecile said bluntly. "Such a weak formation can't stump Tatyana." Then, she added. "Has the formation been activated?"
Sha Yu laughed and nodded. "Yes, Lady Cecile."
Cecile extended her hand. "Give me the main control crystal."
Sha Yu easily nodded and was about to hand it when a woman at the side protested. "Hey, he is the Vice Sect Master! Give him some respect. Even if you are the soulmate of Sect Master, he is above you position-wise?"
All the maids kept their faces straight, but their eyes turned toward the woman who just spoke. Sha Yu frowned and was about to tell her to shut up when Cecile lifted her hand and looked at her. "Name?"
The woman opened her mouth, but Cecile continued before she could utter a word. "Well, I don't care. Anyways, who are you? What are you? After cultivating for a few centuries or even millennia, your cultivation is around the high-level Epoch Core. Did that age not teach you not to speak up when you have nothing to do with this?"
The woman's face turned red in anger, but before she could say anything stupid, Sha Yu spoke. "Ignore her, Lady Cecile. You were the one who recommended me to be appointed here, and I appreciate that. I will deal with her later."
Cecile looked at Sha Yu and nodded. "Don't disappoint Yasenia. Prepare the army to be set up at the edges of the sect." Without another second, Cecile completely ignored that woman and walked to the defensive line.
Sha Yu looked at her retreating back with a touch of appreciation and then his face became cold as he looked at that woman. "Next time, I won't save you nor anybody else. The reason you have so many resources lately is them. Moreover, as long as we don't mess with their way of governing, they let us do everything freely. They ask for loyalty and transparency. It's not difficult, right? Now, all of you go to work!"
Cecile stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down at the seemingly unending darkness. "I wonder what's down there?"
Clara, her maid, asked. "Do you want us to explore, Madam?"
Cecile shook her head and then asked. "Why 'Madam'?"
Clara laughed. "Well, Madam is used for wives and often married mothers. Since Lady Cecile is such, we've changed the way we call you. Do you prefer lady or miss as ways of addressing you, Lady Cecile?"
Cecile shook her head. "I don't care." Then, she looked forward and pointed in a direction. "They are here."
Clara clapped. "Great eyesight, Madam!"
Cecile hummed. "How long ago did you spot them?"
Clara blinked. "Well, around the second we arrived? They are not that far. We are already at the date they promised, after all…"
Sha Yu approached and commented. "What's the plan, Lady… Madam?"
Cecile's lips arched a bit, feeling quite nice with that name, which made her wings flap happily. Cecile answered with a hum in her voice. "Just slaughter left and right without exiting the formation."
Sha Yu looked at Cecile's stomach and frowned. "Will you be okay, Madam?"
Cecile nodded. "It doesn't affect my movement. Moreover, the child's safety is the main reason for these maids to be here."
Sha Yu hummed. "What is Sect Master doing right now?"
Cecile tilted her head. "Setting up traps?" Cecile shrugged. "I think she has already understood the enemy's plan, so she is preparing countermeasures. From what she told me, their objective is actually the main sect. But flattening this one is part of the plan."
Sha Yu exclaimed. "Aha! They want to flatten this, join with another group after their victory, and then flatten the Astral Sky Sect. With those gone, they will finally fall back into a more neutral position. Moreover, because of the lack of Divines, the Demons would have quite an easier time to dominate. Kill 1000 soldiers but lose 800, I guess."
Cecile blinked. "That meant fighting to win but with high risks?"
Sha Yu laughed, showing his serrated teeth. "More or less, Madam. Oh? Here they are."
A loud and booming voice that Cecile recognized was from Admiral Tidal Crest spread in the surroundings.
"Allying with the evil Yasenia Dravory is your doom! Our Ocean Chasm Empire will definitely punish evil and return righteousness to our seas!"
Sha Yu whistled. "Quite heavy words."
Cecile nodded. "Stupid."
Sha Yu laughed. He really liked this woman. 'Ah, if everyone were as blunt as madam, it would be quite an easier world.'