World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 358: The Turmoil of Darkness

Sixty-eight coordinated assaults broke out across various regions. More than three thousand people were killed, and over sixteen thousand were injured.

The Dark Faction completed the bloody deeds within half an hour, attempting to prove to the world that on the territories that they had cultivated for years, they were strong enough to commit large-scale massacres at any moment.

At the forefront stood three great powers: the Blood Race, the Witchcraft Alliance, and the Jialington Group. Following their lead, nearly every force and organization under the Dark Faction took part in the operation.

Just like the snowfield plane crash incident from before, their preparations had been meticulous, their plans complete. In a short period, they had mobilized more than three thousand cultivators, including nearly all the effective forces of the Blood Race's remaining four great families. Even the two ancient princes surfaced and slaughtered openly, as if venting their rage.

Their purpose was equally clear: to take hostages. They targeted Hua Republic citizens who were abroad on business or pleasure. The captives were then swiftly gathered and transferred to Aukuili, a mountain range in the northern parts of Europe.

Situated at the very heart of the Dark Faction's territory, it had once been one of the Jialington Group's major secret bases. Now, it had been turned into a carefully prepared trap.

At the foot of the Aukuili Mountains was a town with a population in the tens of thousands. Once bustling, it was now completely under the Dark Faction's control. The terrain had also turned it into a natural fortress, making it easy to defend.

Hostages were flown in and delivered ceaselessly. The Dark Faction's combatants, cultivators from across the world who embodied darkness and chaos, also converged on the site.

In just an hour, the small town, once only a ski resort, had become the focus of the world's attention. Satellites in orbit locked onto the area in ever-growing numbers, breaking records again and again.

The Dark Faction clearly intended to use the hostages as leverage to achieve their goals. However, this was no different from issuing a declaration of war against the Hua Republic.

The European nations pulled into this vortex of crises quickly. On one hand, they announced the dispatch of troops to rescue innocent hostages and loudly condemned the Dark Faction's acts of terror. On the other hand, their troops assembled painfully slowly despite all their barks.

Meanwhile, the Dark Faction issued a few short videos that immediately silenced them. The first one, featuring the leader of a notorious international mercenary group, was directed at the Light Faction and the nations of the West.

「To our dismay, we have been forced to adopt extreme measures. For too long, the Dark Faction has borne accusations and insults it does not deserve. Hypocrites like you refuse to see how much effort we have poured into maintaining peace and stability in this world.

「The cultivation world is a hidden, powerful danger that threatens global peace. If measures are not taken, and they are allowed to grow unchecked, then we who do not belong to their ranks will one day be reduced to slaves.

「In the eyes of Hua Republic cultivators, there is no difference between the Light and Dark Factions. To them, we are all outsiders, all barbarians. As one of their well-known sayings goes, 'Those who are not of my race surely harbor animosity toward us.'

「That being said, even if you do not stand with us, you'd better behave yourselves, Light Faction comrades. Otherwise, we will continue to do what corrupt cultivators are expected to do. Consider the plane crash at Saros an example.」

The second video targeted the neutral factions of cultivators caught between the Light and Dark Factions. A white-haired elderly man, dressed with elegance and dignity, appeared on screen. His speech was impassioned, calling on neutral factions to join this "holy war" in defense of dignity. He claimed that the recent overbearing stance of the Hua Republic cultivators had forced them to start an uprising.

Moreover, he stated that the sixty-eight attacks launched half an hour earlier were aimed solely at the Hua Republic. The casualties in the process were merely collateral even though it was somewhat excessive, with nearly twenty thousand killed or wounded. The Dark Faction was essentially declaring that the Hua Republic's cultivation world had forced their hand.

The third video explained why they had taken hostages. It was also a declaration of war on the Hua Republic's cultivation world.

In the video, a young man in a demon mask spoke in the Hua language.

「Have Wang Sheng cripple his cultivation and negotiate with us in good faith. If he does, we will release the innocent Hua Republic citizens. Until then, every five minutes, I will choose a lucky soul at random to feed my Blood-Dissolving Divine Sword. The countdown will start the moment the last hostage arrives.

「Of course, you can choose to send a large force of cultivators to storm this place instead. But believe me, the moment you step beyond the Hua Republic's borders, we will execute the hostages and vanish from your sight.

「No one knows you all better than I do. Though the Hua Republic's cultivation world defeated me once, that battle gave me enough understanding of your methods. I know that while you may pretend to negotiate, you will prepare harsher measures in secret.

「But now, the time, place, and people are all on my side. Chi Ling, Qing Yanzi, Grand Celestial Master... cultivators of the Hua Republic, you are now forced to choose between the lives of your people and the life of one cultivator.

「It is your aggression that has forced the powers of the Dark Faction to unite. The tallest tree in the forest is always the first to be felled. Wang Sheng, I know you are watching this. What are you waiting for?」

The camera angle changed, revealing an airport hall bathed in blood. It also showed him gripping a devilish hand.

「Wang Sheng, these people are dying because of you! Oh, and one more thing. The final batch of hostages is with me. We will reach Aukuili in an hour. Considering you're already at the Nascent Soul Realm, one hour should be more than enough for you to get here.」

***

Bzzz!

A sharp buzz of static cut the feed, and the video ended abruptly. Those gathered around Wang Sheng's phone looked grim.

Their squad was flying northward when the message reached them.

Shi Qianzhang craned his neck and cursed, "We should kill that fucking bastard! We forced them? It's their damn fault! Do they really think hostages will make us submit? The last corrupt cultivator faction that tried this ended up wiped out!"

Huai Jing frowned. "The Five Gods Cult?"

Liu Yunzhi said, "It's different this time. We're not in the Hua Republic. The Special Warfare Unit and the Daoist sect seniors need time to assemble, and there are far more variables at play."

Dale turned to Wang Sheng, who had quietly drawn Spiritless. "Daoist Master Wang, please calm yourself. Rushing over now will solve nothing."

Huai Jing and the others quickly blocked him. His expression had become as dark as ink.

Shi Qianzhang, surprisingly, began to advocate for restraint. "Calm down, Brother Sheng. If you rush over recklessly, you'll fall into their trap."

"He's right," Liu Yunzhi added. "We should give the Daoist heritages time to gather strength and wait for word from home. We can't just charge into a tiger's den alone."

"Amitabha. Fei Yu, if you charge head-on right now, they could launch a nuclear bomb. The hostages can't survive that," said Huai Jing.

"Considering they've taken hostages, they clearly want to negotiate," Dale reasoned. "We can try to meet some of their conditions."

"That's impossible," Liu Yunzhi firmly replied. He looked straight at her. "The government will never bow to corrupt cultivators. When the Five Gods Cult caused trouble in the past, they were given a few hours because the authorities were certain they could not escape.

"Giving in now will only encourage them. If the state shows weakness and gives them a taste of success, they'll think they've found our soft spot, and more Hua Republic citizens abroad will fall into danger. The consequences would be more disastrous than mere loss of life."

Shi Qianzhang and Huai Jing nodded in agreement.

Huai Jing added, "The government will likely attempt a rescue while condemning the Dark Faction strongly. Fei Yu, let's wait for news for now."

"I have to go. The sooner the better," Wang Sheng insisted. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, his gaze calm.

"Think this through, Fei Yu."

"Daoist Master Wang, they are targeting you. If you go, you'll only be playing right into their hands."

"I'll go with you, Brother Sheng! At worst, we'll die to—"

Wang Sheng raised his left hand, cutting off Shi Qianzhang mid-sentence. "I'm not going there to sacrifice myself. I value my life, you know. Come down to the forest with me. I'll make a battle plan."

A battle plan?

The four exchanged glances, but Wang Sheng was already descending toward a grove below. They hurried after him, afraid he would shake them off and rush ahead alone. On the ground, Wang Sheng opened the map on his phone, pulled up the terrain of the Aukuili Mountains, and studied it closely.

"Fei Yu, what are you thinking?" Liu Yunzhi whispered.

"Have you read Romance of the Three Kingdoms?" Wang Sheng asked.

"Of course," Shi Qianzhang confidently replied. "I watched the drama."

"Good." Wang Sheng firmly said. "Today, we'll make a show of repairing the plank roads while secretly crossing the pass."

"Hmm..."

"Right now, I am their target, and we're likely being monitored. That means we—"

Dale raised her hand and timidly asked, "Isn't 'repairing the plank roads while secretly crossing the pass' the stratagem that General Han Xin used when Liu Bang fought Xiang Yu for the empire? Romance of the Three Kingdoms takes place much later, though, at the end of the Han dynasty. Are you sure—"

Wang Sheng blinked, then waved his hand calmly. "Don't worry about details. Let me finish the plan. Qianzhang, I remember you once said you had created talismans that grant invisibility?"

"Uh, yeah. They don't work that well, though."

"They'll do." Wang Sheng planted Spiritless at his side, quickly unbuckled the scabbard, shed his Flowing Celestial Robe, and revealed the tight black battle attire beneath. He held Spiritless in a reverse grip.

"Qianzhang, disguise as me. Fly slower and cooperate with the authorities. Yunzhi, Huai Jing, you two will protect him and ensure his cover is not blown."

The three hesitated.

However, before they could argue, Wang Sheng added, "Don't worry. I'm not charging in blindly; I'll be moving in the shadows. Our priority is to save the hostages, then destroy the devilish sword. Once I've scouted the terrain, I'll destroy their aces: the nuclear bombs.

"We have to stay focused. The greatest dangers right now are those two weapons, and the only way to destroy them is to surprise the enemy. We've already lost countless lives, and sacrifices still have to be made. All we can do is minimize the casualties as much as possible."

Shi Qianzhang muttered, "Brother Sheng, my hair is too short."

Huai Jing pulled a dark object from his sleeve. "Don't worry. Here's a wig. Make do with it."

Liu Yunzhi added, "Mount Mao has a talismanic art called Substitution of Peach for Plum. It'll make your disguise more believable, which means you'll be in less danger."

Wang Sheng nodded. He handed his Flowing Celestial Robe and scabbard to Shi Qianzhang. Afterward, he accepted a stack of talismans and turned to Dale. "I don't mean to single you out, Dale, but I want you to pass a message to the Light Faction."

"Alright. What is it?" she asked.

"If they continue to sit around and wait to reap the benefits, then the day the Dark Faction is destroyed will be the day the Light Faction feels the edge of my sword."

Dale turned pale. Wang Sheng had let a thread of killing intent slip among his words, scaring her enough to make her blank out.