"Setting the dispute aside?" Yaoguang understood exactly what those words meant.

It meant temporary abandonment. The East Sea's islands... Hundreds of islands had already been forced into "disputed" status. If this trend continued, the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s hope of reclaiming the East Sea's islands would likely remain a distant and unattainable dream. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Still, he could clearly distinguish which mattered more between an island that sat on a spiritual power node and hosted a level 4 spirit-gathering array, and an island that could expand territorial waters over a radius of several hundred kilometers.

The Nine Cauldrons Sect wanted to inherit the former territory of the Artifact Sect. But the Artifact Sect had once been one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects. Its strength back then had been overwhelming.

The Nine Cauldrons Sect insisted on occupying that territory in name while lacking sufficient strength of its own. Naturally, it became besieged on all sides, struggling with every step. If nothing unexpected happened, the East Sea's islands would be lost, the Shiwan Mountains would be lost, and even some coastal and southern lands would be lost as well.

Only when the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s territory shrank to a size it could fully defend with its current strength would true stability finally return. Fortunately, the Nine Cauldrons Sect possessed a Golden Core cultivator. Because of that, none of the surrounding sects, nor anyone within the Nine Cauldrons Sect itself, dared to stir up chaos inside the sect and undermine its stability.

If it were any other sect, one of the internal factions, or perhaps even multiple ones, would have long since been bribed to stir up trouble, plunging the sect into turmoil and leading to infighting and fragmentation.

"The Nine Cauldrons Sect has mobilized so heavily around Posuo Island this time. Every sect in the East Sea is watching. If we can’t even suppress the Xuanming Sect, we’ll become a laughingstock to the others, and they’ll only push further," Yaoguang said.

"In the East Sea, the only opponent that has ever posed a truly fatal threat to us is the Great Sun Sword Sect. Other forces can jump around all they like, but at most they’ll gain small advantages. They can’t stir up any real storm." Zhang Jianlin paused before continuing, "The threat posed by the Great Sun Sword Sect outweighs everything else. The rest, if they need to be let go, must be let go."

"That may be true, but if the Nine Cauldrons Sect never shows a hard stance, if it we allow others to gang up on us, then even if we repel the Great Sun Sword Sect, the Nine Cauldrons Sect might still not be able to withstand the aftermath," Yaoguang said.

Zhang Jianlin shook his head, about to end the topic. Then, a moment later, as if something struck him, his expression shifted. "What are you trying to say?"

"The Great Sun Sword Sect’s drills don’t begin for another month." Yaoguang smiled faintly. "Maybe we can resolve the disputes with the Xuanming Sect and Posuo Island before their drills begin."

"Resolve the Xuanming Sect before the Great Sun Sword Sect begins its drills?" Zhang Jianlin froze, then said, "You mean mobilizing all of the sect’s great sword cultivators at once?"

He immediately shook his head. "That’s unrealistic. The Nine Cauldrons Sect has too many directions to defend. The number of sword cultivators and spell cultivators we can truly mobilize is limited. And if we get dragged down by the Xuanming Sect, every surrounding sect will start to stir. Even the Infinite Star Palace, which might not have chosen us as its first prey, would come over to take a share."

"Not necessarily so."

Yaoguang directly took out several jade talismans at the console, placed them into a box, and handed it to Zhang Jianlin. "Take this to Hall Master Zhao. It would be best if he brought it to the main branch. This might push them into making a decision."

"This is..." Zhang Jianlin accepted the box, looking at him in confusion.

"An improved version of the Purple Firmament Type 12 flying sword," Yaoguang said.

"An improved version!?" Zhang Jianlin’s pupils constricted. "So fast!? You already finished it!? Didn’t Master Wei Yan and Master Lu Yuan say it was still a bit short of completion?"

"This is another version I completed independently. It has obvious flaws, so I didn’t present it earlier. But if the sect is willing to make the call and provide enough primordial psyche cultivators as support, those flaws can turn into advantages," Yaoguang said with a smile.

"I’ll bring it to them right away," Zhang Jianlin said solemnly.

"If the higher-ups approve even a plan with such obvious flaws... I’ll need to apply for a large sum of funding." Yaoguang’s expression turned serious. "Maybe, in the process of continuously refining these flying swords, I can further optimize them and push them to evolve into astra-level flying swords."

"Astra!?" Zhang Jianlin drew in a sharp breath. "You... can become an artifact-refinement grandmaster already?"

"I’ve only gone deep into this specific series. It’s an unconventional path, nothing comparable to a true artifact-refinement grandmaster." Yaoguang waved it off.

The title of an artifact-refinement grandmaster was simply too heavy. Whether it was alchemy, artifact refinement, or array arts, anyone who reached the grandmaster level in their respective field was a pillar of their sect. Such figures were often assigned at least one great cultivator as a personal guard.

The reason great cultivators personally served as guards was simple. Talents of this level were prime targets for recruitment, corruption, or, if those failed, ruthless assassination by rival forces. Top-tier grandmasters in particular, who were figures of unmatched national importance, were often protected by an entire squad of great cultivators.

That was why Yaoguang did not want to shoulder the title of an artifact-refinement grandmaster too early. The risk would increase exponentially.

"Unconventional or not, as long as you can refine astra-level flying swords, you are an artifact-refinement grandmaster!" Zhang Jianlin stated this with absolute certainty.

"Whether they can actually be refined is still unknown." Yaoguang waved his hand again.

"As long as there’s even a trace of hope, the sect will support you without reservation," Zhang Jianlin said heavily. "The sect... is far too short on this kind of top-tier talent!"

Yaoguang understood that clearly. To this day, the Nine Cauldrons Sect lacked the ability to refine second-generation astra flying swords.

The few second-generation astra flying swords it possessed had all been purchased at great cost from the Thousand-Beast Sect. Each one had cost them tens or even hundreds of thousands of spirit stones. Yet, despite knowing how terrifying those prices were, the Nine Cauldrons Sect could only grit its teeth and accept them. That was because, aside from the Thousand-Beast Sect, no other sect would sell strategic materials like second-generation astra flying swords to the Nine Cauldrons Sect.

Zhang Jianlin suddenly realized something and immediately said, "Right! You really are taking an unconventional path... You’re still far from a true artifact-refinement grandmaster..."

Midway through, he sensed something was off and quickly corrected himself. "No, no. That’s not what I mean. I’m not saying you can’t become a grandmaster. I mean..."

"I know," Yaoguang replied.

Zhang Jianlin looked at Yaoguang. Seeing the sincerity in his expression, his eyes immediately grew sore. After a long moment, he finally spoke with a slight choke in his voice. "Our Nine Cauldrons Sect... has existed for barely a little over eighty years. Everything is still in ruins, yet we’re surrounded by wolves. Every one of them is waiting to tear a chunk of flesh from us, to carve us up the way they carved up the Quicksand Sect. Over these past sixteen years, you’ve surely seen how the Quicksand Sect’s people have been living. Forget cultivation, they can’t even guarantee food and housing to their members..."

He forced himself to steady his emotions. "We know that the Xuanming Sect must be fought. The Ancient Immortal Sect must be fought. The Star Sea Sect must be fought. The Great Sun Sword Sect must also be fought. If we don’t fight, our future will only grow harder. But... we lack the required power. Everything the Artifact Sect once had was shattered and ruined during the Lunar Fiend Empire’s invasion. If Sect Master Li hadn’t preserved even this last shred of vitality for the Nine Cauldrons Sect at the critical moment, our situation wouldn’t be much better than the Quicksand Sect’s..."

Yaoguang said nothing. He did not know what he should say. Fortunately, Zhang Jianlin’s loss of composure lasted only for a moment, as it had been triggered by the possibility that Yaoguang might achieve the level of an artifact-refinement grandmaster. He quickly recovered.

With solemn resolve, he made a promise to Yaoguang. "If you truly have touched the threshold of refining astra, the Nine Cauldrons Sect will support you without reservation in taking that step! You will get everything you want!"

Yaoguang nodded. "I’ll wait for your good news."

Zhang Jianlin left, carrying with him the materials related to the improved Purple Firmament Type 12 flying sword.

Inside the room, Yaoguang slowly exhaled, saying a single word. "Astra."

That was what truly represented the pinnacle of the world’s equipment. Especially for sword cultivators, who relied so heavily on their life-bound flying swords, the strength of a single sword could have an overwhelming impact on their combat power.

The reason the Nine Cauldrons Sect claimed to rank just below the Six Great Immortal Sects was not that the number of its great cultivators was significantly lower than that of other large sects like the Great Sun Sword Sect, the First Yang Sect, the Taiyi Cult, the Tianyi Sect, or the Sacred Flame Gate.

However, the destruction of the Artifact Sect by the Lunar Fiend Empire had been far too thorough. They truly had to start over from scratch. Their pills, refined artifacts, flying swords and array arts all lagged behind the world’s standards.

When sects like the Great Sun Sword Sect had already developed third-generation low-grade and middle-grade astra flying swords, and even second-generation high-grade astra flying swords, the Nine Cauldrons Sect did not even possess the ability to produce high-grade astra.

On top of that, the lack of top-tier pills meant that the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s great cultivators suffered from a kind of chronic "malnourishment." In terms of quality, they fell behind those of other major sects.

For other sects, the probability of establishing a Dao Foundation ranged from twenty to thirty percent. For the Nine Cauldrons Sect, it hovered around ten percent. Under these circumstances, when facing the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s great cultivators, other sects’ great cultivators could often fight one against two, or even one against three.

Most critically, sword cultivators were an extreme profession. An advantage in the strength of those alone could skew casualty ratios to terrifying levels. Twenty years ago, the Nine Cauldrons Sect and the Great Sun Sword Sect each dispatched forty sword cultivators for an operation in the East Sea. In the end, the score was 40:7! The Great Sun Sword Sect annihilated the Nine Cauldrons Sect’s team at the cost of only seven great sword cultivators.

"Over the past one or two centuries, under the impact of the Lunar Fiend Empire’s systems, cultivation frameworks have changed. Naturally, artifact refinement has evolved alongside them. Astra which were already powerful have been continuously optimized, growing even stronger." Yaoguang was well acquainted with this knowledge.

Astra from two or three centuries ago were called first-generation astra. Those that fully adapted to modern cultivation systems were second-generation astra. Those capable of actively boosting modern cultivation combat power were third-generation astra.

Flying swords like the Purple Firmament Type 12 that Yaoguang refined should technically be classified as third-generation spirit artifacts, while the improved version qualified as a third-generation high-grade spirit artifact.

However, refined artifact and spirit artifact could never truly enter the world’s mainstream stage. Thus, when people spoke of second-generation flying swords, they were usually referring implicitly to second-generation standard astra flying swords.

"Only monopoly yields sky-high profits. A single second-generation astra flying sword sells for tens or even hundreds of thousands of spirit stones at the Thousand-Beast Sect, yet its cost barely reaches ten thousand at most. Even if the market is small, the margins are enormous. The Merchant experience gained will far exceed that from spirit artifact orders, yielding hundreds of thousands of spirit stones." As he spoke, Yaoguang shifted his gaze to the Refiner branch in his mental world.

The reason for Zhang Jianlin’s visit was to receive the delivery of the fourth batch of six hundred flying swords. Once this delivery was complete, Yaoguang would have accumulated enough experience to push his Refiner expertise to an entirely new height.

"I deliberately leaked some information to test how the Nine Cauldrons Sect would treat someone like me, someone who’s already showing the potential of an artifact-refinement grandmaster. If they truly are as tolerant and inclusive as they claim, then they’re worth continuing to work with..."

In that case, he would enter the astra market and refit the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect from top to bottom.