Chapter 418 Pre-battle Preparations, Force Gathering

Inside the core control room of the Barren Star Domain base.

Nightmare stood before a massive star chart condensed from energy. The star chart marked the distribution of forces around the Barren Star Domain, topographical features, and the directions from which the Divine Court Heavenly Army might attack.

"My Lord, the defensive Formation has been activated at full power," the Deputy reported from the side. "As per your request, the 'Void Crystal' brought from the Secret Realm has been integrated into the Formation's core. Now, the spatial concealment effect of the entire base has increased threefold. As long as we don't actively expose ourselves, it will be difficult for even those in the Late Stage of the Supreme Realm to discover us."

"Not enough." Nightmare stared at the star chart without turning his head. "The Divine Court Heavenly Army has specialized spatial detection treasures; concealment of this level won't last long. What we need is... to make it so that even if they find us, they can't break in."

He raised his hand and pointed out several locations on the star chart.

"Here, here, and here, set up 'Dao Reversal Annihilation Traps.' Use the Divine Court origin crystals seized from the death soldiers and the Enforcement Team as detonators. Once triggered, it will cause small-scale spatial annihilation. Anyone in the Early Stage of the Supreme Realm who steps in will surely die."

"Understood!" The Deputy immediately took note.

"Furthermore," Nightmare turned to look at several core members in the control room, "contact the inland periphery and have the Deputy bring all the main forces here immediately."

A Cultivator responsible for communications looked troubled: "My Lord, the 'Divine Court Heavenly Gate' lies between the core area and the inland periphery, along with vast areas under Divine Court jurisdiction. It's hard for large-scale troop movements not to be discovered..."

"Who said anything about large-scale movements?" Nightmare said indifferently. "Break them down into smaller groups. Have the Deputy split the main force into a hundred small teams, with a maximum of ten people per team. Disguise them as merchant caravans, Loose Cultivators, or explorers, departing via different routes at different times. They are to regroup once they reach the outskirts of the Barren Star Domain."

Everyone's eyes lit up.

Although this method was troublesome, it was indeed the most covert way.

"Use 'Dao Reversal Cipher' for the message," Nightmare added. "Only our people can decode it. Tell the Deputy that I want to see the entire main force arrive within thirty days."

"Yes!"

The communication Cultivator immediately went to carry it out.

Nightmare looked at another person: "Contact the scattered forces at the edge of the core area that resist the Divine Court."

"My Lord, which ones specifically?"

"Blood Blade Society, Iron Bone Sect, and Spirit Creek Valley," Nightmare named three. "These three are the strongest and have blood feuds with the Divine Court—the leader of the Blood Blade Society had his family wiped out by a Divine Court Heavenly General, the Iron Bone Sect had its mineral veins seized, and the Saintess of Spirit Creek Valley committed suicide after being forcibly taken as a concubine by a Divine Court Elder. They are the least likely to side with the Divine Court."

"Understood. And... the conditions?"

"Tell them," Nightmare's eyes were cold, "join the united resistance force, share Secret Realm resources after the war, and their territory will expand threefold. If they refuse... they will be deemed as colluding with the Divine Court and will be liquidated and wiped out after the war."

A blatant threat.

But in these chaotic times, threats were often more effective than promises.

"Yes!"

The second person went to carry it out.

Nightmare walked to the control room window, watching the stars occasionally flashing in the darkness outside.

He could feel that the aura of the Divine Court Heavenly Army was drawing closer; they would arrive at the Barren Star Domain in half a month at most.

Time was of the essence.

---

Seven days later.

Inland periphery, Nidao Alliance headquarters.

The Deputy gripped the Jade Slip containing the cipher he had just received, his expression solemn.

"The Lord wants us to bring the entire main force to the core area within thirty days..." He scanned the dozens of generals gathered below. "And we must break down into smaller groups and sneak in batches."

"Commander, this is too risky!" A general stood up. "The Divine Court Heavenly Gate is heavily guarded. How can so many of us pass through silently?"

"The Lord has provided a method," the Deputy repeated Nightmare's instructions. "A maximum of ten people per team, disguised and scattered. This is our only chance."

The generals looked at each other.

"Then... who stays behind?" another person asked.

"Leave three thousand elites; you will be in charge." The Deputy pointed to a mature and steady general. "The rest will depart with me. The Lord has established a foundation in the core area. This is the chance for our Nidao Alliance to truly take off; we must not miss it."

"By your command!"

The entire Nidao Alliance quickly sprang into action.

One hundred small teams were formed within three days, each issued a disguised identity, a route map, and emergency contact methods. Starting from the fourth day, the teams set off one after another, like streams flowing into the sea, silently disappearing onto various roads leading to the core area.

---

Ten days later.

Edge of the core area, Blood Blade Society headquarters.

The Society Leader, Blood Blade, was a one-eyed burly man. At this moment, he was staring at the Jade Slip emitting black-gray flame patterns, his expression shifting.

"Nightmare... is that the ruthless man who killed a Divine Court Heavenly General and seized the primordial supreme crystal core?" He looked at the Nidao Guard who had come to deliver the message.

"Precisely." The Nidao Guard was expressionless. "Society Leader, my Lord's conditions are clear. Join us, share resources, and expand your territory. Refuse... and be deemed an accomplice of the Divine Court, to be wiped out after the war."

A sharp glint flashed in Blood Blade's single eye.

He certainly hated the Divine Court—his entire family of thirty-six, except for him, had died at the hands of a Divine Court Heavenly General; this grudge was irreconcilable. But he also didn't trust Nightmare, this suddenly rising Nidao Alliance Leader whose methods were even more ruthless than the Divine Court's.

"What if I refuse?" Blood Blade tested.

The Nidao Guard didn't speak, only raised his hand.

In his palm, a wisp of transparent flame slowly ignited.

Within the flame, a Reincarnation ring could be seen faintly circulating.

Blood Blade's pupils constricted.

From that flame, he felt a terrifying aura that could completely annihilate even the Divine Soul.

"The Society Leader is welcome to try," the Nidao Guard said indifferently.

Blood Blade was silent for a long time before finally gritting his teeth: "Fine! My Blood Blade Society will join!"

At the same time, the Iron Bone Sect and Spirit Creek Valley made the same choice.

Not because they were enticed, but because they were coerced.

Nightmare's threat was more direct and lethal than the Divine Court's oppression.

---

Twenty days later.

On the outskirts of the Barren Star Domain base, teams arrived one after another.

When the Deputy arrived with the last batch of elites, nearly eight hundred people had gathered on the outskirts of the base—six hundred from the main force of the Nidao Alliance, and two hundred from the Blood Blade Society, Iron Bone Sect, and Spirit Creek Valley combined.

Nightmare stood at the entrance of the base, looking down at the dense crowd.

"My Lord!" The Deputy knelt on one knee. "The main force of the Nidao Alliance, six hundred people, has arrived in full! We lost seventeen people on the way due to accidents, but none were discovered by the Divine Court."

"Rise." Nightmare nodded, his gaze sweeping over the leaders of the three forces.

Blood Blade, Iron Bone Sect Leader Iron Frenzy, and Spirit Creek Valley Master Stream Moon all lowered their heads involuntarily as they felt Nightmare's gaze.

The pressure of the Middle Stage of the Cosmic Supreme Realm, combined with that invisible aura of Reincarnation, made them feel instinctive fear.

"Since you've come, you're one of our own." Nightmare spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears. "But let me make my rules clear first—"

"First, during wartime, you will follow my command unified; those who disobey will be executed."

"Second, spoils of war will be distributed according to merit; those who hoard privately will be executed."

"Third, those who desert in the face of the enemy or collude with the foe... will have their entire sect wiped out."

Three rules, each one bloody.

But no one dared to object.

"Now," Nightmare turned, "everyone enter the base and reorganize according to your cultivation. Those in the Hongmeng Celestial Venerable Realm will be assigned to the 'God Slaying Squad,' those in the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm to the 'Array-Breaking Battalion,' and those in the Celestial Venerable Realm to the 'Iron Wall Army.' I want to see the reorganization complete in three hours."

"By your command!"

Nearly eight hundred people flooded into the base.

Nightmare returned to the control room with the Deputy and the three leaders.

On the star chart, the real-time position of the Divine Court Heavenly Army was already marked—it was less than five days' journey from the Barren Star Domain.

"My Lord, the commander of the Heavenly Army is 'Supreme Zhen Yu,' who is in the Late Stage of the Cosmic Supreme Realm. It is said he once killed three powerhouses of the same rank single-handedly," the Deputy said gravely. "Under him are five in the Early Stage of the Supreme Realm, a hundred in the Hongmeng Celestial Venerable Realm, and five hundred in the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm... the disparity in strength is immense."

Blood Blade and the other two turned pale.

This lineup was simply overwhelming.

"Scared?" Nightmare glanced at them.

"No... no..." Blood Blade said with difficulty, "it's just... the gap in strength is indeed too large."

"So what if it's large?" Nightmare said indifferently. "They are strong in the light, while we are strong in the dark. They think we will hold the base and fight to the death, but I intend to... strike proactively."

He raised his hand and traced a winding line on the star chart.

"The Divine Court Heavenly Army departed from 'Emperor Heaven Mountain' to head for the Barren Star Domain. They must pass through the 'Meteorite Turbulence Zone.' The space there is chaotic, and Divine Sense is limited; it is the perfect place for an ambush."

"The five in the Early Stage of the Supreme Realm will be left to me. The hundred in the Hongmeng Celestial Venerable Realm will be handled by the God Slaying Squad. The five hundred in the Hunyuan Celestial Venerable Realm will be encircled and suppressed by the Array-Breaking Battalion and the Iron Wall Army."

"As for Supreme Zhen Yu..." A cold light flashed in Nightmare's eyes. "I will personally host him."

Everyone gasped.

The Lord wanted to confront a Late Stage powerhouse with his Middle Stage cultivation?

"My Lord, this is too risky!" the Deputy said urgently.

"Risky?" Nightmare smiled. "From the moment I killed the first Divine Court Cultivator, which step hasn't been risky? Yet we are still alive, while the Divine Court's people... have died in untold numbers."

He looked out the window; in the dark starry sky, he could almost see the approaching shadow of the Divine Court Heavenly Army.

"In this battle, either we die, or the Divine Court hurts. There is no third way."

The control room fell into a dead silence.

Only on the star chart, that point of light representing the Divine Court Heavenly Army continued to draw closer.