Chapter 414 – 「Seven-Star Conference」

The Seven-Star Council.

This was a conference encompassing the entire human domain, hailed as humanity’s highest-level assembly.

As the name implied, only those who had advanced to Seven-Star status and reached the pinnacle of humanity could join this council.

The initiators of the council were the apex figures from Tianfeng City, so while nominally affiliated with Tianfeng City and equivalent in rank to its senior management, it was not limited to Seven-Star Professionals from Tianfeng City alone. All Seven-Star Professionals across the human world would join and become members of this parliament.

Thus, despite having only a few dozen members—not even a hundred—the Seven-Star Council held higher status than the management of any Base City. Only the leadership of a Base City like Tianfeng City, humanity’s Sanctuary, could barely compare, yet they would essentially still follow the directives of the Seven-Star Council.

The Seven-Star Council did not convene frequently.

At times, it might not meet even once a year, or even for several years, rendering it almost nominal.

However, whenever a major disaster, threat, or hidden danger emerged in the human world, any member of the Seven-Star Council could initiate a meeting using the special Alchemy Device issued by the council upon reaching Seven-Star status. This would summon all Seven-Star Professionals across humanity, allowing their consciousness to enter a unique virtual space through the Alchemy Device, where they would deliberate with all of humanity’s apex figures.

The last time the Seven-Star Council was convened was actually just a few months ago.

The events in Longyao City and the situation at the Seal site had drawn the attention of humanity’s upper echelons.

At that time, the apex figure from the Tianfeng City Wang Family initiated the meeting, gathering all Seven-Star Professionals across the human domain to discuss the handling of the Longyao City Underground Ruins.

Thanks to this, the issues in Longyao City were resolved. Major Base Cities dispatched support through their respective apex figures to station in Longyao City, guarding against the potential return of Sin’s invasion.

Now, merely a few months later, someone had initiated the Seven-Star Council again.

The initiator was still the apex figure from the Tianfeng City Wang Family.

The reason for convening the meeting was singular:

“Longyao City has fallen.”

No one could fail to understand what this meant.

Thus, within less than a minute of the meeting’s initiation and the Alchemy Device’s activation, all Seven-Star Professionals worldwide responded to the device, projecting their consciousness into the virtual space that resembled a vast, atmospheric conference room.

Old Qin was here.

Old Ling was here as well.

Especially Old Ling, as the Guardian Deity of Tianfeng City and humanity’s Ultimate Weapon, he served as the chairman of the Seven-Star Council and held veto power. Even if a resolution gained majority approval and passed, he could negate it with his veto.

Wielding such authority, prestige, and status, Old Ling naturally could not be absent in the face of such a significant event.

He sat at the head of the table, in his capacity as chairman, surveying all of humanity’s top-tier figures present.

However, he did not speak immediately.

The assembled human elites instead directed a continuous stream of questions toward a figure in one corner.

“What exactly happened, Wang Yi?”

“How could Longyao City fall just like that?””Didn’t your Wang Family send an old-timer to garrison there?”

“Even the Seven-Star Professionals from Yinze Base City went to provide support. With two Seven-Star Hunters stationed there, how could it fall before we even received any news?”

“Wang Yi, you’d better give us an explanation. This is no small matter!”

Some were panicked, some were surprised, and some even started blaming others, making the entire meeting noisy and chaotic.

“Enough, stop the noise.”

Old Qin seemed displeased with the commotion. Frowning, he rebuked them, gradually quieting everyone present.

As members of the Seven-Star Council, aside from the Guardian Deity who served as chairman, everyone else held equal status. No one could order anyone else around.

But this was a world where supernatural powers truly existed, and everyone understood the principle that the strong ruled.

In such circumstances, those with greater strength naturally held more authority and deterrence.

The same applied to the Seven-Star Council. When first-tier Seven-Star Professionals encountered those from the second tier, their tone and Aura would inevitably be somewhat weaker.

Old Qin was among the top of the second tier, second only to the Guardian Deity. Once he spoke, everyone except Old Ling had to show him respect.

Moreover, Old Qin was a senior figure, the eldest in age within the entire Seven-Star Council, so his authority carried significant weight.

Once everyone had quieted down, Old Qin turned to the person in the corner.

“Wang Yi, please explain what exactly happened?”

The person being questioned by Old Qin and everyone present was a man around sixty years old.

His hair was half-white, making him look like he had just passed fifty, which was quite youthful compared to his actual age.

However, his complexion was poor, and his eyes were filled with gloom. After Old Qin spoke, he responded with a somewhat helpless tone.

“About half an hour ago, I received communication from the Wang Family’s garrison troops stationed in Longyao City.”

Wang Yi, the strongest and highest-ranking member of the Wang Family, sighed under everyone’s gaze.

“The largest mercenary organization in the underground world, the major faction 『Sin』, mobilized their Underground Professionals to collectively attack Longyao City.”

“It seems the entire 『Sin』 organization was deployed, including the Commander, Vice Captain, and all Upper-Rank Professionals among their cadres.”

“Under their assault, both Seven-Star Professionals stationed there, including one of our Wang Family’s top members, were severely injured and are now missing, their fates unknown. The rest suffered heavy casualties.”Longyao City fell under such an offensive, with no suspense whatsoever.”

Wang Yi’s brief explanation was hard for many to accept.

What do you mean it fell with ‘no suspense’?”

“How could it fall so easily?”

“Even if Li Feng and Li Wu attacked together, Longyao City had two Seven-Star Professionals stationed there, plus so much support. How could a mere 『Sin』 overrun it so simply?”

“Did someone abandon their post? Could it have been the Wang Family’s representative? If so, bring them out for immediate judgment!”

The top figures clamored among themselves, causing Wang Yi’s expression to grow increasingly grim.

Before long, Wang Yi could take it no more. He slammed the table and shouted in anger.”I’ve been saying it all along! With Li Feng and Li Wu from ‘Sin’ present, relying solely on one apex expert from our Wang Family and one from Yinze City to garrison the city would hardly gain any advantage against those two. We should have dispatched an additional Seven-Star Professional for garrison duty!”

“That Li Feng is a second-tier figure, and Li Wu also wields ‘Rage,’ ranked eleventh on the Weapon Leaderboard. His strength places him among the top of the first tier. How could two ordinary first-tier Seven-Star Professionals possibly pose a threat to them?”

“Yet every one of you only wants to guard your own families and factions, afraid that if your people leave, others will take advantage of the void to infiltrate your forces, causing personal losses. In the last Seven-Star Council, you repeatedly refused external assignments!”

“Now Longyao City has fallen, truly conquered by ‘Sin,’ and you actually want my Wang Family to take the blame? Do you think I’m easy to bully!?”

Driven by rage, Wang Yi vented the accumulated anxiety in his heart.

If this weren’t a virtual space but the real world, Wang Yi would likely have unleashed the aura of a Seven-Star Professional like a volcano erupting, overturning this conference room due to uncontrollable anger.

Naturally, under Wang Yi’s furious rebuke driven by his wrath, everyone present felt somewhat guilty.

They did have their concerns and simply didn’t dare to garrison Longyao City.

Some of them were the only Seven-Star Professional in their family, while others were even the sole apex expert in their entire Base City. If they left to garrison Longyao City, what would become of their own foundations?

Even for those families and factions with multiple Seven-Star Professionals, sending one of their own away would significantly impact their strength.

If anything went wrong as a result, it would be their own families and interests that suffered.

Thus, it was only natural that few were willing to take on this task.

In the end, it was the Wang Family that fulfilled its duties with commitment and consistency. Remembering the extraordinary relationship between Longyao City and their family, they dispatched one of their apex experts.

Coupled with the Seven-Star Professional from Yinze City, who had to intervene based on the alliance among the Four Coastal Base Cities, the matter was settled.

Now that disaster had struck, facing Wang Yi’s accountability, they couldn’t help but feel guilty.

Of course, some argued this way:

“Even if the Li brothers are generally stronger than the defenders of Longyao City, with support and garrison from our Major Base Cities, Longyao City shouldn’t have fallen so easily—it might not have been impregnable, but it shouldn’t have collapsed this quickly. With the various means set up through aid from the Major Base Cities, we could even have repelled the forces of ‘Sin.’ How did it fall so fast that we didn’t even have time to react?”

This reasoning indeed held water.

With support from the Major Base Cities, even if there were some shortcomings in combat strength, there was absolutely no lack of financial and resource support.

With resources and technical support, logically, a few months should have been enough to transform Longyao City into a military base.

By then, if nothing else, simply raising an Alchemy Barrier and gathering a group of Sorcerers to construct defensive Spell Formulas, forming a barrier, would have made it extremely difficult for ‘Sin’ to breach Longyao City.Even with a Seven-Star Professional taking action, it would be impossible to breach Longyao City in a short time.

It was precisely because they considered this that the gathered human elites felt at ease in shifting responsibility and refusing to take on this arduous task.

Who would have thought…

“Those defenses might hold against a Seven-Star Professional, but can they withstand a Divine Artifact?Wang Yi’s cold questioning left everyone speechless.

Old Qin also sighed.

“We should have prepared for this long ago.”

Old Qin’s words plunged the crowd into silence.

It had been confirmed during the Midnight Labyrinth incident that someone within Sin possessed a Divine Artifact and could wield it. Though this had occurred less than half a month ago, given the threat posed by Sin’s artifact-bearer, they should have taken immediate countermeasures.

Yet, they failed to make timely arrangements, ultimately leading to Longyao City’s fall.

For this, everyone present bore responsibility—including Old Ling and Old Qin.

But they had been helpless. Recent events involving Su Ming and An Zijin had consumed much of their attention and energy, preventing them from addressing the issue in time.

This left both men somewhat guilty.

Finally, Old Ling spoke up.

“The matter is too grave for us to remain idle any longer.” Old Ling said calmly, “The Li Brothers’ intentions are clear: to break the Seal beneath Longyao City and release the former King.”

“Now that they’ve captured Longyao City, the situation is urgent.”

“If that King is truly unsealed, the surface world will once again become Hell.”

“We must prevent this from happening.”

With that, Old Ling scanned the faces of everyone present.

“In my capacity as Chairman of the Seven-Star Council and Guardian Deity, I formally issue this order.”

“All major Base Cities shall retain one Seven-Star Professional for defense. The rest shall proceed immediately to Longyao City.”

“This time, I will personally lead the mission. Old Qin alone will remain to guard Tianfeng City. Everyone else shall board the Ark and depart with the main force.”

“Objections may be raised now.”

Though he said this, everyone present clearly understood that the matter brooked no dispute.

Given the stakes—the survival of all humanity—if anyone dared scheme for personal gain, Old Ling, as Guardian Deity, would personally demonstrate how it felt to be cast down from the divine realm.

One by one, the attendees voiced their assent.

“No objections.”

“None.”

“Agreed.”

“Seconded.”

Only Old Qin frowned, seeming reluctant to remain in Tianfeng City.

The reason was simple.

“Have young friend Su and little Zijin learned about the situation in Longyao City?”

Old Qin looked at Old Ling and posed a question that puzzled others.

Only Old Ling understood what he meant.

“The Wang Family was among those stationed in Longyao City, including one of their elites. Now that this has happened, many in the Wang Family must have received the news. That young lady from the Xu Family—who, like young Su, hails from Longyao City—must know as well.”

Old Ling’s words caused Wang Yi, who stood nearby, to fall into thoughtful silence.

Clearly, as an elite of the Wang Family, he had surmised something.However, Old Ling did not explain it to him.

“Given that kid’s temperament, there’s no way he could turn a blind eye to this matter.”

Old Ling pondered for a moment before saying to Old Qin:

“Leave him to me. You first arrange matters in Tianfeng City.”

Hearing this, Old Qin still wanted to say something but realized he had no grounds to continue expressing his opinion, so he could only nod.

“Let’s begin the operation.”

At Old Ling’s command, the top figures in the entire meeting immediately launched into large-scale action.

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(End of Chapter)