Watching these powerhouses leave with their respective factions in a hurry, Prince Huo felt uneasy and couldn't help but glance at the Lord Warden. "Old Ding, do you think those fellows are reliable? Could they be defying orders to our faces while slipping away themselves?"
The Lord Warden shook his head. "Hard to say, but I've already planted disposable agents from the Warden's Office among them. If they do defy our orders..."
The Lord Warden raised his arm and made a slashing gesture.
Prince Huo nodded. "Old Ding, you've thought of everything. Well done on this. But I'm still worried—in a situation like this, can these faction leaders really stabilize things with just the forces they have under them?"
"Hmph, that depends on their ability! If they can't even hold things together under these circumstances, what right or capability do they have to sit in those positions?" the Lord Warden snorted coldly.
Then the Lord Warden glanced at the remaining five Great Houses and transmitted his voice to Prince Huo. "Your Highness, of the Eight Great Houses of the Duowen Divine Kingdom, these five are quite satisfied with us. Why not take this opportunity to build a relationship with them and request their help?"
Prince Huo's spiritual sense stirred, and after a moment's thought, he walked toward the five Great Houses. "Esteemed guests, forgive this prince's discourtesy."
"Prince Huo, no need for formalities. What exactly happened? It feels as though Winterend Island has been thrown into chaos overnight."
"Someone broke into the Black Nightmare Mountains' restricted zone and triggered Winterend Island's core hub, destabilizing the island's very foundation... So..."
Prince Huo hesitated, then thickened his face and pressed on. "This prince finds it rather embarrassing to ask, but in the current situation, I truly feel powerless acting alone. I humbly request that you esteemed guests lend your aid out of the goodness of your hearts. The entire Rejuvenation Island Domain would be eternally grateful."
"Prince Huo, you're a decent fellow. Go ahead—what can we help with?"
"Indeed, tell us. As long as it's not too difficult, we can certainly consider it."
Prince Huo sighed. "It's like this. Winterend Island..."
He proceeded to explain the situation on Winterend Island once more. The emphasis naturally fell on how the island's order must not be allowed to collapse. If these hardened criminals were to escape the island, it would be a devastating blow to both Winterend Island and the Rejuvenation Island Domain.
Therefore, Winterend Island implored everyone to step in and intercept the fugitives trying to flee.
"The foundation was destabilized? Who did it? Don't tell me it was the Kuang family and their allies?" someone spoke up. "That's absolutely outrageous."
"Right, those three went a bit too far this time. Rest assured, not every one of the Eight Great Houses of the Duowen Divine Kingdom is so unreasonable."
"Precisely. Our families are quite satisfied with the hospitality the Rejuvenation Island Domain has provided, and this trip to Winterend Island has been largely satisfactory as well."
At these words, Prince Huo could only offer a conciliatory smile. Though he too thought those three Great Houses had gone too far, such comments were not his to make.
The five Great Houses could mock and condemn the other three, but the Rejuvenation Island Domain and Winterend Island could not.
Offending anyone meant offending someone they could not afford to offend.
"All right, enough idle chatter. Let's see how Prince Huo intends to deploy us. If our families can offer any assistance, we'll help. But let me be blunt—if all of Winterend Island erupts into full-scale revolt, our families will not be getting involved."
Winterend Island housed countless prisoners. If they all rose up at once, even with their extraordinary abilities, they would be grossly outnumbered.
"Thank you all, esteemed guests. If the situation proves truly unmanageable, we absolutely will not drag you down with us. The situation is still under control for now. With the aid of guests like yourselves, suppressing some portions, pressuring others, and pacifying still more, we can certainly stabilize things."
As a man of royal blood, Prince Huo possessed considerable political acumen. In the face of an emergency, he maintained the bearing of a seasoned commander, refusing to lose his composure.
Under Prince Huo's direction, the first priority was to reinforce the defenses at every stronghold. The second was to stabilize the situation in all areas. The third was to assemble the most comprehensive defensive network possible—casting a net wide enough to catch martial cultivators who might attempt to dash toward the borders, preventing them from reaching the frontier.
Any location where large groups of cultivators were spotted had to be reported immediately.
Prince Huo's speed of coordination was remarkable, and his crisis-management ability could be called first-rate.
...
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen sat aboard the Star-Fate Flying Boat. After spending some time familiarizing himself with it, he had already developed a general understanding of the vessel, and operating it presented no real difficulties.
The Star-Fate Flying Boat was not particularly spacious, but it could comfortably accommodate two to three hundred people. Moreover, within the flying boat there was an enormous library, containing none other than the lifelong knowledge of its previous owner, Senior Pei Xing—various classics on formation arts.
Even Jiang Chen felt deep admiration for Pei Xing.
This man could certainly be called a grandmaster in the field of formations. Most crucially, Senior Pei Xing's obsession with formations had been utterly pure, untainted by any hint of utilitarian motive.
His love for the Dao of Formations was unparalleled.
Many formation masters spent their entire lives studying formations, yet those individuals would likely have preferred to achieve greater success in the martial path.
Pei Xing was different. He had devoted nearly his entire life to the Dao of Formations. The depth of his formation knowledge accounted for seventy percent of everything he had learned. The remaining thirty percent was the martial path.