“Capture him alive? Brother Fang, are you joking? You know that Fellow Daoist Zhong once tried to deal with this man. Not only is he proficient in lightning escape, but he also possesses an unseen blood escape technique, making it impossible to stop him from fleeing. His other abilities are formidable as well. Capturing him alive would be as difficult as capturing someone of our level. Fellow Daoists, do you really think it’s possible? If the goal is to kill him and seize the Golden Lightning Bamboo treasure, that might be more feasible,” the gaunt old man said with a sinister tone.
“If capturing him alive is so difficult, then a dead body will suffice,” the black-robed man unexpectedly replied after a brief contemplation. The gaunt old man and the scholar exchanged glances, whispered a few words, and agreed to the plan. They then proceeded to discuss the details.
Meanwhile, in another hall, Zhiyang Shangren, Wei Wuyi, and others were also discussing the impending battle, though their numbers were fewer than those of the spellcaster faction. Apart from the three great cultivators and Long Han, there was also a beautiful woman in red and an eagle-eyed, bald old man with a white beard.
The old man’s eyes were half-closed, and on one of his fingers was a jade ring, emerald green with faint runes shimmering on its surface—a rare treasure indeed.
“Fellow Daoist Tianhen, this mission relies entirely on you and your companions. We will hold the main force of the spellcasters here while you infiltrate Tiantian City and plunder their resource warehouses. Without the resources the Mulan people have painstakingly gathered, even if they gain the upper hand in battle, we can still wear them down through attrition,” Zhiyang Shangren said with a smile, as if there had never been any past grievances between him and the infamous Tianhen Laoguai.
“As long as you keep the Mulan Divine Masters pinned at the border, infiltrating Tiantian City will be effortless, especially with the teleportation array provided by Fellow Daoist Wei. My only concern is whether the Mulan people would leave their resources unguarded in the city. Could this be a trap?” the eagle-eyed old man rasped, his voice grating like metal.
“Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Tianhen. According to our spies among the Mulan, although they’ve occupied Fengyuan and Yu Kingdoms, the Nine Nations Alliance had already prepared for evacuation, destroying all spirit stone mines and resource sites. The spellcasters have tried to repair them, but with little success due to the short time. The resources they’re currently using are pooled from various tribes and stored in a secret warehouse guarded by a powerful restriction array and several Great Masters. They believe it’s impregnable, but they don’t know that one of the Great Masters guarding it is our mole. He’ll disable the array when the time comes. If you act swiftly, you can catch them off guard,” Wei Wuyi said coldly.
“If you’re all so confident, then I suppose I have no choice but to undertake this mission. And after it’s done…”
“After it’s done, the four major factions will grant you sovereignty over Xu Kingdom. You may establish your own sect there, and we will not interfere. You’ll become the founder of a new lineage,” Long Han interjected with a smile.
“Good. With your assurances, my companions and I will give it our all. It’s getting late—I’ll prepare and depart at dawn tomorrow, first infiltrating Yu Kingdom,” Tianhen Laoguai said, satisfied with their promises. He then took his leave and vanished from the hall.
“The old monster stands a good chance of success. Besides him, the rogue cultivators he brought are no weaklings either. With the Mulan caught off guard, failure seems unlikely,” Hehuan Laomo mused, frowning slightly.
“Fellow Daoist Yi is right. As long as we keep the Mulan Divine Masters occupied, Tianhen should have a seventy to eighty percent chance of success. It’s just surprising that someone his age would suddenly aspire to found a sect and rally so many rogue cultivators to his cause,” Long Han remarked, his eyes glinting.
“It’s not unusual. Tianhen has been stuck at mid-Nascent Soul stage for three to four centuries. Having given up on advancing further, it’s natural he’d turn his attention elsewhere. Founding a sect is a prestigious endeavor. Given his strained relations with major sects, this was his chance to negotiate terms. His arrival is a boon for us,” Zhiyang Shangren said leisurely.
“Even with Tianhen as our wildcard, we mustn’t underestimate the upcoming battle. Victory is still our priority. If we suffer a crushing defeat, even without resources, the Mulan spellcasters could overwhelm us. Brother Wei, are your Nine Nations Alliance’s countermeasures against their spirit arts arrays ready? Those are their most common tactics in chaotic battles,” Zhiyang Shangren asked solemnly.
“After years of facing the spellcasters, our understanding of their spirit arts arrays rivals theirs. Were it not for differences in cultivation techniques, we could even replicate their arrays. There’s no need for concern,” Wei Wuyi replied calmly.
Zhiyang Shangren nodded in satisfaction and turned to the black-robed giant. Noticing this, Hehuan Laomo spoke up.
“The six demonic sects are prepared. Yuling Sect has brought their three guardian beasts, and our Hehuan Sect has readied the Yin-Yang Twin Demons for release. The Ghost Spirit Sect’s Ten Thousand Souls Array is on standby, and the other three sects have their own formidable methods. What about your alliance, Zhiyang? Any trump cards?”
“Before setting out, our righteous alliance opened the ancestral halls of each sect and retrieved over a dozen ancient treasures of immense power. You won’t be disappointed,” Zhiyang Shangren said simply. Hehuan Laomo nodded, seemingly aware of the treasures’ significance.
“Our Heavenly Dao Alliance is loosely organized, but each sect has made preparations. Though I can’t speak for all, my Luanming Sect has retrieved several ancient jade talismans. Their power will astonish the Mulan spellcasters, though their energy is nearly depleted. They’ll likely be useless after this battle,” Long Han said regretfully.
“Ancient jade talismans? I didn’t know Luanming Sect possessed such treasures. The other sects of your alliance surely won’t disappoint either. Our only remaining concern is the black-robed figures and the duel. Brother Yi, since they use demonic techniques, can you identify their origins?” Zhiyang Shangren asked hesitantly.
“Hmph! Just because they practice demonic techniques doesn’t mean I should recognize them. I’ve only heard descriptions from the Nine Nations Alliance and haven’t seen them firsthand. The only certainty is that their demonic arts seem purer and more refined than ours, somewhat resembling the Ghost Spirit Sect’s lineage,” the black-robed giant retorted irritably.
“Ghost Spirit Sect? The exact number of black-robed figures is unknown, but seven or eight appeared during the battle at Tiantian City, all Nascent Soul cultivators—clearly from the same sect. The only place with so many demonic cultivators is that nation’s demonic sects. Could they be from the Great Jin Empire?” Zhiyang Shangren speculated, his expression darkening.
The others showed no surprise, indicating they shared the same suspicion.
“So what if they’re from Jin? These black-robed figures skulk in the shadows, too cowardly to show their faces. Their interference in our affairs is likely the work of a single demonic sect, or even just a faction within it. There’s nothing to fear. Treat them as spellcasters and feign ignorance,” the red-robed beauty interjected coldly, her voice crisp and clear.
“Lady Feng speaks wisely. Even if a Jin demonic sect fully supports the Mulan, we’ll simply face stronger enemies. We won’t surrender the South Heaven to them,” Zhiyang Shangren agreed.
“True, but Jin cultivators undeniably surpass us in techniques and treasures. If these demonic cultivators participate in tomorrow’s duel and employ underhanded tactics, it could be troublesome. Jin’s secret arts are countless, many of them insidiously unpredictable,” Hehuan Laomo said gravely.
“No matter. I’ve already considered this. Do you recall our Taizhen Sect’s Forbidden-Breaking Pearls?”
“Forbidden-Breaking Pearls? Those disposable artifacts for breaking restrictions? Aren’t they only effective against low-level barriers? The duel’s barrier would require effort even from Nascent Soul cultivators to breach. How could such artifacts help?” Long Han asked in surprise.
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