Chapter 1279: The Counterattack
Chapter 1279: The Counterattack
"A human? Then it seems like there may still be a chance to encounter him on the battlefield," Old Devil Ye said coldly.
"I have heard that this person relies on a set of fire-controlling devilish banners, and most of his strength lies in those banners. Without them, he would only be a troublesome opponent at best. The fire-controlling devilish banners are external objects and not his life-bound astra. If we seize them, we can use them as well. Why not devise a plan to kill him and take his treasure? Not only would we eliminate a major enemy, we would also gain a powerful tool." Canghong’s eyes gleamed with a chilling light, clearly having planned this for some time.
He had never met Qin Sang in person, and most of his knowledge came from others. The one before him, however, had fought Qin Sang twice. Once, Qin Sang had escaped completely unharmed. The second time, he had forced him to lose an incarnation. No one likely understood Qin Sang better.
Old Devil Ye shook his head, warning him not to underestimate their opponent. "Back in the battle at Abyssal Ruin, he could not yet control so many banners, yet he had already displayed remarkable attainments in the Sword Dao. He is also proficient in Lightning Evasion, which was how he escaped with astonishing speed. At the time, I believed it to be an innate supernatural ability, so I did not suspect his identity as a member of the demon race. In addition, he is extremely skilled in the Dao of barriers and can move freely within the ancient barriers at the core of Abyssal Ruin. Even without the banners, he would not be easy to deal with..."
"So you are saying that even I would have to avoid him in the future?" Canghong frowned deeply, only now realizing how troublesome Qin Sang truly was.
"Because of what happened with the red-haired grandmaster, Daoist Master Zhenyi will certainly not give him a chance to be isolated and fall into our trap. However, there is no need to deliberately avoid him..." Old Devil Ye snorted coldly. "The battle at the blood pool was an accident. I had to fully commit to securing and protecting that jade skeleton, forcing my incarnation to fight to the death, which led to his destruction. During the fight, I noticed that although he can control devilish flames, he has not fully subdued them, likely limited by his cultivation, so there are quite a few flaws. If we encounter him again, as long as we intend to withdraw, he will absolutely be unable to stop us. And such flaws can sometimes be fatal!"
"But the others cannot withstand such terrifying devilish flames. They can only be slaughtered!" Canghong’s expression turned somewhat agitated as he paced back and forth, his tone filled with dissatisfaction. "We paid such a price, even causing the war situation to turn unfavorable, yet we only brought back a dead jade skeleton. Judging by the outcome, we should not have been so cautious!"
Old Devil Ye’s gaze shifted as he stared at him. "Are you blaming me for acting too late? Do not forget, this decision was made with your and Daoist Tianzheng’s agreement. Back then, the devilish monster in Sin God Palace had only a remnant soul left, yet it nearly wiped us out. You have not forgotten how dangerous that was, have you? The seal at Blood Lake is far weaker than that of Sin God Palace. That person’s physical body was intact and had always retained the strength to break the seal. He was imprisoned by Ziwei Palace because of his excessive killing intent. If we failed to subdue him, we would have become accomplices in releasing that monster. At that point, I would not have only lost a single incarnation. Who in the entire Beichen Realm could subdue him?"
Canghong fell silent, unable to refute him. "I am not blaming you. I only feel regret. Ziwei Palace is extremely mysterious, and many hidden realms are intricately connected to it. This was an opportunity to glimpse the ancient secrets, perhaps the only one in our lives, yet we missed it."
Old Devil Ye shared the same sentiment and no longer pressed the issue. "That jade skeleton is rather unusual. Not only is it extremely hard, it seems to retain a strange energy. It may contain information or secret techniques left behind before that person’s death. If we can decipher it, we should uncover something."
Canghong nodded faintly, though his interest had waned. "I hope so! But what is most urgent now is the war situation. The number of top experts in the Two-Domain Alliance has already surpassed ours. I'm afraid that we no longer have a chance to take down Tianxing Alliance."
Old Devil Ye stepped forward to the snow mountain model in the hall and suddenly made a shocking move. He struck it with a palm.
Boom! In an instant, the snow mountain shattered into pieces.
The hall became empty as the ancient barrier dissipated. The fragments vanished completely, as if they had never existed.
"You!"
Turning around, Old Devil Ye fixed Canghong with a deep gaze. "It seems like you have been immersed in the battlefield for too long, Daoist, letting the desire for victory cloud your mind and making you forget our original purpose. Or do you truly harbor ambitions of domination? If so, I can lend you my full support."
Hearing this, Canghong was startled. He lowered his head in thought for a long moment. When he raised it again, his expression had returned to calm. "You mean..."
"Withdraw the troops!" Old Devil Ye said decisively, tracing a curve through the air with his finger. "I have already ordered forces to enter Yu City at the northern entrance of Sin Abyss and reinforce its defenses. We will retreat all the way there and rely on spiritual arrays and the Nether Crystal Tower to defend. No matter how many experts the Two-Domain Alliance has, unless they are willing to pay an unbearable price, they will not be able to break through easily. The Two-Domain Alliance endured humiliation for a hundred years. Why can we not lie low as well? As long as it does not affect our plans, let them enjoy their moment of triumph."
"This retreat would span more than fifty thousand kilometers. A century of effort would be undone!" Canghong sighed deeply, but in the end agreed. "With the two domains now so powerful, casualties during the retreat are inevitable. We must ensure there is no mutiny. By the way, I nearly forgot something!"
Suddenly, Canghong lowered his voice and revealed a secret to Old Devil Ye, one concerning Qin Sang. "Qin Sang and Dongyang Bo are at odds. He was originally a disciple of Shaohua Mountain, but for some reason betrayed his sect. After forming his Spiritual Infant, he disguised himself as a member of the demon race, not daring to reveal his true face. Most likely, he fears Dongyang Bo. This shows the depth of hatred between them. They are like fire and water!"
Old Devil Ye’s eyes lit up. "Impressive, Daoist. To uncover even such secrets. However, Dongyang Bo may be treacherous, but he is not foolish enough to help us scheme against his allies at a time like this. It may not be easy to persuade him."
"We will not know unless we try. It depends on how deep their hatred runs. Even if he refuses now, that may not be the case in the future." Canghong did not place much importance on it, treating it as a minor move.
Just as they were about to discuss further matters, a report suddenly arrived. The frontline camp had come under attack. This time, the Two-Domain Alliance’s offensive was fierce and far from ordinary.
So fast! The two were shocked and quickly began making arrangements.
***
The Two-Domain Alliance had already split into three forces, sounding the horn of counterattack.
When Blood Lake had opened, Daoist Master Zhenyi had already deployed troops and taken the initiative to engage, clashing several times with Canghong. Without the support of demon kings, they had fallen into a disadvantage, so they concentrated their forces at Shiqu Mountain and Wangdong City.
Now, Daoist Master Zhenyi and Devil Lord Tongyou each headed to one of these camps to command the main armies.
Qin Sang and Qingjun remained in the center, leading the newly gathered forces of the various grandmasters. They had only recently risen to prominence, their foundation still shallow. Their forces were the weakest among the three divisions, but also the most flexible, able to reinforce either flank at any moment.
Daoist Master Zhenyi was concerned that Qin Sang and Qingjun lacked experience in commanding large armies and might fall into an ambush. Thus, he had deliberately arranged things this way.