Chapter 537 - 375: Future Plans (Part 2)
Chapter 537: Chapter 375: Future Plans (Part 2)
Compared to the other elders’ responsibilities, hers were easy. She was just a messenger, so she didn’t hold much power among the elders of the Black Dragon Hall.
The meeting of the seven continued.
Finally, an elder broke the deadlock of clashing ideas.
"This matter involves a Spirit Refiner from the Purple Mist Sect—the very same mysterious Spirit Refiner with impressive concealment techniques that the Celestial Demon Sect mentioned before... Let’s leave the decision to the Hall Master and the Vice Hall Master. What do you think?"
"Agreed. I’ve never killed a Core Formation Spirit Refiner from the Purple Mist Sect before."
"I agree as well, but I doubt the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master will target the Purple Mist Sect directly."
The elders agreed one by one.
And so, the matter was settled.
The matter was reported to the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master. Whatever decision came down, they would simply execute it.
"I think we might even be able to cooperate with the Blood Spirit Sect after this."
"I’d say that’s impossible. The Hall Master dislikes both the Purple Mist Sect and the Blood Spirit Sect."
"And you know the Hall Master so well?"
"Shut your mouth and stay out of it!"
...
「The former site of the Celestial Demon Sect.」
Fang Yun returned from his ambush on the reinforcements from the Demon Spirit Sect.
The Demon Spirit Sect hadn’t just sent Core Formation Demons; a considerable number of Foundation Establishment Demons followed close behind them.
There were two at the Peak of Foundation Establishment, three at the Late-stage Foundation Establishment, and five each at the Mid-stage and Early-stage Foundation Establishment.
A total of fifteen Foundation Establishment Demons.
Naturally, all of these reinforcing Foundation Establishment Demons had died at his hands.
He had plenty of swords capable of killing Foundation Establishment Demons. Take the Earth Yellow Sword, a Lower Grade Spiritual Artifact, for example. Boosted by his Combat Talent, it could easily take care of both Early-stage and Mid-stage Foundation Establishment Demons.
By the time the Foundation Establishment Demons realized the mysterious Spirit Refiner was upon them, more than half of their companions were already dead.
The Foundation Establishment Demons who survived the first wave didn’t make it through the second.
Killing these Foundation Establishment Demons earned him another two to three million basic Talent Points.
When Fang Yun returned, Song Qiaoqiao was already there to greet him.
"Qiaoqiao, did anything happen while I was away?" Fang Yun asked casually.
"No." Song Qiaoqiao thought for a moment before adding, "The old Sect Leader and Elder Miao haven’t returned yet."
Fang Yun had been the last to leave and the first to return.
In terms of straight-line distance, the Demon Spirit Sect was in the best position to reinforce the Celestial Demon Sect the quickest.
Once they completely occupied the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm, the three Evil Dao Core Formation Sects surrounding their Celestial Cloud Sect would become the Demon Spirit Sect, Black Ghost Cave, and Dragon Demon Palace.
Although they were still surrounded by three Evil Dao Core Formation Sects, their situation was a vast improvement.
The Wind Ling Sect was now very close, separated only by the Dragon Demon Palace. Before, with the Celestial Demon Sect also in the way, the situation had been completely different.
In fact, it was more accurate to say that they and the Wind Ling Sect now had the Dragon Demon Palace in a pincer attack, rather than the other way around.
After this one expansion, they were in no hurry to expand further for the time being.
If they expanded too hastily, they risked attracting the full attention of a Nascent Soul Level Evil Sect.
Fang Yun had his own plans for that.
「About four hours later.」
Miao Qinghong returned.
She started complaining the moment she got back.
"Only a few small fry came from the Dragon Demon Palace."
Just a few Foundation Establishment Stage Demons. Miao Qinghong was thoroughly unsatisfied.
It would’ve been great if a Core Formation Demon had come from the Dragon Demon Palace.
Killing Core Formation Demons is the only thing that’s satisfying.
Of the Celestial Demon Sect’s Core Formation Demons, she could only take credit for half a kill at most, since she had taken it down with Fang Yun.
More accurately, it wasn’t even half a kill, because Fang Yun had clearly done most of the work.
"The fact that Dragon Demon Palace sent so few reinforcements means the Wind Ling Sect did a thorough job. We’ll have to thank them properly later," Fang Yun added.
The Wind Ling Sect had been completely successful in preventing the Dragon Demon Palace’s Core Formation Demons from reinforcing the Celestial Demon Sect.
The Wind Ling Sect must be causing quite a stir in the Dragon Demon Palace’s Earth Realm right now.
"Instead of our thanks, the Wind Ling Sect would much rather have our help destroying the Dragon Demon Palace," Bai Qinying said, then turned to Fang Yun. "Speaking of which, Junior Brother, is our next target the Demon Spirit Sect or the Black Ghost Cave? Or are we going to help the Wind Ling Sect make a move on the Dragon Demon Palace?"
"If the Wind Ling Sect is in a hurry, helping them destroy the Dragon Demon Palace first is also an option."
The sect needed to expand by eliminating Evil Dao Core Formation Sects and occupying their Earth Realms. The specific order didn’t matter much, as long as it didn’t create any major negative consequences.
Song Qiaoqiao joined the discussion as well.
"Once the Dragon Demon Palace is eliminated, our territory will border the Wind Ling Sect’s. Our situation would then be similar to that of Star Moon Valley and the Vast Sea Sect."
"Star Moon Valley and the Vast Sea Sect share a border, and their sects face fewer problems as a result."
Ever since the Four-Sect Trials began, postponements due to issues with either Star Moon Valley or the Vast Sea Sect have been the least frequent.
"After we destroy the Dragon Demon Palace, the number of Evil Sects bordering our Earth Realm will increase to five."
"Expanding our Earth Realm will bring us into contact with more Evil Sects, but by eliminating the Dragon Demon Palace, we at least break the encirclement."
The four of them briefly discussed the sect’s future.
All four of them represented the new generation of the sect’s leadership. Even Miao Qinghong, who had been at the Core Formation Stage the longest, had only reached it ninety-eight years ago—two years shy of a full century.
「A little under an hour later.」
Duan Qingyun returned as well.
"Old Sect Leader, did you run into any Ghost Cultivators from the Black Ghost Cave?" Fang Yun asked at once.
Duan Qingyun shook his head. "None."
He had lain in ambush for long enough.
Since Black Ghost Cave hadn’t shown up by now, it meant they had no intention of coming to the Celestial Demon Sect’s location. If they were to provide support at all, they would have likely done so by attacking the Celestial Cloud Sect’s home base to relieve the pressure.
"And there’s been no news from the sect," Fang Yun said.
Huang Mengyang was the Guardian back at the sect. If any Ghost Cultivators from the Black Ghost Cave had approached their home territory, Huang Mengyang would have sent word immediately.
By now, the three Supreme Elders who left first had probably already returned to the sect.
"So, Black Ghost Cave didn’t reinforce the Celestial Demon Sect after all," Duan Qingyun said, putting together the information from Fang Yun.
At this point, it would be meaningless for Black Ghost Cave to make a move.
"It was a twenty-percent probability," Fang Yun couldn’t help but mutter.
In his estimation, there was a one-hundred-percent chance that both the Demon Spirit Sect and the Dragon Demon Palace would reinforce the Celestial Demon Sect, and an eighty-percent chance that Black Ghost Cave would do the same.
With the probability of them offering support as high as eighty percent, Fang Yun was quite surprised that Black Ghost Cave hadn’t made a move.
The strength of Black Ghost Cave’s reinforcements wouldn’t have been on par with the other two Core Formation Demon sects, but based on their past actions, they should have at least interfered with the Celestial Cloud Sect to some degree to prevent the Celestial Demon Sect from being completely wiped out.
"Perhaps Black Ghost Cave ran into some trouble of their own," Duan Qingyun guessed.
His thoughts on Black Ghost Cave reinforcing the Celestial Demon Sect were similar to Fang Yun’s.
It was a low-probability event for Black Ghost Cave to remain inactive.
The two didn’t dwell on the matter of Black Ghost Cave for long.
Since Black Ghost Cave hadn’t sent reinforcements, they let the matter drop. It was to their benefit, after all.
They still needed time to establish initial defenses at the former site of the Celestial Demon Sect.
In the early stages, the area would require a significant number of Core Formation cultivators to stand guard.
The five of them, for example, wouldn’t be able to return to the Celestial Cloud Sect for at least a month.
Black Ghost Cave’s failure to reinforce the Celestial Demon Sect meant there was an eighty-percent chance its Ghost Cultivators wouldn’t show up here later, especially during the crucial period while they were setting up their initial defenses.
For now, they only had to guard against the Dragon Demon Palace and the Demon Spirit Sect.
"Fang Yun, did you eliminate all the reinforcements from the Demon Spirit Sect?"
"Took care of all of them," Fang Yun nodded.
Duan Qingyun wasn’t surprised to hear that.
By now, he considered it perfectly normal.
Even at the Early-stage Core Formation, Fang Yun’s strength surpassed that of many Late-stage Core Formation Cultivators.
"What were the numbers for the Demon Spirit Sect’s reinforcements?"
"Two Core Formation Demons and fifteen Foundation Establishment Demons. One of the Core Formation Demons was at the Early-stage, the other at the Mid-stage," Fang Yun detailed.
"After losing so many forces, I imagine the Demon Spirit Sect will either retaliate against us with a vengeance or lie low for a while—especially over the next month."