Chapter 610 - 412: Heavenly Ghost’s Reaction
Chapter 610: Chapter 412: Heavenly Ghost’s Reaction
This news only further underscored the mysterious Spirit Refiner’s power.
At this moment, the Great Cave Master felt that not even the Black Ghost Cave was safe. If the mysterious Spirit Refiner were to come for them, their deaths would be certain.
"Relay my command. All Elders and disciples in the Dragon Demon Palace’s Earth Realm are to return."
"Yes, Great Cave Master!"
"You are dismissed."
"Yes!"
The Elder who guarded the Ghost Tokens withdrew.
If one were forced to find an upside to the Second Cave Master’s death, the only one for the Great Cave Master was that his own power within the Black Ghost Cave had increased.
Under normal circumstances, an increase of his power within the sect would have been a cause for celebration. But at a time like this, it was clearly nothing to be happy about.
The situation was grim, and the Black Ghost Cave had just lost its strongest fighter.
The Great Cave Master did not linger in his grotto for long. He quickly convened a meeting.
The other three Cave Masters soon arrived at the designated location.
"What is it now, Great Cave Master? Calling another meeting?" the Third Cave Master asked, looking at him with displeasure.
They had been meeting far more frequently as of late, a stark contrast to how things used to be.
In the past, they were lucky if all the Cave Masters gathered for a meeting once every twenty years.
"The Second Cave Master has fallen at the Chu Family’s ancestral grounds. The Foundation Establishment Chu Family has likely been wiped out as well."
"What?! The Second Cave Master is dead?!"
The Fifth Cave Master’s eyes went wide. Like the other two Cave Masters, his only concern was the news of the Second Cave Master’s death. The fate of the Foundation Establishment Chu Family was a matter of indifference to them.
The Second Cave Master had been the Guardian stationed with the Foundation Establishment Chu Family. If even he was dead, what chance did the Chu Family have of surviving?
"He died at the hands of the mysterious Spirit Refiner. According to the message from Patriarch Chu, the mysterious Spirit Refiner dealt with the Second Cave Master in a very short time," the Great Cave Master continued.
The Third Cave Master’s breathing grew heavy, his expression one of utter shock. "This means the mysterious Spirit Refiner is far more powerful than our previous intelligence suggested!"
"The Third Cave Master is correct. The mysterious Spirit Refiner is far more powerful than a typical Spirit Refiner at the Peak of Core Formation. They are skilled in stealth and immensely strong. Faced with such an opponent, what are your thoughts now?"
The other three Cave Masters fell into thought.
The Great Cave Master continued, voicing his own thoughts.
"The Celestial Cloud Sect has over a dozen Core Formation Spirit Refiners, and now they have the help of a mysterious Spirit Refiner who’s even stronger than one at the Peak of Core Formation. Our Black Ghost Cave must stop meddling in the Dragon Demon Palace’s affairs. If we do, maybe the Celestial Cloud Sect will decide to leave us alone, and the mysterious Spirit Refiner won’t come after us. I’ve already ordered our Elders and disciples in the Dragon Demon Palace’s Earth Realm to return."
’Perhaps it’s not too late to pull out now.’ This was the core of the Great Cave Master’s thinking.
"If we’d known it would come to this, we never should have agreed to the Ghost Head Castle operation."
"If we had pulled out back then, the chances of the Celestial Cloud Sect and the mysterious Spirit Refiner eventually targeting us would have been far smaller. Now, I estimate that even if we withdraw, there’s only a thirty percent chance they’ll leave us be."
"Not even thirty percent."
"Even if the odds are less than thirty percent, we cannot make a move against the Celestial Cloud Sect. If we continue on this path, the Black Ghost Cave will undoubtedly fall to the mysterious Spirit Refiner." The Great Cave Master looked at the other three Cave Masters. "If we wait, our chance of survival might not even be ten percent."
After saying all this, the Great Cave Master had only revealed the secondary reasons for his decision.
There was still a primary reason he had yet to mention.
"I’m sure you all have some understanding of the Celestial Ghost Mansion. If we’re seen as the ones constantly starting trouble, the chances of them helping us later will be low. If we withdraw now and report the situation, the Celestial Ghost Mansion will be much more likely to support us."
Whether or not they could obtain support from a Nascent Soul Influence like the Celestial Ghost Mansion depended on many factors, and whether they had brought the trouble on themselves was a significant one.
They knew full well that the current Celestial Cloud Sect was a massive problem, yet they provoked it anyway, only to find themselves unable to handle the fallout.
"The Great Cave Master has a point." After some thought, the Fifth Cave Master nodded in agreement. "For us, withdrawing now is the best choice."
The Third Cave Master and Fourth Cave Master both contemplated for a long while before they too ultimately agreed with the Great Cave Master.
This was especially true for the Third Cave Master; after learning of the Second Cave Master’s death, his previous attitude toward the Celestial Cloud Sect had completely vanished.
He had crossed blades with the Second Cave Master before and knew his strength all too well.
’For the mysterious Spirit Refiner to have dealt with the Second Cave Master in such a short amount of time, their power must be absolutely terrifying!’
"Great Cave Master, what are you going to tell the Celestial Ghost Mansion?" the Fourth Cave Master asked, seeing that the Great Cave Master was preparing to send a message.
"I’ll explain the mysterious Spirit Refiner’s strength and the danger they represent. I’ll also tell them about the Black Ghost Cave’s next course of action and ask the Celestial Ghost Mansion for their guidance."
There was a lot to convey in this message. Even if the information was condensed, it was too much for a single transmission. If it was made too concise, the other party might misunderstand its meaning, so sending it in two parts was necessary.
The first message would focus on the mysterious Spirit Refiner.
The second would focus on the Black Ghost Cave.
"There."
The Great Cave Master had finished sending his messages. It likely wouldn’t be long before he received a reply.
"I hope the Celestial Ghost Mansion offers some guidance."
"As do I."