Chapter 612 - 413: Long-term Consideration
Chapter 612: Chapter 413: Long-term Consideration
The more the Elders of the Celestial Ghost Mansion talked, the less the matter seemed to have to do with them.
If the mysterious Spirit Refiner were to succeed in Breaking the Core and Forming Nascent, the Blood Spirit Sect would suffer the most. They definitely wouldn’t want to see that happen.
Afterward, the mysterious Spirit Refiner would most likely be targeted by the Blood Spirit Sect.
As for the Celestial Cloud Sect’s expansion, it was wiping out Demon Cultivation Core Formation factions, not their own Core Formation Ghost Cultivator factions. That was a matter the Black Dragon Hall could handle on its own.
"Yes, Elder Sun. Send them a message. If the Black Ghost Cave needs our guidance, then we shall provide it. Tell them more or less what they proposed, but add one condition: they must regularly report on the Celestial Cloud Sect’s actions against them."
When none of the other Elders voiced any objections, Sun Jitong nodded.
After the other Elders had left, he replied to the Black Ghost Cave’s message.
...
「Black Ghost Cave.」
Following the death of the former Second Cave Master, the duty of receiving Core Formation Cultivators from other Ghost Cultivator factions had been handed over to the current Second Cave Master. The Great Cave Master was no longer responsible for this matter.
This time, however, the visitor was Old Ghost Tang from the Ghost-Controlling Sect.
When the Great Cave Master of the Black Ghost Cave learned of the situation, he still came to receive Old Ghost Tang personally. After all, the two of them had a good relationship.
"Great Cave Master, what is going on with the Black Ghost Cave?" Old Ghost Tang wanted to get a clear explanation the moment he saw him.
He had received news that the Black Ghost Cave had holed itself up. They hadn’t dispatched even a sliver of their forces to the Dragon Demon Palace’s territory, and there were barely any Black Ghost Cave Qi Refining disciples left in the Celestial Cloud Sect’s lands either.
"Continuing to help the Dragon Demon Palace brings us no benefits, so the Cave Masters of the Black Ghost Cave made this decision," the Great Cave Master replied matter-of-factly.
The Great Cave Master had been put at ease after contacting the Celestial Ghost Mansion.
According to the Celestial Ghost Mansion’s reply, they agreed that this was the correct course of action, and all the Black Ghost Cave had to do was send them regular reports.
The part about sending regular reports, in particular, made the Great Cave Master very happy.
The Celestial Ghost Mansion asking for regular reports implied that if they ran into trouble in the future, there was a high probability they would receive the mansion’s help.
Of course, the Great Cave Master still hoped no problems would arise.
’Now that we’ve stopped moving against the Celestial Cloud Sect, I hope they’ll stop targeting us and focus on eliminating the Dragon Demon Palace instead.’
"Great Cave Master, knowing you, I doubt it’s that simple. For you to suddenly make a decision like this, something specific must have happened." Old Ghost Tang intended to get to the bottom of this; it was the very reason he had personally come all the way from the Ghost-Controlling Sect.
The Great Cave Master thought for a moment.
They intended to conceal the death of their former Second Cave Master.
Their only goal was for Ghost Head Castle and the Ghost-Controlling Sect—who were still supporting the Dragon Demon Palace—to draw the Celestial Cloud Sect’s fire.
That way, even after they stopped their own operations against the Celestial Cloud Sect, the likelihood of facing retaliation would be even smaller.
"Old Ghost Tang, as an old friend, let me give you some advice: your Ghost-Controlling Sect should stop supporting the Dragon Demon Palace as well." The Great Cave Master of the Black Ghost Cave was being as clear as he possibly could.
They knew they couldn’t hide the news of the former Second Cave Master’s death for long, but the longer they kept it a secret, the better it would be for them.
If not for his relationship with Old Ghost Tang, he wouldn’t have said even that much.
"So you won’t tell me the reason. But this was a decision made by all of your Cave Masters?" Seeing the Great Cave Master’s expression, Old Ghost Tang tried a different line of questioning.
The Great Cave Master remained silent, offering no reply.
Old Ghost Tang understood. So that was how it was.
’But what specific piece of information could have made the Black Ghost Cave do this? To just give up after fighting the Celestial Cloud Sect for so long...’
Old Ghost Tang still couldn’t figure it out.
"I will give your suggestion careful consideration when I return."
He knew he wouldn’t get any more information out of the Great Cave Master. For now, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave, so he started making small talk with him instead.
Their conversation turned to everyday topics.
...
...
「Celestial Cloud Sect.」
A flash of sword light entered the central mountain peak.
It was Miao Qinghong, who had just arrived from the First Sub-Sect.
She immediately went to find the Sect Leader, Fang Yun.
The moment Fang Yun saw Miao Qinghong, he guessed why she had rushed back from the First Sub-Sect.
’It must be related to the order I issued earlier.’
"Sect Leader, what is the meaning of your order?"
’Just as I thought.’
Fang Yun wasn’t surprised in the least.
Faced with Miao Qinghong’s accusatory tone, Fang Yun didn’t answer directly. Instead, he countered with a question of his own:
"Elder Miao, is there a problem with my order?"
"A huge problem! Even if the Black Ghost Cave and the Ghost-Controlling Sect have halted their operations, we can’t stop ours against them."
Not long after Fang Yun killed the late-stage Core Formation Ghost Cultivator from the Black Ghost Cave, the cave withdrew its forces from the Dragon Demon Palace’s territory. The number of Black Ghost Cave Ghost Cultivators active in Celestial Cloud Sect territory also dwindled to almost none.
A few days later, the Ghost-Controlling Sect made the same move.
Fang Yun wasn’t surprised by the Black Ghost Cave’s actions, but he was surprised that the Ghost-Controlling Sect followed suit.
This told him that the cooperation between the Ghost-Controlling Sect and the Black Ghost Cave was likely much deeper than he had imagined. That would explain why the Black Ghost Cave had told the Ghost-Controlling Sect everything, allowing them to make such a quick decision.
After the Black Ghost Cave and the Ghost-Controlling Sect halted their campaigns against them, Fang Yun, after careful consideration, made the decision to also cease operations against the two Core Formation Ghost Cultivator factions.
And after that order was given, it had led to this very moment.
"Elder Miao, you can’t treat these Core Formation Ghost Cultivator factions as separate entities. You have to look at the entire Ghost Cultivator Influence as one body. Offending the Ghost Cultivator Influence as a whole is not to our advantage right now."