Chapter 625: Response Strategy 2
The appearance of such a message meant another Elder from their Black Dragon Hall had fallen.
A Late-stage Core Formation Elder had fallen!
“It seems the Dragon Demon Palace can’t handle the mysterious Spirit Refiner.”
“I’ve been saying that all along.”
“What’s the situation at the Dragon Demon Palace now? I hope the remaining Elders can send back more information.”
Before long, Yao Mufeng received another message.
This message also came from Elder Pan, who was at the Late-stage of Core Formation.
After seeing Yao Mufeng receive the message, all the Elders gestured for her to quickly explain the situation.
“The Spirit Refiners from the Celestial Cloud Sect and Wind Ling Sect have attacked. The Dragon Demon Palace’s Grand Array can no longer focus all its power on the mysterious Spirit Refiner, giving him a chance to recover.” Pausing here, Yao Mufeng added her own speculation, “If they’d had a little more time, perhaps the mysterious Spirit Refiner would have truly fallen at the Dragon Demon Palace.”
She had just finished speaking when another message came from Elder Pan.
Apparently, the message was quite long and had to be sent in two parts for her to grasp it all.
“This message from Elder Pan is mainly about the Celestial Cloud Sect and the Wind Ling Sect. It specifically mentions that the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Sword Cultivator, Miao Qinghong, has broken through to the Late-stage of Core Formation.”
“A Late-stage Core Formation Sword Cultivator is harder to deal with than an ordinary Spirit Refiner at the Peak of Core Formation. Once she reaches the Peak of Core Formation, no Core Formation Influence besides ourselves will be able to threaten the Celestial Cloud Sect.”
“Letting the Celestial Cloud Sect expand like this is a hidden danger.”
“If this had happened in the past, your reactions to a Sword Cultivator like this appearing in the Celestial Cloud Sect would have been much stronger,” a Peak Core Formation Elder remarked, still in the mood to joke.
But he wasn’t wrong.
Because of the shock brought by the mysterious Spirit Refiner, their reaction to the Celestial Cloud Sect having a Late-stage Core Formation Sword Cultivator was much more subdued.
After that, everyone spoke less. They were mainly waiting for the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master’s decision, while also receiving more information from the Dragon Demon Palace.
「As time passed.」
The more messages that arrived, the more silent they became.
The Dragon Demon Palace was besieged by the Celestial Cloud Sect and the Wind Ling Sect. The mysterious Spirit Refiner was helping them, and the Celestial Cloud Sect had dispatched a Late-stage Core Formation Sword Cultivator. Under these circumstances, the Dragon Demon Palace’s destruction was already sealed. It would be very difficult for their own Elders, sent as Guardian reinforcements to the Dragon Demon Palace, to return.
It was very likely that all five Elders would fall.
They had already mentally prepared themselves, but when the news that all five Elders had indeed fallen arrived, their hearts were still in turmoil.
Not a single Elder managed to escape.
The last one to fall at the Dragon Demon Palace was the Late-stage Core Formation Elder Pan.
Not long after Elder Pan fell, the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master had clearly finished their discussion, and a message was sent to them.
“Elder Ma, are you convinced now?” Elder Dai said with a smile. The Hall Master and Vice Hall Master’s decision was largely the same as what he had said; the only differences were in the details.
Elder Ma gave a light snort and then fell silent.
“The decision from the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master is excellent. The mysterious Spirit Refiner should be the Blood Spirit Sect’s headache. We don’t need to waste too much thought on him.”
“As for the Celestial Cloud Sect, we still need to pay more attention. The Celestial Demon Sect, the Demon Spirit Sect, and now the Dragon Demon Palace have all fallen at their hands.”
The Core Formation Influences wiped out by the Celestial Cloud Sect were all Demon Core Formation Influences.
Regarding the Celestial Cloud Sect, their Hall Master and Vice Hall Master had designated it a secondary priority.
“The Hall Master and Vice Hall Master are putting us in a difficult position. After the destruction of the Dragon Demon Palace, the only Core Formation Influences bordering the Celestial Cloud Sect are those of the Ghost Cultivators and Blood Demons. None of our own.”
“They aren’t making things difficult for us. Rather, this is a test from the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master.”
“Of all the Elders present, none is as well-spoken as you, Elder Ge.”
The matter of the mysterious Spirit Refiner could be set aside, but the situation with the Celestial Cloud Sect still required discussion.
The implicit meaning from the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master was that they should at least teach the Celestial Cloud Sect a lesson, but without using too much power. They had already lost five Elders at the Dragon Demon Palace, two of whom were at the Peak of Core Formation.
For the Black Dragon Hall, this was already a significant loss.
…
「Ghost Head Castle.」
In a subterranean cave in the most central area.
This was the place where Supreme Elder Duan Shiling normally cultivated.
Today, he was cultivating as usual, striving to reach the very pinnacle of the Peak of Core Formation as soon as possible so he could prepare to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.
Suddenly, a message appeared before him.
It was an extremely urgent message from the Dragon Demon Palace.
‘What kind of trouble could the Dragon Demon Palace be in now?’
Duan Shiling wondered doubtfully, then immediately received the message.
It was a plea for help from the Dragon Demon Palace, hoping they would mobilize their forces and provide swift reinforcements.
Duan Shiling was stunned for a moment. This news was completely different from what he had expected.
Previously, after they informed the Dragon Demon Palace Master that the strongest Cave Master of the Black Ghost Cave had died at the hands of the mysterious Spirit Refiner, the Dragon Demon Palace Master had sent a message back to him implying that the Black Dragon Hall had learned of the situation and sent more Elders to serve as Guardians for the Dragon Demon Palace.
About half a month later, he learned more about the Black Dragon Hall Elders stationed as Guardians at the Dragon Demon Palace.
Two at the Peak of Core Formation, two at the Late-stage, and one at the Mid-stage.
With such a force guarding the Dragon Demon Palace, Duan Shiling couldn’t think of any reason why the Dragon Demon Palace Master would need their support.
Facing such Guardian forces, even if the Celestial Cloud Sect and the Wind Ling Sect sent all their Core Formation Stage Spirit Refiners to besiege the Dragon Demon Palace, they shouldn’t have had any hope of taking it down.
Duan Shiling did not make a decision on his own. Instead, he summoned the other Supreme Elders of Ghost Head Castle.
It was an urgent summons, and the other Ghost Head Castle Elders arrived quickly.
“Grand Elder Duan, what happened?”
The other Supreme Elders were all puzzled by this urgent summons.
Duan Shiling quickly explained, relaying the specific message he had received from the Dragon Demon Palace.
“Isn’t the information from the Dragon Demon Palace a bit too sparse…?”
“I think the information from the Dragon Demon Palace is intentionally sparse. It only says the Celestial Cloud Sect and Wind Ling Sect are attacking them and that they need our support… They must have done it on purpose.”
“The Dragon Demon Palace must think we wouldn’t go to their aid if they explained the full situation, so they only sent this much.”
The Ghost Head Castle’s Supreme Elders chimed in one by one, and a complete picture quickly formed.
This was why Duan Shiling had summoned the other Supreme Elders. What one person might overlook, another might immediately grasp.
“Their failure to explain the details means the forces from the Celestial Cloud Sect and Wind Ling Sect must have exceeded their imagination, to the point where even the Black Dragon Hall Elders guarding them are useless.”
“I remember you said, Grand Elder Duan, that there were two Peak Core Formation Elders among those from the Black Dragon Hall.”
“Correct.” Duan Shiling nodded. “I even looked into those two Peak Core Formation Elders from the Black Dragon Hall. In a one-on-one fight, I would be no match for them.”
“The Dragon Demon Palace is in deep trouble!”
Soon, the Supreme Elders of Ghost Head Castle came to the same conclusion.
The Dragon Demon Palace was definitely in deep trouble—the kind that couldn’t be defended against even with the Black Dragon Hall’s Elders standing guard.
“Grand Elder Duan, let’s just ignore this message. If we really send reinforcements to the Dragon Demon Palace, our forces will probably be completely wiped out.”
“Grand Elder Lan is right. By the time our people get there, the Dragon Demon Palace might already be destroyed.”
“What we need to do now is order our Elders and disciples still in the Dragon Demon Palace’s territory to return at once.”
The decision was made, and the upper echelon of Ghost Head Castle quickly passed down the orders.
It was an order for the Elders and disciples in the Dragon Demon Palace’s territory to retreat immediately.
“Phew… The destruction of the Dragon Demon Palace is now inevitable.”
“Nothing is ever certain. The Dragon Demon Palace still has the Black Dragon Hall’s Elders, after all. Their chance of survival is at least ten percent.”
One of Ghost Head Castle’s Supreme Elders still had a little faith in the Dragon Demon Palace, but only a little.
“After the Dragon Demon Palace is destroyed, what should we do?” Duan Shiling glanced at the other Supreme Elders. “Any thoughts?”
Their subsequent discussion proceeded under the assumption that the Dragon Demon Palace had already fallen.
This shift in the regional situation had clearly exceeded their expectations.