Chapter 788 - 73: Each with Their Own Schemes
Chapter 788: Chapter 73: Each with Their Own Schemes
Eight Desolates City.
When Ye Feiran spoke, the martial artists in the city below were in an uproar.
It was known to many that the Yama Hall assassins targeted Lin Chen, a disciple of the Canglan Sect, because Canglan Sect had issued a bounty across the entire Flame Dynasty.
Due to the enmity between the Eight Desolates Sect and Canglan Sect, the bounty was not widely spread in the Eight Desolate Domain, but many martial artists from other domains were aware of the incident.
They just didn’t expect that the one who hired Yama Hall was actually the Eight Desolates Sect.
However, upon thinking it over, it indeed seemed like only the Eight Desolates Sect had the motive to hire Yama Hall to assassinate Lin Chen, and only if it was the Eight Desolates Sect behind it would Yama Hall dare to take on the job.
But what was the situation with the Blood Moon Sect?
Did the Eight Desolates Sect and Blood Moon Sect join forces to assassinate Lin Chen?
"Ye Feiran, do you have any evidence for what you say?"
Song Jin’s old eyes gleamed with a chill; he didn’t believe Ye Feiran could find any evidence.
The feuding between Eight Desolates Sect and Canglan Sect meant that killing the other’s disciples was nothing much, but involving Yama Hall and Blood Moon Sect to specifically target a junior member of Canglan Sect could tarnish Eight Desolates Sect’s reputation if the news spread.
Outsiders would perceive this as Eight Desolates Sect considering their young disciples no match for Lin Chen, and fearing Lin Chen would become a major threat, resorted to such underhanded means to eliminate him.
This was indeed the case, but without evidence, any discussions would remain private; now Ye Feiran had exposed it publicly, and it would be openly scrutinized by martial artists across domains.
"I do not need evidence."
Ye Feiran’s expression remained unchanged as he looked at Song Jin: "I’ve come here to inform you Eight Desolates Sect that if Lin Chen is assassinated, I will return to Eight Desolate Domain, and not a single young disciple of your Eight Desolates Sect will be spared. I will slaughter them all."
"You dare!"
Song Jin’s face changed dramatically, releasing an oppressive force from his body. Two streams of Myriad Phenomena Realm pressure collided in the void, as if splitting the sky to form an abyss.
"You think I won’t dare?"
Standing behind his own Supreme Elder, Lin Chen finally understood why the Supreme Elder had brought him to Eight Desolates Sect!
To establish authority and set boundaries!
The Supreme Elder had personally come to warn Eight Desolates Sect that if they attempted to assassinate him again, the young generation of Eight Desolates Sect would cease to exist.
He wasn’t completely aware of the strength associated with the Myriad Phenomena Realm, but he trusted that the Supreme Elder wouldn’t make such a bold statement in front of so many martial artists without absolute confidence.
Song Jin’s old eyes narrowed slightly; there’s another reason the Myriad Phenomena Realm martial artists rarely take action in sect battles: it’s extremely difficult to kill a Myriad Phenomena Realm expert.
Unless one side fights to the death without retreat, a Myriad Phenomena Realm expert can only be stopped if preemptive traps are set; otherwise, they will be unstoppable.
If Ye Feiran were to disregard all consequences and slaughter Eight Desolates Sect’s young disciples in the Eight Desolate Domain, unless these disciples stayed holed up within the sect, which even then wouldn’t suffice, since many disciples in the Eight Desolate Domain were geniuses from various dynasties before joining the sect; if Ye Feiran targeted these geniuses, it would leave Eight Desolates Sect without a future generation.
The outcome would be that the Myriad Phenomena Realm experts from Eight Desolates Sect would invade the Canglan Domain to kill Canglan Sect’s disciples, an outcome neither side could accept.
Despite the ongoing war between the two sects, neither side had shaken the foundations; instead, they deployed martial artists from the ruling dynasties and subordinate sects in the domain. Few members from the main sect, such as stewards and outer disciples, had engaged in the frontline battles, leaving potential disciples uninvolved.
"Lin Chen, let’s go."
Without waiting for Song Jin to respond, Ye Feiran turned and left with Lin Chen.
Blue clouds floated away into the distance, while Song Jin remained grounded, not hindering them. After glancing at the Eight Desolates City below, his figure vanished from everyone’s sight in the next instant.
...
"Senior Brother, if we had joined forces just now, we might have been able to retain Ye Feiran. The junior he brought along should be that Lin Chen, with him there, Ye Feiran would find it hard to leave unscathed."
In the depths of the mountains outside Eight Desolates City, another aged voice spoke.
"Ye Feiran was known for his cunning back in the day; if he dared to bring Lin Chen here, he must have been prepared."
Song Jin shook his head, then continued: "Even if Ye Feiran was merely bluffing to make us wary, now isn’t the time for a Myriad Phenomena Realm battle. The plan shouldn’t be disrupted. Ye Feiran’s arrival is proof of our plan’s success, isn’t it?"
"I understand now, Senior Brother. Perhaps Ye Feiran couldn’t conceive that all this effort to assassinate Lin Chen was merely to mislead their judgment."
Song Jin’s old eyes flickered with contempt: "After all, he’s just a mere Innate Second Realm youngster. Even if given ten or twenty more years, how far could he grow?"
As a Myriad Phenomena Realm expert, Song Jin paid no heed to a fledgling who had only recently entered the Innate Realm.
Yet the true intent of targeting Lin Chen with assassins was to mislead Ye Feiran and his brothers.
Lin Chen posed a true threat fifty years ahead. The act of attempting to assassinate Lin Chen would make Ye Feiran think that Eight Desolates Sect was not aiming to fight Canglan Sect to the bitter end, but merely skirmished every few centuries, fought for several years, and ceased once both were deadlocked.
Otherwise, if it were genuinely all-out warfare until one sect was annihilated, why would they bother with a young disciple? No matter how talented Lin Chen was, could he ascend to the Myriad Phenomena Realm within a mere decade?
"Let Ye Feiran remain arrogant a while longer. After this battle, the Flame Dynasty will be rid of Canglan Sect’s name."
"As for Lin Chen, tell Ling Xuan to cease targeting him."
...
...
"Such an audacious Eight Desolates Sect; it seems my previous judgment might have been wrong."
On the blue clouds, Ye Feiran’s expression was solemn. Taking Lin Chen alone to Eight Desolates City, deliberately provoking, given Song Jin’s disposition, even if reluctant to clash directly, wouldn’t have allowed such an easy departure.
Leaving so smoothly without any resistance from Eight Desolates Sect would harm their reputation and morale among the warriors on the front lines.
Morale is crucial in a conflict between two sides.
Unless Song Jin harbored a greater scheme, whose benefits far outweighed concerns over reputation and morale.
Could it be that as originally discussed with his junior, Eight Desolates Sect planned to petition for a War Sect Order through the deaths of countless warriors while waiting for their own Senior Brother’s situation, ultimately deciding whether to invoke the order?
Now it seemed more complex than that.
Yama Hall, Blood Moon Sect, Eight Desolates Sect...
Ye Feiran’s face displayed puzzlement. Standing beside him, Lin Chen noted his Supreme Elder’s contemplative look and silently withheld any interruption.
Time passed, and eventually, the blue clouds crossed beyond the border of the Eight Desolate Domain.
"Lin Chen, I will not accompany you further to the Eastern Sea Domain; you will go on alone as I have other matters to attend to."
Ye Feiran suddenly announced, catching Lin Chen off guard. Was it that the Supreme Elder had sensed a conspiracy from Eight Desolates Sect?
"I believe the Eight Desolates Sect won’t target you again, and here, let me impart to you a technique for altering appearance."
Ye Feiran tossed over a Jade Scroll, which Lin Chen caught, injecting his Divine Thought into it.
"Thank you, Elder."
The Jade Scroll contained a cultivation technique named "Azure Wave Illusion Technique," which allowed one to alter physical appearance. It would be nearly impossible to recognize him for those not close to him.
"You may begin cultivating first."
"Understood."
In front of the Supreme Elder, Lin Chen began practicing the "Azure Wave Illusion Technique." Soon, his bones cracked audibly, starting with height; his stature shrank by half a head, and his frame became noticeably broader. Even his skin tone darkened significantly.
The most significant change was shifting facial features, transforming him into a man in his thirties.
Witnessing Lin Chen’s transformation, Ye Feiran nodded with satisfaction. Although the Azure Wave Illusion Technique wasn’t particularly advanced and not difficult to master, to completely grasp it on his first try, albeit aided by the Heart of Canglan, which enhanced all Canglan Sect’s techniques, showcased Lin Chen’s exceptional comprehension.
A day later.
Lin Chen bade farewell to Ye Feiran and set off alone on the road back to the Eastern Sea Domain.