Chapter 1277: Various Parties' Plans

"The demon race will help us drive out the Sinister Abyss, but their soldiers will not set foot outside the Sky-Wandering Plateau. Once we push into the grasslands, we'll be on our own. However, we can negotiate individually with those demon kings; if we promise them irresistible terms, we should be able to recruit some..." True Lord Yizhen said, looking at Qin Sang.

The demon race was compelled by an ancient alliance to send troops to resist foreign invaders, but the alliance didn't obligate them to help invade others, so this requirement was entirely reasonable.

Qin Sang shook his head slightly. He knew True Lord Yizhen wanted him to act as an intermediary. However, even when he was disguised as a demon, he hadn't managed to befriend many demon kings; he only had some acquaintance with the Snake King. He wasn't sure what the Snake King would think after learning his true identity.

Seeing Qin Sang's reluctance, True Lord Yizhen showed a hint of disappointment but, understanding Qin Sang's difficulty, could not force him.

"Hmph! The Heavenly Demon Mound would love nothing more than for us humans to fight each other to the death, with rivers of blood and no peace. If not for the alliance, they wouldn't just sit by; they'd probably secretly fan the flames, making us and the Sinister Abyss fight to the bitter end. This is also a shrewd calculation on their part. If we can't completely extinguish the Sinister Abyss's power, we'll be trapped in an endless cycle of war." Someone snorted, clearly displeased with the demon race's actions.

Everyone in the hall was well aware of the demon race's intentions. Immediately, someone chuckled, "If the power and status of humans and demons were reversed, we would also worry about the demons uniting and attacking our race; that's only natural. Regardless of their intentions, the fact that they sent troops to help us in our most difficult hour means we can't really demand more."

"However, the Heavenly Demon Mound has always been united, unlike us humans who constantly squabble amongst ourselves. They have indeed grown stronger over the years, with new demon kings appearing frequently. Thankfully, Fellow Daoist Qin is human, not Demon King Brightmoon, otherwise we would truly have to worry that one day, with enough strength, the demon race might no longer be content to lie dormant in the Heavenly Demon Mound and stir up trouble again." An Elder Soul cultivator from the Sky-Wandering Alliance sighed.

Even Earl Dongyang had to admit that based on his recent performance, Qin Sang was the most promising among all the newly ascended Elder Soul cultivators in the Two Realms Alliance, perhaps even unprecedented. Of course, it was hard to say how much he would achieve in the future; it depended on whether Qin Sang would encounter an insurmountable bottleneck, as similar tragedies had certainly occurred before.

Sky-Wandering Plateau. In front of the second tier, lay the central camp of the Sinister Abyss. The Sinister Abyss had built a city here from condensed earth, with banners waving and an army of cultivators gathering.

In the most magnificent palace at the heart of the camp, a cultivator in a blue Daoist robe, with a cold expression and a black beard, stood at the entrance, gazing at the vast, distant snowfield. Only one tier remained between them and Sky-Wandering City at the summit of the Sky-Wandering Plateau, but it was like an impassable chasm, fiercely defended by the Sky-Wandering Alliance and the Minor Cold Domain.

This person was True Lord Canghong, one of the three leaders of the Sinister Abyss, who commanded the central army. His strength was equally unfathomable, no less than Old Man Tianzheng. He had once been the leading figure of the righteous path within the Sinister Abyss until Old Demon Ye's sudden rise forced him to cede the title of the Sinister Abyss's top expert.

By appearance alone, True Lord Canghong seemed to be around fifty years old. He stared at the Sky-Wandering Plateau for a long time, then, recalling the various messages he had received recently, let out an almost imperceptible sigh before returning to the hall.

In the very center of the grand hall, dazzling with light, stood a miniature snow mountain. The snow mountain's contours perfectly mirrored the Sky-Wandering Plateau. On it, not only were all the camps and cities, including Sky-Wandering City, perfectly replicated, but there were also countless tiny, ant-sized figures clustered throughout the mountain.

These figures were not inanimate; they could move freely at any time and cast Daoist spells and incantations just like real cultivators. The figures were of various colors; for example, the red figures represented the Elder Soul cultivators of the Two Realms Alliance. These were created by the Sinister Abyss using restrictions and spirit talismans, similar in principle to the war games played by mortal generals.

True Lord Canghong's brow furrowed. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly raised his hand and began tapping repeatedly on the snow mountain. The figures on it swiftly moved, some retreating, some attacking. Amidst the fierce fighting, colorful spells and restriction lights flickered, and then figures fell in droves.

"I almost forgot!" True Lord Canghong suddenly remembered something and pointed at two of the red figures. These two represented Qin Sang and Qing Jun. Canghong had already learned what happened at Blood Lake. The enemy swiftly finding the core of the black tower formation was indeed unexpected, but what surprised them most was the sudden surge in power from Qin Sang and Qing Jun.

If not for these two, even in a direct confrontation, the outcome would not have been so catastrophic, leading to the Sinister Abyss being put on the defensive. The strength of these two red figures had greatly increased. Without cultivators of equal standing to restrain such masters, they would have to dispatch several more Elder Souls or rely on the Abyssal Crystal Tower for containment. Allowing them to wreak havoc on the battlefield would lead to consequences no one could bear.

Indeed, the Sinister Abyss forces were starting to feel the strain, constantly being forced to retreat despite possessing the Abyssal Crystal Tower.

After one simulation, True Lord Canghong swept his hand across the snow mountain, restoring it to its original state. The figures began to squirm, arranging themselves into new formations, and True Lord Canghong ordered them to continue fighting. Again and again, the situation consistently favored the Sinister Abyss unfavorably.

True Lord Canghong pondered for a while, then took out several sword talismans. Using his finger like a brush, he inscribed them with flowing, powerful strokes, then flicked them lightly. The talismans transformed into streaks of light and flew out of the hall. Deep in thought and mentally exhausted, True Lord Canghong gently massaged his brow, about to return to his quiet cultivation, when he suddenly felt something and looked up towards the outside of the hall.

"Fellow Daoist Canghong, you've been troubled recently..." The voice drew closer. A moment later, a figure appeared before the hall: none other than Old Demon Ye.

Seeing him arrive alone, True Lord Canghong frowned and quickly asked, "How are Old Man Tianzheng's injuries?" Old Demon Ye sighed softly and stepped into the hall.

"Fellow Daoist Tianzheng used a secret art to avoid a fatal blow, but firstly, the art consumed a tremendous amount of energy, and secondly, their methods were fierce, causing Fellow Daoist Tianzheng to sustain further injuries, almost shattering his foundation. We sent him back to the Star Pond of the Star-Constant Sect, where we collectively infused true essence into the pond to stabilize his condition. He is gradually recovering, but it will be inconvenient for him to take action in the next few years." Hearing this, True Lord Canghong inwardly sighed; this was the worst outcome he had anticipated.

At that moment, Old Demon Ye suddenly coughed lightly a few times. True Lord Canghong scrutinized him. "I hear you were forced to self-detonate a clone comparable to your main body?"

Old Demon Ye gave a wry smile. "Fellow Daoist, there's no need to look at me like that. This clone was something I had an insight into while refining the treasure banner in Blood Lake, combining it with a secret art I'd previously acquired. It only fully matured not long ago. If I had possessed this clone earlier, I would certainly not have held back, nor would there have been any need to hide it. But before I could achieve any merit, it was destroyed by that young Demon King Brightmoon, and it even implicated my main body."

"Demon King Brightmoon?" True Lord Canghong chuckled. "Fellow Daoist Ye, you haven't received the news yet. This person isn't a demon king, but a human cultivator."