Chapter 1278: Counterattack

Rain Strikes Bluestone

“A human? It seems we might still encounter him on the battlefield,” Ye Laomo said coldly.

“I hear this person relies on a set of Fire Manipulation Demonic Banners; most of his power comes from them. Without the banners, he's just a formidable opponent, right? Since the Fire Manipulation Demonic Banners are external objects, not his innate magic treasures, we could use them too if we seize them. Why don't we devise a plan to kill him and take his treasures? Not only would we eliminate a major enemy, but we would also gain a powerful new ability.” True Immortal Canghong's eyes flickered with a cold light, clearly having premeditated this for a long time.

He had never met Qin Sang; his understanding of him came mostly from others. Ye Laomo, standing before him, had fought Qin Sang twice – once Qin Sang escaped unscathed, and the other time Ye Laomo lost a clone. Therefore, Ye Laomo likely knew him best.

Ye Laomo shook his head, warning True Immortal Canghong not to underestimate him. “During the battle in the Abyss Ruins, he couldn't control so many demonic banners, yet he already displayed impressive swordsmanship. He is also skilled in Lightning Escape techniques, with astonishing escape speed, which is how he got away. I initially thought it was his innate divine ability, which is why I didn't suspect his demonic identity. Furthermore, he is extremely proficient in the art of restrictions, able to move freely within the ancient restrictions in the core area of the Abyss Ruins. Even without the demonic banners, he won't be easy to deal with...”

“So, from now on, even I'll have to avoid him?” True Immortal Canghong frowned deeply, realizing how thorny Qin Sang was.

“Given the precedent with Scarlet Hair, True Immortal Zhenyi will surely not give him an opportunity to be isolated and fall into our trap. However, there's no need to deliberately avoid him...” Ye Laomo snorted. “The Battle of the Blood Pool was an accident. I had to exert all my strength to contend for and protect that jade bone, forcing my clone to fight to the death to intercept, which led to its demise. During that battle, I realized that although this person can control demonic flames, he hasn't fully tamed them. He's likely limited by his cultivation, leaving him with many weaknesses. If we encounter him again, as long as you and I wish to leave, he absolutely cannot stop us. And such weaknesses can sometimes be fatal!”

“But other fellow Daoists can't withstand such terrifying demonic flames; they would simply be slaughtered!” True Immortal Canghong's expression was somewhat irritated. He paced back and forth, his tone dissatisfied. “We paid such a heavy price, even jeopardizing the war effort, only to bring back a dead jade bone. Considering the outcome, we shouldn't have been so cautious!”

Ye Laomo's eyes shifted as he stared at True Immortal Canghong. “Are you blaming me for acting too late? Don't forget, this decision was made with your and True Immortal Tianzheng's agreement. Back then, a mere wisp of a remnant soul from the demon in the Sinful God Palace almost wiped out our entire army. How dangerous was that, Daoist? You haven't forgotten, have you? The Blood Lake seal's power is far inferior to that of the Sinful God Palace. This person's physical body is intact, and he constantly had the strength to break the seal. He was imprisoned by the Ziwei Palace because of his excessive bloodlust. If we couldn't suppress him, we would have become accomplices in releasing a demon. At that point, I would have lost more than just a clone; who else in the entire Beichen Realm could suppress him?”

True Immortal Canghong was speechless. He sighed, "This humble Daoist is not blaming you, merely expressing regret. The Ziwei Palace is extremely mysterious, and other secret realms are intricately linked to it. This was an opportunity to glimpse ancient secrets, perhaps even the only such chance in our lifetimes, but we missed it."

Ye Laomo empathized with True Immortal Canghong's thoughts and ceased his aggressive stance. "That jade bone is quite peculiar; not only is it extremely hard, but it also seems to retain strange energy. Perhaps it contains information or secret techniques left by this person before his death. If we can decipher the jade bone, we will surely discover something."

True Immortal Canghong's interest waned. He nodded slightly, “I hope so! However, what's pressing now is the war situation. The number of top experts in the Two-Domain Alliance already surpasses ours. I fear we won't have a chance to conquer the Skybound Alliance.”

Ye Laomo walked to the snow mountain in the hall and suddenly made an astonishing move, raising his hand to strike a palm print directly at the snow mountain.

*Boom!*

In an instant, the snow mountain shattered into pieces.

The great hall became empty, the ancient restrictions vanished, and the fragments of the snow mountain completely disappeared, as if they had never existed.

“You!”

“It seems you've been immersed in the battlefield for too long, Daoist, swayed by the desire for victory and defeat, forgetting our original intention. Or do you truly harbor ambitions of domination? I, Ye, could certainly lend my full support.” Turning around, Ye Laomo cast a deep glance at True Immortal Canghong.

Hearing this, True Immortal Canghong's heart jolted. He lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, and when he looked up, his expression had returned to calm. "Daoist, you mean..."

“Withdraw the troops!” Ye Laomo declared decisively, drawing a curve in the air with his finger. “I've ordered our people to enter Yucheng, at the northern entrance of Sinful Abyss, to reinforce its defenses. We will retreat all the way there and defend with spirit formations and Nethercrystal towers. No matter how many experts the Two-Domain Alliance has, unless they are willing to pay any price, they will absolutely not be able to breach it easily. The Two-Domain Alliance endured humiliation for a century; why can't we lie low? As long as it doesn't affect our plan, let them have their moment of triumph.”

“This retreat will cover more than a hundred thousand li, and a century of effort will be ruined!” True Immortal Canghong sighed deeply, ultimately agreeing to Ye Laomo's plan. “Now that the two domains are powerful, casualties are inevitable during a retreat. We absolutely must prevent any mutiny. Oh, I almost forgot something!”

Suddenly, True Immortal Canghong let out a soft exclamation and whispered a secret to Ye Laomo, one concerning Qin Sang. “Qin Sang and Dongyang Bo are at odds. This person was originally a disciple of Mount Shaohua, but for some unknown reason, he betrayed his sect. After forming his Nascent Soul, he disguised himself as a demon, not daring to show his true face, most likely out of fear of Dongyang Bo. This shows how deep their hatred runs, like fire and water!”

Hearing this, Ye Laomo's eyes lit up. “Daoist, you have excellent means to uncover such a secret! However, while Dongyang Bo is cunning, he wouldn't be foolish enough to help us scheme against an ally at this moment. It might not be easy to persuade him.”

“How will we know if we don't try? It just depends on the depth of their animosity. Even if he refuses now, it might not be the case in the future.” True Immortal Canghong was unconcerned, viewing it merely as a speculative move.

As they were about to discuss other matters, they suddenly heard someone report from outside the hall that the front-line camp was under attack. This time, the Two-Domain Alliance was coming with an unusual and formidable momentum.

“They came so fast!” The two were secretly alarmed and quickly made arrangements.

At this moment, the Two-Domain Alliance had already divided its forces into three paths, signaling the start of their counterattack.

When the Blood Lake opened, True Immortal Zhenyi deployed troops and launched an offensive, engaging True Immortal Canghong several times. Lacking the assistance of demon kings, he was at a disadvantage, so he concentrated his forces in the two large camps at Shiqu Mountain and Wangdong City.

At this time, True Immortal Zhenyi and Demonic Lord Tongyou each went to one of these two large camps to command their armies.

Qin Sang and Qing Jun were positioned in the center, leading the forces newly gathered by various Patriarchs. They had only recently made a name for themselves, their foundations were shallow, and their commanded strength was the weakest of the three paths, but they were also the most flexible, ready to support the flanks at any time.

True Immortal Zhenyi, concerned that Qin Sang and Qing Jun lacked command experience and might fall into an ambush, deliberately made this arrangement.

This was yesterday's situation.