Chapter 2802: Preparation to Act

Winds Stir the Nine Provinces

In the Origin World, the Cage Sea serves as a prison for humanity and is also the central hub of the entire realm. The domains of other races are scattered in all directions; the more powerful a race, the closer its territory lies to the Cage Sea. The Blood Race's territory borders the Cage Sea. On the map, it appears to connect with nearly thirty percent of the Cage Sea's coastline, illustrating the vastness of its domain. This is because within the Origin World, the Blood Race possesses the greatest strength and has the largest number of Half-Sages within its ranks.

At the heart of the Blood Race's territory, atop a spiritual peak, Lu Ye sat cross-legged, silently constructing the Pillars of the World. He and Xue Jiu had returned from the abyss several days prior. Given his identity as a blood slave, Xue Jiu bringing him back here had not drawn any attention.

Although fragments of Dao Fusion Orbs still occasionally passed through the abyss, compared to their previous efforts, the efficiency of collecting these fragments had significantly diminished. Neither Lu Ye nor Xue Jiu pressed the issue further. This was because Xue Jiu's Dao Fusion Orb had already reached the Flood-level. To upgrade it further would require reaching Cosmic-level quality, and at the current rate of collection, it would take an inordinate amount of time. This was clearly not cost-effective, so after a brief discussion, they returned directly to the Blood Race's territory.

He was currently cultivating the Small World Secret Art. The eighth level of the Inner Heaven Secret Art seemed to require a significant number of World Pillars to construct, so Lu Ye had not completed it even by this day. He also dedicated a portion of his focus to activate the power of the Myriad Poison Pearl and formulate poisons.

After experimenting that day and confirming that the power of the Myriad Poison Pearl's fruit was potent enough to affect a Half-Sage, Lu Ye began his preparations. It must be said that the Myriad Poison Pearl's fruit currently possesses immense power, but commensurately, the price to wield it had also increased. For instance, the virulent poison he had Xue Jiu test that day alone cost him a staggering 20,000 units of Dao power.

That particular poison was unsuitable for confronting Xue Tianxing, as its incubation period was too brief and not discreet enough. Should Xue Tianxing be poisoned, even if he didn't immediately detect it, he would notice the symptoms within an hour or two. Thus, Lu Ye needed to formulate a more insidious poison. Fortunately, he had already achieved a breakthrough, and Xue Jiu had already departed to test that particular dose of poison.

Lu Ye was awaiting the outcome. He didn't know if Xue Jiu would succeed, but the latter was undoubtedly undertaking immense risk. Should Xue Tianxing become aware, Xue Jiu would certainly not survive. Lu Ye was also prepared to flee from this place at any moment. The Talent Tree clone remained beneath the Cage Sea, ready to provide assistance at any time. Thus, even if Xue Jiu failed, it should not significantly affect him.

As he waited, Lu Ye's brow arched. He sensed Xue Jiu approaching swiftly, which undoubtedly signaled success on Xue Jiu's part. Indeed, upon seeing Xue Jiu, the latter's face was alight with exhilaration, and his eyes gleamed with anticipation. And with a subtle perception through the power of the Myriad Poison Pearl's fruit, Lu Ye could clearly discern the whereabouts of the poison he had previously formulated.

He asked Xue Jiu casually if it was done. Xue Jiu nodded, asking when they could make their move. Lu Ye shook his head, explaining that the small amount of poison wouldn't be enough and they would need to continue administering it, at least three more times.

Xue Jiu was taken aback, asking if it was necessary to continue, his initial excitement doused as if by a bucket of cold water. How incredibly difficult was it to poison a Half-Sage? Upon his return this time, he immediately sought out Xue Tianxing, under the guise of seeking advice on cultivation. It was a monumental effort to administer the potent poison without arousing Xue Tianxing's suspicion. He had thought the task was accomplished, only to learn he would have to endure this ordeal two more times?

Lu Ye stated calmly that if Xue Jiu preferred not to continue, that was his choice, but he wouldn't be able to guarantee their chances of success when the time came to act. Xue Jiu's face cycled through shades of green and white. He gritted his teeth and declared that at least he could have been mentally prepared. Lu Ye shook his head, holding the newly formulated poison in his palm, and stated that whether to proceed or not, the decision rested entirely with the Blood Lord.

Unlike before, the poison in Lu Ye's hand no longer glowed like a firefly. Instead, it was an inconspicuous blood-red hue. This color was specifically formulated for the Blood Race, making it virtually impossible to detect when concealed within blood arts. Xue Jiu glared resentfully at Lu Ye, feeling a deep unease within him. He inexplicably felt as though he had been duped into joining a treacherous scheme. Yet, he was the one who had proactively sought Lu Ye's cooperation in this endeavor. He couldn't quite grasp how matters had spiraled into this state. Ultimately, with no other recourse, he took the poison and swept away again.

It was not until several days later that Xue Jiu gracefully returned. A day or two later, Lu Ye again formulated a potent poison for him, and Xue Jiu departed.

By this point, the Pillars of the World within Lu Ye's Inner Heaven had finally reached their maximum. He eagerly examined his Inner Heaven. Compared to the previous seventh level, the Inner Heaven's overall volume had undoubtedly increased significantly. What concerned Lu Ye more was not merely the increase in volume, but the transformation of the entire world. This Inner Heaven, which had evolved from the Small Flower Realm as its foundation, genuinely appeared to be transforming into a true world. The world's aura was now incredibly rich. Unlike the original Small Flower Realm, that world had been incomplete. Lu Ye strongly suspected that if this progression continued, his Inner Heaven might, like newly formed realms, slowly give rise to living beings. If so, that would be truly remarkable.

With the Pillars of the World fully constructed, the next phase was Lu Ye's most anticipated one: Etching Dao Marks! Each etched Dao Mark represented an increase in strength. The seventh level of the Inner Heaven Secret Art had boosted his base strength by a full 4,500 units of Dao power. He wondered where the limit of this eighth level would lie.

He took out a large quantity of Dao Fish, activating the Talent Tree's power to rapidly consume them and replenish his Dao power reserves. Lu Ye found his consumption of Dao power was becoming increasingly severe. Setting aside his future cultivation needs, the three times he formulated the potent poison for Xue Jiu had alone cost him over 100,000 units of Dao power. Such prodigious consumption was something ordinary cultivators simply could not afford. Merely recovering from such Dao power depletion would require an immense amount of time to accumulate. Fortunately, he had previously seized a substantial amount of spoils of war. Additionally, the gains from slaying Chang Yun were significant; when Chang Yun had fled previously, he had emptied the treasury of Chang Yun Island, carrying away millions of Dao Fish. This was the very reason Lu Ye could afford such lavish expenditure at present.

While his main body was occupied, he occasionally diverted a sliver of his attention to check on the situation of his clone. The underwater sanctuary remained stable and secure. Although Si Shengya did not reside at the seabed, his clone was stationed there, supported by the poison zombie army for defense. The human forces that had migrated from Chang Yun Island were also not weak. Therefore, as long as their whereabouts remained concealed and did not attract the attention of the sea races, there would generally be no significant issues. Over the past few days, the humans from Chang Yun Island had gradually adapted to their new environment. Although it was somewhat desolate, it was far better than living in constant fear on Chang Yun Island. Consequently, the morale of the millions of humans in the sanctuary remained generally stable.

This time, Xue Jiu's absence lasted over ten days before he reappeared. If Lu Ye hadn't sensed any significant disturbances, and if he couldn't perceive Xue Jiu's life and death through their previous blood oath, he might have genuinely believed something untoward had happened to him.

Xue Jiu urged Lu Ye that they must act swiftly now, an urgent expression etched on his brow. Lu Ye couldn't help but frown, asking what had happened. He was currently engraving Dao Marks within his Inner Heaven, savoring the gradual increase in his power. If he could cultivate the Inner Heaven Secret Art to the eighth level of perfection before acting, their chances of success would undoubtedly be much greater.

In his and Xue Jiu's plan, confronting Xue Tianxing required their combined strength. Xue Jiu alone would indeed find it difficult to succeed. Not only was Xue Jiu's strength far inferior to Xue Tianxing's, but the inherent suppression from the Blood Race bloodline alone would be enough to hinder Xue Jiu significantly when confronting Xue Tianxing. Therefore, in this confrontation with Xue Tianxing, he absolutely needed Lu Ye's power. Lu Ye agreed, naturally, out of consideration for that supreme treasure. If this undertaking succeeded, it would bring him immense benefits. Furthermore, once Xue Jiu achieved sainthood, Lu Ye's standing in the Origin World would also greatly improve. Otherwise, Lu Ye would never have risked confronting a Half-Saint.

The original plan was to wait until Lu Ye had cultivated the Inner Heaven Secret Art to the eighth level of perfection. However, he was unaware of any sudden development that would make Xue Jiu so impatient to act prematurely. Xue Jiu stated gravely that Xue Tianxing was entering seclusion. Lu Ye couldn't help but frown, asking if Xue Tianxing was going to refine that supreme treasure. Xue Jiu nodded in confirmation, adding that they must act swiftly, as once Xue Tianxing entered seclusion, they would lose their chance.

If Xue Tianxing truly went into seclusion, his emergence might not occur for decades or even centuries. The reason Xue Jiu targeted him was that he was the only Half-Sage in the Blood Race who did not possess a supreme treasure. If Xue Tianxing were to successfully refine and nurture the supreme treasure, their chances of victory would vanish. A Half-Sage with a supreme treasure at hand is an entirely different proposition from one without.

Lu Ye frowned, asking how Xue Jiu intended to proceed. Xue Jiu responded that they must find a way to lure him out, evidently already having a plan. Taking action against Xue Tianxing certainly couldn't happen within the Blood Race's territory, otherwise, it would inevitably attract the attention of other Blood Race Half-Sages. Therefore, a suitable battlefield was required. Lu Ye asked if he had a specific plan.

Xue Jiu explained that among all the Blood Race Half-Sages, Xue Tianxing possessed the weakest influence. He further stated that he had been subtly aligning himself with Xue Tianxing recently, who seemed inclined to accept him and reluctantly trusted him. Xue Jiu concluded that if he were to encounter danger and call for Xue Tianxing's aid, the Half-Sage should not leave him to his fate.

Lu Ye raised an eyebrow. This approach was indeed simple and direct, but its success depended entirely on how much Xue Tianxing valued Xue Jiu. However, if events unfolded as Xue Jiu described, then luring out Xue Tianxing should not pose a significant issue. Xue Jiu's strength was quite formidable. A Half-Sage like Xue Tianxing also lacked formidable individuals like him under his command.

Lu Ye asked, "Where do you intend to lure him, and how?" Since Xue Jiu had already resolved to act, he must have had a strategy in mind; it was inconceivable that he would be entirely unprepared.