Chapter 2803: Please Enter the Trap

The Wind Rises in Kyushu

"I intend to lure him to the Cage Sea. What do you think?" Xue Jiu asked Lu Ye, gazing at him.

"The Cage Sea..." Lu Ye mused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "It's certainly possible, but with your strength, how could you be in danger there?"

As he spoke, Lu Ye suddenly realized, "Are you planning to use the name of my human Half-Saint?"

The Cage Sea was entirely populated by humans. After the previous hunt, their forces were severely depleted. Currently, the only one who could pose a threat to Xue Jiu was Si Shengya.

Xue Jiu nodded. "Only this way. I'll send a message to Xue Tianxing, telling him I'm being pursued by Si Shengya..."

Before he could finish, Lu Ye interrupted, "That's not good. Si Shengya would never attack you. The flaw in that plan is too obvious."

Even when the various large islands were hunted before, Si Shengya merely observed from the sidelines, showing no intention of intervening. How could he possibly defy public sentiment to attack Xue Jiu? Even if this message reached Xue Tianxing, he wouldn't believe it.

Xue Jiu couldn't help but frown. "Then what should we do?"

Lu Ye thought for a moment, then looked up at him. "He Dao Orb fragments!"

Xue Jiu paused, then quickly understood. "Are you saying..."

Lu Ye explained, "Instead of making him rescue you, it would be far better to present something that genuinely interests him. If this news reaches him, he'll surely go to investigate alone."

Xue Jiu's eyes lit up. "You're absolutely right; your thinking is clear, young man! There's no time to lose; let's depart now!"

A moment later, a blood-red cloud swept forth from atop the spirit peak, flying into the distance.

More than half a month later, Lu Ye and Xue Jiu reappeared beneath the abyss, where they made their final preparations.

As the crucial moment approached, Xue Jiu took a deep breath, a hint of apprehension appearing on his face. "Lu Ye, how potent will the Myriad Venom Orb's poison truly be against Xue Tianxing?"

Although he had been preparing for this for a long time, now that the moment was upon them, he couldn't help but feel nervous.

Whether their plan would succeed depended entirely on the full extent of the Myriad Venom Orb's power, leaving Xue Jiu feeling somewhat uncertain.

Lu Ye said calmly, "We'll find out once the fight begins."

Xue Jiu was momentarily speechless. If the fight truly began and the situation didn't unfold as he had envisioned, he would have no place left to stand in this Origin World.

Yet, the temptation of becoming a Saint made it impossible for him to give up. This was, arguably, his last opportunity; once Xue Tianxing truly entered seclusion, Xue Jiu would have no further chances.

"Let's do it!" Xue Jiu gritted his teeth, formed a hand seal, and sent out a message.

With things having reached this point, there was no turning back. Having climbed from the lowest ranks to become one of the Ten City Lords of the Inner Realm, Xue Jiu certainly did not lack the resolve to make tough decisions.

As the saying goes, "nothing ventured, nothing gained," and this was precisely the case.

As they waited quietly, about half a day later, Lu Ye suddenly opened his eyes. "They're here!"

Xue Jiu's expression instantly tensed. His divine sense spread out like a tide, yet he detected nothing. However, he harbored no doubt about Lu Ye's words, knowing that Lu Ye could sense Xue Tianxing's location through the Myriad Venom Orb's poison.

Sure enough, a moment later, he sensed Xue Tianxing's aura rapidly approaching.

Xue Jiu's face changed. "He's not alone!"

Simultaneously, Lu Ye also became aware, frowning, as he sensed two other powerful auras accompanying Xue Tianxing.

"It's Xue Tong and Xue Xiao!" Xue Jiu quickly identified the two individuals. In recent days, he had consistently expressed his loyalty to Xue Tianxing, aiming to draw closer to him, so he was well aware of Xue Tianxing's confidants. "They are Xue Tianxing's subordinates, only slightly weaker than me! What do we do?"

In their plan, the most perfect scenario was for Xue Tianxing to arrive alone.

This was highly likely, as they had lured him with the promise of a He Dao Orb. Xue Tianxing would probably not want others to know about such a significant secret.

Yet, he had brought two trusted subordinates with him, indicating Xue Tianxing's profound trust in them.

Lu Ye calmly glanced at Xue Jiu. "Once the arrow is shot, there's no turning back!"

If they didn't act now, they would never get another chance.

Xue Jiu's expression shifted rapidly for a moment, but he ultimately gritted his teeth and nodded.

"Xue Jiu!" Xue Tianxing's low voice called from above.

"Holy Venerable Tianxing!" Xue Jiu quickly replied, and the blood sea enveloping him and Lu Ye surged.

The next moment, Xue Tianxing led his two subordinates, charging into the blood sea and materializing before Xue Jiu.

"Greetings, Holy Venerable!" Xue Jiu and Lu Ye quickly bowed.

"Where are the He Dao Orb fragments?" Xue Tianxing asked urgently, raising a hand slightly.

The frequent appearance of He Dao Orb fragments in this place was no secret within the Origin World; cultivators of a certain strength and cultivation level were all aware of it.

For countless years throughout history, many powerful cultivators had ventured deep into this area, attempting to collect those fragments, but none had ever succeeded.

Until today, as he was preparing to enter seclusion, he received Xue Jiu's message.

If the message from Xue Jiu was not false, then this was an extraordinary discovery. Xue Jiu had informed him that he had found a method to collect He Dao Orb fragments and had already succeeded in doing so!

This was why Xue Tianxing had abandoned his seclusion and eagerly come to investigate.

As he spoke, his gaze swept towards Xue Jiu's hands, for he clearly sensed an unusual aura emanating from them.

"I was just about to present it, Holy Venerable, please see!" Xue Jiu stepped forward, holding a pre-prepared Yellow-grade He Dao Orb in his palm.

This Yellow-grade He Dao Orb had been formed by combining five fragments. Although the frequency of fragments appearing here had significantly decreased, acquiring five fragments was still relatively easy.

Xue Tianxing's eyes immediately lit up. He extended a hand, picking up the dimly colored, fingernail-sized He Dao Orb, observing it with a look of wonder. "This is a He Dao Orb?"

Xue Jiu's message had indicated that he'd found a way to collect fragments and had indeed collected some, so Xue Tianxing hadn't expected to see a complete He Dao Orb directly.

"Precisely!" Xue Jiu nodded respectfully.

"Is this item truly as wondrous as the rumors claim?" Xue Tianxing asked, a look of disbelief on his face.

As a native Blood Race member of the Origin World, he had never encountered a He Dao Orb in his life. However, some Half-Saints in the Origin World originated from the Inner Realm, and he had heard much about the Inner Realm's situation, so he was already familiar with the He Dao Orb's formidable reputation.

Xue Jiu explained, "In the Inner Realm, we construct He Dao Cities. With the help of these orbs, we can mobilize greater external power. For example, this lowest-grade Yellow-grade orb can boost a City Lord's base strength by ten percent. If the Holy Venerable doesn't believe it, you can try it yourself!"

Xue Tianxing listened with keen interest, a clear sign of temptation on his face.

As a revered Half-Saint, a ten percent increase in his base strength would grant him a substantial boost.

"How is it used?" Xue Tianxing inquired.

Xue Jiu quickly replied, "You simply need to refine it as you would any ordinary treasure. Once the Holy Venerable imprints your essence into the orb, it will be at your command."

Xue Tianxing nodded, then casually tossed the He Dao Orb in his hand to Xue Xiao, who stood nearby. "You try it!"

Both Lu Ye and Xue Jiu's expressions darkened.

The situation was not unfolding as planned!

The two had originally anticipated that Xue Tianxing would be unable to resist refining such a valuable treasure, and that moment would be their perfect opportunity to strike!

Who would have thought this Half-Saint would be so cautious, not refining it himself, but instead having Xue Xiao test it out.

This was clearly not due to him sensing any danger, but rather his inherent caution toward the unknown.

"Yes!" Xue Xiao took the He Dao Orb, readily accepting the command.

Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Xue Xiao began refining the Yellow-grade He Dao Orb.

With his strength only marginally inferior to Xue Jiu's, refining a Yellow-grade He Dao Orb presented no challenge. In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Xue Xiao had successfully refined it.

Almost immediately upon successful refinement, Xue Xiao's eyebrows lifted, revealing a look of surprise.

"Well?" Xue Tianxing quickly asked.

Xue Xiao replied with excitement, "Holy Venerable, with this item, your subordinate feels able to mobilize even greater external power!"

Xue Tianxing said nothing, merely raising a hand and striking a palm towards Xue Xiao, clearly intending to test him.

Xue Xiao didn't hesitate, activating all his strength to resist, but was still sent flying by the palm strike. Amidst the aftershocks of the violent attack, the He Dao Orb in his hand shattered, turning into five fragments.

Seeing this, Xue Jiu quickly waved his hands, drawing the five fragments back to him.

"This item is quite fragile!" Xue Tianxing observed, his brow furrowed slightly as he looked at the five fragments in Xue Jiu's hand.

Xue Jiu explained, "Precisely. That's why in the Inner Realm, we all need to construct He Dao Cities to protect these orbs. However, the increase in strength they provide is undeniable, as the Holy Venerable must have just experienced."

Xue Tianxing nodded slightly.

He naturally knew his subordinates' capabilities better than anyone. The feedback from his recent palm strike clearly indicated that Xue Xiao's strength had indeed surpassed his normal state.

Seizing the opportunity, Xue Jiu quickly pressed on, "Holy Venerable, you can refine this orb first. Later, if you intend to construct a He Dao City, your subordinate will gladly offer full assistance!"

Xue Tianxing replied, "It's rare for you to be so considerate."

"It's simply my duty as your subordinate!" Xue Jiu said with a humble expression, while simultaneously activating his power to begin fusing the five fragments in his hand.

A moment later, another Yellow-grade He Dao Orb appeared in his hand, which he then offered to Xue Tianxing.

After what he had just witnessed, this Blood Race Half-Saint no longer hesitated, immediately activating his power to begin refining the He Dao Orb in his hand.

Within the blood sea, Lu Ye and Xue Jiu exchanged a quick glance.

The next instant, a long blade was unsheathed, and a fierce strike was aimed at Xue Tianxing.

As the blade light flashed, a slender, blood-red sword also appeared in Xue Jiu's hand. Like a venomous snake, that blood sword darted towards Xue Tianxing's chest.

Almost simultaneously, a hundred miles away, a figure abruptly appeared at a pre-arranged teleportation formation.

It was none other than Lu Ye's Talent Tree clone, which he had left beneath the sea.

The clone held a brilliantly radiant He Dao Orb in its hand. Compared to the one in Xue Tianxing's hand, its size and luster were far superior.

It was precisely Xue Jiu's Grand-grade He Dao Orb.