Chapter 508 - 361: The Final Step
Under the Celestial Cloud Sect’s call to arms, their subsidiary Foundation Establishment Influences responded one after another.
A large number of forces flooded into the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm, and the first to suffer were the small Qi Refining Influences within their territory.
Facing Foundation Establishment Level Cultivators, they held out for a time, but their territories were inevitably breached.
The Spirit Veins in these places were either Tier One Lower Grade or Tier One Middle Grade. Although not a single Tier One Upper Grade one could be found, to the Foundation Establishment Influences from the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Earth Realm, it was still a sizable prize.
Every Foundation Establishment Influence harbors the ambition of becoming a Core Formation Influence.
True Core Formation Influences all have their own Earth Realm.
For a Foundation Establishment Influence to become a Core Formation Influence, having a Core Formation Cultivator is only the first step. Afterward, they still need a suitable sect headquarters, and the Spirit Array on this territory must be at least Third Tier.
Therefore, to become a Core Formation Influence, one also needs the help of a more powerful influence. For example, when the Celestial Cloud Sect was first established, its Array Masters were invited from the Purple Mist Sect.
Now that the Celestial Cloud Sect had forcefully mobilized, clearly stating its intent to expand outward and seize the Earth Realms of more Evil Sects, this was also an opportunity for these subsidiary Foundation Establishment Influences.
An opportunity like this had to be cherished!
The Qi Refining Influences in the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm were being wiped out at a visible rate.
"Not a single Foundation Establishment Demon has come to reinforce them. Are there really so few Foundation Establishment Demons in the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm now?"
"There aren’t many Foundation Establishment Demons left in the Celestial Demon Sect’s subsidiary Foundation Establishment Influences. As for the Foundation Establishment Elders within the Celestial Demon Sect itself, it would be difficult for them to manage things here even if they wanted to."
"Without reinforcements, dealing with these Demon Qi Refining Influences is a piece of cake for us."
The defensive Grand Arrays of the Qi Refining Demon Influences were all Tier One. Without reinforcements, the final result was always the same: the Grand Array would be broken, heralding their destruction.
During this time, the Celestial Demon Sect was undoubtedly in a frantic state.
Messages arrived one after another from all over the Earth Realm. There were some places the Celestial Demon Sect had to reinforce, otherwise their Earth Realm would truly be finished.
「In the sect’s Soul Destruction Hall.」
The Spirit Destruction Hall Master was suffering from a massive headache.
He hadn’t received a single piece of good news so far.
"Is there any news of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation Spirit Refiners making a move?" the Spirit Destruction Hall Master asked.
"Not yet."
"Then send Elder Hua and Elder Niu over as reinforcements."
"Yes."
Of the two Elders the Spirit Destruction Hall Master had mentioned, one was at mid-Foundation Establishment, and the other was at the Peak of Foundation Establishment.
For the various places that needed reinforcements, he had to dispatch different forces according to the situation.
The most important piece of information for him was still whether the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation Spirit Refiners had made a move.
The moment the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation Spirit Refiners acted, he had to report the news to the Supreme Elders immediately.
In the past, if their own Core Formation experts didn’t act, the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation Spirit Refiners would absolutely not act either. Now, the situation was completely reversed. Only after the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation Spirit Refiners made a move would their own Core Formation experts act.
This was the same as the Celestial Cloud Sect’s previous strategy—all to avoid escalating the conflict.
This was the current decision from the Celestial Demon Sect’s upper echelons. As the Spirit Destruction Hall Master, he could only execute it.
’Things have already gotten to this point, can they really just sit by and do nothing?’
The Spirit Destruction Hall Master couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. He was already starting to question the decisions of the sect’s upper echelons.
The Celestial Cloud Sect’s offensive was ferocious. Even without the appearance of any Core Formation Spirit Refiners, the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm would be devoured step by step.
Based on the information received so far, this conclusion was not difficult to reach.
’What on earth is their intention in doing this?’
The Spirit Destruction Hall Master pinched the bridge of his nose, finding that he couldn’t figure it out no matter how he thought about it.
...
「Celestial Cloud Sect, Cloud Summit.」
In the meeting hall of the sect’s upper echelons.
Sect Leader Duan Qingyun sat in the main seat, with four Supreme Elders seated in a row on his left and another four on his right.
"It’s just as Elder Fang Taishang said. Even after we’ve gone this far, the Celestial Demon Sect’s Core Formation Demons still haven’t made a move," Supreme Elder Zheng Wuji said.
Fang Yun replied, "It wasn’t a certainty. I said at the time that there was a seventy percent chance."
The seventy percent probability he had estimated was the result of the continuous groundwork laid by their previous plans.
Due to the influence of many factors and events, the Celestial Demon Sect had shifted from its previous aggression to its current conservatism.
Based on the current situation, barring any accidents, as long as they didn’t make a move, the Celestial Demon Sect’s Core Formation Demons generally wouldn’t act either.
"A seventy percent chance is already very high." This time, it was Huang Mengyang who spoke.
Ever since successfully reaching Core Formation and becoming one of the sect’s upper echelons, he had always followed closely in Fang Yun’s footsteps. Whatever Fang Yun said, went.
The emergence of a new face among the upper echelons also gave Fang Yun’s words more weight in high-level meetings.
As long as it was something he wanted to do, there was no force within the sect that could stop him.
This undoubtedly further consolidated his position within the sect.
"By the way, Elder Fang Taishang, do you have any intention of taking action in the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm?" Supreme Elder Wang Lingwei asked, looking at Fang Yun.
Everyone knew that the Celestial Demon Sect would be unable to detect Fang Yun if he acted in their Earth Realm, and that would constitute their side’s Core Formation experts making a move.
"If Elder Fang Taishang takes action, the speed at which we devour the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm will be even faster."
"At this juncture, it is better that I do not act," Fang Yun said, giving his reason. "The moment I make any move, it will be perceived by the Celestial Demon Sect as a move from the mysterious Spirit Refiner. My inaction can keep the Demon Spirit Sect and the Black Ghost Cave from getting too involved."