I Can Upgrade My Talent Infinitely

"Brother Feng, does your Demon Spirit Sect really intend to just stand by and watch?" Lu Yaoling’s smile vanished, his expression turning serious as he asked.

Before Pang Feng could even speak, he added, stressing the gravity of the situation.

"Once our Celestial Demon Sect runs into trouble, I’m afraid things won’t go well for the Demon Spirit Sect either."

"I don’t think things are quite as serious as you say, Brother Lu. According to our Demon Spirit Sect’s investigation, there are no other Cultivators from Core Formation Spirit Refiner influences within the Celestial Cloud Sect right now. If it really came to that, we would act in time, even if you hadn’t come to us, Brother Lu."

The support that other Core Formation Spirit Refiner influences provided to the Celestial Cloud Sect was crucial.

In the past, whenever the Celestial Demon Sect wanted to destroy the Celestial Cloud Sect, they had to coordinate with them.

Although the Celestial Cloud Sect was powerful now, they weren’t so strong that they could act with impunity. If they truly wanted to destroy the Celestial Demon Sect, they should focus solely on them and not waste their strength dealing with the Demon Spirit Sect.

Furthermore, they would still need the support of other Core Formation Spirit Refiner influences.

Only then would they have a chance to annihilate the Celestial Demon Sect.

The Demon Spirit Sect had even held a special meeting just to discuss this matter.

"Brother Feng, the Celestial Demon Sect has always been at a disadvantage against the Celestial Cloud Sect. That can’t be any good for you, can it?"

At this, the corner of Pang Feng’s mouth twitched slightly. He was tempted to answer.

’It doesn’t help us, but it doesn’t hurt us either.’

Instead of saying that, he gave a key reason why they were unwilling to intervene.

"Brother Lu, to be honest, we don’t want that mysterious Spirit Refiner showing up in our Earth Realm."

This wasn’t just Pang Feng’s opinion; it was something the Core Formation high-ranking members of the Demon Spirit Sect were very unwilling to see happen.

If the mysterious Spirit Refiner appeared in the Demon Spirit Sect’s Earth Realm, their subsidiary Foundation Establishment Influences would surely suffer the same fate as those of the Celestial Demon Sect.

If they were to support the Celestial Demon Sect now, given the Celestial Cloud Sect’s current power, there was an eighty percent chance the mysterious Spirit Refiner would shift targets and start operating in their Earth Realm instead.

"Once the subsidiary Foundation Establishment Influences in our Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm are wiped out by the mysterious Spirit Refiner, you’ll be the next target."

"That... isn’t necessarily true," Pang Feng said, shaking his head.

Although they hadn’t communicated with the Celestial Cloud Sect’s upper echelons, the mysterious Spirit Refiner’s methods seemed to be sending a message.

’If you, the Demon Spirit Sect, help the Celestial Demon Sect too much, our methods will change.’

This was just Pang Feng’s own speculation.

But it wasn’t an entirely baseless thought; at least, everything that had happened so far supported his theory.

Lu Yaoling didn’t give up. He continued to press for the Demon Spirit Sect’s support in their fight against the Celestial Cloud Sect.

He said a great deal.

But there was one thing Lu Yaoling never mentioned.

He never mentioned what kind of reward the Demon Spirit Sect would receive for helping them. He only ever talked about the negative consequences that would follow if the Demon Spirit Sect failed to help.

Lu Yaoling realized that without offering any benefits, this negotiation was proving to be truly difficult.

However, after being taunted by Cao Yuchen’s cold sarcasm, he had already declared that he would absolutely not offer any benefits during his talks with the Demon Spirit Sect.

’With the Celestial Cloud Sect acting like this, the Demon Spirit Sect has to do something, no matter what.’

’How could a Core Formation Spirit Refiner influence let them continue acting this way?’

At first, Lu Yaoling had been very confident that he could persuade Pang Feng to support them and join forces against the Celestial Cloud Sect.

But the longer they talked, the less confident he felt.

Pang Feng’s attitude was exceptionally firm!

Throughout their conversation, he hadn’t even hinted that they would act only if benefits were provided.

Initially, Lu Yaoling had mistaken Pang Feng’s words as the opening of a negotiation for benefits, but it turned out he was wrong.

"Brother Feng, you and I have a good relationship. In our past collaborations, I fulfilled every promise I made to you. Faced with this situation now, setting aside the Demon Spirit Sect’s perspective for a moment, are you really just going to stand by and watch?" Since reasoning had failed, Lu Yaoling decided to appeal to their personal connection.

Pang Feng thought for a moment, then finally let out a sigh.

"I will discuss this matter with the other high-ranking members of the sect again, but I can’t say whether it will succeed." He took a small step back, then continued, "My influence in the Demon Spirit Sect isn’t what it used to be. And as you know, Brother Lu, I’m old. I don’t have much Life Span left."

Lu Yaoling couldn’t immediately tell if the first part was true or not.

But the last part about his Life Span was definitely true.

At over four hundred years old, Pang Feng probably had less than twenty years of his Life Span remaining.

"In that case, let me thank you in advance, Brother Feng."

After so much talking, his counterpart had finally given some ground.

If he pushed his luck now, the other party might just turn hostile.

"Mm."

"If there’s any news, I hope you’ll inform me at the earliest opportunity, Brother Feng."

"Of course, of course."

And so, the conversation between the two Late-stage Core Formation Demons came to an end.

This time, Pang Feng personally saw Lu Yaoling off. Pang Feng’s gesture ignited a new spark of hope in Lu Yaoling’s heart.

Lu Yaoling truly hoped to hear good news soon.

「In the distance.」

After Lu Yaoling’s figure disappeared from view, Pang Feng returned to the Demon Spirit Sect and, without doing anything else, leisurely made his way back to his own residence.

’As for helping the Celestial Demon Sect fight the Celestial Cloud Sect?’

The sect’s high-ranking members had already reached a decision on that matter.

They would just let the Celestial Demon Sect suffer slowly on its own.

And as for the Celestial Cloud Sect’s mysterious Spirit Refiner, they didn’t need to do anything. If that Spirit Refiner was truly too powerful, it would seem to be a hidden threat to the Black Dragon Hall as well, wouldn’t it?

The high-level meeting had made this all very clear, so Pang Feng felt quite at ease now.

...

「Ten Li from the Black Ghost Cave’s sect headquarters.」

Cao Yuchen appeared here. Not long after Lu Yaoling set out on his mission, he had set out on his as well.

Lu Yaoling had gone to the Demon Spirit Sect with the intention of persuading them to provide support and join forces against the Celestial Cloud Sect.

Cao Yuchen had no such intentions.

He didn’t think the Black Ghost Cave would help them, especially not when they were offering no benefits.

At the previous meeting, he had blocked Lu Yaoling’s path, and in doing so, had blocked his own.

When he had said those words, he had thought of something.

’It was nothing, really. Just an attempt to add a sliver of possibility to an extremely improbable scenario—and that possibility itself was also vanishingly small.’

As Cao Yuchen approached, he made no effort to conceal the aura of his mid-stage Core Formation Demon Power.

By now, the Core Formation Ghost Cultivators of the Black Ghost Cave should already know he had arrived.

"Who goes there?"

"Go and announce that Cao Yuchen, a Core Formation Demon of the Celestial Demon Sect, has come to pay his respects."

"A Core Formation Demon from the Celestial Demon Sect... Wait here a moment."

The Black Ghost Cave disciple acted quickly.

The visitor was a Core Formation Demon, while he himself was only at the Qi Refining Stage. Although the visitor was here to pay a formal call and wouldn’t harm him, he didn’t dare to be deliberately slow.

That kind of behavior was just asking for trouble.

After a long while.

The Black Ghost Cave disciple reappeared.

"Follow me. I will take you to see our Great Cave Master."

Cao Yuchen nodded and followed.

The Black Ghost Cave’s sect headquarters was no smaller than that of their Celestial Demon Sect.

Being led by a Qi Refining Level Ghost Cultivator was excruciatingly slow for him, but this was the Black Ghost Cave’s territory, so he had no choice but to endure it.

’Being led by a Qi Refining disciple also indicated something.’

’The chances of the Black Ghost Cave agreeing to help them in this negotiation just got even smaller.’

’The only good news is that the person from the Black Ghost Cave meeting with me is a Core Formation Stage Cave Master, not a Foundation Establishment Stage Elder.’

’If it were a Foundation Establishment Stage Elder, it would be far too disrespectful to a Core Formation Demon from the Celestial Demon Sect. It would mean they didn’t take him seriously at all.’

’In that case, there would be no point in even talking.’

After winding through many twists and turns, Cao Yuchen finally met the Great Cave Master of the Black Ghost Cave.

"Cao Yuchen of the Celestial Demon Sect. I truly never expected that you Demons would come to our territory."

From his high seat, the Great Cave Master looked down on Cao Yuchen, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.