The Demon with Holy Radiance

If not for his time in the Treasure Temple Domain, Yang An wouldn’t have come up with a solution so quickly.

But having witnessed the bitter struggle between the Golden Thread Pavilion and the Great Virtue Temple, he had a sudden realization.

The best way was to create chaos and keep the Golden Soul Sect overwhelmed.

The main difference between the Treasure Temple Domain and the other Three Domains of the Outer Continent was that it had two major powers vying for supremacy, making the domain extremely chaotic.

Driven by this trend, both the Golden Thread Pavilion and the Great Virtue Temple resorted to any means necessary to achieve unification. As a result, they had no time to concern themselves with the common people, requiring only the appearance of stability.

But the other Three Domains were different.

Each of the other Three Domains was ruled by a single major power. While countless smaller factions existed beneath them, they couldn’t make any significant waves.

Therefore, these Three Domains were relatively stable. The only thing capable of creating chaos for these powers was the endless horde of Demon Fiends.

So, what was the best way to get the Command Token from the Golden Soul Sect? Since they couldn’t bring in an external power, the only option was to create massive internal chaos, plunging the entire domain into turmoil.

The greater the chaos, the more external pressure the Golden Soul Sect would face, and the more opportunities the Scripture Defector Association would have.

And in the process of creating chaos, the Scripture Defector Association could also seize the opportunity to grow stronger. As long as they didn’t give the Golden Soul Sect an opening, they could leverage the special constitution of the Innate Flesh Mushroom to develop rapidly, until they were strong enough to rival the Golden Soul Sect.

So, when Yang An said those two words, "create chaos," everyone instantly understood what to do.

It wasn’t necessarily the best plan, but it was a plan perfectly suited for the Scripture Defector Association.

What the Scripture Defector Association needed most was time—time to grow.

Creating trouble to keep the Golden Soul Sect preoccupied while they grew stronger in secret... it couldn’t be more perfect.

The Workshop Master smiled faintly, quite satisfied with Yang An’s decision. It was, in fact, what he had been thinking as well. But he was even more pleased that Yang An had come to this conclusion so quickly.

Often, control over the grand scheme of things came down to the details, which determined success or failure.

The fact that Yang An had provided a satisfactory answer so soon proved that his own decision to cooperate with him had been an exceptionally wise one.

"What does everyone think?"

Yang An looked at the others.

Though he had previously told them he would be leading the Scripture Defector Association, he had no intention of turning it into his personal dictatorship.

No one here, including himself, enjoyed being passive; it was something intrinsically linked to the mindset of every Cultivator.

Prolonged suppression would only be counterproductive.

He just needed to give them a sense of participation, to let them contribute suggestions and help make useful decisions. Only then could the internal balance of the Scripture Defector Association be maintained long-term.

As the leader, Yang An’s job was to maintain this balance to foster greater cohesion within the Scripture Defector Association.

And anyone who dared to upset that balance would be the one he needed to punish.

"Actually, I think we should join the Golden Soul Sect and dismantle them from the inside."

Sure enough, someone offered a new suggestion.

The speaker was Heart, the man with a large tumor on his chest.

But his suggestion was immediately opposed by White Bird.

As a former Saintess of the Golden Soul Sect, White Bird was more familiar with its inner workings than anyone else present.

"That’s not a good idea. The Golden Soul Sect isn’t as simple as you think. Any organization that can rule an entire domain, even the weakest of the Four Domains, is still a behemoth. Once you’re inside, your hands are tied. Our options would only dwindle, while the constraints on us would grow. It would be extremely disadvantageous."

Yang An understood what White Bird meant all too well. Wasn’t his own experience as an undercover agent in the Great Virtue Temple, where he became their Buddha’s Son, a perfect example?

On the surface, he was the Buddha’s Son of the Great Virtue Temple, a position of great prestige, even receiving personal guidance from a Bodhisattva.

In reality, he had countless burdens weighing down on him from above. Even setting aside his status as a spy, as the Buddha’s Son, anything he wanted to do was subject to all sorts of restrictions from his superiors.

You could say that once you join one of these factions, your superiors can mold you into any shape they please. There’s none of the freedom you might see on the surface.

"White Bird is right," Yang An said. "More than causing trouble for the Golden Soul Sect, what we need is time to grow stronger in secret. That’s the priority."

With both Yang An and White Bird opposing the idea, the others also concluded after some thought that it was indeed a poor plan.

After thinking it over, they all agreed that the course of action Yang An had proposed was the most suitable.

After a long moment with no objections, the Scripture Defector Association had a unified direction for its next course of action.

"Here’s a little something for you all."

With the decision made, the Workshop Master raised a hand and produced several rings from his sleeve.

The rings appeared to be made of wood, with a faint grain. They were unremarkable and rather plain.

One of the rings was slightly different from the rest; it had a red streak in its pattern.

The Workshop Master gave the unique ring to Yang An and the rest to the others, though Wen Yin did not receive one.

"These are substitutes for the Tree of Flesh and Blood. Once you refine them, you’ll be able to sense each other’s locations. You also won’t need to enter the Tree of Flesh and Blood to communicate over long distances anymore.

However, there is a restriction. Their maximum range is three State Territories. Any farther, and you won’t be able to use their functions."

the Workshop Master explained. Joy appeared on everyone’s faces.

With these rings, they could save the time it took to enter the Tree of Flesh and Blood, making communication much more convenient.