The Endgame

Old Demon Ye had escaped into the Sin God Palace. Furthermore, Sin Abyss had no confidence in defeating Old Demon Ye inside the Sin God Palace in the future. Though it sounded somewhat incredible, only this reason could explain why Sin Abyss was so forthcoming in opening the Sin God Palace to them. "How much more do you know?" Demon Monarch Tongyou stared intensely into Daoist Canghong's eyes and demanded coldly, "What in the world is Old Demon Ye trying to do?" Even if Old Demon Ye turned the Sin God Palace upside down, the Two Domains Alliance would not care. But the trouble was that the Sin God Palace was connected to Ziwei Palace, and Old Demon Ye's goal was very likely Ziwei Palace. They would never allow anyone to disrupt Ziwei Palace! Daoist Canghong looked serene as he said, "I have probably guessed how Old Demon Ye opened the immortal gate. However, Fellow Daoist Tongyou, rest assured. The passageway between the Sin God Palace and Ziwei Palace is extraordinary. Unless Ziwei Palace appears in the world, Old Demon Ye cannot possibly enter, so for now he can only hide inside the Sin God Palace. Therefore, next time, we must join forces to trap and kill Old Demon Ye within the Sin God Palace!" Elder Ji sneered, "In that case, wouldn't we just become thugs helping you deal with Old Demon Ye? What fine calculations, Daoist Canghong. Impressive indeed!" Daoist Canghong was rather candid. "Old Demon Ye is already the number one cultivator in the Beichen Realm. He went through painstaking lengths to capture Nascent Souls alive. Whether he uses them to cultivate demonic arts or refine evil artifacts, the results will surely be extraordinary, so we must be on guard. Having all top experts in the Beichen Realm join forces for the siege is the safest course of action. If Sin Abyss falls to Old Demon Ye and is slaughtered instead, surely Fellow Daoist Ji does not think the Xiaohan Realm and the Celestial Alliance could stay safe and aloof? The Sin God Palace is our best opportunity; once the tiger returns to the mountain, the consequences will be unimaginable. Without me leading the way, even if you forcibly occupy the Abyss Ruins, you could achieve nothing in the Sin God Palace. Once peace is agreed upon, I will disclose everything I know and make a plan together." Daoist Zhenyi harrumphed. "Over a mere few Withered Yuan Pills, you rashly waged war, slaughtering countless cultivators of our two domains over the years. To think you can let it pass just like that is letting you off far too lightly!" Daoist Canghong shook his head slowly and said, "Old bull nose, do not think you can do as you please just because the Two Domains Alliance holds the upper hand. If the fighting continues, our only choice is to fight to the death. Even if you win, it will be a pyrrhic victory. Ziwei Palace will open before long. If we fight each other to mutually assured destruction, you won't have time to recover. How much strength will you have left to deal with Old Demon Ye? Do you dare say you aren't tempted by Old Demon Ye's secrets? Once we eliminate Old Demon Ye, the benefits gained will naturally be shared by everyone!" He threatened a fight to the death while also tempting them with benefits. Daoist Zhenyi sneered, completely unfazed. "Fine spirit, Daoist Canghong. But I would very much like to see how many people will accompany you in fighting to the death." Daoist Canghong frowned slightly, inwardly sighing that the Two Domains Alliance was truly not so easily dismissed. He glanced sideways at Fairy Qiuzhi. The two whispered to each other. A moment later, Fairy Qiuzhi gently closed her beautiful eyes, her vermilion lips parting slightly as if she were using a secret technique to communicate with someone and ask for guidance. In all of Sin Abyss, the only person who could prompt them to do this was Old Man Tianzheng, who was still recovering from severe injuries. Before long, Fairy Qiuzhi nodded to Daoist Canghong, took a step forward, and said, "Sin Abyss will no longer contest the plains you seized; take them as your compensation. From now on, the boundary shall be set three hundred li outside Yucheng, bound by a thousand-year pact. The Xiaohan Realm and the Celestial Alliance shall make no moves detrimental to Sin Abyss, and Sin Abyss will do likewise!" The expressions of the others shifted slightly. Sin Abyss was finally offering something substantive. The plains bordered Sin Abyss; they could not permanently occupy them by force anyway. Sin Abyss's willingness to concede the plains and prevent future conflict was a decent term. Of course, this alone was definitely not enough! While Daoist Zhenyi and the others communicated via voice transmission, Qin Sang's gaze remained fixed on Fairy Qiuzhi. Out of nowhere, he asked, "Fairy Qiuzhi, you were contacting Fellow Daoist Tianzheng, weren't you? May I ask how Fellow Daoist Tianzheng's injuries are healing?" Fairy Qiuzhi had felt that Qin Sang was looking at her strangely, which displeased her. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Thank you for your concern, Fellow Daoist Qin. Senior Tianzheng is currently using a secret technique to heal and cannot show himself. He will make a full recovery in due time." "Is that so?" Qin Sang chuckled softly and said meaningfully, "For some reason, I have a premonition that we may never see Fellow Daoist Tianzheng again." These words fell like a thunderbolt, stunning everyone on the cloud terrace. Qu Huan looked at Qin Sang in astonishment, wondering why Qin Sang would say such a thing. When the turmoil in Yucheng broke out, Old Man Tianzheng had been convalescing at the Xingheng Sect, away from the scene. Afterwards, Old Demon Ye had been relentlessly pursued by Daoist Canghong, with no opportunity to strike. Fairy Qiuzhi's pupils contracted sharply, and her tone turned frosty as she demanded, "What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist?" Qin Sang said calmly, "It was just a sudden thought. Based on my past experience, whether refining artifacts, laying formations, or cultivating demonic arts, one always needs an eye of the formation or something akin to a primary soul. Among the Nascent Souls Old Demon Ye captured alive, the vast majority were newly advanced Nascent Souls—none capable of shouldering such an important role. A man like Old Demon Ye acts with deep intent in every move. Before the battle at the blood pool, his objectives were essentially met, and he was likely already planning his endgame, was he not? Self-detonating the Blood Demon avatar not only secured the jade bone, but also borrowed another's blade to kill, trading it for a mid-stage Nascent Soul. Killing multiple birds with one stone!" Of course, these were not the only reasons he dared make such a judgment. He was the only person who had fought Old Demon Ye's Blood Demon avatar twice. The first encounter had taken place in the Abyss Ruins, where he was pursued by the Blood Demon avatar. The oppressive pressure was immense; even joining forces with the Snake King, they were no match for it, and only escaped with their lives by exhausting all their methods. The second time was at the Blood Lake. Relying on his eighteen demonic banners and commanding the demonic fire, Qin Sang's strength had surged, allowing him to battle the Blood Demon avatar alone. Faintly, he had felt that the pressure exerted by the Blood Demon avatar was not as overwhelming as before. Old Demon Ye's subsequent decisive self-detonation of the Blood Demon avatar had also taken Qin Sang greatly by surprise. Outsiders could not tell, but Qin Sang knew full well that the Blood Demon avatar had not actually reached the point of utter exhaustion. At the time, he had marveled at Old Demon Ye's sheer ruthlessness—detonating such a powerful avatar without hesitation. Back then, Qin Sang had not guessed that Sin Abyss was also part of Old Demon Ye's scheme. Thinking that Old Demon Ye simply attached immense importance to the jade bone and could not afford any slip-ups, acting out of caution, Qin Sang had not thought much more of it. Thinking back on it now, he could finally see the oddities. Self-detonating the avatar not only secured the jade bone with certainty, but also cut off Old Man Tianzheng's path of retreat, using the enemy's hands to severely wound Old Man Tianzheng and eliminate an obstacle when he made his move later. With Old Man Tianzheng grievously injured, his Nascent Soul was undoubtedly the most enticing prize. How could Old Demon Ye not be tempted? Initially, Qin Sang had been uncertain. He had thought Old Man Tianzheng wouldn't be completely unguarded against Old Demon Ye, and as long as he stayed holed up in the Xingheng Sect without stepping out, it wouldn't be easy for Old Demon Ye to succeed even if he harbored designs, since the risk was too great. Yet the artificial act put on by Daoist Canghong and Fairy Qiuzhi only deepened Qin Sang's suspicions, making him sixty to seventy percent certain!