At present, the alliance between the Heavenly Court and the Jiang clan posed a threat to their plans. Of course, it was nothing insurmountable right now and could be dealt with at any time.
Yet the crux of the problem lay in the man behind the Heavenly Court—Lu Yuan. He was their true adversary, an existence impossible to ignore.
Both the Eternal Clan and the Ji clan understood this with absolute clarity. If he was orchestrating everything from behind the scenes, matters would become exceedingly troublesome.
After all, even the clansmen who had received the black blood had suffered heavy casualties, either wounded or killed. This had completely defied everyone's expectations—something they had never envisioned before. Now that it had come to pass, the most urgent priority was finding a way to resolve it. And as long as Lu Yuan was eliminated, everything else would cease to be an issue.
The Jiang clan? Aside from the few foundational powerhouses who had yet to emerge, there was simply no need to fear them. What held everyone's undivided attention now was Lu Yuan.
They therefore waited for the decision of the two Creation Immortals. When the time came, if they struck together, what could even Lu Yuan do?
Granted, the past several major clashes had ended in defeat for the two clans, and one Creation Immortal had even perished at his hands. But that had merely been due to insufficient preparation. Now that they were uniting, things were entirely different.
They would use the most overwhelming methods in the shortest possible time, giving him no opportunity to react. As long as they achieved that, they refused to believe Lu Yuan could somehow turn the tables.
The man was at most a Grotto-Heaven Immortal. How strong could he possibly be?
"That is indeed a sound plan." The Creation Immortal of the Eternal Clan nodded and spoke.
To him, the slaying of their Divine Son was a supreme humiliation. The Eternal Clan had always possessed immense pride and had long sought vengeance, only lacking an opportunity.
Now that everyone was in full agreement, his eagerness flared once more. "As long as we strike swiftly enough to eliminate Lu Yuan, it will be a monumental achievement."
Lu Yuan had always been a thorn in the side of both clans—one they had found no way or opportunity to pluck out.
His intent was straightforward: seize this chance to kill the man. When the Domain Lord learned of it later, he would undoubtedly be overjoyed, for a great enemy would be gone.
Beside him, the Creation Immortal of the Ji clan sank into thought upon hearing these words.
His intuition warned him that it was best not to provoke Lu Yuan right now, and that they should keep a low profile instead. Even if their plans and operations had suffered a setback, they should try not to take it to heart—in short, avoid confronting that man.
Yet, as everyone present had pointed out, if they joined forces, bringing down Lu Yuan was by no means impossible. If they succeeded, it would be a tremendous boon for both clans.
After brief deliberation, the Ji clan's Creation Immortal nodded. "What you say is true."
Hearing this, the eyes of those around them lit up, knowing a decision had been reached.
Soon, however, he spoke again: "Yet we must not act rashly."
"We must have a plan. Lu Yuan is not someone easily handled."
"Our strike must catch him entirely off guard."
"Ideally, when he has no defenses prepared whatsoever."
His point was simple: acting head-on might backfire. Should it end up compromising their broader plans, it would create an enormous problem.
"Though led by Jiang Haokong, the Heavenly Court forces moving against us have split into multiple detachments," a Grotto-Heaven Immortal of the Eternal Clan spoke up, proposing a scheme. "We can pick one and surround them without dealing a killing blow. There is no need for us to act in person—we can simply deploy a few stronger warriors while lying in ambush in secret."
"When Lu Yuan learns his subordinates are in peril, he will inevitably show himself. Then, we can strike to kill with a single blow."
In short, lay a trap and let Lu Yuan leap into it.
"Agreed. That way, we can ensure nothing goes awry." The others voiced their full approval of the plan. Put plainly, it was letting the mantis stalk the cicada while the oriole waited behind.
"Very well, the scheme is viable." Both Creation Immortals fully agreed. Their desire to kill Lu Yuan had not begun yesterday.
Unfortunately, the man was truly extraordinary, possessing means capable of slaying Creation Immortals. This made the two of them deeply wary. Yet having reached this realm, they also understood that such terrifying techniques could not be unleashed at will.
So long as they were fast enough to deny him any time to react, there would be no issue. With this in mind, they began fleshing out the finer details of the operation.
They would not target Jiang Haokong. As a Divine Son, he was difficult to kill and could cause unforeseen complications. Meanwhile, had not many people from the Heavenly Court emerged?
They would serve as perfect bait.
Once the details were settled, they launched the plan, knowing this was a matter that could not afford delay.
***
Some time passed.
Led by Jiang Haokong, the Heavenly Court forces launched continuous strikes against the two major factions, achieving splendid results.
In a short period, they curbed the enemy's momentum. This campaign also earned the Jiang clan greater respect from numerous extraterrestrial beings, who simultaneously held the Heavenly Court in higher esteem.
Many realized that had these forces not intervened, their own clans might well have been compelled to ally with the two factions or even submit. In other words, they had won over the hearts of the people.
Naturally, Jiang Haokong adhered to previous practice and did not formally ally with the various parties. He continued to follow the plan Lu Yuan had laid out, relentlessly striking against the two hostile factions.
Because everything progressed so smoothly, they split into multiple detachments to strike from different directions.
In a short span of time, they actually managed to reclaim several renowned mountains and great rivers previously occupied by the Ji and Eternal Clans.
One of these detachments was led by Zhu Qingyu and the Ice Fairy.
Advancing steadily, they arrived at the Hengduan Mountains.
This had once been an unowned land. First claimed by extraterrestrial beings seeking to make it a cultivation sanctuary, it had later fallen to the Ji clan.
Now, the Hengduan Mountains had become an outpost of the Ji clan. Having gathered intelligence beforehand, the detachment knew the defenders stationed here were mostly at the Saint Realm, making the site ripe for the taking.
Zhu Qingyu and the others felt no hesitation whatsoever. After all, this world was originally their own.
"The scouts have confirmed it. There are indeed only Saint Realm cultivators here; we can make our move," the Ice Fairy soon reported, returning with accurate intelligence.
The two of them swiftly reached a consensus: strike.
Just as expected, the Ji clansmen stationed here were not particularly strong.
It could not be helped; stretched thin by rapid, ongoing annexations across multiple fronts, the Ji clan's forces were simply too dispersed. This presented the perfect opportunity for Zhu Qingyu and her group to mount a decisive assault.
As with those encountered before, these Ji clansmen had received the black blood, making them significantly stronger than ordinary cultivators of the same realm.
Yet it made little difference. The Heavenly Court forces were largely blessed with destiny power, which fully suppressed the taint. Within moments, Zhu Qingyu and her allies seized the upper hand.
At this rate, reclaiming the Hengduan Mountains was only a matter of time.
Chapter 442