Chapter 600 - 509: Coordinating from Within and Without

To seize the initiative, the most important thing is to be clear about your opponent's objective.

Without that certainty, trying to take the lead is nothing but a fool's dream.

So...

What exactly is Su Ye's goal?

To this question, the Jade Void Sword Sect had a very firm answer.

"Nascent Soul!"

"He wants a fifth-rank Spirit Vein to ascend to the Nascent Soul Realm!"

At the Jade Void Sword Sect's war council, Hu Guang, a Sword-Wielding Elder of the sect and a great cultivator at the Late-stage Nascent Soul Realm, declared this with unwavering conviction, his eyes sharp!

"Indeed."

"Hu Guang's reasoning is sound."

The Nascent Soul True Monarchs participating in the meeting via Long-Distance Communication Talismans expressed their agreement.

To a cultivator, nothing is more important than breaking through to the next realm.

"According to our current intelligence, Su Ye's movements over the past month have been shifting south... in the direction of Tingchao Pavilion's main gate."

"We suspect he wants to attack Tingchao Pavilion's main gate and use their fifth-rank Spirit Vein as the resource for his ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm!"

The Golden Core cultivator in charge of strategy offered his analysis.

'Tingchao Pavilion... huh.'

"We've requisitioned many of Tingchao Pavilion's Nascent Soul cultivators. Two more fell during the encirclement of the demonic palace remnants... Right now, Tingchao Pavilion's main gate is quite empty, with only a single Nascent Soul cultivator standing guard."

"Given the combat prowess Su Ye has displayed, he is indeed a threat to Tingchao Pavilion!"

"Should we have the Master of Tingchao Pavilion return to his sect to defend it?"

During this period, the Master of Tingchao Pavilion and several of its True Monarchs had all been requisitioned by the Jade Void Sword Sect to hunt down Su Ye.

The two sects joined forces, forming a mobile unit of nearly ten Nascent Soul True Monarchs to patrol the sea region and suppress Su Ye's raiding operations.

Among them, Hu Guang and the Master of Tingchao Pavilion were both great cultivators at the Late-stage Nascent Soul Realm!

"That's not a good idea."

"The enemy is in the shadows while we are in the light. If we do as you say and have the Master of Tingchao Pavilion return to guard his main gate..."

"What do we do if Su Ye remains unfazed and continues raiding resource points? Without the Master of Tingchao Pavilion, a Late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator, controlling the sea region will be even more difficult!"

"Don't forget, Su Ye fought two-on-one and killed Shishanzi and Jinghua! After activating his Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect, he has the power to slay a Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!"

Another Sword Sect Nascent Soul cultivator voiced his opposition.

Listening to this, Hu Guang felt a little emotional. 'Since when does the great Jade Void Sword Sect, the Hegemon of the Yaoguang Islands, have to worry about being short on manpower?'

The inner sea sects were standing by and watching. Over the past decade or so, the Jade Void Sword Sect and Tingchao Pavilion had, without even realizing it, lost a total of six Nascent Soul True Monarchs!

With their current Nascent Soul combat strength, controlling such a vast sea region and dealing with an ambitious challenger was truly stretching them thin and leaving them feeling powerless.

At this moment, the dissenting Nascent Soul cultivator continued.

"Besides, we can't even be certain that Su Ye's target is Tingchao Pavilion's main gate."

"Given that scoundrel's cunning nature, I highly suspect this is a feint. For all we know, he might have already secretly contacted an inner sea sect and is preparing to make his real move elsewhere to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm!"

This was also a major concern for the Jade Void Sword Sect.

At this point, they could not afford the price of a miscalculation!

Hu Guang frowned, lost in thought.

BZZZT!

Just then, a white light suddenly flashed, and a High-Tier Communication Talisman shot toward them!

The surface of the Communication Talisman was stamped with the mark of a copper coin. When Hu Guang saw it, his heart skipped a beat!

A High-Tier Communication Talisman signified an important matter.

And the copper coin mark was the symbol of the True Treasure Pavilion's upper echelon.

This Communication Talisman came from the top ranks of the True Treasure Pavilion.

The Jade Void Sword Sect had ruled the Yaoguang Islands for several hundred years. It was only natural that they had some sympathizers within a neutral sect like the True Treasure Pavilion.

These sympathizers weren't enough to sway the True Treasure Pavilion's decisions, but causing a bit of trouble or gathering some information was still quite easy for them.

However, to avoid being exposed, this sympathizer rarely sent messages.

For them to take the initiative to send a message now meant...

'Could it be...?'

A sharp glint flashed in Hu Guang's eyes!

He took the Communication Talisman. The message within contained only two sentences.

"The Su Ye raiding all over the Tingchao Sea Region is a clone meant to attract attention."

"As for Su Ye's main body, he arrived at the True Treasure Pavilion yesterday, met secretly with Li Jinhua and other high-ranking members, and reached an agreement to borrow the True Treasure Pavilion's spirit land to ascend to the Nascent Soul Realm."

"Haaaah..."

As expected. Hu Guang took a deep breath, his hand tightening and crushing the Communication Talisman to dust.

"Fellow Daoists, there is no need to argue further. I have received definitive news!"

"Assemble the Nascent Soul cultivators! We march on the True Treasure Pavilion!"

...

True Treasure Pavilion.

Inside a lavishly decorated and stately Grotto Heaven.

Su Ye sat cross-legged, a jade slip in his hand. The True Treasure Pavilion's Avoiding Tribulation Secret Skill, along with the tribulation-crossing experiences of the Pavilion's Nascent Soul seniors, flowed through his mind.

"Not bad."

"A sect with thousands of years of history truly has a profound foundation. With this, my chances of successfully passing the tribulation have increased by another ten percent."

Su Ye was very satisfied and set down the jade slip.

The True Treasure Pavilion's gift was extremely valuable!

'I can master these two Secret Techniques in a few days... When the time comes, I can refine the fifth-rank Spirit Vein and ascend to the Nascent Soul Realm!'

'Hmm... I can have the clone be a bit more active to buy me time. It doesn't matter if it dies; there's no price to pay anyway.'

Su Ye's Clone Skill was not a conventional technique.

Instead, it was born from his Divine Technique—the Netherworld Boat.

This Divine Technique could summon a projection of the Ghostly Flood Dragon from the river of history. By having the historical projection empower his main body, he could achieve a simple and crude doubling of his power!

But now, thanks to the empowerment of his Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect and his comprehension of fundamental laws, this Divine Technique of Su Ye's had been enhanced and advanced.

He could summon not only the Ghostly Flood Dragon from the river of history, but also a projection of himself... and both could act independently and exist for a considerable period!

Furthermore, by relying on the Netherworld Skill, this clone also possessed an ability that was outrageously overpowered!

'However, if everything goes smoothly, I probably won't need to use that ability, right?'

Su Ye shrugged.

He settled his mind and began to adjust his condition and cultivate the Avoiding Tribulation Secret Skill.

He was making the final preparations for his ascension to the Nascent Soul Realm.

...

「Meanwhile.」

Within the True Treasure Pavilion was a vast and opulent palace complex, complete with a series of man-made landscapes such as horse grounds, gardens, and lakes.

To own such a palace complex in the True Treasure Pavilion's headquarters, one had to be a high-ranking member of the Pavilion, a Nascent Soul True Monarch ranked among the Seven Sages!

No one who was not one of the Seven Sages had this privilege!

At the core of this palace complex.

Atop the Heaven-Reaching Tower, which soared into the clouds, a man in ornate robes stood with his hands behind his back. With sharp, blade-like eyebrows and a face as handsome as carved jade, he looked down upon the servants who scurried about like ants.

WHOOSH.

An Escape Light landed behind him.

"Brother, it's done as you instructed. The people from the Sword Sect have received the message."

"Mm."

The man in ornate robes did not turn around, his gaze still fixed on the palace's night scenery as if lost in a daze.

This behavior made the man behind him purse his lips. "Brother... it's not that I don't trust you. Our Song Family is where it is today entirely thanks to you."

"But... the Jade Void Sword Sect today is a leaky, broken ship. Even if this ship is massive and won't sink right away, it's not worth it..."

"Even if Su Ye really did that... we should just endure it."

This man was named Song Heng, a cultivator at the Early-stage Nascent Soul Realm.

The man in ornate robes standing with his hands clasped behind him was his elder brother, the head of the Song Family, and one of the True Treasure Pavilion's Seven Sages—Song Yu!

The two brothers were both in the Nascent Soul Realm.

This was an extremely rare accomplishment in the Yaoguang Islands.

"Endure it?"

Song Yu finally turned around with a cold sneer.

"He killed a Golden Core of my Song Family, and we're just supposed to endure it?!"

What Song Yu was referring to was, of course, the death of Song Baiqing. This True Disciple of the True Treasure Pavilion, who hailed from the Song Family, had vanished without a trace during the battle in the volcanic Grotto Heaven.

It was originally an unsolved case.

However, Su Ye's performance in the volcanic Grotto Heaven had been far too dazzling.

No one could ignore it.

Therefore, the Song Family adopted a line of investigation commonly used by cultivators.

They assumed Su Ye was the true culprit and then looked for evidence to support that conclusion... and in the end, they actually found conclusive proof and deduced what had happened.

Chi Weixuan and Song Baiqing had worked together to frame Su Ye, but unfortunately, they were outplayed and died on the spot.

This incident caused great unpleasantness between the Song Family and the Cangyuan Dragon Palace, nearly leading to blows!

"But... he has a Dao Embryo Dharma Aspect. Compared to that, even if he did kill Baiqing, it's not worth us doing all this..."

Song Heng argued. In the eyes of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, even a direct-lineage Golden Core cultivator was just a bargaining chip.

"Wrong!"

"It is precisely for that reason that we must ally with the Sword Sect and eliminate him!"

"Otherwise, there will be no place for our Song Family in the True Treasure Pavilion of the future!"

"Are you aware that, aside from the public agreement, that person also signed a secret pact with the Cangyuan Dragon Palace?"

"One of its clauses is that he will take command and force us Nascent Soul cultivators of the Song Family to act as cannon fodder on the front lines, attacking the Jade Void Sword Sect—a treacherous plot to kill with a borrowed knife!"

Song Yu gritted his teeth, his expression turning savage!

"What?!"

Song Heng's face fell in shock. "My Song Family has given so much for the True Treasure Pavilion, and they would do this? They're trying to annihilate our clan?!"

"Heh... it won't go as far as annihilation. That would be too unsightly."

"I estimate that if we act subserviently, they might let a branch family survive as a Core Formation-level family... How magnanimous of them! HAHAHAHA!"

Song Yu laughed boisterously, but his smile was frigid.

The secret pact did indeed exist.

Having accepted a favor from the Cangyuan Dragon Palace, it was only natural for someone of Su Ye's character to repay it.

Suppressing the Song Family to make room for the Cangyuan Dragon Palace's interests was also to be expected.

Su Ye had long made his plans. After he achieved his Dao, the political landscape of the Yaoguang Islands was destined for a major reshuffle!

—A new ruler brings new courtiers, after all.

But with Song Yu's ambitious and ruthless nature, how could he be willing to bow his head, submit, and stretch out his neck for the executioner's blade?!

Rather than sit and wait for death, it was better to turn the tables and strike back!

"He still needs a few days to master the Secret Technique and advance to the Nascent Soul Realm."

"When the time comes, we will coordinate with the Jade Void Sword Sect from the inside, and we will kill him!"

A chilling, severe light glinted in Song Yu's eyes!