Chapter 250: Chapter 232: Sword Cultivator’s Anticipation

The ancestral land of the Foundation Establishment Shen Family.

Ever since the Red Flame Valley, a Foundation Establishment Sect, and the Foundation Establishment Xiao Family joined in to share the burden, only a single Foundation Establishment Elder from the Celestial Cloud Sect was left to guard this place.

The other Foundation Establishment Elder was stationed with the Xiao Family.

「For a short time.」

A flurry of messages arrived from all corners.

Patriarch Shen received the incoming reports.

"Patriarch, what’s the current situation?" one of the Shen Family Elders asked.

Just then, Elder Cao of the Celestial Cloud Sect, the Guardian of the Shen Family’s ancestral land, approached. He had originally come to the ancestral land with Bai Qinying and had remained on guard ever since, only occasionally returning to the sect to exchange for resources before immediately coming back.

"Demons are attacking all our territories."

"We just had a period of peace, and now they’re back again."

"Do you need reinforcements?" Elder Cao of the Celestial Cloud Sect asked.

"Not for now." Patriarch Shen shook his head. "Based on the current situation, the Demons’ attacks are fierce, but no Foundation Establishment Demons have appeared."

The presence or absence of a Foundation Establishment Demon was the crucial factor.

If a Foundation Establishment Demon were to appear, the Tier One Grand Arrays in the outer territories wouldn’t hold for long. At that point, the Foundation Establishment Cultivators would have no choice but to rush over as reinforcements.

But as long as no Foundation Establishment Demons appeared, they couldn’t make a move.

If they rushed out to provide reinforcements in a situation like this, and multiple Foundation Establishment Demons suddenly appeared at their ancestral land, the consequences would be disastrous.

Without the destructive power of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator or higher, the Grand Array could hold for a very long time.

Compared to Foundation Establishment Demons, Qi Refining Demons lacked the stamina for sustained assaults; it was difficult for them to attack continuously.

"There must be a reason for the sudden increase in the intensity of the Demons’ attacks."

"Mm," Elder Cao of the Celestial Cloud Sect nodded in agreement. "We need to be careful here as well."

The moment Elder Cao finished speaking, Patriarch Shen’s expression shifted slightly as he took out the Array Plate that controlled the ancestral land’s Grand Array.

"They’re really here, and there are quite a few of them."

According to the display on the Array Plate, a total of four Foundation Establishment Demons had appeared.

"How many Foundation Establishment Demons are there?"

"Four," Patriarch Shen replied while manipulating the Array Plate. "After being detected, they’ve remained in place, completely motionless."

Patriarch Shen had already activated the Grand Array’s minimum defense level.

In this mode, the Grand Array drew little power from the Spirit Vein, but its defenses could be raised to maximum capacity at a moment’s notice. The trade-off was that some areas would be unable to benefit from the high concentration of Spiritual Qi for cultivation.

"What are these Demons up to?"

"Let me think... If they’re just surrounding us without attacking, then we aren’t their target. They’re trying to pin us down and stop us from reinforcing other locations."

There were four Foundation Establishment Demons outside.

They had four Foundation Establishment Cultivators here as well. With the added protection of the Grand Array, it was virtually impossible for the enemy to take down the Shen Family with just that amount of force.

Since the Foundation Establishment Demons weren’t moving, they began to discuss the Demons’ intentions.

"This might be an opportunity for us," Elder Cao of the Celestial Cloud Sect said suddenly.

Hearing this, Patriarch Shen instinctively asked, "What opportunity?"

"To annihilate all four of the Foundation Establishment Demons outside in one fell swoop!"

At this, not only Patriarch Shen but also the two Shen Family Elders turned to look at Elder Cao.

They understood what Elder Cao was implying.

"Are you really suggesting we have the other Elders come here?"

"I will report this back to the sect. I may want to eliminate these four Foundation Establishment Demons, but I cannot make the final decision myself."

Elder Cao shook his head and began to send the message.

He relayed the events unfolding in the Shen Family’s territory to the Management Elder of his Battle Peak.

Within the message, Elder Cao included his own recommendation.

「Meanwhile.」

Outside the Shen Family’s ancestral land.

The four Foundation Establishment Demons from the Stone Demon Sect stared silently at the Shen Family’s ancestral land, showing no intention of attacking.

"Will the Celestial Cloud Sect really fall for it?" the former Sect Leader of the Stone Demon Sect asked doubtfully.

"I don’t know if they’ll fall for it or not, but what’s the harm in trying? If our dear former Sect Leader has an issue with the plan, he should have spoken up sooner."

As Shi Tianpo answered the former Sect Leader’s question, he couldn’t resist adding a sarcastic jab.

The former Sect Leader of the Stone Demon Sect had provoked him intentionally, and Shi Tianpo had returned the favor in kind.

’No plan is one hundred percent guaranteed to succeed,’ Shi Tianpo thought. ’The former Sect Leader of the Stone Demon Sect is just questioning me on purpose.’

"I’m telling you, you’re not a very good Sect Leader. If the Celestial Cloud Sect Elders actually come to provide reinforcements, the chance to kill them won’t even be ours. Iron Tiger Manor and the Feng Family will just swoop in and reap the rewards."

This was the plan they had devised.

This entire offensive was a feint. Their true target was the Elders of the Celestial Cloud Sect.

Numerous Foundation Establishment Demons lay in wait throughout the Shen Family’s territory, ready for the moment the Celestial Cloud Sect sent reinforcements. The four of them appearing here was part of that plan.

Their appearance was meant to look like an attempt to pin down the Cultivators at the Shen Family’s ancestral land, but in reality, it was bait for the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Elders.

"Do you really think the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Elders are so easy to kill?" Shi Tianpo shot back at the former Sect Leader. "If they were, how come I never saw you, our great former Sect Leader, manage to kill one?"

Having said his piece, Shi Tianpo had no desire to argue further.

During the negotiations with Iron Tiger Manor and the Feng Family, the Elder from the Celestial Demon Sect had been unyielding. The Stone Demon Sect hadn’t been able to secure much for themselves in the first place.

If they actually managed to ambush and kill a Celestial Cloud Sect Elder, all their subsequent operations would proceed much more smoothly.

The former Sect Leader of the Stone Demon Sect was left speechless.

He truly had never managed to kill a Foundation Establishment Elder from the Celestial Cloud Sect.

However, he simply enjoyed nitpicking Shi Tianpo’s every move. He felt it was his right to raise objections to anything he saw as detrimental to the Stone Demon Sect—that was, after all, the duty of a Vice Sect Leader.