Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 588: Plan

“What plan?” Jiang Shi asked curiously. With the rules this transparent, is there even room for a plan? Besides, it hasn’t been that long. Yet you’ve already devised a strategy?

“It’s quite simple, actually. Through our combat earlier, we confirmed that the demon beasts on this first level are ordinary Nascent Soul entities, well within the capabilities of you demon prodigies to handle. Therefore, to pass this first trial, anyone can accumulate the required number of demon spirits just by hunting the demon beasts diligently.

“However, to acquire more demon spirits and secure a better evaluation, one must employ some extraordinary methods.”

“By working as a trio to accelerate our hunting progress?” Jiang Shishi probed.

Meng Jingzhou shook his head, rejecting her idea. “The efficiency is too low. Moreover, did you notice the map displayed at the beginning? This first level is absurdly huge. It would take a full day just to run from the entrance to the heavenly stairway exit on the opposite side. Relying solely on the three of us to hunt would mean spending several hours merely locating the demon beasts.”

“Then what should we do?” Jiang Shishi lacked experience and wasn’t as meticulous in her observation as Meng Jingzhou was.

Instead of answering her directly, Meng Jingzhou posed a question. “You are now aware of the combat power we two brothers displayed. How would you assess it?”

Jiang Shishi stared at them for a moment before offering a fair appraisal. “Not beneath Ao Yue or me.”

Ao Yue was the Dragon Tribe’s prodigy for this generation. Jiang Shishi and Ao Yue were hailed as the two foremost prodigies of the Demon Region, demonstrating the potential to become an immortal.

This was the highest compliment possible within the Demon Region. Among all the demons who entered the ancient domain, only the two of them had received such an accolade.

“Precisely. That settles it then. With the three of us joining forces, the plan will be foolproof.”

To ensure the plan would be foolproof, the trio first dedicated eight days to slaying thirty demon beasts, amassing the requisite number of demon spirits. This way, even if their primary strategy failed, they would still clear the trial.

This period of hunting demon beasts also served as a break-in period for the three to practice working together, thereby increasing their odds of success when executing the true plan.

~~~

The eight days passed in a blur. For Lu Yang’s trio, the process of slaying demon beasts became increasingly smooth and effortless. Even Advanced Nascent Soul demon beasts could not withstand more than two exchanges against the trio’s combined might.

Lu Yang glanced up at the hourglass. “We slew a few more than planned and overshot our timeframe slightly, but it’s not a big problem. Let’s head to the heavenly stairway entrance now.”

“Alright.” Jiang Shishi felt a thrill of excitement. She had long been ready to put the plan into action.

The three quickened their pace, rushing swiftly toward the heavenly stairway entrance.

However, upon their arrival, they paused in their tracks involuntarily, staring at the scene before them in disbelief.

Lu Yang had devised a “blockade” strategy—relying on their combined combat prowess to prevent anyone else from reaching the heavenly stairway. They had assumed the other prodigies would arrive on the final day, so they only needed to block the entrance a day early.

But now, the entrance was already blocked by others.

The trio had become the ones who would be forced to hand over their hard-earned essence souls obediently!

“Haha! Didn’t expect this, did you? I overheard your plan right from the beginning!” Qin Feng, the young lord of the Jiuying Tribe, laughed uproariously at the trio’s priceless expressions. “When you first entered this first floor and formulated your strategy, I was nearby and heard the entire process!”

Qin Feng’s delight grew as he watched Lu Yang’s visage darken. “Although I don’t know who you are, I must thank you for devising such a plan. A blockade? It truly is an excellent plan. However, in terms of strength, who can match our Demon Alliance within this ancient domain? Even the Dragon and Phoenix tribes are inferior to us.”

The Demon Alliance was a concept proposed by the ancient Dijiang. Before the establishment of the Demon Kingdom, the demon races united under the ancient Dijiang’s leadership were collectively known as the Demon Alliance.

The Dijiang Tribe’s prodigy, personally trained by the ancient Dijiang, did not enter the ancient domain. The Demon Alliance’s leader was the Dijiang Tribe, but with them absent, the remaining races within wished to vie for command authority during this venture into the ancient domain.

Qin Feng had been vexed over searching for a way to secure such command authority. This is a gift delivered right to my doorstep. If I am the one to propose the blockade plan, wouldn’t the command authority of the Demon Alliance belong to me?

Indeed, as he had anticipated, while the Demon Alliance’s prodigies were still debating whether to hunt demon spirits for their essence souls or snatch them from others, Qin Feng presented this strategy. It won unanimous approval, and everyone praised the plan’s brilliance.

Qin Feng naturally and rightly assumed command of the operation this time.

He preened with pride. Behind me stand prodigies from the Baihu Tribe, the Taowu Tribe, and many others—dozens of them in total! No matter how capable Lu Yang’s trio is in combat, they could never defeat all the prodigies of the Demon Alliance!

Lu Yang’s face was ashen, his mind racing to find a solution.

As the situation fell into a stalemate, Jiang Shishi’s followers arrived one after another, equally shocked to find the Demon Alliance blockading the entrance.

Next came Ao Yue and the Nine Sons prodigies. Witnessing this scene, they knitted their brows silently.

Subsequently, it was the lone prodigies from tribes like the Qiongqi Tribe who had yet to align with any group.

The heavenly staircase entrance was already narrow, and now it was thoroughly blocked by the Demon Alliance. Sheer numbers would not be enough to break through the blockade.

Ao Yue gritted his teeth. “How do we know it can’t work if we don’t try?”

He commanded considerable influence among the demon prodigies, able to rally them. He transformed into an azure dragon soaring through the air. The Nine Sons, such as the Baxia, revealed their original forms, ready to join Ao Yue in the assault.

Inspired, the other prodigies also reverted to their original forms—a Jade Rabbit with sleek fur, a hill-sized black Heavenly Dog, a Qiongqi with a tiger’s body and two wings...

“Battle!” Ao Yue’s dragon roar shook the space around them.

He burned his dragon’s essence blood, clutched a dragon pearl in his claw, and morphed into a strip of azure fabric as he shot toward the Demon Alliance.

I alone am sufficient to slay an Advanced Nascent Soul demon beast!

“Battle!”

The prodigies erupted with unprecedented power, coalescing into a single force aimed at overcoming the blockade.

Unfortunately, the Demon Alliance had long anticipated this scenario. Under Qin Feng’s command, they moved with disciplined coordination. It was not a barrier that could be broken by mere fervor and hot-blooded courage from Ao Yue and the others.

The fierce battle raged on for half a day, yet the Demon Alliance stood firm like an iron wall, utterly unbreachable.

Finally, Ao Yue’s side was exhausted and drained, losing the battle.

Qin Feng swaggered over to Ao Yue. “Fellow Daoist Ao Yue, I have no desire to make our relationship too tense. After the Demon Kingdom is established, we still have to exchange cultivation insights and improve together.

“Why don’t we do this? Keep ten essence souls for yourself and hand over the rest to me, and I will grant you passage. How does that sound?”

Ao Yue’s head snapped up, his bloodshot dragon eyes locking onto Qin Feng with such intensity that Qin Feng recoiled in alarm.

But Qin Feng quickly recovered. What’s the use in glaring at me? He’s just furious because of his incompetence.

After a prolonged internal struggle, Ao Yue was compelled by the grim reality and reluctantly surrendered his essence souls. He had twenty of them.

“As expected of Fellow Daoist Ao Yue, you slaughtered so many demon beasts,” Qin Feng said gleefully as he accepted the essence souls.

Seeing Ao Yue submit, the other prodigies also handed over their essence souls, each keeping only ten for themselves. If they only possessed ten, Qin Feng would simply deny them passage.

Gazing at the mountain of essence souls, Qin Feng grinned from ear to ear. He distributed the pile according to pre-decided ratios among the Demon Alliance prodigies. Qin Feng received the largest share, obtaining fifty-three.

Behind the Demon Alliance ranks stood a massive chest emblazoned with the characters for “essence souls.” Qin Feng poured all fifty-three of his essence souls into the chest.

The same emotionless voice echoed once more.

“Qin Feng, fifty-three essence souls. Please proceed to the second level.”

As time was nearly up, the other Demon Alliance prodigies also submitted their essence souls to the ancient domain, thus qualifying to pass the trial and advance.

Next, it was Ao Yue’s group’s turn.

“Ao Yue, ten essence souls. Please proceed to the second level.”

“Dong Shu, ten essence souls. Please proceed to the second level.”

......

Noting there was still a little time left, Qin Feng sauntered over to where Lu Yang’s trio was. He pointedly ignored Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou. I have no intention of allowing these two eyesores to enter the second level.

He stopped before Jiang Shishi, whose head was drooping, and smiled. “Shishi, I told you these two lackeys you recruited are useless. See? They can’t even pass the trial now. As long as you agree to become my fiancée, I’ll make the decision—you won’t need to hand over any essence souls, and I’ll still let you pass. What do you say?”

Jiang Shishi abruptly looked up, a smile playing on her lips. “Qin Feng, do you really think you have everything in your hands?”

“What do you mean?!” Qin Feng felt a pang of inexplicable pain at her smile.

Lu Yang let out a lazy chuckle from the side. “Fellow Daoist Qin, your eyesight is concerning. You couldn’t even recognize my clone.”

Meanwhile, the Meng Jingzhou beside him took on Lu Yang’s appearance.

A wooden clone!

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind Qin Feng. “Fellow Daoist Qin Feng, many thanks for gathering so many essence souls on our behalf.”

Qin Feng whirled around, his eyes threatening to crack from shock and fury, refusing to believe his eyes.

Meng Jingzhou had darted out from inside the chest, holding two massive bundles of essence souls!

“We knew you were listening in back then. You didn’t really think the three of us alone planned to block the exit, right?

“The ‘blockade plan’ was specifically meant for your ears.” 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The rules had never specified the method to submit the essence souls. Anyone who saw a chest labeled “essence souls” at the heavenly stairway entrance would automatically assume it was the designated deposit point. Along with everyone’s focus on the Demon Alliance, no one would notice anything amiss with the chest.

In truth, this chest had been temporarily constructed by Meng Jingzhou.