Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 431 Seizing the Time is Key
The Yellow Springs Sect's greatest strength lies in the diverse life-saving secrets it has "plucked" from the inheritance of the Eighteen Demonic Sects.

When it comes to fighting and killing, the righteous and the demonic paths may each have their strengths and weaknesses; but when it comes to how to survive, they are undoubtedly the masters.

How can one grant the soul the ability to instantly shatter the void at the moment the physical body collapses, traversing thousands of miles and returning precisely to a pre-prepared body?

How to find the weak point in the laws of a powerful barrier when the soul is imprisoned, and thus achieve passage without ignoring the blockade?

How to accurately locate oneself and the guiding principles, and avoid getting lost in the chaotic spatial currents, which could lead to the complete annihilation of one's soul.

Such topics have always been the core of the tireless research of the demonic cultivators.

However, most of these studies are accompanied by an unavoidable premise—they require the consumption of a massive amount of living souls as test subjects.

This is precisely the fundamental reason why such secret techniques are almost considered taboo within the righteous path.

In the past, with Zhang Qi and his Qinghe Sword Sect hanging over their heads, anyone who dared to openly conduct such experiments on living people had to be prepared to be killed by the Qinghe Sword Sect with a single sword strike.

Therefore, in terms of soul possession and preserving life, the methods of the righteous path are pitifully rudimentary compared to those of the demonic sects. Even an ordinary minor demon might possess several life-saving techniques.

These secret techniques, which embody the wisdom of countless generations of the Demonic Sect, are all fully recorded in the "Eighteen Demonic Sect Inheritance Formations".

This array was created by the few remaining demon lords before the destruction of the ancient world. It doesn't exist in any corner of this world; rather, it's more like a vast information database that can only be opened based on specific laws and incantations. As long as one possesses the corresponding key to open it, one can enter it anytime, anywhere, and access all the insights and notes left behind by the predecessors of the demonic sects.

Compared to physical libraries that require strict security, this method is undoubtedly far superior.

After mastering the nameless sword technique capable of repairing the soul, Chen Ye devoted a great deal of energy to researching these demonic arts. His research into the field of "soul reincarnation" had reached an unprecedented depth.

Chen Ye is now confident he can revive Yin Xiaoshuang. Even a single fragment of her soul can be retrieved, and he has a way to piece it back together, repair it, and bring it back to life.

This was his real bargaining chip to persuade the various sects.

Everyone seeks immortality, and everyone fears death. Since that's the case, let's use life and death to persuade each other.

But precisely because this bargaining chip was so sensitive, Chen Ye asked everyone to go back and consider it carefully, rather than forcing them to make a decision on the spot.

This is, after all, a matter of life and death and one's spiritual path, requiring not only careful consideration from the individual but also the avoidance of gossip and rumors from the outside world.

Once words like "Look, those people are just cowards who want to steal the Ten Thousand Soul Banner from the Yellow Springs Sect" spread, the pressure of public opinion will be enough to make many cultivators who were already interested hesitate and shake the foundation of the entire plan.

After everyone had left, only a handful of people remained in the council hall.

They were representatives of the Qinghe Sword Sect, the Yunlu Immortal Sect, and Tianxin Island, and were also the first allies to know about Chen Ye's overall plan.

From the very beginning, this plan was not something that the Yellow Spring Sect alone could accomplish. Only with the strong support of these three sects could its implementation even have a minimum possibility.

Without the assistance of Tianxin Island, it would be impossible to build a grand array to guide people in that chaotic land of laws outside the Ruins of Return.

The construction and activation of the grand formation involved such profound mastery of formation techniques that only the Yunlu Immortal Sect could accomplish it personally.

As for the Qinghe Sword Sect, they were the final and most crucial safeguard in the plan.

Their role was to use the power of their sect to forcibly kill the out-of-control Demon Lord Feilian, even in the worst-case scenario where the plan failed. Looking across the entire world, only the Qinghe Sword Sect possessed this confidence and assurance.

As for the mysterious prisoner at the deepest part of the Ruins... that is beyond human calculation, and we can only wait and see what fate has in store.

Inside the main hall, the few remaining people fell into a brief silence, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.

The Five Elements Master was the first to break the silence. He stroked his long beard and sighed, "It seems that those who can truly disregard life and death are ultimately a minority."

If the abbot of Cixin Temple hadn't been the first to step forward and express his opinion, probably none of the unorthodox practitioners present today would have been willing to get involved in this mess.

“In my opinion,” Master Jiaoyue of Tianxin Island chuckled, his tone somewhat carefree, “we should use the old method: a generous reward will surely attract brave men. Secret techniques, magical treasures, rare and precious materials—give them to whoever is willing to join. I don’t believe we can’t get people to join.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye gently shook his head: "While Master Jiaoyue's idea is good, Tianxin Island is a large and powerful organization, and I'm afraid it can't support such a huge expenditure."

When the Master Jiaoyue proposed "luring them with benefits," he carefully considered its feasibility.

The reason why the major immortal sects appear to have abundant resources in the eyes of ordinary cultivators is ultimately because they have extremely high entry requirements and a small number of elite disciples. Back when the five major sects were at their peak, the total number of all their disciples was less than one-tenth of the number of independent cultivators residing in Hundred Seas Valley.

This doesn't even include the many independent cultivators outside of Hundred Seas Valley. Even if Tianxin Island were to bring out all its accumulated resources from over a thousand years, it would still be a drop in the ocean compared to this massive group.

After all, it's a job that requires risking one's life, and it can't be dealt with by just one or two Qi Condensation Pills.

Master Jiaoyue naturally understood this principle as well. Natural treasures are ultimately limited, and he was merely making a casual remark just now.

The previously silent Daoist Yuji finally spoke, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Now that everyone has a clear understanding of the current situation, shouldn't we also make a decision regarding the second step of Sect Master Chen's plan?"

Upon hearing "the second step of the plan," both Wu Yun Zhenren and Jiao Yue fell silent.

Because the second step Chen Ye mentioned is essentially a kind of "enticement with benefits," but its methods are quite special and are very likely to attract criticism, and may even shake the foundation of the right path.

All eyes turned to Daoist Yuji, awaiting his response.

Of all those present, the Qinghe Sword Sect was the least likely to tolerate Chen Ye's second plan.

The key to this plan lies in cooperating with the Demonic Sect.

Feeling the gazes of the crowd, Daoist Yuji suddenly laughed heartily: "What, are you all waiting for me to speak first? When did my Qinghe Sword Sect become synonymous with pedantry and incompetence?"

He paused, his tone becoming solemn: "Sect Leader Chen's plan is to find a way for all living beings to survive, which is a noble cause. Thinking back to those days, my master also joined forces with Demon Lord Wujiu to kill several great demons who were ravaging the world. Compared to that, what is today's matter? If you ask my opinion, I, on behalf of the Qinghe Sword Sect, agree to this plan."

His words were powerful and decisive, defining the nature of the entire matter.

Since even the Qinghe Sword Sect, which had the firmest stance, had nodded in agreement, both Master Wuyun and Master Jiaoyue breathed a sigh of relief.

Master Wuyun stood up and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting to Chen Ye: "In that case, I will trouble Sect Master Chen."

"No need for formalities, Master. It's merely a matter of doing one's best and leaving the rest to fate." Chen Ye returned the greeting, then took out two wooden boxes that had been prepared beforehand and presented them to Master Wuyun and Master Jiaoyue respectively. The boxes were opened, and inside lay rows of crystal-clear arrows, the Time Arrows of the Soulfire Lord.

The Five Elements True Man couldn't help but exclaim, "With this treasure, my Yunlu Immortal Sect is confident that we can set up that great formation in the shortest possible time."

Master Jiaoyue sighed deeply, his expression complicated: "Alas, hundreds of years of happy days are about to turn into hundreds of years of tedious and arduous cultivation. I'm afraid those boys under my tutelage will be crying for their parents."

But then his tone shifted, revealing a resolute expression. He said firmly, "However, who cares whether they like it or not! They've enjoyed the sect's protection for so many years; it's time for them to contribute. Rest assured, everyone, Tianxin Island will do everything in its power to set up the formation at the bottom of the Guixu Sea!"

This was Chen Ye's second step in his plan.

These arrows of time were "squeezed" out by him from the remnant soul of the Soulfire Lord.

According to the original plan, this Demon Lord was supposed to transform into billions of moths, experiencing the tragic fate of moths drawn to a flame in endless reincarnation, in order to cleanse himself of his sins.

But now plans can't keep up with changes, and Chen Ye has no choice but to resort to extraordinary measures.

He forcibly merged parts of the Soul Lord's remnant soul, reshaping his physical form. Then he forced him to use his innate supernatural powers to create Time Arrows day and night without stopping.

Although the Time Arrow is a quick-made item and does not actually improve a cultivator's realm, it may even damage their foundation. However, if used for "learning" and accumulating "skills," it is an unparalleled divine object in this world.

Chen Ye himself relied on it to traverse three hundred years in an instant, which allowed him to master the Divine Soul Sword Technique.

By analogy, the same principle applies to other knowledge and skills.

Although the Yunlu Immortal Sect is known as the best in the world when it comes to array formations, it still finds itself short-handed when it comes to constructing a grand array capable of confronting the entire Guixu. The vast majority of its disciples are simply not qualified to participate in such a massive project.

But with the Arrow of Time, everything changed.

It is enough to "force" the Yunlu Immortal Sect, which is short of manpower, to produce several times more array masters than before in a short period of time. Only in this way can the great array be designed and built before the Flying Demon Lord's plan is completed.

The same applies to Tianxin Island. The Arrow of Time allows a large number of immature young merfolk to grow rapidly, using their innate water control abilities to create a stable platform for the Yunlu Immortal Sect to set up formations outside the turbulent Guixu.

Only through close cooperation between the two factions can the first step of Chen Ye's plan be accomplished.

Besides supplying the two major immortal sects with their internal resources, Chen Ye also plans to offer the Time Arrow as a special "bounty" to all independent cultivators from other sects. Anyone willing to contribute manpower and effort to assist in setting up the formation can exchange it for the Time Arrow and a portion of the Cloud Peak Immortal Sect's formation inheritance.

The more formation masters there are, the greater the chance of victory.

Time is the key to the entire plan, and the Arrow of Time is the foundation for its implementation.

In addition, Chen Ye also instructed Qu Heng to expedite the refining of the Longevity Pill.

The ginseng fruit in the underground palace constantly emits innate green wood spiritual energy. Just smelling it can extend one's lifespan by hundreds of years. As long as this innate green wood spiritual energy is collected and combined with other medicines, it is easy to refine longevity pills.

Previously, almost every disciple of the Yellow Springs Sect received one, given upon joining the sect, which directly extended their lifespan by decades or even hundreds of years.

Now that all the major sects are contributing their useful secret techniques, Chen Ye naturally can't be stingy either. He's also giving away longevity pills directly, but the quantity is probably not enough, so they can only be distributed according to skill level.

They discussed the details again and confirmed many of them.

At this moment, Master Wuyun brought up another matter: "Have the Incense Burning Sect and the Mirage Sect decided not to participate in this matter? Has Sect Leader Chen discussed this with them privately?"

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "There's no need to waste any more words. The Mirage Sect has lost its edge and is only thinking about closing its gates and vying for the so-called position of sect leader. As for the Incense Burning Sect, they also seem to think that retreating to the mountains is the best option."

With one sect losing the support of a Void Returning Realm cultivator and the other losing its territory that it had cultivated for a thousand years, neither side wanted to get involved in this deadly matter, thinking that hiding might offer a glimmer of hope.

Since everyone made different choices, Chen Ye couldn't say anything.

If they think they can get away with it, then let them get away with it.

That's why Chen Ye didn't invite either of these factions to the meeting; otherwise, if others knew, they would be even less willing to join.

Master Yuji said, "If they really are hiding, that's fine, but the Incense Burning Sect may not really want to retreat to the mountains. I have already ordered my disciples to investigate. If there is anything unusual, I will naturally discuss it with you all."

With the Qinghe Sword Sect keeping an eye on the Fenxiang Sect, Chen Ye finally felt a little more at ease.

Having discussed this much, most of the arrangements have been finalized. The remaining task of recruiting unorthodox cultivators to assist him does not require Chen Ye's personal involvement; it can be left to the disciples of the Yellow Springs Sect.

As for setting up the formation, Tianxin Island and Yunlu Immortal Sect will handle it, and Chen Ye, being a half-baked expert, doesn't need to interfere.

But this doesn't mean Chen Ye can relax.

Because he still has the most important thing to do.

The key to dealing with the upheaval of Guixu is to seize the moment.

The Arrow of Time saved everyone a lot of time in the early preparations, but that's far from enough. Chen Ye needs to buy more time for everyone.

Therefore, Chen Ye said to Jiao Yue Zhenren, "I will set off for Guixu immediately. If we can find Fei Lian Demon Lord through the Water Mirror Technique, I will continue to buy time for everyone."

According to the information relayed by the mirage demons of Guixu, the gate deep within Guixu has not yet been opened, and the Demon Lord Feilian is still subduing those sea beasts everywhere.

Although he didn't know what Fei Lian was planning, Chen Ye knew that Fei Lian wasn't really serious about rescuing the prisoner.

If possible, we should discuss this with the Demon Lord.

Working together from the inside and outside, they opened the Guixu barrier and released Feilian.

In the end, a demon who has attained the Dao is easier to deal with than a true immortal.

However, the feud between this Demon Lord Feilian and Chen Ye is no ordinary one, and it's unknown whether he's willing to negotiate.

(End of this chapter)