Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 790 A Shocking Kill, A Deception (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"After I took over the Divine Firmament, I secretly made contact with several of them."

Li Yunjing made a startling statement: "As long as my army presses in, they will surely rebel! At that time, the 'Xuanbing Palace' will be attacked from both sides and unable to defend itself!"

"What Sect Leader Li said makes sense, but the 'Mysterious Ice Palace' has been operating for many years. Although the Nascent Soul Ancestor has not appeared for a long time, he must still exist."

"Their sect-protecting formation, the 'Ten Thousand Years of Profound Ice Formation,' is said to be able to withstand attacks from Nascent Soul cultivators. How could it be broken in such a hurry?"

An elderly, white-haired elder of the Xiao family stroked his beard and pondered, "If the siege drags on and we can't conquer it, the 'Chang'an Dynasty'..."

He didn't say much more, but everyone understood that the "Chang'an Dynasty" would definitely not miss this opportunity to attack the Xiao family!

"The Nascent Soul Ancestor has his own way of dealing with this."

Li Yunjing interrupted him, his tone carrying an undeniable confidence, "As for the 'Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Array'..."

"There is no formation in the world that I, Li Yunjing, cannot break."

"Although this formation is powerful, it has a fatal weakness, which originates from the periodic fluctuations of the underground ice marrow spiritual vein."

A slight smile played on his lips, revealing the arrogance befitting a grandmaster of array formations. "As long as the timing is right, and the 'Nine Heavens Divine Thunder' strikes its nodes, cracks will surely appear in the great array!"

"As for the 'Chang'an Dynasty'..."

"Has Patriarch Xiao forgotten the old grudges and deals between your family and the Chang'an royal family, as well as the major families within the country?"

He turned his gaze to Xiao Yuntian: "As far as I know, 'Chang'an' is not a monolithic entity. If someone were to create some 'friction' in the northern border or support the court's opponents at this time... how much energy would they have left to look south?"

A sharp glint flashed in Xiao Yuntian's eyes!
Li Yunjing's insight into the situation and his grasp of information were far deeper than he had imagined!
They even knew the Xiao family's secret connections with certain forces within "Chang'an"!
These words undoubtedly reassured him, and at the same time served as an invisible deterrent.

The new leader of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" has extraordinary abilities!

"not to mention!"

Li Yunjing added another bet, flipping his palm to reveal a jade box brimming with vast life essence. The lid slightly opened, and a delicate fragrance instantly filled the hall, invigorating the spirits of several Xiao family patriarchs whose lifespans were nearing their end!
"This is our sect's secret 'Fountain of Life,' which has miraculous effects on breaking through bottlenecks and prolonging life."

"If this cooperation goes smoothly, this item will be a small gift from our sect to the elders of the Xiao family."

"After the war, the Xiao family can take 70% of the spirit mines and medicinal gardens in the three southern prefectures of the 'Cang Kingdom'!"

Through coercion, enticement, situation analysis, and solutions, Li Yunjing gradually and thoroughly bound the Xiao family to his cause.

Xiao Yuntian exchanged glances with the elders, all of whom saw the determination in each other's eyes.

The risks are enormous, but the rewards are unprecedented!

If successful, the Xiao family will no longer be a local strongman, but a true overlord with vast territory and unlimited resources!

It may even replace the "Chang'an Dynasty" and the "Xuanbing Palace" to become a top power across the continent!

Even at the worst, we have the foundation to establish a nation, right?

To establish a kingdom belonging to the Xiao family—this was Xiao Yuntian and his family's lifelong dream!

"it is good!"

"Since Master Li has planned this far, if my Xiao family continues to be timid and hesitant, wouldn't we become a laughingstock to the world?"

"This alliance is now firmly formed by the Xiao family!"

Xiao Yuntian slammed his hand on the armrest, stood up, and exuded an imposing aura. "As for the specifics of how to deploy the troops and when to make the move, we will follow the sect leader's orders!"

"readily!"

Li Yunjing also stood up, "My succession ceremony is in two and a half years. No one would have thought that on that day, we would launch an attack on the 'Xuanbing Palace'!"
As soon as Li Yunjing said this, the Nine Heavens Palace fell silent again, followed by several suppressed gasps.

Even Xiao Yuntian's eyes flashed with a hint of astonishment, which then turned into extreme sharpness and excitement.

"The inauguration ceremony two and a half years from now?"

"That's a grand event that invites like-minded people from all over the world and attracts worldwide attention..."

“Even if the ‘Mysterious Ice Palace’ has a grudge against the ‘Divine Firmament Dao Sect’, it will still send an envoy to attend the ceremony according to etiquette. Its internal defenses will actually be relaxed as the celebration approaches…”

An elder of the Xiao family murmured, "Brilliant! Brilliant indeed! Sect Leader Li, this plan is a stunning and deadly scheme, a complete deception!"

At the most unexpected moment, launch the most lethal attack!
"That's exactly what we want to do to catch them off guard."

Li Yunjing stood with his hands behind his back, lightning flashing in his deep eyes: "My grand ceremony is the anniversary of the 'Mysterious Ice Palace'!"

It wasn't that Li Yunjing was heartless; it was simply that the "Xuanbing Palace" blocked the passage to the "Luofu Continent," severing the bridge between the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" and other forces.

Li Yunjing felt like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat!

The enemy "Xuanbing Palace" is second only to "Youming Ghost Sect", which once blocked "Across the Mountains"!
It was Li Yunjing who killed the enemy as quickly as possible!

The Netherworld Ghost Sect has been wiped out, leaving only a few big and small fry. Taking advantage of the gap before the great calamity erupts, they wiped out the last enemy!
With the core of the plan set, the subsequent discussions quickly unfolded around this perfect timing, clear and organized, yet brimming with murderous intent.

"These two and a half years will be the final preparation period."

Li Yunjing's voice was calm and steady, and lightning once again traced patterns in the air at his fingertips, marking the sequence of time. "Patriarch Xiao, we need to split up and proceed cautiously step by step."

"First, the Xiao family shall immediately begin a war mobilization under the pretext of preventing the 'Chang'an Dynasty' from advancing south."

"Resources are being allocated to the three border states, and elite cultivators are secretly gathering under the pretext of drills and troop rotations."

"The action must be grand, the reasons must be compelling, and everyone must be convinced that the Xiao family's sword is pointed north."

"Understood! Feign north, actually south!"

Xiao Yuntian nodded emphatically: "I will handle it personally and there will be no leaks."

"second!"

"The matter of contacting the internal forces of 'Chang'an' will be entrusted to a few fellow Daoists."

"We may provoke friction or offer substantial benefits, but we must ensure that the 'Chang'an' court has no time to attend to other matters for the next two and a half years."

Li Yunjing looked at the several elders of the Xiao family, "If necessary..."

He paused slightly, a cold glint in his eyes, "We could create a few 'accidents' to shut those old hawks up."

"Don't worry, Master Li. We're experts at stirring up trouble and setting traps."

A sinister-looking patriarch of the Xiao family grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth: "I will make sure that 'Chang'an' court is thrown into chaos!"

Several other people nodded.

Having fought against the royal family of the "Chang'an Dynasty" for tens of thousands of years, the Xiao family has plenty of methods and experience!

"Third, infiltrate the 'Cang Kingdom'."

"The Nascent Soul elders of my 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect' stationed here will be responsible for contacting the sects and families on the list, transmitting messages, and agreeing on the code for the uprising."

Li Yunjing turned his gaze to several marked points in the southern part of "Cang Kingdom" on the map. "The Xiao family has selected several core disciples who are proficient in the arts of concealment and transformation to cooperate with us. They are more familiar with the local customs and are less likely to be exposed."

Inside the hall, more than a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators from the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" bowed in unison: "We respectfully obey the Sect Leader's decree!"

The voice was firm and resounding, carrying an air of iron will.

They have been stationed here for many years, eagerly awaiting this day.

"Fourth, the key to breaking the formation."

The location of the "Mysterious Ice Palace" mountain gate, "the vital node of the 'Ten Thousand Year Mysterious Ice Array' and the earth vein fluctuation cycle, I will personally calculate and verify."

Li Yunjing pointed his finger and said, "At that time, the Xiao family will need to send out Ancestor Xiao Xuan, together with two Ancestors of our sect at the Nascent Soul stage, to carry the 'Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talisman' and launch a full-scale attack during the general offensive to tear open the great formation!"

Xiao Yuntian exchanged a glance with the two most profound elders behind him and said in a deep voice, "Our Xiao family patriarchs will definitely take action when the time comes!"

The fact that the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" dispatched two True Monarchs at the Nascent Soul stage put Xiao Yuntian and his group at ease.

A True Monarch at the Nascent Soul stage is like a nuclear bomb in the cultivation world!

Experts of this caliber, wielding the powerful weapon of the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect," are far more formidable than the "Mysterious Ice Palace" when they join forces!
The Xuanbing Palace is truly facing the possibility of destruction!
"it is good!"

Li Yunjing nodded, "Finally, the day of the final assault will be at noon during my inauguration ceremony, when all the guests are gathered and the envoys of the 'Mysterious Ice Palace' are also present!"

"The main force of the Xiao family needs to secretly move to the southern border of the 'Cang Kingdom' three days in advance, using a large illusion array and the earth veins as cover."

"Once we see the 'Nine Heavens Divine Thunder' break through the Xuanbing Palace's mountain gate formation, we will immediately march north and sweep across the southern part of the 'Cang Kingdom' at top speed, wiping out the outer forces of the 'Xuanbing Palace' and heading straight for its mountain gate!"

"And my 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect'!"

"During the grand ceremony, I will personally take action to capture the envoy of the 'Mysterious Ice Palace,' and then initiate a sect war, deploying all our elite forces to rush straight to the 'Mysterious Ice Palace's' lair via the sect's ultra-long-distance teleportation array!"

Li Yunjing's tone was chilling: "A pincer attack from both inside and outside, a single stroke will achieve our goal!"

Every step is interconnected, and every moment is precisely calculated, making full use of information gaps and psychological blind spots.

The people inside the hall seemed to already see the scene of that day.

The celebration on Shenxiao Mountain was in full swing, with singing and dancing, but a million miles away, thunder suddenly rose and the Ice Prison collapsed. A vast power that had lasted for ten thousand years was facing its coldest end at the height of its prosperity and clamor!
"Let's follow the sect leader's plan!"

Xiao Yuntian felt a surge of hot blood rush to his head, his heroic spirit soaring to the heavens: "Two and a half years from now, at noon, my Xiao family army will surely appear outside the gates of the 'Mysterious Ice Palace'!"

Li Yunjing extended his hand: "Thus, the alliance is established."

Without hesitation, Xiao Yuntian reached out and slapped it hard: "The alliance is established, let us jointly destroy Xuanbing!"

The two hands struck each other heavily, producing a crisp and firm sound, and the alliance was officially concluded at that moment.

Lightning and the unique purple clouds of the Xiao family collided and merged violently within the Nine Heavens Palace, bursting forth with dazzling brilliance that illuminated the entire palace and every face filled with determination and ambition.

A tense and exciting atmosphere filled the air as a war machine, poignant enough to reshape the balance of power between the two continents, was quietly set in motion.

"Time is of the essence. I must return to the sect immediately to oversee the overall situation."

Li Yunjing withdrew his hand, his tone returning to its usual calm, "Two and a half years may seem like a long time, but it will pass in the blink of an eye. Many arrangements need to be made quickly."

Xiao Yuntian nodded solemnly: "Sect Leader, rest assured, the Xiao family will take action immediately and will not delay the important matter."

"So good."

Li Yunjing nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall again, especially lingering on the dozen or so Nascent Soul cultivators of the sect for a moment. "You will remain here and must fully cooperate with Patriarch Xiao's actions. If there are any unusual movements or difficulties, immediately send a message to the sect through the secret method."

"I will obey the orders of the Head Instructor!"

All the True Immortals of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" responded in unison, their voices resounding throughout the hall.

"Gentlemen, we'll see the outcome in two and a half years."

Li Yunjing said no more, and bowed slightly to Xiao Yuntian and several Xiao family elders: "Farewell!" Before he finished speaking, a flash of purple lightning appeared around him, and his figure disappeared from the spot like a ghost. The next moment, he appeared in the teleportation secret hall outside the Nine Heavens Palace.

The Xiao family guards who were protecting the area only felt a blur before their eyes as a chilling pressure swept past. When they looked again, the purple figure had already stepped into the center of the ancient teleportation array.

A light shone forth, and the space rippled violently.

Li Yunjing's figure gradually blurred in the bright light, and finally disappeared completely, leaving Zixiao City.

After Li Yunjing left, the atmosphere inside the Nine Heavens Palace did not relax; on the contrary, it became even more tense.

Xiao Yuntian took a deep breath, turned around to face the core members of the family, his face no longer showing the excitement he had before, but only the decisiveness and coldness of a family head.

"Did all the Supreme Elders hear that?"

"This is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity for the Xiao family, and also a challenge of life and death!"

His voice was solemn, "From this day forward, the family shall enter a state of highest alert! All plans shall be executed immediately, as Headmaster Li has instructed!"

"Great Elder!"

"You will personally take charge and allocate all family resources, prioritizing supplies to the three border states!"

"All disciples who have been in seclusion, except those who are breaking through key bottlenecks, must emerge from seclusion and await orders!"

He looked at the white-haired elder who had initially raised doubts, and said, "We will declare to the outside world that our Xiao family is determined to fight a decisive battle with 'Chang'an' and reclaim our lost territory!"

"Yes! Patriarch!"

The white-haired elder's eyes gleamed as he bowed and accepted the order.

"Second Elder, Third Elder!"

"I'll leave 'Chang'an' to you two!"

"At all costs, I want to see the 'Chang'an' court descend into chaos within the next two years!"

Xiao Yuntian looked at the two gruesome-faced elders and said, "Those die-hards who advocate war, get sick if you need to, get injured if you need to. You know what to do!"

"Hehe, don't worry, Patriarch, I've long disliked those old geezers!"

The Second Elder grinned maliciously.

The Third Elder nodded coldly: "We will definitely not allow 'Chang'an' to have time to look south."

"The rest of you elders, each of you, perform your duties and provide full assistance!"

"This operation is codenamed 'Thunderclap'!"

Xiao Yuntian's gaze swept across the entire room like lightning. "Anyone who leaks secrets or is negligent will be dealt with according to clan rules, regardless of their status. There will be no leniency!"

"As ordered!"

All the high-ranking members of the Xiao family responded in unison, their voices filled with murderous intent.

The entire Xiao family's massive war machine began to operate covertly at maximum efficiency.

Meanwhile, Li Yunjing, through an ultra-long-distance teleportation array, returned almost instantly to his own cultivation cave at the summit of Shenxiao Peak, deep within the Shenxiao Dao Sect, to the "Zixiao Cloud Palace".

As the faint light of the teleportation dissipated, he stepped out of the core of the formation.

The core members of the sect, including seven or eight Nascent Soul cultivators, who had already sensed his return, were waiting quietly inside the hall.

"Welcome back, Master!"

When he appeared, everyone bowed in greeting.

"Change of plans."

"The alliance with the Xiao family is set; the target is the 'Mysterious Ice Palace'!"

Li Yunjing waved his hand slightly, walked straight to the main seat and sat down. Without any pleasantries, he said directly, "The time for the operation will be on the day of my inauguration ceremony."

The words were concise yet resonated like a thunderclap in the ears of the men.

Even though they had already guessed that the sect leader's visit to the Xiao family was for something big, they never expected it to be such a groundbreaking plan, and at such a cunning and ruthless time!
"Sect Leader, isn't this... a bit too hasty? On the day of the ceremony, guests from all directions will be attending..."

The Supreme Elder, Master Yujizi, hesitated slightly.

"That's precisely why we can catch people off guard."

Li Yunjing interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument, "I have already reached an agreement with the Xiao family on this matter, there is no need for further discussion. You may simply follow my orders."

His gaze swept over the crowd, and he quickly issued a series of orders:

"Immediately conduct a secret inventory of the sect's war reserves, and distribute all thunder talismans, magic weapons, and pills according to the highest wartime standards."

"The disciples of the Four Guardian Armies have ceased all external missions and are in seclusion to cultivate their combined attack formation."

"The 'Enforcement Hall' closely monitors all movements inside and outside the sect, especially those who have a past relationship with the 'Mysterious Ice Palace' or may have colluded with it. It is better to arrest the wrong person than to let the wrong person go free!"

"Security before and after the ceremony will be raised to the highest level, but it will be relaxed on the surface but tight on the inside, so as not to arouse suspicion."

"The 'Myriad Laws Assembly' will select a group of absolutely reliable disciples at the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment stages who are skilled in stealth and swift combat. Through secret channels, they will infiltrate the southern part of the 'Cang Kingdom' in batches to contact the forces on the list, convey my instructions, and ensure that they betray us when the time comes!"

"'Tiangong Hall' and 'Tianyao Peak', cease all non-essential crafting and dedicate your full efforts to the war effort!"

Each command is clear, concise, and directly addresses the core issue.

Seeing that their leader was determined and that the plan, though seemingly risky, was actually intricately linked, the doubts in the hearts of the several masters gradually dissipated, replaced by an ignited fighting spirit.

"I will obey the sect leader's decree!"

No one objected further, and they all agreed in unison.

"also!"

Li Yunjing's tone softened slightly, but remained solemn. "Please ask Grandmasters 'Xuanzhenjun' and 'Jiuxiao Zhenjun' to come out of seclusion. To break the 'Ten Thousand Years of Profound Ice Formation,' the two of them need to join forces with the Xiao family's patriarch."

Hearing that they would be able to enlist the help of two Nascent Soul stage masters, everyone felt much more at ease. They also understood that the Divine Firmament Dao Sect had already gone all out in this battle!

"Go and prepare! Remember, you have two and a half years. Success is the only option; failure is not an option."

Li Yunjing concluded by saying this.

"Yes!"

Everyone bowed and withdrew hastily to make their own arrangements.

Inside the empty "Purple Cloud Palace," only Li Yunjing remained.

He slowly walked outside the hall, stood with his hands behind his back on the top of the towering peak, overlooking the "Shenxiao Daozong" with its churning sea of ​​clouds and ever-changing scenery.

The future of the sect and the fate of its millions of disciples depend on his next plans and decisions.

In the distance, the faint sound of thunder could be heard, as if echoing his thunderous plan that was about to sweep across the world.

Two and a half years have passed in the blink of an eye.

A storm is brewing.

In the past two years, various parties have been in turmoil, and envoys from sects, families, and dynasties from afar have arrived at the "Ming Dynasty" ahead of schedule.

Everything is proceeding in an orderly manner...

In the northwest of the "Ming Dynasty", this was originally an extremely weak area of ​​the "Shenxiao Dao Sect". However, at this time, "Xuanwu Army", "Qinglong Army", "Baihu Army" and "Zhuque Army" appeared one after another and entered the area.

The advance team is preparing to enter the far north ice sheet.

The nearby "Northern Emperor Faction," as staunch allies, used their status as landlords to conceal the whereabouts of these vanguard troops as much as possible.

The "Northern Emperor Sect" is located in the "Jingyue Mountain" in the southeast of the far northern ice plains. It is shrouded in wind and snow all year round, and its disciples all cultivate ice and water-based techniques.

It shares the same origin as the "Mysterious Ice Palace," but its scale and strength are far inferior. Now, it relies on the stronger "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" for survival.

At this moment, atop an ice peak within the territory of the "Northern Emperor's Faction," one can see the camp faintly visible in the valley below.

There, banners fluttered in the wind, and although they tried their best to conceal it, the murderous aura honed by countless battles, as well as the occasional powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy, still made the cultivators of the "Northern Emperor Sect" feel their hearts pound.

"Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise... the four guardian armies of the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect' have secretly gathered here..."

Su Muqing of the "Northern Emperor Faction" muttered to herself, her brows furrowed, "What exactly is Li Yunjing's intention? Such a large-scale operation must have an unusual target..."

Behind her, several elders of the "Northern Emperor Faction" also had solemn expressions.

This extraordinary woman has now broken through to the Nascent Soul realm and officially been promoted to the Supreme Elder of the "Northern Emperor Sect".

Back then, by chance, she followed Li Yunjing and Zhao Qi through the far north ice plains to enter the "Cang Kingdom", and then traveled to several continents such as the "Luofu Continent".

Su Muqing has received far too many benefits.

He has truly broken through to the Nascent Soul realm.

At this moment, she had only recently emerged from seclusion when she heard that Li Yunjing had also broken through to the Nascent Soul realm and even assumed the supreme position of the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" leader, which greatly shocked her.

Not long after, another envoy from the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" secretly arrived at the "Beidi Sect" and made the current demands.

This task fell to Su Muqing.

Looking down at the barracks, a storm raged within her.

"Master, Sect Leader Li only instructed us to do our best to cover up and provide supplies, but did not explain his intentions."

"Judging by the size of the vanguard of these four guardian armies, they're probably about to make a big move!"

An elder said worriedly, "If it's targeting the 'Mysterious Ice Palace'...we're caught in the middle, I'm afraid..."

The people of the "Northern Emperor Sect" are not stupid. The far north ice is sparsely populated, and people from the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" rarely come here.

Now that the army is stationed here, and it's not targeting the "Northern Emperor Faction," the objective is clear: to cross the "Extreme Northern Ice Plains" and enter the Cang Kingdom.

The "Mysterious Ice Palace" is a behemoth, while the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" is their current backer.

If they help the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" attack the "Xuanbing Palace", the "Northern Emperor Sect" might suffer greater losses.

"No need to guess, and no need to hesitate."

"Master Li is a man of great talent and ambition. There must be a profound reason for his arrangement."

(End of this chapter)