I Can Upgrade My Talent Infinitely

Chapter 557: Chapter 385: Double-Crossed

Normally, it would have been considered more than sufficient to send a Peak of Foundation Establishment Elder to serve as Guardian.

Zheng Wuji held his Yin-Yang Gourd, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Demoness, your journey ends here today!"

Before the words had even left his mouth, he formed a hand seal and pointed. Mysterious black water once again spewed from the gourd, this time transforming into two flood dragons—one black, one white—that intertwined as they lunged to tear Song Yaoli apart.

Song Yaoli gritted her teeth and crushed a Blood Talisman she had hidden in her sleeve. The demonic wind around her flared violently, and her figure shot backward like a specter. The water dragons missed their target, instead corroding two deep trenches into the ground where they struck.

"Pah! You old bastard." She wiped a trace of blood from her lips. With a beat of her wings, a demonic wind carrying a shroud of purple mist concealed her form. "Next time we meet, I will take your head!"

When the purple mist dissipated, Song Yaoli was nowhere to be seen, leaving only a wisp of Demon Qi to scatter in the wind.

’She certainly is fast.’

Zheng Wuji paid no mind to the Demon Spirit Sect’s Core Formation Demon.

’Anyone can make threats,’ he thought. The reality was that an early-stage Core Formation Demon was no match for him.

Now that he had broken through to the middle stage of Core Formation, the power of his Lifebound Magical Treasure had increased considerably. If he were still in the early stage, it would have been difficult to even injure this Core Formation Demon in such a short time.

Zheng Wuji put the stopper back on his gourd and slowly descended.

He had no intention of pursuing the fleeing Demon.

This stemmed from something Fang Yun had told him.

Fang Yun had advised him that as the Guardian of this place, there was no need to pursue a fleeing Demon, especially not just for the sake of securing a kill.

It could be a security risk; walking into an ambush set by Demons or Ghost Cultivators would be disastrous.

On its face, Fang Yun’s advice was perfectly sound, and Zheng Wuji agreed completely. But knowing Fang Yun as he did, he couldn’t help but feel there was another layer of meaning to the instruction not to give chase.

Zheng Wuji didn’t dwell on the matter. All that mattered was that Fang Yun had his best interests at heart.

The Core Formation Demon’s attack and Zheng Wuji’s appearance both provoked a strong reaction from the Qi Refining members of the Zhou Family.

They had never imagined a Core Formation Demon would appear, much less that a Supreme Elder from the Celestial Cloud Sect would be standing guard over their ancestral home, seemingly waiting for that very Demon to arrive.

"That’s a Core Formation senior from the Upper Sect!"

"A mid-stage one, at that!"

"Who was it just now saying we’d been abandoned?"

Learning that a mid-stage Core Formation Supreme Elder from the Celestial Cloud Sect was stationed here brought about a significant change in their attitude.

Previously, they had all harbored some degree of resentment toward the decisions of the family’s leadership.

Now, that resentment was almost entirely gone.

The family leadership had already made arrangements. The previous measures had just been an extra layer of insurance.

"The Upper Sect’s foresight is truly divine. To think they knew a Core Formation Demon would ambush our Zhou Family."

"Exactly! Otherwise, why would a Core Formation senior from the Upper Sect be guarding us?"

"Get back to your duties. You youngsters, stop crowding around here chattering."

...

...

「At the Demon Spirit Sect’s headquarters.」

Song Yaoli had already returned.

The Celestial Cloud Sect’s Core Formation Guardian at the Zhou Family residence had not pursued her, nor had he chased the other Elders of the Demon Spirit Sect. So, aside from herself, the Elders had all managed to retreat safely.

She, however, had sustained a minor injury.

Upon returning to the sect, Song Yaoli immediately went to see Supreme Elder Zhao Chongguang.

"The operation failed. The Celestial Cloud Sect’s Zheng Wuji was already guarding the Zhou Family, that Foundation Establishment Influence of Spirit Refiners. I don’t know when he arrived."

"I see. That’s fine as well."

Despite the failure of the operation, Zhao Chongguang’s face showed no trace of disappointment.

But at that moment, his feelings were very complicated.

The more he thought about their cooperation with the Black Ghost Cave, the angrier he became.

In the beginning, the negotiations had gone smoothly. They had even accepted the conditions the Black Ghost Cave had proposed on behalf of the Ghost-Controlling Sect.

The plan was to help the Ghost-Controlling Sect seize a piece of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s territory.

This "help" entailed the Demon Spirit Sect and the Black Ghost Cave taking action, with the Ghost-Controlling Sect also expected to contribute its own strength. After all, the territory seized from the Celestial Cloud Sect would become theirs.

Finding the right moment to act was crucial.

When they learned that one of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s Supreme Elders had passed away, reducing the sect’s overall strength, Zhao Chongguang knew it was the perfect opportunity for the Demon Spirit Sect to make its move.

The decline in the Celestial Cloud Sect’s overall strength was undoubtedly a good thing for them.

The death of one Core Formation Spirit Refiner could be followed by the rise of another. For a sect on an upward trajectory like the Celestial Cloud Sect, the number of their Core Formation Cultivators might even increase in the future. That made this fleeting opportunity all the more critical.

They had to seize it.

They approached the Black Ghost Cave to prepare for the operation.

They had agreed to act together, but when the Demon Spirit Sect made its move, the Black Ghost Cave and the Ghost-Controlling Sect did nothing.

Sensing something was amiss, they immediately halted their operation.

The Black Ghost Cave’s response was completely different from what they had agreed upon, so the operation had to be stopped at once.

Because of this, Zhao Chongguang had made a special trip to the Black Ghost Cave to meet the Great Cave Master and demand to know why they hadn’t acted.

This is what had happened at the time.

In response to his questioning, the Great Cave Master of the Black Ghost Cave had replied:

"Fellow Daoist Zhao, calm yourself. We at the Black Ghost Cave had our reasons for not taking action."

"What reasons?" Zhao Chongguang demanded.

"It was mainly an issue with our negotiations with the Ghost-Controlling Sect. They felt they were getting a raw deal. After promising not to attack your Demon Spirit Sect, they felt their part was done. They believe it would be unreasonable to expect them to then also fight to occupy the Celestial Cloud Sect’s territory.

So, they’ve proposed a new condition: your Demon Spirit Sect must first conquer a piece of the Celestial Cloud Sect’s territory on your own. Only then will they move in to occupy it."

Zhao Chongguang was left completely stunned.

’The Ghost-Controlling Sect’s excuse is completely far-fetched,’ he thought. ’By not attacking the Demon Spirit Sect, didn’t they also avoid suffering any losses themselves?’

Faced with this situation, Zhao Chongguang’s temper began to flare.

However, this was the Black Ghost Cave, not the Ghost-Controlling Sect, so he couldn’t just erupt in anger.

"If that’s the case, then our cooperation is canceled."

"Are you sure you want to cancel, Fellow Daoist Zhao?" The Great Cave Master of the Black Ghost Cave smiled. "Your Demon Spirit Sect has already made a move against the Celestial Cloud Sect, after all."

"They don’t know about our actions... You are very clever!"

Seeing the smile on the Great Cave Master’s face, a realization dawned on Zhao Chongguang. He finally pointed at the Great Cave Master and spat out four words.

The Demon Spirit Sect’s actions had been relatively covert.

Since the Ghost Cultivator Influence never truly made a move, their own people had also withdrawn from the Celestial Cloud Sect’s territory.

But judging by the Great Cave Master’s expression, it was highly likely the Celestial Cloud Sect already knew about the Demon Spirit Sect’s activities.

Zhao Chongguang had to admit, they had played their hand beautifully.

"The Celestial Cloud Sect knows?"

"Hard to say." The Great Cave Master shook his head, feigning ignorance.

Before Zhao Chongguang could speak again, the Great Cave Master added another important point.

"But I am certain of one thing. Once your Demon Spirit Sect helps the Ghost-Controlling Sect occupy territory in the Celestial Cloud Sect’s domain, the Ghost-Controlling Sect and we will definitely make a move. After all, it’s no benefit to us if the Celestial Cloud Sect targets only your Demon Spirit Sect."

The Great Cave Master had phrased it nicely.

He hadn’t directly mentioned the possibility of the Demon Spirit Sect being annihilated by the Celestial Cloud Sect.

Zhao Chongguang understood this point perfectly well.

If the Demon Spirit Sect were to truly fall to the Celestial Cloud Sect, just as the Celestial Demon Sect had, it would bring no benefit to either the Black Ghost Cave or the Ghost-Controlling Sect—especially not the Black Ghost Cave.

The Ghost-Controlling Sect had no real conflict with the Celestial Cloud Sect yet, but the Black Ghost Cave already did.

Of course, Zhao Chongguang didn’t believe his Demon Spirit Sect would actually be destroyed.

Unlike the Celestial Demon Sect, the Demon Spirit Sect had an Elder from the Black Dragon Hall acting as its Guardian.

"The Demon Spirit Sect will plan the subsequent actions accordingly."

"Now you’re talking." The Great Cave Master nodded, satisfied.

The Demon Spirit Sect had been played by both the Black Ghost Cave and the Ghost-Controlling Sect. Continuing to cooperate with them against the Celestial Cloud Sect had become their only viable option.

Otherwise, the Celestial Cloud Sect would end up targeting only the Demon Spirit Sect.

Zhao Chongguang recalled his experience at the Black Ghost Cave.

This was why Song Yaoli’s failed mission didn’t upset him.

Since they hadn’t seized the territory of the Zhou Family, a vassal of the Celestial Cloud Sect, it meant they didn’t have to hand it over to the Ghost-Controlling Sect.

’If it weren’t for the Black Ghost Cave meddling,’ he mused, ’our operation should have gone off without a hitch.’

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