Beat Them at Their Own Game

"Thank you, Master. I'll make my move when the time comes."

Lin Heng took the food box and spoke with a smile.

From the change in Xiao Rang's expression, he could roughly guess what had happened outside. It was nothing more than his sudden emergence making others set their sights on Cloud Sword Palace and himself.

But Lin Heng did not care about any of this. His strength was already far too great.

Though he had not yet reached the point of treating Great Grandmasters as beneath notice, he was already far beyond the reach of ordinary Great Grandmasters.

An expert like his own master, a Great Grandmaster Fourth Heaven, would fall to Lin Heng within a single exchange and a few dozen moves. It was exactly like when his master had first fed him moves with the Heavenly Star Sword Technique—he would be utterly crushed.

If there were no old monsters who had concealed their names and cultivated to unfathomable heights, he might already be the Number One Expert Under Heaven.

Moreover, Lin Heng was still improving at a rapid pace.

Even if he could not yet be considered the undisputed Number One Expert Under Heaven, that title would belong to him before long.

Under such circumstances, if the Sect encountered any trouble, it was merely a matter of meeting soldiers with generals and water with earth.

That was the confidence brought by strength—the confidence to handle every unforeseen change.

Still, out of caution, Lin Heng carefully asked Xiao Rang about the cause of the entire affair.

Xiao Rang had not wanted to trouble Lin Heng with outside trifles, but since he wished to know, Xiao Rang did not hide anything.

He explained the recent situation to Lin Heng, then said, "At first, I had planned to have you leave the mountain gate to avoid disaster. But now that you, Heng'er, are already a Supreme Great Grandmaster of the Eighth Heaven, there is no need."

Hearing this, Lin Heng thought for a moment and more or less sorted out the other side's scheme.

They had simply incited those Demonic Heretics unwilling to remain ordinary, along with the ambitious great powers ranked beneath the three Martial Arts Holy Lands, to stir up trouble everywhere. Using these cannon fodder, they would draw Cloud Sword Palace's experts away from the mountain gate.

Then they would gather their top combat power and launch a surprise attack on Cloud Sword Palace.

Their first goal was to kill him. Their second was to destroy Cloud Sword Palace.

Lin Heng said, "If Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City truly are making a move, they could not possibly have overlooked the possibility of me fleeing in advance. At this very moment, many Great Grandmasters from both sides may be waiting around the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate for me to take the bait."

"If I had run out before my cultivation broke through, I would truly have been walking straight into the net."

Xiao Rang frowned at this.

Previously, he had only thought that Lin Heng could pick any time, avoid the spies that might be hidden within the Sect, and easily vanish into the sea of people.

He had not considered that besides drawing away the mountain gate's experts before attacking, the other side also intended to fish for him.

If they could lure Lin Heng out, they would not need to risk attacking the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate.

"We can completely beat them at their own game. We can pretend not to have seen through their calculations, send many of the Sect's experts out to deal with the unrest in various places, then secretly notify the experts of the Neutral Faction, as well as some of our reclusive experts who have completed their training outside, to hide near the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate."

"Once those Masterminds Behind the Scenes launch their surprise attack on the mountain gate, we can go with the flow and wipe them out in one sweep."

"Barring any surprises, they will attack during the New Year. We only need to be prepared before then."

Lin Heng made his proposal.

This plan would not have worked before he became a Supreme Great Grandmaster.

Even if they saw through the Masterminds Behind the Scenes' plot and called back experts scattered across the land, along with experts from the Neutral Forces to lend their aid, they could at most defend themselves.

But now, with his strength as the foundation, everything had become possible.

Hearing this, Xiao Rang fell into thought.

He did not question Lin Heng's certainty that the attack would come during the New Year. The reasoning was simple: if the disturbances outside dragged on too long, the experts sent out would return.

Although Lan Continent was vast, given the speed of Martial Artists, even accounting for all the delays in handling matters, a round trip would not take more than two months.

Therefore, the Masterminds Behind the Scenes had to end this quickly.

"What you say is feasible, disciple."

After calculating the greatest combat power Cloud Sword Palace could gather, he confirmed that with Lin Heng as the core of their combat power, they could assemble many experts and launch a counterkill at the smallest possible cost.

If they could wipe out the High-End Combat Power of the other two Martial Arts Holy Lands in one sweep, there would be no need for any slow-boiling-the-frog tactics. They could swallow everything in one bite and grow fat in a single gulp.

Thus, Xiao Rang finally gave a definite answer.

"Then go make the preparations, Master. I need to continue cultivating. Before the Great Battle begins, my strength can still improve considerably."

With the plan settled, Lin Heng began ushering him out.

Though he felt their chances of victory were high this time, they had to race against time to eliminate any possibility of an accident.

"Then continue your cultivation. I shall not disturb you any longer."

Now that Lin Heng had agreed to act, no problem remained a problem.

That was the strategic value of a Supreme Great Grandmaster.

"Palace Master, what does the Young Sect Master intend to do?"

Xiao Rang returned to the Cloud Sword Palace main hall on the ground, where many Elders were still waiting.

Li Yan, the impatient Law Enforcement Elder, spoke up to ask for the outcome.

The other Elders also turned their gazes toward Xiao Rang, wanting to know whether Lin Heng intended to remain within the mountain gate or leave to avoid disaster.

This would determine how Cloud Sword Palace should act in the coming period.

"Heng'er's cultivation has reached the Great Grandmaster Eighth Heaven!"

Xiao Rang smiled faintly as he spoke, unable to suppress the pride in his voice.

This was his disciple. Now that he had surpassed his master, how could Xiao Rang not feel proud?

At this moment, Xiao Rang's face was flushed, and his spirits had soared as never before.

"Great Grandmaster Eighth Heaven!!!"

"That is the cultivation Realm of a Supreme Great Grandmaster!"

"Doesn't that make the Young Sect Master the Number One Expert Under Heaven now?!"

The Elders all spoke up, unable to hide the shock and delight on their faces.

A year ago, Lin Heng had become a Great Grandmaster at the age of fourteen, becoming the future pillar of the Sect that everyone looked forward to.

They had thought this future pillar would still need many years of growth before he could become the one to settle matters with a single blow.

Yet they had never expected that after only one short year, Lin Heng would reach the Great Grandmaster Eighth Heaven and become a Supreme Great Grandmaster, one unseen in the Jianghu for many years.

With such an expert guarding the mountain gate, Cloud Sword Palace was the safest place under heaven.

The predicament they had faced before was immediately resolved.

"Elders, heed my command."

Xiao Rang smiled as he watched the reactions of his Fellow Disciples.

Once everyone had celebrated enough, his expression turned serious, and he began arranging Cloud Sword Palace's course of action going forward.

"Please give your instructions, Palace Master."

The other Elders grew serious as well, watching Xiao Rang and listening to what he would say next.