Will They Win?

Xiao Rang spoke, recounting Lin Heng's plan to turn the tables and wipe out the invading enemies in one fell swoop.

Afterward, he began assigning tasks.

"Since the mastermind behind the scenes wants to lure away the experts stationed at the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, then we shall grant their wish. Starting today, dispatch numerous experts down the mountain."

"The five rats within the Five Vassal States, as well as the Local Tyrants in Ice Frost City and Heavenly Star Valley who have been targeting our businesses and trade caravans—strike them all with an iron fist and wipe them out in one sweep."

"The Law Enforcement Elder will be responsible for this matter."

Xiao Rang looked at Li Yan and issued the order.

"I obey the Sect Master's command."

Li Yan replied with clasped fists, excitement on his face.

He had previously suggested withdrawing their experts and turning a blind eye to the Demonic Heretics, but that had merely been forced by circumstances.

In his heart, sending every last one of those Demonic Heretics to the underworld was naturally the best outcome.

Xiao Rang's order at this moment suited him perfectly.

"Transmission Elder, you will be responsible for contacting those experts who left the sect years ago and have since retired into seclusion to cultivate. Be generous—promise benefits that will bless their descendants. Whether our Cloud Sword Palace can become the strongest on Lan Continent may well depend on this."

Xiao Rang then gave another instruction.

Most of those experts who had graduated from the sect long ago and retired into seclusion were already advanced in years, with little lifespan remaining.

Under normal circumstances, in order to live a few more days, they would not act again. But this was a rare opportunity. They could only ask them to drag their worn-out bodies into battle one more time, to shine and burn for the sect.

Perhaps after this fierce battle, even if they did not die in combat, they would die of old age.

But for their descendants, for the sake of making their sect the strongest, they presumably would not mind gambling everything on one final effort.

"I obey the Sect Master's command."

Jin Ming replied with clasped fists, his expression equally excited.

He was the Transmission Elder, responsible for educating the younger disciples. Whenever many Sect Experts earned merit and learned the sect's profound martial arts, he was the one who taught them. Having him handle this matter was indeed perfectly fitting.

"All other Elders, if you know any experts from the Neutral Faction, contact them as discreetly as possible."

"As for me, I will coordinate everything, mobilize supplies, and prepare the logistics for the Great Battle."

Finally, Xiao Rang swept his gaze over everyone and slowly issued his orders.

"We obey."

All the Elders answered excitedly.

Success or failure, glory or disgrace—all would be decided in this one stroke. Even Zhang Ya, usually the most calm and detached, felt a rare surge of hot blood at this moment.

Time passed, and undercurrents churned violently.

Among a nameless barren mountain range a hundred kilometers from the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, two white-haired, white-bearded old men were playing chess.

"It seems Lin Heng will not secretly slip down the mountain."

One of the old men pondered for a long time before placing a piece.

There was some regret in his voice.

This man was a Great Grandmaster of Heavenly Star Valley named Feng Yue.

He had spent his life cultivating Heavenly Star Valley's inherited Myriad Stars Intent. He could observe the stars to foretell fortune and misfortune, make divinations, and use the ever-present starlight to make his senses extraordinarily sharp.

Although this place was extremely far from the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, he could still vaguely sense whether Great Grandmaster-level experts had left the area around the gate, and identify their specific identities through their auras.

Though he could no longer perceive further details, that was enough. They only needed to determine whether Lin Heng was still within the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate.

Feng Yue had monitored this place for more than a month, yet he had still found no sign of Lin Heng leaving.

"No matter. If Lin Heng does not leave, we will proceed according to the original plan."

"New Year's Eve is three days away. The Cloud Sword Palace has still discovered nothing, and one-third of their experts have already been drawn away."

"When the time comes, we will first let those Demonic Heretics rush in and drain a wave of the Cloud Sword Palace experts' inner force. Then we will strike and settle the matter with one hammer blow, slaughtering every Cloud Sword Palace expert. After that, our Ice Frost City can follow the plan and divide the world in two with your Heavenly Star Valley."

The other old man placed a piece as well before speaking.

Once he finished, this Great Grandmaster from Ice Frost City, named Cang Chengyu, skillfully took over Feng Yue's surveillance using his Wind Frost Intent.

As its name implied, Wind Frost Intent was extremely sensitive to changes in airflow and temperature.

Cang Chengyu used the airflow and minute shifts in temperature to watch and distinguish the movements at the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, preventing Lin Heng from slipping away while they were not paying attention.

"Let us hope so."

Feng Yue glanced at his ally with closed eyes and sighed.

Over the past period, the sects behind the two of them had made many moves. First, they had disguised themselves and contacted the five Demonic Heretic factions of the Anti-Cloud Sword Palace Alliance, joining them with five restless major powers from their own territories to form the Kill Heng Society.

Then they had gathered Combat Power, trained the Three Talents Formation, and prepared to launch a direct assault on the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate.

The two of them, meanwhile, had been assigned to monitor the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate and prevent Lin Heng from escaping in advance.

Everything had proceeded in an orderly fashion, and now they had finally reached the end of the plan.

If all went well, they could eliminate a group of unruly Demonic Heretics and remove the Cloud Sword Palace, their rival, as well.

If they failed, the end of the road awaited them. If they did not die now, they would be settled with by the Cloud Sword Palace in the future.

But they had no choice. Even if they did nothing now, they would be slowly boiled like frogs in warm water until they died. Since that was the case, they might as well stake everything on a thunderous, earthshaking gamble now.

What kind of ending would this carefully prepared plan ultimately meet?

As his thoughts turned, Feng Yue swiftly cast aside his distractions and calmed his mind to recover his spent energy.

Later, he would have to take over from Cang Chengyu and monitor the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate.

Monitoring from such a great distance was certainly concealed, with no possibility of alerting the enemy, but the expenditure was immense.

Even Great Grandmasters could barely endure it. Only by taking turns could the two of them maintain uninterrupted surveillance.

During the final three days, no accidents occurred.

Because of Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City's actions, another batch of Cloud Sword Palace experts had been dispatched over the past three days to suppress unrest in various places. All the core disciples of the Xiantian Realm had left, while only half of the Grandmaster Realm experts remained.

The young disciples whose cultivation had not yet reached the Xiantian Realm had also been given leave before the New Year, each returning home to visit their families and celebrate the holiday.

Everything happened naturally. The Cloud Sword Palace seemed not to sense the slightest danger, maintaining the composed, calm elegance of a Martial Arts Holy Land.

For a time, the entire Cloud Sword Palace became somewhat quiet. Its mountain gate, which usually housed more than ten thousand people, now had only a few hundred remaining.

Everything was developing according to plan, with extraordinary smoothness.

It was at this moment that numerous black-clad experts gathered at the location where the two Great Grandmasters were monitoring the Cloud Sword Palace Mountain Gate, a hundred kilometers away.

Heavenly Star Valley and Ice Frost City had mobilized in full force. More than two thousand Grandmasters and over twenty Great Grandmasters had assembled.