48 The Strategy of the Crane Sect and the Scheme of the Celestial Paradise

In the Southern Continent, three thousand feet above the mountains.

In the vast sky, Feihe Mountain floats above the boundless sea of clouds, majestic and graceful.

On the mountain, the sound of pine trees swaying is accompanied by the flight of thousands of cranes. It is a scene full of vitality and the atmosphere of a celestial realm.

However, at this moment, within the Shangqing Pavilion on the mountain, a heavy atmosphere pervades.

"He Fengyang, how could such a large mistake happen under your responsibility? That Qi Tian is nothing but an ingrate! After receiving the sect's favor and now gaining a Celestial Paradise, he thinks he can establish his own sect. Does he think our Crane Sect is just clay to be molded? How have you taught your disciples?" A thunderous voice rang out, and it was none other than He Fengyang's rival, Lei Tan, a Six-turn Gu Immortal, taking the opportunity to criticize.

He Fengyang's expression remained calm as he slowly spoke, "Although Qi Tian has good talent, he's only been in the sect for two years. He's not even my disciple. I've investigated him, and he hasn't come into contact with Gu Immortals. It's normal that he doesn't understand the power of our immortals."

"Not your disciple, yet you defend him? He Fengyang, do you know how much our Crane Sect must compensate the other nine sects because of this Qi Tian?!" Lei Tan sneered.

"I naturally know." He Fengyang glanced at Lei Tan and sneered, "But these things, even if we add three times more, cannot compare to a Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise. Not to mention the reputation of our Crane Sect!"

"He Fengyang! What do you mean by that?" Lei Tan furrowed his brows and impatiently pressed him.

Facing Lei Tan's questioning, He Fengyang smiled slightly, but remained silent.

It was then that the Supreme Elder, the third of the three elders, chuckled and said, "I understand what Elder Fengyang means. If we don't choose to protect this Qi Tian and directly label him a traitor to the sect, to protect our reputation, we would have to send Gu Immortals to attack the Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise. Even if we fail to capture the Paradise, it would be an embarrassment for the nine sects. On the other hand, if we stabilize this unruly disciple, dealing with an ordinary mortal should be easy."

Upon hearing this, Lei Tan knew that He Fengyang had already taken the initiative, and it was no longer possible to make things difficult for him on this matter.

At this point, He Fengyang stood up from his seat.

He first gave a slight bow to the Supreme Elder who had helped him: "Supreme Elder is wise! At that time, the situation was sudden, and I didn't expect that such a small elite disciple would suddenly cause trouble, using such methods to take the Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise and declare independence."

Then He Fengyang analyzed the difficulty of attacking the Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise: "This Fox Immortal's legacy is located on Mount Tianji... The Celestial Paradires on Mount Tianji, though numerous, no one has dared to attack them. Even if we do attack the Fox Immortal's Paradise, without five or six Gu Immortals working together, who would dare claim they could reach the top of the mountain? Lei Tan, can you do it?"

He Fengyang continued, "If the other nine sects secretly interfere and delay our Gu Immortal combat power, preventing us from sending enough Gu Immortals, our attack would fail. Not only would it damage our sect's reputation, but they would also have a reason to intervene. Even if we succeed, the cost would be too great."

Lei Tan snorted coldly, continuing to press, "So, we clean up after a traitor, but can't take action? Let him go unpunished? Where do we put our face?"

He Fengyang seemed to have anticipated such an obstruction, laughing heartily. "Would I have no plan? The Celestial Paradise has a disaster ahead, and the Fox Immortal died during the fifth Earth Calamity. On that day, I saw a malevolent lightning flash within the Paradise—during the disaster, when it becomes clear just how dangerous it is, he will beg the sect for support. Then, won't we have him in our grasp?"

Lei Tan sneered, "Even so, don't forget about Mount Dangsoul. As long as he doesn't leave Mount Dangsoul, how can we deal with him?"

Without hesitation, He Fengyang immediately replied, "I've calculated it. The Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise only has three months left before the sixth Earth Calamity. Qi Tian, an ordinary mortal, how can he resist the calamity? Even if there's help from the Earth Spirit, without the sect's support, the Paradise will inevitably be severely damaged, and flaws will appear."

"Qi Tian is just an ordinary mortal. Once those flaws appear, we can strike secretly. Ha! After the calamity, he will surely be anxious and desperate for help. At that time, if we show that we are not holding grudges and accept him back into the sect, he will be grateful and obedient, offering up the Celestial Paradise."

"If he's stubborn, we can secretly take action. The Slave Gu is a good method. The Earth Spirit is hard to deal with, but for an ordinary mortal, we have plenty of options. We can take the Paradise without shedding blood. That would be the perfect result."

The elders present began discussing amongst themselves, seeing that He Fengyang's plan had a good chance of success, especially considering the costs involved. They even began discussing how to handle the traitor.

"Years ago, Song Zixing from the Wanlong Valley obtained one of the Blood Sea True Transmissions, and after betraying the sect, it brought shame to all the ten sects. Now, he's a seven-turn Gu Immortal, known as the 'Blood Dragon.' Wanlong Valley sent eight Gu Immortals to eliminate this traitor, including five six-turns and three seven-turns. In the end, he killed four of them, crippled three, and forced the last one to retreat!"

"That Song Zixing was already a Gu Immortal when he betrayed. Qi Tian is just an ordinary mortal. Could he really become the next Song Zixing? We must not show mercy; he must understand the consequences of betraying the ten ancient sects!"

He Fengyang also added, "Back then, a disciple from our sect obtained a Blood Sea True Transmission and betrayed, fleeing to the Southern Wilderness. Several years ago, I sent the Tianhe Elder to the Southern Wilderness to clean up the mess and recover the True Transmission. But the Tianhe Elder failed and was instead defeated by an ordinary mortal named Fang Yuan, who seized the Blood Transmission's skull Gu. That person was ruthless; he slaughtered his own family and used the Skull Gu to increase his cultivation. The Tianhe Elder wasn't willing to accept failure, so he brought back his twin brother, Fang Zheng, in an attempt to recover it."

When did mortals become so powerful? One seized the Blood Sea True Transmission, and another took the Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise. They were both incredibly daring! This left the crowd with a strange feeling.

"Enough, no more talk of the Blood Sea True Transmission. We've been searching for years, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack, though rumors about it are increasing. My ears are sore from hearing about it," the Supreme Elder waved his hand, stopping the discussions.

He then turned his gaze to He Fengyang. "Elder Fengyang, since this matter is under your control, you will be responsible for the outcome. If you capture the Paradise, you will earn merit, and the sect will reward you generously."

"Heir, I will follow your command!" He Fengyang smiled and accepted.

Seeing He Fengyang being assigned such an important task, Lei Tan was about to stop him, but since it was the Supreme Elder's words, he could only silently resent.

Then, the Supreme Elder added, "Since you are in charge, Elder Fengyang, you will also hand over the Gu you owe me. Feng Jiuge has written to demand compensation, asking for a celestial Gu. Since you are responsible for this matter, it's up to you to settle it."

Lei Tan immediately rejoiced.

He Fengyang bitterly smiled but accepted the command.

---

Dangsoul Palace

The palace was resplendent with golden decorations and elegant luxury, exuding the essence of its former master, the Fox Immortal.

After obtaining the Celestial Paradise, Qi Tian had been sleeping soundly within.

Sleep was the most effective method for soothing the soul. While it couldn't compare to the Soul Bath of Lake Lake, it was simple and effective.

Three days later, Qi Tian woke up, feeling peaceful, with no more fatigue or restlessness from before. This was the effect of soul soothing.

However, after getting up, he still felt a sense of weakness deep in his soul.

The soul path is divided into three aspects: strengthening the soul, refining the soul, and soothing the soul, each with its own benefits.

When the soul is weak, it needs strengthening; when it is not solid, it needs refining; and when it is restless, it needs soothing.

"Getting close to the Dream Wing Immortal Gu hurt my soul, so it's time to strengthen my soul. Fortunately, I have Dangsoul Mountain, so I don't have to worry about strengthening my soul." Qi Tian smiled slightly.

He summoned the Earth Spirit and went to Dangsoul Mountain to search for胆石 (Gallstone).

While breaking the Gallstone to use the Gallstone Gu to strengthen his soul, Qi Tian listened to the Earth Spirit report the situation in the Celestial Paradise.

Having read Gu Immortal, Qi Tian naturally understood the current state of the Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise. The Earth Spirit's reports matched his expectations.

The Gu swarm, the Foxes, the Stone Men...

The looming Earth Calamity...

These things were not much different from the original story.

The only difference was the strange events surrounding the "Blue Demon Movie," which didn't appear in the original story at all. In the original, it was only during the sixth Earth Calamity that the Blue Demon Movie first appeared.

Why was it coming so soon this time?

And how it indirectly helped Qi Tian advance his plans 20 days ahead of schedule...

That would give him ample time to prepare to deal with Fang Yuan. However, for now, that would be discussed later.

Qi Tian used the Gallstone Gu without restriction, and since it was praised by the Soul Demon Lord, it had no side effects.

But the Gallstones on Dangsoul Mountain were limited, and Qi Tian's soul could only be restored to a level comparable to that of a hundred souls, which left him slightly regretful.

"However, that's fine. With Dangsoul Mountain in my hands, as long as I have enough souls, I can continuously generate Gallstone Gu. My soul foundation will continue to strengthen, benefiting both my primary path of the soul and my auxiliary paths, such as the slave cultivation and wisdom paths."

"As for sacrificing the Fox group to increase Gallstone Gu, that would not be wise for long-term planning, as it would affect my ability to withstand the next Earth Calamity. Fortunately, there are plenty of souls stored in the Night Soul Celestial Paradise that can be used to nourish the mountains and generate Gallstones."

As for how to transport the stored souls from the Night Soul Celestial Paradise, Qi Tian had already made plans. Though he hadn't yet established communication with both paradises using the Earth Cave Gu, he had the Cup-Bearer Gu, so transporting a few Burial Soul Toads wasn't difficult.

He took out the Cup-Bearer Gu and activated it with the Fox Immortal.

On the other side...

"Ah? It's been so long, and the Master has finally sent a letter!"

"Hmm? The Master wants to store souls in Burial Soul Toads."

Following Qi Tian's orders, the Night Immortal sent the Burial Soul Toads and informed him of the current developments in the Night Soul Celestial Paradise.

"Things are progressing well, but I still need the Earth Cave Gu as soon as possible to send a batch of Stone Men and open the underground resources. But this isn't urgent. Only once I pass the Earth Calamity can I have the qualifications to negotiate with the Crane Sect."

In the letter he sent via Gu, Qi Tian expressed his intention to declare independence, transitioning from being a sect disciple to a vassal of the sect, not bound by sect rules and able to leave at any time.

This declaration was essentially equivalent to betraying the sect, and the Crane Sect would surely not accept it.

However, as long as he could hold on to the Fox Immortal's Celestial Paradise, he would have bargaining power. Even if the Crane Sect disagreed, they would have to stabilize him and slowly work their plans.

When they finally realized that soft measures wouldn't work and would need to resort to force, it would be too late.

As long as Qi Tian could seize this time, rapidly grow, and strive to ascend to immortality, the situation would be in his favor.