Demon Sword Sect's Undercover

Hou Niao, Tianfeng, and Fairy Hong Xiu hovered silently above Yingtai Immortal Island, observing the bustling crowd below in silence.

This time, the Sea Demon invasion had a devastating effect on Yingtai, resulting in heavy losses, not only among the high-ranking combat forces but also among the Foundation Establishment cultivators and even the ordinary mortal islanders; in the sudden Sea Demon attack, the majority perished under the sharp teeth of the Sea Demons.

Almost no mortals survived, and more than half of the Foundation Establishment were casualties. This was the true crisis of Yingtai, implying the future would be even more difficult.

"This is truly challenging. With a lack of backup strength and isolated overseas, every few hundred years, there's a beast tide of varying sizes, yet we can't get timely aid from the mainland's main cultivation world. Fairy, you have a long road ahead," Hou Niao sighed.

That's what he thought, but it didn't mean the other two shared his opinion. Tianfeng cast a glance at this uninformed fellow,

"The emperor is not anxious but the eunuch is in a hurry. Do you see the Fairy being troubled?"

Fairy Hong Xiu chuckled softly, "Senior Brother Tianfeng is joking. In fact, I am quite troubled. If you'd like, we can switch places; you come to Yingtai, and I'll go to Anhe?"

Tianfeng, with a demeanor of indifference towards everyone, said, "I don't mind at all. Yingtai is quite good, less work, and suits my Shangqing path of solitary cultivation; as long as you are willing to deal with Taiqing Yuqing, we can exchange immediately."

Fairy Hong Xiu sighed, "Then let's just forget about it. My Zhou Xian lineage has never been considered orthodox by you Three Pure Ones, though I do have more friends inland who can help each other when needed."

Tianfeng snorted coldly, "Friends? When you have too many friends, sometimes you don't even need enemies..."

Listening to his insinuations, he knew this Daoist still held a grudge over past actions, but he didn't mind, as he had contributed greatly. Laughing softly, he said:

"I assume the Fairy has some ingenious strategy in mind? I, Hou Niao, am unworthy but would still like to seek guidance."

Fairy Hong Xiu lightly brushed her hair, which fluttered in the sea breeze, exuding an ethereal charm, "It's actually not so much an ingenious strategy, but in the Universe Cultivation Realm, we have another set of guiding principles."

She looked at Hou Niao, "When you, Hou, have traveled outside Jinxiu frequently in the future, you'll understand. My strategy is that after this sea calamity, we should open the mountain gate widely, recruit Sea Clan Demon Beasts extravagantly, and let them serve us."

Hou Niao felt a stir in his heart, "Yingtai's failure this time was because of internal betrayals by Sea Demon members, and yet the Fairy wants to escalate?"

Fairy Hong Xiu smiled faintly, "Their ideals were wrong! Always thinking about transforming and changing, yet don't they know that it's impossible to eradicate racial nature?

More importantly, it's about interests! We need to show the Sea Clan the prospects of integrating with humans, give them hope, draw a big picture... create shared interests, having you in me and me in you; damaging Yingtai's interests would be as damaging their own. In this way, who would easily betray?"

Hou Niao nodded deeply in agreement, "High, really high, truly thought-provoking."

Fairy Hong Xiu shook her head, "In the Universe Cultivation Realm, everyone operates this way; with countless races and factions, how could one expect to assimilate others? Yingtai is isolated overseas with a weak mortal foundation, so it must rely on recruiting local Sea Clan, giving them a vision, and putting effort into creating divides between different Sea Clans...

You should know, in terms of potential, the Sea Clan geniuses are no less than humans; creating barriers among them, forcing them to unite under the leadership of humans in the Yingtai community, collectively developing this maritime region, they would still be the best vanguard in battles, bringing their own clanspeople..."

Hou Niao was convinced, having to admit that the insights and perspectives of these Upper Realm visitors far surpass those of Jinxiu people. It's not because Jinxiu people are stupid but because they lack understanding of the outside world. In fact, such concepts have existed for millions of years in the Universe Cultivation Realm, and humanity has long devised an effective response.

Eventually, Yingtai will become a daoist system of half-human and half-demon, with humans controlling the most core inheritance, continuously planting seeds among the various branches of the Sea Clan, stirring their sensitive nerves, while humans act as arbiters.

However, all this presupposes first winning against the Sea Demon of the Lizhi Sea in this beast tide, breaking their backs for future endeavors.

That's why Fairy Hong Xiu joined his plan without hesitation.

Returning to the main topic, Tianfeng Daoist spoke directly, "Defensive and offensive engagements around Yingtai are no longer realistic; we need to find another battlefield, a place that can genuinely attract the Sea Clan. Fairy, you've spent many years in the Outer Sea and have substantial contact with the Yingtai Masters; do you have any suggestions on this?"

It turns out Hou Niao and his intention was to engage in defenses and offenses surrounding the Yingtai Immortal Island, heavily wounding the Sea Clan there, drawing back their main forces, and once the Lizhi Sea's forces gathered, the Southwest cultivation forces would suddenly appear to engage in a decisive battle at Yingtai, making for a strategically meaningful plan in the vast sea.

But now, it seems Yingtai's situation is no longer suitable as this pivot point. The buildings are half-ruined, nine out of ten arrays destroyed, losing the function of central blooming; if the Sea Clan gathers on the island for humans to attack, that would be another matter, also, the Sea Clan might not even be willing to gather in large numbers here, having an innate fear of the land.

Fairy Hong Xiu confidently said, "In the sea thousands of miles away from Yingtai, there is a magical Yuan Magnetic Divine Mountain, called Blue Mountain Island; it is also an island of Forbidden Technique, with strong prohibitive effects on cultivators—it can't be practiced, it can't fly, and has been this way for over a thousand years.

Just seven years ago, three years after we entered the realm, Blue Mountain Island underwent a sudden change. The reason is unknown, but the Primordial Magnetic Force gradually dissipated, the restraints no longer applied, making it once again accessible to cultivators.

However, the first to discover this change and claim Blue Mountain for themselves were the Sea Demons of Lizhi. By the time human cultivators realized the changes, the Sea Clan had already completely occupied the island, establishing it as a major stronghold for the Lizhi Sea Clan."

Hou Niao remained expressionless; he was quite familiar with this place, having been there twice already, but he hadn't anticipated such changes, truly unexpected.

"I remember that Blue Mountain should have had indigenous inhabitants, right? What happened to them?"

Fairy Hong Xiu thought for a moment, "There aren't any precise reports, so I can't say for sure whether they were slaughtered or co-existed with the Sea Clan. But according to reports from some cultivators passing through, it seems there are still signs of human activity on the island. It's said they are blue-blooded people, with a trace of Sea Clan bloodline, so they might not have been exterminated like human beings?"