NOVEL NEXT Chapter 298: Jiang Chen's Ploy Disguised as Fairness
"Everyone, not long ago, I received some news." Just then, a Dao Palace realm demon, draped in a red robe, suddenly looked agitated and proclaimed, "The remaining fourteen domains of the Immortal Martial Continent are set to gather in the Lustrous Yang Domain for the 'Number One Prodigy of the Immortal Martial Continent' conference!"
"The Number One Prodigy Conference?" Another demon questioned, "I've only just arrived; what is this about?"
"It's a gathering to identify the most gifted individual from the Immortal Martial Continent. Once chosen, they intend to dedicate every available resource to nurture this prodigy, in hopes that this prodigious talent will ascend to the Transcendence realm and stand against us!" An informed demon elaborated.
A piqued demon quirked an eyebrow, "Oh? Selecting the supreme genius and molding them into a Transcendence realm force to confront us?"
"Hahaha! Such grandiose delusions! The Immortal Martial Continent is so barren. What resources could they possibly harness? Humans here are even more frail, scarcely any prodigy worth a glance."
"And even if there does exist such a prodigy, advancing to the Transcendence realm in such a brief period? Preposterous!"
Hearing this, the other demons erupted in mocking laughter.
"Hehe, this 'Number One Prodigy of the Immortal Martial Continent' conference seems like child's play, merely a gathering of young rabbits. Why should we even bother?" Another demon remarked with a hint of disdain.
"No!" The red-robed demon of the Dao Palace realm quickly countered. He shook his head, conveying deep seriousness, "When the time comes, every genius of the Immortal Martial Continent will gather in the Lustrous Yang Domain."
"You must grasp this: these prodigies represent the final beacon of hope for the Immortal Martial Continent."
"If we manage to eliminate all these human prodigies at once, the blow to the Immortal Martial Continent would be immense!"
"The older human cultivators, stripped of hope, might plunge into despair, abandon their resistance, and choose either to flee or capitulate."
Locking eyes with those around him, he drove home his point, "The humans have a saying: 'The simplest warfare targets cities, but the most profound targets the mind.' This is our chance to strike at their very spirit."
"I concur with your assessment!" A formidable figure from the Nether Soul Demon Clan asserted, nodding in agreement. "This 'Number One Prodigy of the Immortal Martial Continent' conference takes place in the Lustrous Yang Domain. Though Lustrous Yang Domain holds power, especially after the demise of E Tianjiu within its boundaries, it surely doesn't rival the Everflowing Truth Domain."
"From what our sources tell us, the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect lacks an underpinning in the Transcendence realm as well."
"The sects from the other domains, cautious of our potential ambush, are unlikely to dispatch many of their elite Dao protectors for their prodigies."
"Therefore, the forces convening in the Lustrous Yang Domain will inevitably be restricted. Given our might, we can decisively crush them in direct confrontation!"
"When that comes to pass, the Immortal Martial Continent will be utterly devoid of hope, with the Lustrous Yang Domain falling right into our grasp."
"Accomplishing this would be a fitting achievement to present to the Demon Lord." He concluded, eyes shimmering with eager anticipation.
This Nether Soul Demon Clan member was, remarkably, at the same level as Long Tianlu, being a Transcendence realm demon.
Even though he had also descended to the Dao Palace realm, his condition was notably superior to Long Tianlu's.
This suggested that the spatial channel below the Bottomless Abyss was widening and stabilizing, allowing even more potent powerhouses to traverse through it.
"Many thanks, Lord Jiu Xiaoyin!" The red-robed demon's spirits soared upon hearing Jiu Xiaoyin's endorsement of his perspective.
"What are your thoughts, Daoist Bo Lang?" Jiu Xiaoyin, bypassing the red-robed demon's gratitude, directed his attention to another demonic authority seated alongside him.
"It's a solid plan. We should proceed as you've delineated and prepare for the 'Number One Prodigy of the Immortal Martial Continent' conference." Bo Lang, despite having a cultivation base matching Jiu Xiaoyin's, was renowned for his elevated status and nodded in agreement.
"Very well," Jiu Xiaoyin responded, nodding before proceeding with the preparations.
Soon after, demons and demonic cultivators from across the Pure Frost Domain were set in motion. They tirelessly gathered information about the Immortal Martial Continent's premier prodigy conference, which included insights into the major domains taking part, profiles of their standout talents, the composition of their Dao protector squads, among other details.
Time continued its march.
When the demon race finalized its plan to stage an ambush during the 'Number One Prodigy of the Immortal Martial Continent' conference, the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect had already readied the venue.
A vast circular arena dominated the scene, with a sizable fighting platform at its heart.
This arena was ringed with seating areas, designated for the cultivators who would be watching.
Merely observing this arena was enough to grasp the scale and splendor that the conference was set to achieve!
In the meantime, the top brass of the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect, including Jing Chengwang, had already greeted the teams from the various major domains.
All participating teams had been duly settled and organized.
Currently, everyone was awaiting instructions from the Purple Heaven Holy Land. More specifically, they were anticipating Jiang Chen's command, signaling the start of the Immortal Martial Conference.
However, a surprising piece of news began to circulate among the teams: After careful consideration, the Purple Heaven Holy Land, along with other influential forces, had determined that any powerhouse beyond the Dao Comprehension realm would be barred from approaching the venue. This was to guarantee a level playing field for the competition.
This announcement immediately ignited spirited discussions.
While some expressed concerns for the safety of their prodigious cultivators and thus voiced objections, the majority lauded the decision for its fairness.
The reasoning was simple: not all Dao protector squads accompanying the talents had cultivators from the Dao Palace realm, but some did.
Moreover, the Ageless Spirit Heavenly Sect had the benefit of being on their home turf and directly boasted three powerhouses from the Dao Palace realm.
If any underhanded tactics were employed, what would be the fate of those talents guarded only by Dao protectors of the Dao Comprehension realm?
Given the consensus, the decision was swiftly approved.
Once the conference kicked off, any powerhouses above the Dao Comprehension realm would need to distance themselves from the venue. Instead, they would be assembled in one place, watching over each other!
But what remained unknown to many was that this proposal came from Jiang Chen. And his primary motivation wasn't fairness; it was to bait the demon race into taking action!
Consider this: prodigies left without their Dao protectors would be utterly exposed to the formidable demon race. Such prodigies could be easily overwhelmed by the mere flick of a finger!
Subsequently, the fairness-driven decision was announced widely. Every cultivator monitoring the 'Number One Prodigy of the Immortal Martial Continent' conference was informed.
In these times, there were plenty who covertly furthered the demon race's objectives.
...
As such, this piece of news quickly reached the demon race stationed in the Pure Frost Domain.
A demon elder voiced his astonishment, "What!? They're separating the Dao protectors from their prodigies under the guise of fairness?"
"Ahahaha! This just makes those prodigies all the more vulnerable!"
"How can the humans act so naively? I might laugh my fangs out!"
"As soon as that Immortal Martial Conference kicks off, we'll slaughter every single human prodigy! With the humans then in a weakened state, taking out the rest of the human powerhouses will be even easier than we thought!"
"I'm eagerly anticipating the look on the human cultivators' faces – a mix of remorse and despair – as they see their prodigies fall one after another!"
The upper echelons of the demon race roared with laughter upon hearing this revelation.
Unbeknownst to them, they were walking straight into a trap meticulously laid out by Jiang Chen!