After watching the projection, everyone fully understood how serious the situation was. There wasn't a trace of doubt left on their faces.
Then Yun Jin laid out her plan. The group hesitated for a moment, but surprisingly, they all agreed without protest. She'd thought she'd have to do a lot of convincing, maybe even debate with them for hours, but it turned out she didn't need to persuade anyone at all.
Seeing her surprise, Feng Yu chuckled. "Our spiritual power isn't low, but when it comes to actual fighting, we're not exactly good at it. Since the Demon Sovereign dares to come alone, he must be confident he can deal with all of us by himself. We're not his match anyway. If you're willing to step in, Sect Master Yun, we couldn't be more relieved."
"That's right," others echoed, nodding.
"All that fighting and killing's too much trouble. It's not really our thing anyway. If all we need to do is pretend to be controlled, that's easy."
"Yeah, we'll make it look flawless."
"Sect Master Yun, since this plan came from you, it must be foolproof. We've got nothing to worry about. Worst case, if you somehow fail, well, if even you can't handle him, then we'll just die without regrets."
"As long as you don't make us fight, we're fine with anything."
Yun Jin: "...???"
Seriously? That's fine with them?
So Man Sen's actually the only battle maniac in all of Xuandan Gate?!
These alchemists were hopelessly lazy.
Still…
Once the Medicine Pill Codex spread, this sect's atmosphere probably wouldn't stay this uniform.
Yun Jin didn't mention the Medicine Pill Codex though. She just said firmly, "Don't worry, I'm here."
She didn't tell them the full truth either. Of course she'd intervene. And she'd never let them get hurt. It's just that… the timing would be a little tight.
There was no other way.
Only by pushing her timing to the limit could she make the Demon Sovereign completely drop his guard.
"Alright, it's settled then. The battle plan and all the details, Sect Master Yun, you decide. We're really not good at that sort of thing," someone said.
Every single one of those lazy alchemists turned to her expectantly.
Yun Jin: "..."
She gave a small, reluctant nod. "Fine."
Right then, she actually felt a little grateful that the Demon Sovereign's first target was Xuandan Gate. These alchemists had no desire to fight or win. They were perfectly content to just "lie down and win."
If he'd started in the Kunlun Sword Sect's territory instead, forget the rest of them, even her master Ji Wusi wouldn't have agreed to stand back. He'd be shouting to face the Demon Sovereign himself.
Sometimes, leading a bunch of salted fish was easier than leading a pack of battle maniacs.
Yun Jin sighed inwardly while outlining the details of her plan.
After that, once the Demon Sovereign made his move, they'd have to improvise and adjust their responses accordingly.
Her A-rank mission was technically complete, but she chose to stay a little longer. A month should be enough to deal with the Demon Sovereign's matter.
So Yun Jin remained at Xuandan Gate.
The Demon Sovereign didn't make them wait long. Soon, he took action.
Yuan Yuan immediately synced and broadcasted his every move. In front of an unremarkable little mountain, Yang Yun stood with a cold, detached expression.
In his mind, the demonic soul whispered nonstop.
"Alchemists care most about their craft. To lure out Xuandan Gate's alchemists, we have to target that.
We've gathered rare materials from the Demon Realm and combined them with our outer-realm forging techniques to refine the only Saint-grade alchemy furnace in this world! I've also used a secret art to conceal its demonic aura, so it'll look like some ancient immortal artifact. We'll spread a rumor that inside this furnace are ancient pills and long-lost pill recipes!
As long as the news spreads, those alchemists will come running!"
A Saint-grade alchemy furnace, containing ancient pills and pill recipes!
Anyone who got their hands on it could rise to the supreme seat among alchemists. Could Xuandan Gate's alchemists resist something like that?
No chance. Once they heard about it, they'd definitely come. And when they did, he'd drain every last one of them. Of course, a few might slip away, but if his power advanced even one more step, he'd be strong enough to devour Ji Wusi himself.
Once he absorbed another wave of human experts, he'd be able to tear through the spatial barrier and complete his mission.
The demonic soul's plan was flawless.
Yang Yun knew that too. But he also knew it meant his life was running out.
The demonic soul could sense his unwillingness, but it didn't care. It activated the demonic patterns carved into his flesh. They writhed like living worms, sharp spikes piercing through his skin until blood ran down his body.
He trembled violently and gasped out, "Stop... I'll do it. I'll start setting things up now."
The demonic soul sneered. "You should've been obedient from the start."
Then it continued to urge him from within his mind.
Yang Yun's face turned pale. If he could, he'd warn Xuandan Gate to run while they still could.
But he couldn't.
The demonic soul shared his body, their minds completely linked. Even the faintest rebellious thought would be sensed immediately, followed by brutal torment. After enduring that kind of agony countless times, he didn't dare resist anymore. He could only let the demonic soul control him.
Soon, he finished the arrangements under its instructions.
The demonic soul nodded in satisfaction. "Next, I'll set up layers of barriers here. The secret arts of the outer-realm demons differ from this world's methods, so they'll look like ancient seals. No one will suspect a thing.
Also, don't make the Saint-grade furnace appear right away. Let it emerge slowly, and send our demon spies in the Xuandan Region to spread the word at all costs.
We need to build the hype carefully. We must make sure Xuandan Gate takes the bait."
Yang Yun could only nod.
What the demonic soul didn't know was that every bit of its scheme was being broadcast live to everyone in Xuandan Gate.
Xuan Feng and the others had complicated looks on their faces.
The Demon Sovereign's plan… was truly devious. If Yun Jin hadn't warned them beforehand, the odds of them falling for it were ninety-nine percent. No alchemist in this world could resist the temptation of an ancient furnace, ancient pills, and ancient recipes.
"As expected," Yun Jin said calmly. "We don't need to rush. Let's wait for them to spread the word our way."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
That very day, in the southwest of the Xuandan Region, the ground suddenly quaked violently. When the tremors stopped, an entire mountain collapsed, revealing a mysterious cave mansion.
A faint fragrance of pills wafted from within, hinting that some ancient elixirs might've just surfaced!