Chapter 362 – Thousand-Year Layout, Success or Failure Isn't Now

“Making the Immortals feel pain…”

Gu Liqing looked at Lu Chen before him, his expression gradually turning grave as if struck by a sudden thought.

He resembled a stern patriarch witnessing his child on the brink of danger.

Meanwhile, Lu Chen had already anticipated Gu Liqing’s possible reaction before uttering those words.

After all, making the Immortals feel “pain” was, in a sense, recklessly dragging everyone into peril without their consent.

The descent of Immortals was fundamentally meant to assist in resolving issues beyond the capabilities of the Lower Realm’s inhabitants.

If something went awry in this process,

countless people would pay a grievous price.

“Sect Leader, are you thinking that my actions equate to indirectly endangering the entire sect?”

“…”

Gu Liqing remained silent, but his eyes conveyed agreement.

Lu Chen lowered his gaze to the chessboard before him, calmly retrieving the “sacrificial pieces” he had originally given to Gu Liqing.

“Sect Leader seems to have misunderstood. These so-called ‘sacrificial pieces’ were never intended to sacrifice our sect’s disciples.”

“After all, making the Immortals feel pain—thereby forcing them to take the Nine Realms Devils seriously—and aiding Central Province in resisting the invasion from the Nine Realms are not mutually exclusive.”

“According to my reasoning, if those Nine Realms Devils are as cunning as I suspect,”

“then this invasion will inevitably conclude smoothly after the Immortals’ first descent.”

“Moreover, for a period thereafter, the entire Central Province will exhibit a thriving and prosperous appearance.”

“Only in this way can we diminish the Immortals’ vigilance toward the Nine Realms Devils.”

“The scheme I just mentioned doesn’t merely target this current invasion but plans for a more distant future…”

As he spoke, Lu Chen carefully placed the “sacrificial pieces” into his own “chess box,” as if imbuing the action with profound meaning.

Upon hearing this, Gu Liqing furrowed his brow, lost in deep contemplation.

He discerned numerous critical insights from Lu Chen’s words.

For instance, Lu Chen firmly believed that this devil invasion was merely a probe by the Nine Realms Devils.

Similarly, Lu Chen seemed convinced that the Azure Cloud World would inevitably fail to withstand future invasions from the Nine Realms.

At the very least, the Azure Cloud Sect would be unable to stop them.

Gu Liqing didn’t know how Lu Chen could be so certain, as if he had witnessed these events firsthand.

Yet, Lu Chen’s words, in a way, revealed the worst possible future scenario to Gu Liqing.

As a sect leader, Gu Liqing had subconsciously considered the worst outcomes and prepared countermeasures.

However, due to his upbringing and absolute trust in the Upper Realm,

he instinctively believed that all problems could be resolved once contact with the Upper Realm was established.

Lu Chen, however, seemed to hold the opposite view.

Not only did he doubt the Immortals’ ability to resolve the crisis, but he also believed they would face dangers that could affect them during this turmoil.

This was nearly inconceivable to Gu Liqing.

After all, in his perception, Immortals were omnipotent beings capable of traversing heaven and earth.If even Immortals cannot preserve themselves, then Azure Cloud Sect need not be mentioned at all.

Perhaps Gu Liqing had not failed to consider such a scenario.

He simply instinctively refused to believe it, or to witness such a scene.

After all, if things truly reached that point, no matter what he did, it would not alter the outcome in the slightest.

Human effort has its limits.

Even cultivators are no exception to this.

In the face of beings at the level of Immortals, despite Gu Liqing being the Sect Leader of Azure Cloud Sect—the foremost school in Central Province, a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator who had mastered the Great Divine Power of the Transformation Dao Realm—he was still no different from a Mortal.

And Lu Chen’s words just now undoubtedly conveyed to Gu Liqing that what he truly schemed for was a desperate situation where the Upper Realm collapses and Azure Clouds cease to exist.

But would things truly deteriorate to this extent?

As he pondered, Gu Liqing’s usually refined and confident expression, as if he held all the answers, completely vanished.

Because upon careful reflection, such a situation… was indeed possible.

After all, the Nine Realms had already produced Gu Xian, who could rival Immortals.

Could there be beings among these Gu Xian who are comparable to True Immortals, or even Great Perfected Ones?

Gu Liqing did not know, but he could not rule out the possibility.

At this thought, Lu Chen’s image in his eyes grew increasingly mysterious.

Could an ordinary cultivator truly know so many inside details?

And if Lu Chen was not an ordinary cultivator, then he must be a legendary Reincarnation Immortal.

Moreover, Lu Chen, as a Reincarnation Immortal, might not be an ordinary Immortal.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain how Lu Chen knew so many things that ordinary people were completely unaware of.

Even to the extent of scheming against Immortals who had not yet descended, at this very moment.

With this in mind, Gu Liqing tacitly accepted the future that Lu Chen described—a future extremely bleak for Azure Cloud Sect, and even the entire Thirty-Three Heavens.

Following this line of thought, he asked, “If that day truly comes, what do you plan to do?”

“Or rather, what is your method to break the situation?”

Hearing this, Lu Chen understood that Gu Liqing had, to some extent, believed his words.

In truth, if it were anyone else, Lu Chen might not have spoken so much.

After all, even if others believed him, their status and strength destined them to have little impact on the future.

For his plans, they offered little benefit.

But Gu Liqing was different.

By nature, Gu Liqing was highly responsible, with a selfless dedication to taking the world’s affairs as his own.

As long as Lu Chen combined the current situation and spoke truthfully, Gu Liqing was very likely to believe him.

Secondly, Gu Liqing’s identity as the Sect Leader of Azure Cloud Sect meant that gaining his assistance would bring significant support, at least within Central Province and even the entire Azure Cloud World.

Finally, there was Lu Chen’s own selfish motive.

Scheming against Immortals was no trivial matter.

If anything went wrong, despite Lu Chen’s current ability to move freely across Central Province—nearly invincible in this world with Mahayana cultivators absent—if an Immortal were to act, killing him would not be difficult.

Lu Chen wanted to do something.

But his primary goal in doing so had always been one thing: his own safety.

After all, the invasion of the Nine Realms into Central Province was an event that would sweep across the entire world.

No one could remain untouched.That is precisely why Lu Chen had been planning this matter ever since he learned about Gu Xian.

If he were to reveal today’s conversation to others, he would undoubtedly be in grave danger once it leaked out. After all, the methods of Immortals were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

As for whether Gu Liqing would disclose the content of their discussion today, Lu Chen was over ninety percent certain he would not. Based on the information Lu Chen had gathered in the Instance, Gu Liqing had spent his entire life working tirelessly for the Azure Cloud Sect. It could be said that he valued the Sect more than his own life.

While Gu Liqing might have shortcomings in other aspects, as a Sect Leader, he was beyond reproach. Gu Liqing clearly understood that if the Immortals were to learn of Lu Chen’s intentions, the Azure Cloud Sect would not be able to escape unscathed from their wrath. Therefore, to prevent the Sect from being implicated by Lu Chen, Gu Liqing had only two choices: either put an end to Lu Chen’s dangerous ideas immediately or join him in concealing the matter.

From Gu Liqing’s attentive demeanor, it was evident that he had already made his choice—which was exactly the outcome Lu Chen had hoped for.

Now that Lu Chen had confirmed Gu Liqing was trustworthy, he could proceed to reveal his plan without reservation.

“Sect Leader, what I intend to do is quite simple. First, by addressing the matter of the descending Immortals, I aim to indirectly draw the Upper Realm’s attention to the Nine Realms Devils. Second, I plan to lay the groundwork early, dispersing our Sect into smaller, decentralized units. After all, the current Azure Cloud Sect… is far too conspicuous a target. To conquer the Azure Cloud World, our Sect is the nail the Nine Realms Devils must pull out. Relying solely on our own strength, we cannot withstand the onslaught of the Nine Realms Devils. Only by concealing our Sect can we secure a chance at survival.”

“Dispersing our Sect into smaller units…” Upon hearing Lu Chen’s words, Gu Liqing’s furrowed brow tightened even further.

Achieving this step involved numerous complex issues. The most pressing was how to reasonably persuade the members of the Sect. Additionally, they had to consider the reactions of other Sects. No matter what, the Azure Cloud Sect was the foremost Sect in the Central Province. Every move they made was watched by countless eyes. Even the slightest action could cause tremors throughout the Central Province. If mishandled, the consequences would undoubtedly inflict severe damage upon the entire Azure Cloud Sect.

When it came to matters concerning the Sect, Gu Liqing became exceptionally serious.

“What are your thoughts on this matter?”

In response to Gu Liqing’s inquiry, Lu Chen immediately elaborated on the specifics. The core idea was to have a portion of the Azure Cloud Sect’s Disciples leave the Sect and establish a new School elsewhere, one that appeared to have no connection to the Azure Cloud Sect on the surface.

Although this might seem like weakening the Azure Cloud Sect’s strength, in the current context of the Central Province, losing one or two Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators or even a hundred Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators would have little impact on the overall situation. Unless they were Cultivators like Lu Chen and Gu Liqing, who possessed the Great Divine Power of the Transformation Dao Realm at the Nascent Soul Stage, the battlefield situation in the Central Province could only be influenced by those at the Deity Transformation Stage or the Great Vehicle Stage.

If the goal was merely to preserve some sparks of the School, having a few Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators lead Disciples to establish new branches elsewhere would be relatively easy to accomplish, provided the arrangements were properly made.But selecting which individuals and how to ensure they are worthy of protection is undoubtedly a complex art.

In this regard, neither Lu Chen nor Gu Liqing expected to reach an immediate conclusion. After all, such matters cannot be decided on a whim—they require careful consideration of numerous details. Regardless, Gu Liqing ultimately approved Lu Chen’s proposal. He understood the wisdom of “a cunning rabbit has three burrows”—having multiple contingency plans would only benefit their School without any drawbacks.

After briefly settling matters regarding the “School’s seeds of hope,” Gu Liqing turned to his most pressing concern: how to make the Immortals suffer. However, Lu Chen couldn’t provide a detailed explanation on this matter, as the involved complexities defied straightforward justification. Though unable to disclose his specific plans, Lu Chen gave his assurance that should any issues arise, he would prevent the School from being implicated.

Gu Liqing could say little more—given Lu Chen’s current cultivation level, few in the entire Central Province possessed the power to compel him. In the Immortal Cultivation World, strength ultimately commands respect. Even without knowing the specifics, Gu Liqing firmly expressed his support and encouraged Lu Chen to proceed with confidence.

Having secured Gu Liqing’s trust and full backing, Lu Chen concluded their discussion. Upon returning to his Cave Residence, he retrieved a Nine Realms Token from his Storage Bag. Through multiple interactions with Gu Xian and the agents he had planted in the Ancient Fiend Nine Realms, Lu Chen had uncovered the token’s true purpose.

The so-called “Nine Realms Token” was essentially a special key. By collecting nine distinct tokens, Lu Chen could challenge Gu Xian. Success would allow him to usurp the other’s Dao authority and become the new Ancient Immortal. Additionally, the token served as a unique status symbol—only those with exceptional talent would be granted one by the “Nine Realms Gate.” Due to its nature, holders rarely revealed their identities unless they confirmed others possessed tokens of matching attributes.

Lu Chen’s plan to make the Immortals suffer was tied to these tokens. To make the Immortals take the Nine Realms Ancient Immortals seriously, the most effective method was to have a descended Immortal killed by an Ancient Immortal—while simultaneously showcasing the latter’s overwhelming power. This was an immensely difficult task, as defeating a descended Immortal was challenging enough, let alone doing so while posing as an “Ancient Immortal.” Currently, in all of Central Province, only Lu Chen could accomplish this.

Indeed, Lu Chen’s plan was straightforward: when the time was ripe, he would disguise himself as a “descended Ancient Immortal” and defeat the Immortal who had descended upon the Azure Cloud World. This would not only make the Immortals recognize the dangers of the Nine Realms but also allow him to infiltrate the Ancient Immortals’ ranks, gathering more intelligence about them—a multifaceted victory.

However, Lu Chen had to proceed with extreme caution, as the slightest misstep could expose him to threats from both sides.Fortunately, the existence of the Heretical Avatar Divine Ability gave Lu Chen the confidence to carry out this plan. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to devise such a bold scheme. However, this meant that time was running short for Lu Chen. After all, he had no idea when the descending Immortal would appear. Before that happened, Lu Chen felt he must first achieve a breakthrough to the Transformation Soul Stage to have the capability to complete this plan.

(End of Chapter)