Li Gang instantly saw through his thoughts, but he didn't care. They were both using each other. Besides, Meng Xian was currently stronger than Li Gang.
Li Gang thought for a moment and asked lightly, "Are you sure she is going to help him?"
Meng Xian considered it and answered, "From what I see, she has likely already made her move."
Li Gang asked again, "Explain the power distribution of the Eastern Continent."
Meng Xian glanced at him and immediately realized. "Could it be...?"
He quickly understood and said slowly, "Misty Jade Forest!"
Li Gang narrowed his eyes. "Is there a Rank 8 Warrior there? Or a Rank 8 beast?"
Meng Xian nodded. "Yes. The area isn't heavily populated. It's dominated by beasts, including a mid-stage Rank 8 beast. Jin Huang appeared in our sect about nine years ago."
This was the result when two Warriors with different thinking styles planned together—their efficiency increased exponentially.
They both reached the same conclusion.
Jin Huang had appeared in Misty Jade Forest back then and spent an entire month constructing a formation. She had correctly anticipated that Ji Changchen was planning to target Meng Xian. In order to support him, she created a situation where, after a specific interval, the formation would activate and plunge Misty Jade Forest into chaos. It would trigger a Beast Tide and alarm the Rank 8 beast residing within the forest.
This situation would directly force at least two Rank 8 Warriors of the Heavenly Dragon Sect to respond. It would also buy Ji Changchen enough time to launch his attack on Meng Xian without interference. However, she knew that Ji Changchen still lacked the strength to kill Meng Xian in his own territory. At best, he would gain an opportunity to negotiate.
Li Gang said faintly, "Looks like you guessed right."
Meng Xian nodded. "She probably created a method to cause a Beast Tide at the right time. That would distract most Rank 8 and Rank 7 Warriors of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, allowing Ji Changchen to act. I doubt he can accomplish much, but he could back me into a corner and trade for all my information."
Li Gang glanced at Meng Xian and smiled deeply. "You're smart—but you still underestimate Jin Huang too much."
For certain reasons, Li Gang intuitively believed there was no person who could truly anticipate what Jin Huang was planning. However, he knew what she was after, at least on the surface.
Li Gang stood up and didn't explain further. He left immediately.
After reaching an isolated place, he recalled a certain incident.
Flashback.
It was early morning.
Li Gang asked slowly, "You did promise me the Golden Crow Kingdom. However, what are you going to do after that?"
Jin Huang glanced at him and asked with a beautiful smile, "Why do you care? Did you fall for me?"
Li Gang didn't reply but kept staring at her.
Jin Huang smiled faintly. "Yes, I will leave the Golden Crow in your hands. I don't want to be involved in worldly affairs. I want to spend my life peacefully now. However, I will do you three favors, besides the one you asked for!"
Flashback over.
Li Gang murmured slowly, "Three favors, huh! The first one was the healing pills you left when I was nearly dying. At that moment, I recalled your words of the 'three favors' and expected it beforehand. This was also why, when I was injured against the two Rank 8 Warriors, the first place I visited was your abode. Not only was it the safest—since no one knew about the place, and even you wouldn't be there after leaving Golden Crow—but at the same time, I could hope for your first 'favor'!"
His gaze deepened. "So, this must be your second favor. Although on the surface it appears you are helping Ji Changchen, in reality you are helping me!"
This was a three-layered scheme of Jin Huang.
The first layer was for Ji Changchen and Meng Xian.
Because of Jin Huang's arrangements, they would assume she was helping Ji Changchen deal with Meng Xian.
Meanwhile, the second layer was for the Immortals and for Li Gang.
They were the ones with insider information and would assume Jin Huang was helping Li Gang.
But her actual goal?
It was to ascend to Rank 7 through a deception on a scale that transcended the entire Divine Spirit World and to obtain the strongest possible Spiritual Imprint!
You might be wondering, how did Jin Huang achieve the "fake Rank 7" cultivation without ever meeting a "real Rank 7" Warrior? It was one of the requirements if she wished to succeed in her plan.
Remember the Warrior Lin Fan? (See chapter 35)
Lin Fan was the arrangement of Wang Xueyao, Acting Supreme Goddess of Creation.
Wang Xueyao "killed" Lin Fan long ago and then sent him to reincarnate into the Divine Spirit World at the right moment. She did it to provide an opportunity for Li Gang. She knew Li Gang's abilities and understood he would definitely go after his memories.
Li Gang absorbed a fraction of his memories and almost died. Not only did those memories contain higher-dimensional encoded information that Li Gang's soul was incapable of handling, but they were also vast in quantity. However, this wasn't the actual reason for his near-death, since he could have stopped the technique before facing the full threat.
If you recall, Li Gang used the method taught by Wang Xueyao to steal the memories of Lin Fan. Wang Xueyao had secretly hidden her own methods within it, and this was also one of the reasons he nearly died. The method she used was too high-level for Li Gang. Once activated against Lin Fan, it took complete control of Li Gang, and he could no longer stop it—causing a near-death crisis! This method was something a lower-world Warrior couldn't recreate, and thus Jin Huang was incapable of copying it. Otherwise, she would have directly freed herself using it.
During Jin Huang's stay with Li Gang, she read his memories with a Soul-type Secret Technique. It was all done through her Abstract Thinking. She mastered Soul-type techniques after absorbing the Heavenly Lotus. Before that, she was incapable of truly sensing the Soul and couldn't use such techniques.
She deduced the possible states of Warriors undergoing Rank 7 ascension. She didn't absorb Li Gang's memories—instead, she only viewed them in his brain. With her Abstract Thinking, she eliminated all the incorrectly deduced states.
If she had stolen his memories, the Immortals would surely have been able to read them. Lin Fan's memories were encrypted only within Lin Fan himself and Li Gang. Two important points here: first, Li Gang's memories weren't hidden from the Immortals—it was only the information of Lin Fan's memories that was encrypted in a form impossible for them to understand. Second, because of Jin Huang's extreme perception, she noticed the method left by Wang Xueyao and carefully used it to decrypt the information.
This method was only usable within Li Gang's memory, because the Immortals couldn't perceive them there. Wang Xueyao's arrangement was meant to block the Immortals and only let Li Gang understand. But the moment Li Gang decrypted them, the Immortals could view them as well.
Jin Huang eliminated all the wrong choices of Rank 7 Ascension states, group by group, and finally arrived at the actual range of possibilities suitable for her. It was all done through her Abstract Thinking.
She then went into seclusion not long after and "faked" her Rank 7 Ascension!
In this way, her "fake cultivation" reached Rank 7, while her "real cultivation" remained at Rank 6. She succeeded in achieving a Rank 7 Ascension state without ever meeting a Rank 7 Warrior herself.
Wang Xueyao had left that method for Li Gang. She wanted only Li Gang to decrypt the information. Given his nature, Li Gang would only decrypt information related to cultivation until he regained his freedom of thought. She never expected someone else to use it to their advantage.
After this, Jin Huang created a "coincidence" to meet Ji Changchen and married him.
From the moment she realized the Immortals controlled the entire world, she was seeking opportunities to deceive them. Ironically, that opportunity was sent to her by the Immortals themselves.
It was the Immortals who controlled Li Gang and led him to meet Jin Huang!
They recognized Jin Huang's potential and were afraid—afraid that Li Gang couldn't defeat her. If you can't defeat, then join forces. Their idea was primitive but reasonable, since they never assumed Jin Huang was trying to deceive them at that point.
To repay Li Gang's favor, she not only agreed to his demands but also promised three favors.
Li Gang didn't fully trust Meng Xian. He didn't know to what extent Meng Xian understood him.
He murmured with a deep gaze, "Let's assume he knows everything about me."
He smiled faintly and laughed. "So, let me ask! Do you know me best—or do I know myself best?"
He shook his head in disdain, instantly starting to think of ways to counter Meng Xian.
The situation was difficult for Li Gang. Your worst enemy is the one who knows you best!
And in this situation, not only did Li Gang know nothing about Meng Xian, but Meng Xian knew everything about Li Gang.
Both Li Gang and Meng Xian were having similar thoughts right now: how to counter each other.
Li Gang murmured inwardly, 'He would most likely join forces with Ji Changchen.'
Meng Xian also thought, 'I have to join forces with Ji Changchen. However, Li Gang should already expect it with his abilities. So, what should I do?'
He suddenly recalled a famous saying, which became popular after Li Gang defeated the Eastern Continent in his last life:
"In a battle of wits, the ideal strategy is never the one which deals the greatest blow to the enemy—it is the one which the enemy least expects."
Most high-ranking Warriors are capable of anticipating the worst-case scenario and preparing for it. But who considers the middle ground? A strategy that is neither the best nor the worst, yet the most effective—because no one expects it!