The Heavenly Dao Map couldn't be played with alone — after all, this thing was the most direct way to track Xu Linglong's movements.
Fortunately, Bai Xuanling had only been itching to tease. She got down to business and looked at Chu Xingchen:
"Those two questions you asked me to raise — I asked them both. Your disciple's answer was no to both, but he felt it was necessary for me to come personally."
"Your second disciple on the Southern Zhanbu Continent side said he'd handle it."
Chu Xingchen gave a slight nod, effectively closing the topic.
Li Xingtian's work might not dazzle anyone, but he was absolutely someone who wouldn't screw things up. Sometimes the people like that were the most reliable, and Chu Xingchen was more willing to entrust the most important matters to someone like Li Xingtian.
"I already knew most of the news before I came," Bai Xuanling continued. "Although Xu Linglong has laid down a smokescreen, the momentum is on our side now. We could just roll straight through."
"The Eighteen Immortal Sects — even just piling on bodies could bury them."
Chu Xingchen looked slightly exasperated at that. "That's the theory, but the Eighteen Immortal Sects may not all support us. Each has its own old grudges and entanglements. Mobilizing them will be problematic."
"At least before the Great Calamity truly affects them, if I shout the call, they'll probably treat it as background music."
"Plus, even if the demon race hasn't controlled the Eighteen Immortal Sects, what if they've slipped in someone like Boluo to pass messages? Then who knows what happens."
"I have a plan. Xuanqing Heavenly Sect, Tianyan Sect, Taidao Sect, Great Thunder Temple — if we confirm the location, these four sects form the main force. They can mobilize the maximum power and strike without asking questions — that's the highest level of secrecy."
"The remaining sects I'll mobilize as best I can, positioning them nearby. When the time comes, they can provide support once fighting breaks out."
"That also prevents information leaks."
"Time probably won't be generous. There isn't much left to vet which sects have demon informants."
Bai Xuanling considered for a moment, then asked:
"Are you sure Great Thunder Temple is reliable?"
Chu Xingchen's tone was firm:
"As long as Runan and those Karma Buddhas are reliable, that's enough. We can't afford to waste a single bit of strength right now. If we really find the formation site, a brutal battle is inevitable."
Bai Xuanling nodded in understanding. "So — you called me here because you want me to do something?"
Chu Xingchen heard the question but didn't answer directly. Instead, he brought up something else:
"I don't quite understand why Xu Linglong would deliberately reveal her final trump card. Under normal circumstances, doing this kind of thing secretly and carefully would be most appropriate."
"Unless this trump card requires specific conditions, and those conditions can't be hidden from us — so Xu Linglong chose to lay down a smokescreen first. Or perhaps these specific conditions are something Xu Linglong and the others can't handle on their own."
"For that, they need to lure us into passively participating. For example, an extremely special offering — someone like me would be quite suitable. Or to broaden the thinking a bit further."
"They need sufficient powerful Dao Resonance aura to lock onto our realm."
"When things deviate from the norm, there must be something wrong. So sometimes it's hard to say whether to act or not."
"All we can do is try our best. If it really can't be avoided in the end, then before all of this begins, we hit them where it hurts first."
"Xiaoyun Hall's assistance level has been raised."
"I'll make one last attempt — see if I can bait Xu Linglong or another Celestial Demon. If we really catch one, your confidence in winning grows. Maybe we can even force the other Celestial Demons to not dare reinforce."
Bai Xuanling's gaze steadied at those words. She looked at Chu Xingchen for a moment, then finally gave a light nod.
The so-called "one last attempt" probably meant Chu Xingchen would use himself as bait.
Bai Xuanling knew about Chu Xingchen's reputation for "leading from the front" here. If even that couldn't draw out Xu Linglong, she truly didn't know what else Chu Xingchen would have to do to court death.
Chen Baiqing stood by the table, her gaze fixed on Chu Xingchen, her lips pressed tight.
Clearly, the third disciple had a lot to say, but with so many people present, she couldn't very well undermine her master's face in front of everyone.
Her gaze flickered urgently toward Xie Lingyu — You're not going to say something?
Xie Lingyu's eyes were also fixed on Chu Xingchen, but she didn't try to stop him. Instead, she spoke in a calm tone:
"Though my cultivation is shallow, the Celestial Demons should still know my identity. Going with you might make them even more tempted."
"After all, as you said, a drag on the party has its uses."
Chu Xingchen looked at Xie Lingyu with slight surprise, about to rebuke her — but she cut in first:
"Don't tell me you, Chu Xingchen, can go for the greater good, but I, Xie Lingyu, cannot."
Chu Xingchen was struck speechless. After a moment of thought, he chuckled softly:
"If Lady Lingyu says so, then this time we go together."
The words had barely left his mouth when Chen Baiqing's voice jumped in.
"Master, I'm going too."
"I never said you were omnipotent, Baiqing."
"But Master said I'm your little cotton-padded jacket!"
Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow. "It's hot today — I want to cool off. Little Baiqing, listen to me!"
Chen Baiqing opened her mouth as if to argue, but in the end said nothing.
There were too many people here. Some things were better said in private, among their own people.
Chu Xingchen breathed a small sigh of relief and turned his gaze to Xu Jin and Daoist Yuyang:
"My humble little opinion — what do the two brothers think?"
Daoist Yuyang silently applauded, his gaze lingering on Bai Xuanling. Perhaps it was from spending too much time around Chu Xingchen, but a quip slipped out before he could stop it:
"The only living True Immortal says it's fine — how could we mere mortals still on the path possibly object?"
Xu Jin's jaw dropped — Daoist Yuyang is truly brave! To tease Bai Xuanling right to her face.
Bai Xuanling's gaze drifted his way, a smile playing at the corner of her lips:
"Good lad. Never been beaten before?"
Before she'd crossed the thunder tribulation, no one had dared tease her in centuries.
Daoist Yuyang heard this and slowly took two steps back, then chuckled:
"This junior was only joking. In the future, I can tell people I once teased a True Immortal — that's a badge of honor for this junior. Taidao Sect still needs to put in effort down the road. Surely you won't hold it against this junior?"
Bai Xuanling's eyes narrowed slightly. She extended a finger and pointed it straight at Daoist Yuyang's forehead.
Daoist Yuyang felt the gesture was obviously slow — he could sidestep it with barely a tilt. But before he could even move, that finger tapped his forehead.
Boom!
Daoist Yuyang was embedded straight into the adjacent wall.
Bai Xuanling slowly retracted her hand and smiled. "Teasing a junior — I'm sure a young man like you understands."
Daoist Yuyang peeled himself off the wall, steadied his stance, and cupped his fists:
"This junior thanks the senior for the instruction."
Perhaps at this moment, only Bai Xuanling and he himself understood.
That finger…
How spectacular it truly was.
Seeing that finger — one could only say it was Chu Xingchen's doing.
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