After Aunt Su departed, the air in the limestone cavern seemed to solidify. The fluorite light fell quietly, illuminating each grave and determined face. The "Shadow-Trace Jade" in Tang Xiaoqi's hand, after being read by spiritual sense, had dissolved into scattered crystal particles, but its contained detailed information was branded into his mind like an.
The demonic entity's soul fragment, the controlled father, strict guards, moving entrances... all information pointed to one conclusion—following the original plan, relying solely on their four-person overt team, even at full strength, the success rate of breaking through numerous obstacles to reach Ten Thousand Souls Hall's core altar and destroying the Soul-Controlling Jade was minuscule, almost equivalent to suicide.
The strategy must change!
Xiaoqi forced himself to sit up from the stone platform despite the stinging pain in his meridians, his gaze sweeping across his scarred but determined companions—Falcon, Iron Wall, Shadow Shuttle, and another Shadow-Breaking Alliance member named "Rock Tooth."
"Fellow cultivators," his voice was still hoarse but carried an undeniable calm, "the situation has changed. The information Aunt Su brought, you all heard. Ten Thousand Souls Hall's defense far exceeds expectations. The Soul-Controlling Jade is guarded by the demonic entity's soul fragment and the controlled Xu Zhan personally. Our original plan has too low a probability of success."
Falcon nodded. As an experienced hunter, he understood best how to assess the situation: "Fellow cultivator Tang is right. A frontal assault is like throwing eggs against rocks. We must create chaos, divide the Shadow Snake Pavilion's attention, to have any chance of finding an opportunity."
"How do we create chaos?" Iron Wall asked in a muffled voice; he was used to being direct.
Xiaoqi took a deep breath, slowly revealing the new plan forming in his mind: "Split forces."
His gaze was sharp as he looked at Falcon and Iron Wall: "Fellow cultivators Falcon, Iron Wall, I need you to lead the Shadow-Breaking Alliance brothers who can still move, abandoning the plan to accompany me in infiltrating Burying Gods Depression."
At these words, both Falcon and Iron Wall were stunned.
Xiaoqi continued: "Your mission changes. While the covert team and I attempt infiltration, you need to operate in the outer regions—in other parts of the Ten Thousand Poisons Swamp, such as Bone-Rotting Forest, Thousand Weeping Pond, even some of the Shadow Snake Pavilion's important resource points or outposts—and launch attacks!"
"Attacks?" Shadow Shuttle asked doubtfully, clutching her still-aching chest, "We don't have enough manpower, and our strength is greatly diminished—how can we launch effective attacks?"
"Not asking you to conquer anywhere, but to create noise, create chaos!" Xiaoqi explained, "Use your familiarity with the swamp environment and the Shadow-Breaking Alliance's concealment methods to conduct harassment, explosions, destroy formation nodes, intercept patrol squads! The bigger the commotion, the better. Make the Shadow Snake Pavilion believe a large enemy force is attacking the swamp from multiple directions, drawing their main guard forces outward, dividing their attention from Burying Gods Depression and Ten Thousand Souls Hall's interior!"
He paused, his tone heavy: "This is an extremely dangerous mission. You'll face enemies several times your number in encirclement—it's almost certain death..."
"We understand!" Falcon interrupted without hesitation, flames of determination burning in his eyes, "Make noise in the east to attack in the west, lure the tiger from the mountain! Fine strategy! As long as we can create an opportunity for the infiltration team, drawing away some guards, what does it matter if we sacrifice our lives!"
Iron Wall slammed his fist heavily against the nearby rock wall, shaking loose some debris: "Let's do it! I've long wanted to beat the hell out of those demon whelps! Better to kill freely outside than die suffocating inside!"
Rock Tooth and Shadow Shuttle also nodded one after another, their eyes showing not fear but the resolve to spare nothing to achieve the ultimate goal. The Shadow-Breaking Alliance members had long ago placed life and death outside their consideration.
Xiaoqi looked at them, his heart welling with respect and bitterness. He bowed solemnly with cupped hands: "My thanks to all of you! This grace, Tang Xiaoqi will never forget! If we succeed, I will certainly petition for recognition on your behalf! If not... on the road to the Yellow Springs, we'll be brothers again!"
"Haha! Good!" Iron Wall laughed heartily, the movement pulling at his wounds and making him grimace in pain.
With the outer feint attack plan confirmed, Xiaoqi turned his gaze toward the branch tunnel leading to the covert team's planned infiltration direction. Eldest Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng, Third Senior Sister Liu Yun... what was their situation now? Had they successfully passed through the underground river? Could they reach the rendezvous point on time?
He pondered for a moment, then said to Falcon: "Fellow cultivator Falcon, your injuries are lighter, and your movement technique is best. After we depart for Burying Gods Depression, please try to head toward Thousand Weeping Pond in the southeast to attempt contact or communication with the covert team. If you can meet with Eldest Senior Brother and the others, inform them of our new plan. The covert team's mission remains unchanged—still infiltration for reconnaissance, mapping, and seeking opportunities—but with the outer chaos, their operations should be somewhat easier."
"Understood!" Falcon accepted crisply, "I'll do my best to find them."
Finally, Xiaoqi looked at himself. His current condition was extremely poor—spiritual power less than twenty percent of his peak, damaged meridians, his greatest trump card, the Four Symbols Jade Pendant, temporarily unusable. Relying on himself alone, even if he successfully entered Ten Thousand Souls Hall, he had absolutely no chance of completing the mission.
He needed helpers, the strongest helpers!
And currently, those who might possibly enter the core region were, besides himself, only the covert team planned to infiltrate—Eldest Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng and Third Senior Sister Liu Yun! If they could successfully infiltrate and meet with Aunt Su...
A new, more elite infiltration team prototype formed in his mind.
"Our final infiltration team needs adjustment," Xiaoqi said gravely. "If Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister can successfully infiltrate, then—comprising myself, Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, plus Aunt Su who's familiar with internal conditions and might provide crucial help at key moments—we four will form a new elite team, striking directly at Ten Thousand Souls Hall's core altar!"
Mu Qingfeng was steady and wise with strong big-picture thinking; Liu Yun's attack power was unmatched among her peers, her sword dao incomparably sharp; Aunt Su knew the environment and understood the enemy; and he himself possessed the crucial purification power and methods to open the entrance. This four-person combination was undoubtedly the most destructive and successful possibility for the spearhead!
"And Fellow Cultivator Stone from the Shadow-Breaking Alliance and other brothers skilled in formations and traps can be coordinated by Eldest Senior Brother for outer support, or execute auxiliary tasks like destroying formations and creating internal chaos, working from both inside and outside!"
This entirely new, multi-layered action plan was far more complex than the original scheme, but also far more flexible and hopeful of success. Outer feint attacks to draw fire, covert reconnaissance and internal coordination, elite spearhead striking at the heart!
After everyone listened, their eyes all lit up. This plan utilized everyone's strength to the utmost and maximally considered the cruel reality.
"Let's do it!" Iron Wall growled, full of fighting spirit.
"We'll make the biggest commotion to draw all those demon whelps' attention!" Shadow Shuttle also gritted her teeth.
Falcon nodded heavily: "I'll find Fellow Cultivator Mu and the others as soon as possible."
With the plan set, the limestone cavern once again became busy. Iron Wall and the others began inventorying remaining explosives and talismans, planning attack routes and targets. Xiaoqi seized the final time to fully circulate his cultivation technique, warming his damaged meridians—even recovering one more trace of spiritual power was good.
He stroked the dim jade pendant at his chest, silently praying. Praying the covert team would proceed smoothly, praying Eldest Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister would arrive safely, praying Aunt Su would appear again at the crucial moment... and praying even more that he himself, when facing that demon-controlled father, would be able to grip his sword tightly.
The split-force plan was like a carefully woven net, now cast over this death swamp. The outer beacon fires were about to be lit, and the truly fatal strike, in the chaos, would be delivered by that spear.