"Retreating our defensive line?"
Jin Que was stunned, almost thinking he had heard wrong, and couldn’t help but ask again, "Give up the territories around the Holy Dynasty and shrink the defensive line!?"
The Star Trace Demon God nodded.
It too found it somewhat incomprehensible.
"The Holy Dynasty has been showing such dominance; could it be they have learned some information? Impossible! There is no basis of trust between the Holy Dynasty and the Immortal Country! And the people of the Holy Dynasty don’t have the courage to start a war with us. Yet, they have provocatively killed not just any Spirit Venerable, but Long Qi, who had already grown into a Demon Emperor!"
This was very unusual in the eyes of the Star Trace Demon God.
This unusual sign gave it an ominous feeling.
But as for where this feeling came from, it was at a loss.
After a moment, it looked back at Jin Que: "Have Xuan Yang or Long Xiao contacted me recently with any news?"
"The two Venerables have not sent any news."
Jin Que said, pausing slightly: "Venerable Lord, I think that the matter of Long Qi might be a test by the humans of the Holy Dynasty, a probe into our true strength."
"It’s a test, I know that,"
Star Trace Demon God said: "But they have made the correct probe at the most critical moment. Right now, we simply don’t have enough strength to engage in war with them. If a full-scale war were to erupt, and we were left with only me, Xuan Yang, and Long Xiao in the surrounding area, there’s a high chance we would lose."
"But if we do nothing... the real war might indeed descend upon us soon..."
Star Trace Demon God said: "At this time, our only option is to delay! If the Holy Dynasty is probing, then it means they’ve realized we no longer possess enough powerful strength. No matter where they got their information from, thankfully they are still in doubt and have not confirmed it. Given the cautious nature of the Human Clan of the Holy Dynasty and their fear of us, they would not dare act recklessly without absolute evidence and certainty!"
"So now that their probe has succeeded this time, next..."
"That’s why we must retract and retreat!"
Star Trace Demon God said: "Retreat decisively."
Jin Que was somewhat puzzled.
The Star Trace Demon God’s metallic face showed a cold smile: "Humans have always been a suspicious species. Our retreat may seem like their probe has yielded a positive result, but in reality, if we decisively withdraw, it will only lead them to further doubt, questioning whether we’ve laid some sort of trap..."
"But that does not match our way of doing things."
Jin Que said: "In our wars with humans, we do not need to set traps; we have always relied on our numerical advantage to push through."
Star Trace Demon God said: "As I said, the Human Clan of the Holy Dynasty is already doubting. Their doubts indicate that they have some intelligence, some information that cannot be proven. If we maintain the same situation as before, we would doubtlessly confirm their intelligence, thereby truly exposing our weakness. On the other hand, our uncharacteristic direct retreat will cause them to hesitate more!"
Wisdom flickered in the eyes of the Demon God: "They will think that our strength has indeed decreased and that we no longer have a 100 percent certainty of defeating them. But they will also speculate about their chances of victory and will doubt. I firmly believe that at this moment, they definitely do not have enough courage to launch a full offensive and engage in all-out war with us."
Jin Que nodded in deep agreement.
The Spirit of the Human Clan of the Holy Dynasty had already dulled.
"Therefore, our bizarre retreat will be seen by them as potentially concealing a conspiracy. They may wonder if we are trying to lure them deeper in, consequently keeping their forces stationary, and undergoing a second and third round of probing..."
Star Trace Demon God’s eyes flashed fiercely: "The war at Blood Moat Demon Abyss will have an outcome in at most three years, whether quick or slow. We just need to endure this time, no more than three years. No matter whether the Blood Moat Demon Abyss wins or loses, the scale of victory will tip in our favor."
"To feign weakness when strong, and strength when weak."
Jin Que immediately understood the Star Trace Demon God’s intention, and immediately agreed: "Using human suspicion against them is brilliant, Venerable Lord, truly brilliant."
"It’s a necessary measure. If the situation were as it was a decade ago, and the Human Clan of the Holy Dynasty dared to provoke us, the territory they currently hold would have turned into a bloody hell by now."
As the Star Trace Demon God spoke, it issued a direct order: "Proceed with the retraction and retreat."
Gu Jinlai traveled through the air, taking the rare opportunity to enjoy the scenery along the way.
Flying has always been a fantasy of every Blue Star person.
And in a world with cultivators, it was not something unattainable.
Monarchs could control swords to soar through the sky, while Devas could traverse the air by controlling the power of Heaven and Earth.
Although Gu Jinlai did not follow the path of cultivators, flying was not a difficult task for him once his Chaotic Star Light Body had formed.
However, previously, he had been under immense pressure and had no time to truly experience the thrill of flying. Now, however...
Gu Jinlai slightly smiled and thought: "’Air Walking, north to the Beihai by day and to Cangwu by dusk.’ Many texts from Blue Star use these phrases to describe immortals. If I could now return to Blue Star... with all the abilities I have mastered, I would be a living god."
Looking down at the bustling crowds outside Liuhuo City in the Outer City, moving like ants below...
Once upon a time, he was one of them.
He was high above the clouds, a figure unattainable in the eyes of those people.
Carrying this sentiment, Gu Jinlai landed at the Liuhuo City Lord Mansion.
Upon reaching the City Lord Mansion, he directly instructed Liu Feiyun, who was waiting outside: "Go call Ji Lie and Qi Sheng, tell them to wait for me in the cultivation area."
Liu Feiyun complied and soon left.
By the time Gu Jinlai arrived at the cultivation area of the City Lord Mansion with two Divine Weapons, Liu Feiyun, Ji Lie, and Qi Sheng were already waiting there.
Yes, two Divine Weapons.
Wu Yan’s Bifang Ring and Lei Xuanyu’s Purple Dragon Sword.
These were items that Gu Jinlai had seized after slaying two City Lords, and the Holy Dynasty...
didn’t dare to come and demand Gu Jinlai to return the two great Divine Weapons.
But that’s not the point.
The point is, from the memory of the Aries Star Lord, Gu Jinlai saw some conscious content.
He had personally forged these two Divine Weapons.
Upon seeing Gu Jinlai, Ji Lie, Liu Feiyun, and Qi Sheng simultaneously paid their respects.
Gu Jinlai’s gaze lingered on Liu Feiyun for a moment and said, "The reason I called you here is actually for fairness and justice, however, I personally wouldn’t recommend this path for you. After all, as a True Disciple of Li Yang Cave Heaven, you reached the Devas level at just forty-two years of age, which shows your exceptional talent in cultivation."
Ji Lie glanced at the two Divine Weapons brought by Gu Jinlai and seemingly had a thought, "City Lord, are you going to let us attempt to wield the Divine Weapons, to see if there’s hope in the future to be recognized by the Divine Weapons as their master?"
Gu Jinlai looked at Ji Lie and Qi Sheng, "The two of you are my best candidates, especially you, Ji Lie."
This person, once with a distinguished reputation on the list of Demonic Cultists, was a Peak Heavenly Being.
Moreover, he was a Peak Heavenly Being who had condensed an Undying Will.
The reason he hadn’t condensed a Sacred Body to ascend to a Saint was just to ensure an absolutely fail-safe attempt.
"You should know what the downsides of the path of the Divine Weapon are."
Qi Sheng said without hesitation, "The downsides of the path of the Divine Weapon will only become apparent after achieving the status of a Void Immortal. If I can really embark on this path, I believe no one would hesitate. After all, even among the ten True Disciples of Li Yang Cave Heaven, none can confidently say they will definitely get past the Heavenly Tribulation and become a Void Immortal."
At the end, he paused, "But Divine Weapons are invaluable; it seems too wasteful to entrust one to me..."
Ji Lie, after pondering for a moment, also said, "I am willing."
He candidly said, "Just like Qi Sheng mentioned, who can guarantee they can become a Void Immortal for sure? Thus, having the chance to try bonding with a Divine Weapon, I am willing to attempt it and persist."
Gu Jinlai looked at Liu Feiyun.
Liu Feiyun smiled, "Perhaps the Supreme Elder doesn’t know that within our Li Yang Cave Heaven, only the most outstanding True Disciples are qualified to be accompanied by a Divine Weapon! For many True Disciples, this is a precious opportunity, myself included."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jinlai nodded, "Since you’ve all made up your minds... Ji Lie, you go first."
He looked at Ji Lie, "I’ll assist you in bonding with the Divine Weapon."
"Bond with the Divine Weapon?"
Could others actually help in bonding with a Divine Weapon?
Gu Jinlai took out the Bifang Ring and, after a brief sense of perception, said, "You cultivate Fire Based Divine Powers. I’ll transmit to you a Secret Technique that can temporarily stimulate the Spiritual Power within your body. Then you apply your Fire Based Divine Power, using the spirit to guide the divine power, and stimulate the Bifang Ring..."
Ji Lie was somewhat surprised, "Can we cultivators also stimulate our own spiritual power?"
"All things have spirits. Even mountains, stones, and plants can display their spirit through special methods. How much more so for us humans, the All Things Spiritual Leader?"
Gu Jinlai smiled slightly and directly imparted the Secret Technique to stimulate spiritual power to Ji Lie.
He also instructed him on how to resonate with the Bifang Ring.
As someone who had achieved the status of a Peak Heavenly Being, Ji Lie’s comprehension skills were naturally extraordinary.
In just half a day, he had already mastered this technique for stimulating spiritual power.
With Gu Jinlai observing him, Ji Lie quickly stimulated his divine power, injecting it into the Bifang Ring. With the augmentation of this Divine Weapon, the might of his divine power was visibly stronger by a great margin.
But this power still remained within the range of non-recognition by the Divine Weapon.
"Don’t think about succeeding in one attempt. Listen carefully and sense the jumping of the flames when the spirit boils."
Gu Jinlai said calmly.
Upon hearing this, Ji Lie quickly composed himself.
To the side, Liu Feiyun and Qi Sheng found it unbelievable, yet they didn’t dare to even breathe too heavily while they patiently observed.
Accompanying Ji Lie’s repeated casting of divine power, again and again, stimulating the spirit and sensing the fluctuations of the Bifang Ring’s power when his own spirit boiled...
After over a dozen attempts...
Ji Lie seemed to have caught onto something.
The world before his eyes instantly became incredibly bright.
Then, following this perception, he continued to stimulate his spirit and establish resonance with the Bifang Ring!
And when this resonance reached a certain intensity, a dazzling and splendid ray of light suddenly shot into the sky, transforming into a two-hundred-meter wingspan Divine Beast Bifang’s Illusion that enveloped the skies above the City Lord Mansion.
Seeing this scene, Gu Jinlai smiled slightly.
The Divine Weapon had recognized its master; it was done.