144: Waiting for the big change

Just as Gao De and his group were observing silently in the outer waters, Turtle Three Thousand urgently transmitted new intelligence via the heavenly secret mirror:

"My Lord, our eyes and ears planted among the Loose Cultivators report that those Cultivators we previously marked as suspected 'Heavenly Demon Cult' moles have suddenly become active.

They seem to have secretly controlled a group of low-level, easily manipulated Loose Cultivators and are now moving them in batches toward the Secret Realm entrance area.

These Loose Cultivators are not entering the Secret Realm, but are spreading out around the entrance, seemingly harboring a special scheme."

"Furthermore, underwater observation points have also discovered that the stone pillar Formation laid down by those gray-scaled Yao Race has begun to exhibit extremely subtle energy fluctuations.

Our scouts are sensitive to energy changes and have confirmed that the Formation is starting—they are likely about to make a move!"

Gao De's eyes narrowed sharply.

The Heavenly Demon Cult chose to act at the Early Stage of the Secret Realm exploration, when the high-level combat power of all parties is watching from the outside? What exactly are they intending? To create large-scale chaos to perform a blood sacrifice? Or is there another motive?

"Order Turtle Three Thousand to spread the news that 'suspected evil cultists from the Heavenly Demon Cult are harboring ulterior motives at the Secret Realm entrance' anonymously through the Heavenly Secret Realm as quickly as possible." Gao De made a swift decision.

Now is definitely not the time for a head-on collision with the Heavenly Demon Cult; one must use force against force, or at least alert the major factions on the surface so they can take precautions.

He looked up at the Secret Realm entrance in the distance, which still maintained the form of a light gate but now had sparse entries, and then scanned the surrounding waters, which appeared calm but were actually turbulent with undercurrents.

Exploration within the Secret Realm continued, the standoff on the outside remained tense, and the poisonous snakes in the shadows had begun to spit out their tongues and sharpen their poison fang.

"The true storm may not start within the Secret Realm, but will be ignited right here." A sense of impending danger rose in Gao De's heart.

He signaled for Green Edge and Iron Pincer to retreat slightly further, widening the distance from the dangerous core area, while still maintaining strict surveillance on key directions.

Hunting requires patience and a keen sense of danger. At this moment, he had already caught the scent of a heavy crisis, like a storm about to arrive. The difficulty of Qianjiao Cliff's attempt to "pull chestnuts from the fire" was quietly climbing.

...

When the Heavenly Demon Cult moles began to be unusually active and the signs of the underwater Formation energy starting became increasingly obvious, Gao De was lurking in a deep water crevice far from the noise of the Secret Realm entrance.

The true form of the Purple Lightning Flood Dragon restrained most of its brilliance, resembling a reef that had slept for eternity, with only the ice-cold, calculating light flashing in its occasionally opening vertical pupils, while massive energy accumulated within its body, ready to be unleashed.

"Blood Refining Demonic Formation... blood sacrifice summoning..."

He whispered, chewing over the terrifying speculation pieced together from the fragmented information Turtle Three Thousand had sent via the heavenly secret mirror, yet a cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Such a huge appetite, such a venomous scheme! It seems these cultists who came from afar from Yangzhou have significant designs, actually wanting to wipe out the elite Cultivators of the three kingdoms' cultivation world in one fell swoop. Not only can they seize massive blood-food resources, but they can also severely damage the Foundation of the three kingdoms, paving the way for their future infiltration and control."

He summoned Green Edge and Iron Pincer, his voice low and clear: "Order all teams monitoring and operating outside to immediately abandon all secondary objectives and switch to the highest level of silent lurking.

Withdraw all eyes and ears near the entrance area, keeping only the longest-range passive observation nodes. Without my order, no one belonging to my Qianjiao Cliff shall move a single step closer!"

"My Lord, should we not take this opportunity..." Iron Pincer was somewhat puzzled, his giant pincers opening and closing slightly.

"Take advantage of the chaos?" Gao De interrupted him, Purple Lightning appearing in his eyes, "The current disturbance is merely an appetizer.

Since the Heavenly Demon Cult has set up such a Formation, it is absolutely impossible that it is just to slaughter some Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining small fry.

They are waiting, waiting for the Secret Realm exploration to reach a critical point, waiting for the minds of these Core Formation old monsters outside to be firmly attracted by rumors of 'great treasures' inside, or... waiting for a 'major change' they created themselves that would force the Core Formation Cultivators to be distracted or even personally intervene."

"And my arrangement just now is to disrupt their deployment, forcing them to act prematurely."

His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of water, falling on those few Core Formation figures sitting cross-legged in the air, their auras as deep as the sea.

"Heavenly Sword Sect Ancestor has the highest cultivation and will certainly be the primary target; the Heavenly Demon Cult must have the means to temporarily entangle or even trap him.

The remaining Core Formation Cultivators of the Wu, Yue, and Chu kingdoms, though not few in number, if they are suddenly surrounded by the Heavenly Demon Cult—who are well-prepared, possess multiple Core Formation combat powers, and are controlling the great Formation from the shadows—and are further worn down and refined by the Blood Refining Demonic Formation... while the outcome is hard to predict, they will certainly suffer heavy losses in the Early Stages and fall into a bitter battle."

"But with me here, having exposed their plan in advance, the outcome is still unknown."

"And our goal is not to go and pull chestnuts from the fire right now; that would be equivalent to inviting disaster." Gao De withdrew his gaze and looked at his two capable demon generals.

"What we need to do is wait until they are truly fighting, wait until that Blood Refining Demonic Formation is fully activated, and wait for the battle situation to enter its most chaotic and deadlocked moment.

Even if the Heavenly Demon Cult has planned carefully, since they are outnumbered and are performing such a Heaven-Defying blood sacrifice, it is impossible for them not to make mistakes. Plus, with us adding to the chaos from the shadows, there will surely be flaws to find. Once the Formation is broken, or they are forced to retreat..."

A scorching, piercing light suddenly burst from his eyes, the excitement and desire of a top hunter locking onto its prey: "Those defeated and fleeing Third-Tier Demon Kings and Cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Cult are our targets! Especially... if there are any water-element Demon Kings among them, such as dragons, chi, or pythons!"

The Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline surged within his body, and the desire to devour the same source or special water-element Bloodlines was almost impossible to suppress.

"Green Edge, you lead the elites and focus on monitoring the two waterways to the northwest and northeast. Those are the main roads leading to Yangzhou and are also the most likely routes for a rout.

Iron Pincer, you are responsible for keeping a close watch on the core energy nodes of those underwater stone pillar Formations. Once the Formation fluctuations decrease sharply or show signs of disorder, report immediately!"

"Remember," Gao De emphasized sternly at the end, his tone chilling, "Without my express order, even if a Core Formation Cultivator falls before our eyes, you are not allowed to make a move! What we want is the 'big fish' that leaks out, gets injured, and is left alone after that giant net breaks!"

"Understood!" Green Edge and Iron Pincer accepted the order with awe and quickly went to set up.

Gao De closed his eyes again, and his massive dragon body slowly sank into the deepest shadows of the water crevice. His aura almost completely merged with the surrounding rocks and water veins, with only the restless and scorching power deep in his Bloodline roaring silently, like a dormant volcano, quietly waiting for the best moment to erupt and devour the essence.

He was the most patient fisherman, having quietly cast a net of perception, just waiting for the violent wind and waves to injure and stun the giant creatures in the deep water, or even wash them onto the shore.