Immortality begin with Alchemy Grandmaster Chapter 2648 - 977:

Liancheng, the youngest in both appearance and years, appeared remarkably somber; a subtle sense of panic seemed to haunt him, causing his gait to stumble and drag.

Slap!

A withered hand pressed firmly onto his shoulder.

Liancheng turned to find Senior Brother Mo standing there.

Even the typically stoic Sect Master seemed to have a glimmer of encouragement in his eyes.

"Do not fret, we have made ample preparations for this clash; victory is within our reach."

Liancheng replied with a raspy voice, "But recall the Great War in Zhongzhou—the Mystic Realm dispatched nine Divine Transformation Senior Brothers, yet every one of them perished at the talons of that Demon Phoenix. Can five of us truly turn the tide?"

Mo Shouzhuo shook his head in disagreement, "The situation has changed, as crossing the Star Gate and forcibly descending into the Lower Realm drained most of their fortitude. They were caught in an ambush orchestrated by the Qi Xia Emperor. This time, the advantage is ours, for we are fully prepared."

Liancheng looked as though he wished to protest further.

Tan Fengyue, standing ahead of them, remarked in a gloomy tone: "This directive came directly from the main sect of the Mystic Realm. It was a command issued across realms by Elder Bai Hu before the Star Gate was seized. We have no strength left to defy this mandate, so why burden ourselves with doubt? It is better to remain carefree!"

Liancheng opened his mouth, his frustration evident, "I have endured hundreds of years of Cultivation just to barely reach the Divine Transformation stage. Yet, shortly after emerging from the mountains, I was bested by Youli, and now I face a life-and-death struggle against a Demon Phoenix. How can you expect me to act carefree?"

"Hehe." Tan Fengyue let out a laugh that sounded lighthearted, though the underlying bitterness was plain to everyone.

Ahead of them, Zhan Buqi halted and wheeled around to confront them, his expression severe.

"Cowardice before the battle? Have those years of tranquility made you soft? Where is the resolve of a great Divine Transformation? What happened to the determination gained from centuries of Qi Cultivation?"

Liancheng bowed his head in shame, while Tan Fengyue simply gave a sullen pout.

Although they referred to one another as Senior Brothers, the Tianyuan Daoist Sect in the Mountain Sea Realm prioritized clan influence, leaving their bonds hollow.

Zhan Buqi’s attempts to throw his weight around were not guaranteed to command respect.

Ultimately, it was Mo Shouzhuo, the leader of the Tianyuan Daoist Sect, who took charge.

He offered a soft cough to draw their attention, then stated sternly:

"We must prevail; there is no room for failure. Even if we cannot slay the Demon Phoenix, we are required to wound her gravely, forcing her to remain in this realm. The main sect of the Mystic Realm will handle the aftermath, and Elder Bai Hu stands ready to send a slaughtering avatar to descend upon this world."

"Anyone relying on luck, even those who might manage to survive, will not escape the vengeance of the main sect."

"Therefore, when the Great War begins, let us not hold back—exhaust every ounce of strength to dismantle the Demon Phoenix!"

Everyone tightened their resolve and nodded in somber agreement.

Shortly thereafter, the foursome reunited with Chun Yuan.

Once gathered, the Five Elders of Tianyuan wasted no time, working tirelessly to put their final arrangements in place.

As for Qing Shuang, the bait meant to lure the Qi Xia Emperor, her senses were completely severed and her body bound by heavy seals.

All was ready, awaiting only the arrival of the Demon Phoenix.

...

Will she truly come?

This question echoed deep within Luo Chen’s Divine Soul.

Knowing this is an ambush, would that woman really show up?

If it were Luo Chen himself, he certainly would not fall for such a trap.

However, contemplating that woman’s legendary pride and the memory of that Phoenix figure forcing its way into the Dark Abyss Sect, Luo Chen’s intuition led him to a single conclusion.

She will come!

Furthermore, the fact that the Five Elders of Tianyuan felt bold enough to use Qing Shuang as bait proves that this woman remains vital to the Qi Xia Emperor, and they are confident she has no choice but to bite.

It is a scheme laid out in the open.

Therefore, her appearance is inevitable!

And his only window of opportunity depends on the chaos of that initial clash!

It cannot be before, after, or even during the height of the battle.

Showing himself beforehand risks drawing unwanted attention.

Whether he could survive the aftermath is questionable.

The same logic applies to the heat of the combat.

Only at the very inception of the battle, by recklessly charging into the Netherworld Sea, can he hope to escape while everyone else is distracted.

Executing it then also safeguards him from being collateral damage.

"May fate favor me!"

He placed stones in precise, tactical positions—lacking Spirit Stones to power them, he relied only on basic Qimen Bagua formations.

Luo Chen crouched within them, his physical form concealed.

He opted not to deploy any complex Concealing Arrays.

Against a Divine Transformation expert, standard arrays would be detected instantly, whereas an illusion-based setup void of Spirit Qi might allow him to remain hidden.

He suppressed his vital signs until he was practically breathless, even letting his Divine Soul descend into a light slumber.

He placed only a simple Warning Array upon his body using his Ten Thousand Array Gu.

Once the battle erupted and the telltale Spirit Qi fluctuations reached the Spiritless Soul Island, the array would snap him back to consciousness.

Only then would he sprint for the Netherworld Sea!

This chance finally presented itself three days later.

...

"She has arrived!"

Zhan Buqi, the most powerful of the Five Elders, was the first to sense the shift in the Netherworld Sea.

Through the murky darkness of the sea, a streak of Golden Light pierced the waves.

It was the Qi Xia Emperor!

Zhan Buqi’s face burned with intensity as he declared: "I shall meet her first to gauge her condition. Then, you will trigger the Spiritual Treasure to entrap and refine her!"

The others gave their assent.

While the Qi Xia Emperor is formidable, she is hampered by the constraints of this world, limiting her power to the level of the God Transformation Realm.

Though she may have reached the peak of the Void Refining stage in the past, they were confident that under such intense suppression, they stood a fighting chance.