Brothers Ba'erlong and Ba'erhu are confronted by Great Chief Priest Bai Xiang for their treacherous plot against Ye Zhen. Ba'erhu takes the full blame to protect his brother, revealing their animosity stemmed from losing the Yutu Barbarian Guardian Battle Spirit. Moved by their loyalty, Bai Xiang sentences Ba'erhu to a hundred years of hard labor in the perilous Black Wind Absolute Domain, and Ba'erlong to a year of meditation in the Soul Refining Hall. With the brothers dealt with and their influence diminished, Ye Zhen and Princess Changle discuss potential benefits offered by the War Spirit Divine Archer Yiz Lie.
“The advantages aren’t abundant; the primary one is their ability to welcome another candidate for the deputy of the Inherited Divine Messenger,” Ye Zhen stated calmly.
“The deputy of the Inherited Divine Messenger?” Princess Changle’s elegant eyebrows arched upwards, a striking radiance suddenly igniting in her beautiful eyes, her expression tinged with surprise.
The main reason Princess Changle was captivated was the immense significance of the Inherited Divine Messenger's position.
Consider a scenario where, during the current conflict, Ye Zhen, the Inherited Divine Messenger, was absent, leaving only Princess Changle, the Hall Master. The situation would become exceedingly precarious.
Unless Princess Changle had already offered her drop of Creation Spirit Blood as a sacrifice to summon the Divine Archer Yiz Lie for assistance.
Only then could she have posed a threat to the Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice, Tumen Changyin.
However, with Ye Zhen, the Inherited Divine Messenger, present, he could effortlessly summon Divine Archer Yiz Lie without any expenditure, ensuring his aid in battle and seamless cooperation at all times.
Should Ye Zhen not have been there and Princess Changle wished for Yiz Lie’s help to target the Second Grand Power Sacrifice, Tongna, with Arrow Intent, it would have been far from simple.
Do not underestimate the ease of dealing with these tributing Ancient God War Spirits; apart from the Inherited Divine Messenger, no one else can command them without incurring a cost.
Furthermore, any additional requests would necessitate compensatory benefits.
Yet, Ye Zhen's circumstances are entirely distinct. After summoning them for battle assistance, a modest sacrifice of Essence Blood afterward, as a gesture of gratitude, suffices.
Typically, only a singular Inherited Divine Messenger is permissible.
But should the Ancient God War Spirits concur, the possibility exists for multiple deputies to share the role of Inherited Divine Messenger.
This effectively means that, even in Ye Zhen's absence, Princess Changle would possess the capability to confront Tumen Changyin.
This entirely rectifies the Barbarian Spirit Hall's deficiency of lacking daily sacrifices.
This was the true fount of Princess Changle's keen interest.
“What are his stipulations?”
The allure of the benefits was undeniable, yet everything hinged upon the other party's conditions.
“Divine Archer Yiz Lie’s requirement is, naturally, your Creation Spirit Blood, Changle. However, he is aware of this Creation Spirit Blood's extreme preciousness, hence he granted me permission to negotiate with you, providing an authorized range!” Ye Zhen remarked with a smile.
“An authorized range?” Princess Changle seemed slightly perplexed.
“Divine Archer Yiz Lie has instructed me to procure as much Creation Spirit Blood as feasible, ideally the entirety of the drop you recently condensed.
However, he stipulated that if you are disinclined to yield the full amount, I may reduce the price, settling for at least half of the drop you have just formed!” Ye Zhen elaborated.
“Half?”
Princess Changle appeared somewhat taken aback. Relinquishing the entire drop of Creation Spirit Blood would represent a considerable future detriment to her.
While it wasn't as extreme as the predicament described by the Second Grand Power Sacrifice, Tongna, who would require millennia to reform it upon reaching the pinnacle of the Dao Realm.
Conservatively assessed, by the time her cultivation progresses to the stage where she can condense Creation Spirit Blood, that single drop would demand a minimum of five hundred to a thousand years of diligent effort.
After all, this drop of Creation Spirit Blood encapsulates the revered inheritance of the Barbarian Clan's Holy Woman, harboring the latent might of Inherited Laws and Dao Patterns within, making it exceptionally valuable.
Even an investment of hundreds of thousands of years’ worth of effort, something even Princess Changle could not readily afford at this juncture.
But if the exchange were for half, it would signify one-twentieth of that Creation Spirit Blood drop.
In essence, Princess Changle's potential cost might approximate thirty to fifty years of dedicated cultivation—three to five decades of endeavor, a burden Princess Changle could manage.
“Ha! As the Inherited Divine Messenger for Divine Archer Yiz Lie, I have expended immense eloquence and considerable thought to persuade Princess Changle into yielding half of the Creation Spirit Blood drop!” At this juncture, Ye Zhen could not suppress a chuckle.
“Are there any Inherited Divine Messengers like you who would deceive their own Ancient God War Spirits?” Princess Changle cast Ye Zhen a teasing glance.
“Not merely me, but soon, both you and I shall be part of it!” Ye Zhen responded with laughter.
Ye Zhen's implication was that they would form a duo of Inherited Divine Messengers who playfully outwitted their own Ancient God War Spirits. Yet, upon hearing this, Princess Changle's heart inexplicably fluttered, and a blush once again graced her captivating face.
The position of deputy Inherited Divine Messenger was the primary benefit extended by Divine Archer Yiz Lie.
According to Divine Archer Yiz Lie, even obtaining half of that Creation Spirit Blood drop could offer a slight alleviation of the critical injuries sustained by the Ancient God they served.This capability also serves to awaken another severely battered war spirit from its dormancy, restoring its condition to approximately fifty percent. This restored spirit would then be able to heed Ye Zhen's commands and engage in combat.
Such an outcome would dramatically amplify the fighting strength of Holy Spirit Peak, providing a substantial boost to the progress of the Barbarian Spirit Hall's priests and accelerating their ascent in power.
Nonetheless, following consultations with Princess Changle, Ye Zhen made the decision to keep this development concealed.
The appointment of a deputy for the Inherited Divine Messenger, alongside the offering of half of that precious drop of Creation Spirit Blood, was to be handled with utmost secrecy. This hidden maneuver held the potential for a surprising impact during a crucial juncture.
Given Princess Changle's standing as Hall Master, the execution of this plan was entirely achievable.
As a consequence of this decision, Ye Zhen prolonged his stay in Luoyi by several days.
He found an opportune moment, in conjunction with Princess Changle, to secretly activate the sacrifice ritual for that drop of Creation Spirit Blood.
Initially, the Creation Spirit Blood was roughly the size of a soybean. After dedicating half of it, the remaining portion was no larger than a grain of rice, appearing exceedingly small.
Despite its diminished size, Divine Archer Yiz Lie was filled with considerable joy.
"Ye Zhen, we place our trust in you for the task at hand! It is evident that your commitment to our cause is genuine, even extending to managing matters of resource allocation with such earnestness. Be assured, our Lii Clan will not falter in its support!
Should you require assistance in the future, do not hesitate to employ the Secret Technique to reach us, and we shall exert our utmost efforts to aid you!"
Divine Archer Yiz Lie's candidness left Ye Zhen feeling slightly abashed.
In reality, his exertion had been minimal, involving merely a negotiation with Princess Changle to agree upon a shared allocation.
The 'resource allocation' Yiz Lie alluded to actually pertained to the designated role of the Deputy Inherited Divine Messenger.
Introducing an additional Deputy Inherited Divine Messenger would inevitably diminish Ye Zhen's authority and influence as the primary Inherited Divine Messenger.
This was the very point Yiz Lie was highlighting.
However, for both Ye Zhen and Princess Changle, this particular arrangement held no significant consequence.
"It is a minor matter. On a related note, General Yiz Lie, you mentioned that upon the acquisition of this fragment of Creation Spirit Blood, another gravely injured War Spirit would awaken and regain its combat prowess.
Could you perhaps elaborate on which War Spirit this is and detail the specific skills they command?" Ye Zhen inquired.
Divine Archer Yiz Lie let out a soft chuckle, "You shall discover this when the appropriate time arrives.
But rest assured, every member of our Lii Clan, whether in life or after death, is a formidable warrior and an accomplished combatant.
From my observation, your standing within this Ancestor God Temple is not without its challenges, thus, once that War Spirit recovers and joins me in battle, our capacity for destruction and deterrence will escalate exponentially!"
"Within a month at the earliest, or three months at the latest, you will have your answer," Divine Archer Yiz Lie added.
Given Divine Archer Yiz Lie's explanation, Ye Zhen felt compelled to set the matter aside for the time being.
Nevertheless, if the assertion regarding the exponential increase in their destructive and deterrent power proved true, it was certainly an outcome worthy of eager anticipation.
Under the augmentation provided by the War Spirit Sacrificial War Formation, Divine Archer Yiz Lie alone, through sheer Arrow Intent, was capable of preventing the Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice, Tumen Changyin of the Late Dao Realm, from losing focus.
If their destructive and deterrent capabilities were to multiply further, the ensuing developments would undoubtedly be fascinating.
The sole point of regret was that the instance where Divine Archer Yiz Lie decisively subdued the Seventh Grand Power Sacrifice, Tumen Changyin, occurred exclusively within the confines of the Barbarian Spirit Hall.
Beyond the perimeter of the Barbarian Spirit Hall, Divine Archer Yiz Lie's combat effectiveness experienced a notable decline.
Thus concluded the matters requiring attention in Luoyi.
The previously precarious situation had undergone a dramatic positive shift following Ye Zhen's audacious eradication of the Heavenly Temple's Luozhou Branch.
While Ye Zhen navigated his personal crisis, the two Demon Clan agents under his command reaped considerable rewards from the events.
Furthermore, word arrived from Liang You, the Seventh Route Wind Patrol Envoy operating under the Southern Patrol.
He had orchestrated a scenario of arduously seeking out the Ancient Teleportation Formation Token in Shahe City, an act that not only neutralized an impending threat but also solidified his standing.
According to his report, he had been selected by the Southern Patrol to be part of a supervisory team tasked with inspecting the Tianming Marquis Country, under the purview of the Heavenly Patrol Department.
Ye Zhen's instructions were to employ all necessary means to infiltrate the Tianming Marquis Country – ideally, by ousting competent officials and generals while installing a cohort of untrustworthy sycophants, thereby strategically positioning operatives for future leverage.
Regarding the Tianming Marquis Country, Ye Zhen had already anticipated the unfolding circumstances.
Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long's timely intervention on this occasion would undoubtedly introduce considerable volatility into the Tianming Marquis Country's flow of Primordial Energy.
Despite the Tianming Marquis Country having the backing of the Heavenly Temple, and Ming Tang being a direct disciple of the Nine Suns Divine King, the country would endure significant hardship rather than face complete annihilation!
All that Ye Zhen could manage was to strategically place a few pawns within the current landscape of the Tianming Marquis Country, to be utilized at a later time.
Figuring out how to position these pawns so they wouldn't be eradicated by the Tianming Marquis Country later on was a task for Liang You, the Seventh Route Wind Patrol Envoy serving under the Southern Patrol.
The personnel of the Heavenly Patrol Department possessed exceptional skills in such matters and would not require Ye Zhen's specific instructions to effectively deploy usable pawns for the future.
Before his departure, Ye Zhen paused, contemplating whether he should orchestrate another grand scheme, similar to his previous nighttime raid on thirty-one residences of princes and nobles, and perhaps take advantage of a certain situation.
After careful consideration, Ye Zhen decided against it.
One cannot walk by the river frequently without eventually getting their shoes wet.
Ever since Ye Zhen's raid on thirty-one prince and noble houses in Luoyi that night, it was reported that many prominent estates in Luoyi had significantly invested in renovating their Treasure Vaults and fortifying their defenses.
Each of them exerted considerable effort!
Past failures serve as valuable lessons!
If Ye Zhen attempted to act in the same manner again, it would prove much more difficult.
If he were to be apprehended, the repercussions would be dire.
He decisively dismissed the thought!
After residing in Luoyi for more than thirty days, Ye Zhen formally submitted his resignation to Emperor Ren Venerate Ji Long, offered his farewells to Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu at the Grand Celestial Official’s Mansion, and departed from Luoyi with haste, commencing his return journey as swiftly as possible.
The approaching five-year deadline loomed closer with each passing day!
