Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo smiled slightly, a smile that conveyed a confident, masterful air:

"Therefore, we need a 'story,' a story that is half true and half false, and that can withstand scrutiny. We need some 'evidence,' some seemingly accidental but actually inevitable 'coincidences.'"

"What's needed is a suitable 'timing' so that this 'story' and 'evidence' can appear in front of the right people at just the right time."

He looked at Su Xiao: "Junior Sister Xiao, as soon as the intelligence arrives, analyze and sort it out immediately, and find out the most acute and irreconcilable points of conflict between the two factions."

He then looked at Shi Tie and said, "Junior Brother Tie, after you find the travelogue, have Qingyan assist you to see if you can 'decipher' some 'hidden information' pointing to the Black Wind Mountain Range's mineral veins."

"Yes!" the two replied in unison, their eyes regaining a glimmer of hope.

"Go on, hurry up. We only have three days." Shen Mo waved his hand.

Shi Tie and Su Xiao left in a hurry. Silence returned to the Enlightenment Cave.

Shen Mo walked alone to the cave entrance, gazing at the hazy sky shrouded in array mist.

A storm is brewing, and he is about to play a risky game of chess amidst this tempest.

"System," he murmured to himself, "recall the power distribution map of the Xuan Yin Sect and the Tian Jian Sect, mark the hotspots of conflict within the next hundred years. Calculate the probability of success of the 'diverting the trouble eastward' plan, and the possible chain reactions it may trigger."

[Command received. Data retrieval in progress... Deduction commenced...]

......

Master Guiyin transformed into a wisp of black smoke and left the Qingyun Mountain area with two disciples. They flew over a hundred miles away and, after confirming that no one was following them, pressed their escape light in a desolate valley.

A chilling wind blew through the valley, a stark contrast to the ethereal beauty of Qingyun Mountain just moments before.

"Master, why give the Qingyun Sect three days? You could have acted immediately. With your late Foundation Establishment stage cultivation, capturing Shen Mo would have been a piece of cake!"

A pale-faced disciple couldn't help but ask. His name was Youquan, and he was known for his impatience. He had been seething with anger on Qingyun Mountain.

Another disciple, Xuan Gu, chimed in, "Yes, Master! The Qingyun Sect only has four early Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. Relying on their numbers and formations, how could they possibly be a match for you? Why waste words with them!"

Master Guiyin snorted coldly, his green eyes sweeping over the two disciples with a hint of disdain:

"Fool! Do you think Shen Mo is made of clay? Although he is only in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, his aura is profound and his foundation is solid. He is by no means an easy opponent."

"Those three beside him—Su Xiao is meticulous, Shi Tie is exceptionally brave, and Han Lin is shrewd and composed. If the four of them form a battle formation and fight to the death, even if I win, I will have to pay a price!"

"Moreover, their protective mountain formation is already fully activated; under a direct attack, there are too many variables!"

He paused, his tone turning serious: "More importantly... have you ever heard of the name 'Starry Sword Immortal'?"

"Starlight Sword Immortal?" Youquan and Xuangu looked at each other and shook their heads. "Never heard of him."

A hint of apprehension flashed in Ghost Yin Shangren's eyes: "That was a rogue cultivator who roamed the Southern Region of the Eastern Wilderness hundreds of years ago. His swordsmanship was divine, and his cultivation had reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage. It is said that he had one foot in the Nascent Soul stage!"

"He was arrogant and aloof, and his character was both righteous and wicked. He once had a blood feud with a powerful elder of our sect because of one incident. They fought several battles, and neither side could gain the upper hand."

"Later, this person suddenly disappeared. There were rumors that he failed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage and died, and others said that he went to another region... but there was never any conclusive news."

He looked towards Qingyun Mountain and said in a low voice, "Just now, Shen Mo spoke with such confidence and fearlessness, and even vaguely mentioned something about 'the sect's foundation' and 'the past of the predecessors'."

"I suspect... that Starlight Sword Immortal might have some connection to the Azure Cloud Sect? Perhaps even being hidden behind the scenes?"

"If that's the case, and we act rashly, provoking that old monster, we'll likely be doomed today!"

"Furthermore, when the Flowing Cloud Water Mansion opened several years ago, there were rumors that the Star Radiance Sword Immortal overpowered the Golden Flame True Person of the Blazing Sun Sect, causing him to lose face and have to flee in panic. It was this Shen Mo who brought out the Star Sword."

"At the time, I thought it was just a rumor, but seeing Shen Mo's demeanor and fearlessness this time, I'm afraid the rumors are true!"

Upon hearing this, Youquan and Xuangu gasped, their faces turning pale. A Golden Core cultivator at the Great Perfection stage, practically on the verge of Nascent Soul!

For someone like that, killing their master would be as easy as crushing an ant!

They also heard from the disciples who returned from the last Flowing Cloud Water Mansion that "Star Radiance Sword Immortal" had used his Star Sword to overpower the Golden Core True Person of the Blazing Sun Sect, forcing the latter to flee in panic.

"Master...Master, what should we do now? Should we just give up like this?" Youquan asked in a trembling voice.

"Forget it?" Ghost Yin Master chuckled sinisterly. "How could we! Qingyun Mountain is rich in spiritual energy, and the Flowing Cloud Water Mansion's inheritance is suspected to be related to ancient times. How could we let such a tempting prize slip by?"

"The three-day deadline is nothing more than a delaying tactic and a test!"

He took out a black jade talisman engraved with a ferocious ghost head, and immersed his consciousness into it, recording in detail what he had seen and heard that day, especially Shen Mo's reaction, the strength of the Qingyun Sect, and his own speculation about the "Starry Sword Immortal". Then he crushed the jade talisman.

The jade talisman transformed into a wisp of black smoke and vanished into the sky in an instant.

"I have already informed the sect leader, explaining the advantages and disadvantages. If the sect leader deems it worth the risk, he may send stronger reinforcements; if the sect leader is also wary of that Starshine Sword Immortal, then there will be other arrangements."

"These three days, we will secretly monitor the movements of the Qingyun Sect to see what tricks they have up their sleeves, and wait for the Sect Leader's decision."

A calculating glint flashed in Ghost Yin Master's eyes. "If Shen Mo is bluffing... Hmph, three days from now will be the day his Qingyun Sect is wiped out!"

......

"System, retrieve all fabricated records related to 'Master Liuyun's suppression of the Xuan Yin Sect demon' from the database, including their release time, propagation path, and potential causal ripple models."

Shen Mo's thoughts, like cold commands, echoed in the void.

[Command received. Retrieving... 3 related records in total.]

[Record 1: Release time: Autumn of the 7th year of Qingyun Calendar. Spread path: Spread through the "Drunken Immortal Pavilion" in Blackwater Marsh by a low-ranking steward of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion who was drunk and "spoke out of turn".]

Core content: Master Liuyun travels to the "Cave of Ten Thousand Ghosts" (suspected former territory of the Xuan Yin Sect), where he suppresses the rampaging Nascent Soul demon "Blood Fiend Venerable," sealing him beneath the "Demon-Suppressing Stone."

[Record 2: Release time: Spring of the 9th year of Qingyun Calendar. Spread path: Disguised as a fragment of an ancient animal skin scroll, it was 'accidentally' obtained by a rogue cultivator on the outskirts of the Black Wind Mountains, and later flowed into the market.]

Key content: Supplementing details, it mentions that the characteristics of the "Blood Fiend Venerable's" cultivation method are 70% similar to the Xuan Yin Sect's "Blood Prison True Scripture," and that the place of suppression retains remnants of "Netherworld Ghostly Qi."

[Record 3: Release time: Winter of the 11th year of Qingyun Calendar (half a year ago). Spread path: "Unintentionally" mentioned during a conversation with Xuanji Sanren through the "Liuyun Small Meeting".]

Key content: Before his death, Master Liuyun mentioned that the seal on the place suppressing the demon needed to be reinforced periodically by his descendants, hinting that there might be related methods in his lineage.

[Causal Ripple Model Deduction: The above information, after three years of fermentation, has increased the probability of being known by the core layer of the Xuan Yin Sect to 47.8%.]

Considering the recent internal power struggles and resource shortages within the Xuan Yin Sect, it's logical that its leadership, seeking to divert attention, consolidate authority, and seize resources, would choose to believe in and exploit this "blood feud" as a pretext to launch a annexation campaign against the emerging Qingyun Sect, which is suspected of possessing the "core inheritance of the Flowing Cloud True Man." Backlash probability assessment: 92.3%.

92.3%!