Chapter 271: Strategy (Requesting Monthly Votes)

In the dream, dark clouds choked the sky, rain poured like a deluge, lightning cracked and thunder roared.

Purple lightning struck the Earth Spirit King again and again, causing his form to melt away like snow poured over hot soup.

"How could you possibly command the authority of heaven and earth?"

As the Earth Spirit King reeled in shock, he attempted to alter the weather.

He too commanded the authority of heaven and earth; he could change the weather.

But after a few breaths, his expression turned utterly bewildered.

He could no longer alter the weather.

That's impossible.

Before this, it had always worked without fail.

Under these circumstances, he could have easily done it.

But now, he couldn't.

Had he lost the authority of heaven and earth over the Giant Elephant Star Region?

That's impossible.

He could clearly sense the authority still within his star palace.

Yet he still couldn't change the weather.

Had he been removed from the Giant Elephant Star Region?

That was absolutely impossible.

As the wielder of the Giant Elephant Star Region's authority of heaven and earth, no one could teleport him out of it.

Then—

The Earth Spirit King suddenly unleashed all his earth-star techniques.

But nothing happened.

Star energy was present, yet the techniques refused to manifest.

What was going on?

An illusion?

The Earth Spirit King suddenly realized something and closed his eyes deliberately.

Xu Jin, who had already dissolved half the Earth Spirit King's form, sighed inwardly as he watched the Earth Spirit King shut his eyes.

He'd have to abandon it midway.

Killing in dreams always worked this way.

Use the false to slay the true!

But if the opponent woke up mid-dream and realized he was dreaming, all prior effort would be wasted.

As long as the final killing blow hadn't been delivered before the opponent awoke believing himself dead, all previous work was lost.

Killing in dreams had failed before.

Yet the moment Xu Jin faced the Earth Spirit King, he still used Killing in Dreams.

Because Killing in Dreams could potentially slay the enemy unharmed within the dream and create an opportunity akin to hard control.

Because Xu Jin was the master of Killing in Dreams.

He could advance or retreat at will.

This would grant Xu Jin another definitive first strike.

That instant of initiative was enough!

The next instant, Xu Jin voluntarily exited Killing in Dreams.

As the dream dissolved, both the Earth Spirit King and Xu Jin returned to reality—but Xu Jin returned first.

The moment everything felt normal again, the Earth Spirit King couldn't help but rejoice.

But the next instant, a terrifying soul-wave slammed into him.

It was Xu Jin's soul-star technique: Startling Dream!

Instantly, the Earth Spirit King frantically channeled his soul energy, and simultaneously, the four-tenths of heaven-and-earth stellar will within his central star palace surged upward, forming an invisible barrier around his body.

This was the protection—or favor—of the heaven-and-earth stellar will toward the Earth Spirit King, the wielder of its authority.

Startling Dream struck.

It only caused a slight tremor in the Earth Spirit King's soul.

No damage.

But then came the illusions, the soothing dream, the terror—once again plunging the Earth Spirit King into the dream.

The next instant, searing pain in his limbs jolted the Earth Spirit King awake with a scream.

The dazzling purple flames had already engulfed him, and in an instant, burned away half of his body.

The dazzling purple flames had already engulfed him, and in an instant, burned away half of his body.

His internal earth-spirit energy surged wildly, resisting the purple flames, yet still failing to slow his death.

The next instant, a sudden pain struck the back of the Earth Spirit King's skull.

A small sword pierced through his nape, twisted lightly—and the Earth Spirit King's pupils dilated violently; he died instantly.

Gaiyue Sword soared upward, lifting the Earth Spirit King's corpse before Xu Jin, who extinguished the flames on the body with a gesture and, with utmost speed, tossed the half-destroyed remains into his Sumeru space.

He spun around instantly.

Roar!

The roar of the Divine Tiger froze the fifteen five-star Earth Spirit clansmen who had just rushed in.

The next instant, Xu Jin unleashed a spiraling explosion of dazzling purple heavenly fire—just as the Red Dragon Ring glowed faintly, the foremost five-star eighth-layer Earth Spirit expert was obliterated.

The spiraling explosions continued.

Each spiraling explosion killed one five-star Earth Spirit warrior.

As for the area attacks from the five-star Earth Spirit warriors who had charged in, Xu Jin no longer cared.

If he could dodge with his body technique, he dodged.

If he couldn't dodge, he absorbed the blows with the Fish Curtain Golden Bell.

As long as he wasn't continuously pounded over a dozen times by mid- to late-stage five-star experts, the Fish Curtain Golden Bell wouldn't shatter.

Five-star Earth Spirit warriors poured endlessly into the palace, and even four-star eighth- and ninth-layer Earth Spirit elites rushed in.

Xu Jin showed no mercy.

One technique after another—he drained his star energy, then drew more starlight directly from the Can-Dou Altar to keep firing.

In no time, corpses piled like mountains, though most were quickly incinerated.

The entire palace reeked of roasted meat.

Undeniably, the Earth Spirit King held immense prestige among the Earth Spirit clan.

So many outsiders rushed forward one after another.

This massacre lasted a full quarter-hour before no more Earth Spirit enemies charged in.

Only then did Xu Jin exhale in relief.

He swiftly swallowed a Three-Infused Three-Yin Soul-Cleansing Pill to restore his soul energy.

After a dozen breaths, Xu Jin stepped out of the grand hall and searched the entire Earth Spirit Capital.

He exterminated every single five-star Earth Spirit warrior in the capital without exception.

Any four-star Earth Spirit who dared reach for him was casually slain.

To conquer a four-star star region, iron-fisted brutality was essential.

Half an hour later, Xu Jin stormed into the Earth Spirit Capital's treasury, converting all three- and four-star star-jade tablets into starlight, adding over nine thousand new strands to his Can-Dou Altar.

He collected over one hundred twenty five-star star-jade tablets, but not a single six-star star-jade tablet.

The major task was done; now came the finer details.

Conquering a star region was extremely complex.

The method used in the previous Fire Cloud Star Region had been the simplest and fastest.

If a star region's king with high prestige surrendered, matters became trivial.

But the situation in the Giant Elephant Star Region was utterly unreplicable.

The Earth Spirit King had to be killed.

A wielder of heaven-and-earth authority like the Earth Spirit King could never be persuaded to surrender directly.

The Leopard Tail Queen's smooth success was an exception—she had already been tamed.

Now that both rulers of the Giant Elephant Star Region were dead, to conquer and control it, Xu Jin must install and control local factions, then help them unify.

This couldn't be accomplished quickly—it would require time.

Even Fang Ying and the others couldn't accomplish it even with their help.

There was even a possibility: if Fang Ying and the others aided one faction to swiftly conquer the Giant Elephant Star Region, it might backfire.

Because the current-generation humans had slain their most revered king.

If current-generation humans appeared beside any local leader, that leader might face unified resistance from all other clans.

He might very well be branded a traitor to the Giant Elephant Star Region.

So this matter required Xu Jin's careful consideration.

Inside the Earth Spirit Capital's palace, Xu Jin captured several servants and used Soothing Dream to interrogate them, extracting useful information.

Then Xu Jin quickly departed, finding a relatively safe spot not far from the capital.

Because Xu Jin needed to refine and control the celestial will of the Giant Elephant Star Domain to swiftly gain its heavenly authority, thereby accelerating his strategic goals.

Within the Sumeru Space, a brilliant earth-yellow light cluster had emerged from the corpse of the Earth Spirit King and was darting through the Sumeru Space.

Xu Jin's divine soul power surged forth and seized it instantly.

With a mere sensory probe, Xu Jin's expression confirmed his expectations.

Mid-rank.

And likely a fourth-rank-under Earth-elemental celestial will.

This Earth Spirit King must have acquired four initial-rank Earth-elemental celestial wills, securing four-tenths of the Giant Elephant Star Domain's heavenly authority.

Xu Jin immediately began refining them—refining such things had become second nature to him.

Less than half an hour later, he completed the refinement entirely.

Opening his eyes, Xu Jin felt as if he were nearly merging with this world.

Nearly six-tenths!

Xu Jin now possessed six-tenths of the Giant Elephant Star Domain's heavenly authority.

Simultaneously, he fused the newly acquired fourth-rank-under Earth-elemental celestial will with his two prior initial-rank Earth-elemental Sand River Hearts and one initial-rank Earth-elemental Stone Forest Heart.

Within his Middle Star Palace, a fifth-rank-under Earth Spirit Heart emerged, shining brilliantly.

The next instant, with only a slight exertion of the heavenly authority he controlled, the aura signatures of all fifth-rank cultivators within the Giant Elephant Star Domain flared like lanterns.

To Xu Jin's surprise, despite his massacre, over forty fifth-rank cultivators still remained across the entire Giant Elephant Star Domain.

This number exceeded his expectations.

He also clearly sensed the auras of Fang Ying and the others—they were still recuperating in that cave.

After testing it, Xu Jin found the effect of six-tenths heavenly authority was barely stronger than five-tenths.

The instantaneous teleportation ability he had imagined did not manifest.

The speed boost from six-tenths heavenly authority was only slightly greater than that of five-tenths.

No qualitative change had occurred.

Xu Jin estimated that he might need to control seven-tenths—or even more—of the heavenly authority to trigger a qualitative transformation.

After fifteen minutes, Xu Jin stepped upon the stars, his speed amplified by the heavenly authority to its peak.

Xu Jin began swiftly eliminating Earth Spirit and Wood Elephant clan cultivators.

But before eliminating them, he attempted to subjugate them.

No clan lacks hardliners, but neither does it lack cowards.

After all, between life and death lies great terror.

Four hours later, Xu Jin accomplished his preliminary objective.

Within the Wood Elephant clan, he controlled four fifth-rank experts.

One fifth-rank fifth-layer, two fifth-rank third-layer, and one fifth-rank second-layer.

He gave each of them ten refined fourth-rank-above rune badges—four to the leaders, two to the others—and a small supply of recovery elixirs.

He also laid out detailed strategies.

The same went for the Earth Spirit clan—he controlled four fifth-rank experts: one fifth-rank sixth-layer, one fifth-rank fourth-layer, and two fifth-rank third-layer.

Overall, the Earth Spirit clan's puppets were slightly stronger.

He likewise gave them ten refined fourth-rank-above rune badges and a small supply of recovery elixirs.

Both factions shared the same goal.

They were to unify the Earth Spirit and Wood Elephant clans in the shortest time possible.

Neither side was permitted to waste strength on internal conflict.

If any new third-party force emerged within either clan, both sides were to join forces and exterminate it!

Xu Jin made this arrangement for one crucial reason: to continue acquiring the celestial wills of this star domain.

After gaining over five-tenths of the domain's heavenly authority, even if Xu Jin's cultivation later broke into the fifth rank, he would still retain the possibility of entering this star domain.

Thus, future Wood Elephant Kings and Earth Spirit Kings, once recognized by this realm's heavens, would condense new celestial wills.

As Xu Jin now controlled six-tenths of the domain's heavenly authority, his understanding of celestial wills grew deeper.

The celestial wills of a star domain are not infinite—they are fixed in number.

Ten complete wills—that is, ten units—is the absolute limit.

If fewer than three celestial wills have appeared in this star domain, their condensation becomes very simple.

As soon as a King emerges, he easily gains one, and the process takes little time.

Between three and six wills, the process slows considerably, requiring vast popular recognition and support.

Once more than six wills appear, the process becomes extremely slow.

Time must be measured in years.

Under this arrangement, Xu Jin did not know whether the Giant Elephant Star Domain could condense new celestial wills.

But he would prepare now and see what happened in a few years.

Afterwards, Xu Jin visited Fang Ying and the others again, retrieving from them three third-rank-above Wind Source Rune badges.

He then handed them to the two puppet leaders he controlled, instructing them to select disciples to teach and learn them.

Xu Jin had no confidence that the fourth-rank Giant Elephant Star Domain could ever be upgraded.

But the preliminary groundwork could be secured now.

After all, these things required time to mature—they could not be completed quickly.

The benefits of installing puppets appeared half a day later, just before Xu Jin was to depart.

The controlled experts, following Xu Jin's orders, had swiftly seized vast quantities of Star Jade Tablets—even uncovering the Earth Spirit King's private treasury.

They gained thousands of strands of starlight and over a hundred fifth-rank Star Jade Tablets.

Most astonishingly, they also recovered three sixth-rank Star Jade Tablets.

From current observations, sixth-rank Star Jade Tablets remained extremely valuable.

Within a fourth-rank star domain, the output of sixth-rank Star Jade Tablets was counted in single digits.

"Fang Senior Brother, I've subjugated several alien clans. Before the Lügong Battle ends in two days, these clans will transport vast quantities of celestial treasures to the Star Gate. You are to throw those supplies out of the Star Gate."

"Avoid conflict with them unless absolutely necessary."

"They're all fifth-rank alien puppets under my control," Xu Jin instructed.

"Fifth-rank? Puppets?"

Fang Ying's eyes widened in utter disbelief.

He had assumed Xu Jin might manage to control a few fourth-rank alien puppets—that would be impressive enough.

But he never imagined they were fifth-rank. This…

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Jin arrived at the temporary Star Gate; the timing Jade Tablet still showed one and a half segments remaining.

That meant only one and a half days remained until the Lügong Battle ended completely.

Xu Jin's time was running out.

Two more star domains remained.

The next instant, Xu Jin stepped forward and departed the fourth-rank Giant Elephant Star Domain.

(End of Chapter)