I Can Upgrade My Talent Infinitely

Chapter 352 - 283: A Hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators

The Celestial Demon Sect.

The cultivation grounds of the Spirit Destruction Hall Master.

The current Spirit Destruction Hall Master was no longer Jiang Yingtian.

Sixteen years ago, Jiang Yingtian had attempted to break through to the Core Formation Stage, hoping to add another Core Formation Cultivator to the Celestial Demon Sect’s ranks.

Breaking through to Core Formation was a difficult and perilous endeavor.

In the end, his breakthrough failed. Fortunately, he did not perish, but unfortunately, his Cultivation regressed to the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment. For the rest of his life, he would have no chance of ever reaching the Peak of Foundation Establishment again.

There was likely no possibility of his Cultivation ever advancing even a little.

His injuries had yet to heal, even now. He could only exert seventy to eighty percent of the strength of a typical Late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon.

"Hall Master Xue, Dong Taining of the Dragon Demon Palace requests an audience."

Dong Taining...

The Spirit Destruction Hall Master mused for a moment, considering Dong Taining’s status among the Foundation Establishment Demons of the Dragon Demon Palace.

As the Spirit Destruction Hall Master, he held the highest status among the Foundation Establishment Demons of the Celestial Demon Sect.

Although Dong Taining’s status among the Dragon Demon Palace’s Elders was also high, it was still a far cry from his own.

"Bring him to me."

"Yes, Hall Master Xue."

Since Dong Taining’s status wasn’t high enough, he wouldn’t go to greet him personally.

The meeting place, of course, was not his personal cultivation grounds, but a dedicated reception area.

After a short wait, the Spirit Destruction Hall Master soon saw Dong Taining.

"Fellow Daoist Dong."

"Hall Master Xue, my greetings."

"Please, have a seat, Fellow Daoist Dong." The Spirit Destruction Hall Master gestured for Dong Taining to sit opposite him.

"Thank you, Hall Master Xue." Dong Taining from the Dragon Demon Palace sat down and began, "As for my purpose in coming here, I’m sure you’re already well aware of it, Hall Master Xue."

"I can guess some of it, but it would be best if you explained the details, Fellow Daoist Dong."

"Does this mean your Celestial Demon Sect is willing to support our Dragon Demon Palace, Hall Master Xue?"

"Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The matter of providing support is not something I can decide on my own."

It was true that as the Spirit Destruction Hall Master, he wielded the most authority among the Celestial Demon Sect’s Elders. However, a matter as significant as supporting another of the Core Formation Sects had to be decided by the Supreme Elders, no matter what.

This wasn’t like supporting one of the sect’s subordinate Foundation Establishment Influences.

A matter like that, he, the Spirit Destruction Hall Master, could decide directly.

Dong Taining’s nascent joy was immediately doused with cold water by the Spirit Destruction Hall Master.

If securing their support had truly been so easy, he would have performed a great service upon his return to the Dragon Demon Palace.

"Hall Master Xue, as you know, our Dragon Demon Palace has long wished to eliminate the Spirit Refiners’ Wind Ling Sect. Currently, the Wind Ling Sect has only three Core Formation Spirit Refiners, and none of them are at the Late-stage of Core Formation. Now is the perfect opportunity to destroy them. However, we’ve encountered some difficulties. To succeed, we will need the Celestial Demon Sect’s help..."

The Spirit Destruction Hall Master needed an explanation, so Dong Taining laid out the general situation.

The Wind Ling Sect was relatively weak at present, while their Dragon Demon Palace was at a new height of power.

In terms of overall strength right now, their Dragon Demon Palace was considerably more powerful than even the Celestial Demon Sect.

Dong Taining knew that when the Celestial Demon Sect had dealt with the Celestial Cloud Sect, they’d had the Demon Spirit Sect’s assistance. In contrast, the Dragon Demon Palace had to rely on themselves to deal with the Wind Ling Sect, with no help from other Demon Core Formation Sects, not even covert support.

This was due to their geographical location.

If any other Demon Core Formation Sects bordered the Wind Ling Sect’s Earth Realm besides their Dragon Demon Palace, the Wind Ling Sect would have been annihilated long ago.

"...Within the Wind Ling Sect, there is a Foundation Establishment Spirit Refiner with a Snow Spirit Body. This Spirit Refiner has already reached the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment. We cannot allow her to reach the Peak of Foundation Establishment and succeed in Core Formation. Once she does, the difficulty of destroying the Wind Ling Sect will increase dramatically."

Finally, Dong Taining spoke of the changes that the Wind Ling Sect might undergo in the future.

Looking at the past and considering the future, this was truly an excellent opportunity to destroy the Wind Ling Sect.

"Mm, I understand the situation." The Spirit Destruction Hall Master nodded, then looked directly at Dong Taining and asked, "What I want to know now is, what benefits will our Celestial Demon Sect receive for supporting your Dragon Demon Palace?"

"As for the benefits..."

Just as Dong Taining was about to answer, the Spirit Destruction Hall Master cut him off.

"Fellow Daoist Dong, you should think carefully before you speak about the benefits for us. I will repeat your words verbatim to our Supreme Elders, and they will be the ones to make the final decision."

The Spirit Destruction Hall Master’s hint was exceedingly obvious: he wanted Dong Taining to offer more benefits.

If the benefits weren’t sufficient, the matter would not proceed.

"Alright, let me think..." Dong Taining wondered if he should add more benefits, but if he made an unauthorized decision, it would be difficult to answer for it upon his return.

He didn’t think for very long before speaking.

"The most direct benefit is reciprocal support. If your Celestial Demon Sect helps us destroy the Wind Ling Sect, we can also help you destroy the Celestial Cloud Sect."

"Then why doesn’t your Dragon Demon Palace help us destroy the Celestial Cloud Sect first?"

"Hahaha, Hall Master Xue, now you’re just making things difficult for me." Dong Taining laughed and shook his head. "Though they are both Spirit Refiner factions, the situations of the Celestial Cloud Sect and the Wind Ling Sect are completely different."

"The Celestial Cloud Sect’s current overall strength is far greater than the Wind Ling Sect’s. But the difference in strength isn’t the most critical issue. The most critical issue is their respective locations. If our Dragon Demon Palace were to truly support your Celestial Demon Sect, the Wind Ling Sect would definitely make a move. However, the situation is different if your Celestial Demon Sect supports us."

"The Demon Spirit Sect is right next to the Celestial Cloud Sect. So, if you support us, the Celestial Cloud Sect might not necessarily take action. And even if they did, wouldn’t the Demon Spirit Sect be there?"