Ziche Min suddenly volunteered, "Grand Master, allow me to go out and make contact with Shao Yuan. I'll see what he's planning and try to gather more information."
The Grand Master was quite satisfied with Ziche Min's initiative and nodded. "With Elder Ziche making the trip, I'll be at ease. Do be careful—we'll be right here awaiting your triumphant return."
……
In Sector Sixteen, Jiang Chen had received the intelligence and was making urgent preparations.
Upon learning of the grand assault, Jiang Chen felt no anxiety whatsoever—quite the opposite. He was electrified with excitement. He had a premonition that this could be an extraordinary opportunity.
If he could seize this chance, turning the tide of the entire battle was not beyond the realm of possibility.
"Chen Shao, why are you refining so much of that Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder? Could it be that—" The Vermilion Bird Divine Beast's expression suddenly shifted, as if something had occurred to it.
"Heh heh, you'll find out when the time comes." A strange grin tugged at the corner of Jiang Chen's lips.
In the days that followed, Jiang Chen's time was divided between refining the Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder and studying the holy land's maps and layout.
He accounted for every last detail.
He analyzed how much area the grand formation would cover, how many people would converge, and how he should arrange his countermeasures accordingly.
On this particular day, Sector Sixteen received a visitor—Ziche Min himself.
Upon seeing Ziche Min arrive, Jiang Chen was overjoyed. "Elder Ziche! What brings you here?"
"Haha, Shao Yuan, you brat, you're perfectly fine after all! Well done, well done!" Ziche Min was equally elated. "This old man came out specifically to get intelligence from you and ask about your plans. Our holy land will cooperate with you unconditionally."
"Heh heh, this time I plan to deliver a devastating blow to the Alliance—open the fractures wide enough to shatter them completely, maybe even cause their outright collapse. Oh, and Elder Ziche, when you return, please tell the Grand Master to organize a group of experts and be ready to charge out and fight at any moment. This time, I guarantee you'll get to vent all the anger you've been holding back."
"What exactly do you plan to do?" Ziche Min asked, visibly moved.
"Simple. Poison—the Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder." Jiang Chen smiled faintly.
"Isn't that the Xiahou family's poison? It's quite famous even across Myriad Abyss Island. If you use the Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder, I'm afraid it won't be much of a challenge for the Xiahou family to counter." Ziche Min sounded worried.
Jiang Chen laughed. "This is an improved version. I've integrated my own exclusive techniques into it—a poison within a poison. An antidote designed for the original Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder would be utterly useless. In fact, it would actually worsen the situation within a short time."
"You… you actually improved the Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder? That's absolutely unbelievable! How did you even obtain the recipe for the Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder?"
Jiang Chen shrugged with a smile. "I killed quite a few members of the Xiahou family—there are always ways to get what you need. Rest assured, the source is perfectly legitimate."
Ziche Min decided not to press further and instead discussed the finer points with Jiang Chen at length. The longer they talked, and the more information he gathered from Jiang Chen, the more confident Ziche Min became.
"Oh, and Elder Ziche—here is a batch of antidote I've prepared. If you launch a counterattack that day, everyone must take the antidote beforehand. The Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder is extremely potent."
Ziche Min accepted the antidote solemnly. "Good. I'll deliver it personally to the Grand Master and let her make the decisions."
"Mm." Jiang Chen nodded, then asked, "How is the Second Master faring?"
"Not well. If she doesn't receive Spiritual Medicine treatment within half a month, her condition will deteriorate even faster. Sigh… the calamity our holy land is facing this time is truly unprecedented." Ziche Min's tone carried a note of sorrow.
"Not to worry. As long as this plan succeeds, the Anti-Saint Alliance will suffer devastating losses—enough to potentially collapse entirely. Once that happens, our holy land will have an opening to launch a counterattack. Combined with the external forces suppressing the rebellion, there's every possibility of success!"
"Shao Yuan, even if your plan works, as long as the Holy Ancestor hasn't emerged from the seal, the rebellion can't truly be put down. The Imperial family and the Xiahou family both have Divine Realm powerhouses, after all."
"Heh heh, their Divine Realm experts won't be able to enter the fray. They can only serve as a deterrent at most. They have to keep watch over the Holy Ancestor—they can't afford to split their forces. If they try to divert their attention to this front, that creates an opening on the Holy Ancestor's side."
"That's a fair point." Ziche Min stroked his chin thoughtfully.
After seeing Ziche Min off, Jiang Chen went back to refining the Gale Soul-Dispersing Powder.
However, as the situation continued to deteriorate, Jiang Chen had to attend roll call two or three times a day. Not long after Ziche Min left, Prince Shang called for another headcount.
Jiang Chen had no choice but to show up.
"Your Highness Prince Shang," Jiang Chen greeted him respectfully.
"You lot have been doing quite well for yourselves, haven't you? Living quite comfortably. Sector Sixteen used to be one of the hottest battle zones—skirmishes with the holy land happened on a daily basis. But once you arrived? Not a single engagement. Dead quiet. Don't tell me you've been dodging every fight."
Jiang Chen immediately protested his innocence. "Your Highness, you're doing us a great injustice. Every single one of us has been itching for a real battle, eager to earn glory and merit. But the people from the holy land are terrified—they refuse to come out, and there's nothing we can do about that. We can't exactly charge into their grand formation. I'd love to, but I simply don't have the ability to break through it."
Jiang Chen's tone was measured—neither servile nor insolent. He did not grovel merely because Prince Shang had reprimanded him.
Prince Shang snorted coldly. He found it odd himself—why had those sectors become so quiet the moment these particular people were assigned there?
Still, in recent days, the Eternal Sacred Land's forces seemed to have learned their lesson. They rarely ventured out to fight anymore, appearing fully committed to a tight defense.