Wang Jian's stipulation for joining the Wind Cloud House was clear: he sought the sect's assistance in stemming the flow of Dwarven Race weaponry and armor to the Barbarian Race in the Southern Region.
Given the strategic location of the Celestial Nexus Immortal Dominion to the south of the Central Region, it had the potential to control the passage between the two regions, making this condition plausible.
However, the Wind Cloud House's leaders didn't immediately acquiesce to Wang Jian's terms. Instead, they posed a counter-condition of their own.
The sect had been formulating plans to launch a surprise attack on a formidable Devil Nest situated near their territory.
This nest was notorious for its immense size and harbored an uncertain number of Emperor Realm experts, posing a significant threat.
The Wind Cloud House's proposition was that Wang Jian should commit to aiding them during this ambush.
As the Wind Cloud House presented their counteroffer, Wang Jian's gaze sharpened, his mind processing the implications of their request.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he saw the logic behind their condition.
Acknowledging the mutual benefit, he readily accepted their terms. It seemed only fitting that he should contribute to the sect that he intended to join.
With an air of determination, Wang Jian agreed to support the Wind Cloud House in their endeavor to vanquish the menacing Devil Nest.
In return, the sect's leaders assured him that they would effectively prevent the passage of Dwarven weaponry and armor through their territory, thwarting any aid to the Barbarian Race in the Southern Region.
As agreements were sealed and promises exchanged, the intricate web of alliances and strategies was woven, laying the groundwork for the forthcoming series of critical events.
Following the meeting with the Wind Cloud House leaders, Wang Jian employed his Telephone Artifact to reach out to the members of the Blue Moon Eclipse Devil Clan, who were situated within the Silver Devil Asura Dominion.
"Is it your clan that occupies the Devil Nest near the Celestial Nexus Immortal Dominion?" Wang Jian inquired.
"No, our Devil Nests are concentrated in the vicinity of the Aethereal Mirage Immortal Sanctuary, which lies to the eastern side of the Central Region and is linked to the Eastern Seas of the continent," clarified the leader of the Blue Moon Eclipse Devil Clan within the Silver Devil Asura Dominion.
"Then could you find out which clan's Devil Nest is positioned near the Celestial Nexus Immortal Dominion?" Wang Jian requested.
"I'll need a few moments to gather this information from my subordinates and spies. I'll get back to you shortly," responded the leader of the Blue Moon Eclipse Devil Clan.
"Sure, take your time," Wang Jian agreed.
After a brief wait, the leader of the Blue Moon Eclipse Devil Clan returned with the details. "I've consulted my subordinates and spies. The devil nest near the Celestial Nexus Immortal Dominion is predominantly occupied by the Nether Curseweaver Devil Clan, along with some smaller devil clans under their sway," the leader reported.
"Thank you for the information," Wang Jian acknowledged before ending the communication.
His next point of contact was Zyrithia, the heiress of the Nether Curseweaver Devil Clan. Their relationship was intense and intimate, characterized by both closeness and sensuality.
In his conversation with Zyrithia, Wang Jian outlined his plan. "Zyrithia, I need you to utilize your Telephone Artifact to contact the leader of the Nether Curseweaver Devil Clan in the Silver Devil Asura Dominion. Convince him to sell the Devil Nest near the Celestial Nexus Immortal Dominion to the Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Clan. Let him know that he can set the price as low as possible to entice the Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Clan into making the purchase."
Zyrithia expressed her concern, her brows furrowed. "But why? I'll need a compelling reason to persuade him to carry out such an audacious act as giving away one of our clan's Devil Nests to a rival clan."
"Tell him that the Wind Cloud House is planning an ambush on that nest. If he agrees, he can weaken the Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Clan while safeguarding the strength of his own clan. That should be a convincing incentive," Wang Jian explained.
After a sigh, Zyrithia responded, "I'll do my best to convince him, though it won't be easy."
"Excellent," Wang Jian replied with a self-assured smirk.
As their conversation was about to conclude, Zyrithia's voice softened. "When will you be coming back? I...I really miss you."
Wang Jian's expression turned playful as he replied, "Soon, I promise. And once I'm back, I'll make sure to properly reward you for your efforts."
Zyrithia's excitement was evident as she purred, "I can't wait for that."
With their conversation finished, Wang Jian disconnected the artifacts, his plan set in motion.
Following Wang Jian's instructions, Zyrithia engaged in a persuasive conversation with the leader of the Nether Curseweaver Devil Clan. Surprisingly, she managed to sway him to relinquish their clan's Devil Nest to the Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Clan.
Wang Jian's reason for targeting the Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Clan specifically was strategic. He aimed to diminish Jiang Chen's faction's influence within the devil clans. However, he was cautious not to provoke Jiang Chen's attention, which is why he avoided targeting the Heavenly Asura Devil Clan, a move that might pique Jiang Chen's direct interest.
Wang Jian focused on weakening the Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Clan instead.
Despite being a prominent clan aligned with Jiang Chen's faction, the Oceanic Tempest Storm Devil Clan wasn't as pivotal as the Heavenly Asura Devil Clan. This allowed Wang Jian to execute his plan without drawing Jiang Chen's personal involvement.
In this way, Wang Jian skillfully achieved his goal of weakening Jiang Chen's devil faction.
As time continued to pass swiftly, the fateful day finally arrived when the Wind Cloud House resolved to launch an assault on the Devil Nest near the Celestial Nexus Immortal Dominion.
Up until this point, the devils residing in the area were blissfully unaware of the impending ambush. Typically, Devil Nests were established over Yin Veins, and the devils harnessed the energy from these veins to erect multiple layers of concealed barriers. These barriers, powered by the pure Yin Qi of the Yin Veins, were virtually undetectable to outsiders.
However, a game-changing innovation had altered the landscape – Wang Jian's Telephone Artifact. This device revolutionized communication across the continent.
A couple of months earlier, a group of Wind Cloud House experts had successfully tracked down three devils heading toward this particular Devil Nest. Before entering the nest, they took the strategic step of sharing the precise coordinates of the Devil Nest with their sect. Only after this information had been transmitted did they venture inside, ultimately meeting their demise at the hands of the devils.
What the devils residing in this nest did not realize was that the Wind Cloud House had long been aware of their location.
Since then, Wind Cloud House had been making meticulous preparations for the impending confrontation. The rich Yin Veins found in this region was highly advantageous for the Immortal Dominions as well.
Once connected to these dominions, it would foster the growth of valuable herbs and enhance the production of natural resources, all while elevating the quality of spiritual energy within its boundaries.
Furthermore, it would constitute a remarkable achievement for any sect capable of dismantling a Devil Nest and connecting its Yin Vein to the Immortal Dominions.
The division of resources among the sects occurred once every ten years, and the outcome was determined by the cumulative contributions of each sect. The sect that made the most significant contribution was rewarded with the highest quantity, quality, and diversity of resources for the subsequent decade.
In the last allocation of resources within the Celestial Nexus Immortal Dominion, it was the Heavenly Lotus Sect that emerged as the beneficiary of the most substantial contribution.
The Wind Cloud House wished to take charge this time and defeat the Heavenly Lotus Sect and the Spirit Affinity Sect and to be allocated the most significant contribution. Thus, they planned this ambush so secretly that the other two sects had no idea about it.
The time for the ambush had finally arrived. Wang Jian was joined by ten Emperor Realm experts from the Wind Cloud House as they approached the Devil Nest selected for their ambush.
To the casual observer, it appeared to be an entirely ordinary plain, devoid of any indication of devilish presence. Only Wang Jian, thanks to his possession of the Butterfly Spirit Queen's Mark, could sense the abnormality here. This mark rendered him immune to all forms of illusion.
However, even with his immunity to illusions, Wang Jian could only penetrate a few layers of the concealed arrays. Despite seeing through these layers, he still failed to detect any unusual presence or the presence of devils in the vicinity.
Nevertheless, the coordinates provided by the leader of the Nether Curseweaver Devil Clan and those possessed by the Wind Cloud House matched precisely. This confirmed beyond doubt that they were in the right location.
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