Beside him, Hongyi noticed the atmosphere had become somewhat heavy and spoke to comfort him, "Fellow Daoist Xu, there’s no need to worry excessively. Although the Star Palace is strong, the outer seas are not places where they can act as they please."

"True Dragon Hall is not easy to deal with."

"Moreover, if the Star Palace makes any unusual moves or if there is any definite information, I will inform you ahead of time so you can make preparations."

Hearing Hongyi’s words, Xu Ping felt somewhat relieved and cupped his hands in gratitude:

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Hong."

Hongyi was definitely not a core figure within the Star Palace, but he should still be able to stay informed about major trends and developments.

Having him as a source of inside information meant Xu Ping wouldn’t be completely kept in the dark.

Then, Hongyi handed all the sword-refining materials he had collected over to Xu Ping.

Looking at the storage bag filled with an array of rare spiritual materials, glowing brightly, Xu Ping finally felt some assurance.

The materials for the magic sword were almost entirely collected; only the last batch from the Mystic Water Sect was awaited, after which he could fully upgrade all seventy-two magic swords to the Spirit Treasure level.

By then, the power of the Five Elements Sword Array would soar, becoming another powerful trump card in his possession.

After putting away the materials, Xu Ping thanked Hongyi once again and then asked, "Fellow Daoist Hongyi, regarding the materials needed for cultivating the Nirvana Golden Body that I entrusted you to inquire about earlier, is there any news?"

Upon hearing this, Hongyi pondered for a moment and said, "The Thousand-Year Spiritual Marrow Jade is an item that is rare and hard to find. I have heard some rumors that it seemed to have appeared in some ancient ruins, but such information has not been confirmed yet, and it’s hard to tell if it’s true or false."

"I will investigate further after I return, and if there is confirmed reliable news, I will inform Fellow Daoist Xu at the earliest opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Xu Ping’s eyes immediately lit up.

Even if it was just a faint and elusive rumor, it was still worth hoping for.

Once the materials are gathered and the Nirvana Golden Body is successfully cultivated, the strength of his physical body will reach an unimaginable realm.

By then, facing Divinity Transformation Cultivators might not be utterly powerless, at least... the chances of escaping will be substantially higher!

"Thank you for your efforts, Daoist," Xu Ping said solemnly.

...

An hour later.

Hongyi and Nine Nether Elder quietly departed, just as they had arrived, without attracting any attention.

In the Blood Bone Hall, everything returned to silence.

Xu Ping sat alone in the main position, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest; the relaxed expression on his face had vanished, replaced by a deep sense of relief and profound contemplation.

The threat of the Star Palace Saints hung overhead like a sword, bringing pressure far greater than any previous crisis.

This was an absolute disparity in realm, a power chasm sufficient to make one despair.

Xu Ping began to carefully analyze the current complex situation:

"The Dual Saints are currently only suspicious of the outer seas, and there is no concrete evidence pointing to me."

"Therefore, I must not act rashly, nor can I flee at this moment. Displaying anything unusual will only draw special attention from the Star Palace—that would truly expose my weaknesses and be a path to self-destruction."

"In the Wind Origin Realm, facing two furious Divinity Transformation cultivators, the chance of escape is minuscule."

"Escape to the Nanchuan Realm?"

This thought had just arisen when Xu Ping decisively suppressed it. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Not to mention that the boundary stones are far from enough, even if they were sufficient, he is currently wanted by the Heaven-Suppressing Sect, and the Nanchuan Realm is definitely not a safe haven.

This path is not viable for now.

"Waiting passively for death is certainly a path to destruction."

"If time drags on, given my rapid rise and demonstrated strength in the outer seas, the Star Palace will undoubtedly make me a key target for observation and even testing."

"I must do something to shift their focus, divert disaster elsewhere..."

Xu Ping’s eyes gleamed with a cold light, like a bottomless icy pool, where countless schemes were born and perished.

"In the current situation, the only option is to redirect disaster and drive a wedge between the tiger and the wolf."

"To thoroughly divert the Star Palace’s anger and focus, direct it to the True Dragon Hall."

A clear and bold plan started to take shape in Xu Ping’s mind.

The relationship between True Dragon Hall and the Star Palace has long been strained due to conflicts over resources and territorial issues, and it can’t be described as harmonious.

Moreover, over the years, he and Hongyi have teamed up to hunt powerful late-stage demon beasts, including some Demon Race powerhouses with True Dragon bloodlines...

This blood debt has been blamed on the Star Palace.

On the True Dragon Hall’s side, they must already harbor deep-seated hatred toward the Star Palace.

Even Hongyi has been pursued because of this.

Between the two sides, it’s just a fuse short of igniting.

"If I can cleverly incite and make the two sides erupt into a violent conflict..."

"The more turbulent the waters, the safer I will be!"

"Of course, I absolutely can’t personally be involved in this matter, nor leave any trace linked to the Human Race." Xu Ping’s thoughts were meticulous.

"It must be accomplished using purely Demon Race hands."

Only in this way can it be flawless, without anyone suspecting the Human Race cultivator behind it.

"Just recently... the Star Palace cultivators sent to spy on Blood Bone Island were startled away and shouldn’t dare to approach rashly in the short term."

"This gives me an excellent window of opportunity to act."

A trace of cold glint flashed in Xu Ping’s eyes as a detailed plan quickly began to be sketched and refined in his mind.

Half a year passed quietly.

The restriction around Blood Bone Island slightly fluctuated, and a golden light flashed by, so fast it was nearly imperceptible.

Before long, the figure of the water rat appeared outside Xu Ping’s secluded cultivation chamber.

However, it only stayed on the island for about an hour and after discussing with Xu Ping, just like how it arrived, it quietly turned into golden light and swiftly departed, as if it had never been there.

Another half a year later.

Deep beneath the vast ocean, the True Dragon Hall.