Dyon fell into deep thought. Toying with the 9th ranked quadrant wasn't a joke. This wasn't the same as imposing demands on the Flaming Lily Sect. It was the equivalent of Dyon entering the jaws of the Golden Crow Sect. The difference was akin to night and day.
The worst part was that the Water Mist Sect was desperate. If not, why would they do something they saw as a massive risk? In their eyes, this expedition could cost them hundreds of elites of their sect, yet they were willing to do it anyway.
Plus, the fact that Ri came back alive would embolden them. Even though they likely thought that she only survived due to staying near the outer edges, it would still have that effect regardless. After all, before Ri, no one below the Peak Celestial Realm had ever survived out there for so long.
Should he take the risk? Or should he cut his losses?
"It isn't the end of the world." Clara suddenly spoke. "We have something they don't, right? The map that the Kun Peng drew out is incredibly detailed. Because they were able to use their beast summons to scout for them, the map covers a good 95% of everything that's of value.
"There are 1 685 405 energy stone mines, 1 495 abyssal cores – although they're mostly ice, water, and darkness related – and the Kun Peng have been steadily mining timeless and spaceless stones for millions of years already."
Dyon eyes sharpened at those last words. "How many?"
"By what we know, it's enough to cover 30 universes." Clara said after thinking a while.
"That's what we'll do then. We'll use the Jafari Clan Treasure to block the Water Mist Sect from entering at all."
Clara frowned. "Are you sure?"
Ri didn't know if she liked that idea either. It might sound simple to envelop a universe in this barrier, but it was far more involved that what it was made out to be.
For one, the treasure always took 999 days to complete its task. No one understood exactly why this was, but the Heavens always loved numbers related to 9. The best example of this would be their 108 meridians and the fact every step of cultivation was grouped into 9, with a single stage being connected to 9 meridians. So, it was likely this way to appease the Heavens for committing such a Heaven Defying act.
What if the process was interrupted sometime within that almost 3 year period? That would not only expose the treasure to the Water Mist Sect, it would also cause the wasting of a ridiculous number of timeless and spaceless stones.
Obviously, the enveloping of an entire universe was a massive event. Powerful beings in adjacent universes would definitely sense this change.
Luckily, there weren't any Higher Existences who were currently awake in the Water Mist Sect. So, this wouldn't be an issue. The problem was that the Mist Clan was already thinking about an expedition to the Dark Ocean. If they decided to move some time within these three years, they would definitely sense this change.
It was far too risky. Dyon and his allies were in no position to rebuff the attacks of the Water Mist Sect. That was simply asking for death.
Dyon frowned, but couldn't rebut the worries of his wives.
"How about this," Ri smiled, taking Dyon's hand to try and calm his emotions again, "Let's enter an alliance with the Palace Master."
Dyon blinked, looking into Ri's eyes in surprise.
"No one hates the idea of the Mist Clan getting their hands on those resources more than the Palace Master and First Elder Viola. Plus, Palace Master Jasmine also happens to be the strongest warrior who isn't in a deep sleep. If this wasn't the case, the Mist Clan would have gotten rid of her by now."
"What are you think?" Dyon asked.
"I'm thinking that we could enter an alliance with the Palace Master using the Elvin Kingdom's name. It's common historical knowledge that the Elves once controlled the Jafari Clan treasure, so there won't be any problems with our story, especially considering my constitution.
"We can let the Palace Master in our plan, and in return we can give her 10% of the profits we receive in exchange for her delaying the Mist Clan's actions for three years. 10% might be a bit of a steep price, but giving her these resources helps us as well. If the Palace Master becomes a true backer of mine here, rising up in the Water Mist Sect will be far easier."
Dyon fell into silence. In truth, this plan was incredibly risky. Dyon simply didn't have the means to combat a higher dao expert. It would take the Sentries several decades more before they could cultivate to that level. In addition, Zabia and the Ipsum disciples were still preparing for their dao tribulations. Even if they managed to survive, they would still be mere lower dao experts.
Of course, there was Amphorae. But, she wouldn't be back for at least half a decade to a decade considering she was attending the Conference with Lyla and Zaire. Plus, it wasn't even guaranteed that Amphorae could fight a higher dao expert of Jasmine's quality.
The heart was a treacherous thing. Just because the Mist Clan was their common enemy, didn't mean Jasmine was a good person. In fact, the mere fact she managed to survive through all of the Mist Clan's schemes for all these years almost guarantees that she wasn't. A kind hearted and naïve individual could have never done that.
Dyon's eyes narrowed. "I need to meet her."
**
Just half an hours later, Dyon and Ri walked through the Water Mist Sect hand in hand. Although they wanted to take Clara with them, it was obviously inconvenient. The world didn't know that Clara was also his wife, so it obviously didn't make sense for her to be involved in such an important meeting.
