Chapter 575 - 575: Vicious Conspiracy

"It seems we have no other choice." Zheng Wuji's face was dark.

"In any case, we cannot let them set foot on the island!"

Cao Shan gritted his teeth and stood up. "Let's gather our men!"

"If Grandfather was willing to condescend to come here, he alone would be enough to crush Jiang Xinghai and Sun Zhen." Zheng Wuji's thoughts ran deep as he thought of the Prince of the East, Cao Qing.

"He has already traveled to the Great Zen Temple in the Imperial City."

Cao Shan had, of course, thought of asking his father to come, but distant water couldn't quench a nearby thirst.

"Grandfather went to the Great Zen Temple... could it be for Can'Er?" Zheng Wuji realized in an instant.

Cao Shan nodded. "So, openly, the Cao Family will dispatch Martial Arts experts. Secretly, you prepare the Hot Weapons."

"Hot Weapons?"

Zheng Wuji was stunned, then gave a bitter smile. "Father-in-law, that's absolutely out of the question. If we blow him to pieces, wouldn't the pills be destroyed too?"

"That's right!"

Cao Shan's expression tightened. "I was so focused on the satisfaction of killing him that I overlooked the fundamental issue: we need to get the pills from him."

"Father-in-law, things can't go on like this. I actually have a plan we could try," Zheng Wuji said suddenly.

"What plan?" Cao Shan's spirits lifted.

"You could make a move and purchase the Thousand Souls Heart-Devouring Powder from the dark web. It's an extremely vicious poison, colorless and odorless, capable of killing without a trace."

A cold glint appeared in Zheng Wuji's eyes. "Tomorrow, we just need to pretend to welcome them onto the island, then wait for an opportunity to strike."

"I've heard of the Thousand Souls Heart-Devouring Powder. It's a rare poison."

Cao Shan raised his eyebrows. "But for me, the Patriarch of one of Shanghai's three great families, to buy poison... that wouldn't be appropriate."

"Father-in-law, it's the dark web. No one knows anyone else's identity," Zheng Wuji reminded him.

Cao Shan fell silent.

A vicious look flashed in Zheng Wuji's eyes. "Father-in-law, as long as they drink water laced with Thousand Souls Heart-Devouring Powder, half an hour is all it will take to kill them!"

Cao Shan gave a cold smile. "And once they're dead, we can get the Gathering Essence Pills from him!"

"Exactly!" Zheng Wuji's eyes filled with hope.

"Wuji, we're only considering the best-case scenario. But what if we fail?" Cao Shan frowned again.

Zheng Wuji nodded. "Of course. There might be a slight chance of that, and even the slightest chance of failure would be enough to doom us completely. We do need to consider this carefully."

"Wuji, I've just thought of a good idea."

Pacing on the beach with his hands behind his back, Cao Shan said, "Didn't you say there's a promotion ceremony in Shanghai the day after tomorrow? And that Tang General wants you to personally arrange it."

"Yes, the four-star Tang Zhen gave the order himself." Zheng Wuji nodded, not knowing what Cao Shan was getting at.

"Then why don't we use Tang General's power to execute Jiang Xinghai?" A sharp glint flashed in Cao Shan's eyes.

Zheng Wuji was slightly stunned. "Father-in-law, are you suggesting we tell Tang General about Jiang Xinghai having the Gathering Essence Pills?"

"Of course not that."

Cao Shan shook his head. "We just need to tell Tang Zhen that Jiang Xinghai wants to spy on Mirror Lake Manor. After all, Mirror Lake Manor is a top secret of the War Department. Tang Zhen will surely be willing to deal with someone coveting it like that."

"That makes sense too." Zheng Wuji smiled.

"So, tomorrow, we'll just pretend to receive Jiang Xinghai and his group."

Cao Shan finally felt settled. "At that time, we just need to indirectly let it slip that a major figure who knows the secrets of Mirror Lake Manor will be appearing at the promotion ceremony in Shanghai the day after tomorrow. We just have to inform Tang General about Jiang Xinghai ahead of time... do you think he'll still be alive then?"

"A brilliant plan!"

Zheng Wuji smiled. "This way, my Eastern Territory and the Cao Family can achieve our goal without lifting a finger."

"Hahaha..."

Cao Shan was also excited about his own plan. "Go and prepare!"

...

Meanwhile, on a yacht heading toward the city.

Jiang Xinghai and Nightingale were lying on the deck, gazing at the clouds.

"Master, this old servant is eternally grateful for the ten Gathering Essence Pills you've bestowed upon me. I feel that with just seven days of secluded cultivation, I can break through my shackles and step into the Human Emperor Realm." Sun Zhen approached timidly and knelt directly on the ground.

"Then I will give you seven days." Jiang Xinghai looked at Sun Zhen from the side. Naturally, he wanted his servant to become stronger.

"But Master, this old servant doesn't understand. We clearly could have suppressed Cao Shan and Zheng Wuji just now. Why wait until tomorrow?" Sun Zhen wanted to go into seclusion to cultivate, but he was also worried that Jiang Xinghai would have no one to attend to him tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, my Second Senior Sister will return. She can negotiate with Zheng Wuji then. After all, they're both from the War Department. I'm just a common citizen; I don't want to get involved," Jiang Xinghai said with a half-smile.

At that point, he would only need to suppress Cao Shan himself.

"This old servant understands," Sun Zhen said, enlightened.

"When we get to the city later, we'll find a hotel. You can begin your secluded cultivation then. By the time you step into the Human Emperor Realm, we should probably be setting off for the Imperial City..." Jiang Xinghai was confident that seven days was enough time to resolve matters in Shanghai.

He would have an answer as early as tomorrow about whether his parents were at Mirror Lake Manor.

And as for the Imperial City, and the black-cloaked Mr. Long... it was about time for a direct confrontation.

Based on his understanding, he had initially believed Mr. Long's strength was at least at the Great Perfection of the Late-Stage Celestial Destiny Realm.

But after recently meeting Miss Feng, who was at the Middle Stage of the Celestial Destiny Realm, at the West Mountain cemetery in Shanhe Province, he'd heard from her that Mr. Long had apparently already stepped into the Human Emperor Realm!

The Human Emperor Realm was just one step away from the pinnacle of the Mortal World.

Above the Human Emperor Realm was the Guiyuan Realm!

That was the true ceiling!

"Nightingale, find a hotel when we get back. I need to make a final push in my cultivation tonight as well."

Jiang Xinghai sat up on the deck, gazing over the hazy, moonlit sea toward the brilliant lights of Shanghai in the distance.

Right now, he was only at the Late Stage of the Celestial Destiny Realm. After tonight, he would surely reach the Great Perfection of the Late Stage.

However, his body had long been accumulating Primordial Yin Power, all in preparation to directly leap over the great hurdle of the Celestial Destiny Realm and step into the Human Emperor Realm!

「Half an hour later.」

Jiang Xinghai's group arrived at a five-star hotel.

Sun Zhen took a room for himself and began to cultivate.

Jiang Xinghai also took a room for himself and began to cultivate.

As for Nightingale, she assigned soldiers from the War Department to stand guard outside both of their doors.

「Inside Jiang Xinghai's bedroom.」

He sat cross-legged and took out a pill that glowed with a blue light from the storage pouch left to him by his grandfather, Jiang Long.

'The Blood Soul Pill!'

Jiang Xinghai placed the Blood Soul Pill in his mouth, tilted his head back, and swallowed.

The moment the Blood Soul Pill entered his mouth, it transformed into a warm current that rushed down his esophagus and into his abdomen.

In an instant, Jiang Xinghai felt a scorching heat spread from his lower abdomen, and the Primordial Yin Power within his body began to flow into his meridians automatically.

Jiang Xinghai hurriedly began to refine the Primordial Yin Power.

Sharp pains gradually emanated from his lower abdomen, as if a hammer were repeatedly striking it with increasing force.

Whether he could break through to the Human Emperor Realm in one go now depended on whether he could endure it.