Chapter 428 A Well-Laid Plan

　　The tug-of-war involving the mountains, rivers, water vapor, and the network of earth veins lasted for nearly a month.

　　During this month, the contest between Ye Chuxiao and Xiao Chi could be considered a back-and-forth affair, with neither side gaining a decisive advantage.

　　But in reality, if things continued in this manner.

　　Ye Chuxiao was destined to win.

　　Because as the six-year agreement drew closer, and as Ye Chuxiao continued to ‘add points’ to himself using Dao rhymes, his strength would continue to rapidly increase for a considerable period.

　　Even if Xiao Chi also made progress, his growth rate could never match Ye Chuxiao’s.

　　Of course, the most crucial and important point was that Xiao Chi had fallen for the trap!

　　Don’t forget who initially proposed this system, and who was its original designer.

　　It was Ye Chuxiao!

　　Although Ye Chuxiao was now using the 'dark web' to reverse-invade the main network, engaging in a tug-of-war.

　　This was merely a smokescreen. As the dark web invaded, those parts that didn't align with Ye Chuxiao's original design and hindered his performance were quietly being removed and erased.

　　The 'chief designer' of the dark web was also Ye Chuxiao, even though the Original Intent Church had mixed in their own agendas during implementation.

　　But who knew if those parts where they could add their agendas weren't intentionally left as a smokescreen by Ye Chuxiao?

　　The dark web was originally just a supplementary addition to the direct perception network, and the Original Intent Church could never make major changes. The parts where they could interfere were quite limited.

　　This made Ye Chuxiao's arrangements in the dark web more controllable.

　　Once Ye Chuxiao's invasion of the direct perception network reached more than 50%, both sides would be Ye Chuxiao's home field.

　　At that time, even if Xiao Chi still had a leading advantage in the realm of Wu Ding, he wouldn't be Ye Chuxiao's match. He could only watch as Ye Chuxiao refined the world and reached a higher position, crushing him.

　　This was like certain specific wars.

　　Regardless of the final outcome of the battle, as long as it started, one side had already lost.

　　This was a strategic mistake.

　　Despite possessing an almost absolute advantage, Ye Chuxiao didn't relax in the slightest.

　　Perhaps he was already 'overestimating' Xiao Chi, but he would rather overestimate than be caught off guard at a crucial moment due to insufficient preparation, leading to a reverse comeback.

　　The current Ye Chuxiao wasn't in a hurry, accumulating advantages bit by bit, and then… crushing everything.

　　On Cold Mountain, Ye Chuxiao sat high on the altar. The nine stone dragons, after repeated sacrifices, appeared lifelike. They moved in and out of the clouds, influencing the changes in the world's wind and water vapor, and painting infinite landscapes in the clouds.

　　If Ye Chuxiao had entered the Wu Ding realm from the realm of Transformation, these nine dragons might have come to life, no longer just simple creations.

　　Footsteps came from the mountain path.

　　Someone holding the token given by Ye Chuxiao knocked on the door outside the altar's formation.

　　"Enter!" Ye Chuxiao gathered the nine dragons and paused today's tug-of-war.

　　Using the mountains, rivers, water vapor, and earth veins as a net, his control over the entire world had strengthened somewhat.

　　Today's harvest was already enough.

　　In a while, he could consume two Dao rhymes and add another point.

　　Outside the altar, the clouds dissipated. He Gang, holding a jade seal, walked onto the altar. After seeing Ye Chuxiao, he respectfully saluted, completely placing himself in the position of a 'subordinate'.

　　Since Ye Chuxiao had cultivated to the Wu Ding realm, cultivators like He Gang, who had originally cooperated with the Cold Mountain Flower Assembly out of ideals and interests, now truly had a backbone.

　　The strength of power is always the only way to gain a voice.

　　"Chairman, guests from the Divine Capital!" He Gang said.

　　Upon hearing this, Ye Chuxiao frowned slightly. With a thought, he had already scanned outside Cold Mountain.

　　"So it's them!" Ye Chuxiao knew why He Gang had come to report specifically.

　　During the month of entanglement, Xiao Chi had repeatedly used the prestige of the imperial court to pressure Ye Chuxiao, attempting to hinder Ye Chuxiao's progress through worldly influence.

　　Of course, every attempt before had been unsuccessful.

　　Whether it was arranging envoys to come and question or appease him, or sending a large army to create the impression of flattening Cold Mountain, Ye Chuxiao remained as steady as Mount Tai, not even needing to show his face personally.

　　The members of the Cold Mountain Flower Assembly alone, as well as those cross-border individuals who owed Ye Chuxiao favors, were enough to take care of these troubles for Ye Chuxiao.

　　And from some places that weren't really important, they would give a certain 'retaliation'.

　　These minor entanglements might seem earth-shattering to those involved.

　　But to Ye Chuxiao and Xiao Chi, they were… just that.

　　Whether it was attacking or retaliating, these weren't considered tests, but rather attempts to exert a little influence from the edges.

　　If they could gain something… even if it only achieved the purpose of interference, it would be considered a great success.

　　However, this time was different. The visitors who came to visit Ye Chuxiao were Shi Huang and Yuan Shen.

　　They weren't just old acquaintances of Ye Chuxiao.

　　Regardless of the reason, when Ye Chuxiao was still relatively weak, these two had indeed provided some assistance in an objective sense.

　　In terms of both sentiment and reason, Ye Chuxiao should meet them.

　　Of course, Ye Chuxiao could also directly ignore any unreasonable requests.

　　Shi Huang and Yuan Shen could only be considered to have a friendship with Ye Chuxiao, as well as assistance within the scope of permission and procedure. In essence, there was no great kindness or virtue to speak of.

　　After all, the things Ye Chuxiao had done in the Ministry of Justice and the Six Doors were also beneficial to them, belonging to meritorious service and receiving rewards, rather than unearned gains, let alone their selfless dedication.

　　It was just that, from another perspective, sometimes meritorious service was rewarded, and付出就有收获, this kind of justified 'fairness', from a realistic point of view, could barely be considered a kind of 'favor'.

　　This fairness ensured the stability and security of Ye Chuxiao's initial development.

　　Too much rampant self-interest and supremacy of power had long turned many things that should be taken for granted into rare and precious qualities.

　　For example, a boss who pays on time, doesn't arbitrarily demand overtime, and gives overtime pay for overtime work is a rare and good boss, and everyone would think so without questioning it.

　　But in reality… these are all obligations that corporate legal persons should fulfill according to legal provisions. It's not considered a virtue, only 'legal'.

　　It's just that when violations, infringement of rights, suppression of employees, seizing credit, arbitrary insults, and other situations occur too often, this rationality and legality become lovely and kind.

　　"Xiao Chi arranged for them to see me at this time, so there must be some manipulation."

　　"However, he should have made some deductions about me, and shouldn't expect to restrain me with these two people."

　　"So, there must be another trick!"

　　Thinking of this, Ye Chuxiao casually grabbed a ball of energy, kneaded it a few times in his hand, and blew a breath.

　　The energy turned into a human figure and rolled onto the altar.

　　With Ye Chuxiao's guidance, the human figure vaguely opened its eyes.

　　"Who are you?" Ye Chuxiao asked the person made of energy.

　　The human figure answered very decisively: "I am Ye Chuxiao! I am Ye Chuxiao!"

　　"Very good!" Ye Chuxiao smiled and waved his hand.

　　"Then go!" Then he sent the human figure made of energy to the foot of the mountain.

　　Yuan Shen and Shi Huang stood at the boundary stone at the foot of the mountain, both with a hint of melancholy in their expressions.

　　When they saw 'Ye Chuxiao' open the formation and come to greet them in person, the two looked at each other and saw a trace of guilt in each other's eyes, and then they became firm.

　　They were here to solve 'trouble'.

　　The 'web war' between Ye Chuxiao and Xiao Chi was a big trouble.

　　To Wu Ding cultivators, it was just a small sneeze, but falling on the mountains, rivers, and people, it was a catastrophe.

　　Ye Chuxiao and Xiao Chi were fighting over the web, pulling each other, although they were still restrained, they had already caused multiple dam breaches and shifts in mountains and rivers within a month.

　　Many people were displaced, and countless fertile fields were destroyed as a result.

　　Yuan Shen and Shi Huang didn't know the truth, couldn't see the 'danger of destruction' after Xiao Chi obtained the world, and naturally couldn't put themselves in Ye Chuxiao's perspective, and couldn't understand what was better, a long pain or a short one.

　　They only knew that Ye Chuxiao was 'rebellious' and wanted to seize control of the world's earth veins and water vapor through the mountain and river web.

　　This was an act of harming the people for personal gain.

　　As officials of the Great Heng Dynasty, concerned about the people, they wouldn't condone it.

　　They were here today to '劝阻' Ye Chuxiao.

　　The moment they saw 'Ye Chuxiao' appear, a spiritual pearl in Shi Huang's arms lit up.

　　Shi Huang and Yuan Shen attacked at the same time without even greeting each other.

　　The two's domains combined into one, temporarily resisting the aftermath of the formation at the foot of Cold Mountain.

　　A divine artifact like a large black pot had already been released and was covering the 'substitute' that Ye Chuxiao had created.

　　This large black pot had the characteristic of 'transfer'.

　　Once the 'Ye Chuxiao' made of energy was covered, it would be immediately transferred away.

　　Ye Chuxiao was about to act to stop it.

　　At the same time, Xiao Chi launched a wave of contention on the 'web'. Ye Chuxiao had to spend more attention to deal with Xiao Chi's invasion, so as not to be robbed of too much share.

　　"So that's the idea."

　　"Because he has tested out some of my abilities and personality, he deliberately arranged for Shi Huang and Yuan Shen to come."

　　"He didn't expect that I would personally meet Shi Huang and Yuan Shen. Knowing my caution, he must have arranged for a substitute with no direct connection to handle it."

　　"And that's what Xiao Chi wants."

　　"As long as he operates well, using the Great Heng Dynasty's propaganda and execution, he can make me a 'substitute' and let the substitute become the 'me' in the social sense."

　　"If he succeeds, Cold Mountain will become a truly isolated mountain, instead of being suppressed and attacked by the imperial court on the surface like it is now, but still able to obtain aid from all directions, even from the stars."

　　"This plan, of course, has many loopholes, but Xiao Chi doesn't want it to last long, seven or eight days at most, three or five days at least, as long as it takes effect, he must have follow-up moves."

　　"His purpose is not to subvert or destroy, but to make me, to make the Cold Mountain Flower Assembly mess up, as long as we disrupt our own positions, he can recklessly capture territory on the web."

　　"This calculation is really good."

　　Ye Chuxiao cleared up the causes and consequences in just a moment.

　　The advantage of Hui Jing Wu Ding allowed him to construct many 'real' models in his mind with very little information, and then filter out the most likely one from the models.

　　It was still a kind of inference, but the accuracy and information completeness were much stronger than ordinary inferences.

　　"The plan is very good, but how can you know that this isn't my plan within a plan?"

　　"Actively making a move, of course, has the advantage of going first, but it will also reveal flaws first!"

　　"Xiao Chi… do you have other mysteries, or are you just like this?" Ye Chuxiao concentrated on resisting Xiao Chi's wave of attacks.

　　At the same time, he opened his mouth and said to Shi Huang and Yuan Shen: "I regard you two as friends, that's why I opened the door to see you. Although I have reservations, it's still to preserve the relationship between us."

　　"Now that I think about it, it's me, Ye Chuxiao, who is being sentimental!"

　　"Gentlemen! Goodbye, from now on, we break off our friendship, and if we meet again, I will never hold back!"

　　Shi Huang and Yuan Shen, enduring the voice from Ye Chuxiao, looked up and saw the giant face revealed from the clouds above the sky, and showed horrified expressions.

　　Shi Huang mustered up the courage to shout: "Ye Chuxiao! You were also full of enthusiasm, why are you now causing people to live in poverty for your own selfish desires?"

　　Ye Chuxiao sighed and said: "Lord Shi! You have been an official for many years, how can you not know that black and white are not limited to what you see?"

　　"Who is selfish, who is harming the country and the people, what you say doesn't count, what I say doesn't count… what he says, naturally doesn't count either!"

　　After saying that, Ye Chuxiao blew a gust of wind from afar.

　　The wind stirred, directly throwing Yuan Shen and Shi Huang hundreds of miles away.

　　"The substitute has completely lost contact, and it is clear that it has been controlled."

　　"Next, he should be adding private goods to modify my substitute."

　　"Just wait for the results."

　　"It is the marks left on Shi Huang and Yuan Shen that need to be paid attention to."

　　"They are all people with a heart. They must have taken today's conversation to heart. Maybe I still need them to help me explore some of Xiao Chi's truths."

　　Slowly withdrawing his mind, a 'web' tug-of-war gradually turned into calm.

　　However, both Ye Chuxiao and Xiao Chi knew in their hearts that they were in a state of mutual restraint.

　　Neither of them could do anything to the other for the time being, and neither of them would easily move or leave their positions.

　　A short-term loss of control would lead to a complete and total collapse.

　　Of course, this kind of tug-of-war was a cognitive trap set by Ye Chuxiao.

　　The more energy and time Xiao Chi spent in this tug-of-war, the more tragic his defeat would be in the end.

　　"There is a question, if there is no this layer of web that I have laid out, how did Xiao Chi refine the world in the end?"

　　"Just use a method similar to 'transformation into the Dao'?" Ye Chuxiao thought of this question for the seventh time, and still didn't deduce the answer to this question on the wisdom sandbox.

　　Without key clues, there was no clear answer.

　　"Dragon Queen Yuan Meng, I hope you can bring me surprises!" Ye Chuxiao thought.

　　Xiao Chi has made a move outside the board!

　　Of course, Ye Chuxiao couldn't have done nothing.

　　Shi Huang and Yuan Shen were pawns used to shake Ye Chuxiao.

　　And Yuan Meng was the pawn that Ye Chuxiao used to shake Xiao Chi… or rather Xiao Nianchen.