The Plan Falls Through

Five figures emerged from the Land of Fallen Gods, striding across the heavens.

With each step spanning a thousand miles, their movements left no trace.

Only when they spotted a distant ship on the horizon did they halt, their auras unfathomably profound, their eyes brimming with mocking pity.

"Pitiful, ignorant ants."

"Millions of years of arduous cultivation, yet this is all they amount to. To even dare defile the sacred land—such arrogance is a capital offense!"

"Indeed. Fools who know not their place—this is simply fate's decree."

The terrifying Starfall Ancient Ship stirred not a ripple in their eyes, appearing as nothing more than a tattered wreck, as fragile as duckweed adrift on water.

A mere flick of their fingers could obliterate it with ease.

As for the mortals aboard the vessel, they earned only disdainful glances from the group.

The leader, more composed than the others, turned with a cold reminder.

"Brothers."

"This matter may seem trivial, but it was personally ordered by Lord Yao. We must carry it out flawlessly. Once we return, we shall be rewarded with divine nectar!"

At these words, the group straightened, their spirits lifted.

The eldest among them flicked his sleeve, summoning a crystalline vial into his palm.

"This is the Breath-Severing Soulbane Elixir. Half a vial remains from last time. Even this much, if poured into the sea, would poison all primordial sea beasts within a million miles, turning the waters into a graveyard of floating corpses!"

The others shuddered, nodding in solemn agreement.

Still unsatisfied, the leader scanned their surroundings thoughtfully.

"Brothers, we cannot afford the slightest mistake."

"Though the Soulbane Elixir is deadly, a mere million-mile radius may not cripple the sea clans. Let us fan the flames further—with the Heaven's Five Annihilation Array, we shall harness the power of the heavens to amplify its spread!"

The others' eyes gleamed with admiration.

"Brother Liu speaks wisely!"

"If we can extend the poison's reach to ten million miles, the sea clans will suffer catastrophic losses. That wretched ship will be caught in the inferno, doomed to sink beneath the waves!"

With shared cold smiles, the five dispersed across the sky.

In an instant!

They took positions of profound alignment, with the leader at the helm, channeling terrifying cosmic power. Clouds churned, and waves trembled in response.

As the vial's contents spilled into the sea, the poison spread like a living thing, guided by unseen forces, hunting down every trace of life beneath the waves!

Hidden among the clouds, the group watched with eager anticipation.

"Hahaha..."

"Let us wait patiently and enjoy the show!"

"Sea beasts are vile, but mortals are even more despicable. A battle of dogs is always entertaining!"

Seconds passed in silence.

Yet the sea remained undisturbed—no massive corpses of primordial beasts surfaced. Their smiles faded, replaced by puzzled glances.

"This... makes no sense..."

"Something is wrong. Even primordial sea beasts cannot resist the Soulbane Elixir. Why is there not a single carcass?"

"You ask me?"

"Did you not exert your full power when forming the array?"

"You're the one who slacked off!"

After bickering briefly, the leader grew uneasy. Lingering risked exposure, so he coldly ordered their retreat back to the Land of Fallen Gods.

......

Atop the ornate tower of Broken Cliff City, Yao Qianji gazed at the distant sea, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

Footsteps echoed behind him as several figures entered the hall.

"My Lord..."

Before the report could finish, the gathered elites exchanged knowing smiles.

Yao Qianji turned, his expression feigning magnanimous superiority.

"Gentlemen."

"You have proven yourselves as elites of this city, executing your task with precision. Join me for a celebratory drink."

Yet the group hesitated, unmoving.

The leader bowed nervously, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"My Lord, forgive us..."

"We poured the Soulbane Elixir into the sea and amplified its spread with the Heaven's Five Annihilation Array. Yet... no sea beast corpses appeared. We do not understand why..."

"Our knowledge is limited, so we came to report. We await your judgment, my Lord."

Tension thickened the hall as Yao Qianji's icy gaze swept over them.

"Is this true?!"

Terrified, the group dropped to their knees, kowtowing in unison.

"My Lord, we swear it is the truth!"

Silence gripped the hall as all exchanged uneasy glances.

After a long, scrutinizing pause, Yao Qianji set down his wine cup with a cold clink.

"I doubt you would dare lie."

"Take me there. I shall see for myself."

With a flick of his sleeve, the group obeyed instantly, tearing through the void.

Moments later, they stood atop the clouds, staring blankly at the sea below—where only ordinary fish and shrimp floated.

Minutes passed in stunned silence. No one dared speak, nor could anyone fathom how things had gone so awry.

Yao Qianji's face darkened.

Closing his eyes, his overwhelming cultivation shook the heavens.

Within moments, his divine sense spanned millions of miles, scouring nearly half the sea.

When his eyes reopened, his brow furrowed slightly.

"Strange... most strange..."

"Not a single primordial sea beast within ten million miles. How can this be? They have dominated these waters since time immemorial—this has never happened..."

Even he was baffled. The others exchanged bewildered looks.

What could have driven the primordial sea beasts away?

Their flawless plan to pit beast against mortals had crumbled. The situation had spiraled beyond control.

Amid the tense silence, another subordinate stepped forward with a bow.

"My Lord..."

"That mortal ship still approaches the sacred land. What shall we do?"

What shall we do?

With things as they were, what options remained?

Could they truly descend personally to slaughter mere mortals?

Those fools had stumbled into unimaginable luck!

Yao Qianji's expression turned thunderous. Without another word, he tore through the void and vanished.

......

Half a month later.

Aboard the Starfall Ancient Ship, figures of all ranks crowded the rails, gazing in awe at the distant silhouette of land bathed in sunset hues.

"Holy—look! Is that—?!"

"The Land of Fallen Gods! Are we really about to arrive?!"

"Hahaha! This old man must be blessed by fate!"

"To think this voyage would go so smoothly! Captain, we’re nearly there!"

"I never imagined it either!"

Cheers and excited chatter filled the air, faces flushed with exhilaration.

The silhouette grew clearer, as if the path to immortality lay just beyond reach.

On the top deck, a young maidservant jumped with joy, her cheeks rosy.

"Miss! Miss, look! We’ve truly reached the Land of Fallen Gods!"

Amid the jubilation, even Lin Ruowei could no longer suppress her excitement. Her delicate hands tightened on the rail as she stared toward the horizon.