Li Yu reappeared at the edge of the Asura Demon Clan’s territory as silently as he had left, a ghost returning from the void. He walked calmly back into the bustling caldera city, which was now a hive of activity as some of the various sects and clans were still making their preparations to depart. He quickly found Fat Pig, who was overseeing the Guild’s own preparations, his face a mask of concern.

“Wise Host! You’re back!” he exclaimed in relief. “The leaders were all asking where you had gone. I simply told them you were attending to a private matter and would be back soon.”

“Good,” Li Yu said, his expression grim. He handed the small vial containing the clear antidote to his friend. “Give this to Fengliu. Tell him to investigate it. I want to know everything about it—what it’s made of, if we can replicate it, and if there are any forces on this continent with the skill and resources to create such a thing. This is a top priority.”

Fat Pig nodded, his expression turning serious as he carefully stored the precious vial. “It will be done, Wise Host.” He then gave Li Yu a searching look. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Li Yu replied, though it was not entirely the truth. He was physically unharmed, but a deep, profound weariness was beginning to settle in his bones. He watched as Fat Pig gave a few final orders and then departed on a swift, small-scale flying vessel, rushing back to the Guild’s main headquarters with the new intelligence.

Li Yu stood for a long moment, watching the controlled chaos of the departing guests. He shook his head, a bitter, tired smile on his face. He had taken this time away specifically to escape from all these things—the shadowy factions, the constant fighting, the weight of the world.

He had wanted a simple, peaceful vacation, a chance to see the world and enjoy its simple pleasures. And yet, trouble had found him anyway. An entire gathering of the region’s most powerful cultivators had been brought to its knees, and he had been forced to step into the center of the storm once again.

He was getting tired of these groups and their cowardly, insidious actions. But as he stood there, he wondered how best to approach the problem. The old methods, of reacting and defending, were clearly not enough.

Later that evening, after the last of the guests had departed and they were able to settle back down at the clan, Li Yu sat down with Cyra and Spine. They gathered in the quiet solitude of his courtyard, a protective formation now sealing them off from the rest of the world. The air was still and quiet, a stark contrast to the turmoil in Li Yu’s mind.

He laid out the situation as he saw it, his voice low and serious. “We now have confirmation of the Beast Revolution Faction operating on the west side of this continent as well, similar to what they were doing in the south. Today's attack was their doing. And thanks to their leader’s carelessness, I have located their hidden base in the western mountains. The question is, what do we do about it?”

He looked at his companions, his frustration evident in his voice. “My first, anger-fueled thought is to go and destroy that base. To wipe it from the face of this continent and send a clear message that they are not welcome here.”

Cyra, who had been listening patiently, was the first to speak. Her voice was calm and analytical, a cooling balm on Li Yu’s heated emotions. “And what would that accomplish, truly?” she asked, her gaze sharp.

“You destroy a base, you kill a few hundred of their foot soldiers, perhaps even the elder you let go. And then what? The Beast Faction is a massive, continent-spanning organization. They will simply build another base. If you destroy that one, they will build a third. You need to cut off the roots, it is pointless spending your energy to cut the leaves off a weed while the root remains untouched and grows ever deeper.”

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She leaned forward, her expression serious. “Killing the head of all these lower-level members, even if they are elders in their own right, will not truly ever root them out. It is a temporary solution, a satisfying but ultimately futile gesture. To win this war, we have to go for the true leaders, the Soul Formation experts from the White Tiger Continent who are hiding in the shadows, pulling the strings. The problem is, as we have seen, they are incredibly difficult to find, and even more difficult to kill.”

Her logic was undeniable. A direct, brute-force assault was a tactic, not a strategy. It would solve the immediate problem, but it would not win the war. Li Yu fell silent, considering her words.

It was then that Spine spoke, his voice a low, gravelly rumble that seemed to vibrate with a deep, ancient sorrow. He had a deeply personal interest in the Beast Faction; the hope that his son might still be alive, a captive or a convert among them, was a fire that had burned in him since that discovery. “Elder Cyra is correct,” he said, his gaze distant. “Cutting off the snake’s tail will not kill it.”

He then looked at Li Yu, a new, hard light in his sorrowful eyes. “But it will make the head turn. It will make the head angry.” He proposed his own plan, one born of a hunter’s instinct and a father’s desperate hope. “I propose we do exactly as you first suggested, Young Master. We attack the west camp and destroy it utterly.”

“By destroying their base of operation, by burning down their nest and slaughtering their young, we force them to react. These true leaders, these powerful beings who hide in the shadows and send their subordinates to do their dirty work—they cannot keep ignoring such a direct and devastating blow to their power and prestige. Eventually, they will have to act. They will have to show themselves, either to retaliate or to investigate. And when they do, we will be waiting.”

It was a risky, aggressive plan. It was not about defense or reaction; it was about provocation. It was a plan to deliberately kick the hornet’s nest, to force the true enemies out into the open by causing them so much pain that they could no longer afford to hide. It was not a plan for a decisive victory, but a plan to start the real war.

Li Yu considered the two arguments. Cyra’s caution was wise, a reflection of her long, ancient life and her understanding of the futility of endless, small-scale conflicts. Spine’s aggression, however, resonated with the frustration and anger that was currently simmering in Li Yu’s own heart. He was tired of this shadow war. He was tired of being on the defensive and reacting.

He also considered the new information he had learned from Grand Elder Theron. Traveling between the continents was hard and resource-intensive. These factions couldn’t just keep sending over new armies at will. Every base, every elder, every piece of equipment they managed to bring to this continent was a significant, costly investment.

Destroying one of their bases wasn't just a minor annoyance; it was a major strategic blow. It was a loss of resources and influence that they could not easily replace. Spine’s plan was definitely risky, but the potential reward—luring out a true leader—was immense. The plan was set to this now. It would seem like his earlier actions with making the faction think the attack was from the Human Faction now useless. This plan also came with risks as well, what if their top leader was too strong? He himself had recently gotten stronger using demonic qi, his confidence was high for facing down strong enemies.

It was at this time that he thought to himself, he’s being quite bold, quite aggressive in his thoughts. Is this due to him being simply tired of having his peace disrupted? Did the demonic qi have some effect on him after all? He wasn’t sure, but it was a bit of a disturbing thought to have.

He truly didn’t feel any different, everything was as it was before. Perhaps it is all just a coincidence but he made up his mind to be more diligent with himself. He still felt like Spine’s plan was the best course of action.

“We will do it,” Li Yu said, his voice firm, his decision made. “Spine’s plan is the way forward. We will stop reacting and start hunting. We will make them fear us and drive them away from this continent.”