Chapter 3234: Plan To Trap The Ephemera

The Elder took a pause before continuing again. "The wounded drakes fought fiercely once again, killing most of them, but they were overwhelmed by sheer coordination and tactics. One of them was captured alive."

Elyon clenched his fists. "To think they could plan something like that so well... no wonder it worked."

Lin Mu’s eyes narrowed. "And the rest of your kin arrived after that?"

"Yes," the Elder said with a heavy sigh. "By the time we reached the battlefield, the damage was done. The other two young drakes had already collapsed from their wounds. They survived, but only barely.

We annihilated the remaining enemies, but a few escaped. They used powerful teleportation talismans, something on par with spatial escape treasures. We could not stop them. The one who was captured vanished without a trace."

The chamber fell silent. Even the hum of the formation in the walls seemed to fade.

Daoist Chu’s voice came out low. "The Imperial Court’s report said nothing of this."

"Of course it did not," Lin Mu said, his tone quiet but edged with frustration. "They made it sound like an isolated skirmish. But this... this was a coordinated strike, an entire military operation."

The Elder nodded. "You understand, then. That is why we have not trusted the human courts for centuries. They are not the same as their ancestors were. They choose what to reveal, hiding their failures and responsibilities."

Lin Mu leaned back, his thoughts racing. "Then the Ephemera Sect must have used this same tactic in the past. They create diversions, overwhelm their target, and escape with what they came for before anyone can react. If they are still operating the same way, we can predict their movements, set a trap using their own method."

The Elder’s eyes glimmered with approval. "Clever. We shall make them believe the Ice Drake nests remain unguarded. But this time, their prey will be the hunters instead."

Daoist Chu nodded, his expression hard. "A fitting end for those who twist life for their schemes."

Lin Mu looked toward Meng Bai, who was still muttering softly in the distance, sketching out rune diagrams on a small slate of ice he had found. The young man’s enthusiasm and focus amidst all this grim talk brought a faint smile to Lin Mu’s face.

He then turned back to the Elder. "We will stand with you, Elder. Whatever comes next, the Ice Drakes will not face it alone."

The Elder smiled slightly, a rare warmth touching his features. "Then we are bound by purpose. May the cold and flame walk together until the threat is buried."

And as they began to plan, the aurora lights above shimmered brighter, casting long, multicolored reflections across the hall of living ice, a sign that within the frozen world, new bonds of alliance were taking form.

The discussion among Lin Mu and the Ice Drake Elder had continued for hours, turning from strategy to careful prediction of how the Ephemera Sect might retaliate. By the time the icy caverns grew dim and quiet, their plan had taken solid shape. A vast, invisible net that would wait patiently for the prey to step into it.

The hall where they sat glowed faintly from the crystalline walls, each surface shimmering with soft blue light. The ambient hum of the arrays echoed faintly in the background, pulsing like a heartbeat.

The Elder Ice Drake raised his head, his calm yet powerful voice filling the chamber. "We will begin by placing four of our strongest kin in isolated nests across the range. They will act as bait. Each will appear to be alone, vulnerable, and unguarded. The Ephemera Sect will not be able to resist."

Lin Mu nodded slowly, the gears of his mind already turning. "I will ensure the teleportation arrays are connected between each of these nests and this hall. Once an attack is detected, the arrays will activate instantly. The rest of the clan and us can be teleported to that nest immediately."

The elder gave a slight smile. "You truly think ahead, young one. They will not expect that. To them, it will appear like the same old lair, unguarded and complacent."

Daoist Chu, seated on a nearby icy platform that had shaped itself into a chair, leaned forward thoughtfully. "We should not underestimate them, though. They will come better prepared this time. The fact that they dared attack you once already means they are confident in their hidden means."

"Indeed," Monk Hushu added, rubbing his chin. "If they have the power to bind and teleport a young Ice Drake, then they surely have talismans and seals beyond the ordinary. Perhaps even peak-grade immortal tools."

The elder nodded, his icy beard glinting faintly. "That is why we must act carefully. Their arrogance will be their weakness. They will expect to strike quickly, using numbers and talismans to suppress our kin before reinforcements can arrive. They will never expect that the mountain itself will turn against them the moment they strike."

Lin Mu could almost picture it.

The silent nests beneath the glaciers, each one guarded by an Ice Drake whose presence was masked with carefully woven arrays. The Ephemera Sect descending like vultures, only for the ground to burst open and the wrath of the Ice Drakes to descend upon them.

"Still," Lin Mu said after a moment, "we should not forget that desperation makes people dangerous. They have already lost one of their catalysts, the young Ice Drake they took will not last forever if they use him for their rituals. They will need more bodies soon, and this time they might not stop at one."

The elder’s voice turned grim. "Then they will regret it dearly."

Lin Mu’s gaze hardened. "That is why I wish to catch them alive if possible. I need to know where they are hiding. Destroying a few of their members will not end this. The Ephemera Sect has been quiet for far too long. There is something greater they are building toward."

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