Chapter 1711: The plan is ready

“Great. It doesn’t require mastery over any new Laws—just advanced energy control.”

A wide smile spread across Cain’s face as he absorbed that critical detail from the Blood Burst technique. The last thing he wanted was to go hunting for cultivators skilled in the Law of Blood or the Law of Emptiness. That would’ve been a frustrating and time-consuming detour and could risk blowing up his cover.

“In essence,” Cain thought, “the technique consumes a portion of my life force and blood, transforming me into an untraceable beam of blood-light capable of outrunning even an Archdeity. Perfect.”

For most cultivators, such a cost would be deemed reckless. Burning one’s life force for a burst of speed wasn’t worth it—weakening them for decades or even centuries and risking permanent injury or cultivation deviation. But Cain was different.

For him, the act of burning life force in battle was routine. Thanks to the protective buffer of his Royal Rebirth Mark, there were no permanent consequences unless he pushed far beyond his current limits.

“And that boundary is only going to grow stronger once the Ouroboros System is fully implemented.”

A cold, calculating smile played across Cain’s lips. Still, he forced himself back to focus. He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, internalizing the Blood Burst technique. He could not afford even a moment of failure with this ability. His life will depend on its flawless execution.

Despite the aid of the Soul Enlightenment Mist, it took Cain nearly a week to fully master the technique. But once he did, the transformation was profound. He exhaled slowly, centered his mind, and focused on a distant point. Then, without hesitation, he activated the Blood Burst.

In less than a fraction of a nanosecond, Cain’s body erupted into a crimson flash. A streak of red light tore through the air, traveling countless kilometers in an instant before reforming into his human shape. As he stabilized, Cain let out a sharp breath, feeling the toll on his energy reserves.

“That was just a test run… and I only used one percent of my life force. Still, I traveled farther in a second than I previously could in a full minute. Incredible!”

His voice rang out with excitement and thrill. Until now, the one flaw in Cain’s combat style was the lack of a reliable escape method. But now, with Blood Burst in his arsenal, he had resolved the only gap in his defenses.

“Now that I have a way out… it’s time to deal with the truly difficult part—how to kill one of the Triumvirate.”

The joy vanished from Cain’s face, replaced by icy focus and a sharp killing intent. Despite all his recent breakthroughs, taking down a Peak Prime Deity was still an incredibly daunting task.

“In fact,” he admitted to himself, “unless I catch them wounded and completely isolated, it’s almost impossible.”

A deep frown creased Cain’s forehead as he considered the complexity of the operation. On the surface, it seemed nearly hopeless. That alone explained why Divine Calamity Heaven had been so confident in offering Archdeity Rank Techniques as a reward. They didn’t expect anyone to actually succeed.

But Cain wasn’t one to back down from the impossible.

His mind began to burn with strategies and scenarios as he analyzed the best path forward. The first step was selecting the target, and that decision was relatively straightforward.

“Michael—the white stag Deus Behemoth.”

Of the three leaders of Divine Sea Heaven’s army, Michael was the only one who favored a melee-based combat style. That made him more vulnerable to direct attacks, especially during close-quarters engagements, and less likely to draw the fight out over a long period—exactly what Cain needed.

“Now, the battlefield…”

Cain’s eyes glowed faintly as he mentally mapped out every known terrain and phenomenon within the Endlessdeath Continent. The choice of location was crucial. The target had to be completely isolated. No interference from Divine Sea Heaven, and certainly no involvement from Divine Calamity Heaven.

If any of Michael’s allies sensed real danger, they’d surely rush to protect him. And if Zoro, Andrew, or Maria arrived, they might try to claim the kill themselves, robbing Cain of the credit. That could lead to his reward being revoked—something he couldn’t afford.

“To claim the Worldcell Ascension Method, I have to kill him alone. No support. If Andrew dares challenge that, he’ll have to dismantle the entire reward system, which even he won’t risk.”

After several minutes of consideration, a location finally came to Cain’s mind.

“This could work. It’s dangerous. If the white stag turns out to be superior in battle… I won’t be able to escape. I might die.”

Despite the grim possibility, Cain’s expression remained resolute. The battlefield had been chosen. Now came the final—and perhaps most difficult—step of all.

“How do I wound him before the battle even begins?”

The idea of a fair fight never even crossed Cain’s mind. A duel between equals, both at full strength, was suicide. If poisoning the white stag or ambushing him in a weakened state gave him an edge, Cain would take it in a heartbeat.

Some would call that cowardly.

But Cain was not even a hundred years old. His opponent was likely over a million—and had the full backing of an Omega Lord Tier Organization. The odds were never meant to be fair.

All these “schemes” simply leveled the field.

Scenario after scenario played through his thoughts. Various poisons, energy traps, psychic interference—all measured, calculated, refined. It took nearly half an hour before Cain arrived at a viable plan, one that could ensure the white stag would be seriously wounded and drained of energy before their true battle even began.

“The plan is ready. Now I just need to execute it.”

Cain stood, his aura pulsing softly with anticipation. The pieces were finally falling into place. He had the escape route. He had the target. He had the battlefield. And now, he had a plan to begin the battle with the advantage.

The time of silent murders was over.

The hunt had begun.