242: Red Tiger Sect declares independence

The three elders of Rapid Shadow Palace stared blankly.

It was as if they had been struck by a bolt of lightning, their minds blank, their ears filled with a buzzing like tinnitus.

The scene before them was simply too horrifying.

It had completely surpassed their understanding.

Even if they were unwilling to believe it, dared not believe it.

Yet the current scene fully explained that the fallen dry bones originated from the Shadow Master… “The Shadow Master… is gone?”

“He… he… the Shadow Master…”

“How is this possible!!! How is this possible!!!”

Swish!

Xiao Shi’s figure flickered.

He appeared behind Luo Jun and Tong Binhong.

His wide black cloak flapped in the air.

The darkness within the cloak, in the eyes of the three Rapid Shadow Palace elders, was like a demon hidden in the abyss, making them shiver and their hearts tremble.

From their positions, it seemed that this mysterious Black Robed Man was Luo Jun and Tong Binhong’s subordinate.

It seemed his status was far below Luo Jun and Tong Binhong.

Like Luo Jun and Tong Binhong’s enforcer… However, this enforcer was the source of the three Rapid Shadow Palace elders’ inner terror, their fighting spirit completely extinguished.

Fear grew and magnified in their hearts little by little.

With the Shadow Master dead, their fate was predictable.

Although in terms of numbers, they were still three against three.

But with the strength of this mysterious body cultivator, he alone could easily annihilate all of them.

Just as the three Rapid Shadow Palace elders’ faces turned pale and despair filled their hearts, Luo Jun spoke.

“Let’s negotiate peace.”

“Hmm?”

The three Rapid Shadow Palace elders were all stunned.

They wondered if they had heard wrong.

According to the current situation… the other party could completely eliminate all of them.

But Luo Jun proposed peace at this moment?

“From beginning to end, we never intended to destroy Rapid Shadow Palace; we just wanted to establish ourselves, and even after we establish ourselves, we can form an alliance with you.”

Tong Binhong also spoke at this moment.

The three Rapid Shadow Palace elders were a bit bewildered.

They were completely thrown off.

They had thought that after the other party eliminated the Shadow Master, the next step would be to deal with the three of them, and then annex the entire Rapid Shadow Palace.

But instead, the other party proposed peace and even an alliance.

What kind of move was this?

On the surface, he was a tool, but in reality, he was the mastermind behind the scenes, controlling the entire board. Xiao Shi silently observed everything.

This was an arrangement he had made after careful consideration earlier.

He knew that after killing the Shadow Master, they could indeed annex Rapid Shadow Palace, but this was not the most advantageous situation for them.

Because Xiao Shi knew that they still had to face other forces in Tian Dou Province.

Especially the other two first-tier forces: Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple.

If Xiao Shi had directly eliminated the Shadow Master of Rapid Shadow Palace along with the three elders this time, then Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple would certainly not miss such an opportunity.

If they attacked Rapid Shadow Palace at that time, Rapid Shadow Palace would definitely be unable to resist with its current strength.

Through Luo Jun and Tong Binhong, Xiao Shi had already learned that Rapid Shadow Palace could become a first-tier force in Tian Dou Province mainly due to two points.

First, the Shadow Master.

Because Tian Dou Province did not have Martial Demon Realm cultivators, in terms of Martial Soul Realm, Martial Soul Realm cultivators at the Soul Consciousness Stage were already the top combat power in Tian Dou Province.

It could be said that any force possessing a Martial Soul Realm cultivator at the Soul Consciousness Stage would inevitably become a first-tier force.

Second, Rapid Shadow Palace’s trump card.

That was the black shadow giant that appeared when they fought against the foreign Martial Soul Realm expert.

When Rapid Shadow Palace used this black shadow giant, its strength could even suppress a Martial Soul Realm cultivator at the Life Soul Stage.

However, to unleash this black shadow giant, it had to be centered around the five Shadow Cities, and the five Martial Soul Realm elders in charge of those five Shadow Cities had to unleash it together for it to succeed.

Last time, Rapid Shadow Palace relied on this black shadow giant to repel that foreign expert at the Life Soul Stage.

Otherwise, with the strength of that foreign expert, he could have directly slaughtered Rapid Shadow Palace.

After learning this, Xiao Shi realized that he could not kill these three Rapid Shadow Palace elders.

Once they were eliminated, even if he occupied Rapid Shadow Palace, he would not be able to unleash Rapid Shadow Palace’s powerful trump card.

If Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple had designs on them at that time, they would be in danger.

After all, Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple… both had Martial Soul Realm cultivators at the Soul Consciousness Stage, and they were uninjured Soul Consciousness Martial Soul Realm cultivators.

Without Rapid Shadow Palace’s powerful trump card, they would be unable to contend with these two first-tier forces.

“It’s a pity that the Azure Calamity Ancient Tree can only control two Martial Soul Realm experts at most right now, otherwise, if all five Rapid Shadow Palace elders could be controlled, it would be perfect.”

Xiao Shi shook his head.

With only the ability to control two Martial Soul Realm elders, the best approach was to form an alliance with them.

On one hand, after the alliance, if Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple had any intentions towards them, they could have Tree Shadow City return to its original position, forming the Five Shadow City again, and unleash Rapid Shadow Palace’s powerful trump card.

He believed that with the black shadow giant and the Azure Calamity Ancient Tree, even if they no longer had a Martial Soul Realm cultivator at the Soul Consciousness Stage overseeing them, self-preservation would be more than sufficient.

On the other hand, their alliance would still be led by their side.

After all, they were the stronger combat force, so they would naturally take the lead.

Basically, the entire Rapid Shadow Palace would still be under their control.

It could be said that this was the most advantageous choice at present.

Before killing the Shadow Master, Xiao Shi had also considered forming an alliance directly with them.

But with the Shadow Master present, Rapid Shadow Palace could not possibly form an alliance with them.

As soon as the Shadow Master’s injuries recovered, they could directly suppress them and unify Rapid Shadow Palace again—why would they ally?

Furthermore, even if they agreed to an alliance, it would be led by the Shadow Master.

Then the significance of their independence would be minimal.

It definitely wouldn't work.

No matter what, the Shadow Master had to be eliminated.

Only by getting rid of the Shadow Master would they be free from threats and be able to seize the initiative.

The Grand Elder of Rapid Shadow Palace, as the brains among the three elders, after careful consideration, immediately understood the other party’s intentions.

For both sides to establish themselves in Tian Dou Province, an alliance was indeed the only option.

However, even with an alliance, both sides would no longer be able to compete with Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple.

They would fall from a first-tier force to a second-tier one.

After all, they no longer had a Martial Soul Realm expert at the Soul Consciousness Stage.

They could only protect themselves.

They could not contend for a higher position.

This perfectly aligned with Xiao Shi’s intentions.

Currently, he did not want Tree Shadow Sect to attract too much attention.

Although Tree Shadow Sect itself was a shell to cover Red Tiger Sect, even with this shell, Xiao Shi wanted it to remain as low-key as possible.

This way, Red Tiger Sect could be concealed to the greatest extent.

Falling from first-tier to second-tier suited Xiao Shi’s low-key development strategy well.

The entire Rapid Shadow Palace would no longer be the focus or center of attention in Tian Dou Province.

This was most beneficial for Red Tiger Sect.

The Grand Elder of Rapid Shadow Palace sighed at this.

She knew they had no other choice now.

They could only form an alliance.

Only this way could Rapid Shadow Palace continue to establish itself in Tian Dou Province, and only then could they survive… That same day, both parties began discussing the relevant matters after the alliance.

As a “tool,” Xiao Shi did not participate in the detailed discussions.

He left it to Luo Jun and Tong Binhong.

He only needed to decide the general direction from behind the scenes.

After some discussion, they ultimately did not use the name Tree Shadow Sect, but instead divided Rapid Shadow Palace into East Palace and West Palace.

In a sense, this further strengthened their alliance.

Ordinarily, both sides would still manage their respective cities, and Luo Jun consequently returned to Sword Shadow City.

If major matters arose, they would be discussed jointly by the five elders.

Of course, in such discussions, the final decision-making power still rested with Luo Jun and Tong Binhong.

Tree Shadow City did not return to its original location but was situated in a mountain forest at some distance from Rapid Shadow Palace.

The main reason for separating from Rapid Shadow Palace’s four Shadow Cities was that Xiao Shi did not want Red Tiger Sect to attract attention.

This was the original intention of their independence.

Anyway, if other forces dared to scheme against them, the Azure Calamity Ancient Tree could immediately bring Tree Shadow City back to form the Five Shadow City.

Thus, Tree Shadow City initially completed its independence.

Xiao Shi mused that Red Tiger Sect was now basically covered by two layers of concealment.

The first layer was Rapid Shadow Palace.

The second layer was Tree Shadow Sect, which was now the Rapid Shadow East Palace.

With these two layers of shells… he believed it was enough to conceal Red Tiger Sect.

Of course, Xiao Shi also needed to implement a low-key development strategy within Red Tiger Sect.

He would ensure that all Red Tiger Sect disciples prioritized being low-key.

This way, no one would notice Red Tiger Sect.

Soon, the news of the change in Rapid Shadow Palace spread throughout Tian Dou Province at the first opportunity.

It attracted the attention of many forces in Tian Dou Province.

The most delighted by this were Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple.

After all, the former Rapid Shadow Palace, being a first-tier force alongside them, was a major competitor. Now, with one less competitor, it was naturally a situation they were happy to see.

At the same time, they all began to harbor thoughts of annexing Rapid Shadow Palace.

“If we can swallow Rapid Shadow Palace, we can further strengthen ourselves, and then we will naturally become the strongest force in Tian Dou Province!”

Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple, by coincidence, both set their sights on Rapid Shadow Palace.

The first step in their competition was to see who could swallow Rapid Shadow Palace first.

The side that swallowed Rapid Shadow Palace would have an absolute advantage.

But just as they had planned everything and were ready to act, on the high mountain of Extreme Fire Sect’s main gate, a huge explosion erupted.

Boom!!

A huge explosion.

It erupted from the mountaintop, echoing in all directions.

Along with this explosion, a cloud of smoke and dust spread.

The Sect Leader of Ji Huo Sect walked out from the sunken mountain wall.

He gazed at the departing figure ahead, not blocking him.

Not until the other party disappeared.

Only then did he lower his head to look at the black flame burning on his chest, extended his right hand, pressed it down, and after some effort, extinguished the black flame on his chest.

“What kind of flame is this!?”

The Sect Leader of Ji Huo Sect’s eyes held strong shock and apprehension.

As a sect primarily cultivating fire, he believed he had some knowledge of most flames.

But he had never seen such a flame that could incinerate Soul Consciousness.

After a moment of contemplation, the Sect Leader of Ji Huo Sect quickly issued an order within Extreme Fire Sect.

“Cease the attack on Rapid Shadow Palace!”

He knew very well that this newly emerged mysterious expert from Rapid Shadow Palace had deliberately come to tell him that even though Rapid Shadow Palace had changed, it was not something Extreme Fire Sect could covet.

Although the two sides had only a preliminary exchange, the other party’s black flame… had already aroused the Sect Leader of Ji Huo Sect’s apprehension and attention.

With such a powerful expert guarding Rapid Shadow Palace, annexation was impossible.

A day later, the same battle situation appeared in Lei Miao Temple.

“Amitabha.”

The Abbot of Lei Miao Temple was a tall, burly, but very old monk with a weathered face.

At this moment, a black flame was also burning on his chest.

After he used his own Soul Consciousness to extinguish this flame, he also issued the same command as the Sect Leader of Ji Huo Sect.

Cease the attack on Rapid Shadow Palace!

...“As expected, I had to fight them to make them abandon the idea of attacking Rapid Shadow Palace.”

Xiao Shi had already returned to Tree Shadow City.

He knew that Extreme Fire Sect and Lei Miao Temple had both given up their actions against Rapid Shadow Palace.

“However…”

“A Martial Soul Realm cultivator at the Soul Consciousness Stage in peak condition is indeed not someone I can deal with right now.”

Xiao Shi recalled that during his previous encounters with these two Martial Soul Realm experts at the Soul Consciousness Stage, even his Jingang Form almost couldn’t withstand the sweep of their Soul Consciousness.

And this was when the other party was merely probing, not exerting their full strength.

From this, Xiao Shi also realized that the previous Shadow Master had been greatly exaggerated.

His injuries prevented him from even exerting half of his strength.

Of course, Xiao Shi was not trying to fight these two faction leaders to the death this time; he only needed to make the other party feel apprehensive, and his goal would be achieved.

Therefore, he would exchange one move with each of them and immediately withdraw.

Relying on the Soul Consciousness protection in his Jingang Form, Xiao Shi believed he could still withstand one attack from the opponent.

“With the deterrence of Yin Flame on Martial Soul Realm cultivators, even if these two factions compete and determine the strongest force in Tian Dou Province, they should no longer have designs on Rapid Shadow Palace.”

Xiao Shi thought to himself.

In this way, he wouldn’t have to stay in Tian Dou Province all the time and could confidently head to Star Luo Province!

After Xiao Shi learned about the Four Symbols Divine Martial Sect from Luo Jun, he had plans to go to Star Luo Province.

He knew he couldn’t stay in Tian Dou Province forever.

Especially since his current cultivation had hit a bottleneck; to break through, he had to come into contact with the Four Symbols Divine Martial Sect.

He needed to find a way to obtain subsequent breakthrough methods from the Four Symbols Divine Martial Sect.

And currently, only in Star Luo Province would he have a chance to contact the Four Symbols Divine Martial Sect.

Although going to Star Luo Province would carry some risks.

If he were caught by the Star Luo Territory Lord… he would certainly be finished.

However, Xiao Shi was very confident in his stealth abilities.

At the same time, he knew very well that although his current strength allowed him to establish himself in Tian Dou Province, it was far from enough.

As long as he hadn’t raised his strength to a level where he could contend with the Star Luo Territory Lord, Red Tiger Sect would always have to hide, with a sword perpetually hanging over its head.

Only when he was strong enough could he shatter this sword hanging over Red Tiger Sect!

“Judging by Red Tiger Sect’s current development trajectory, I believe it won’t be long before it becomes the strongest force in Tian Dou Province.”

“The stronger Red Tiger Sect becomes, the harder it will be to hide.”

“There will eventually be a day when it can no longer be hidden!”

“I must possess the power to protect Red Tiger Sect before that day arrives.”

Xiao Shi thought to himself.

And besides the safety of Red Tiger Sect, his own safety had also not yet been resolved.

The future crisis deduced by the fragment of the celestial compass was also a sword hanging over his head.

With his current strength, he was insufficient to resolve this crisis.

“Star Luo Province…”

Xiao Shi looked in the direction of Star Luo Province.

Only there could he become stronger.