536: Chapter 536 Conspiracy

Biyou Pool.

"Strange, how very strange!"

Demon Lord Cangyuan looked at Demon Lord Chixia with a face full of doubt. "Is there a hidden high-level Cultivator in your Star Academy? A Peak Nascent Soul Ghost Commander went missing, yet Lianyue Immortal Palace hasn't made a single move!"

After Ghost Commander Youming disappeared at the Star Academy, Demon Lord Cangyuan went to the Black Death Marsh to report the matter.

But after so much time had passed, neither Lianyue Immortal Palace nor the Star Academy had taken any action, as if nothing had happened at all.

A few days ago, he sent another message to the Black Death Marsh to inquire about the situation, only to be told that Ghost Commander Youming hadn't disappeared but had gone into secluded meditation.

Furthermore, Lianyue Immortal Palace canceled his mission to kill Liu Tongxiao without providing any reason.

Lianyue Immortal Palace was simply talking nonsense!

Whether Ghost Commander Youming was in seclusion or not—others might not know, but how could he not?

'Could it be that Daoist Lord Lihuo left some kind of hidden measure on Liu Tongxiao, and Lianyue Immortal Palace is no longer willing to move against him?'

"Brother Cangyuan, are you very familiar with Lianyue Immortal Palace in the Black Death Marsh?" Demon Lord Chixia's expression was frighteningly indifferent.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had been played. Demon Lord Cangyuan didn't truly want to help him get rid of Liu Tongxiao; he just wanted to get something on him to tie their interests together.

To Demon Lord Cangyuan, as long as the two of them did this together, it didn't matter if they succeeded or not—the objective had already been achieved.

He had felt that Demon Lord Cangyuan was far too eager about this matter back then; thinking about it now, it all made sense.

He only had himself to blame for being blinded by the news of a Rank 5 Bloodline Yao Beast; otherwise, he should have seen through it long ago.

However, this matter was primarily handled by Demon Lord Cangyuan; strictly speaking, he was only acting for self-preservation.

Chixia had only been played once and hadn't suffered any actual losses; Demon Lord Cangyuan could still be considered decent!

Demon Lord Cangyuan took one look at Demon Lord Chixia's face and immediately saw through his thoughts.

But he didn't explain. He simply nodded slightly and replied, "I dealt with them in my earlier years. I thought I could use their hands to help you. I am truly sorry!"

Demon Lord Chixia didn't speak. After a long silence, he said slowly, "It is fate; I cannot blame you!"

Once the seeds of distrust are sown, things can never return to how they were. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Demon Lord Cangyuan took his leave.

...

Lianyue Immortal Palace.

A surge of black Qi emerged from the bright moonlight, and a moment later, it transformed into an old man in black robes—it was the Dharma Image of Demon Saint Xuanyu.

The immortal palace opened automatically, and Demon Saint Xuanyu slowly walked inside.

Arriving at the central hall, he cupped his hands and bowed to the hazy woman shrouded in moonlight above. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lianyue!"

"You have come for the matter of the Star Academy, haven't you?" Ghost King Lianyue disliked wasting words and got straight to the point.

"Ghost King Youming has not disappeared, nor is he dead. There was just a small accident, and he is currently recovering underground at the Star Academy."

For some unknown reason, Ghost King Lianyue did not tell Demon Saint Xuanyu the truth, instead offering a half-truth.

"Recovering?"

Demon Saint Xuanyu was not so easily fooled. Ghost King Lianyue's statements were completely inconsistent; this matter was definitely not that simple.

"Does Fellow Daoist mean to say that you were mistaken before?"

Ghost King Lianyue nodded in admission. "Indeed. I have already dispatched my subordinate, You Ruo, to investigate thoroughly. The matter is now clear."

"In that case..." Demon Saint Xuanyu paused and asked, "Does our previous plan need to be modified?"

"No need!" Ghost King Lianyue said indifferently.

"Good!" Demon Saint Xuanyu also disliked wasting words. He rose, cupped his hands, and took his leave.

Flying out of Lianyue Immortal Palace, Demon Saint Xuanyu's Dharma Image turned into a stream of black Demonic Qi and merged into the night, vanishing a moment later.

Endless Demon Court.

Black Mountain Holy Land.

Demon Saint Xuanyu's True Body sat upon a throne condensed from Demonic Qi, his expression dark and gloomy.

"What exactly is in the Star Academy that is worth Ghost King Lianyue hiding it from me?"

"Is it that kid named Liu Tongxiao?"

Demon Saint Xuanyu had a deep impression of the Star Academy. It was the territory of Peach Blossom Demon Lord, and he had suffered a great loss there before.

Although Peach Blossom had sought refuge with the Beast Taming Sect, he had a faint feeling that this woman was not entirely loyal to them.

"Could it be that Peach Blossom Demon Lord and Ghost King Lianyue have conspired together?"

Judging from Ghost King Lianyue's reaction, it didn't seem like she was in contact with the Beast Taming Sect or the Azure Profound Sect; rather, it seemed like there was some benefit to be had in the Star Academy.

What a pity! Now that the Star Academy was considered the rear territory of the Beast Taming Sect, it was difficult for him to send subordinates there to investigate.

Subordinates with low strength might not even reach the Star Academy, while he was reluctant to part with the stronger ones. High-level members of the Yao Race in the Endless Demon Court were already scarce; losing even one would cause him heartache.

"I must speed up the progress to avoid any further complications."

A few days later.

Demon Saint Xuanyu personally went to the battlefield. This time, he did not go on a killing spree as before; instead, he came with the aim of ending the war and promoting a north-south partition.

To this end, his True Body descended upon the border, demarcating a north-south boundary line. He even took the trouble to establish markets on the front lines, allowing Yao Beasts of his race to trade goods with the Beast Taming Sect.

The profits from front-line trade were enormous; for the Beast Taming Sect Cultivators stationed there, it was even more beneficial than winning battles.

Initially, everyone had deep concerns, fearing on one hand that the Yao Race was setting a trap, and on the other, that they would be discovered by their superiors.

But after a few people took the risk and tried it, they discovered that the Yao Race of the Endless Demon Court was even more eager for a ceasefire than they were, and the other side also gained immense benefits from the trade.

As for the issue of being discovered by superiors, it wasn't really a problem. When only one person does it, they are afraid; but when the majority do it, everyone considers it a matter of course.

Demon Saint Xuanyu was pushing for a ceasefire at any cost. Doing business meant making money, whereas starting a war would result in a frenzied retaliation from Demon Saint Xuanyu's True Body.

Once this happened, the front-line battlefield cooled down once more. Even when Daoist Lord Lihuo's orders were passed down, they did not change the overall situation.

Currently, most of the Cultivators on the Southern Border battlefield were not subordinates of Daoist Lord Lihuo, but people from the Gentlemans Academy.

A ceasefire wasn't a bad thing for them. They could slowly digest the territory they had already acquired. The downfall of the Endless Demon Court was only a matter of time; why be in such a hurry?

The rear was busy fighting for power and profit, while the front was busy with smuggling. Aside from a small core of the Lihuo Lineage, the rest had no heart for fighting. Even if a battle broke out, they were just going through the motions to fool their superiors.

The entire battlefield stretched for millions of miles; True Lord Guanxin did not have the ability to control all the Nascent Soul Cultivators and could only let things take their course.

Demon Lord Chixia had once forcibly ordered several Cultivator units to attack Yao territory, but the result was either total annihilation or a scattered retreat. Not only did it have no effect, but it also resulted in heavy losses.

This was a stalemate. Demon Saint Xuanyu was putting his Origin and lifespan on the line just to spend his final years in peace, and he was full of sincerity, opening up front-line trade. What could anyone do?

There was only one way for Daoist Lord Lihuo to break this stalemate: his True Body had to descend and personally take command of the battlefield.

If his True Body descended, the Nascent Soul True Lords on the battlefield would not dare to slack off easily. With him pinning down Demon Saint Xuanyu, the others wouldn't have to worry about facing the Demon Saint directly.

This was an Open Scheme! If Daoist Lord Lihuo didn't come, Demon Saint Xuanyu would live out his remaining years in peace; when that time came, what would it matter if the Black Mountain Holy Land was given to someone else?