124: Undercurrents surge, an invitation from the royal family.
In the abandoned warehouse, dust floated slowly in the sparse moonlight filtering through the gaps.
Ye Chen sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, his aura merging with the surroundings, as if he were an ancient, unmoving rock.
He was not Cultivating; instead, he was repeatedly simulating the information from the Jade Slip in his mind, along with various possibilities for dealing with the Dark Hall.
The Dark Hall wielded immense power, possessed a deep Foundation in Tianfeng City, and acted with ruthless secrecy.
Relying solely on his own strength to completely dismantle their conspiracy before the Heavenly Prodigy Sword Debate was extremely difficult.
While the Empire and the major Sects were formidable, they were completely unaware of the Dark Hall's infiltration and specific plans.
Acting rashly might alert the enemy, or even worse, cause them to be counterattacked by the Dark Hall, leaving him in a passive position.
"I must find an entry point that can gain the trust of the Empire or a reliable Sect, ensure my own safety, and effectively strike at the Dark Hall," Ye Chen pondered.
That moon-eater token fragment was the key, but it was also a hot potato.
Handing it over directly might not gain trust and could instead expose himself, inviting covetous eyes.
Just as he was deep in thought, extremely subtle footsteps, almost blending in with the night wind, alerted him.
Someone was coming!
And more than one!
The footsteps were light and agile, their presence perfectly concealed—clearly, they were well-trained experts.
It wasn't the cold, gloomy style of the Dark Hall; instead, it carried an air of imposing righteousness, yet with an underlying hint of iron-blooded lethality.
Ye Chen instantly retracted all his aura, his figure sliding silently into the shadows behind a load-bearing pillar like a weightless phantom, his Guixu Sword Intent held in check, ready to be unleashed.
"Creak—"
The old wooden door of the warehouse was gently pushed open, and three figures flashed in like ghosts.
The leader was a middle-aged man in dark purple tight-fitting attire, with an ordinary face but eyes as sharp as a hawk's—his cultivation level had actually reached the Earthly Fiend Realm Fifth Level!
Behind him followed two guards in similar attire with fierce auras, both at the Earth Fiend Realm Third Layer.
After entering the warehouse, the three did not search around; their gazes locked directly onto the spot where Ye Chen had previously been sitting, clearly with a definite target.
"Friend, there is no need to hide," the purple-clad middle-aged man spoke, his voice steady and carrying an unquestionable authority, "We mean no harm; we have come specifically to invite you on the orders of the Shadow Guards' Commander-in-Chief."
Shadow Guards?
Ye Chen's heart stirred.
This was a mysterious force directly under the Empire's royal family, responsible for monitoring officials, gathering intelligence, and handling unsavory matters.
They held immense power and were absolutely loyal to the royal family.
How had they found him here?
"What do the Shadow Guards want with me?" Ye Chen's voice drifted faintly from the shadows, ethereal and shifting, making it impossible to pinpoint his exact location.
The purple-clad man was not surprised by this and continued calmly: "Your Excellency fought against a group of shadowy figures somewhere in the east of the city last night, causing a spatial tremor.
You must know about some 'things' that should not exist.
The Commander-in-Chief is very interested in the information you possess.
Perhaps we have a common enemy."
Ye Chen was silent.
The Shadow Guards were indeed well-informed; they had even tracked down the general area where he had clashed with the Dark Hall last night.
It seemed the Empire was not completely ignorant of the Dark Hall's activities; they just lacked key evidence and specific intelligence.
"How can I trust you?" Ye Chen asked.
Although the Shadow Guards belonged to the Empire, it was unclear whether their internal ranks were clean.
The purple-clad man seemed prepared and took out a palm-sized purple-gold token carved with a coiled Dragon pattern, placing it gently on the ground.
"This is the Commander-in-Chief's personal token.
Seeing the token is like seeing the person himself.
Your Excellency may examine the imperial Dragon Qi and the unique Restriction contained within; it cannot be faked."
Ye Chen's Divine Sense swept over the token.
The token felt slightly heavy in his hand, exuding a pure, grand, and inviolable imperial aura.
The internal Restriction was complex and precise, faintly connected to the Empire's national destiny, and definitely not a forgery.
More importantly, there was no tracking or sinister aura on the token.
Risk and opportunity coexisted.
Cooperating with the Shadow Guards would undoubtedly allow him to leverage the Empire's strength, but it also meant officially standing in opposition to the Dark Hall, with no room for turning back.
After only a moment of hesitation, Ye Chen made his decision.
The disaster of the Dark Hall concerned all living beings, not just one person.
If he could use the Empire's power to stop it, he would spare no effort, even with the risks!
He slowly emerged from the shadows, still maintaining his disguised, ordinary appearance, but the profound, unfathomable aura around him caused the three Shadow Guards' eyes to narrow slightly.
"Lead the way," Ye Chen said concisely.
A flash of appreciation appeared in the purple-clad man's eyes.
He put away the token, asked no further questions, and gestured for him to follow: "Your Excellency, please follow me."
The four left the warehouse silently, taking secluded paths under the cover of night, moving extremely fast.
About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, they arrived in front of an ordinary-looking mansion on the edge of the inner city.
The mansion had no luxurious decorations, but it was heavily guarded, with overt and covert sentries everywhere, and the fluctuations of Formations were obscure yet powerful.
Entering the mansion and passing through several courtyards, they arrived at a brightly lit study.
The study was simply furnished, with only bookshelves covering the walls and a massive purple sandalwood desk.
Behind the desk sat an old man in dark casual attire, with a gaunt face and an imposing manner that did not require anger to command respect.
He was toying with a Jade Slip in his hand.
As he opened and closed his eyes, a sharp light was restrained within, and his aura was like a deep pool—he was undoubtedly a Tiangang Realm expert!
It was none other than the Shadow Guards' Commander-in-Chief—Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing!
"Commander-in-Chief, the person has been brought," the purple-clad man reported with a bow.
Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing raised his head, his gaze falling upon Ye Chen as if it were tangible, as if he wanted to see through him inside and out.
An invisible pressure permeated the room; it was the aura of authority brought by long-term high status and absolute strength.
Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged, and he met his gaze calmly.
His chaos primordial fetus rotated slightly, silently dissolving the pressure.
A hint of surprise flashed in Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing's eyes, which then turned into appreciation.
He waved his hand, and the purple-clad man and the two guards silently retreated, closing the study door.
"Sit," Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing pointed to the chair in front of the desk.
Ye Chen sat down as instructed.
"Young man, you are truly remarkable," Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing said straightforwardly, "To be able to escape the siege of three Dark Hall Elders and numerous cultists with an Earth Fiend Realm cultivation, and even destroy one of their important Formation eyes—such strength and courage are rare in this world."
Ye Chen felt a slight chill in his heart; the Shadow Guards knew even more details than he had imagined!
"Commander-in-Chief, you flatter me; it was just luck."
"No need for false modesty," Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing waved his hand, his expression turning grave, "The Dark Hall has wolfish ambitions and has been dormant for many years.
Recently, their activities have been frequent, especially with constant maneuvers surrounding this Heavenly Prodigy Sword Debate.
The royal family has long been aware, but their actions are secretive, and their roots are deep, making it difficult to pull them out entirely.
The underground palace and that 'Demon Egg' you saw last night are among their core plans."
He paused, looking at Ye Chen with burning eyes: "We need the key information you possess, especially the specifics regarding that 'Demon Egg' and the Dark Hall's purpose in marking the Prodigies.
In exchange, the Empire will provide you with protection and, when necessary, give you full support."
Ye Chen did not answer immediately but instead asked: "Since the Empire is already aware of the existence of the underground palace, why not send experts to wipe them out directly?"
Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing sighed: "We are afraid of damaging the precious vase to catch the rat.
The underground palace is located beneath the noble district in the east of the city, involving far too much.
Furthermore, the Dark Hall has operated there for a long time, with layers of Formations and that eerie Demon Egg.
If we attack by force, they might act like cornered beasts, detonating the Formations or the Demon Egg, with unimaginable consequences.
We need more precise intelligence to ensure a single strike hits home, minimizing losses."
Ye Chen nodded; this reason made sense.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he recounted part of what he had seen in the underground palace, including the Demon Egg, the nine-pillar Formation, the strength of the three Elders, and the information that the Dark Hall was marking Prodigies for a blood sacrifice during the Sword Debate to welcome the arrival of the 'Saint Venerable'.
He selectively omitted the moon-eater token fragment and the ancient bronze palace.
Even so, after listening, Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing's face became incredibly ugly, and anger burned in his eyes.
"Blood sacrifice the Prodigies!
Welcome the Demon Venerable!
What a Dark Hall!
Truly lawless!"
He slammed the desk, and the corner of the hard purple sandalwood table was shattered to pieces!
"This matter concerns the Foundation of the Empire; we must never let them succeed!"
He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, and looked at Ye Chen with even more seriousness: "Young friend Ye, the news you provided is crucial!
Do you have any plans for what comes next?"
Ye Chen's gaze was calm: "Stop them."
"Good!" Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing clapped his hands, "Since that is the case, our goals are aligned.
I would like to invite you to act as a special envoy for the Empire to secretly investigate the specific list and methods the Dark Hall is using to mark the Prodigies, and to find the best time to destroy their blood sacrifice Formation.
The Shadow Guards will fully cooperate with you and provide all necessary resources!
When the time is ripe, we will work from inside and outside to wipe them out in one fell swoop!"
He took out a black ring with an ancient design and handed it to Ye Chen: "This is the 'hidden dragon ring'.
It is both a token and a Magic Treasure for concealment and defense.
After dripping blood to claim ownership, you can change your aura and appearance as you wish.
It can also withstand three full-strength attacks from an Early Stage Tiangang Realm Cultivator.
Holding this ring, you can act according to circumstances and mobilize some Shadow Guard resources."
Ye Chen took the ring and could feel the powerful strength and sincerity contained within.
This Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing was indeed very bold.
"Agreed," Ye Chen put the ring on his finger, and a drop of blood merged into it, immediately establishing a connection with the ring, "But I need absolute autonomy in my actions."
"That goes without saying," Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing nodded, "You only need to report to me periodically through this ring.
Remember, safety first; if there is danger, you can call for help immediately."
The cooperation was reached, and Ye Chen did not stay any longer, rising to take his leave.
Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing personally saw him to the door of the study, watching his departing back with deep eyes.
"Chaos aura...
This child is definitely not someone who will stay in a pond forever.
Perhaps he really is the key to breaking the deadlock..."
Leaving the Shadow Guard stronghold, Ye Chen walked under the brightening daylight, his fingers rubbing the cold hidden dragon ring.
With the Empire's support, many things would be much easier to handle.
But pressure followed, and he had to find that thorny path to victory amidst this storm.
His gaze once again turned toward the east of the city.
It was time to go and meet those marked "Prodigies".