83: Chapter 83 In the Shadows, Good and Evil Join Forces

The night was as deep as ink.

Heavenly Sovereign Alliance, Alliance Leader's Great Hall.

Nangong Xue sat alone on the throne of the Alliance Leader, which symbolized supreme power.

No lamps were lit in the hall; only the cold moonlight filtered through the window lattices, spilling onto her face—half in light, half in shadow—making it look exceptionally eerie.

She extended her slender jade hand and picked up the Alliance Leader's Great Seal from the desk. Carved from Ten-Thousand-Year Warm Jade, it symbolized the authority of the Alliance Leader, and she toyed with it gently in her hand.

The cold jade seal brought her an unprecedented sense of satisfaction from having everything under her control.

Just then.

A slightly raspy applause abruptly rang out from the shadows of the hall.

“Clap, clap, clap.”

“Congratulations, Alliance Leader Nangong, for getting your wish and reigning over the Heavenly Sovereign Alliance.”

Nangong Xue's movements paused. She slowly raised her head and looked in the direction the voice came from.

There was no hint of panic on her face, as if she had long known someone was there.

“Your Excellency has infiltrated my Heavenly Sovereign Alliance; for what purpose?” Nangong Xue spoke indifferently, her cold voice carrying the majesty of a newly ascended superior.

From the shadows, a figure shrouded in a black robe slowly walked out.

The figure emanated a dense Devilish Qi. Their face was obscured, and only a pair of eyes flashing with red light could be seen in the darkness.

“Alliance Leader Nangong, there is no need to be nervous. We are not enemies; on the contrary, we are the same kind of people.”

The black-robed person let out a cackling laugh, their voice piercing.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Black Crow Protector, serving under the Demon Lord.”

“Demon Lord?” Nangong Xue raised an eyebrow.

“Indeed.”

Black Crow Protector bowed slightly, which could be considered a salute.

“My Revered Master has nothing but praise for Alliance Leader Nangong's methods. She said that a talent like you should not be bound by the so-called Righteous Path.”

“Get to the point.” Nangong Xue had no interest in listening to his nonsense.

“Fine, Alliance Leader Nangong is a straightforward person.”

Black Crow Protector stopped beating around the bush.

“Revered Master ordered me to come because she wishes to make a deal with Your Excellency.”

“A deal?”

“That's right.”

Black Crow Protector said.

“My Revered Master recently received news that a Secret Realm left behind by an ancient Cultivator is about to open in the God-Fallen Ravine, on the border between the Southern Region and the Central Region.”

“Revered Master hopes that Alliance Leader Nangong can, in the name of the Heavenly Sovereign Alliance, call upon all Sects of the second rank and above in the Southern Region to gather and discuss how to ‘fairly’ distribute the resources of this Secret Realm.”

“Oh?” A hint of playfulness flashed in Nangong Xue's eyes. “Calling it a distribution of resources, but you probably want to wipe them all out in one go, don't you?”

“Hahaha, talking to smart people really saves effort.”

Black Crow Protector laughed loudly.

“Those so-called righteous Sects are all hypocritical; leaving them alive is just a nuisance. Why not let them contribute their final bit of strength to our upcoming new era?”

“Why should I help you?” Nangong Xue leaned back in her chair, her fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

“Because of this.” Black Crow Protector took out a Jade Slip from his robes and flicked it with his finger; the Jade Slip flew in front of Nangong Xue.

“Inside is recorded a fragment of an ancient Demonic Technique called the Blood-Refining Divine Art. It can convert a Cultivator's flesh, blood, and essence into the purest energy, helping you rapidly increase your cultivation.”

“Revered Master said that as long as you accomplish this task, she will personally hand over the complete Cultivation Technique. At that time, let alone breaking through to the Mahayana Stage, even Ascension to the Upper Realm is not impossible.”

Nangong Xue took the Jade Slip and swept it with her Divine Sense. Information about a Cultivation Technique filled with blood and slaughter flooded into her mind.

She instinctively felt a trace of resistance in her heart.

But this resistance was so weak that it was almost instantly drowned out by another, more intense emotion.

It was the supreme pleasure and extreme obsession with power that remained deep in her Soul after devouring her Revered Master's lifelong cultivation!

A desire and greed a hundred times stronger than before, like a dormant Vicious Beast suddenly awakening, instantly crushed her final line of rational defense.

Become stronger!

Only by becoming stronger can one truly control everything! Only then can everyone be made to crawl at one's feet!

Revered Master's cultivation has already allowed me to step into Void Refining. If I obtain this Blood-Refining Divine Art... and turn all the Cultivators in the Southern Region into my nourishment...

Thinking of this, the struggle in Nangong Xue's eyes completely vanished, replaced by a near-frenzied heat.

“Fine, I agree.” She spoke slowly, her voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling due to excitement.

“However, I have one condition.”

“Please speak, Alliance Leader.”

“After the matter is concluded, I want seventy percent of those Sects' resources.”

Black Crow Protector fell silent for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

“Very well.” He finally nodded. “Deal.”

“A pleasure doing business with you.” A cold smile curled at the corners of Nangong Xue's mouth.

Black Crow Protector bowed once more, and his figure slowly merged into the shadows, disappearing.

...

A few days later.

Mysterious Maiden Sect.

A gold-stamped invitation issued by the Heavenly Sovereign Alliance, bearing the Alliance Leader's Great Seal, was delivered to Sect Master Leng Hanshuang's hands.

“God-Fallen Ravine Secret Realm? Distributing resources?”

Leng Hanshuang's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she looked at the contents of the invitation and handed it to Su Yun beside her.

Su Yun took it, glanced at it, and a playful smile couldn't help but curl on his lips.

“What do you think?” Leng Hanshuang asked.

Su Yun casually tossed the invitation onto the table, while information from the System's recent prompt flashed through his mind—internal strife in the Heavenly Sovereign Alliance, Nangong Xue betraying her Revered Master to seize power.

A woman who had just ascended to a high position by betraying her Revered Master, turning around and making such a big move to invite all the Sects of the Southern Region to a meeting?

This was much more interesting than a simple Hongmen Banquet.

He raised his head, met the questioning gazes of Leng Hanshuang and Lin Rou, curled his lips, and said:

“What else is there to think? It's a Hongmen Banquet. This newly ascended Alliance Leader Nangong has no small ambition; she probably wants to use this as a pretext to integrate the forces of the entire Southern Region's Righteous Path, or even... swallow them whole.”

“Then... should we go?” Lin Rou asked worriedly from the side.

“Go, why wouldn't we go?”

Su Yun smiled with great interest.

“How could we miss such a lively scene? I really want to see for myself exactly what kind of grand play this Alliance Leader Nangong intends to perform.”

He didn't plan to jump out and expose the conspiracy behind this right now.

Instead, he would wait.

Wait for those righteous Sects and this ambitious Alliance Leader Nangong to fight until both sides were wounded.

Then, he would use the move ‘the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind’ to sweep up all the benefits in one go!

Just as Su Yun was calculating his own little schemes in his heart.

The Mother-Child Heart-Linking Jade left by Liu Qingyan in his robes suddenly lit up slightly, emitting a wave of warmth.

Su Yun's heart stirred. He immediately found an excuse, returned to his room, and set up a barrier.

Injecting spiritual energy into the jade pendant, Liu Qingyan's voice, carrying a trace of urgency and resentment, immediately came out.

“Su Yun! That bastard is making a move!”

“Which bastard?”

“Who else could it be! Lin Aotian!”

Liu Qingyan's voice was filled with hatred.

“He somehow heard about the changes in the Heavenly Sovereign Alliance in the Lower Realm and became suspicious. But he is currently tied down by the Sect Grand Competition and cannot personally descend to the Lower Realm.”

“However, through my father's connections, he obtained a ‘Nine Heavens Spirit-Travel Talisman.’ In three days, he can project a wisp of Divine Thought to the Lower Realm to personally check the situation at the Heavenly Sovereign Alliance!”

Projecting to the Lower Realm?

Hearing this news, Su Yun was first stunned, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Hahahaha! Heaven is truly helping me! Heaven is truly helping me!”

He was just worried that this play wouldn't be exciting enough!

Su Yun could almost imagine the scene when Lin Aotian's high-and-mighty Divine Thought projection descended upon the already transformed Heavenly Sovereign Alliance.

What a wonderful expression he would have after discovering that his beloved woman had already met with misfortune.

Would that face of a ‘pretentious king’ who thinks he controls everything be twisted with rage on the spot?

Would he be so angry that he'd explode on the spot?

Su Yun stood up and walked to the window. His gaze seemed to penetrate the endless Void Realm, looking towards the distant Heavenly Sovereign Alliance.

His eyes flickered with the kind of excited, cruel, and expectant light a hunter has when seeing its prey.

“Lin Aotian, oh Lin Aotian, your home has been stolen.”

“I really want to see what expression you'll have when this Clone projection of yours descends and sees this scene.”

“It's truly... something to look forward to.”