Chapter 141: Chapter 141: 100-Year Dynasty, 1000-Year Noble Family, 10000-Year Holy Land

“What? The No-Life Evil Cult is one of the Imperial Family’s forces!”

Gu An stared at Lü Zhenghai in utter disbelief. He never imagined Lü Zhenghai would uncover such a secret.

When the No-Life Evil Cult first appeared, the Cyan Yuan Sect sent people to investigate its background. After all, such a powerful Evil Cult couldn’t have emerged for no reason.

Within the No-Life Evil Cult, they discovered the legacies of many Demon Dao sects that had long been destroyed. Logically, these legacies shouldn’t have resurfaced so suddenly. The fact that they had meant something was definitely amiss.

However, the No-Life Evil Cult’s origins were buried deep, and they had never been able to identify the faction backing it.

Every lead pointed toward the Demon Dao, but each one turned out to be false. This was what made the situation so troublesome for the Cyan Yuan Sect’s leadership.

The deeper the faction behind the No-Life Evil Cult was hidden, the more powerful it was likely to be—and the more difficult it would be to handle.

What Gu An hadn’t expected was that the No-Life Evil Cult was a direct creation of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty. The revelation was a complete shock.

But upon careful consideration, he could see the logic. ’It’s the only thing that explains how the No-Life Evil Cult could possess the legacies of so many vanquished Evil Cults.’

The Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty was arguably the greatest power in the land. Its five-hundred-year history was built upon the destruction of countless sects from both the Righteous Path and the Demon Dao. And while its authority had waned recently, it was by no means powerless. In the imperial capital, the Imperial Family still wielded absolute power—a fact no one dared to ignore.

When the Cyan Yuan Sect moved against the Three Major Sects, they sent people to the capital to report the situation. This was a show of deference, meant to avoid any friction with the Imperial Family.

It was a necessary formality.

“That’s right. This is the intelligence our Sect Leader uncovered. It’s been confirmed beyond a doubt.”

Lü Zhenghai’s expression was grim.

He now understood why Xuanqing Palace, the reigning power in Yu State, had been so easily defeated. It wasn’t just one unknown faction acting against them; the Imperial Family and the Yu State Government Office were involved as well.

A coalition of forces, acting both covertly and overtly, had targeted Xuanqing Palace, causing its situation to deteriorate steadily.

Although Xuanqing Palace had controlled Yu State for many years, they never held power over the Government Office.

If they had tried to interfere with it, they would have certainly drawn the suspicion of the Great Zhou Imperial Family, who might have even sent agents to restrain them. This was an unspoken agreement.

It was the same in Qing State. The Cyan Yuan Sect held the status of an Overlord Level power, but they never planted their own personnel within the Government Office. In a sense, the two parties could be said to be in cooperation.

Of course, in reality, the sect’s status was higher, but refraining from interfering with the Government Office’s affairs was a demonstration of the Cyan Yuan Sect’s stance. Informing the Imperial Family before making a major move was another.

Dealing with Evil Cults, however, was a different matter. They could act openly without needing to report anything. This was because the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty had only one policy toward Demon Sects and Evil Cults: kill them. Exterminate them completely.

These Demon Sects and Evil Cults only incited chaos and stirred up trouble; they were the very source of calamity. The Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty would never tolerate the existence of such forces.

The Imperial Family had sealed away countless Demons, Demon Sect Cultivation Technique Manuals, and other such forbidden items.

And yet, the unbelievable truth was that the No-Life Evil Cult was a creation of the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty’s own Imperial Family. This was a fact they all found difficult to accept.

Gu An took a deep breath, his mind racing. “So the Imperial Family wants to subdue the powers in the various states and consolidate its authority?” he asked.

Imperial authority in the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty had declined and was no longer centralized. At the same time, the various states were plagued by constant disasters and even rebellions. It was a perfect storm of natural and man-made calamities.

It was entirely plausible that the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty would want to seize this opportunity to centralize its power and reclaim authority in the states. Such a move was perfectly in character for the Imperial Family.

“It’s not that simple. The No-Life Evil Cult is the handiwork of Crown Prince Yang Qian. We don’t know where he recruited so many heretical masters, but they’re now gathered in Yu State.”

“A portion of them must be agents secretly cultivated by the Imperial Family.”

Lü Zhenghai relayed the information from the letter sent by Sect Leader Liu Xuan, feeling a headache coming on as he spoke.

“Was this personally arranged by Emperor Yang Yu?”

Gu An asked, pressing for more details.

The situation had already escalated beyond their predictions. They would have to change their approach toward the No-Life Evil Cult.

If this was a deliberate plot by the Imperial Family, they would have no choice but to reluctantly cede some of their interests and resources. While it would affect the Cyan Yuan Sect’s development, the losses would still be within an acceptable range.

As for openly confronting the Great Zhou Imperial Family, the Cyan Yuan Sect had no such intention at present. The political situation at court might be chaotic, but the power the Imperial Family still held was not to be underestimated—it was, at the very least, stronger than the Cyan Yuan Sect.

Only if the Great Zhou Imperial Family had fallen into complete decline might the Cyan Yuan Sect begin to entertain other ambitions.

Even then, the Cyan Yuan Sect would not choose to be the first to make a move.

A dynasty lasts a hundred years, a Noble Family a thousand, and a Holy Land ten thousand.

The Cyan Yuan Sect naturally aspired to become an existence like a Holy Land. However, to reach that stage, they would need to be able to survive the fall of a Dynasty unscathed—and even leverage its collapse to grow stronger.

Of course, that goal was still a long way off. First, the Cyan Yuan Sect needed to have a Grandmaster Level expert overseeing it.

“It isn’t confirmed, but we can’t rule out the possibility.”

“With imperial authority in decline, it wouldn’t be surprising if Emperor Yu had such plans. Using the Crown Prince to carry them out is also highly likely.”

“Of course, it’s also possible that after twenty years as Crown Prince, Yang Qian has simply grown tired of waiting.”

The Cyan Yuan Sect naturally kept a close watch on developments within the Great Zhou Imperial Family, just as every other major power did. These events concerned the sect’s future, so they could not afford to ignore them.

The Cyan Yuan Sect was monitoring the Crown Prince and other potential contenders for the throne. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t participate in a war of succession, as there was little benefit in it for them. At a critical moment, however, they might arrange to have someone intervene.

Success would make them heroes of the Cyan Yuan Sect; failure would make them outcasts.

It was a strategy they had learned from the Noble Families—and perfected. It allowed them to completely wash their hands of any involvement.

Lü Zhenghai didn’t know much more than Gu An. This intelligence had all come in a letter from Sect Leader Liu Xuan. To understand the full details, they would have to meet with the Sect Leader in person.

“Then does the Sect Leader want us to return to Qing State?”

Gu An sighed and asked.

The No-Life Evil Cult in Yu State was powerful and had many tricks up its sleeve, but they weren’t a significant threat to experts at the Inner Master Level. If the allied sects continued to work together, it wouldn’t take long to eradicate the cult.

After all, numerous sects had joined forces this time. Against their combined might, the No-Life Evil Cult would surely be no match—not unless a Grandmaster appeared within their ranks to turn the tide. That was their only path to victory.

However, given the current situation, if this was truly the will of the Great Zhou Imperial Family, it was possible that a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Level expert might intervene. Against such a foe, even with their combined strength, their chances of success were slim.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep