Chapter 305: Chapter 181: Shangguan Clan (Part 2)

As for the pieces on the board, they were all manipulated at her will.

And she continuously mobilized the spiritual power throughout her body, connecting with the earth’s aura; she was constantly replenished with earth spiritual power by An Liuli.

The two women’s cooperation was truly astonishing.

Even when the Tier Three Spiritual Treasure broke due to the commander’s efforts, and he was severely injured and on the brink of life, the rest of the Cangming Dynasty could not withstand the overwhelming force Liu Hongling wielded from the heavens and earth.

An hour later, the battle subsided.

An Liuli personally exterminated the commander and four other Late Stage of Core Formation captains, and all the remaining invaders were eliminated.

In this battle, Li Jizhou witnessed the terrifying capabilities of a Tier Three Earth Spirit Master.

As long as there was a continuous supply of spiritual power, they could effortlessly deploy various arrays by leveraging the might of the heavens and earth.

Although a Tier Three Earth Spirit Master could set up only Tier Three Advanced Level Arrays,

the power was irresistible even to a cultivator in the Core Formation Stage, let alone those in the Late Stage of Core Formation.

Li Jizhou pondered that if he were to face Liu Hongling and An Liuli, if he couldn’t immediately resolve An Liuli, the prospects would surely be grim.

Moreover, An Liuli had many ancestral trump cards, and to swiftly vanquish her would likely require activating the stored An Liuli bloodline to wield the Quasi-Immortal Artifact Guanghan Seal.

The subsequent outcome was no longer of his concern; presently being mistaken by An Liuli and Liu Hongling as a Nascent Soul True Monarch was indeed a boon for his future cultivation.

At the very least, there was no need to worry while setting up arrays in his own private chamber.

He summoned back Guagua and Ghost Shadow, and very earnestly fulfilled his promise to the fat worm, separating the Qilin Immortality Pill and Guanghan Seal, allowing it to parasitize its roots.

He then focused on cultivating and diligently studied the Poisonous Insect Dao heritage obtained from True Monarch Withered Disc of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect.

——-

“Bang!” In the Yangxin Hall of the Cangming Dynasty in Central State, a tall and imposing middle-aged man smashed the jade arm in front of him with a palm.

“Saint Emperor, calm your wrath. In my humble opinion, this is not only not bad but a good thing!” said Hong Guangxiao, the left chancellor, bowing.

“Hmph! A good thing? Is this your strategy? Playing the red and white faces for years only to end like this?” The Cangming Emperor said coldly.

Hong Guangxiao and Yuan Shuncheng had just urgently reported that the soul plaques of their subordinates sent to the swamp to deal with An Liuli had all shattered.

Even the Third Grade Spiritual Treasure they brought lost its spirituality.

This result ignited the fury of the Cangming Emperor.

“Saint Emperor, calm your wrath. Lord Hong is right. Through this matter, we can almost be certain that the An clan must have acquired the Moon Worship Dynasty’s treasures. Otherwise, based on our understanding of them, how could they possibly annihilate all the forces we dispatched?” Yuan Shuncheng, the right chancellor, also stepped forward in agreement.

Upon hearing this, the Cangming Emperor’s expression froze.

“The Moon Worship Dynasty’s relics!”

The matter of the Moon Worship Dynasty’s relics was known only to the direct lineage of the Cangming.

Back then, Cangming Celestial Venerable’s sudden betrayal of the Moon Worship Empress with thunderous means was solely because the Qilin Immortality Pill had indeed taken root. With sustained nurturing through magical power, it could potentially mature into a half-step Immortality Pill in less than a thousand years. He had advanced to Mahayana more than twenty thousand years ago, and his lifespan was just short of ten thousand years to withstand the arrival of the ascension opportunity.

He planned for hundreds of years and finally managed to put the Quasi-Immortal Artifact Guanghan Seal into temporary slumber.

But ultimately, the Empress unleashed a Divine Ability, resolute to shatter than surrender, sealing the entire Imperial City within the earth veins.

The Cangming ancestor ultimately died with unfulfilled desires!

His dying wish was that his descendants must retrieve the Qilin Immortality Pill at all costs

and pass it down as the royal inheritance of the Cangming Dynasty!

For millennia, successive Saint Emperors of the Cangming Dynasty have tried everything to unseal the Imperial City in the earth veins, but all efforts were fruitless.

Until three thousand years ago, the left and right chancellors suggested that the Empress of Moon Worship must have had a backup plan when sealing the Imperial City, undoubtedly related to her bloodline descendants.

Thus began a millennia-long plot concerning the An clan.

The wait continued for thousands of years.

Five hundred years ago, Hong Guangxiao devised a plan for the An clan to escape the Imperial City and develop freely.

Meanwhile, besides the spies Hong Guangxiao placed by their side, there was also a national preceptor from the Cangming Dynasty who continuously divined for clues.

Several years ago, an answer finally surfaced: the Moon Worship Dynasty’s relics had appeared.

However, due to the relics being entangled with a Quasi-Immortal Artifact, the national preceptor couldn’t determine the exact information.

It was uncertain who had acquired the relics.

Hence, Yuan Shuncheng and Hong Guangxiao orchestrated this probe.

Up to this point, it yielded the anticipated result.

The Cangming Emperor was secretly delighted, as having the relics in the hands of the An clan was what he had hoped for.

If obtained by another Imperial City or a Sacred Land sect, it would have required considerable effort.

However, pondering over the swamp area, the Cangming Emperor couldn’t help but frown.

The Ten Thousand Poison Sect and the Celestial Secret City within the swamp were notorious among the unscrupulous sects, yet their strength was formidable.

Both great sects harbored individuals whose power was no less than theirs.

The numerous disciples of these sects were highly proficient in their offbeat arts, warranting careful consideration even from the Cangming Dynasty.

Of course, if they were determined to destroy them, the Cangming Dynasty indeed possessed the capability. However, if it came to that, it would be a scenario where they would sacrifice a thousand enemies while losing eight hundred of their own, providing an opportunity for the other eight dynasties to carve up the Cangming Dynasty!

Thus, it was certain that engaging in a full-scale war with the two sects in the swamp was out of the question for now.

Unless the day came when the Cangming Divine Soldiers unified the world.

Therefore, even as the exalted Saint Emperor, he couldn’t send subordinates above Nascent Soul level to handle the matter. Doing so would be seen as provocation by the two swamp sects.

Those lunatics wouldn’t have many scruples, and the consequences would be unbearable for the Cangming Dynasty.

Yet, if they couldn’t send individuals above Nascent Soul level to the swamp to deal with the An clan descendants armed with the Moon Worship Dynasty’s relics, sending those in the Core Formation Stage might yield a similar outcome to this time!

After a moment of contemplation,

“Hmph, no need to explain to me. I only want results!” the Cangming Emperor said coldly.

“Rest assured, your Majesty. The old minister already has a plan!” Hong Guangxiao replied with a smile.

“Speak!”

An expression of pride surfaced on Hong Guangxiao’s old face: “Your Majesty, the old minister has already contacted an ancient family from the Central Domain of the Eastern Desolation. Due to early conflicts with the Jiuli Dynasty, the Celestial Secret City and the Ten Thousand Poison Sect within the swamp are hostile towards all Central State dynasties, restricting us significantly.

However, they allow Eastern Desolate Sacred Land families to intervene as long as Divinity Transformation doesn’t enter.

While we cannot act, we can let them do it!

Once they send Nascent Souls to the swamp, the An clan, having only recently acquired the relics, will likely be unable to fully control them yet.”

“An ancient family from the Central Domain of the Eastern Desolation!” The Cangming Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had considered using someone else’s hands.

Yet, concerning the Immortality Pill,

there were likely very few who could withstand its allure in this world.

Those from the dynasty were bound by secret skills and blood oaths, but outsiders couldn’t be trusted.

The Sacred Land families of the Central Domain of the Eastern Desolation, though their overall strength didn’t overtly surpass the dynasties of Central State, had foundations comparing closely.

If those people obtained the Immortality Pill, would they readily hand it over?

“Do not worry, your Majesty. The old minister understands your concerns!” Upon noticing the Cangming Emperor’s narrowed eyes, Hong Guangxiao hastily explained further.

“The Shangguan family from the Central Domain of the Eastern Desolation has caused a monumental disaster. Presently, all of the Eastern Desolation is agitated, and the remaining four ancient families and sacred lands are sharpening their knives.

They sought out the old minister on their own for protection, given their predicament.

If they dare defy the Saint Emperor now, it would mean a catastrophe of annihilation for their family and clan.

Therefore, the old minister suggests having them enter the swamp on behalf of the Saint Emperor!”

“The Shangguan family?” The Cangming Emperor mused.

“What heinous crimes have they committed in the Eastern Desolation?”

“To report to the Saint Emperor, a thousand years ago, the Demon Sect prevailed in the Southern Domain of the Eastern Desolation, inexplicably spawning nine major demon dao legacies. The old minister studied their Cultivation Techniques, which don’t resemble this world’s methods.

It caused chaos in the Eastern Desolation at the time,

and was eventually eradicated, but the source was never found.

In recent years, the menace of the Corpse Nourishment Demon Dao resurfaced in the Southern Domain, and many now point to the Shangguan family in the Central Domain!” Hong Guangxiao explained in detail.

“Demon Dao? An ancient family sponsoring the Demon Dao? As I recall, didn’t the Shangguan family once have an ancestor ascend to the Immortal Realm!

How could they do such a thing?” The Cangming Emperor asked in surprise.

“That… the old minister doesn’t know. However, the more chaotic the Eastern Desolation, the more advantageous it is for your Majesty’s grand ambition of unifying the world. Therefore, the old minister never took it seriously, letting them create chaos at will.” Hong Guangxiao bowed and explained why he had never reported these events.

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