I Can Extract Divine Power

Li Ruofeng shook his head again, refusing to join.

Zhu Qingyao sighed. "If you’re unwilling to join, then you are an enemy."

As she spoke those words, Li Ruofeng suddenly felt a fine layer of goosebumps cover his entire body.

He felt as if a terrifying gaze was fixed on him, and that if he refused, he would be instantly obliterated on the spot.

"You set me up. This was all a trap." Li Ruofeng’s eyes turned ice-cold.

Zhu Qingyao nodded. "Your guardian is outside right now. He can’t sense what’s happening in here, so killing you would be very simple."

As soon as her voice fell, the door opened.

Then, a middle-aged woman walked in from outside.

The middle-aged woman emanated a powerful aura.

This was an expert of the older generation. Li Ruofeng could feel that she could suppress him with a mere wave of her hand.

Zhu Qingyao continued her patient persuasion. "You have to trust me. You won’t be the only one joining; other powers will join as well. When the time comes, we’ll all shoulder the responsibility together. Besides, the Saint Martial Emperor will have no pretext to act. And even if he found one, would he dare to take on three countries by himself and destroy the perfectly fine Great Zhou Country?"

Li Ruofeng said nothing.

Zhu Qingyao didn’t say anything either, just waited patiently.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Li Ruofeng sighed and spoke.

"Fine. I will join you in this matter."

"I can’t just take your word for it."

Zhu Qingyao smiled faintly and held out a fair palm.

On it rested a piece of paper covered in writing.

After Zhu Qingyao handed the paper over, Li Ruofeng took it and read it carefully, his expression turning grave.

"You actually want me to sign a contract? What, you don’t trust me?"

Zhu Qingyao nodded. "I don’t. In this world, verbal promises mean nothing. Only the power of a contract is truly reliable."

"If you don’t sign today, the only way you’ll be leaving is as a corpse."

A conflicted look appeared on Li Ruofeng’s face. Then, as if giving up completely, he picked up a brush pen from the side and signed his name.

The moment his name was written, the contract immediately transformed into a flash of light and vanished.

Li Ruofeng felt a connection form in his heart. He knew that if he went against Zhu Qingyao’s instructions, he would inevitably suffer the contract’s backlash.

"Can I go now?" There was a hint of fury in Li Ruofeng’s eyes.

He never expected that he would be so careless as to fall into Zhu Qingyao’s trap.

Now that he had signed the contract, there was no turning back.

Zhu Qingyao raised her fair hand and pointed to the door. "Young Master Li, you may leave whenever you wish. Just don’t forget that when the time comes at the Celestial Pride Hall, we will strike together and kill Shen Bai."

Li Ruofeng, his face full of anger, left in a hurry.

After Li Ruofeng left, Zhu Qingyao looked at the middle-aged woman beside her.

The middle-aged woman understood and closed the door.

"This time, we’ve united everyone. Except for Nan Huang at the beginning, everyone else is willing to deal with Shen Bai with us, and they’ve all signed the contract," Zhu Qingyao said slowly.

"It’s a shame the Celestial Pride Hall doesn’t attract the prodigies from the top-tier powers. Otherwise, Shen Bai wouldn’t stand a chance of survival this time."

The middle-aged woman asked, "Why not threaten Nan Huang as well? If we could coerce him, our chances would be even better."

Zhu Qingyao shook her head. "It’s no use. The one who came wasn’t him, but just one of his special Magic Techniques."

The middle-aged woman was slightly stunned. "His Magic Technique... even I couldn’t see through it?"

Zhu Qingyao said helplessly, "He’s too lazy. He couldn’t be bothered to deal with the elders from his faction, so he painstakingly researched this special Magic Technique, and he actually managed to perfect it. It’s normal that you were fooled; I only glimpsed the truth myself for a fleeting moment. He was even too lazy to come to our meeting."

"And by a stroke of luck, he got away."

The middle-aged woman nodded. "It doesn’t matter if we’re missing one person. Everyone else has already united. This time, Shen Bai is a dead man."

Zhu Qingyao also nodded. "Exactly. Those wastes from the Wild Taoist Sect, the Wild Buddha Sect, and Xinhua Academy put in so much effort and still couldn’t take down Shen Bai. But we can eliminate him with ease this time, and without arousing any suspicion."

The middle-aged woman sighed. "We have no choice. Those three factions are the best assets we can use out in the open."

"Our better assets must remain hidden in the shadows."

Zhu Qingyao understood. "As long as we can throw the four countries into chaos again, our mission will be complete. Back when the Era of Ten Thousand Cities fell into complete chaos, you all benefited. This time, it’s our turn to reap the rewards."

The middle-aged woman nodded. "Don’t worry, the higher-ups won’t treat you unfairly. If this is done well, you will get the top credit."

The middle-aged woman didn’t say any more, but her meaning was perfectly clear.

Zhu Qingyao nodded, picked up the teacup from the table, and took a gentle sip.

Only she knew that she, and many of those around her, were remnants from the Era of Ten Thousand Cities.

She wasn’t from the Era of Ten Thousand Cities, but she had joined them.