Chapter 1738
Chapter 1738 Assassinating the Alliance Leader — “What Crime Cannot Be Fabricated?”
Chen Yi stared blankly at the white jade vial tightly held in her hands. After a long while, she let out a faint sigh and withdrew her thoughts.
The fierce cold poison that had plagued her for so long in the Xieyue Sect—one that no one could handle and that had made her path seem blocked—was precisely the reason she had been chosen as a member of the envoy team for the Zhengyi Alliance.
Who could have imagined, because of this little vial of medicine, the ruthless cold poison within her had been completely cured? She felt no trace of abnormality, and it had never flared up again.
All of this felt like a dream, leaving Chen Yi in utter disbelief. The path she had traveled had been perilous, a near-death ordeal. She had gone in expecting death, without hope of survival. Yet, unexpectedly, her cold poison was cured.
“I still don’t know his name…”
Chen Yi and her companions set off again, transforming into beams of divine light, heading toward the territory of the Fate-Subjugating Alliance (Fatian Alliance).
Vast sand stretched endlessly across the Gobi Desert, the horizon nowhere in sight. The sky and earth were filled with a desolate, yellow haze, with only the distant, grand city walls faintly outlined through the sandstorm.
The walls looked like a sprawling, coiled dragon, watching over the boundless world and the myriad beings within it.
Chen Yi and the others, all at the Dao Realm, arrived outside the walls almost instantaneously. The towering fortifications were nearly as tall as the sky itself, with star remnants drifting in the universe around them.
Massive stars orbited the walls, each engraved with countless runes. The radiance pierced the heavens, brighter than the sun.
The ancient, solemn walls bore scars from countless blades and spears, silently recounting the fierce battles that had taken place here.
Cultivators atop the walls had long noticed Chen Yi and her group. Splendid runes lit up and interwove into terrifying energy beams, ready to obliterate any who dared approach.
Feeling the overwhelming aura, Chen Yi and her companions’ faces changed slightly.
As the radiant divine light converged, about to strike, one of them ascended into the sky and quickly cupped hands in respect:
“We bear no ill intent.”
“These are troubled times. May I ask from which place you come, and why you enter the territory of the Fate-Subjugating Alliance?”
A man with the demeanor of a commander atop the wall looked down coldly, his voice booming. Though the Fate-Subjugating Alliance had not been struck by the Dark Beings, vigilance was maintained, and any suspicious individuals were forbidden entry.
“We are from the Zhengyi Alliance,” the speaker replied. “By order of the various sect masters, we bring documents to negotiate with the Fate-Subjugating Alliance regarding cooperation against the Dark Calamity.”
He then drew a scroll made of fine silk. Once unfurled, dazzling light manifested, forming rows of characters in the void, glowing brilliantly, resonating with the Dao itself—a sight of unparalleled divinity.
“The envoys of the Zhengyi Alliance?”
The commander’s eyes flickered with curiosity. With a wave of his hand, the scroll flew into his grasp. After quickly scanning it, he nodded and ordered the gates opened. He had already heard that the Zhengyi Alliance might send envoys, but he hadn’t expected them to arrive so soon.
Chen Yi and her group exhaled in relief, thanked them, and entered the city. Though their strength could have forced their way in, they dared not act recklessly within the Fate-Subjugating Alliance’s territory.
The soldiers and cultivators stationed on the walls all exuded fierce, murderous auras. Each was a formidable figure—not to be provoked.
Meanwhile, as Chen Yi and her companions advanced toward the headquarters, Gu Changge had already returned with Mu Fuguang, the Dao Lord Changming, the compassionate Zen Buddha, and the immortal child.
During his absence, Gu Changge had left many affairs to Bai Gu Zu Wang and Zhuo Feng Xie. As for Ling Yuling, he did not fully trust her, so she and the imposter Xiyin, posing as the Holy Maiden of Xiyuan, had been running about, recruiting followers and expanding the alliance’s influence.
Overall, the Fate-Subjugating Alliance continued to thrive, appearing peaceful and unconcerned with external threats, unaffected by the Zhengyi Alliance’s emergence, and maintaining its expansion.
Few knew Gu Changge had been away. He had let Yao Yao go to cultivate on her own, and Mu Yan, idle, had accompanied Ling Yuling.
Returning to a valley full of peach blossoms, Gu Changge paused at the sight of fallen flowers, untouched for some time, lending an air of tranquil solitude.
“Next, we wait for the envoys of the Zhengyi Alliance to arrive. Then there will be a legitimate opportunity to act,” he thought.
He brewed tea and sat beneath a peach tree, lightly dozing, organizing his next plans. During his absence, besides recruiting Mu Fuguang and others, he had also scouted the surrounding territories, locating hidden treasures. But it was not yet time to make a move.
The Zhengyi Alliance’s arrival fit perfectly into his plan. After saving Chen Yi and the others, a glimpse of future fragments had prompted this course of action.
In the following days, Gu Changge ordered Ling Yuling to return and planned for Mu Fuguang and the others to accompany her. He did not restrict their freedom or assign tasks. With their superior power, they did not need to intervene in minor matters. Ling Yuling, despite her extraordinary abilities and her role in resisting the Dark Calamity, could not alone command the respect of other civilizations.
These powerful allies would ensure the Fate-Subjugating Alliance’s influence resonated throughout the vast realms.
Upon Ling Yuling’s return, she brought news beneficial to the Alliance.
“Some civilizations remain hesitant about the Zhengyi Alliance, fearing great karmic repercussions,” she reported.
“I traveled to a distant realm beyond time and space and met the descendant of an old friend. He told me that behind the Zhengyi Alliance lurks a great, dark force—a vague and terrifying whirlpool.”
“He inherited his mentor’s knowledge of celestial phenomena, adept in divination and fate, a master of unpredictable methods.”
Ling Yuling, in flowing white robes, exuded ethereal grace. Sitting beside Gu Changge under the peach tree, petals drifted down, filling the air with fragrance.
“You’ve known all along. I needn’t worry,” she said softly.
Gu Changge smiled. “I do have a plan. Want to hear it?”
Ling Yuling hesitated, then shook her head. “Whatever you choose to tell me, you will.” She knew that knowing too much wasn’t always better, especially regarding Gu Changge, whose thoughts were unfathomable.
“I’ve recruited some strong individuals. They will assist you, and ease your burdens,” he added, leading her to the main hall where Mu Fuguang, Dao Lord Changming, the compassionate Zen Buddha, and the child immortal awaited.
“Greetings, Alliance Leader,” they said respectfully.
Ling Yuling, startled, observed them carefully. A few radiated subtle danger, revealing their formidable strength.
The Fate-Subjugating Alliance had long lacked such power.
After brief introductions, the group explained their origins. Each hailed from a forbidden zone, infamous and feared throughout the realms, their presence alone enough to make Dao Realm beings tremble. Yet here they were, obedient and dedicated to the Alliance.
Ling Yuling realized that Gu Changge’s true power remained far beyond her grasp. Every time she thought she understood him, it turned out to be an illusion. He was truly… seemingly omnipotent.
Half a month later, the Zhengyi Alliance envoys safely reached the Fate-Subjugating Alliance headquarters.
Traversing countless worlds, they witnessed the grand sights of the Alliance. Temples and statues rose in majestic arrays, with clouds, smoke, and mist forming a divine, radiant ocean of faith, reaching the heavens.
Fearful of being assimilated by the Alliance’s strange aura, they moved cautiously. Though the Alliance appeared peaceful, the fanatical devotion of its followers made them uneasy, sensing that beneath the serene surface lay something terrifying.
The Fate-Subjugating Alliance, even amid chaos across the realms, maintained a deceptive calm—a calm so strange it was like the eye of a hurricane.
Time passed slowly in the secluded side hall where the envoys waited, anxious and sweaty. Incense wafted, meant to calm the mind, yet their tension only grew.
Suddenly, footsteps approached. Before they could rise to greet, a blinding golden light shot into the sky like a blazing sun.
Runic energy exploded as if millions of stars detonated, pulverizing the side hall in an instant.
“Daring…!”
“Attempting to assassinate the Alliance Leader!”
“Seeking death!”
“Seize them!”
Thunderous voices roared, shaking the firmament. Star systems trembled, oceans surged, as if heaven itself were furious. Countless cultivators and beings shuddered in fear.
From another hall, Ling Yuling’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Gu Changge, who sipped tea calmly.
“This is the timing you chose?” She asked.
“Better than acting directly,” Gu Changge replied.
Ling Yuling, speechless for a moment, murmured: “Truly, ‘what crime cannot be fabricated.’”
Gu Changge smiled. “Without justification, one is not only defeated but imperiled. I will not harm them—at most, detain them for a while to teach them a lesson. The Zhengyi Alliance is ambitious, opposing the Fate-Subjugating Alliance. Such people must be punished.”
The news that the Zhengyi Alliance envoys attempted to assassinate the Alliance Leader immediately caused waves throughout the realms.
Many were shocked and incredulous. How could the Zhengyi Alliance dare such a thing in these times? Some even doubted its truth.
Regardless of truth or falsehood, the Fate-Subjugating Alliance erupted in rage, and its grand army mobilized from all corners of the universe that very day.