Fire Cloud Sect's Ambitions

Northern Xuan Region, Southern River Realm.

When Lin Langtian and the others passed through the Teleportation Array and arrived at the branch hall of the Darkness Hall in the Southern River Realm, he looked down at the people below.

There stands a majestic palace on the plain, resembling a crouching ancient beast, exuding a menacing aura and guarding the area.

Above the city's main hall, a vast and powerful energy fluctuation could be faintly seen; upon closer inspection, it could be discovered to be a protective formation covering an extremely large area.

Seeing this, Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed slightly. The Darkness Hall truly lived up to its reputation for firmly controlling the Northern Xuan Region. The Southern River Realm was already a remote area of Northern Xuan Region, yet the branch palace stationed here was still so magnificent.

It's hard to imagine that if the Northern Xuan Region had hundreds or thousands of such branch halls, the rule of the Darkness Hall would truly be as stable as Mount Tai.

It's no wonder that the other three major Xuan Domains are all contested by various heroes, while only the Northern Xuan Region is unified under the banner of the Darkness Hall.

At the same time, at the head of the group, looking at this formation, Zhong Kui waved his sleeve, and a beam of light appeared.

Within the pillar of light, there appeared to be a winding rune. The rune shone upon the formation, causing energy ripples to spread out from the void, eventually forming a passable hole.

"Enter!"

With a wave of his hand, Zhong Kui led his 400-man army into the field.

As Lin Langtian and the others entered the sky above the city hall, several figures of light suddenly appeared from below, each radiating extremely powerful energy fluctuations, clearly all being experts at the Life Profound Stage.

"I, Li Li, acting hall Hall Master of the Southern River Realm Branch Hall, respectfully welcome the Tribunal Army to my Southern River Realm Branch Hall."

The first person was a middle-aged man in a black robe. When he looked at the Tribunal Army in front of him, who were filled with a murderous aura, especially Zhong Kui, who was wearing a red longsword and Ghost Face Mask, his attitude was extremely polite and even respectful.

He was originally the deputy Hall Master of the Southern River Realm branch hall, but after the Hall Master was attacked and killed, he was promoted to the position of acting Hall Master.

Even though he is now the Hall Master of the Southern River Realm branch, wielding great power and acting like a feudal lord, he still has to be extremely careful when facing the most powerful Tribunal Army from the Darkness Hall, which comes from headquarters.

Moreover, according to the rules of the Tribunal Army, being able to wear a red longsword and Ghost Face Mask means one is at the Camp Commander level, which means that the person in front of you is a powerful expert at the Death Profound Stage.

In response to the respectful greeting from the acting Hall Master, Zhong Kui nodded lightly and said, "No need to be so polite. We are here only to carry out the mission of suppressing the rebellion. As for investigating the attack on the previous Hall Master of the Southern River Realm, that is not our responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Li Li's smile became even warmer, and he quickly said, "Gentlemen, you have come from afar. Please enter the city first and rest for a while, shall we?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Kui shook his head and said solemnly, "Speed is of the essence in war. The Fire Cloud Sect dares to defy the Darkness Hall. We must eliminate them quickly to deter such villains."

"All you need to do, Hall Master, is assign a few people familiar with the terrain to my Tribunal Army to guide us towards the Fire Cloud Sect."

Upon hearing Zhong Kui's words, Li Li was taken aback, then quickly nodded and turned to his two trusted confidants behind him, saying, "Li Liu, Li Yan, you two will lead the way for the Tribunal Army."

"Yes!"

The two men stepped forward and immediately spoke with utmost respect.

Zhong Kui glanced at the two men, then nodded and said, "In that case, you two will lead the way, and Hall Master will stay in the branch hall. As for suppressing the rebellion, leave that to my Tribunal Army."

Before Li Li reply, Zhong Kui waved his hand, and four hundred ghost-faced soldiers rolled like Black Cloud as the army set off again, heading into the distance.

Watching the army gradually depart, exuding a terrifying aura, Li Li couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and muttered, "As expected of the Darkness Tribunal's Tribunal Army's Tribunal's elite forces, they are truly terrifying."

"Yes, the Fire Cloud Sect dared to resist the might of my Darkness Hall, they're really courting death..." a subordinate chimed in.

Northwest of the Southern River Realm Fire Cloud Sect.

Inside a large hall of the Fire Cloud Sect, all was silent.

At this moment, there were dozens of powerful auras in the hall, and everyone's eyes were focused on the middle-aged man at the head of the table.

The middle-aged man was of medium build and had a rugged face, but his eyes occasionally flashed with a sharp glint, proving that he was a shrewd and capable person.

This person is none other than Tang Lie, the current Sect Master of the Fire Cloud Sect.

"Hehe, Sect Master Tang, I wonder what you mean by suddenly inviting all the prominent figures of my Southern River Realm to come here?" At this moment, someone in the hall suddenly narrowed their eyes slightly and asked in an ambiguous tone.

All of you here are leaders of various forces, large and small, in the Southern River Realm. Just a few days ago, you all received invitations to the centennial celebration of the Fire Cloud Sect.

Given the power and prestige of the Fire Cloud Sect in the Southern River Realm, all the leaders showed great respect and chose to attend the meeting in person.

To their surprise, Tang Lie imprisoned them as soon as they arrived at the Fire Cloud Sect. What shocked them even more was that news of the Fire Cloud Sect's assassination of the Darkness Hall's branch master in the Southern River Realm had also spread.

Such shocking news immediately turned everyone's faces pale.

The Darkness Hall is a behemoth in the Northern Xuan Region, and its branch master is a powerful regional official. The Fire Cloud Sect killed the Darkness Hall's branch master in the Southern River Realm. Could they be planning a rebellion?

Thinking of this, everyone present was filled with trepidation, unsure of what Tang Lie was planning to do, and only hoping not to get themselves into trouble.

After all, the Tribunal Army of the Darkness Hall is not just a name without substance!

Tang Lie smiled slightly at the tense gazes directed at him, patted the armrest lightly with his large hand, and said casually, "Actually, it's nothing serious. I just have a suggestion and would like to ask for everyone's opinion."

"Oh? What suggestion?" someone asked.

Tang Lie smiled and said, "As everyone should know, among the Four Xuan Regions, only my Northern Xuan Region is the most special. The Eastern Xuan Region has Eight Great Super Sects that each contend with each other, while the Western Xuan Region is also full of powerful figures."

Only in my Northern Xuan Region, the Darkness Hall, like a central dynasty, is the ruler of this vast region, controlling the life and death of all forces.

To put it bluntly, if the Darkness Hall were to send out just any deacon one day, I'm afraid none of us here would be able to resist, and we would have no choice but to hand over the wealth and resources we've built up over the years.

The hall was silent, with many eyes flickering, but no one spoke. Clearly, they didn't know what Tang Lie was trying to do.

"Hehe, Sect Master Tang is probably overthinking it. Our Southern River Realm is located in a remote place in the Northern Xuan Region. How could the higher-ups of the Darkness Hall possibly look down on us? Besides, we've gotten used to the Darkness Hall's dominant position over the years," someone said, seemingly jokingly.

"But what if..." Tang Lie said calmly.

"If Sect Master Tang has something to say, just say it directly. Don't keep us hanging," someone said impatiently, waving their hand.

Tang Lie gave that person a deep look, and a slow smile appeared on his lips. He said, "Actually, what I want to say is very simple. The reason why our major forces have no status in the Southern River Realm is because we lack strength."

"Our lack of strength stems from the fact that the Southern River Realm is fragmented. If all the forces within the Southern River Realm could unite, our power would be considerable even in the Northern Xuan Region. At that point, not only would the Darkness Hall dare not invade, but we could also expand our territory and acquire more resources!"

"To be honest, I have already killed Huo Tao. As the head of the Darkness Hall's branch in the Southern River Realm, he was greedy and insatiable. Not only my Fire Cloud Sect, but also everyone here has probably been taken a lot of benefits from him."

"Sect Master know you fear the Darkness Hall, but I have already thought it through. As long as the forces of our Southern River Realm unite, our power will not be underestimated. At that time, we can go to the Eastern Xuan Region. There, we can break free from the control of the Darkness Hall and perhaps even build a great enterprise. If we succeed, everyone here will be an elder!" Tang Lie laughed loudly.

The hall was silent. Many leaders of the forces were shocked. Tang Lie actually admitted to killing the branch master of the Darkness Hall and wanted to integrate all the forces in the Southern River Realm and go to the Eastern Xuan Region to establish a base. Has he gone mad?

"What grand ambitions!"

The leaders of the various factions present all secretly thought that Tang Lie must be dissatisfied with being subordinate to others and wanted to become a powerful ruler who dominated his own region.

But everyone here is cunning and treacherous. Tang Lie killed the branch master of the Darkness Hall, so how could the Darkness Tribunal allow Tang Lie to leave the Northern Xuan Region so easily and go to the Eastern Xuan Region to establish a sect?

Seeing that none of the many powerful figures present reacted, Tang Lie frowned slightly, then his eyes flickered, and he gestured to the people below him.

"Hehe, Sect Master Tang's suggestion is good. I have long disliked the Darkness Hall. Those guys are arrogant and domineering, they don't respect us at all. My Blazing Fire Gate is willing to follow the Fire Cloud Sect to the Eastern Xuan Region to establish a foundation and obey Sect Master Tang's orders!"

"I've heard that Sect Master Tang is already at the Death Profound Stage. In the future, he might break through to the Samsara Stage and become a top expert on the continent, establishing a Super Sect. Haha, my Wind and Rain Pavilion is willing to follow Sect Master Tang!"

"My Mad Shark Tower is also willing to follow the Fire Cloud Sect!"

At Tang Lie's suggestion, several leaders of various factions immediately responded to the initiative and followed the Fire Cloud Sect.

These sects were already on good terms with the Fire Cloud Sect, and under Tang Lie's persuasion, they all agreed to merge. After all, if Tang Lie really unified the forces of the Southern River Realm and went to the Eastern Xuan Region to make a name for himself, there was indeed a great prospect for development.

"This..."

Seeing several people respond, the remaining leaders of the factions were immediately in an awkward situation. Although they had indeed suffered considerable oppression under the rule of the Darkness Hall, joining the Fire Cloud Sect would still mean obeying Tang Lie.

In that case, why take the huge risk of changing jobs? Isn't that unnecessary?

Therefore, no matter how well those people spoke, few forces were truly willing to follow the Fire Cloud Sect to the distant Eastern Xuan Region to establish a new foundation.

"Hmph, everyone, don't forget that Huo Tao, as the branch master of the Darkness Hall, died at the hands of this Sect Master."

Now, in the eyes of the Darkness Hall, this Sect Master is tantamount to plotting rebellion, and you are all currently within my Fire Cloud Sect. Aren't you accomplices?

"If you are unwilling to follow my Fire Cloud Sect to the Eastern Xuan Region, then you will have no choice but to remain in the Southern River Realm and be slaughtered by the Darkness Hall. The Darkness Hall, as tyrannical as it is, will not care whether you are truly innocent or not."

Seeing that the soft approach wasn't working, Tang Lie's face darkened, and he directly threatened in a cold voice.

His intention to integrate all the forces in the Southern River Realm was not just empty talk. After all, he was an outsider in the Eastern Xuan Region, and if he wanted to establish himself, he needed to have sufficient strength and influence.

While top-tier experts are scarce in the Southern River Realm, there are numerous powerful forces, with twenty or thirty forces possessing experts at the Life Profound Stage.

If he can integrate these forces and focus on cultivation in the future, and if he is lucky enough to break through to the Samsara Stage, he may be able to develop the Fire Cloud Sect into the ninth Super Sect in the Eastern Xuan Region. Why should he suffer the tyranny of the Darkness Hall in the Northern Xuan Region?

As Tang Lie was envisioning the future, the expressions of the many powerful figures in the hall changed drastically upon hearing his words. No wonder Tang Lie wanted to assassinate the head of the Southern River Realm branch; he was clearly trying to force them into a corner.

Thinking of this, everyone's faces turned ashen, as if they had eaten shit. They were truly caught in a dilemma, after all, they were well aware of the Darkness Hall's domineering style. When faced with rebellion, they would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

Now that they're in the Fire Cloud Sect, they're really in a bind, unable to reason with anyone!

"Tang Lie, you've got some serious scheming!!" An old man in a yellow robe looked at Tang Lie and shouted angrily.

"Hehe, what have you all thought about it..." Tang Lie chuckled coldly and said indifferently.

He was determined to go all the way; as the saying goes, "No ruthlessness, no manliness..."

"Um?"

Just as Tang Lie was pressing forward, he seemed to sense something and suddenly stepped out of the hall. Then, the Guardian Sect Formation that had enveloped the Fire Cloud Sect was violently dispersed.

Shortly after the formation dissipated, a series of whooshing sounds suddenly came from not far away, followed by a surge of Black Cloud and an astonishing aura that soared straight into the sky!

This sudden surge of malevolent energy immediately startled countless disciples within the Fire Cloud Sect, as if they had sensed something terrifying.

Black Cloud swept in, finally settling in the vast sky in front of the Fire Cloud Sect. The four hundred Tribunal Army, dressed in black and wearing Ghost Face Mask, stood motionless like statues, their breaths seemingly one.

Even Tang Lie's expression changed upon seeing that imposing aura and murderous intent. The guards of the Darkness Sub-Hall were already extremely powerful, but compared to this army of death gods that had crawled out of piles of corpses, they were still far inferior.

"These are the Tribunal Army of the Darkness Hall!"

The leaders of many forces in the Southern River Realm also sensed something, and when they came out of the hall and saw this scene, their expressions changed immediately.

Tang Lie was also looking at the black-clad army in the sky when he saw the red-sworded ghost face at the head of the army, and his expression suddenly turned gloomy.

"A whole Tribunal Army, they've arrived so quickly!"