The Four Great Armies

Chen Lin sneered inwardly, his thoughts churning:

Hmph, this commotion is probably aimed at testing the expert guarding the Scripture Repository.

After all, the Imperial Lord had probed every angle and found nothing, yet those Nine Nether Sect scum insisted with such certainty that a powerful guardian was stationed there.

So this had to be a "verification."

That was why, in the instant he was about to "die,"

Ximen Qing had "just so happened" to appear at the last moment.

—If an Ancestor truly sat in the shadows, the assassin would be dead for sure; if not... the one who died would be nothing more than an "irrelevant" old gatekeeper.

Pity that even on the brink of death, he hadn't seen one, though in truth, he couldn't die anyway.

He could mobilize part of the Scripture Repository's grand formation, but at that time, he had been in a state of slumber.

If Ximen Qing hadn't acted...

...Sigh, I'd have to waste more energy dragging out this shoddy performance.

Chen Lin narrowed his eyes—murky on the surface, sharp beneath—and cast a covert glance at Little Anzi beside him.

This little eunuch looked terrified now, but could he not sense that there was none of the genuine fear from moments ago in those eyes?

—So he's an actor too.

"Hahahaha!"

This Imperial Palace was full of goddamn Oscar-winners!

Chen Lin kept up his rattled act, letting out an "Aiyo," swaying on his feet, and waving at Little Anzi: "Little Anzi! Come quick, help this old man up! Scared me to death, truly scared me to death!"

Little Anzi, indeed shaken, scurried over and steadied Chen Lin, his face a mask of fright, his voice trembling: "Elder Lin, just now... that assassin..." He still seemed spooked, glancing in disbelief toward where Ximen Qing had struck.

Chen Lin deliberately huffed, shot Little Anzi a glare, and lowered his voice, laced with lingering fear: "I nearly kicked the bucket right there! Didn't you see? That assassin was inches away, the chill almost on my face! If not for that palace lord showing up in time..."

He paused, a note of post-calamity relief in his tone.

Little Anzi quickly chimed in, his voice brimming with gratitude: "Yes, Elder Lin, you're truly blessed! That assassin... that assassin was too terrifying!"

Meanwhile, in the shadowy corner where this harrowing scene played out, the eunuch who had been hiding all along let a flicker of understanding pass through his eyes.

He said nothing, merely nodded slightly, then his form blurred like a ghost melting into the darkness, vanishing without a sound.

Chen Lin sensed the faint aura dissipate completely, a barely perceptible smile tugging at his lips as he murmured, "He's gone."

His voice was so soft, yet it made Little Anzi, who had just steadied him, grow calm as well.

"I didn't expect the Nine Nether Sect to be so bold, setting their sights on you, Elder Lin." Little Anzi's tone carried a hint of surprise.

Chen Lin chuckled lightly at that, not denying it, but adding meaningfully, "It's not just the Nine Nether Sect..."

The words hung in the air, trailing off with unspoken weight.

Little Anzi instantly grasped the gravity of it, as if a mountain had pressed down on his back, silencing him completely. He dared not dwell on it or speak further.

Elsewhere, deep within the palace, moonlight poured like liquid silver.

Ximen Qing's figure had silently appeared beside the Imperial Lord, Ling Cangqiong. The Thousand-Faced Illusion Lord, who had been so disheveled earlier, now stood below, unbound, his robes straightened, his face wearing a mask of perfect deference.

"Your Majesty," Ximen Qing spoke first, his voice steady and unrevealing, "at the moment I was about to succeed and eliminate Chen Lin, no other experts intervened nearby. I sensed no additional auras."

Ling Cangqiong's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

The Thousand-Faced Illusion Lord below quickly added, "Indeed, Your Majesty. Your subordinate could clearly sense that Chen Lin was still asleep—no hidden master whatsoever. That strike of mine, had it landed, would have killed him outright. There was no way he had the strength left to activate any protective formation."

"My blow would have killed him for sure. There was no possibility of him triggering the formation."

Ling Cangqiong mused inwardly: That's strange.

He had probed with his Spiritual Sense and found nothing unusual about the Scripture Repository.

Besides, those eunuchs only reported that Chen Lin entered the Repository every night—but he was its elder, after all. Checking the place under his charge was hardly suspicious.

Since no one had acted on the scene, and Chen Lin wasn't a hidden expert...

Could it be that he only stepped in when the Repository faced a true, irreversible crisis?

Ling Cangqiong pondered for a moment, then shook his head, letting the thought go.

If he couldn't figure it out, there was no need to dwell on it. Since this person was willing to protect the Repository, even if he wasn't the royal Ancestor, he was at least loyal to the Imperial Dynasty.

No more probing was necessary.

"Did you find out who the Divine Son and Divine Maiden are?" Ling Cangqiong's gaze sharpened as he looked at the Thousand-Faced Illusion Lord.

The Thousand-Faced Illusion Lord shook his head helplessly. "I'm not even qualified to approach the Divine Son. Though the orders came from him, they were relayed through the Yin Yang Envoys. With my status, I can only reach that level."

"But," he shifted gears, "we can make a move. Capture the Yin Yang Envoys."

Clearly, the Thousand-Faced Illusion Lord was a mole Ling Cangqiong had planted in the Nine Nether Sect for years.

Ling Cangqiong's eyes flickered with calculation, then he spoke in a low tone: "Issue the order. Command Great General Li Nan of the Divine Guard Army to lead troops immediately, reinforce Dizhou, and assist King Zhenyao in repelling the Demon Race of the Ten Thousand Mountains."

He paused, then added, "But secretly order Li Nan: when the army reaches the border of Dizhou, suddenly veer toward Mingzhou. Strike without warning, storm the Nine Nether Sect's headquarters, and capture the Yin Yang Envoys along with the so-called 'Divine Son.' At that time, the Prefect of Dizhou must cooperate covertly, lending full support."

"If everything goes smoothly, we might just be able to catch all the heads of the Nine Nether Sect in one net." Ling Cangqiong's tone was firm, clearly already confident in his plan.

The Thousand-Faced Illusion Lord seemed to recall something, his brow furrowing slightly as he cautioned, "Mm, there should be a Venerable One stationed at the sect's main altar. This matter must be ensured without a single flaw."

The three Venerable Ones of the Nine Nether Sect—at the sixth level of the Dharma Aspect Realm, with even rumors of one reaching the seventh.

Yet, upon hearing this, Ling Cangqiong's expression did not change in the slightest, and the corner of his mouth even curled into a confident smirk: "With the Divine Guard Army accompanying us, a mere Venerable One is nothing to worry about."

His words were no empty boast.

The Four Great Armies renowned throughout the Great Yan Imperial Dynasty—each possessed terrifying combat power capable of directly contending with experts at the eighth or even ninth level of the Dharma Aspect Realm.

The King Zhenbei Army, the King Zhenyao Army, the Divine Guard Army, and the Nantian Army—these four elite corps were the most solid bulwark of the Imperial Dynasty.

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