Laying the Groundwork in the Black-Corner Region, First Plans for the Central Plains

"Senior Brother Yun Yun is truly impressive!"

In Jiuling City, Yun Zimo held a scroll and marveled; it contained intelligence on the Black Alliance, some of which were even top-secret files from within the organization!

A year ago, after receiving word from Jia Nan Academy and Xia Lan, Yun Yun had volunteered to come to the Black-Corner Region. Starting from the humble roles of a merchant and a teahouse worker, he utilized his innate charisma to befriend various sects and factions.

Quietly and without drawing attention, he had managed to plant eyes deep within the Black Alliance, with even some high-ranking members now serving as his informants!

"Master Yun."

A magnetic, gentle male voice drifted over. A handsome young man dressed in cyan robes bowed respectfully.

"The items you requested."

"Xiuya, once you have handled these matters, go to the waterfalls of Jiuling Mountain to practice your swordplay. When you have forgotten all your previous sword techniques and Dou Skills, your Sword Intent should be close at hand."

Yun Zimo took the scroll from Lin Xiuya and reminded him softly.

That day, not wanting to see two geniuses take unnecessary detours, Yun Zimo had risen casually and formed a sword with his fingers. A sword aura, both rigid and supple, flew out and knocked both the inseparable Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya off the arena. Without another word, he flew straight to Su Qian's office to warn him that Zi Yan should not cause trouble in the Inner Academy, before returning alone to Jiuling City.

A Dou Emperor-level wind-attribute sword cultivator!

After learning of Yun Zimo's identity from the Great Elder, Lin Xiuya had applied to the Inner Academy's elder council for a mission to guard the Black-Corner Region, dragging Liu Qing along to follow him to the Black-Corner Region, where they eventually settled in Jiuling City.

After being suppressed by a single sword strike once more, Lin Xiuya had chosen to apprentice himself without hesitation!

However, Yun Zimo had no real interest in taking on disciples, so he simply let him follow along, leaving it to the young man to see how much he could learn.

What surprised Yun Zimo, however, was that while Lin Xiuya appeared refined and scholarly, his style of conduct was quite bold and domineering. His talent for administration and social maneuvering far exceeded his talent for cultivation. Furthermore, he was not a scion of a Central Plains family as Yun Zimo had assumed, but a genuine rogue cultivator!

"It seems I still don't remember things very clearly."

After Lin Xiuya left, Yun Zimo shook his head while unfolding the scroll. Although his soul power was quite formidable now, his memories of his past life had indeed blurred. As for those novels he had once skimmed through, being able to recall the general plot, characters, and fragments of content was already quite good.

"The vanguard for the Central Plains—heh, thinking about it, that's not bad at all!"

Unknowingly, Yun Zimo realized that the footprint of the Misty Cloud Sect had already spread across the entire Northwest Continent. Almost every empire surrounding the Black-Corner Region had a branch of the Misty Cloud Sect, and disciples from other top-tier sects, such as the Heavenly Snake Mansion, had also joined their ranks.

Those sects might have known that they were being infiltrated, but did they care? No sect would refuse a talented disciple, and they were confident they could make the new recruits truly loyal to them.

Therefore, the plan to march into the Central Plains could be put on the agenda. It was the dying wish of the first Sect Master, Yun Potian, and the ancestor of the Yun family, Mo Li, as well as the long-cherished desire of all the Sect Masters throughout the generations.

He had to make the Misty Cloud Sect famous across the continent, no matter what!

"Let's settle the Black Alliance first. Once we suppress the Black-Corner Region and clarify the situation regarding the Soul Hall in the west, then we can talk about the Central Plains!"

Yun Zimo's fingers slid gently across the scroll. The Mad Lion Gang, the Rakshasa Gate, the Black Emperor Sect... they had all yielded.

Wu Tie, the leader of the Mad Lion Gang, appeared honest and simple-minded, but he was actually the most adept at reading the situation. Meanwhile, the leader of the Rakshasa Gate, Su Mei, as well as the Heavenly Yin Sect and the Black Emperor Sect, all harbored their own secret agendas.

"A petty squabble between Dou Emperor-level factions—why is the Black Emperor Sect getting involved?"

The only thing that puzzled Yun Zimo was that the Black Emperor Sect, as a Dou Ancestor-level faction, possessed territory and influence far exceeding Han Feng's. They even kept a large number of alchemists in their employ; by any measure, they shouldn't have had any connection to the Black Alliance.

"Still, he is a businessman. In business, one speaks of business, so there is no need to worry too much."

Setting the Black Emperor Sect aside for the moment, Yun Zimo marked several names on the scroll; the Rakshasa Gate and the Mad Lion Gang were prominently listed.

Aside from a few loyal factions like the Eight-Fan Gate and the Green Dragon Gang, the members of the Black Alliance were all treacherous individuals. To Yun Zimo, aside from the moles planted by Senior Brother Yun Yun, they were all people who could be won over.

These matters could be left to Ren Xia. With the Second Hall and Lin Xiuya coordinating, he believed they could cause the Black Alliance to crumble from within!

"The Gold and Silver Elders and Han Feng—one and a half Dou Ancestors—plus Mo Tianxing, a four-star Dou Ancestor. Looking at it this way, the Black Alliance is already no weaker than an average Dou Ancestor-level faction on the surface!"

Yun Zimo tapped the table lightly, a wisp of wind-swirl energy coiling around his finger. Several phantom faces shifted within the swirling air, finally settling on a seemingly benevolent visage.

Mo Tianxing, the Sect Master of the Black Emperor Sect, a top-tier faction in the Black-Corner Region.

The Black Emperor Sect operated the largest auction house in the entire Black-Corner Region, but it functioned more as a black market for the continent, often auctioning off precious treasures that even Central Plains factions dared not touch—or rather, stolen goods!

Among the few Dou Ancestors who had been blocked by Su Qian when Yun Zimo was breaking through to the Dou Emperor realm, this Sect Master of the Black Emperor Sect had been one of them.

"The Demon Flame Valley, however, has made no moves..."

As one of the top-tier factions in the Black-Corner Region and a mortal enemy of Jia Nan Academy, there was no reason for them not to have designs on the Black Alliance, which was hostile toward the academy.

He had expected the Black Emperor Sect to remain neutral, yet they had joined the Black Alliance, while the hostile Demon Flame Valley remained completely silent. Yun Zimo truly felt that something was strange.

Meanwhile, at the Black Alliance headquarters in Feng City:

"I hope the Medicine Emperor will keep the medicinal pills for my son's breakthrough in mind!"

The old man in yellow robes set his teacup down gently, smiling politely.

"Sect Master Mo, rest assured. Han Feng understands. I will certainly not go back on the promise of the pills for your sect!"

"However, I also ask that Sect Master Mo put in more effort for the Black Alliance."

The handsome young man in green brocade robes spoke in a gentle voice. A faint medicinal fragrance surrounded him, and his custom-made alchemist's robe emitted a faint, shimmering glow.

The young man's lips were thin, and there was an indelible gloominess between his brows, giving him a somewhat eerie appearance.

Mo Tianxing nodded inwardly. If it weren't for Ya'er, he wouldn't bother getting involved in Han Feng's messy affairs. A shrewd businessman like him would never choose to offend Jia Nan Academy for no reason.

For the sake of his son, Mo Tianxing had exhausted countless schemes. His son, Mo Ya, was quite promising; piled high with endless resources, he had finally stepped into the Dou Emperor realm at the age of twenty-five and now possessed the strength of a five-star Dou Emperor.

But perhaps because he had consumed too many pills, Mo Ya had not made any progress for three full years. At twenty-nine, he remained stuck at the five-star Dou Emperor level, unable to advance, with the higher-level Dou Emperor realm remaining a distant dream.

It was then that Han Feng had approached him, claiming he was willing to use a top-tier grade six medicinal pill to repair Mo Ya's foundation, and would even throw in a Huangji Pill as a bonus, provided the Black Emperor Sect joined the Black Alliance!

After much hesitation, for the sake of Mo Ya, Mo Tianxing ultimately accepted the olive branch extended by Han Feng. It was not that the Black Emperor Sect lacked high-level alchemists, but they simply could not compare to a top-tier Grade 6 alchemist like Han Feng.

Although he did not know why Han Feng had remained stagnant at the peak of the Dou Emperor realm for so many years without making any progress, the status of a top-tier Grade 6 alchemist was enough to elevate his standing to that of a Dou Ancestor.

"However, I must still prepare for both possibilities!"

Mo Tianxing had never been one to place all his bets in a single location, and his connection with Xia Lan had never been severed. This rising power, which maintained a close relationship with Jia Nan Academy, served as Mo Tianxing's fallback plan.

While he did not truly believe that the great ship of Han Feng would suddenly sink, what if it did?