The Holy Demon God Cult's Headquarters Conspires, A New Storm

Lin Changqing had just wiped out the last demon cult den within Yong Province.

He sat on Golden Radiance's back, a document just rushed from the Capital City held in his hand.

After reading it.

He casually handed the document to Su Wanqing beside him.

"As expected, he wasn't killed."

His tone was flat, without the slightest hint of surprise.

The Crown Prince colluding with the demon cult was punishable by death for nine generations according to the law.

But that was other people's nine generations, not the Emperor's own.

No matter how iron-fisted Su Gan was, he couldn't possibly push his own biological son to the execution ground.

Moreover, the Crown Prince had been the heir apparent for over a hundred years; the father-son bond wasn't fake.

If Su Gan truly wanted to depose the Crown Prince, he would have done so long ago, why wait until today.

It was just that His Highness the Crown Prince was too impatient, so impatient that he made the stupidest move.

Uniting with the Holy Demon God Sect to rebel?

Wasn't this him rushing his own death?

If he had waited a few more years, that position would have been his sooner or later.

Now, the position of Crown Prince was definitely gone; being able to keep his own life was already considered fortunate.

As for who would be the Crown Prince next... he didn't care.

What he cared about was quickly wiping out all the demon cult dens in the Great Yu's Fourteen Provinces and then happily collecting those ten Limit-Breaking Pills.

Su Wanqing took the document and read it, falling silent for a long time.

Her expression was complex, her eyes slightly red as she said, "My Imperial Brother... how could he have become like this."

Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of sadness and confusion.

In her memory, Imperial Brother Su Mingyuan had always been a gentle and courteous person.

When she was young, she often pestered her Imperial Brother to take her to the Imperial Garden to fly kites.

Although Imperial Brother would say, "Girls shouldn't be running around outside so much," he could never refuse her.

Every time Father Emperor tested her studies and she couldn't answer, Imperial Brother would secretly give her signals to remind her.

But such an elder brother, who had always been so good in her heart, had actually secretly colluded with the Holy Demon God Sect.

Betraying state secrets, acting as an inside informant for demons.

He even attempted to collude with the demon cult to rebel and replace Father Emperor.

Lin Changqing didn't speak, merely patted her shoulder gently.

He understood her feelings.

Her elder brother, whom she had admired since childhood, suddenly turned into a traitor colluding with the demon cult; no one would feel good about it.

"Let's go, to the next place."

Lin Changqing patted Golden Radiance's neck.

Golden Radiance tilted its head and let out a low roar, its four hooves stomping on golden lightning as it soared into the sky.

Jing Province, Jiangling County.

Deep within an inconspicuous alley on the west side of the city, there was an ordinary-looking dyeing workshop.

The backyard of the dyeing workshop was piled high with dye vats and fabrics, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of dye.

Several craftsmen in coarse cloth tunics were busy in the courtyard, appearing no different from other dyeing workshops in the city.

But no one knew that thirty zhang deep beneath the dyeing workshop's backyard lay a vast underground palace.

The scale of the underground palace was several times larger than that of the Capital City Branch Sect's underground palace, and its walls were covered with dense Demon Runes.

Dozens of cult members dressed in dark red robes shuttled back and forth within, each with a solemn and uneasy expression on their faces.

In a secret chamber at the deepest part of the underground palace.

An old man dressed in a dark gold robe sat on a stone chair, holding an urgent secret report that had just arrived.

His face was gaunt, his eye sockets sunken, and a sinister light flickered in his cloudy old eyes.

A coiling demon snake was embroidered on his dark gold robe, its head pointing towards his chest.

He was the Grand Bishop of the Holy Demon God Sect's Great Yu Main Altar—codenamed Black Dragon.

He was responsible for overseeing the operations of all branch sects within the Great Yu Dynasty, his status second only to the Sect Master and the few Vice Sect Masters.

Black Dragon's cultivation had reached the late stage of a ninth-rank Martial Saint; within the entire Great Yu Dynasty, only a handful of people could contend with him head-on.

But at this moment, the late-stage Martial Saint's face was ashen, veins bulging on his forehead.

The secret report in his hand contained only a few lines, yet it made his entire body tremble.

"Crown Prince Su Mingyuan has been crippled, demoted to commoner status, and exiled to Jiao Province. All those associated with the Eastern Palace who were involved with the Demon Cult will be executed..."

Xuan Long crumpled the secret report into a ball and smashed it fiercely onto the ground.

A terrifying Saintly might erupted from him, crushing outwards like a tangible, dark-red demonic energy.

The stone tables and chairs in the secret chamber cracked inch by inch, and the Demon Runes on the walls flickered wildly!

"The Crown Prince! That's the Crown Prince! He was the deepest nail we had planted in the Imperial City, and our only remaining pawn!"

His voice was hoarse and furious, like a cornered beast.

"He was just pulled out like that! So easily pulled out by that damned Prince Wu'an!"

In the corner of the secret chamber.

A confidant in a black robe knelt on the ground, trembling.

This confidant was a protector of the Great Yu Main Altar, with a cultivation at the peak of Eighth-Rank Grandmaster.

He had followed Xuan Long for many years and had never seen the Grand Bishop so enraged.

Xuan Long suddenly stood up and paced back and forth in the secret chamber.

"That old Emperor is determined to eradicate us. The nationwide crackdown is overwhelming."

"Branch Sect strongholds in various provinces are being dismantled one after another, with countless casualties among our followers."

"Those strongholds that haven't been discovered are now all cowering underground, too scared to even show their faces!"

"Although the various branch sects caused some trouble for the Great Yu's hounds before their destruction, what good is that? If this continues, our Holy Sect will have no place to stand within the Great Yu!"

He grew more agitated as he spoke, smashing a fist into the stone wall.

The stone wall was dented, forming a deep pit, and rubble rained down.

"All of this is thanks to that Prince Wu'an!"

"If he hadn't appeared out of nowhere, how could the Capital City Branch Sect have been destroyed? How could the Red Python Sect Leader have fallen? How could the plan for the Flower Deity Festival have failed?"

"If he hadn't led his four Martial Saints to sweep through everywhere, how could the branch sect nests in various provinces have suffered such heavy losses?"

He gritted his teeth as he uttered the name.

"Lin Changqing... Prince Wu'an... Evergreen Saint Venerable..."

The protector kneeling on the ground spoke cautiously.

"Grand Bishop, please calm your anger. The matter has come to this. The priority now is to decide our next course of action."

He carefully chose his words, his voice kept extremely low.

"This Seat dares to suggest, there are currently three paths we can take."

"First, we continue to lie low, tighten all activities, and wait for this storm to pass. The Great Yu's crackdown cannot last forever. As long as we hide deep enough, we will eventually wait until they let their guard down."

"Second, we concentrate all our remaining strength and fight the Great Yu Dynasty. Let them know we are not to be trifled with. After the fight, we withdraw from the Great Yu amidst the chaos. Although this will result in considerable losses, it will at least preserve some dignity."

"Third, we directly avoid their sharp edge, withdrawing all remaining personnel and resources from the Great Yu. After some time, when the situation is less tense, we will find a way to infiltrate again."

Xuan Long stopped pacing upon hearing this and fell silent.

A sinister light flickered in his eyes, clearly weighing the pros and cons.

The first path—continuing to lie low.

The entire territory was under strict investigation, with the Demon Suppressing Division and garrisons searching in every province and county.

Although the undiscovered strongholds were temporarily safe, who knew when they would be found out?

Moreover, Prince Wu'an's divine sense was terrifyingly sharp; even the seals deep within the Underground Palace could not block his perception.

The risk of lying low was too great.

The second path—concentrating strength for a head-on battle.

He let out a cold laugh. The thought only crossed his mind for half a circle before he dismissed it.

The combined strength of all remaining branch sects, though seemingly not small, was still too weak compared to the behemoth that was the Great Yu Dynasty.

Furthermore, they had Prince Wu'an Lin Changqing—that Ninth-Rank Martial Saint Peak who had killed the Red Python Martial Saint with a single sword strike.

And he had his four early Ninth-Rank Martial Saint guards, as well as that Pureblood Qilin.

Taking the initiative to attack was no different from seeking death.

Although he was a late-stage Martial Saint, Red Python had also been a Martial Saint, and he couldn't even withstand one strike from Prince Wu'an. Xuan Long estimated he wouldn't fare much better.

Xuan Long sat back down on the stone chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Notify all our hidden bases in various provinces that haven't been exposed. Destroy all documents immediately, transfer personnel, and withdraw from Great Yu in batches."

"Act quickly and discreetly. Don't alert Great Yu's hounds. If the green hills remain, there'll be wood to burn."

The Dharma Protector breathed a sigh of relief and quickly bowed.

"Your Eminence is wise. I shall make arrangements at once!"

"Wait."

Black Dragon suddenly raised his hand, a fierce killing intent flashing in his eyes.

The Dharma Protector quickly stopped and knelt again.

Black Dragon slowly stood up, his dark gold robe billowing without wind.

He walked to the other side of the secret chamber, retrieved a hidden compartment from the wall, and took out a black jade talisman the size of his palm.

The talisman was covered in twisted demon runes, emitting a chilling aura.

"Your Eminence, what is this..."

Black Dragon clenched the black jade talisman in his hand, his knuckles turning white.

"We are retreating this time, having suffered heavy losses and our strength greatly depleted. If we leave shamefully like this, I won't be able to swallow my pride, and the Demon Saint will surely punish me."

"That Prince Wu'an Lin Changqing, he killed our Holy Sect's Red Python Sect Leader, destroyed the Capital City branch sect, and ruined the Flower Deity Festival plan."

"Now he has forced us to withdraw from Great Yu and severed the foundation of our Holy Sect... If I don't avenge this, I swear I'm not human."

The Dharma Protector's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

"Does Your Eminence mean... to seek revenge on that Prince Wu'an?"

He quickly advised.

"Your Eminence, think twice! That Prince Wu'an is a Ninth-Rank Martial Saint Peak. Even the Red Python Sect Leader couldn't withstand a single sword strike from him. While your cultivation is profound, acting rashly is too risky!"

Black Dragon sneered.

"Who said I'm going to confront him directly?"

He looked down at the black jade talisman in his hand, his killing intent deepening.

"Doesn't he have four guards at the early Martial Saint stage?"

"Those four each guard a province, scattered across Great Yu. This is the perfect opportunity to strike."

"Since Prince Wu'an killed one of our Holy Sect's Martial Saints, I will use his own methods against him!"

"Let him also experience the taste of having his arms severed by someone!"

The Dharma Protector gasped.

"Your Eminence intends to attack those four early Martial Saints?"

"But those four Martial Saints each guard a province and are surrounded by personnel from the Demon Suppressing Division and local garrisons. Once you make a move, the commotion will be considerable."

"Moreover, they are all at the early Martial Saint cultivation level. Although you are two minor realms higher than them, killing four early Martial Saints consecutively in a short period... might not be easy."

Black Dragon tossed the black jade talisman up and caught it, his tone chilling.

"I don't need to deal with all four at once."

He walked to a large map hanging on the side of the hall.

"Among the Four Symbols Holy Guards, Azure Dragon Guard Lin Long is stationed in Yu Province, White Tiger Guard Lin Hu in Xu Province, Vermilion Bird Guard Lin Que in Yan Province, and Black Tortoise Guard Lin Wu in Green Province."

"They are each stationed in their own areas, far apart from each other."

"As a late Martial Saint, if I suddenly ambush one of them, my chances of success are not small."

"As long as I can kill one of them, it will be a heavy blow to Prince Wu'an, letting him know that our Holy Sect is not to be trifled with!"

The Dharma Protector hesitated, then asked.

"Who does Your Eminence plan to strike first?"

Black Dragon returned to the map, his gaze sweeping across the locations of Yu Province, Xu Province, Yan Province, and Green Province.

He was contemplating which Holy Guard was most likely to be alone and which location had the weakest defenses.

A moment later, a cold smile curved his lips.

"White Tiger Guard Lin Hu, in Xu Province."

"He is the most straightforward among the Four Symbols Holy Guards, acting decisively and never procrastinating. But because of this, he is most likely to act alone, separate from the main force."

"Xu Province Governor Sun Tai has just been apprehended, and the officialdom in Xu Province is in chaos. He has to clear out hidden bases and stabilize the situation in Xu Province, making him unable to attend to everything."

"At this time, Xu Province is at its weakest in terms of defense."

The Dharma Protector cautiously asked.

"When does Your Eminence plan to make a move?"

Black Dragon clenched the black jade talisman in his palm.

"We will act after all our people have withdrawn from Great Yu. Making a move now would alert the enemy."

"Once everything settles, this old man will personally make a trip to Xu Province."

His voice was so chilling it made one's spine crawl.

"Using the life of that White Tiger Guard as the final stroke to our withdrawal from the Great Yu, we'll draw a close."

"It will also serve as an explanation to the main sect, letting them know that the revenge for Martial Saint Red Python will not go unavenged!"

The Protector remained silent for a moment, then bowed deeply.

"This subordinate understands. This subordinate will go arrange the withdrawal of the branch sects in various provinces immediately."

Black Dragon nodded, then turned to look at the massive map of the Great Yu Dynasty on the wall.

His gaze fell upon the location of Xu Province, and a cold smile curved his lips.

Lin Hu, White Tiger Guard, early Ninth-tier Martial Saint.

Your life... this old man has claimed!

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