"Master Green Lotus, the upheaval in the Sacred Capital caught us off guard as well. We failed to notify you in time, and we are truly sorry."
"Now that matters have settled for the moment, you may move freely around the villa. But the eunuchs' henchmen are running rampant, and many brutish martial artists have thrown in their lot with the Demon Empress. We must all be more cautious in our words and deeds than before..."
"Indeed, times are no longer what they were..."
Several days later, at the Summer Retreat Villa outside the Sacred Capital, Li Chen once again met Yue Dongyang and the members of the Four Great Academies.
They briefly explained the recent events to Li Chen, but omitted the specifics of the factional struggle, let alone what had happened before and after Master Han's appearance. Even they did not fully understand the chain of events, nor why Great Powers from various sides had suddenly intervened in person that day.
Only Li Chen, who had surveyed the entire region through the Thousand-Mile Eye and secretly manipulated the situation, understood that this had resulted from the Demon God Palace taking the initiative and joining forces with the Heavenly Martial Gate of the Martial Dao and other factions.
The hand pushing events from behind the curtain was most likely the Flaming-Mane Emperor Venerable!
Unaware of Li Chen's existence, the Flaming-Mane Emperor Venerable had mistakenly believed that the east wind was about to rise and his opportunity had arrived. He decisively entered the game, becoming yet another demonic wind with which Li Chen fanned the flames. Through an unexpected twist of fate, however, the fruits of victory landed on Hu Meiniang's plate, making her the greatest winner.
Many demon cultivators and martial artists had now seized the opportunity to join