"Mister Mo!" Everyone cupped their hands in greeting.
Within the Heavenly Net Church, the church lord held the highest position.
Below the church lord were the Ghost and Phantom Envoys, with the Ghost Envoy usually ranking slightly higher.
Everyone paid their respects not only because of his position in the church, but also because he had braved danger to enter the fray himself.
"Mister Mo, since you retired long ago, why wade into these muddy waters?" Feng Feiyan sighed softly.
"I, Mo Tong, am the Ghost Envoy of the Heavenly Net Church. Now that the church is in trouble, how could I call myself a man if I refused to help?" Mister Mo said with a smile.
"Besides, even if I hadn't come today, they would have come looking for me sooner or later."
Feng Feiyan's delicate brows knitted tightly. "No, this conflict all began because of me."
Mister Mo shook his head. "It isn't that simple."
"I've investigated the matter thoroughly and uncovered the whole story."
"It isn't Li Tiange who wants you. The people behind him are plotting to seize the Heavenly Net Divine Art!"
Li Tiange, the sect master of the Six Harmonies Sect, had suddenly visited the Flying Eagle Gate some time ago to ask for Feng Feiyan's hand in marriage.
Feng Feiyan had no interest in him and rejected him on the spot.
Conflict had subsequently erupted between the two sides, then escalated, drawing more and more people into it.
By now, the entire Heavenly Net Church had become embroiled in the conflict, leaving her wracked with guilt.
"What exactly is going on?" she hurriedly asked.
Mister Mo sat down and first took a sip of plain tea.
Then he began to explain at an unhurried pace. "When Lord Mo disappeared all those years ago, the Heavenly Net Church became a dragon without a head and splintered apart."
"I had no desire to become embroiled in the infighting, so I retired and went to the Blood Marsh."
"Over the years, I've built up a modest force there."
"My people don't specialize in fighting. They focus on gathering intelligence."
"Although I haven't been in Nanyang all these years, I know every rustle of wind and stir of grass in its cultivation world."
"I've also been keeping an eye on the recent conflict between Li Tiange and you, Eagle Venerable."
"Behind Li Tiange is a second-rate faction from the Blood Marsh-the Heavenly Mystic Hall!"
"Somehow, the master of the Heavenly Mystic Hall learned about the Heavenly Net Divine Art and decided to get his hands on our church's divine art."
"But he was afraid of attracting the attention of the other overlords in the Blood Marsh and bringing more rivals into the contest."
"So he secretly contacted Li Tiange. Everything that followed happened at his instigation."
"The reason they targeted you first, Eagle Venerable, was that you founded the Flying Eagle Gate and built it up to this scale in just two hundred years."
"The hall master believed that the Heavenly Net Divine Art had most likely fallen into your hands."
"So that's how it is." Hearing this, Feng Feiyan felt some of the weight lift from her heart.
Meanwhile, at the Six Harmonies Sect's camp.
Despite being the sect master, Li Tiange was pacing anxiously outside a large tent.
Although the Six Harmonies Sect had enjoyed sweeping victories lately, it had also lost tens of thousands of disciples, severely sapping its strength.
He had only decided to act after the people from the Heavenly Mystic Hall promised their full support.
But now, he had seen none of the benefits and instead suffered so many casualties among his own disciples. It left him deeply frustrated.
"Come in!" A languid, seductive voice drifted out of the tent.
Li Tiange hurried inside, but he did not dare raise his head to look at the person opposite him.
A foul smell permeated the tent. The woman reclining on the perfumed bed before him had only a thin veil loosely draped over her body.
Her alluring curves and splendid scenery were enough to feast anyone's eyes.
Yet beside this ravishing woman lay a shriveled male corpse...
"Venerable Envoy, another force just broke through the encirclement to reinforce the Heavenly Net Church."
"Their leader is Mister Mo, the Heavenly Net Church's Ghost Envoy. His cultivation has advanced considerably since those earlier years!"
"Just now, even the Four Dharma Venerables: Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning couldn't subdue him together. He has probably reached the late Heavenly Balance Realm."
"And although his elite force numbers only a thousand, their fighting strength is extraordinary."
"This battle has dragged on for quite some time. It's time to end it. I fear further delays will bring more unforeseen developments."
"So I've ventured here to ask you to take action, oversee the battlefield, and slay their commanders, crushing the Heavenly Net Church in one stroke!" Li Tiange said.
"Oh? He's come too?" The seductive woman smiled.
"Excellent. Now they're all here."
"Only Yun Shuiqing escaped..."
"Yun Shuiqing escaped alone. She's nothing to worry about. We can send people to hunt her down later," Li Tiange muttered.
The seductive woman sat up and looked at him with a beaming smile.
"Sect Master Li, why don't you dare lift your head and look at me?" she asked.
Li Tiange gave an awkward smile. "Naturally, I wouldn't dare offend you by staring at your splendid beauty, Venerable Envoy."
"You're afraid I'll suck you dry too, aren't you?" the seductive woman said with a smile.
"Don't worry. You're one of us. I'd only draw out a small portion of your yang qi. It wouldn't matter."
Li Tiange was already advanced in years and short on yang essence. If she drained him, recovering would be no easy task.
Thus, although the woman before him was immensely tempting, he dared not entertain even the slightest improper thought.
"Please don't tease me, Venerable Envoy," he said ruefully.
Seeing him so timid, the seductive woman laughed, her body trembling like flowering branches in the breeze. "Fine, I'll stop teasing you."
"This has indeed dragged on long enough. It's time to end it!"
"Launch an all-out assault on the Heavenly Net Church!"
"We'll crush them in one stroke today!"
Li Tiange perked up, delight lighting his face. "Good! I'll go make the preparations right away."
"Please oversee the battle from the rear when the time comes, Venerable Envoy. We'll have to trouble you with those tough bones to chew, like Mister Mo!"
At the forward defensive line of the Flying Eagle Gate.
Mister Mo and the others watched the Six Harmonies Sect disciples assembling, their expressions grim.
"They're preparing for the final, decisive battle," Feng Feiyan said heavily.
"Then we'll fight until jade and stone burn together!" Hu Yue snorted coldly, clenching his iron fists.
"That old bastard Li Tiange-I'll drag him down with me before I die!"
"Don't rush. My Black Tortoise Seven-Star Formation is already in place. It should hold them off for a while," Mister Mo murmured.
As soon as his people arrived, they had dispersed throughout the Flying Eagle Gate and begun setting it up.
On the other side, half an incense stick later, the Six Harmonies Sect finished assembling.
An army of nearly three hundred thousand cultivators surged forward in a mighty tide, launching its final assault on the Flying Eagle Gate.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Boom! Rumble...
Under their fierce attacks, the formation seemed liable to collapse at any moment.
Yet a full quarter of an hour passed, and it still stood firm.
Li Tiange grew anxious and immediately headed to the rear of the army.
He stopped before a perfumed bed floating in midair.
Then he looked at the alluring woman reclining on her side behind its curtains. "Venerable Envoy, their formation is exceptionally sturdy."
"We've attacked for a long time without breaking through, and our disciples have already expended considerable spiritual power. Is there any way to break this formation?"
"If this continues, we'll eventually break through, but the army's fighting strength will undoubtedly be diminished."
The seductive woman said indifferently, "None of us here is proficient in formations. There's no chance of breaking it through finesse."
"Keep going! You can break it anyway. You might just lose a few more people afterward."
"There's no need to feel heartache. After this affair, you're already one of us in the Heavenly Mystic Hall."
"There will be plenty of benefits for you in the future. We won't let you lose out."
Helpless, Li Tiange could only return and continue directing his disciples' attacks.
Inwardly, he cursed, You filthy bitch! Of course you don't feel any heartache-hardly any of your people will die!
Just then, a figure suddenly appeared above the Six Harmonies Sect's army.
The newcomer was naturally Fang Ling. Looking down at the army of three hundred thousand cultivators, composed primarily of the Six Harmonies Sect, he silently swallowed.
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