The worst-case scenario still happened.
In Cloud Capital City, everyone was waiting for the final trial to begin. No one was willing to make a move easily. The reason was simple: no one was confident, and no one knew whether the people around them were friend or foe.
This kind of uncertain waiting is a real test of patience, especially after bad news comes in!
Chen Baifeng thought Chen Qing wouldn't lie to him, but when he learned from Chen Qing that the South Sea Dragon Palace had indeed betrayed him, he still couldn't hold back and almost lost his balance. If Chen Qing hadn't been there to support him, he probably would have lost his composure on the spot.
It's no wonder he couldn't stay calm; anyone in Chen Baifeng's situation would probably find it difficult to maintain composure.
The trip to the Dragon Palace was a gamble for the powerful families, led by the Chen Household. The ancestors who had suffered for millions of years in the Dragon Palace had all helped their descendants seize the resources of the South Sea. They originally thought it was all worth it, as this was the first time that powerful families had defeated the ancient times.
But now it seems very likely that everything was planned in advance. Now that the South Sea has been destroyed, all the efforts of the ancient families, including the Chen Household, over the past million years will have become a joke!
" Lord Chen, there's no need for that. It's not the final moment yet; everything is still subject to change."
"Variables." Chen Baifeng smiled bitterly. " South Sea City is besieged, the Dragon Palace aquatic tribes have completely rebelled, and the aristocratic families have no power to resist. If only my wife is here, the Jiangnan magic array can only hold out for seven days at most, unless there is external assistance." When he mentioned external assistance, Chen Baifeng looked at Chen Qing: "They... have they also made moves in Jiangnan?"
No one could have imagined that Cloud Capital, after years of forbearance, was actually playing such a grand game. The ambition of this Celestial Master Assembly was astonishing; he intended to determine the fate of the world in one fell swoop!
"Now that we've invited them all, how could we possibly not take any action?" Chen Qing shook his head and smiled wryly.
"Did Your Highness, the King of Qin, foresee this?"
Chen Qing shook his head honestly. He wasn't a god, so how could he have predicted that the Celestial Master Mansion would make such a big move? He originally thought they wanted to choose one of their forces to develop their own sect or something, but he didn't expect that they had such a big appetite and wanted them all!
Even the Imperial Capital from the Xiao Household probably didn't expect that Cloud Capital plotting against their very foundation.
"The news came from Your Highness, so you must be aware of the situation in Jiangnan, right? Is the situation critical?"
When he asked this question, Chen Baifeng was extremely nervous, because in his view, of all the forces, only Jiangnan could offer assistance to the South Sea; the demons of the Northern Lands were obviously out of the question, and as for the imperial court...
Frankly speaking, it's more likely that His Majesty the Emperor would take the opportunity to wipe them all out.
"It's quite critical," Chen Qing sighed honestly.
He hadn't expected the other party to target his hometown in Jiangnan, because he hadn't sensed any signs of intrusion. The master of the Divine Path Style could detect anomalies within his entire territory; it was extremely rare for someone to be intruded upon without realizing it, unless...
Chen Qing calculated countless times in his mind, but there was only one result: the West Sea!
He had already guessed the general situation. Behind Cloud Capital was the Ancient Demon. The Ancient Demon was not wiped out back then, but went into hiding. Moreover, he used some unknown method to devour a very important Reincarnator, learned some opportunities, and established Warlock Dynasty before the Spiritual Energy Revival.
Using the memories of the Reincarnator, they began cross-version research, accumulating a considerable amount of information. They then orchestrated this Samsara, intending to nip all forces in the bud.
In the Ancient Revival, the two most powerful forces are the Heavenly Python Palace and the Dragon Palace. The Heavenly Python Palace has a loose structure and is easily infiltrated, so it has always been a tool used by guild players. The Dragon Palace is different; Dragon Palace has a tight structure and lacks staying power, so it can only serve as a transitional tool for each version.
For the Ancient Demon, the inconspicuous Dragon Palace was actually an easier target.
It seems the South Sea Dragon Palace has been taken over, but the West Sea Dragon Palace... the other side probably has a backup plan.
The people most easily accessible to the West Sea Dragon Palace, besides Ao Zhen, are Tian Heng. Ao Zhen is heavily guarded and there is almost no possibility of him rebelling. Chen Qing hardly needs to guess; he is 99% certain that the other side wants to disintegrate Jiangnan from within, and Tian Heng is the best candidate!
"My lord." Shen Qi, who had just finished processing the information, frowned and whispered, "I've wanted to say this before: aren't you being too lenient with Tian Heng?"
Especially in the last two years, the preferential treatment given to them has even exceeded that given to Xu Hu. The Fighter Army does the hardest and most tiring work, while Tian Heng's West Sea Army has enjoyed the greatest benefits in recent years. If Xu Hu were not a loyal person, he would probably be heartbroken.
"It's precisely because of this excessive favoritism that his power can be diminished," Chen Qing said, gazing towards the direction of Jiangnan.
"Oh?" Shen Qi's eyes lit up. "The Master was already on guard against Tian Heng?"
" Tian Heng's move was initially intended to counterbalance the West Sea Aquatic Clan," Chen Qing sighed. " Xu Hu is too straightforward and doesn't know how to fight for power. If he were to mingle with the Western Sea Aquatic Clan and quickly gain a massive amount of Power of Faith, he would be too embarrassed to keep it all to himself. He would most likely give up a lot of benefits to help the Western Sea West Sea Aquatic Clan West Sea Aquatic Clan recover. There's nothing we can do about it; that's just how straightforward he is."
Shen Qi: "."
" Tian Heng is different. He is more ambitious and more shrewdly self-serving, so he will use a lot of Power of Faith to strengthen his own elite troops. But the more he does this, the more dissatisfied the West Sea Aquatic Clan will be with him. There will be a chasm between the two sides from the very beginning. It will be difficult for Ao Zhen Tian Heng to get along."
"My lord certainly knows how to scheme," Shen Qi said, rolling her eyes at the other person.
"That's called an exchange of benefits, what do you mean by scheming?" Chen Qing scoffed, "You can't expect to get all the benefits and suffer no losses at all, can you?"
"And then, the Southeast Campaign was handed over to Tian Heng?"
"That was just a convenient arrangement. At the time, Xu Hu's army was all on the front lines. If we kept giving Xu Hu all the opportunities to expand our prestige, no one would be satisfied. Xu Hu himself couldn't handle the pressure. Tian Heng's West Sea Army was the most suitable at the time, so we gave it to him. I gave him so many benefits, so no one could say that I, as his lord, was being unfair, right?"
"Uh..." Shen Qi's heart skipped a beat. "What does the master mean?"
"If he rebels, he will be ungrateful, and morally speaking, I owe him nothing." Chen Qing gazed into the distance, his eyes deep and thoughtful. "It would be only right to swallow everything he has!"
--
"Brother Wei, where are we going?" Xu Hu scratched his head, looking puzzled. "Didn't you used to never like outsiders coming in?"
" The Underworld is where ghosts dwell, and you people of the mortal realm certainly cannot enter or leave at will!" Wei Gongcheng's voice was very serious, but his gaze towards Xu Hu softened considerably.
The Lord of the Underworld is the most powerful in the Underworld. Even a master like Xu Hu would be completely subdued by him if he entered the Underworld. However, Xu Hu followed him in without hesitation, without even a trace of mental fluctuation.
Unless Xu Hu is a ruthless person who is exaggeratedly ruthless, he is a loyal and righteous person with a clear conscience.
"So why did you bring me here this time?" Xu Hu looked around curiously. "This is the Underworld? Can I see my dead brothers? I also want to know how they live here."
"Where would I find the time for that?" Wei Gongcheng rolled his eyes at the other person. "I'm here to give you something."
"Leave it to me?" Xu Hu was taken aback.
"Hmm," Wei Gongcheng nodded, "The last trump card that the lord left in Liuzhou before!"