readytorunbook Chapter 131 Secret
Chapter 131 Secret
Chapter 131: Secrets
Jade Pearl Immortal Domain, Jade Pearl Star Palace main hall.
On one side of the grand formation, the Sect Master Yan Qinyang stared coldly at the gray-robed figure in front of him, his eyes flickering with flames. As for the surrounding high-ranking elders, their expressions were equally unpleasant.
"What do you mean by this?" Yan Qinyang asked with a gloomy tone after a long silence.
The gray-robed figure appeared somewhat embarrassed and hesitated in his voice, "Perhaps... it was Luo Huan who caused the delay. Should we continue to wait?"
Yan Qinyang sneered, "She didn't fall for it at all. You were the one deceived by that little girl! We all fell into the trap together, wasting so many resources to set up this useless Void Teleportation Grand Formation, and here we are foolishly waiting for half a year!"
The gray-robed figure remained silent.
He was equally frustrated. Having paid a great price, he thought everything was foolproof. Little did he know that there was no response from Luo Huan's side, causing not only the questioning and reproach from the organization's high-ranking members, but also the loss of patience from Yan Qinyang, who no longer believed in his arrangements.
"Elder Yan, regarding this matter, I suggest we discuss it thoroughly," the gray-robed figure gritted his teeth and said in a deep voice, "I still have the image of the meeting with Luo Huan in my hands. As long as we threaten to make it public, she won't dare to defy us."
Elder Xie Changqing beside him sneered, "Are you sure? It's possible that she has already met with the Sect Master and voluntarily admitted to this matter. Even if you make it public, it won't have any impact on her."
These big shots were not fools. By now, they had realized that they had been played, but for the time being, they couldn't find a suitable way to give the other party a profound lesson. The feeling of frustration and anger was beyond words.
Their plan to manipulate Qin Muling had failed, and they had even let the high-ranking members of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace learn about it in advance, taking targeted precautions. It was safe to say that they had failed miserably.
"Enough, regarding this matter, our organization will give your side a satisfactory explanation later," the gray-robed figure finally said, "Please rest assured, Sect Master. Whether this matter succeeds or not, it won't affect our cooperation in other affairs."
With the plan's failure, the most appropriate choice was to cut losses and withdraw in a timely manner. However, the gray-robed figure had not lost confidence. The organization behind him had existed for millions of years and had experienced all kinds of storms. A single failure was nothing to worry about. They would patiently wait for an opportunity and regain their position in the future.
Yan Qinyang silently weighed his options and softened his tone, "Then let's discuss our next steps! That woman from Clear Flower Divine Palace is unreliable as well. She even lost in a supposedly guaranteed gambling match, causing us to lose such a prosperous territory. It's simply a case of more failures than successes!"
...
In the depths of the void, within the bronze ship belonging to the Palace of Calamitous Fate.
On the main seat, the holy maiden Mei Qingfeng, radiating with colorful light and surrounded by clouds, carefully examined the pile of intelligence that had been brought to her. Her expression revealed neither joy nor anger, while dozens of elders sat silently around her.
"This time, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has won another round," Mei Qingfeng's cold and gentle voice sounded. "By reclaiming nine major Star Domains and the accompanying benefits, their influence is bound to rise to a new level."
The matter of Immortal Venerable Yu Li from Clear Flower Divine Palace coming to challenge them naturally couldn't escape the notice of Palace of Calamitous Fate. It can be said that there were people from Palace of Calamitous Fate behind the scenes, pushing things along. The cause and effect were clear at a glance.
Elder Luo Yujue said, "What can be confirmed is that Xue Bingxuan's Dao Foundation has been destroyed. Without special circumstances, she will never have a chance to advance further. So, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has suffered a considerable loss."
Yuan Xuan Kong smiled and said, "This kind of injury to the Dao is extremely troublesome even for us. If the Sect Master Mu Yinghua doesn't want to give up on her personal disciple, she might come to us for help. Should we accept or not?"
Meng Huo chuckled, "It depends on what kind of conditions they can offer. Without sufficient benefits, we have no reason to get involved."
Many important figures smiled at each other. This kind of injury could only be effectively treated with a few rare resources and methods in the Extreme Void Starry Sky, most of which were controlled by Palace of Calamitous Fate. When other superpowers encountered such troubles, they often had to pay a staggering price to seek help from Palace of Calamitous Fate.
Therefore, relying on this monopoly business, Palace of Calamitous Fate's annual income was extremely exaggerated.
Mei Qingfeng raised her hand, and a huge magical projection mirror appeared in the hall. Inside, the distribution of power in Cloud Dream Immortal Domain was displayed.
The territory belonging to Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had expanded by nearly half a circle. With the nine major Star Domains back under their control, the threat level from the surrounding forces to Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's territory had significantly decreased.
Especially with the continuous repair of the main body of the giant land, the defense of the sect's main altar was becoming stronger. With the Pinnacle Origin Limitless Soft Water Banner and Falling Phoenix Nebula Tower guarding it, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace only needed to assign a few Supreme Elders to stay behind, while most of their high-end combat power could go out and gradually reclaim the lost territories.
"How much longer until the sect's main altar is fully restored?"
"Based on the current situation, it will probably take three to five years, maybe even sooner. Since Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace obtained the ceasefire order from Dao Court, the surrounding forces can only watch and can't change anything."
"Yes, the ceasefire order lasts for 150 years. After they repair the sect's main altar, they might be able to do something else, such as having all the high-level elders refine pills and artifacts, guide disciples, and so on, to further enhance the overall strength of the sect. They are only restricted from actively engaging in wars with other forces."
"In that case, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's momentum of good luck is quite strong. They are experiencing smooth sailing in everything, while the surrounding forces are constantly suffering..."
"If this kind of luck can last for 150 years, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace will be not far from reaching its peak state in ancient times. Then it will be the turn for those forces to suffer!"
The elders whispered to each other. The mystery of luck was unfathomable, and no one understood better than Palace of Calamitous Fate the importance of luck to an individual or a faction.
Now that Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had the upper hand in luck, they naturally had the advantage, as if even the supreme heavenly path stood on their side.
Mei Qingfeng pondered for a moment and said, "If this trend continues, Cloud Dream Immortal Domain will eventually return to the control of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. Does this align with the interests of Palace of Calamitous Fate?"
Yuan Xuan Kong cautiously replied, "According to the strategy set by the Sect Master, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace should at least have half of the dominance over Cloud Dream Immortal Domain. As for more territories... it will depend on the attitudes of the surrounding Supreme Dao Lineages. If they are sensible, we will take corresponding measures to stop Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace's expansion."
Can Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace be fully restored? The higher-ups of Palace of Calamitous Fate are not particularly concerned about it. What they want is a balance of power in this starry sky, with various forces restraining each other and no one being able to dominate. They don't even want to think about one force becoming dominant.
Mei Qingfeng nodded slightly, "That's the best. By the way, is there any news about Qin Muling? Last time I heard that you had entrusted a certain organization to handle it. Do you have any results now?"
The elders fell silent for a while.
Luo Yujue's expression was slightly embarrassed, "Your Highness, they have not been effective in their actions. They have already failed once, and it is said that they are currently trying to make amends. However, I do not have much confidence in their efforts."
At this stage, it is unlikely that the higher-ups of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace would make such a low-level mistake. Since they know that the outside world is not favorable to Qin Muling, they will definitely do everything possible, at any cost, to ensure his safety.
Imagine a cat who never leaves the sect's main altar and only cultivates in the Grotto-Heaven secret realm, with several unfathomable elders protecting him closely. If outsiders want to harm him, the difficulty is approaching infinity. It would be easier to directly tear apart and start a war.
Mei Qingfeng sighed, "So for the time being, it is unlikely that we will obtain this genius seed? Currently, his cultivation is only at the Infant Formation stage. But by the time the Dao Court's ceasefire order expires, he may have grown into a formidable opponent."
"From this perspective, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace has gained a bit too much in the past few years, exceeding our expected plans. If we had known this, we should not have let them obtain the ceasefire order so easily."
The elders looked at each other and wisely remained silent. This plan and strategy were approved by the Palace Master herself. Although the Holy Maiden's status is respected, it seems inappropriate to openly question the arrangements of their own Master.
Mei Qingfeng immediately realized this and smiled self-deprecatingly, "Forget it, let's leave it at that for now. Elders, you can go back and rest. We will discuss matters again at the beginning of next month."
Therefore, the elders got up one after another, bowed, and their figures turned into flowing light, disappearing in the hall. Most of them were just projections, and their true selves were hidden in some corner.
Mei Qingfeng sat alone in silence for a while before getting up and leaving.
At the bottom of the bronze ship, in a very secretive cabin, the Palace Master of Palace of Calamitous Fate stood with hands behind his back, quietly standing in front of a bronze cauldron. His tall and majestic figure was enveloped in a hazy divine light, making it impossible to see his facial features.
The bronze cauldron was empty inside, with only a thin layer of chaotic liquid spread at the bottom, filled with Dao rhyme and radiant immortal light. A terrifying pressure that made people suffocate emanated from the rising purple aura.
The Palace Master maintained this standing posture in silence for an unknown amount of time, until later, even with his cultivation, he could barely withstand the pressure emanating from the bronze cauldron.
"Teacher, I'm back."
A familiar voice came from behind, and Mei Qingfeng cautiously stopped her steps when she was still a hundred feet away from the Palace Master.
With her current cultivation, she could only do this much. If she took another step, the terrifying pressure would cause damage to her body and soul.
"How are things outside?"
After a while, the Palace Master's indifferent and lofty voice sounded.
Mei Qingfeng was taken aback, understanding that his master was testing him. Immediately, he succinctly reported on various recent internal and external affairs of the sect.
The palace lord did not express agreement or disagreement, and asked again, "You've seen the information from the Illusory Mist Secret Realm, right? What are your thoughts?"
Mei Qingfeng thought for a moment before slowly saying, "The high-level members of the Heavenly Human Race remnants claim that they have suffered significant losses in resources and luck. Therefore, they plan to send envoys to investigate the Extreme Void Starry Sky in a while. They also want us to cooperate. In my opinion, they are probably not really concerned about the wine, but have come up with a rather clumsy excuse. They must have other intentions."
It is troublesome for cultivators from the Extreme Void Starry Sky to enter the Illusory Mist Secret Realm. Similarly, the powerful beings in the Illusory Mist Secret Realm also face many restrictions when trying to enter the Extreme Void Starry Sky. They cannot do anything without the support of the local natives.
However, in Mei Qingfeng's view, the Heavenly Human Race remnants are most likely secretly implementing a plan targeting the cultivators of the Extreme Void Starry Sky. That's why they are acting so secretive and evasive. They want the Palace of Calamitous Fate to help, but they refuse to explain the whole situation.
The palace lord's tone was calm. "They are not really trying to hide it from us this time, but they have indeed encountered trouble, and it is a big trouble. That's why they want to come and see. Of course, the trajectories of the two worlds have already diverged at this point. The next convergence will have to wait for more than twenty years. During this period, they won't be able to send many people."
"What kind of trouble?" Mei Qingfeng asked.
"For now, I am not sure," the palace lord said, "but I have a vague guess. It should be related to the incident that happened several years ago at the Genesis Star Palace."
Mei Qingfeng was shocked. The Genesis Star Palace is a notorious place of great danger in the Extreme Void Starry Sky. It has been dormant for countless years, and its specific origins have long been lost in the depths of time.
When this desolate place reappeared in the world, countless sects and forces that were eager to take advantage of the opportunity rushed over. Almost all the supreme sects were involved, and many forces sent their experts and powerful individuals.
After all, it was the Cave Mansion of a legendary ancient Saint, filled with countless treasures and rare artifacts. It was said to contain many ancient cultivation scriptures that had long been lost, as well as the heavenly treasures and earth treasures from the beginning of the Hongmeng era. Anyone could go there to seek their own fortunes.
Of course, the most precious opportunity was said to be deep within the star palace, in the Thousand Leaves Merit Azure Lotus Pond. It was said that within it, countless Innate Primordial Spirit Seeds, which were about to take shape, were nurtured by the blood of ancient saints. In order to claim ownership of them, countless powerful beings turned against each other, resulting in a scene of carnage and bloodshed.
However, at a critical moment, the Innate Primordial Spirit Seed, which had been sealed, unexpectedly awakened and disappeared without a trace.
"...Originally, I thought that the Innate Primordial Spirit Seed had been taken by someone from the Yanfu Holy Demon Palace. Later, I discovered that it was not the case. Due to the reversal of yin and yang and the confusion of heavenly secrets, no one knows its whereabouts now," the palace lord continued.
"But I managed to collect a little bit of the ancient saint's blood that nurtured it from the Thousand Leaves Merit Azure Lotus Pond. After deducing for so long, I have come to a rather terrifying conclusion."
"That Genesis Star Palace most likely has an owner!"
Mei Qingfeng was puzzled and confused. "Of course, the Genesis Star Palace has an owner. Otherwise, how could it have come into existence? It must have been arranged by some unknown ancient powerful being."
The palace lord shook his head. "No, you misunderstood what I meant. I mean, the Genesis Star Palace's owner should still be alive."
Mei Qingfeng: "..."