Starting with the titmouse, seventy-two transformations

Chapter 172 Standoff, Reasons

midair.

A tall, slender figure stood in mid-air, stepping on clouds, dressed in black and wearing a cloak, obscuring his face.

He held a four-foot-long sword, its entire body dark and shimmering with light. Upon closer inspection, one could see a flowing blue light, like the reflection of a cold moon in a deep pool. The blade edge was lined with silver, like a cracked ice river.

A surge of malevolent energy swirled around him, coalescing into an unknown ferocious beast that emitted a faint roar.

An aura far surpassing that of a Foundation Establishment Qi Refining cultivator permeated the entire area, pressing down on everyone present like a mountain.

Even cultivators at the Dao Realm found it difficult to move under this overwhelming and terrifying pressure, and their expressions changed drastically.

Beyond the Path—

Huangting Realm!
The imperial court's hidden trump card was finally revealed after the Minor Five Elements Formation was broken.

They confronted Wu Song head-on, locked in a fierce battle.

"This is bad! Master's aura is weakening!"

At this moment, Liu Sheng realized something was wrong. He sensed that the "black hole" representing Wu Song was rapidly weakening, and in the blink of an eye, he was at a disadvantage.

He was still injured, his limbs had not yet healed, and compared to a fully healthy Yellow Court Qi cultivator, he was ultimately inferior...

Or is it just a habitual fishing activity?
Liu Sheng was a little confused about his master's plans.

However, given the power they have displayed so far, once they actually clash and collide, the aftershocks will likely leave few survivors.

Clearly, all three parties were aware of this, which is why they remained silent.

until--

The heir apparent of the Prince of Jin forcefully interrupted:

"You have all come here for the Qingyuan Cave ruins. Now that the opportunity for immortality has not yet appeared, it would be too unworthy to fight to the death."

He was in his early thirties, with a handsome face, clear and elegant eyebrows like ink, and deep, unfathomable eyes that seemed to hold a hidden starlight.

He wore a dark blue brocade robe with cloud patterns, the lapel embroidered with coiled dragon patterns in gold thread, a white jade dragon belt around his waist, and held an ebony fan painted with gold in his hand.

His back was straight as a pine tree, and a strand of silver hair was hidden at his temples, adding a touch of frost to his appearance.

The moment he stood there, he inexplicably evoked the phrase "a gentleman is like jade," exuding a noble and refined air.

A few steps behind him, the Rakshasa Sect Master, Dugu Ba, stood with his arms crossed, like an iron tower guarding him.

His aura permeated the entire area, and he held his own against Wu Song and the man in the black robe and cloak.

Huangting Realm!
Xie Bao's eyelids twitched, he glanced at Dugu Ba warily, and nodded:

"I am willing to give the Crown Prince face, but these scoundrels have always been lawless. If we do not completely eliminate them, I fear there will be endless trouble in the future..."

As he spoke, he glanced at Wu Song and Lei Zhong with ill intent, and said seductively:
"Why don't we join forces to wipe out these traitors first, and then each of us can use our own methods to compete for the relics?"

"Haha, Xie Bao, you little rascal, you're a master of trickery and harming people. I wonder what evil intentions you're hiding!"

Lei Zhong had a long beard that reached his chest, and fierce, leopard-like eyes. He rolled his eyes and said menacingly:

"In contrast, the Crown Prince has a reputation for virtue and is widely respected."

"Why don't we join forces and take out Xie Bao and all those other bastards first, then we can talk about the ruins."

As he spoke, he pointed to the imperial forces and said in a sinister voice:

"Don't forget, the imperial court... is the real threat to the Prince of Jin's mansion."

Despite his thick eyebrows, big eyes, and volatile temper, this guy is quite shrewd and adept at sowing discord.

In fact, its rugged appearance actually made it more effective than Xie Bao.

However, the Prince of Jin's heir was not fooled. He snapped his folding fan open with a "whoosh" and chuckled:

"Commander Lei is joking. My Prince Jin's Mansion has been loyal and virtuous for generations, sharing the same origin and ancestors as the Imperial Court. How could we possibly regard the court as a major threat?"

Although he denied it in his words, the words "Commander Lei" were like a reassuring pill, making Lei Zhong breathe a sigh of relief. You must know that the imperial court has always regarded the White Lotus Sect as a heretical sect, and once it is discovered, troops will be dispatched to suppress it.

They have always been referred to as "traitors" or "lotus bandits".

However, the Prince of Jin referred to Lei Zhong as "Chief of the Qu," a stance completely different from that of the court. The subtle implications were immediately apparent to everyone present.

Xie Bao snorted coldly, his eyes flashing, and remained silent.

"Nonsense, the Prince of Jin's mansion is in cahoots with the White Lotus Sect..."

Liu Sheng weighed his feet on his heels, and couldn't help but think of the Wu family in the inner city who had been wiped out by him, as well as Elder Qinghe.

Both of them are White Lotus Envoys.

Even their identification tags are still lying in his storage bag.

But this Prince Jin's heir is quite strange. Why doesn't he join forces with the White Lotus Sect and simply wipe out Xie Bao and his group in one fell swoop?
Even with some losses, we can eliminate a formidable rival and seize more of the spoils within the ruins...

Or is it that even if they join forces with the White Lotus Sect, they will have to pay an excessively heavy price to devour the imperial court's forces?

Unfortunately, all three parties then fell silent and did not make any further statements, which was quite strange.

Inside the tent, a disciple of Shuiyue Nunnery, puzzled, asked Du Bingyan a question.

"They are communicating telepathically and discussing secret matters."

Du Bingyan's gaze was deep and thoughtful. After a moment of silence, she began to explain.

The three powerful figures are having a private conversation, and not only is she, a mere beginner Qi cultivator, unable to get a word in edgewise, but even her master, the dignified elder of Shuiyue Nunnery, cannot join the conversation.

We can only passively wait for the outcome.

"There must be some key factors unknown to the public that enable the three parties, who are at odds with each other, to calmly negotiate..."

Liu Sheng fiddled with his claws, seemingly lost in thought.

I had a vague idea of ​​what was going on, but I lacked evidence.

You should know that Black Wind Mountain is teeming with monsters.

The discovery of the Yuding Lake ruins was preceded by signs such as the emergence of rosy clouds from the ground, the connection between the sky and water, the frost on withered trees, and the rising clouds.

How could a demon, being the landlord, not have noticed?

Thinking back to the demons they encountered on the way here, most of them only asked for a little blood and food before quietly retreating...

It feels more like a scheme!
A silent and stealthy strategy to weaken the human race!
Therefore, all three parties actually noticed the abnormality of the mountain monster, which is why they were finally willing to sit down and talk, so as not to let the monster reap the benefits.
That should be the case, it's pretty much a definite yes or no.

After his "Spider-like" talent was upgraded, his wisdom increased greatly, especially in terms of political maneuvering.

A few seemingly unimportant pieces of information were instantly connected, and the general idea was guessed.

Faced with the pressure of the demons in the mountains, the imperial court, the Prince of Jin's mansion, and the White Lotus Sect dared not go too far, lest they suffer serious losses and be taken advantage of by the demons.

The previous assertiveness was merely a tactic to gain leverage in the upcoming negotiations.

This is something that all parties are well aware of.

Gan!
A bunch of cunning old bastards!
Liu Sheng cursed inwardly, now even complaining about his own master.

He was so worried before, afraid that he might get hurt or something, but it turns out he was just putting on an act!
Waste of feelings!

(#￣～￣#)
After a while.

The three parties tacitly dispersed, each defining their own area and setting up camp by Yuding Lake.

Master Jingyue returned to her tent and began to discuss the upcoming arrangements.

"Tomorrow, the three parties will compete for a spot in the tournament. Only the winner will be able to secure a place."

She glanced at the disciples in the tent, paused for a moment, and then sighed:
"The path of immortality values ​​competition, and where there is competition, there is life and death. I will not stop you... each according to your own will and accept your own destiny."

(End of this chapter)