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"The worst-case scenario has happened..."

In Yun Du City, everyone was waiting for the final trial to begin. No one was willing to act rashly, for the reason was simple—nobody was confident, and moreover, nobody knew who around them was friend or foe.

This kind of uncertain waiting was really a test of patience, especially after the terrible news arrived!

Chen Baifeng felt that Chen Qing wouldn’t deceive him, but when he learned from Chen Qing that the Nanhai Dragon Palace had indeed betrayed them, he could barely hold himself together and almost fell, barely steadying his form.

If not for Chen Qing’s support, he would have lost his composure on the spot.

It wasn’t surprising that he was unstable at this time—in Chen Baifeng’s shoes, anyone might have struggled to remain composed.

On the expedition to the Dragon Palace, the aristocratic families led by the Chen Family had staked everything.

The ancestors who had endured a million years of torture at the Dragon Palace had all sacrificed for their descendants, securing the resources of the Southern Sea for them.

It seemed like everything was worth it, the first time ancient families had triumphed over the ancients.

But now, it seemed possible that everything had been premeditated. If the Southern Sea was to fall now, the efforts of all the ancient families over a million years, including the Chen Family, would become a joke!!

"Lord Chen need not worry so much, it’s not the last moment yet; there are still variables."

"Variables..." Chen Baifeng chuckled bitterly, "Nanhai City is besieged, the aquatic tribe of Dragon Palace has completely revolted, the families have no power to resist. If only my wife were here, the Jiangnan Array could hold up for seven days if it burst through the sky, unless there’s outside help.

.." When he mentioned outside help, Chen Baifeng looked towards Chen Qing, "They.

.. also have movements in Jiangnan, right? "

No one could have anticipated that Yun Du, having bided its time for so many years, had laid out such a grand scheme. The ambition of the Heavenly Master Convention this time was shocking—the aim was to determine the fate of the world in one fell swoop!

"Since everyone has been invited, how could there be no action?" Chen Qing shook his head and chuckled bitterly.

"Did His Highness the King of Qin anticipate this time?"

Chen Qing shook his head honestly, he was no deity; how could he have expected the Heavenly Master Mansion to make such a big move.

Originally, he thought they just wanted to select from among their various forces to grow their own sect or something.

But unexpectedly, the opponent’s ambition was so great that they aimed to take everything!

Even the Emperor of the Siao Family probably didn’t expect that Yun Du was plotting for their very foundation, right?

"Since the news came from Your Highness, you must also be aware of the situation in Jiangnan, right? Is it critical?"

Chen Baifeng asked nervously, because in his view, among all the forces, the only one that could extend a helping hand to the Southern Sea was Jiangnan. The Northern Demons were certainly out of the question, and as for the Imperial Court...

Honestly, it was more likely that His Majesty the Emperor would take the opportunity to eradicate them all.

"It is quite critical..." Chen Qing sighed honestly.

He hadn’t expected the opponent to target his ancestral home in Jiangnan, because he hadn’t felt any traces of an invasion by any force. The Master of the Divine Path could sense irregularities in his entire force and was seldom unaware of an invasion unless...

Numerous calculations ran through Chen Qing’s mind, leading to only one conclusion: the West Sea!

He had more or less guessed the situation: behind Yun Du was the Ancient Demon.

The Ancient Demon had not been eradicated back then but had hidden in the shadows.

Using some method, it had devoured an essential Reincarnator and learned some early advantages.

Before the revival of spiritual energy, it established the Sorcerer Dynasty.

Leveraging the Reincarnator’s memories, they initiated research that spanned versions and amassed quite an arsenal. Then, they planned this reincarnation cycle, intending to strangle all the forces in their cradles.

With the reawakening of antiquity, the two most powerful forces were the Celestial Serpent Palace and the Dragon Palace.

The Celestial Serpent Palace’s structure was loose and easily penetrated, so it had always been a tool exploited by guild players; the Dragon Palace, however, was different.

Its structure was tight-knit, and it lacked follow-through, always only able to bear the responsibilities during version transitions.

For the Ancient Demon, the inconspicuous Dragon Palace was an easier target.

The Nanhai Dragon Palace seems to have already been controlled, and the West Sea Dragon Palace... I’m afraid the other party also has a backup plan.

The people most easily approached at the West Sea Dragon Palace, other than Ao Zhen.

.. would be Tian Heng. With Ao Zhen being closely guarded, there’s almost no chance of him rebelling.

Chen Qing almost doesn’t need to guess—it is almost certain that the other side wants to internally collapse Jiangnan, and Tian Heng is the best candidate for it!

"Your Majesty..." Shen Qi, who was beside him, had just finished digesting the intelligence report, frowned deeply, and spoke in a low voice, "I’ve been wanting to say this for a while, haven’t you treated Tian Heng too favorably?"

Especially in these two years, the preferential treatment given to him even surpassed that of Xuu Hu.

The toughest and most tiring jobs were handled by the Warrior Army, but these past few years, it was Tian Heng’s Western Sea Army that enjoyed the greatest benefits.

If Xuu Hu were not a loyal man, he might have felt utterly disheartened.

"It’s precisely because of the excessive favoritism that it is easy to break up his power," Chen Qing looked towards the direction of Jiangnan and said.

"Oh?" Shen Qi’s eyes lit up, "Your Majesty, have you been on guard against Tian Heng all along?"

"Tian Heng’s move from the very beginning was meant to counterbalance the West Sea Aquatic Tribe," Chen Qing sighed and said, "Xuu Hu is too straightforward, not inclined to vie for power and profit. If he were to mix with the West Sea Aquatic Tribe and gain vast amounts of faith power in a short period, he would probably not be comfortable monopolizing it. Most likely, he would cede a great deal of benefits to help the West Sea Aquatic Tribe recover. There’s no way around it, he’s just that kind of upright person. "

Shen Qi: "....."

"Tian Heng is different, he’s more ambitious and a bit more self-serving.

So, he would use a large amount of faith power to strengthen his own direct troops, but the more he does so, the more dissatisfied the West Sea Aquatic Tribe will become with him.

From the very beginning, there would be a rift between them, and it would be difficult for Ao Zhen and Tian Heng to get along. "

"Your Majesty is quite the schemer..." Shen Qi gave a sideways glance and said.

"This is called mutual benefit, what do you mean schemer?" Chen Qing pursed his lips and said, "You can’t just take all the advantages and suffer no disadvantages, right?"

"Then what about giving Tian Heng the Southeast military campaign afterward?"

"That was just taking the opportunity, as Xuu Hu’s troops were all defending the borders at that time.

If I kept giving Xuu Hu the opportunities to expand his reputation, no one would be satisfied, and even Xuu Hu himself couldn’t bear that pressure.

Tian Heng’s Western Sea Army was the most suitable at that time, so I gave it to him.

By ceding so much benefit to him, no one could say that I, their lord, was not generous, right? "

"Uh..." Shen Qi felt a skip in his heartbeat, "Your Majesty means?"

"If he turns against us, then he would be ungrateful. Morally speaking, I owe him nothing..." Chen Qing looked into the distance, his expression deep and distant, "To take everything he has, would then be nothing but justified!"

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"Younger Brother Wei, where are you off to?" Xuu Hu, scratching his head, asked with a puzzled expression, "Aren’t you the one who never liked outsiders coming in?"

"The Underworld is the resting place for ghosts, and of course, people from the living world should not enter and leave as they please!" Wei Gongcheng’s voice was very stern, but his gaze softened a lot when he looked at Xuu Hu.

The Lord of the Underworld had the strongest power in the Underworld, and even a master like Xuu Hu would be completely in his grasp once he entered the Underworld. Yet Xuu Hu entered without hesitation, without even a ripple of spiritual disturbance.

Unless Xuu Hu was an impossibly exaggerated ruffian in disguise, he was a truly righteous and loyal man with a clear conscience.

"Then why are you bringing me here this time?" Xuu Hu curiously surveyed the surroundings, "Is this the Underworld? Can I see my dead brothers? I also want to know how they get by here."

"Who has time for that?" Wei Gongcheng gave him a sideways look, "You’re here for me to pass some things on to you."

"To me?" Xuu Hu was taken aback.

"Mhm..." Wei Gongcheng nodded, "The last trump card left behind in Lyuzhou by your lord before..."