BOOM!
The earth below was roaring. High in the clouds, the battle between the two Body Integration Realm cultivators had moved off to parts unknown.
The Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems had completely sunk beneath the grasslands.
Cultivator after cultivator from the Mountain fled the site of their sect, which had passed down its legacy for tens of thousands of years.
Changsun Buhuo and Heavenly Lord Jiang could not yet forget the shocking glimpse they had just witnessed underground; for a moment, they were dazed.
"Why have you returned?"
As Li Yaozu sensed the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems being buried a thousand meters deep underground, a trace of reluctance flashed in his eyes.
A foundation of sixty thousand years had returned to dust just like that, before they had even had time to search it thoroughly.
The fifty Divinity Transformation and Nascent Soul ghost creatures his father had brought constituted a massive force, yet every single one of them had perished within this Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems.
The group that had come to the rescue quickly informed him of the crushing defeat and exchanged information with Li Yaozu.
Hearing that He Hao, a Sect Master, and Zhen Wu, one of the four great titans of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, were both members of the Grand Tower, everyone was filled with shock and horror.
"We have been utterly defeated in this battle.
Lord Qi allowed us to flee and even withdrew the great formation blocking the outside of the Mountain.
When Huangui and Taotie heard the news of Ling Xu's death, they let out a cry of grief and fled immediately."
Changsun Buhuo let out a long sigh.
"We have served the Department of Immortal Suppression for over a hundred years.
We never imagined that in a great war like this, the Department's reinforcements would take so long to arrive.
If not for Lord Qi's righteousness, I fear we would all have perished within the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, becoming nothing more than discarded pawns of the Department."
Li Yaozu understood immediately.
It was no wonder this group of people had acted so uncharacteristically, turning back to the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems to attempt a rescue.
"Wu Neng is less than human!"
Qi Wunian had already sustained significant injuries from his battle with the Huangui; now, his expression was dark and covered in frost.
"He wanted us to stall the Grand Tower so that he could catch both the Grand Tower and the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems in one fell swoop."
"I know Wu Neng quite well. Although I withdrew the great formation and disrupted his plans, the members of the Grand Tower have already revealed themselves. Wu Neng surely has a backup plan."
As he spoke, Qi Wunian took a deep breath.
"Moreover, the power of the Grand Tower exceeds my expectations. He Hao and Zhen Wu are both members of the Grand Tower.
Since they were able to hide within so many major factions and hold such high positions, the Grand Tower is definitely no small matter.
I suspect that the reason Wu Neng hasn't made a move is that he wants to completely root out the Grand Tower.
There must be something behind this that we do not know."
...
Inside the Department of Immortal Suppression, everything that could be smashed had been smashed to pieces.
Wu Neng was furious.
"Qi Wunian? Where did that scoundrel get the audacity?!! Rebellion! This is rebellion!"
Zhao Guang knelt on the ground, his forehead covered in sweat.
"Each of their families had already suffered heavy losses. If they continued to fight, they would undoubtedly have perished.
Please, Commander, quell your anger. All our plans are still in motion.
The people of the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems have fled, and the members of the Grand Tower will certainly not let them leave so easily."
"In accordance with your orders, Commander, our spies in the major prefectures have already been deployed.
They are closely monitoring cultivators heading toward the Tower of Esoteric Stratagems.
We have discovered a force of over a thousand. We are simply waiting for them to give themselves away so we can locate their headquarters."
"When that time comes, we must make that scoundrel from the Min Clan suffer!"
Wu Neng's expression softened slightly.
Zhao Guang was one of his most loyal Generals, though it was a pity that he had only a thousand years of lifespan remaining.
He asked, "Has the Peerless Hall made any moves?"
"None." Zhao Guang hesitated for a moment.
"Lord Commander, since you know that the Peerless Hall is secretly manipulating the forces behind the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems and the Grand Tower, and that Min Tiange, the Hall Master of the Peerless Hall, is Min Youguo's son, why do you not simply take down Min Youguo in one fell swoop?"
"Fool!"
Wu Neng gave a cold snort, a trace of helplessness in his expression.
"Back then, when the major powers of the Imperial Capital allowed Crown Prince Sheng to take charge of the state, it was for no other reason than to make a move against Min Youguo.
But after probing from many sides, we found that scoundrel Min Youguo had spent years entrenching himself.
If we were to move against him, it would be a case of 'the fish dying and the net breaking'.
The ultimate consequence was that Crown Prince Sheng was reduced to such a state by that scoundrel Min Youguo and the Azure Cloud Li Clan."
"Now, we absolutely must not retread that old path. Although Crown Prince Fei Heng has eyes but fails to see, he possesses virtue; it is not impossible for him to succeed the throne.
We must grind down Min Youguo's fangs and claws before that time comes, and then the Dynasty will surely usher in a golden age."
Seeing Zhao Guang kneeling respectfully, Wu Neng added,
"Keep a close eye on the Peerless Hall. Back then, Celestial Venerable Xuan Er had peerless aptitude, yet even he fell victim to Min Tiange's schemes.
Sixty thousand years have passed; there is no telling what level Min Tiange's cultivation has reached now."
"That scoundrel is greedy to the extreme.
Through the Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems, he has spent years researching the Three Corpses of Ling Tian, and he uses Dao Seeds to control the members of the Grand Tower.
If the opportunity arises, Min Tiange must be sent to the underworld! Otherwise, in the future, Min Tiange will become the next Min Youguo, and no one in the entire administration—from the Imperial Court to the countryside—will be able to suppress the Min Clan!"
Wu Neng's expression was incredibly grave.
"Yes!" Zhao Guang acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Not long after, Zhao Guang wound his way through the city, returning to his own residence to arrange matters for the Department of Immortal Suppression.
Then, unexpectedly, he changed his appearance entirely, disguising himself as a servant before leaving. Even the aura emitting from his body was completely different.
With a dark expression and eyes darting about, he arrived at the Li Clan's merchant house in the bustling marketplace.
Li Yuanshang, round as a ball, sat within. A brocade box rested on the table.
Catching the scent wafting from the box, a trace of delight flashed through Zhao Guang's eyes.
Unable to wait, he stepped forward and opened the brocade box. Inside, a Golden Elixir emitted a glittering golden radiance, causing Zhao Guang to sniff greedily, his expression one of utter intoxication.
"General Zhao, why the rush?"
A sinister smile appeared on Li Yuanshang's fleshy face.
"The days ahead are long. You still have a thousand years of lifespan remaining.
Although most life-extending pills are no longer effective for you since you have taken so many, you should be well aware of the strength possessed by my merchant lineage.
My clan's Old Ancestor is refining pills. In years past, even His Majesty said that the medicinal arts of my Ancestor Yaoqing are comparable to Immortal Arts.
You and the Li Clan are friends, after all. How could my Azure Cloud Li Clan bear to watch a friend run out of time?"
Zhao Guang closed the brocade box, gritting his teeth as he stared at this repulsive fat man. "What do you want to know?!!"
"The Mountain of Esoteric Stratagems and the Grand Tower."
"Don't think that just because you can extend my lifespan, I will follow your Li Clan's every command. At most, I will tell you about Min Youguo."
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