The maid’s face changed drastically, and she was about to plead, but she was firmly silenced by the guards around her, and was taken away as easily as an eagle catching a chicken.
Qi Yalan shook her head: “Most likely, they won’t be able to get any information out of her. Since those guys have set their sights on Junior Brother and dared to target you, they must have planned their escape route in advance. It’s unlikely that they left any evidence behind.”
Luo Wanqing was still angry: “They may be able to hide for a while, but they won’t be able to hide forever. As soon as I find out who’s behind this, I’ll make them regret coming into this world!”
After a while, a high priestess returned, holding a crystal ball artifact containing the residual soul of the maid, and reported softly: “Your Highness, the traitor’s divine soul contains extremely poisonous restrictions. Almost all types of soul-searching secret techniques have limited effects on her. After several attempts, most of her soul has already burned out, and now there’s nothing left to find.”
Luo Wanqing sighed softly: “Then let her soul disperse! There’s no need to investigate further. The only forces capable of such terrifying methods are the few forces in the Great Void Starry Sky. Others wouldn’t have the ability.”
Her incompetent siblings would not have the resources, and neither would the Star Palace, Azure Fall Divine Sect, or Bright Moon Sword Sect. After considering all the possibilities, the Nine Spirit Proto Gate and Calamity Fate Palace are the most likely suspects.
With the ability and motivation, that’s enough to explain the situation. As for evidence, it’s not really that important.
Qi Yalan pondered: “We should report this to the Master, and since this operation failed, those people will definitely not accept defeat. They will soon use more covert and sinister methods. We need to protect Junior Brother and ourselves, and not give them any chance to succeed.”
She remembered the last time the Azure Fall Divine Sect tried to abduct her, but was stopped by the guardian by Qing Muling’s side. The same thing might happen again.
Luo Wanqing nodded: “Definitely. As long as Junior Brother doesn’t make any mistakes, no one can plot against him. As for us… if we really fall into their trap, it’s better to end it early, rather than face a fate worse than death.”
None of the women were naive and ignorant. In the dark world of cultivation, for women like them, death would be a luxury if they were ever imprisoned.
Imperial Dao Peak.
At this moment, Qing Muling was in a huge maze illusion array. The view was filled with dense fog, and three steps away was a chaotic blur, making it impossible to see anything clearly.
It was silent all around, and even if a cultivator used their divine sense, it would have limited effect due to the illusion array’s interference. Various detection-type spells and the effects of magical tools were also quite limited.
The illusion array was constantly changing, and even a cultivator trapped inside who was proficient in array formations would find their previous efforts wasted when the array changed.
Qing Muling tried to take a few steps, and keenly noticed that his position had subtly changed, being covertly transported to another area within the array. This was due to his extraordinary talent, something that an ordinary cultivator of the same level might not even notice.
The array formations of Senior Sister Cheng Yulan were becoming more and more exquisite…
Qing Muling thought to himself that there were only two ways to quickly escape the current predicament: one was to use brute force to destroy the foundation of the array with his powerful cultivation or magical treasures; the other was to have a greater mastery of array formations than Cheng Yulan, which would allow him to easily neutralize her methods.
However, Cheng Yulan had already reached the level of an Ascending to Immortality realm cultivator. Using brute force to break the array would require a True Immortal or higher, and it was rare to find someone with a greater mastery of array formations than her in the entire sect.
Qing Muling did not meet either of these conditions.
So Cheng Yulan was confident enough to say: “Junior Brother, let’s play hide and seek. If I catch Senior Sister, I’ll let you… hehehe!”
Qing Muling could only silently complain. She knew I can’t break the array now, but she still makes these empty promises to entice me, constantly testing the limits, as if I’m an easy target.
Qing Muling sometimes wondered what the reaction of Master Mu Yinghua would be if she found out that he had crossed the line with a certain Senior Sister.
He might suffer a bit, but it wouldn’t be a big deal. As for the Senior Sister, she would definitely be heavily punished, and no one would be able to plead for her.
“…Junior Brother, are you planning to give up?” Cheng Yulan’s ethereal and unpredictable voice echoed from all directions, indicating that every move Qing Muling made was within her perception. In a sense, the entire array was now her exclusive domain.
Qing Muling shook his head, activated his innate divine ability, and gradually dissipated the heavy fog. The mysteries of the array were unraveled layer by layer, and the flow of mana nodes, as well as any hidden traps or restrictions, were no longer able to bind him in any way.
Cheng Yulan, dressed in white and exuding an ethereal aura, was just a few hundred steps away, observing Qing Muling’s expression with interest. Clearly, being able to render this Junior Brother helpless gave her a sense of accomplishment.
According to the previous agreement, if Qing Muling lost, he would have to wear the female clothing she personally crafted and let her record it with a memory stone. If he won, he would get to… hehehe. Of course, that was impossible.
So now, Cheng Yulan was already imagining what Junior Brother would look like in women’s clothing. He was probably a rare and beautiful woman, bringing her great pleasure.However, at this moment, Qing Muling’s figure moved, and in Cheng Yulan’s incredulous eyes, he walked towards his position, avoiding all the traps and restrictions along the way with unparalleled precision, as if he were taking a leisurely stroll in his own yard.
How is this possible?
Cheng Yulan’s expression froze, then she quickly adjusted the formation, and the law of the great formation changed thousands of times in an instant, covering the sky with thick fog, making it impossible to see anything.
But no matter what Cheng Yulan did, Qing Muling seemed unfazed, still firmly locking onto her position, and after a moment, he successfully caught her.
“Sister, you lose!”
Qing Muling embraced Cheng Yulan’s soft and powerful waist, his hand sliding down her smooth and perfect back, reaching the astonishing curves.
“So what?”
After a brief moment of surprise, Cheng Yulan’s expression did not appear flustered, she looked at him with a smile.
Since he was her junior brother, it was only natural for him to do whatever he wanted.
Qing Muling hugged her waist and said, “I don’t want to risk Sect Master’s anger and do something stupid, so let’s change the conditions!”
“What conditions?”
“Wear the clothes I refined and let me record it with the Leaving Shadow Immortal Stone.”
Qing Muling smiled. This was called giving someone a taste of their own medicine.
“You…”
Cheng Yulan’s expression changed slightly. Could the things her junior brother had made be called clothes? They were more like ribbons and cloth strips, and they were all used for non-serious purposes. How could he have so many strange ideas? It was simply… too shameless and vulgar!
“Let’s make a bet!”
Qing Muling said firmly, “If Sister wants to back out, I won’t play with you next time!”
“Fine!”
Cheng Yulan gritted her teeth. “It’s just wearing a few sets of clothes, Sister agrees, but you have to promise not to let them see.”
“It’s a deal!”
Qing Muling smiled. He thought to himself that she was the first, and the others would not be able to escape either, so whether they could see it or not was just a matter of time.
…
In the main hall of the sect.
Mu Yinghua sat high on a white jade cloud bed, surrounded by a dazzling aura, and the pressure was overwhelming. Dozens of high-level elders sat on both sides, all of them silent.
Xie Changqing, the core elder of the armillary sphere Star Palace, stood proudly below, his voice strong and powerful. “Our demands are simple. For the stability of the Cloud Dream Immortal Domain and the surrounding starry sky, we ask that your side immediately cease certain dangerous actions. Only then can both sides live in peace. Otherwise, if the situation gets out of control and the flames of war reignite, your side will not only be the culprit of disrupting the peace of the Cloud Dream Immortal Domain, but the sect’s foundation will also be difficult to preserve. Please, Sect Master, think carefully…”
He spoke at length, but the female cultivators around him looked at him with mockery and disdain, as if they were watching a monkey perform.
“There’s something I don’t understand,”
After a long time, Mu Yinghua finally asked, “How large is the land where your sect’s main altar is located? And how large are the main altars of those Supreme Dao Lineages in the surrounding area? It seems that there is no one smaller than us.”
“Now we just want to restore our own territory and recover our devastated homeland caused by you. Yet, you dare to come and threaten us? Do you really think that your armillary sphere Star Palace can do whatever it wants?”
Xie Changqing’s face froze. “The war from ten thousand years ago has already ended. Since you were the defeated party, you should accept the facts. From now on, without our permission, you cannot unilaterally change the status quo!”
Mu Yinghua sneered. “Is that so? But we are going to do it anyway. What can you do about it?”
Xie Changqing seemed somewhat incredulous. “So, are you really planning to start a war? Don’t forget the current strength of our armillary sphere Star Palace is enough to easily wipe you out!”
“If you could really wipe us out, you would have done it long ago. Why wait until now?”
Mu Yinghua remained unfazed. “No matter what actions you plan to take, whether it’s threatening to blockade or directly starting a war, the plan to restore the sect’s main altar of the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace will not stop.”
For any Supreme Dao Lineage, the sect’s main altar was the fundamental place, the core interest. In order to defend its safety, no cost was too great.
That’s why Mu Yinghua made such a strong statement. This was not expansion, it was just closing the door to sort out their own internal affairs. If they had to consider the attitudes of hostile forces outside for such matters, then there was no talk of sect revival. They might as well go to bed early!
The forces, including the armillary sphere Star Palace, that had never cared about their feelings, never cared about the interests of the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, now naturally did not need to consider the thoughts of those people.
“Within half a month, the armillary sphere Star Palace will be fully prepared for war.”
Finally, Xie Changqing could only announce with a dark face.
“We will be waiting at any time!”
Mu Yinghua waved her hand coldly, indicating the guests to leave.
With a darkened face, Xie Changqing turned and left the main hall, boarding the skyship under the escort of a group of high-level female cultivators, and flew away.
In the following ten days, more than twenty small and large forces, including the armillary sphere Star Palace, issued war threats to the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, and mobilized troops on a large scale in the border areas, showing a posture that they could launch an attack at any time.
Then, more than ten Supreme Dao Lineages, including the Heavenly Witch Divine Dynasty, the Great Brahman Temple, and the Calamity Fate Palace, also issued public statements, firmly supporting the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, and would not allow forces led by the armillary sphere Star Palace to disrupt the peace of the Cloud Dream Immortal Domain.
This was the visible change in the outside world. In secret, the armillary sphere Star Palace’s secret assassination teams launched more than one small-scale probing attack, but the results were more losses than wins. The reason was that the number of experts sent by the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was several times more than they had estimated.
Although the Bright Moon Sword Sect, Azure Fall Divine Sect, and other Supreme Dao Lineages also participated, they did not really exert themselves, only sending some insignificant subordinate forces.After suffering multiple defeats, the high echelons of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace finally realized that something was amiss. While inwardly cursing their unreliable allies, they continued to engage in verbal skirmishes, as they couldn’t afford to lose momentum. However, plans for large-scale warfare were increasingly being questioned and opposed by more and more core elders.
After all, the Armillary Sphere Star Palace was not without enemies. With the covert operations of the Calamity Fate Palace, some old nemeses began to stir, ready to take advantage of the chaos and stab them in the back.
After several rounds of strategizing, the Sect Master Yan Qin Yang had come to understand that his plan to annex the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace was simply unfeasible. Too many surrounding forces were unhappy with the prospect of the Armillary Sphere Star Palace growing stronger, including those former allies. Thus, waging war would only be an effort in vain.
Yet, to simply cease and desist was something he could not bear. He needed to find a way to gracefully exit the situation.
Coincidentally, at this time, an envoy from the Dao Court came to mediate, and Yan Qin Yang took the opportunity to agree to resolve the issue through negotiation.
In this stalemate of neither war nor peace, the Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace’s efforts to repair the colossal landmass continued as scheduled.
Ten days later, the sect’s protective mountain array was fully activated once again, drawing massive fragments of floating land from the depths of the void, merging them back with the colossal landmass.
By the end of this operation, the edges of the colossal landmass had expanded by over a million miles, bringing it one step closer to full restoration.