To ensure the success of this operation, the high ranks of Calamity Fate Palace truly spared no expense like never before.
They exhausted a vast amount of rare resources, including all of the heavenly merits stored by the sect, to revive and restore about fifty percent of the strength of two Quasi Holy Emperors who had been slumbering in the Hidden Cave Mystical Realm for many years. This was not only for the smooth execution of the plan but also to prepare for the joint retaliation from Xinyu Emperor and Qinghuan Emperor afterward.
Although only half-restored, it didn’t affect their ability to exert full strength in the short term. As long as they didn’t fall behind at the top tier of strategic military power, there was a possibility for both parties to sit down and negotiate.
By then, Qing Muling would already be in the hands of his own sect, and it would be impossible to give him up. At most, they could share some benefits with Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, but the greatest beneficiary would still be Calamity Fate Palace.
Furthermore, by the order of the palace master, all high-level spies lurking within Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace were activated as expendable assets. They also called upon thousands of Supreme Elders secretly cultivating in the Main Altar of the Sect to take action, and used numerous Innate Spirit Treasures, along with hundreds of one-time magical artifacts personally crafted by the Quasi Holy Emperors.
Before departure, the palace master, who also possessed the cultivation of a Quasi Holy, took action personally. At the cost of depleting a hundred thousand years of lifespan, she reversed yin and yang, muddling the heavenly secrets to ensure they wouldn’t be alerted in advance.
For the high ranks of Calamity Fate Palace, this operation was a must-win situation. They were prepared for success at all costs, even if it meant turning against Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace and starting a war. Of course, this was an extreme scenario, and it was highly likely that both parties would eventually compromise.
At this moment, behind Imperial Dao Peak.
The nature of the dark light was quite peculiar; any area it permeated, space would rapidly transform.
“The Descent of Heavenly Aether”
Under the exquisite control of the bronze lotus, the space of three feet around Qing Muling, with him at the center, was “sliced” away by the eerie dark light. A terrifying suction force emanated from within the lotus, seemingly intent on absorbing him along with the fragment of space.
Qing Muling’s body shone with flowing light, as talismans from Great Golden Immortals and even those personally crafted by Xinyu Emperor were activated in succession, fighting against the erosion of the dark light. However, they only managed to slow down the absorption rate of the bronze lotus, unable to free him from its grasp.
“Indeed, there’s some trick to it.”
Qing Muling suddenly smiled, recognizing that the means to briefly restrain a Quasi Holy Emperor were not something any force could possess.
“…Don’t bother resisting, it’s futile. This ancient treasure was left by the founding master of Calamity Fate Palace. It once hunted many powerful innate beings in the chaos of the void. With your current level of cultivation, it’s impossible to resist its suppression!”
A cold and bone-chilling voice came from within the bronze lotus. Considering Qing Muling’s value, it was impossible for him not to have life-saving means bestowed by a Quasi Holy Emperor, so this had to be taken into account, leaving no chance for him to turn the tables.
“Is that so? Does that mean even this palace cannot deal with it?”
As a clear and pleasant voice sounded, a majestic pressure emanated from within Qing Muling, and a tall and graceful figure with an imposing aura slowly emerged. Xinyu Emperor’s avatar finally took action.
As expected, the terrifying suction force from the bronze lotus eased significantly. The odd dark light was grasped by Xinyu Emperor, and purple flames emerged from her slender hand, seemingly about to refine it.
“I anticipated this move of yours, but it still won’t change your fate today!”
The voice inside the bronze lotus was not particularly surprised. The lotus itself shone brightly, and its misty light spread like ripples, with the terrifying pressure rapidly escalating.
Xinyu Emperor’s expression turned solemn, and heavy golden ripples appeared beside her, sweeping across the odd mist of the bronze lotus. Upon contact, they collided, producing fine dark thunder, threatening to grind even space into mist.
At the same time, her aura was rapidly falling. After all, it was just an avatar with limited power to use, and the bronze lotus, being among the top tier of Innate Spirit Treasures, was naturally not easy to handle.
She could only hold on for nine more breaths.
Qing Muling instantly made a judgment. Fortunately, his own trump cards were not limited to this. As his divine sense moved slightly, the entire Imperial Dao Peak shook violently, and terrifying thunder exploded in the sky. The hub that suppressed the Mountain Protection Array’s core seemed to come alive, instantly radiating dazzling light.
In the vast sea of clouds, a bright purple sun appeared. The grand Imperial Dao Peak was enveloped in splendid light, an unprecedented power pressing down. All living beings on it were temporarily immobilized, unable to move, and even the actions of the bronze lotus were slightly hindered for a moment.
The next instant, Qing Muling’s figure faded and vanished from the spot.
“…This is impossible?!”
The voice inside the bronze lotus finally lost composure, revealing a mix of anger and disbelief: “Even peak Daluo-level powerhouses can’t escape the shackles of this treasure. How… how did he do it?”
Another voice sounded faintly: “With supreme fortune by his side, even the slightest hope can become reality. Moreover, we don’t know all the secrets he possesses, so such an accident is entirely possible.”
“What should we do now?”
“Reluctantly as I admit it, this operation has indeed failed. Retreat! If you don’t want to be blocked here by those two and unable to return!”
With a frustrated sigh, the bronze lotus quietly disappeared.
At this moment, in the high heavens, the wind surged, and the faint thunder roared, echoing continuously. A towering tower, wrapped in starlight, slowly emerged as a phantom in the sky, suspended motionless, its power to destroy heaven and earth contained but not released.
This was the Li Feng Star Cloud Tower, which had always been stationed at the core of the Mountain Protection Array, drawing in the spiritual energy of the void to accumulate power. It seemed that Mu Yinghua had taken action.
The four imposing figures confronting each other in the clouds also became slightly visible under the domain’s pressure of this sect’s heavy weapon.
“Both of you, it seems your operation has failed this time!”
Xinyu Emperor’s true form smiled slightly: “You dare to stir up trouble in such a crippled state, are you not afraid that this palace will send you back to slumber again?”
Qinghuan Emperor sneered endlessly: “Soon, this palace will arrive at the Main Altar of Calamity Fate Palace. I want to see how capable you are to dare disrupt the grand plans of Dao Court!”
The two Quasi Holy Emperors of Calamity Fate Palace were silent for a while, then said: “Since that’s the case, let’s call it quits for today. Calamity Fate Palace will offer a generous compensation as an apology, how about that?”
Xinyu Emperor scoffed: “Admit defeat when you can’t win? You really know how to think! Did you ask for our opinion?”
“Today’s matter, it’s our side that’s unreasonable. But if we really turn against each other, your side will also have to pay a sufficient price. With the calamity of the Magic Clan not yet quelled, neither Dao Court nor Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace seem to be in a position to stir up more trouble and wage a full-scale war against us, right?”
“That’s just your view. Now that we have the upper hand in strength, what if we go to war? Teaching you a lesson is necessary.”
Xinyu Emperor stood her ground. The high ranks of Calamity Fate Palace had a cunning plan, treating everyone else like fools!
“If you insist on pushing us hard, we two today can only with our lives as the cost, destroy the Main Altar of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. Would you really want that?”
Xinyu Emperor’s expression paused. If the foundation of their heritage was destroyed, Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace would undoubtedly suffer a heavy blow, and it would be unknown how many years it would take to recover.
“You can choose to break the net, but Calamity Fate Palace will also become history, erased from the river of time. That would be an even worse outcome for you, wouldn’t it?”
Qinghuan Emperor spoke with a smile in her voice. If they were really willing to sacrifice their lives, they would have acted already, rather than making these empty threats.
“What exactly do you want? State your terms!”
The Quasi Holy Emperors of Calamity Fate Palace sighed. They were the most crucial part of the sect’s overall situation. If they were really forced to perish here, then Calamity Fate Palace would become a toothless tiger, bound to be attacked and divided by other Supreme Dao Lineage powers sooner or later.
Offending one of the three giants of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace and Dao Court and still hoping to get away without bleeding? Impossible.
As for the Heavenly Human Clan, they were even less reliable. The two sides had always just used each other, with no real friendship to speak of. It’s likely that seeing Calamity Fate Palace about to fall, they would kick them while they were down.
The four Quasi Holy Emperors thus began to negotiate in the clouds.
Inside the abode of the Supreme Sect Master.
Mu Yinghua, together with dozens of Supreme Elders, was using the power of Imperial Dao Peak to inspect the entire Main Altar of the Sect inside and out. Seeing Qing Muling’s figure appear, she breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
“You’re alright, that’s good.”
Without regard for propriety, Mu Yinghua pulled the beautiful young man over, hugging him and checking him up and down to make sure he was unharmed before she felt at ease.
Although she knew that Xinyu Emperor had arranged many safeguards on Qing Muling, it was inevitable to worry when it came down to it.
Yu Lingzhou spoke with an annoyed expression: “These despicable and shameless dogs! I’ve disliked them for a long time, and I didn’t expect them to actually dare to come to our doorstep to snatch people today. It’s simply… they must be destroyed in the future!”
The surrounding elders were also indignant. Qing Muling was now key to the rise of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. His value was even greater than that of the Sect Master and the Emperor. Anyone who dared to touch him was forging an unending feud with the entire Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace.
Qing Muling asked: “Now that this has happened, how will the sect handle it? Will we go to war with Calamity Fate Palace directly?”
Mu Yinghua pondered for a moment: “War is inevitable, but it’s unlikely to be right now. We still need time to further strengthen our own power.”
After all, Calamity Fate Palace was not an ordinary Supreme Dao Lineage. Its strength was too formidable. Although Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace could ensure victory, to completely eradicate the lineage and heritage of the other party was not possible at the current stage, as the cost would be too great.
That’s why Mu Yinghua did not advocate for an immediate confrontation. Now time was on the side of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace. The later the war started, the stronger their own strength would be, and the smaller the price they would have to pay. She believed Qinghuan Emperor had the same plan.
“Alright, let’s leave it at that for now,”
Qing Muling said: “Let’s see what results the two Emperors can negotiate with them. Even if we don’t turn against each other now, Calamity Fate Palace’s ceding of territory and compensation is inevitable.”
Half an hour later, the negotiations between the four Quasi Holy Emperors finally yielded results.
Calamity Fate Palace ceded two hundred rich star domains at once and compensated with forty-eight sets of Postnatal Spirit Treasures, three thousand sets of top-grade magical treasures, two billion heavenly merits, and two thousand five hundred veins of top-grade spirit crystals…
The numerous terms added up to over thirty items, and even with Calamity Fate Palace’s substantial wealth, this was a significant loss, one that would take thousands or even tens of thousands of years to recover from.
“They got off cheap!”
Qing Muling commented upon learning the terms.
The benefits were indeed substantial, and even Qinghuan Emperor wouldn’t be indifferent to them. However, with Qing Muling present, it was only a matter of time before more benefits were obtained from the Misty Illusion Secret Realm, so he didn’t value them highly.
Before long, all the high-level spies involved in the abduction incident, in collaboration with Calamity Fate Palace, were rooted out and brought before Mu Yinghua with their cultivation restrained.
A Daluo-level Supreme Elder, along with four Taiyi Golden Immortals, eleven Golden Immortals, and some lower-level female cultivators who held important positions, had secretly coordinated this operation, causing the sect’s Mountain Protection Array to temporarily fail, allowing Calamity Fate Palace’s people to sneak into the Main Altar of the Sect.
Under normal circumstances, with the power of the Mountain Protection Array, even the Quasi Holy Emperors of enemy forces wouldn’t be able to infiltrate without triggering any warning mechanisms.