Chapter 2416

"I tried to stop it, but only Shangguan Biao could halt it. At that moment I realized, the Earth Mother seemed to be helping me on the surface, but the one truly secretly controlling it was actually Shangguan Biao!" Liu Yisheng said hoarsely, "He helped me not out of goodwill, but because he wanted to be the final mantis catching the cicada. With only me left among the three powers, he would certainly come after me!"

"You struck first at him?" Immortal Mingke gave him a thumbs-up, "Well done."

He knew then that Liu Yisheng was no easy opponent either.

Sect Leader Wang wanted to deal with Shangguan Biao, but Shangguan Biao struck first;

Liu Yisheng anticipated that Shangguan Biao would target him, so he struck first.

No wonder they come from the same lineage.

"Ever since I suspected Sect Leader Wang's cause of death, I have been especially courting Shangguan Biao, aiming to lower his vigilance as much as possible. He is also prone to overconfidence and carelessness, and in public settings he has become increasingly disrespectful toward me." Liu Yisheng took a light breath, "After the victory banquet, I sent him to fell the Dan Yan Pavilion, using its special terrain to set up a heavenly net and earthly trap, and finally, with the aid of heaven and earth's might, I crushed him to powder!"

Zhu Xiuer then said to He Lingchuan: "Dan Yan Pavilion is located at the edge of the Lei Ting Tian Yuan. Lei Ting Tian Yuan is a highland close to heaven, enduring tens of thousands of lightning strikes every day."

He Lingchuan understood.

"When the news of success returned, I could hardly believe it. But from then on, the Earth Mother truly obeyed my commands."

Originally, the Earth Mother's obedience order was first Shangguan Biao, then Liu Yisheng. But after Shangguan Biao's death, Liu Yisheng rose to first priority.

The four exchanged glances, and Zhu Xiuer instinctively said: "You've been tricked, haven't you? I feel Shangguan Biao was playing along, feigning retreat to dispel your suspicions?"

"After Shangguan Biao's death, I began reorganizing the sect, hoping to start anew and reforge Changfeng's glory."

He Lingchuan laughed: "You mean, clearing out the forces left behind by Shangguan Biao and the other two factions?"

Liu Yisheng ignored his sarcasm; such petty verbal attacks, whether in life or after death, were nothing to him: "But this matter is truly no easy feat. Changfeng Valley is like a gravely ill person, deeply sick and unable to rise. I have reorganized for over three years, yet only seen slight improvement, but even that falls short of one-tenth of the sect's former peak."

Not to mention, when people's hearts scatter, the troop becomes hard to lead. Given the disposition of Changfeng Valley's disciples, once the sect loses power and weakens, they will have no attraction to it at all.

When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter—none would stay to share its fate.

"On a night of blood moon, the Earth Mother rebelled without warning. I was unprepared and was harmed by it! This thing even mustered a demon army, jointly assaulting Changfeng Valley!" Liu Yisheng closed his eyes, "You should have heard of this as well."

All three nodded. This matter was the end of Changfeng Valley.

"The Earth Mother's betrayal left me baffled even after being imprisoned here, until a person came down from the mountain, stood outside the screen, that is, where you now stand." Liu Yisheng said word by word, "Shangguan Biao! When I saw that face, I was utterly horrified, and Zhao Dongyang was so frightened he sat down on the ground, unable to even crawl up."

"Zhao Dongyang?" A new name, huh.

Liu Yisheng walked two steps sideways, and only then did the others notice there was still a stone chain behind him, one end connected to the ground, the other end dangling in the air.

"Originally there were three prisoners here. Besides me and Li Yun, the remaining one is Zhao Dongyang." Liu Yisheng explained, "Zhao Dongyang was Shangguan Biao's senior martial brother when he first entered the sect, but later they fell out. Shangguan Biao's several demotions were due to Zhao Dongyang."

"Before Shangguan Biao became cave master, Zhao Dongyang had already died, struck by thirty-six blades. But we did not know his soul had already been extracted." Liu Yisheng paused, "Shangguan Biao grew tired of him and recently incinerated him."

"In other words, Shangguan Biao locked up the three people he hated most inside the screen." Zhu Xiuer glanced again at the stone carving beside her, "There is still one more."

"You and the Earth Mother, as well as Shangguan Biao, have all had deep contact." He Lingchuan asked Liu Yisheng, "In your view, how did Shangguan Biao control the Earth Mother?"

"A loophole in the contract." Liu Yisheng replied without hesitation, "I have repeatedly pondered here: during his time as a menial, Shangguan Biao once went to serve feed the Earth Mother, perhaps doing something! When I adopted his suggestion and revised the contract between Changfeng Valley and the Earth Mother, taking advantage of the few moments when the old contract was invalid, he might have slipped in, preemptively establishing a contract with the Earth Mother! Hah, he had planned this all along."

"So his contract takes precedence." Immortal Mingke mused, "At that time, the Earth Mother had just finished the sect-protecting battle and also suffered heavy injuries, very weak, right?"

"Yes, that's when Shangguan Biao found his opening."

He Lingchuan asked again: "What was the contract's content?"

"Originally, my sect and the Earth Mother made a contract: unless the sect unjustly injured the spirit beast and caused possibly fatal harm, this contract could not be terminated." Liu Yisheng paused, "Shangguan Biao suggested I exploit this loophole."

It's not that Changfeng Valley was unaware of this loophole's existence, but rather that the contract for the mountain-guarding spirit beast is naturally like this—it must leave a "back door," or called a "way of life" for the spirit beast; otherwise the contract cannot be established, as limited by heavenly principle.

Moreover, this contract was signed so long ago that not only have the senior members of Changfeng Valley forgotten it, even the newer disciples do not know its content.

"……" Zhu Xiuer snorted, "Earlier in the Three Sects War, the Earth Mother already fought for your Changfeng Valley until heavily injured, right? Instead of thinking how to thank it, you're using it to vie for power and profit?"

"Yes." Liu Yisheng shrugged, "I am naturally grateful to it. But at that time, internal sect strife was gradually intensifying, and the other two factions wanted to unite against me. Since we are all from the same sect, we know each other's backgrounds..."

Immortal Mingke understood: "So when you struck, you were even harsher than outsiders?"

Liu Yisheng sighed: "At that time, our situation was already as precarious as a stack of eggs, but having a strategy, we had no choice but to use it."

Never mind whether Shangguan Biao's method was effective or not—then we had to try even a dead horse as if alive.

As a past victorious general, how could Liu Yisheng not know the cruelty of internal sect strife and its consequences?

This kind of war can only be won, not lost.

"You were detained by Shangguan Biao—also called 'evil meets its match.'"

Liu Yisheng gave a self-mocking smile.

Let these people scold as they please; anyway, that's all ancient history from thousands of years ago, and he has nearly forgotten the emotions of that time.

Good or bad, it's all fleeting clouds.

"What about the new contract?" He Lingchuan pressed, "How was it signed?"

"Shangguan Biao designed it, making the other two factions mistakenly injure the Earth Mother. Since the Stone Heart was severely injured and cracked, unable to bear the contract's power, I then changed to contract with the Earth Mother's essence."