Chapter 81: Undercurrents

After the Shadow Gate Master and the Blind Elder met, the Elder Council was convened shortly thereafter.

"I visited the Pavilion Master of the Yanfeng Society with gifts, and everything went smoothly," said the Shadow Gate Master, Feng Feng Yu Qi, with a brilliant smile. "The Yanfeng Society acts as it always has; as long as one does not offend them, they will not interfere in the war."

This was within their expectations. Not interfering in the disputes between nations was a rule set by the Yanfeng Society headquarters, and branch Pavilion Masters would not dare to violate it lightly.

If the Yanfeng Society were to intervene, there would have to be sufficient reason, and it would have to be confirmed by headquarters.

"How did the visit of Elder Xin Yan to God Monarch Luohe go?" an elder asked. This was what they were most concerned about. "Did he agree not to intervene?"

"He did not agree," the Blind Elder said.

"He didn't agree?"

The other elders were somewhat annoyed.

"We have already shown him enough respect; is he still prepared to strike at us at any time?"

"This Luohe is a variable. I think we should take advantage of the time before Marquis Jiu Jiang's army arrives to join forces and eliminate Luohe first."

"It would be easy for our entire sect's strength to defeat him, but an Eternal True God of such a realm has unpredictable methods and extremely strong self-preservation abilities. I fear he might quietly escape. Once he escapes... he would truly become a mortal enemy! Instead, it would push him to Marquis Jiu Jiang's side!"

The elders discussed it heatedly.

The Blind Elder also nodded and said, "The power of the Shadow Gate can crush any Eternal True God, but we have no certainty of killing him."

"Then what should we do?"

"Just watch? If he gets involved when the war truly begins, he will be a huge problem."

The elders were also somewhat worried; if he stabbed them in the back at a critical moment, that would be a massive disaster.

"This God Monarch Luohe said he is a freelance cultivator; whoever is willing to hire him, he will help," the Blind Elder said. "It's just that he is very greedy; he quoted an employment price of a full 200 million universe sands."

"Two hundred million universe sands?"

"He's crazy."

"Who does he think he is?"

The elders could not accept this price.

"Since he proposed such a high employment price to us, he must have quoted a very high price to Marquis Jiu Jiang as well," the Blind Elder said. "That is why Marquis Jiu Jiang has not yet agreed to him; if he had agreed, he would have likely entered the City Lord's Mansion long ago."

The Shadow Gate Master smiled and said, "Everyone, rest assured. Such a greedy person will not strike easily without being given a sufficient price. Even if he does strike in the future, Elder Xin Yan leading the disciples to pilot the Heart Xin Mo Yuan will be enough to deal with him."

"Piloting the Heart Xin Mo Yuan is enough to deal with him," the Blind Elder nodded.

He admitted that Luohe's realm was slightly higher than his, but he cultivated the Luohe Shenjun-level inheritance "Six Absolutes of Destruction," and combined with the full-range enhancement of the sect-protecting mechanical treasure 'Heart Xin Mo Yuan,' dealing with God Monarch Luohe would still be easy.

"That's good then."

"As long as Elder Xin Yan pilots the Heart Xin Mo Yuan and entangles Luohe, there will be no experts under Marquis Jiu Jiang for us to fear." The elders remained very confident.

After all, in the entire Yu Kingdom, those at the Eternal True God level who could rival God Monarch Luohe could be counted on one's fingers.

"Knowing that God Monarch Luohe has not yet defected to Marquis Jiu Jiang is good news," the Shadow Gate Master said. "Then let us begin the next step of the plan."

In Huyang City, above the Chaos A-District, one after another massive flying ships and super-large mechanical treasures suddenly saw a portion fly toward the mansions of the five great families.

"What is happening?"

"The Shadow Gate has come."

The descendants of the five great families had long been filled with unease, but the core members of the families had migrated to the City Lord's Mansion at the first opportunity, leaving behind only a large number of ordinary descendants with lower status. These ordinary descendants accounted for more than 99% of the family population, and moving them was also very troublesome.

Even if the family heads gave the order, the execution would be sluggish in various ways.

"The mansion of the Qumeng clan now belongs to my Shadow Gate." Ten super-large mechanical treasures hovered in the sky, and a powerful voice swept across the entire mansion. "All living beings within the mansion must leave. After one hundred breaths of time, any living being remaining in the mansion will not be spared!"

"We are the Wang Zu."

"You actually dare to seize the mansion of our Qumeng clan." Some descendants were accustomed to being arrogant and dared to rebuke the Shadow Gate.

But the vast majority of the descendants quickly packed some items and rushed out of the mansion.

In the struggle between two nations, who would care about the inconspicuous descendants of a peripheral branch of an enemy nation's Wang Zu?

"Molii clan, move and leave quickly."

"The mansion of the Jiang clan now belongs to my Shadow Gate."

"Wu clan..."

"Brother Mei Wu clan..."

The Shadow Gate did not care how big the other party's background was; they seized the mansions without exception. Not slaughtering them directly was already quite restrained.

Under the threat of death, the five great mansions were almost completely empty within one hundred breaths of time, with only a very small number of ignorant and stubborn individuals remaining in the mansions.

"I am a descendant of the Wang Zu; does your Shadow Gate dare to kill me?" These very few ignorant and arrogant individuals were ultimately reduced to dust silently under invisible fluctuations, not one left behind!

The descendants of the Wang Zu had multiplied for endless years and were long since countless; many branches had been settled in peripheral cities, and their status was not as high as they themselves believed.

Among the great clans in the Origin Continent, only the core members and elite members had high status.

"The descendants of the five great families have all come to the City Lord's Mansion." The Huyang City Lord looked at the other four family heads. "The City Lord's Mansion needs to reserve a large amount of war space and cannot accommodate so many descendants."

"Let them enter the mansion treasures to stay temporarily first," Molii Xiao said.

"That is the only way." The other three family heads also agreed.

As long as the family core lived comfortably, the ordinary descendants could go to the mansion treasures first. Thus, the massive number of ordinary descendants of the five great families had just entered the City Lord's Mansion when they had to enter one mansion treasure after another to stay temporarily according to order. Facing the orders of the family high-ups, they could not disobey.

"In the entire Chaos A-District, only God Monarch Luohe's mansion remains unoccupied," the Huyang City Lord said. "And not long ago, we sensed extremely strong energy fluctuations in God Monarch Luohe's mansion."

"Has the Shadow Gate won over Luohe?" The several family heads were all very worried.

"Hiring Luohe is very expensive." The Huyang City Lord immediately sent a message to contact Luo Feng.

Luo Feng sat on the mountaintop within his mansion, drinking wine leisurely, watching the changing winds and clouds of the entire Chaos A-District.

The high and mighty five great families had now been forced to give up their mansions, and the very few descendants who dared to remain in the mansions had also been reduced to dust.

"Only when your background is cared about is it useful. If your background is not cared about, what can it do?" Luo Feng thought.

So-called background and so-called dignity must ultimately be supported by strength.

Like the Yanfeng Society, even a small branch pavilion had to be avoided by the war between two nations.

"Brother Luohe," the Huyang City Lord suddenly sent a message.

!.

"Why does the City Lord suddenly have the leisure to contact me?" Luo Feng responded.

"Not long ago, there were extremely strong energy fluctuations in Brother Luohe's mansion. Was it the Shadow Gate visiting Brother Luohe?" the Huyang City Lord asked.

This power of God Monarch Luohe.

Being won over by the Shadow Gate or won over by the City Lord's Mansion made a huge difference. One back and forth was equivalent to two God Monarch Luo Hes.

"It was Elder Xin Yan of the Shadow Gate who came to visit and had a simple spar with me," Luo Feng sent a message.

"Oh, how was the spar?" The Huyang City Lord was very concerned; he also knew very well how strong Elder Xin Yan was.

"The strength is quite strong," Luo Feng sent a message. "Stronger than Xue Yun."

The Huyang City Lord's heart stirred, sensing Luo Feng's meaning, and he responded: "Brother Luohe was able to kill Xue Yun; if it were one-on-one, could you also kill this Elder Xin Yan?"

"I heard he can pilot the 'Heart Xin Mo Yuan' among the Shadow Gate's thirteen mechanical treasures. If he pilots the Heart Xin Mo Yuan, I can at most suppress him, but I cannot kill him," Luo Feng responded.

The Huyang City Lord was secretly shocked.

Elder Xin Yan pilots the Heart Xin Mo Yuan, and this Luohe dares to say he can suppress him? Doesn't that mean he can contain even more of the Shadow Gate's power?

"The Shadow Gate came to visit me and also wanted to hire me," Luo Feng sent a message. "You know, as a freelance cultivator, I care most about resources. But I also have deep friendship with the Yu Kingdom, so I quoted an employment price of 200 million universe sands."

"Brother Luohe is indeed straightforward; the employment price you gave us is much lower than the Shadow Gate's," the Huyang City Lord praised.

Even though he thought the price of 100 million universe sands was high, he still flattered him.

At this time, which side God Monarch Luohe defected to had too great an impact on the war situation.

"I will also report this matter to the Marquis, and I believe there will be a result from the Marquis's side soon," the Huyang City Lord also pacified Luo Feng.

After the message was cut off.

Luo Feng held the wine pot.

"My quote seems a bit high; neither side has agreed," Luo Feng thought. "This spar should be able to prove some of my value."

Whether Marquis Jiu Jiang or Marquis Liuyin rules this Chaos Province, they must ensure the safety of the city's citizens. Only then will the citizens in the city continuously pay the 'residence fee.'

Who wins and who loses? Luo Feng was too lazy to intervene. Unless they paid enough.

"If I can have 100 million universe sands, I should be able to push for faster achievement of the Chaos Realm," Luo Feng thought. If the descendants of great clans were excellent enough, the resources of the great clans would naturally be tilted toward them.

He had no way; every bit of resources had to be earned by himself.

In Jiu Jiang City, inside a palace hall.

Marquis Jiu Jiang sat alone on the throne, his silver hair draped over his shoulders, every strand causing disturbances in the void.

"This Marquis Liuyin actually sent the Shadow Gate to kill their way here; even if he truly seizes my Jiu Jiang Chaos Province... he will likely have to share a portion with the Shadow Gate." Marquis Jiu Jiang's eyes were much colder. "It seems he is determined to seize the Jiu Jiang Chaos Province this time."

"This is my fief!"

"It is the resource for my cultivation!" The void around Marquis Jiu Jiang was twisting. "You, Marquis Liuyin, must seize my fief? From all intelligence, your strength is a notch stronger than mine."

"But a real fight is not about looking at surface intelligence."

Marquis Jiu Jiang had already been very forbearing; the two Chaos Provinces were adjacent, and it was always Marquis Liuyin's side that took the initiative to provoke, and he had been enduring it.

But now the other side had even sent the Shadow Gate to kill their way into the large city 'Huyang City'; if he endured any longer, I fear that apart from Jiu Jiang City, all other places would be occupied.

"I have already dispatched the elites of the entire Jiu Jiang Chaos Province to Huyang City, but relying solely on the elites under my command, they are not the Shadow Gate's match." Marquis Jiu Jiang was very clear about this point.

At the Eternal True God level, the power under his command was indeed inferior to the Shadow Gate.

Close in quantity, but inferior in quality.

After all, the vast majority of Eternal True Gods in the Jiu Jiang Chaos Province cultivated techniques that were far inferior to the Shadow Gate's Eternal True Gods. There were also many sect-protecting treasures left behind by the Shadow Gate's Luohe Shenjun, which also greatly enhanced the strength of the Shadow Gate's disciples.

"That Luohe, asking for 100 million universe sands? He really dares to open his mouth," Marquis Jiu Jiang also had a headache. "First, find a way to invite a few Eternal True Gods from the Royal Capital; as for this Luohe, let's see the situation."

He had already prepared 100 million universe sands and was inviting the most powerful Eternal True Gods from the Royal Capital, but he did not know how many would come.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 82 =====