Chapter 129: Ulterior Motives

……

"Dark Demon God?"

Hearing the latest news brought by Han Ji, the expressions of Zhu Meng and his group varied.

They were all Super-level Mages, so naturally, they could access some information regarding things like Dark Forbidden Techniques.

And the Dark Plane was an existence far more dangerous than those Emperors hidden deep within the Forbidden Zone of Monsters!

"Dark Forbidden Technique, aren't you worried that we are digging our own graves?" Zhu Meng said in a deep voice.

A Dark Demon God that required the calling of a million people in this city to descend—he dared not even imagine what kind of existence that was; if the other party harbored evil intentions...

"But we are already standing on the edge of the grave at this moment," Han Ji said.

"And this grave is moving toward us, intending to swallow us all."

"Then, what about the plan to enter the Sha Yuan?" Du Xiao asked.

"Proceed simultaneously," Han Ji said in a deep voice.

"If the plan for Fang Gu and the others to enter the Sha Yuan fails, then we will gamble on this final hand!"

The lives of a million people—if there were any other choice, he would never dare to entrust them to such a mere handful of people.

"But what if that so-called Dark Demon God..." Zhu Meng was still somewhat uneasy.

"We have no other choice now," Han Ji said.

"If the plan fails, we will all die. If we succeed in surviving, I will personally explain this matter to the Supreme Magic Association. Whatever the consequences, I, Han Ji, will bear them myself!"

"But the prerequisite is that we must survive!"

……

With Han Ji's confirmation, the plan to rush into the Sand Plains remained unchanged, and the preparatory ritual to cooperate with Daolong in calling the Dark Demon God would also proceed simultaneously.

If Fang Gu and those people from the Endangered Village failed to stop the Sha Yuan from continuing to approach, death was certain either way, so it was better to gamble on this final hand.

Just as Daolong said, even if the summoned Dark Demon God was evil, at least it would be a death they decided for themselves.

If they were swallowed by the Sha Yuan and turned into new Undead, that would be truly stifling!

At the top of the Clock Tower, only Lv Cheng and Daolong remained.

The previous Imperial Guard Mages had all been deployed, either maintaining order within the city to prevent the Black Vatican from taking advantage of the chaos, or following Han Ji to escort Fang Gu and his group.

"Do you think they will really succeed?" Daolong was somewhat worried.

If these so-called people from the Endangered Village really stopped the Sha Yuan, their plan would come to nothing.

"They won't succeed," Lv Cheng said, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at the bottomless Sha Yuan outside the city.

He didn't have any bloodline from the Endangered Village, and since the Sha Yuan was so dangerous, he wouldn't lose his head and jump in directly. Anyway, in the end, the Space Turbulence would actively throw external life forms into the Sha Yuan; it would be much simpler for him to jump in from the Space Turbulence at that time.

Moreover, even if he wanted to jump in now, it wasn't possible.

Xizhe was watching him.

As long as he showed any tendency to risk his life, Xizhe would take him down in a split second.

……

After a long wait, Han Ji and the others, who had successfully sent Mo Fan and his group into the Sha Yuan, returned to the Clock Tower.

Unlike the original plan, the only people escorting the Sha Yuan team were Han Ji and Lu Huan, whom Lv Cheng had previously saved, because Daolong, in order to gain more trust from these people, had directly cast a temporary Undead Buff on them.

Even Monarch-level Undead could not perceive their existence.

With such a magical buff, there was naturally no situation like in the original story where a large number of mages rushed out to act as cannon fodder.

After all, the souls and spirits of mages were far stronger than those of ordinary people; the Faith Power brought by a single devout mage believer was more than that of hundreds of ordinary devout believers.

It couldn't be wasted.

These people were far more useful alive than dead.

"Mr. Daolong, what exactly is the situation with the preparatory ritual you mentioned?" Han Ji asked.

"A Summoning Array," Daolong took out the array diagram he had prepared in advance.

"Next, you need to follow the layout above to set up a large-scale Magic Array in this city."

"Could you inform us of the specific effects of this Magic Array?" Han Ji asked.

"The first one, and the most direct one," Daolong pointed to the gradually dimming Golden Barrier.

"This thing of yours is about to break. My Magic Array can briefly construct a new Barrier, allowing those Undead to be unable to break in for a short time, but this defensive effect is only temporary. I am not sure exactly how long it can hold."

"As for more information, I don't have the leisure to explain it to you slowly. If you are willing to do it, then do it; if not, then forget it, and I'll leave early."

He had as many Space Displacement Magic spells as he wanted in his hands.

In fact, if he wanted to, he could completely transfer this entire city along with the land.

Although the Magic of this world had terrifying destructive power, in terms of practicality, it was far inferior to the Magic he had mastered.

The most ridiculous thing was that the Magic civilization of this world actually revered even a small Resurrection Spell as a god.

Under the condition that the soul was complete and the physical body remained, wasn't resurrecting someone something you could do with your eyes closed?

In the world of Black Qi Wizards, if you didn't even know the Resurrection Spell, you would be too embarrassed to call yourself a Wizard!

……

Under Daolong's tough attitude, although many high-level officials expressed dissatisfaction, as the person with the highest status and authority in the Ancient Capital at present, Han Ji still forcibly suppressed those voices and arranged for the mages under his command to execute the steps according to Daolong's instructions.

"Thank you for saving me earlier," Lu Huan walked up to Lv Cheng and said with a solemn face.

"If there is anything you need in the future, Lu Huan will never refuse."

Lv Cheng waved his hand, "It was just a matter of convenience. If you are really grateful to me, please cooperate a bit later."

Lu Huan had extremely high prestige in the Ancient Capital; saving this person made the persuasion work for most of the mages in the Ancient Capital much simpler.

"Really, is there no problem?" Lu Huan was somewhat worried.

He had also heard some things about Dark Forbidden Techniques, but these things were strictly prohibited by the Magic Associations of the Five Continents.

The Dark Demon God before their eyes, who requires the summoning of a million people in the Ancient Capital to descend, its danger level is...

"You all need to understand one thing: what I am doing right now is gambling with my life," Lv Cheng said gloomily.

"If the Ancient Capital is gone, having been associated with a Dark Forbidden Technique, I will definitely be targeted by the Supreme Magic Association you all speak of."

"If the Ancient Capital survives, having caused such a commotion, will I have any good days left in the future?"

"I have ulterior motives? Damn it, can you use your brains?"

"..."

A silence fell within the Clock Tower; the few high-level officials who had just been whispering also shut their mouths.

Indeed, what Lv Cheng was currently doing held not the slightest benefit for himself!

Saving the Ancient Capital? Becoming a hero?

Don't be ridiculous; how could people at their level not know the implications of this matter?

Even if Lv Cheng truly saved the Ancient Capital, the Dark Forbidden Technique, this thing...

Yet, going to such great lengths, what exactly was Lv Cheng doing it for?

"You all can take your time guessing," Lv Cheng said, rising and walking downstairs.

"It would be best if you could discuss a unified result; let me see how powerful your ability to imagine things is."

"..."

On the streets of the Ancient Capital.

Having left the Clock Tower Magic Association, Lv Cheng sought out Asharuiya once again.

And Asharuiya, who had learned the full situation through her own intelligence connections, also found herself unable to understand Lv Cheng's actions.

For him, regardless of whether this matter succeeded or failed, and regardless of whether he could save the Ancient Capital, the negative impact far outweighed the positive!

Moreover, with Xizhe present, Lv Cheng could have left safely; why do these things...

"You can't figure it out either?" Lv Cheng asked.

"I truly don't understand," Asharuiya said.

"Your current behavior is entirely self-inflicted trouble; it's thankless work."

"I think so too," Lv Cheng nodded.

If one did not look at his secret plans and only looked at the surface, his behavior really made no sense.

Of course, it wasn't entirely inexplicable.

If one were to regard him as a Saint capable of self-sacrifice, then all of this would be perfectly justified.

However, would everyone think in that direction?

They would not.

People love to imagine things, and they especially love to imagine things in a dark direction.

People would rather believe he was risking his life for some ulterior motive than associate him with a Saint.

Therefore, the methods and schemes of Wen Tai, who was able to build a Saint image for himself on a global scale back then, were truly terrifying!

A true Saint will not be worshipped or understood by the world; a Saint recognized by everyone is definitely not pure!

"Then what are you doing it for?" Asharuiya asked, puzzled.

"Whatever you think I'm doing it for, that is what I'm doing it for," Lv Cheng shrugged.

"I won't interfere with other people's judgments; views forced upon others are ultimately fake. Only the judgment you reach yourself is your most genuine thought."

"If you believe in me, then there is no need for me to say more."

"If you don't believe in me, no matter how much I say, it's all nonsense."

"I have no interest in things that require constant anxiety to maintain."

(End of chapter)