Jiang Yun greeted all fellow Daoists.
After the Weiyang Emperor Lord's incarnation appeared here, he first glanced at Jiang Weiyang, and then quickly understood the situation before him.
"I am already aware of what has happened to the Immortal Dao Alliance."
"However, at present, I cannot directly communicate with my true body, so I am unclear about the schemes of the Alliance of Righteous Unity."
"But please believe me. The Vast Expanse is in chaos, and a more fearsome existence will soon make its move. This being has been plotting since ancient times, intending to pluck the Dao Fruit of the Epoch Cataclysm. Besides the Alliance of Righteous Unity, this person also has deep connections with the Dark Clans."
"My true body was plotted against by him many years ago, corroded by Dark Matter, and had no choice but to pretend to submit to him."
"To this day, within the Alliance of Righteous Unity, it is impossible to know how many pawns this person has planted."
"In the current Vast Expanse, only the Heaven-Slaying Alliance has the ability to resist and withstand this great catastrophe. This is also the reason I had my daughter flee to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance."
He looked towards the gathered guests and honored visitors, his black hair loose, his heroic figure majestic. A commanding aura emanated from his deep eyes, the very image of a peerless Human Emperor.
And these words rolled forth like divine thunder, like the evening drum and morning bell, carrying a certain fearsome power that stirred the hearts of all.
Many ancient existences were still somewhat skeptical, attempting to probe his aura. But they quickly confirmed that this was indeed the Weiyang Emperor Lord, as a wisp of his own origin essence was wrapped within, unmistakably genuine.
Amidst shock and surprise, many breathed a long sigh of relief.
Actually, just moments ago when those high-ranking members of the Alliance of Righteous Unity questioned Gu Changge, they had all tensed up.
If the Black Lotus Cult was truly something Gu Changge had orchestrated entirely on his own, then who among those present could escape?
The Ethereal Sacred Ancestor remained silent, staring intently at the Weiyang Emperor Lord, trying to discern any abnormality.
In truth, he felt that this matter still had something fishy about it, because the appearance of the Black Lotus Cult was indeed somewhat bizarre. Moreover, from beginning to end, Gu Changge had maintained a calm, unhurried expression—more precisely, indifferent.
He must have known about the Black Lotus Cult's emergence long ago. Why then this attitude? What scheme did he have?
Regardless of whether the Weiyang Emperor Lord's words were true or false, there was certainly something off about Gu Changge. But the one reassuring thing was that, for the moment, he seemed to harbor no malice.
"If what the Weiyang Emperor Lord says is true, then the person behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity truly has grand ambitions."
"To this end, they are even willing to cooperate and collude with the Dark Clans."
"Previously, we had already guessed that there must be someone else behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity. Otherwise, they could not have recruited and gathered so many powerhouses in such a short time, including quite a few who have passed eight Heavenly Decline Tribulations..."
"In the Vast Expanse today, existences who have passed eight Heavenly Decline Tribulations are mostly unfamiliar faces. The ones in the Alliance of Righteous Unity, I imagine, are recognized by few."
Many foundational existences cast cold glares over the high-ranking members of the Alliance of Righteous Unity present. They were still unaware that outside, the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance had already broken into full-scale slaughter and a decisive battle.
At present, the Ethereal Sacred Domain was completely cut off from the outside world; the entire spacetime had been severed.
Some Ancestral Dao Realm existences attempted to extend their divine sense through the River of Time, but quickly failed. It was intercepted by a fearsome force along the way. Had their divine sense not been withdrawn in time, they would have likely suffered backlash in that instant.
"Do you have anything else to say now?"
"Even your Alliance Leader is here. What else do you want to argue about?"
The high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance sneered.
Especially when their gazes swept over those who had just raised the questions, their killing intent was dense, the terrifying aura of slaughter almost tangible, threatening to freeze and shatter the surrounding space.
"Heh, to so casually slander and pin the blame on our Alliance of Righteous Unity with merely a simulated incarnation of the Weiyang Emperor Lord is truly laughable."
"Do you really think everyone is a fool?"
Even at this point, those few still sneered repeatedly, not caring about that Dharma body of the Weiyang Emperor Lord.
"What everyone has said is correct. In truth, I too have long sensed that the mastermind behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity indeed has many ties with the Dark Clans. And all these years, he has never truly shown himself."
"This Immortal Dao Alliance gathering is precisely the best opportunity for that mastermind to counterattack the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. It seems he had long anticipated that the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance would personally attend."
"Therefore, sending us here was really just sending us to our deaths. I only realized this now."
At this moment, Zhao Tianqi, the Deputy Alliance Leader of the Alliance of Righteous Unity who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. Chaos energy swirled over his face, but a deep chill was also revealed.
Looking at those speaking, he directly said, "These people were likely under his control long ago. Their words now are only meant to stir up trouble and make everyone suspicious, so that he can act more easily outside."
"Zhao Tianqi, you..."
No one expected that at this moment, Zhao Tianqi, as Deputy Alliance Leader, would stand up and say such things.
These few were shocked, their faces ugly, boiling with killing intent, wishing they could turn and kill Zhao Tianqi instead.
The other high-ranking members of the Alliance of Righteous Unity were equally incredulous, but soon began to echo his sentiments.
The many guests and honored visitors were even more collectively shaken.
Zhao Xiuyan also looked at her father in disbelief.
Because in her understanding, whether through deductions of the Golden Tome of Primordial Chaos or other means of speculation, she knew that her father's current status, having passed eight Heavenly Decline Tribulations and reached such a realm, was entirely thanks to the mastermind behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity.
With such an open betrayal, wasn't he afraid of being dealt with later?
Zhao Tianqi replied with a calm and indifferent expression, "The entire Alliance of Righteous Unity, all its member lineages, are already under his control. Even my Endless Yang True World is no exception. If not for fear of his power, we would have risen in revolt long ago. How could we willingly submit?"
He clearly understood the current situation. Regardless of whether that wisp of an incarnation of the Weiyang Emperor Lord was real or fake, their group was doomed to die.
The Heaven-Slaying Alliance's high-ranking members would not let them off, and even more so Gu Changge.
From the very start, the Master of Fate had sent them here to test the attitude of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. He had long become a discarded pawn.
Thus, Zhao Tianqi had to distance himself completely, as soon as possible.
Gu Changge looked at Zhao Tianqi with some interest, then lightly brought his palm down. A terrifying aura pressed down, causing everyone's faces to change drastically, their bones trembling, even their souls seemingly about to kneel in submission.
"Alliance Leader, you..."
Zhao Tianqi's expression abruptly changed, as if in disbelief. But in the next moment, a stream of clear qi burst forth from his body, faintly taking the form of an upright, archaic Daoist. His brows and eyes were tightly shut, his expression indifferent, as if sensing something and about to open his eyes.
But the instant Gu Changge's palm descended, the Daoist's expression drastically changed, revealing shock. In the next moment, with a poof, it collapsed and dissipated, turning into a sky full of dust.
"This is..."
Witnessing this, everyone, including the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor, looked horrified, eyes wide, their bodies trembling.
"Is that the mastermind behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity?"
Many ancient existences wore expressions of fear. Although only a trace of aura had been revealed, that strength could completely suppress them, rendering them utterly defenseless.
Yet, before Gu Changge, it was still destroyed with a single palm strike, without even the qualification to make a move or open its eyes.
They once again gained a clear understanding of Gu Changge's might.
"Flee..."
And as the stream of clear qi left by the Master of Fate dissipated, the high-ranking members of the Alliance of Righteous Unity who had just questioned did not linger, immediately trying to tear open space and escape.
However, the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor and others had long noticed their actions. The moment they moved, they acted.
Boom!!!
A great battle erupted again here, but it didn't last long. The few were soon subdued and killed. Several streaks of silver light dispersed from their bodies, and along with their souls, they were completely annihilated.
"These people must have been controlled, with some kind of restriction left in their souls."
"It must be as Deputy Alliance Leader Zhao said: that mastermind behind the Alliance of Righteous Unity manipulated them to incite our suspicion and buy time for the outside."
"The outside world at present is likely not peaceful." Many ancient existences frowned, their hearts heavy.
Only Luo Zhu and the Eternal Primordial God exchanged a glance. They had previously noticed that those who questioned were under soul control, but whether Gu Changge had personally done it, they were uncertain.
Such a self-directed act, they dared not speculate on recklessly.
Gu Changge casually glanced at the two, as if knowing their thoughts. Luo Zhu and the Eternal Primordial God immediately shivered, then adopted a posture of looking at their noses and hearts, acting completely oblivious.
"Thank you, Alliance Leader."
Zhao Tianqi's heart was still palpitating with fear, but he quickly recovered and understood. He immediately bowed to Gu Changge in gratitude.
He had nearly thought Gu Changge was about to kill him with that palm strike.
That spontaneous terror was something he hadn't experienced in a long time. Back when he was just a minor cultivator in the Immortal Realm, fighting with peers for opportunities and fortunes, narrowly escaping death, it hadn't been this intense.
In that instant just now, he truly felt he was going to die, with no chance or possibility of resistance.
"Turning back from the wrong path is not bad." Gu Changge merely casually glanced at Zhao Tianqi before withdrawing his gaze.
It wasn't because of Zhao Xiuyan's identity that he spared Zhao Tianqi.
He was just considering that in the future, Zhao Xiuyan might need Zhao Tianqi's assistance.
And Zhao Xiuyan was also a chess piece he had cultivated, still of some use.
"Alliance Leader, might you have a way to deal with this Black Lotus Cult?" The matter of those few from the Alliance of Righteous Unity was merely a small interlude, and soon everyone refocused their attention on the cult members of the Black Lotus Cult.
As for the matters of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, they could only think of a plan after escaping this predicament.
The strangeness of the Black Lotus Cult left even the Ancestral Dao Realm existences at a loss, and now they could only count on Gu Changge.
"When the Black Lotus Cult first appeared, I did indeed send people to investigate."
"At the time, I didn't take it to heart, thinking it not worth worrying about. I never expected it to develop and evolve to such an extent."
"Given the current situation, we can only first protect the various unaffected territories and clear them area by area. Although the Dharma Protectors in the black lotuses are troublesome, they are not impossible to deal with. It merely requires joining forces to trap them. The remaining believers are not a concern..."
"It's just that this process might take quite some time."
"This is indeed a method."
Many Ancestral Dao Realm existences nodded inwardly. They had actually considered this too, but the black lotuses were simply too bizarre, causing them to panic momentarily. But if they wanted to deal with it, there were ways.
Now, as long as someone took the lead, it could be resolved.
The Ethereal Sacred Ancestor also nodded in approval, "Then let's follow the Alliance Leader's suggestion. Regardless of the external situation, let's first resolve the immediate disaster of the Black Lotus Cult."
"What we worry about now is being cut off from the outside and not knowing the situation. It's hard to say the outside hasn't already fallen into great chaos..."
Many also worried about this. Once the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Dark Clans joined forces, and Gu Changge, as the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, was trapped here and unable to act, without the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's check and balance, what would happen to the outside? Wouldn't it become even more chaotic and terrifying?
Immediately, the Ethereal Sacred Ancestor issued orders for the many elders of the Ethereal Sacred Sect to lead their disciples in cooperation with various great families, conducting a sweep-style clearance.
At the same time, the gathered guests also did not remain idle, all taking action one after another. With the safety of everyone and the civilizations behind them at stake, no one could remain aloof at this time.
The many high-ranking members of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, under Gu Changge's orders, also lent their aid. In every region where a black lotus was located, numerous Ancestral Dao Realm existences took the lead in clearing them.
The remaining disciples and elders were responsible for sweeping various areas, sealing and detaining the beings corroded by darkness, imprisoning them together.
"If we could find the lair of the Black Lotus Cult, perhaps we could resolve this more quickly and directly..."
"But now, trapped here, we can only place our hopes on Li Hanying."
The Ethereal Sacred Ancestor thought of Li Hanying, the Sect Master of the Ethereal Sacred Sect, who had left the Ethereal Sacred Domain before the gathering to investigate the source of the Black Lotus Cult.
But now, with the Ethereal Sacred Domain cut off from the outside, even he did not know Li Hanying's whereabouts.
With the Black Lotus Cult's fierce advance, even he felt it was troublesome. It was unknown whether Li Hanying could find a strategy to break the deadlock.
...
The Ethereal Sacred Domain had drawn countless gazes from the current Vast Expanse; even some hidden corners beyond the world had beings watching.
Since the Immortal Dao Alliance gathering began, and then the Black Lotus Cult suddenly emerged, half a month had passed.
During this half-month, the bizarre black fog surrounding the Ethereal Sacred Domain had become far thicker and more intense than before, already spreading across vast stretches of the universe and completely shrouding the entire Ethereal Sacred Domain.
From then on, no living being or cultivator could peer in and know what was happening inside.
That ever-expanding black fog seemed to possess life, capable of continuously healing.
Some beings attempted to tear a rift in it, but it would quickly restore itself, utterly impossible to tear open.
Moreover, once a being entered the Ethereal Sacred Domain, it was nearly impossible to leave again, directly trapped to death within.
The sky-filling black fog spread like an eternal shroud that never saw daylight, completely covering that place, forming an everlasting domain of darkness.
Such a scene made the various True Worlds and civilizations even more terrified and wary.
Many had thought the Black Lotus Cult would not last long after emerging and would be annihilated by the numerous powerhouses within the Ethereal Sacred Domain. But who could have expected that things would exceed all expectations?
After all, even the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was inside. Could it be that even he had no solution?
Was the Black Lotus Cult even more bizarre and difficult to deal with than everyone had anticipated?
During this period, the bloody war between the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and the Alliance of Righteous Unity also deeply gripped the hearts of the entire Vast Expanse.
In comparison, the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty's punitive expedition against the Nanzhao Ancient Kingdom could only be described as small skirmishes.
Endless baleful aura soared into the heavens, blocking out the sun. Countless beings and universes were slaughtered and buried within. The corpses piled up in this bloody war drifted and floated through heaven and earth like rivers.
Not to mention those who died without intact corpses, beings for whom even a complete body could not be found.
"Kill...!"
"Kill...!"
In the space-time of the universe where the two alliances clashed, a rift appeared. A figure brimming with boundless ferocity and slaughter slammed down, landing feet-first, instantly causing stars to shatter and the void to crack.
That unparalleled aura of slaughter was enough to make Ancestral Dao Realm existences change color and palpitate.
This figure could be called a killing machine. No life was left wherever it passed, be it the Heaven-Slaying Alliance or the Alliance of Righteous Unity, both seemed to be its targets.
In its eyes, any living being deserved death, deserved to enjoy that boundless honor.
Such a figure was no different from a madman. Many Dao Realm existences of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance could not even approach it before being instantly disintegrated by that terrifying aura of slaughter.
Left with no choice, several Forbidden Zone existences from the Heaven-Slaying Alliance intervened, jointly contending against that figure.
This led to some previously mutually restraining zones being completely overrun, and the grand army of the Alliance of Righteous Unity advanced straight in.
An existence who had passed eight Heavenly Decline Tribulations acted in secret, his great hand sweeping across the cosmos. Countless beings and worlds collapsed like bubbles. The barriers between the worlds became blurred and transparent, stained by blood and corpses.