In the Sacred Hall of the Cloud Goddess Cult, the upper echelons of the Anti-Heaven Alliance stood at the sides, observing, judging, and condemning the delegates from the remnants of the Tripartite Alliance. The delegates, led by the sect master of the Nihility Sect, stood with their backs straight, weathering the pressure.
It was the second meeting between the two sides, discussing the merger between the two alliances. Currently, Monarch Fiendclaw has taken the stage and explained his encounter with San Jiuling. "We currently suspect that San Jiuling has always been a spy from the Buzhou Immortal Sect planted years ago. It was how they learned of the existence of the Leakless Sect's immortal emperor, something we, the allied forces, didn't even know."
"For them to discard a disciple with so much potential, the Buzhou Immortal Sect sure is willing," the Drifting Feather Sect Master commented. "Assuming that your allegations are true."
"Although the Leakless Sect was the most powerful amongst us, don't underestimate the Nihility Sect's information net. All members of the Leakless Sect have died with no trace of them. All except San Jiuling. This fact alone is suspicious enough," Monarch Fiendclaw replied.
"We aren't questioning the credibility of San Jiuling's involvement but yours," Monarch Fiveseal said, stepping up and staring straight at his target.
"You doubt my loyalty?" Monarch Fiendclaw asked. A baleful aura arose from his body, and tension rose in the hall.
However, Monarch Fiveseal continued speaking as if all was well. "You have to admit, your survival among the wreckage of the Leakless Sect is anomalous, too, considering the zero survivors. Well, aside from you and San Jiuling."
"Don't look down on the Nihility Sect's concealment capabilities," the Nihility Sect Master said, expressing his disapproval with a frown.
"It's not that I'm looking down on your concealment capabilities. Your assassination records are proof of them. But, no matter how great your concealment techniques are, how could an immortal monarch survive while an immortal emperor and more immortal monarchs perish?" Monarch Fiveseal questioned.
"You can't compare our abilities based on realms alone," Monarch Fiendclaw said. "In a straight fight, I might not be able to defeat you, but against my all-out assassinations. You'd find it hard to survive."
The tension in the room rose once more. At this moment, the Jade Cauldron Sect Master stepped out. He was only a true immortal, unlike the rest of the Seamless Immortal Realm sect masters present. His predecessor had been a seamless immortal but was ousted after the separatist faction took control of the Jade Cauldron Sect.
"Everyone has different specialties. Look at me, I certainly can't defeat any of you in a fight. But I have the ability to gather helpers thanks to the pills I concoct. I daresay they can even threaten many of you should I try," the Jade Cauldron Sect Master said as he scanned the room. "Likewise, from Monarch Fiendclaw's words, it's apparent why the Leakless Sect's immortal emperor, Emperor Solesword, would fall. As a sword immortal, his offense is high, but he shares numerous weaknesses like sub-par defenses and below average life-saving abilities. No immortal is without a weakness. Of course, I don't know about divinities like your holiness."
All the immortals turned toward the Cloud Goddess. If they had to pin a weakness on her, it was her reliance on faith for optimal combat prowess. However, quashing so many mortals held dire consequences. Even if they used a non-destructive method, it would take an enormous amount of effort that wouldn't be possible during wartime.
"I hope your holiness can clear my name," Monarch Fiendclaw said as he saluted the woman sitting on her couch and looking down on the entire hall from her lofty and detached position.
"In terms of law, Buzhou Immortal Sect's Xi Mengfei is above me." Hearing the Cloud Goddess's frank admission, everyone's heart sank in the sacred hall. Her next words didn't help either. "In addition, the advantage of her laws allows her to deliver attacks almost everywhere in the realm."
"However," the Cloud Goddess's eyes shimmered with untold might. "Our comprehension is not that far apart. Although she is strong in terms of wide-range attacks, her power is lacking in close range. Her essence is inferior to mine, and so is her body. My life-saving methods are above her too. In all other aspects, I surpass her."
The Cloud Goddess scanned the room, brimming with power and cowing all those present. They had an illusion that they would lose should they ever face her. "The gap between a divinity and an immortal is far greater than the gap between an immortal and mortal."
"In addition, her experience is too little, and her heart is not firm enough. But she is still an origin immortal; soul monarchs stand no chance of infiltrating her soul defense," the Cloud Goddess said. "Should we be able to assassinate her son, Xi Tianyi, it might leave a crack in her soul defenses. Unfortunately, he is accompanied by Monarch Nine Heavens, his suspected father."
"It's not feasible to dispatch a squad of immortal monarchs just to assassinate him or Monarch Nine Heavens. Monarchs who mastered the Law of Space are too hard to kill, and we only have one soul monarch," the high priest of the Cloud Goddess Cult said. "Monarch Cloudsoul is too crucial to our operations of curbing the Buzhou Immortal Sect's advantages to dispatch. I don't want to pour cold water on her holiness's words, but what if they fail or are assaulted by the local forces of the Earth Continent?"
The sacred hall buzzed in discussion after the high priest's words. Each one had their own opinion. As the sole sovereign-level experts of the Huang Realm, both Sword Sovereign Xi and the Cloud Goddess countered the other. However, should any one of them perish, the war would be half won by the other.
The problem was that the Buzhou Immortal Sect had thick roots and could likely repel the Cloud Goddess if push came to shove. The Anti-Heaven Alliance didn't have such means. Should the Cloud Goddess Cult perish, they might have to emigrate away like the Cultivator Alliance after the Saintly Scholar School took control of the Mortal Continent.
But none of them wanted to turn into refugees hunted down by the Buzhou Immortal Sect. The Earth Continent won't welcome them, and they didn't want to live under the thumb of the Saintly Scholar School. And, how could the resources of the islands compare to a continent?
At this time, a voice said. "Has everyone forgotten about the loose immortal, Emperor Soulfish?"
Everyone turned toward the Nihility Sect Master. His calm countenance painted a stark contrast to the disorder of the hall. "Although he is a loose immortal, he is still a soul emperor. In addition, there's news that he and Sword Sovereign Xi have enmity. Isn't there a saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?"
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At his words, the sacred hall buzzed to life again. They had tried to recruit loose cultivators before, but only a very small minority who were blinded by greed agreed to join. Most loose cultivators had developed a deep fear and reverence for the Heaven Continent's unchanging hegemon and, thus, were unwilling to join what they deemed the losing side.
However, that was not the same for loose immortals. At the height of their vision, they could see more clearly and weigh the pros and cons of joining. The proof was that many immortals had yet to join a side. Wasn't this evidence that they were unsure that either side had a concrete chance of victory?
"Haha, as expected of the Nihility Sect's sect master. With your addition, our chances of overturning the Buzhou Immortal Sect's tyranny will increase," the Five Element Sect Master praised. "However, Monarch Fiendclaw's loyalty is still a matter of scrutiny."
"Then what would you have us do?" the Nihility Sect Master asked, already dreading the answer.
"It's simple, allow our soul monarch to search his soul," the Five Element Sect Master said.
"Impossible!" the Nihility Sect Master said immediately.
Ignoring the fact of whether Monarch Fiendclaw was a traitor or not, he was still a core member of the Nihility Sect. As such, he was privy to numerous secrets crucial for the secrecy and defense of the Nihility Sect. To expose them would allow the other force to gain leverage against the Nihility Sect.
"You don't have a choice." No one expected the Cloud Goddess to take action at this moment.
Before anyone could react, a silver cloud shot from her sleeves and enveloped Monarch Fiendclaw. The Nihility Sect Master and Jade Cauldron Sect Master opened their mouths to protest, but an immense pressure filled the room. It didn't just silence the members of the Tripartite Alliance but the Anti-Heaven Alliance too. They were, once again, reminded of the difference between their realms. For people of their stature, it was a sensation they hadn't felt for ages.
Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes turned to an hour. After that, the silver cloud enveloping Monarch Fiendclaw receded. When he reappeared in the eyes of everyone, Monarch Fiendclaw's pallor had gone incredibly sickly, and he swayed, almost ready to keel over at any moment.
"He's no traitor," the Cloud Goddess only offered those words.
"Thank your holiness for taking action," the Nihility Sect Master said with an incredibly hideous expression.
Even the upper echelons of the Five Element Sect and Drifting Feather Sect didn't smile despite the Cloud Goddess clearing Monarch Fiendclaw's status. They didn't care if Monarch Fiendclaw had been a traitor or not, they just wanted to take advantage of the situation and rip into the Nihility Sect for benefits. But now, all of it was taken by the Cloud Goddess Cult, further empowering them.
Still, none dared to admonish her. Just like how Sword Sovereign Xi threatened them, so, too, did the Cloud Goddess's power hang over their head like the Sword of Damocles. After all, the essence of the Anti-Heaven Alliance was just that, an alliance. No matter what, each force wanted to be the head of the alliance. The only reason they had not backstabbed each other yet was because of the existence of the Buzhou Immortal Sect.
If the Anti-Heaven Alliance won, the situation might repeat itself in the future, with the Cloud Goddess Cult taking the place of the Buzhou Immortal Sect and the Five Element Sect, Drifting Feather Sect, and Nihility Sect forming another Anti-Heaven Alliance.
"Since the matter of Monarch Fiendclaw's loyalty has been resolved, let us move on to the next official matter, the approval of the Nihility Sect and Jade Cauldron Sect's admission into the Anti-Heaven Alliance," the high priest said.
"What about the Leakless Sect's sole survivor, San Jiuling?" Monarch Fiendclaw questioned.
The head priest smiled. "What does a little true immortal matter? Even if he wasn't a spy, he must have some secret that protected him. Issue a bounty for him, alive or dead."
"Now, on to more important matters," the head priest said. "Since we are already discussing new members joining, we should also discuss the matter of enticing Emperor Soulfish and other possible loose immortal emperors..."
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"Dammit!" San Jiuling shouted as he dodged another assailant. His robes had been turned into rags, and numerous holes littered his body. The blood spewing out quickly stopped as the wounds healed at a visible rate.
Behind him, over twenty true immortals chased him. "San Jiuling, obediently give up and let us capture you. This way, you still might live!"
"Live? He killed so many of us, we have to exact vengeance on him before handing his corpse over to the Anti-Heaven Alliance!" another true immortal refuted.
"You call yourself cultivators? You're nothing but dogs begging for scraps of those in power!" San Jiuling scolded, his voice traveling hundreds of meters. "You only know how to bunch up and bully one with many. Where did your courage go when both sides recruited you?!"
San Jiuling had planned to travel to the Endless Seas in order to lay low. Unfortunately, the Anti-Heaven Alliance's bounty and its plentiful rewards had aroused great interest and caused the loose cultivators to seek him out fervently.
Just as he was about to make it to the Endless Seas, his luck ran out as a true immortal spotted him. San Jiuling killed the true immortal in the shortest amount of time, but it was too late. The true immortal had released a beacon as a last spiteful act before dying, resulting in the current chase over the waters.
Even with his Unbound Forest Physique, his vitality had been continuously drained from the near-constant assault. He didn't even have time to find a safe place to hide to concoct more pills. Hell, he didn't even have the time to rest.
As his qi reservoir reached less than ten percent, San Jiuling gritted his teeth. "You forced me!"
The true immortals paused as the sky above them split apart, revealing a spatial crack to another world. It was a world filled with a forest as far as the eye could see. All types of numerous vegetation filled it with numerous animals roaming, akin to a paradise. Every one of them could feel the dense life energy radiating from the crack.
On the Heaven Continent, a few immortal lords and the immortal monarchs and above glanced toward the Dao Manifestation. From the Earth Continent, Emperor Soulsilk and Emperor Infinity turned their heads over. In the guest residence of the Eight Pillar Sect, Tianyi smiled at Daoyi and waved his hand, revealing the scene of the Dao Manifestation.
Someone who majored in the Law of Life had broken through to the Seamless Immortal Realm!
Contrary to the curiosity of those that noticed, the true immortals chasing after San Jiuling all started to fret. "Kill him! Kill him before he fully enters the Seamless Immortal Realm and kills us!"
Faced with no other alternative than death, those true immortals all focused their spells and attacks on San Jiuling. However, San Jiuling held firm. Although he was trapped and unable to retaliate, an enormous amount of spiritual qi gathered toward him, far above his regular absorption rate.
His qi reservoir stayed the same, but he was actually remodeling his body using the Law of Life. Once he finished the process, the true immortals would no longer be able to hurt him. "You bastards, I bet you never thought your chase would actually help me master a worldly law, did you?!"
"Shut up!" a true immortal shouted. "So what if you broke through now? You've been forced to. As long as we can kill you, it won't matter!"
At this time, one of the true immortals who had embarked on comprehending the Law of Space took action. He flew behind San Jiuling and unleashed his spell, opening a crack into the Vast Void. The true immortals who saw his actions immediately knew what to do. In conjunction, they bombarded him with attacks that pushed toward the Vast Void.
"NO!" San Jiuling shouted as his body inched through the spatial rift.