"That guy sure runs fast." Yue Dewen touched his chin.
"By the way, Sect Leader Yue, I have a question, and Iâm not sure if you can answer it?" Qing River asked.
"Go ahead. If I can answer, I certainly will." Yue Dewen was in a good mood at this moment.
"Did you really get injured?" Qing River asked curiously with wide eyes.
"I did." Yue Dewen nodded. "Otherwise, how could I deceive the entire world?"
"Then, did Palace Master Yu Yan really fall out with you and leave?" Qing River asked again.
"She did. She doesnât plan to come back." Yue Dewen nodded.
"This..." Qing River was somewhat speechless.
"You want to ask why I have life-and-death vendettas with so many sects, and why they are willing to listen to me this time? Cooperate with me, right?" Yue Dewen chuckled.
"Yes..." Qing River was indeed puzzled about this.
Clearly, Yue Dewen had killed so many skilled masters and so many sect followers before. Why are they now willing to cooperate and act together? Willing to heed his orders?
Yue Dewen looked up at the countless military camp tents stretching to the horizon. And the sporadic resistance and unrest erupting in the distance.
"Actually, Iâm also surprised...."
"Perhaps itâs because we all have a common enemy...right?"
His last sentence grew fainter, as if he wasnât answering Qing River, but merely talking to himself.
Now, the Great Capital is within a hundred miles.
Although Iâve entered and exited this place countless times.
But this time... itâs different....
*
*
*
"Quick! Move quickly!!"
A rebel army, lucky to break through the blockade from behind King Mu Liâs army, charged through, led by several silver-armored generals, escaping swiftly from the encirclement of soldiers.
Fortunately, no one made a deadlock, and the generals ordered to suppress them merely pursued symbolically before allowing them to leave.
King Mu Li suddenly died, and his son immediately announced that Cosimo would take over all military affairs.
Then followed a series of purges, reclaiming military authority.
Some unwilling generals were killed on the spot.
The few remaining hardliners fled with their horses.
Taking advantage of the armyâs confusion, the generals with no morale or direction.
Everyone was waiting for the upper management to stabilize.
These escaped forces took advantage of the situation, fleeing from the area covered by the military camp, galloping along the road they came on.
Among the troops, one person wore armor similar to other soldiers, appearing as a regular deputy general.
But if any high-ranking figure saw his face, they would be shocked.
This person strikingly resembled the current King Mu Li!
âThe second substitute... dead too... Cosimo... I treated you like a brother! Is this how you repay me??â
This person was the truly hidden King Mu Li!
His two life-long crafted substitutes were now completely spent. What it brought was escaping two fatal situations.
And now.....free from the cage, King Mu Li finally thought clearly.
What does Cosimo really want to achieve?
Or rather, what do the Thousand Teachings Alliance, Cosimo, the Great Dao Teaching, and all other sects truly want!
"Indeed, the worldâs smartest, orchestrating everyone with one move!" The more King Mu Li thought, the more alarmed and angered he became.
By now, the troops he led had escaped to a range of over ten miles from the main army.
"Prince... now... everything is gone!? We have nothing left!? What should we do now!?" The guard slowed his horse, looking towards him dejectedly.
"Return to the territory! With Earth Motherâs guidence, we still have a chance! We can rise again!" King Mu Li said harshly.
"Earth Motherâs guidance?!"
"Indeed! Thereâs still hope! We havenât lost yet!! Move!" King Mu Li said in a low voice.
A hundred or so riders swiftly galloped back along the direction they had come.
*
*
*
Around Wushan Prefecture.
Two blurry figures lightly landed on tree branches, looking down at the distant Wish Girl Gorge.
"Thatâs the headquarters of the Human Immortal Temple, a place of Residual God... truly an Evil God foreign demon, everyone should exterminate!" One person said coldly.
"Sang Lan fell because of a place like this? Laughable!" Another person said.
"That kid didnât want to diligently practice martial arts and indulged in pleasures, he deserved such a calamity."
"Whatâs the point in saying so much, letâs go in and see first. How can a mere Residual God dare to stop us?"
As Earth Motherâs envoys, they had long been accustomed to the feel of dominating all external gods beneath them.
Though they were just Earth Mother envoys, and their strength was similar to that of Sang Lan, they had a strong backing.
Just as the two were about to enter Wish Girl Gorge.
An invisible ripple shot down from the distant sky like lightning, landing on their heads.
"Yue Dewen isnât harmed!?"
The two paused simultaneously, staying in place.
"Are we still going?" one whispered.
"You go, I wonât." The other replied.
"Then I wonât go either."
"This place is designated by the Great Dao Teaching as a no-meddling area, we should just take a look, forget about the action. Harmony is precious."
"Indeed, harmony is precious, letâs treat it as a relaxing outing."
*
*
*
Elsewhere.
On the official road from the Great Capital to Wushan Prefecture.
Two palanquins, carried by four expressionless bearers, were speeding along.
"On the way to Wushan, this Human Immortal Temple is truly peculiar, able to create special individuals who recover from wounds by absorbing blood. This time, I definitely want to capture more for close study." Inside one palanquin, a womanâs cold voice said.
"I am quite interested in the Temple Master, to be able to kill Sang Lan head-on, he indeed has considerable power. Though Sang Lanâs backing, the Cold Heaven God, is just a mere Residual God. But even at full Descent of the God, only slightly weaker than me."
In the other palanquin, a gentle-voiced young man replied.
"I think you plan to capture some endlessly self-healing pretty girls, enjoying their first nights time and again. Isnât that your goal?" The woman said disdainfully.
"Anning, you still misunderstand me too much..." The man smiled wryly.
"Misunderstanding? I saw it with my own eyes back then...." The womanâs words were cut off by an invisible ripple from the sky, landing in their minds.
Their conversations stopped abruptly, their expressions visibly changing.
"Yue Dewen isnât harmed!?"
"Not only unharmed... but also Cosimo... the Great Brightness Religious Alliance... turned out to be mere pawns! What a grand scheme!!" The woman said through gritted teeth.
"Family crisis, return immediately!" The man said solemnly.
The two palanquins abruptly stopped and turned back, racing towards the Great Capital.
At the same time, the teams initially headed toward the vicinity of Wushan Prefecture to investigate the Human Immortal Temple.
At this moment, they unanimously turned around, frenziedly returning to the Great Capital.