The Dark Temple floated in a realm of eternal darkness, a cosmic secret zone with no light at all. For most cultivators of the temple, eyes had long ceased to matter. They trained mental power and sacred souls, using these to perceive the world.
Their world needed no light.
They loved darkness, just as plants love sunlight, birds love the sky, and fish love water.
Without darkness, they felt ill at ease.
Boundless Venerable sat upon his majestic throne, a supreme fury burning in his heart. That emotion formed a force that caused the vast secret realm, billions of li across, to boil. Lightning flashed, thunder roared without cease.
Cultivators training in the realm were all terrified. They knelt to the ground, bowing towards the temple.
“One plays the good cop, one the bad. Destiny Temple has played this hand beautifully, beautifully indeed.” Boundless Venerable’s voice was hoarse and ravenous, as if devouring the beings of an entire realm could quell his rage.
On Ice King Star, it had indeed been Feng Tian who intervened, averting a death battle between him and Ice Emperor.
Otherwise, had Ice Emperor emerged at that time, it would have been adding insult to injury for Dark Temple. If Ice Emperor returned to Undying Temple and seized the position of hall master, he would become an even tougher obstacle for Dark Temple and the war faction.
Thus, Boundless Venerable felt genuine gratitude towards Feng Tian.
Yet who could have foreseen that, the moment he returned to Dark Temple, Destiny Temple would stab them so viciously.
A cruel stab that ruined all Dark Temple’s plans. All prior investment and losses flowed away like water.
Wu Yue stood at the northwest side of the temple. There grew a divine tree with golden branches and jade leaves. Beneath it, her graceful figure appeared and vanished, faintly visible. She said softly. “This only shows how deeply split Destiny Temple is inside. The three divisions and twelve divine palaces each harbour their own ambitions. Though Feng Caiyi dreams of sweeping Heavenly Court, her cultivation cannot yet overpower Xu Fengjin. She cannot yet speak and make it law. What a pity, what a pity!”
In the darkness, a voice like clashing metal rang out. No one knew who spoke. “Since the war began, that old monster Xu Fengjin has rarely shown himself. Cultivators across the worlds thought he was lost in cultivation, indifferent to worldly affairs. Yet after ten thousand years of silence, he finally emerges to stir storms!”
“Is Xu Fengjin truly that strong? His Great Tribulation Palace has so few people?” A gloomy voice rose from the northeast. Faintly visible was a cluster of bone fire flickering.
A scholarly man in the temple lit a lamp and began reading from a book. “Ten thousand years ago, his mental power reached the ninetieth order. With mental power alone, he could roam heaven and earth unchallenged. As for martial cultivation, it is unfathomably deep. Rumour says he mastered Sword Twenty-Three. When the sword formed, the entire Wugui Forest rang with sword cries like tides. That very day, Emperor Fengdu left Fengdu Ghost City for the cosmic frontier. Destiny Temple divinities all say Emperor Fengdu was avoiding the edge of Sword Twenty-Three.”
As the lamp lit, eight figures in the temple gradually appeared.
“Utter nonsense. If Sword Twenty-Three could truly defeat Emperor Fengdu, Xu Fengjin would have challenged him long ago!” A six-eared stone ape uttered a metallic voice, like gold and stone striking.
Wu Yue said. “Whatever the truth, Xu Fengjin is Destiny Temple’s foremost expert, one of the few in the universe whom even Master must treat with caution. Leave Yu Ding to him!”
The peerless figures in the temple were all stirred. They looked towards her.
The six-eared stone ape snorted. “We have already lost the Dark Divine Sword. Shall we lose Yu Ding too? Never mind Yu Ding’s own value. To hand it over simply because Xu Fengjin demands it, what is that? How would cultivators across the worlds view Dark Temple?”
Boundless Venerable’s gaze grew heavy. “Wu Yue, though you seized Yu Ding, it now belongs to Dark Temple. If we do not deliver it to Destiny Temple within three days, does Xu Fengjin truly dare assault Dark Temple?”
Wu Yue said. “He will surely come! For these were words he spoke before all divinities.”
“He dares! Even if he is heaven itself, what of it in Dark Temple?” The cold voice rose from the bone fire.
Wu Yue said. “He will not come alone! You all said his Great Tribulation Palace has few members. He fears no retaliation. Yet Dark Temple has many divinities abroad. If he captures ten or eight and threatens us before our faces, we would lose even greater face. Xu Fengjin cares nothing for reputation. What would he not do?”
The scholar said. “One with great cultivation and no ties can act without restraint. Dealing with Xu Fengjin is ten times harder than dealing with that one from Star Cliff.”
“He has no ties, yet is Destiny Temple’s foremost. Does he care for the lives of Destiny Temple cultivators below him? Truly care? If naming the hardest person in the worlds to handle, it must be him!” A sigh sounded.
“Xu Fengjin gives no face even to heavenly venerables, let alone others. Unless an ancestral-level existence emerges, better abandon thoughts of opposing him.”
Wu Yue added. “Of course, my suggestion to give Yu Ding to him is not purely from fear. After all, even without it, could Xu Fengjin truly kill all Dark Temple divinities? No need to reach that point. He would become the common enemy of hell realm.”
“Then why do it?” The voice from the bone fire asked.
Wu Yue said. “Follow their plan, show weakness to the enemy.”
“Now cultivators across the worlds know Dark Temple has suffered heavy losses. Not only great divinities falling one after another, but even a venerable perished. If we now voluntarily hand over Yu Ding, outsiders will think Dark Temple truly crippled! Heavenly Court will surely underestimate us, even believe conflict between Dark Temple and Destiny Temple has worsened.”
A sinister laugh rose from the bone fire. “Heavenly Court’s hidden agents will surely leap out eagerly. Perfect chance to net them all.”
“They are mere clowns, insignificant.” Wu Yue’s gaze turned icy. “The true scheme lies at the starry battlefield. When action begins, you must all hurry there. A useless Yu Ding, how can it compare to matters there? Dark Temple lost a venerable. Heavenly Court must pay with the entire starry defence line.”
The scholar said. “I agree with Wu Yue! With Yu Ding in Dark Temple, we become everyone’s target. If it were usable, fine! Since it is not, why not give it to Xu Fengjin and push him into the spotlight?”
“The starry defence line is indeed paramount. Yu Ding can go to Xu Fengjin, but his bestowed marriage must never be accepted.” Boundless Venerable said.
Wu Yue said. “No, I wish to accept.”
“You think this is still showing weakness? He is outright humiliating you, humiliating Dark Temple. If you accept, even Master will never agree.” Boundless Venerable said.
“It is neither showing weakness nor submitting to Xu Fengjin. I believe it necessary to keep Zhang Ruochen in hand. This man is no longer what he was. Without preparation now, he will become a grave threat.”
Wu Yue continued. “Besides, are you not curious if he found Sword Realm? Curious whose shadows stand behind him? Why did Dark Temple suffer such a loss this time? Why did Shi Di and the human-skin lantern die miserably, yet we know not who killed them?”
“All because Dark Temple lacks a mental power heavenly round flawless expert. Without such an expert, in conflict with a power that has one, we are blind and deaf. We can only suffer.”
“Break the starry defence line, next must be taking Hundred Races King City, Xing Huan Tian, Star Cliff. The entry point is Zhang Ruochen.”
“This time, I will not only marry Zhang Ruochen, but as Realm Venerable’s wife, lead Spirit God Hall divinities to Xing Huan Tian. Then, I will seize all forces under Zhang Ruochen into Spirit God Hall’s grasp, to serve as eyes and ears. Let us see if those great figures behind Zhang Ruochen will kill me.”
Wu Yue was certain that, as long as she grasped their bottom line, she would face no danger.
…
News that Wu Yue brought Yu Ding up Destiny Divine Mountain to pay respects to Xu Tian spread swiftly through hell realm, crossed Wuding Divine Sea and the starry defence line, and reached Heavenly Court.
“Wu Yue not only presented Yu Ding to Xu Tian, but gratefully accepted his bestowed marriage. Xu Tian was delighted and laughingly scolded that if Realm Venerable Ruochen dared mistreat her, he would surely give him a thorough thrashing.”
A divinity returning from Destiny Divine Domain told the gathered divinities in Hundred Races King City, then smiled. “Tell me, how is Realm Venerable Ruochen’s fortune so thick? First favoured by Tian Lao, named divine envoy. Then regarded by Xu Tian as kin, bestowed such an envy-inducing marriage across the worlds. Even a heavenly venerable’s son could not compare, could he?”
This divinity naturally missed the subtext in Xu Tian’s words.
Xu Tian was clearly telling Wu Yue. Since you know when to yield, this heaven will protect you fully. Said as warning to Zhang Ruochen, but truly warning the supreme experts behind him.
This marriage represented Xu Tian’s face.
In the end, Xu Tian had gained what he wanted. His prestige soared in the shortest time to hell realm’s peak, suppressing even Dark Temple, second only to Emperor Fengdu.
Now was the time to pull back, align his position with hell realm’s interests, declare clearly he backed Wu Yue, not Xing Huan Tian’s Zhang Ruochen.
If he sent the wrong signal to Destiny Temple and hell realm cultivators, making them think he stood with Xing Huan Tian, it would ruin great matters.
“Wu Yue actually accepted the marriage. Has she truly lost her memory?”
Jade Spirit God found it hard to believe.
That was Wu Yue, a woman of such pride and arrogance. She refused even to be Tian Ji, yet would marry Zhang Ruochen?
Xuan? clan head smiled. “With Xu Tian stepping in, Dark Temple has fully yielded! Dust settles at last. Crisis passed. On the wedding day, every race in Hundred Races King City must prepare generous gifts for Destiny Divine Mountain.”
