October 5th, five in the morning.
The official forums of both the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance were in an uproar. Two posts were pinned at the top in bold red. One came from the Capital City Headquarters account:
#The Soldier Master sect has launched a massive assault on the Capital City. All elders and senior deacons from surrounding branch divisions, rush to provide immediate reinforcement!#
The second was an announcement posted by the Songhai Branch:
#An interest group headed by Cai Qinhe conspired with the Southern Sect and the Dark Night Rose to lure and kill Yuanshi Tianzun and plot against the Alliance Leaders. Following the exposure of their crimes, they violently resisted arrest and have been executed. The follow-up investigation is ongoing. Please stay tuned to the forums for updates. Official announcement issued by Fu Qingyang.#
Both events were fallout from the tribunal. In truth, people had already anticipated that Yuanshi Tianzun's return to the Spirit Realm would trigger an ugly chain of repercussions.
Yet no one had expected things to blow up to such a scale.
Evidently, the Soldier Master sect had seized on the internal turmoil within the Five Elements Alliance to strike the Capital City, hoping to weaken official power even further.
Ever since the Five Elements Alliance was founded, the only time its doorstep had ever been besieged was when its leaders, driven by vainglory, had unleashed that "nuclear peace crisis" against Asura, prompting Asura to pin them down outside their own gates.
In the twenty years that followed, nothing of the sort had ever happened again.
This made it all the more obvious that under the reign of the Ten Elders, the Five Elements Alliance was steadily sliding into decay. Infighting, the persecution of talent, subsequent backlashes, and severe internal friction had handed the evil organizations their opening.
"A rotting organization is doomed to destruction."
"The Five Elements Alliance is no longer what it used to be."
"Serves them right. The Ten Elders don't deserve to lead the orthodox faction."
Comments like these flooded the threads. Even though they were swiftly deleted and the accounts banned, the united, indomitable spirit of the community was nowhere to be found in the comment sections.
Many had completely lost faith in headquarters, with some even arguing that the Soldier Master sect's assault was helping the Five Elements Alliance rise from its own ashes. After all, the place under attack was the Capital City.
Meanwhile, the announcement from the Songhai Branch offered a ray of hope to low-level walkers who were thoroughly disillusioned with the Five Elements Alliance.
Not everyone in the upper echelons had bowed to the intimidation of the Ten Elders. When headquarters made moves that undermined their very foundations, powerful figures of the orthodox path were still willing to stand up and rebel.
Almost overnight, Money Prince's approval rating surged, turning him into a beacon of light in the eyes of low- and mid-tier walkers.
***
Maple Forest Mountain, an architectural complex filled with sunrooms.
Inside one steel-and-glass sunroom that spanned over two-thirds of an acre, furniture, seating, and electronic equipment were fully laid out.
Working in such an environment felt like being immersed in nature.
Behind an office desk set amid the thickets, a figure appeared without a sound. He had the outward appearance of an elegant, gentle old man, but beneath him, roots writhed incessantly, burrowing firmly into the earth.
His hair consisted of finger-thick black snakes that flicked their tongues and swayed like waterweeds.
It was none other than Elder Miao.
His aura was somewhat feeble. Most of the black snakes on his head were snapped, and scorching burn marks scarred his tree roots and torso.
He, along with the other eight, had suffered grave injuries.
The storm stirred up by the tribunal had infuriated Alliance Leader Jiang. That demigod had taken on nine peak Dominators all on his own, severely battering all nine elders, including Elder Miao.
Fortunately, no lives were lost.
Luckily, the first wave of Alliance Leader Jiang's rage had already passed. Fire Masters were like that—as long as you weathered their opening blast of fury, you could gradually work things out.
As the ringleader, Cai Qinhe had already been sent back to the Spirit Realm by Yuanshi Tianzun, whereas the Nine Elders had merely been "acting according to the rules." In terms of discipline, they were in the clear.
In terms of the law, they were equally in the clear. It was an objective fact that Yuanshi Tianzun had slain an official elder, and it was also a fact that he had colluded with evil classes.
As for the entrapment, if you chose to associate with evil classes, how could you blame others for setting a trap?
If someone played you to death using the rules, whom could you blame?
Therefore, once Alliance Leader Jiang vented his fury, no matter how bitter or reluctant he was, the matter was essentially settled. The Alliance Leaders would still need them to clean up the mess.
Elder Miao opened his mouth and inhaled gently. The surrounding flora rustled and trembled as tender green foliage released radiant mists of verdant essence, rushing into his mouth in a frantic surge.
His flagging aura rapidly grew robust once more.
"Phew." Elder Miao exhaled in contentment. Only then did his gaze shift to the voice recorder resting on the desk.
His eldest son, Yunzhongzi, had left it for him. Normally, whenever an urgent matter arose and he could not be found, Yunzhongzi would leave a voice recorder.
Elder Miao picked up the recorder and pressed the button.
"Father, an incident occurred. Two things. First: the Heavenly Kings of the Soldier Master sect attacked the Capital City. Except for Fear, they deployed in full force. Second: Fu Qingyang returned to the real world and slaughtered the entire direct lineage of the Cai family."
Elder Miao's eyes sank.
***
In the Capital City.
Cloaked in dense fog, battles between the Bewitching Demons and the forces of the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect erupted across streets, alleys, parks, residential communities, and apartment complexes.
Communication signals dropped, and water and power were cut. Residents awakened by gunshots and clashing sounds cowered in their rooms, trembling in terror. Those bold enough to venture outside to check had all died on the street.
The Morality Points of spirit walkers on both the orthodox and evil sides plummeted rapidly.
Official walkers whose points neared the red line had no choice but to withdraw in frustration. By contrast, the Soldier Master sect's Bewitching Demons were far more savage. Once blinded by bloodlust, they abandoned all care for Morality Points and unleashed total slaughter, showing no mercy to orthodox walkers and ordinary civilians alike.
They even used companions who had been placed on the Spirit Realm's wanted list—whose coordinates were exposed—to set reverse ambushes against official walkers under the cover of the dense fog.
Right then, the voice of Fear Heavenly King rang in the ears of every surviving Bewitching Demon:
"The old fellows have returned. Retreat!"
***
Eleven in the morning.
Inside a spacious, brightly lit conference room, the Nine Elders sat in silence on both sides of the long table. The secretary to Chief Elder Di Hong stood beside his superior, holding a folder as he delivered his report:
"According to our tally, four elders, thirty-six Saints, and seventy-five Extraordinaires have fallen in the line of duty. Twelve Mist Lords and forty-seven Bewitching Demons from the Soldier Master sect were eliminated. The final count of civilian casualties is not yet available, but preliminary estimates suggest it will exceed one thousand...
"The government is extremely angered by last night's catastrophe. They expect the Five Elements Alliance to take responsibility for this matter and provide a plan for retaliation against the Soldier Master sect."
Pausing briefly, Secretary Li continued:
"Last night, Fu Qingyang raided Thousand Birds Lake. Aside from a few direct descendants of the Cai family who were away, all others—including four elders—have been confirmed dead. Furthermore, he posted a thread on the forum without authorization to convict the Cai family. The forum suffered a hacker attack and remained paralyzed overnight. It was restored only at ten this morning, and the post from the Songhai Branch has already been taken down."
With his report finished, he closed the folder gently and stepped aside.
Chief Elder Di Hong looked toward the eight peak Dominators lining the table and sighed softly. "Everyone, what are your thoughts?"
This was the most severe spirit walker clash since the inception of the Five Elements Alliance. The devastation, social fallout, property loss, and damage to the Five Elements Alliance's reputation were beyond measure.
"Alliance Leader Jiang's temper caused things to spiral out of control," the Chief Elder of the Water God Palace sneered.
Had they been present in the Capital City, such a thing would never have happened.
If the Heavenly Kings of the Soldier Master sect dared to show up, then aside from Fear Heavenly King, every last one of them would have died.
"The tribunal was a misstep," the elder of the Sword Pavilion remarked, shaking his head slightly.
"He was played to death by others—whom can he blame?" The Chief Elder of the Red Fire Sect lamented the misfortune while resenting the failure to live up to expectations.
He was referring to Yuanshi Tianzun.
The climb up the ladder of power inevitably involved flashing blades, hidden daggers, and relentless deception. Just because you held the moral high ground or harbored a kind heart did not mean others would step aside for you.
Losing a power struggle and being killed simply boiled down to the victor taking all while the loser took the blame.
The elder of the Sword Pavilion glanced across the room, perceiving through insight that they all harbored some measure of regret. It was just that, at their level, they would never voice it aloud.
Nor was there any point in doing so.
At that moment, Secretary Li glanced at the laptop on the table and said, "Excuse the interruption, leaders, but Fu Qingyang has requested a call."
"Him?" Another elder from the White Tiger Guards let out a bitter laugh of anger. "He slaughtered the direct lineage of the Cai family without authorization, showing zero regard for discipline or the organization, and he still dares to show his face? Does he think the Grand Marshal can shield him from every crime?"
Though power struggles existed between the Nine Elders and Cai Qinhe, they had shared ties spanning several decades—even a century. At their core, they were branches of the same tree.
Fu Qingyang's slaughter of the Cai family's direct lineage had infuriated every single one of them.
Di Hong waved a hand. "Since he's here, we'll handle his matter altogether. Let him in."
The projector mounted on the ceiling extended downward, casting a beam of fluorescent blue light.
Within the beam materialized Fu Qingyang in a snow-white suit. His expression was icy, like the coldest blade in the world.
He swept his eyes over the Nine Elders around the table, his gaze turning even colder.
Di Hong said in a deep voice, "Fu Qingyang, are you here to cloak your slaughter of Cai Qinhe's descendants in a righteous guise, or do you intend to trade the pacification of grassroots anger and the restoration of headquarters' prestige to escape capital punishment?"
Fu Qingyang was adept at manipulating public opinion and political bargaining; they had witnessed this long ago.
The Chief Elder of the Water God Palace spoke in a gloomy tone:
"That post you made on the forum was blatantly meant to pin all the blame onto the Cai family. Did you think that would recover the losses suffered by the organization? Laughable. At best, it gives the lower ranks a momentary sense of satisfaction, but it accomplishes nothing of substance. Meanwhile, you killed four full elders, causing losses second only to the Soldier Master sect's attack. Prepare yourself to face judgment."
"You still dare speak of judging me? I wouldn't mind following Yuanshi Tianzun's example." Fu Qingyang's very first sentence caught the Nine Elders completely off guard.
At this delicate juncture, putting him on trial was out of the question—it was far too sensitive.
The Chief Elder of the Water God Palace had merely meant to rattle him with verbal intimidation. Who could have expected Fu Qingyang's response to defy everyone's assumptions?
He was not here to negotiate.
Fu Qingyang's voice was utterly detached. "The Cai family has been expunged from the Five Elements Alliance. Yuanshi's vengeance has been exacted, but I don't think it's enough. The nine of you were accomplices, and you ought to pay the price. I didn't come to negotiate with you—I came to flip the table."
As he uttered the final sentence, he resembled an enraged lion.
***
Spirit Realm No. 7606, inside the Grand Marshal's study.
Dressed in black jodhpurs, military boots, and a white shirt, the Grand Marshal sat behind a desk piled with novels and manga. Her piercing gaze swept over the four Alliance Leaders.
They were: Alliance Leader Jiang, sporting short crimson hair and carrying a rough-and-ready air; the Palace Mistress of the Water God Palace, clad in the stage costume of an opera dan;
A clay figure in the likeness of an old man, with a beard reaching his chest; and a sapling radiating a soft green light.
"I won't waste words with you. I don't need to recap what happened at Yuanshi Tianzun's tribunal, do I?" Fu Qingxuan said coldly.
"Yuanshi Tianzun's death has shattered the grassroots cadres' and members' faith in the Five Elements Alliance, and it has laid bare many internal problems. The Ten Elders hold too much power—it must be cut down!"
Alliance Leader Jiang asked bluntly, "What do you propose?"
"Hold on!" Fu Qingxuan pulled a small slip of paper written by her younger brother from her pocket and read from it:
"First, establish a judicial department solely responsible for judging official walkers who commit offenses. The Ten Elders shall have no right to interfere with the verdict. Second, separate the investigation department into an independent entity, granting it oversight and budgetary authority. From now on, the Ten Elders will handle only administration."
Previously, headquarters wielded supreme power: judicial, legislative, and executive authority were all concentrated in headquarters, held in the hands of ten individuals.
The Ten Elders had carved up the entire Five Elements Alliance among themselves.
Now, however, that power would be broken apart and restructured. Never again would a single group simultaneously wield all supreme authority.
The Palace Mistress frowned. "Absurd! I don't agree!"
"It's fine if you don't agree. In that case, I will announce our departure from the Five Elements Alliance and establish the White Tiger Guards as an independent body." True to her Scout class, Fu Qingxuan went straight for the throat without hesitation.
The Palace Mistress smiled faintly. "Little girl, you are not the first Grand Marshal. Let's see who among the White Tiger Guards would follow you."
Fu Qingxuan replied coldly, "Those who resign from the Five Elements Alliance will follow me. Those who are disillusioned with the Five Elements Alliance will follow me. As I just said, the lower ranks are thoroughly disgusted with the organization. Fu Qingyang and I enjoy quite high popularity. If he rallies the crowd and rides the prevailing tide, how many people do you think will follow him?"
She looked around at the four demigods and continued:
"Before this meeting, I already met with government leaders. They also believe this unrest was caused by the excessive concentration of power within the Five Elements Alliance. To them, there are already two official organizations of spirit walkers. Adding a third makes little difference—in fact, it might be even better, because power will be further decentralized."
The Master of Central Court sighed. "Fu Qingxuan, have you forgotten why the Five Elements Alliance was formed in the first place?"
It was precisely because the prophecy of the Compass of Light emerged that the Five Elements Alliance had banded together into a unified front, causing the orthodox faction's strength to reach an unprecedented peak that suppressed the inherently stronger evil classes.
Fu Qingxuan shrugged. "The decision is yours. If you won't even agree to trimming headquarters' power, then since you're letting things rot, I'll let things rot right along with you."
The Master of Central Court furrowed his brow. "What does 'letting things rot' mean?"
"Read more manga in your spare time!" Fu Qingxuan sneered.
After a silence of perhaps a dozen seconds, Alliance Leader Jiang nodded. "Then let's do it that way. Sounds good to me."
He had remained silent earlier because he was pondering Fu Qingxuan's proposal. After chewing on it for a while, he had concluded: *Holy crap, that's actually a great idea.*
This was far more effective than giving the Nine Elders another beating.
The Master of Central Court deliberated for a few seconds and nodded slightly.
The sapling swayed gently, and a gentle voice drifted out: "You decide. It makes no difference to me."
Fu Qingxuan immediately turned to the Palace Mistress. "Minority yields to the majority. Whether you agree or not no longer matters."
***
Inside the conference room, the Nine Elders were all frowning. Their impression of Fu Qingyang had always been of someone wise, composed, aloof, and laced with cunning beneath an effortless exterior.
He was a political rival not to be underestimated.
A master politician ought to devise strategies from behind the scenes, never letting emotion overpower reason.
Who would have guessed that Yuanshi Tianzun's death would cause this precocious young politician to lose his composure to such an extent?
"Flip the table?" Elder Miao looked at him calmly. "Fu Qingyang, you don't have the standing for that."
By now, Fu Qingyang had already reined in his emotions and offered a cold sneer:
"I don't have the standing, but the Grand Marshal does!"
The moment his words fell, a voice transmission from their respective Alliance Leaders echoed simultaneously in the ears of the nine peak elders:
"Effective today, judicial power is stripped from headquarters, and an independent judicial department is established. The investigation department is separated from headquarters, endowed with oversight and budgetary authority. Headquarters will henceforth oversee only administration.
"The formation and personnel appointments of both the judicial department and the investigation department shall be led by Fu Qingyang, with the rest of you assisting."
The conference room instantly fell into deathly silence.
The nine peak Dominators sat stiffly around the table as if struck by an immobilization spell, drained of all expression and emotion.
Fu Qingyang leaned slightly forward, his sharp gaze sweeping over everyone as his voice rang cool and flat:
"The moment you caused Yuanshi Tianzun's death, you lost half the game. When the Soldier Master sect attacked the Capital City, you lost the entire board. Did you think I made that post on the forum and slaughtered Cai Qinhe's direct lineage simply to vent anger? No, I was securing votes.
"The Grand Marshal has already met with government leaders and received permission to establish a third official organization. Combined with my popularity being high enough, if the Five Elements Alliance didn't want to fracture, the Alliance Leaders had no choice but to accept my terms.
"The ten of you old fogies are rotten to the core. If not to preserve the foundation of the orthodox faction, I would have loved nothing more than to slaughter every last one of you. Yuanshi didn't kill you yesterday not because you didn't deserve death, but because even with no way out, he refused to watch the orthodox faction collapse."
Fu Qingyang looked at Elder Miao last.
"Elder Miao, I told you that day: the arrogance of those in power is the cradle of chaos, the poison of order, and the root of all evil in this world. But it seems you never took it to heart."
With a flash of fluorescent blue light, he vanished from the conference room.
Chapter 642