An Envoy Arrives

Mount Yuhuang Villa. Ji Pingtian arrived swiftly. He had brought his people to Dayu's headquarters a month ago, partly to handle the Jishi Society's affairs in Dayu and partly to keep Shangguan Xiong in check. It was precisely because of his arrival that Shangguan Xiong—who had initially laughed out of sheer fury upon receiving Yaoguang's reply and intended to show him directly who the master of Dayu truly was—had behaved himself with complete restraint for over a month. Inside the villa. Not only had Ji Pingtian arrived, but Hong Feng—the Jishi Society's foremost powerhouse, who came representing Hong Chuan as both his nephew and senior disciple—had also accompanied him. Upon entering, after having Lei Yun, Pang Long, and the others secure the perimeter, Ji Pingtian cut straight to the chase: "We have verified the message you had Zong Yan pass along. Whether for Chixing or Xuelong, the Star Gates leading directly to the Artifact Sect haven't opened for decades. Something has likely... happened to the Artifact Sect." "Mm." Yaoguang gave a brief acknowledgment. He went directly to the point. "How much do you know about the Rebirth Society?" "The Rebirth Society?" Ji Pingtian pondered for a moment. Only after a long pause did he say, "Due to Xuelong's presence, although Chixing can act with near impunity on the international stage, certain acts that provoke heavenly wrath, public outrage, or outright crimes against humanity cannot be done out in the open after all. So, they backed the Rebirth Society. The society's core objective is to refine a Ten Thousand Demons Blood Soul Banner. It seems... Chixing wants to use this terrible demon weapon to turn around an increasingly unfavorable situation." "So, behind the demons truly lies the Ten Thousand Demons Blood Soul Banner? And behind the Rebirth Society stands a high noble of Chixing?" Yaoguang asked. "Immortal weapons and demon weapons are the core technologies of Chixing and Xuelong. We even speculated before that they secured global dominion precisely because they shouldered the responsibility of helping the Artifact Sect forge immortal weapons and demon weapons. Thus, whoever wields the Ten Thousand Demons Blood Soul Banner is very likely a member of Chixing's imperial Jiang family," Ji Pingtian said solemnly. Yet... This was not the news Yaoguang wanted. Nor did he believe it to be the correct answer. Since he could not obtain a satisfactory answer from the Jishi Society... "I need concrete leads on the Rebirth Society's upper echelon," Yaoguang stated bluntly. He added, "Ideally, the whereabouts of Mo Guang, the president of the Rebirth Society." The moment these words left his mouth, Ji Pingtian instantly grasped Yaoguang's intention. "Out of the question!" he exclaimed in alarm. "According to our intelligence, Mo Guang is exceedingly likely to be a top-tier powerhouse cultivated in secret! His strength may well rival Lei Ting, the master of the Star Shrine!" Lei Ting. A Hunyuan Martial Saint! One of Chixing's strongest figures on the surface. Furthermore, compared to a Spirit Intent Martial Saint, a Hunyuan Martial Saint had forged a flawless true body, granting drastically enhanced stamina and endurance—virtually equivalent to a monster that never tired. Even if all three Divine Realm experts of the Jishi Society swarmed him together, they would be run ragged until their physical stamina was completely drained, only to be executed one by one. "Though we are all Martial Saints and in the Divine Realm, a gap remains between us and Chixing. This gap doesn't lie in sheer strength, but in equipment. Our combat suits are primarily S-grade, made mainly of Golden Crow silk, designed specifically to protect against firearms. But the combat suits used within Chixing are far more advanced." Ji Pingtian spoke with a heavy voice: "Against firearms and mechanized corps, they have battle armor. And for life-and-death clashes between martial practitioners, they wear dharma robes capable of substantially reducing kinetic impact and martial force. While the grade of a dharma robe doesn't rival an immortal weapon or demon weapon, it is still exceptionally formidable, easily enabling the weak to overcome the strong." "Can a dharma robe withstand divine weapons?" Yaoguang asked. "It cannot," Ji Pingtian replied, shaking his head. "The Artifact Sect is renowned across the world for its mastery of Artifact Refining. They have always sought to standardize internal dharma artifact-grade equipment so that everyone could use them. What the market calls famed swords, treasured swords, or divine swords are merely failed attempts at mass-producing dharma artifacts of various grades. However, the raw materials used to craft them were genuine, top-grade materials, which a Chixing Martial Saint's dharma robe naturally cannot block." He immediately followed up: "Yet compared to divine weapons that merely boast superior materials, a dharma robe... is a genuine dharma artifact! Just as with the same steel, one person can forge only blades while another can manufacture firearms—how could the two possibly be compared?" "If it can't withstand them, that's enough," Yaoguang said calmly. "To a Martial Saint, there is no difference between a blade and a gun." Ji Pingtian was momentarily struck speechless. Beside them, Zong Yan offered a measured reminder: "President, you cannot judge Lord Yaoguang by ordinary standards. Since he says so, he naturally possesses a degree of confidence." Having spent over a month by his side, Zong Yan had witnessed firsthand just how terrifyingly fast Yaoguang's strength grew. "Just find a way to get me Mo Guang's whereabouts," Yaoguang said, then paused. "Additionally, I have a conjecture." Ji Pingtian, Hong Feng, Zong Yan, and the others fixed their eyes on him. "The primary reason Chixing and Xuelong lost contact with the Artifact Sect is that an upheaval struck the sect—either it came under attack or was wiped out entirely. And the source behind this upheaval is none other than the Rebirth Society! Yet because Chixing and Xuelong cannot confirm this news, they turn a blind eye to the Rebirth Society's actions!" Yaoguang spoke unhurriedly: "And their acquiescence led you to mistake the Rebirth Society for a pawn pushed forward by Chixing to deal with your Jishi Society." "Impossible!" The moment he finished, Hong Feng, who had long wanted to interrupt, refuted him immediately: "How could the Artifact Sect possibly come under attack? Your understanding of the Artifact Sect is far too shallow! You have no idea what a magnificent power it is, or how sacred the land they inhabit truly is! That is a supreme immortal realm whose full glory defies our utmost imagination! How could they... possibly be destroyed..." Yaoguang glanced at him. Hong Feng's tone sounded almost as though Yaoguang's words had desecrated the holiest, most pristine sanctuary in his heart. Not only Hong Feng, but Ji Pingtian also shook his head. "In a moment, I will give you a detailed dossier on the Artifact Sect. Once you've read it, you won't harbor such notions. The Artifact Sect's power is truly beyond what you can imagine. Zong Yan told you before that behind Chixing stands an Artifact Sect elder who has cast a Dao Foundation. Yet an expert of that caliber is still far from their peak. Above them, it is said there exist even greater beings... whose radiance rivals the sun hanging high in the heavens." He looked at Yaoguang: "The ultimate weapons possessed by Chixing and Xuelong are merely crude reproductions derived from the energy circulation patterns within those beings' bodies. The Artifact Sect's master refiners reverse-engineered those circulation modes and grasped only the surface mechanics to develop such weapons. So..." He paused. "Do you truly believe a faction overseen by such supreme existences could fall?" Yaoguang glanced at Ji Pingtian and said nothing more. Ji Pingtian, Hong Feng, and even many other Martial Saints were zealots when it came to the Artifact Sect. Centuries of legacy and ingrained cognition had long elevated the Artifact Sect to divinity in their minds. It was the dream realm they spent their entire lives pursuing. To diminish the Artifact Sect was to defile their lifelong aspiration. Yet... Yaoguang was different. He had been in this world for only a little over a year. Moreover, having been shaped by another world, he harbored no deep-seated reverence for the Artifact Sect. It was a disparity in perception. Just as ancients had spent their entire lives bound by the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues, chained by filial piety and righteousness without hope of escape. Although thought had begun to emancipate in this world, that emancipation was far from complete. Therefore, pressing the argument served no purpose. "Help me track down the Rebirth Society's president," Yaoguang shifted the subject. "The truth of the matter... will naturally come to light in half a year at the earliest, or a year at the latest." Ji Pingtian nodded. *** While Yaoguang and Ji Pingtian were conversing, a visitor also arrived at the Chixing military base stationed in Dayu. Personally welcomed by Shangguan Xiong, a man well over two meters tall, dressed in a black leather trench coat, was ushered into the reception parlor surrounded by an entourage. Throughout the entire process, Shangguan Xiong appeared extraordinarily warm and deferential. "I never thought a trivial matter would warrant your personal presence, brother-in-law," Shangguan Xiong said with a broad smile. "It is hardly a trivial matter. When a golden phoenix flies out of a chicken coop, our Jiang family naturally has to come and take a look," the man replied, his tone neither warm nor cold. His surname was Jiang, and Shangguan Xiong addressed him as brother-in-law. If Zong Yan of the Jishi Society were present, he would have recognized him in an instant: this was none other than the Sixteenth Prince of the Chixing Imperial Clan, Jiang Zhengming. A prodigy who had attained the rank of Martial Saint at the tender age of twenty-three. Of course, his brilliance was currently eclipsed by the meteoric rise of Jiang Xuntian. Furthermore, having reached the age of thirty without achieving spirit intent, his stature within the imperial clan had been dwindling by the year. Otherwise, he would not have married a daughter of the Shangguan family two years ago to shore up his standing. "Enough. Where is Su Yaoguang? Have him come see me. Imperial Father was quite intrigued upon hearing news of him, and sent me, an imperial prince, to invite him in person... Heh... The last person to receive such treatment was six years ago," Jiang Zhengming said indifferently. "This..." Shangguan Xiong hesitated slightly. "Is there an issue?" "Brother-in-law might not know, but after learning he had become a Martial Saint at such a young age, I already extended an invitation to him. Little did I expect that Su Yaoguang, flushed with youthful arrogance, didn't give a damn about my invitation at all. He even audaciously declared that he walks his single-plank bridge while we walk our broad thoroughfare, openly striving to break free from our control... Furthermore..." Shangguan Xiong paused, then continued, "According to the intelligence we gathered, Su Yaoguang has close ties with the Jishi Society and enjoys their full backing. Not only did their former director, Zong Yan, personally move into his residence to wait on him hand and foot, but even Ji Pingtian, the president of the Jishi Society, rushed over in person to garrison their branch, blatantly standing behind them." "The Jishi Society?" Jiang Zhengming sneered. "A pack of sewer rats that dare not see the light of day—they actually dare to step onto the front stage?" "Indeed. It is precisely because of their arrival that the allies I rallied from neighboring regions—intending to teach this Su Yaoguang a lesson in hierarchy and respect—became too terrified to make a move," Shangguan Xiong lamented. "Heh. It seems some people are forgetting their place. We've been busy with grave matters and couldn't be bothered to deal with them, so they grow bolder by the day. I will inform Imperial Father to directly declare the Jishi Society a terrorist organization. When that happens, let's see if those little runts in the Middle East still dare to support them. Whoever dares to step forward, we won't just crush the Jishi Society—we'll upend the countries behind them all the same." "Brother-in-law is right," Shangguan Xiong quickly chimed in with a flatterer's smile. "As long as we say the word, plenty of people will jump at the chance to become our dogs and replace the original rulers of those nations." "Very well. Since I am already here, standard protocol must still be followed. We of Chixing are people of rules, after all. However, to keep him from misjudging the situation, let their own people pull out this thorn known as the Jishi Society first." Jiang Zhengming leaned back comfortably and gave an aloof command: "Once the people of the Jishi Society clearly recognize who their true master is, send a message to that little brat Su Yaoguang and have him come pay his respects to this prince."