System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

126: Forming alliances and gathering forces in the dead of nightLeaving the Blazing Sun Sect station, Ye Chen did not rest. Time was tight; he had to contact more reliable and marked Prodigies as soon as possible. Based on the information in the Jade Slip and the list provided by Yan Lie, his next target was the chief Disciple of Xuanbing Pavilion—Bing Yun.

The Cultivation Technique attributes of Xuanbing Pavilion and the Blazing Sun Sect were mutually contradictory. Most of their Disciples were cold-natured, disliked social interaction, and their station was chosen in a quiet garden villa in the north of the city.

Ye Chen followed the same method, relying on the hidden dragon ring and the 【Myriad Transformations】 Divine Ability to easily avoid the perimeter guards of the villa and find the small ice-crystal building where Bing Yun lived alone.

Outside the small building, the cold air was biting, and thin frost condensed on the ground, forming a sharp contrast with the scorching heat of the Blazing Sun Sect. As soon as Ye Chen approached, a cold consciousness locked onto him.

”Who dares to trespass?” A female voice, as cold as an ice spring, came from inside the room.

Ye Chen stopped, revealed his figure, and simultaneously activated the hidden dragon ring, emitting a peaceful aura. ”Fellow Daoist Bing Yun, I have been entrusted by Fellow Daoist Yan Lie to convey something of great importance, concerning your safety and the overall situation of the Heavenly Prodigy Sword Debate.”

There was a moment of silence in the room, and then the door opened silently. A woman wearing a moon-white dress with an exceptionally beautiful but cold face, as indifferent as ten-thousand-year-old ice, appeared at the door. It was Bing Yun. Her cultivation was similar to Yan Lie’s, at the Peak of the Earth Fiend Realm Fourth Level, and she exuded a chill that kept people at a distance.

”Yan Lie? Why did he send you here?” Bing Yun looked at Ye Chen with obvious suspicion. The relationship between Xuanbing Pavilion and the Blazing Sun Sect could not be called harmonious.

Ye Chen remained calm and composed, directly stating the Dark Hall marking and the blood sacrifice conspiracy again, and pointed out that the mark might be inside the pendant of the ”Ice Soul Necklace” she carried with her.

Upon hearing this, a crack finally appeared on Bing Yun’s iceberg-like face. She immediately took off the necklace and carefully investigated it with the Xuanbing Pavilion’s secret method, ”Mysterious Ice Spirit Eye.” Sure enough, at the core of the Ice Soul pendant, she discovered a trace of strange, sinister Qi that was almost integrated with the extreme cold!

Her expression instantly became extremely ugly. Unlike Yan Lie’s rage, the coldness exuding from her body was even more biting, as if even the air was about to freeze.

”Evidence.” She only spat out these two words, her gaze stabbing at Ye Chen like ice cones.

Ye Chen continued to use his Chaos Sword Intent, spending a little effort to purify and dispel the sinister mark.

Feeling the clarity of her Divine Soul and the purity of her Ice Protective Aura after the mark disappeared, the coldness in Bing Yun’s eyes subsided slightly, but her vigilance remained. ”How can I believe that you and the Blazing Sun Sect don’t have ulterior motives?”

Ye Chen had anticipated this and took out a communication Jade Slip engraved with flame patterns that Yan Lie had given him. It contained a wisp of Yan Lie’s pure Yang Qi and a brief message, confirming the intention to cooperate.

Seeing the Jade Slip, Bing Yun was silent for a long time. Although she did not like Yan Lie, she knew that he was upright and would not stoop to such conspiracies. Moreover, the matter of the mark was absolutely true.

”The Dark Hall... must be eradicated.” She finally spoke coldly, which was a default agreement to cooperate. ”What do you need me to do?”

”Contact trustworthy people, secretly investigate the marks, and be prepared early. On the day of the Sword Discussion, I fear there will be a great change.” Ye Chen was concise.

Bing Yun nodded, said no more, and turned back into the small building, which was considered seeing the guest out.

Ye Chen did not mind her attitude; as long as the goal was achieved, it was enough. His figure hid in the darkness again, rushing towards the next target—where Ling Feng of the Spirit Wind Valley was located.

Disciples of the Spirit Wind Valley were known for their speed, and most were unrestrained in temperament. As the chief, Ling Feng was the best among them, at the Earth Fiend Realm Fourth Level, and it was said that his Wind Evasion technique had reached the Transcendent.

When Ye Chen found him, he was on the roof of the largest restaurant in the west of the city, drinking alone under the moon, carefree and content.

Ling Feng was quite surprised by Ye Chen’s sudden appearance, but he did not attack immediately; instead, he looked at him with great interest. ”Hey, buddy, your stealth skills are pretty good, huh? Which path are you from?”

Ye Chen stated his purpose directly.

After listening, the playfulness on Ling Feng’s face faded a little. He touched his chin: ”Mark? Blood sacrifice? Sounds pretty scary. Where is it on me?”

Ye Chen pointed to the bottom of his usual green jade wine gourd.

Ling Feng picked up the wine gourd in disbelief and used his wind-type secret method to perceive it; his expression gradually changed. ”Damn it! There really is one! Which turtle grandson is so insidious?!”

His temperament was more restless than Yan Lie and Bing Yun, and he immediately wanted to find someone to settle the score, but was stopped by Ye Chen.

”The enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light; we need to plan carefully.”

Ling Feng calmed down, his eyes rolled, and he smiled: ”Understood, fishing, right? Fine, count me in! If I don’t join in on this kind of excitement, I would be sorry for my title as the chief of Spirit Wind Valley!”

He agreed the most readily.

Just like that, relying on solid evidence, precise removal methods, and the indirect endorsements of Yan Lie, Bing Yun, and others, Ye Chen successfully contacted three more talented Disciples from different first-class Sects who were powerful and marked in the next half day.

These people were all shocked and angry at first, but in the face of the facts, they soon realized the seriousness of the problem and chose to cooperate temporarily.

Night fell again.

In Tianfeng City, inside an absolutely safe secret stronghold provided by the Shadow Guards.

Ye Chen, Yan Lie, Bing Yun, Ling Feng, and three other talented Disciples from the ”Thick Earth Sect,” ”Gold Fiend Gate,” and ”Green Wood Forest,” seven in total, gathered together. These seven people almost represented the strongest power in the first echelon of this Heavenly Prodigy Sword Debate!

The atmosphere was somewhat heavy. The seven belonged to different Sects, and in daily life, there might be competition or even friction, but at this moment, facing a common, life-threatening, huge threat, they had to put aside their prejudices temporarily.

Yan Lie spoke first, his voice low: ”Everyone, I believe Brother Chen has already explained the situation. The Dark Hall has wolfish ambitions, wanting to use our flesh and soul to carry out that Heaven-Defying blood sacrifice! Such behavior is intolerable to both humans and gods! As chiefs of our respective Sects, how can we sit and wait for death?”

Ling Feng added: ”That’s right! We must beat those bastards! But the Dark Hall is powerful and hiding in the dark, so we need a plan.”

Bing Yun was concise: ”Find all those who have been marked, protect them secretly, and find a way to destroy their Formation core.”

Shi Yue of the Thick Earth Sect had a deep voice: ”Our Sect is good at defense and earth vein perception, and we may be able to assist in investigating the Formation structure and weaknesses of the underground palace.”

Jin Hao of the Gold Fiend Gate was sharp all over: ”My Gold Fiend Sword Qi is best at breaking evil! I am willing to be the vanguard at that time!”

Mu Wanqing of the Green Wood Forest had a gentle aura: ”I can provide Medicinal Pill for healing and assistance, and stabilize everyone’s mind.”

Seeing that everyone had reached a preliminary consensus, Ye Chen said: ”The Dark Hall’s marking methods are secretive. I have told you the methods of identification and preliminary removal, so please be sure to investigate the trustworthy fellow Disciples around you secretly as soon as possible. As for the underground palace core and the blood sacrifice Formation, the imperial Shadow Guards are already investigating in secret, and we need to work from the inside out.”

He paused and scanned the crowd: ”The day of the Sword Discussion is when the truth will be revealed. The Dark Hall will definitely strike during the Sword Discussion. Our tasks are, first, to ensure that we and our companions are not sacrificed, and second, to cooperate with the Shadow Guards to give the Dark Hall a fatal blow at the critical moment!”

”How exactly should we cooperate?” Yan Lie asked.

Ye Chen took out a special Formation Plate provided by Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing. Seven light spots flickered on the plate, corresponding to the seven people present. ”This is the ’seven stars linkage plate.’ After recognizing the owner with blood, we can sense and communicate with each other within a hundred miles. At the critical moment, it can also briefly gather the strength of the seven people, doubling the power. During the Sword Discussion, we need to use this plate as a link to act in unison.”

Upon hearing this, everyone’s eyes lit up. This object was undoubtedly the key to their joint operation!

Without hesitation, the seven people forced out a drop of essence blood and dripped it into the corresponding light spots on the Formation Plate. The Formation Plate shone brightly, and seven invisible connections were instantly established. All seven could clearly sense each other’s existence and general status.

A wonderful sense of trust and tacit understanding grew quietly among these seven top Prodigies.

”Alright, everyone, time is tight, let’s act separately.” Ye Chen put away the Formation Plate and said in a deep voice, ”Remember, be careful and don’t expose yourselves. On the Sword Discussion Stage... we shall see the results!”

The crowd looked solemn, nodded, and then turned into streaks of black shadows, leaving the secret stronghold silently and blending into the vast night.

Ye Chen looked at the direction they left and took a deep breath.

The seeds had been sown, and the net had been quietly spread.

Next, it was waiting for the prey to appear, and... welcoming the storm that was destined to sweep through the entire Tianfeng City.

He looked up towards the imperial city, where the Sword Discussion Stage had already been built, like a dormant beast in the night.

Three days later, it would no longer be an arena of glory, but a battlefield of life and death!