Amidst the void between the orbits of Earth and Mars, a structure of pure, gleaming silver hung motionless. Two fleets faced each other near this pyramid: one comprising one hundred and twenty Roman main warships, brilliant with golden light, and the other, two hundred and fifty cigar-shaped Tier One warships, utterly black.
Inside the pyramid was a circular, tiered assembly hall. At the center stood a cylindrical dais, twenty meters high, upon which the Corpse Emperor was speaking eloquently.
“In two months, the joint hunt between the Terran Federation and the Roman Kingdom will commence. According to our customs, during this joint endeavor, we must cease all hostilities and dispatch our elite personnel to Pluto. This time, given the full-scale war erupting between us, shall we adhere to tradition?”
Representatives from the three factions of the Earth’s Dark Alliance—the Asian Dao Alliance, the Vatican Curia, and the Pantheon of Gods—were seated in the hall, twenty delegates each.
Opposite the Dark Alliance delegation sat over thirty Roman Pantheon Priests, clad in full-coverage armor from which towering plumes of blue light, several meters high, erupted. They were majestic and mysterious, like divine beings. The highest-ranking among them was a Roman clad in golden armor, gripping a massive golden scepter. Within the blue flames enveloping him flickered three distinct circular auras. His orange-red cape was embroidered with countless exquisite patterns, and a line of Roman divine script across his chest identified him as the Vice-Hierophant of the Roman Pantheon.
After hearing the Corpse Emperor’s proposal, the Roman Vice-Hierophant let out a dry chuckle. “Naturally, the decennial hunt is vital, both for you Terrans and for us glorious Romans. The Christal Orb is of great importance. Therefore, even with our current total war, hostilities will pause during the hunt period.”
The Corpse Emperor nodded slowly. “Very well. Does anyone object to the opinion of the Roman Vice-Hierophant?”
No Roman Priest stirred. The eye slits of their armor simultaneously emitted fierce beams of light.
None of the three Dark Alliance delegations voiced an objection either; all agreed to the proposal.
Several minutes passed. Both sides transmitted the results of the talks back to their respective powers.
The Terran Federation Military Command issued a temporary ceasefire order twenty minutes later. The Roman Kingdom’s Supreme Military Command followed suit thirty minutes after that. The representatives on both sides glared fiercely at each other, ready to rise and depart the hall.
Suddenly, an elder seated at the Curia delegation table, gripping a staff and wearing a high tiara, slammed his staff heavily onto the floor. He commanded in a deep voice, “I have another agenda item!”
The Corpse Emperor, acting as the meeting moderator, looked at the elder with astonishment. “Archbishop Gudri, today’s sole agenda item is the joint hunt. Besides that…”
Archbishop Gudri stated gravely, “But this matter is severe; it violates the ‘Declaration of Seclusion’ reached between the Roman Pantheon and our three factions.”
The Roman Priests who had just stood up sat back down. The Vice-Hierophant murmured sinisterly, “Oh? Someone has violated the Declaration of Seclusion? We are quite interested in this topic.”
The three Dark Alliance delegations settled back into their seats, all eyes fixed on Archbishop Gudri. The stern pressure emanating from their gazes caused even the composed and solemn Gudri to shift restlessly in his seat, adjusting his posture several times. The Corpse Emperor frowned, raising his hand dismissively. “Oh? Someone has violated the Declaration of Seclusion? Very well, Archbishop Gudri, please present your item.”
Archbishop Gudri gripped his staff tightly and declared in a deep voice, “According to the Declaration of Seclusion treaty, the Earth Dark Alliance and the Roman Pantheon are strictly forbidden from assassinating each other’s Grandmaster-level experts.”
The Corpse Emperor and the others nodded simultaneously. Grandmaster-level experts, in the Asian Dao Alliance, were those who had reached the peak of the Spirit Transformation Realm. Of course, cultivators in the early, middle, or late stages of Spirit Transformation would not be opposed if they claimed to be Grandmasters, as they possessed sufficiently formidable power. Within the Asian Dao Alliance, the true top masters possessing peak Spirit Transformation strength—combining both righteous and demonic paths—numbered around thirty.
In the Vatican Curia, those possessing Grandmaster strength included the Pope and about twenty heads of various halls and academies, generally figures at the rank of Cardinal or higher.
For the Dark Alliance, Grandmaster-level experts included the Great Hierophants of major temples or the top figures among (alien races) like the Vampires and Lycanthropes. The Pantheon of Gods had roughly ten Grandmaster figures.
With Earth Federation’s fifty billion people, there were perhaps sixty true Grandmasters; the loss of even one would be irreparable.
The Roman Priests sneered in unison. Sharotman laughed mockingly with schadenfreude, “Did an Earth Dark Alliance Grandmaster get killed?”
A cold light flashed in the Corpse Emperor’s eyes. He spoke coldly to Archbishop Gudri, “Archbishop, please explain the truth of the matter. If a Dark Alliance Grandmaster was truly assassinated, the Dark Alliance will certainly demand justice!”
Archbishop Gudri gave a secretive smile and whispered, “The Red Feather Witch King of the Three Witches Sect was killed twenty days ago! He was a cultivator in the mid-stage of Spirit Transformation, capable of destroying a fleet single-handedly—his divine power was unbelievable. Yet, such an expert has been slain! The Black Bamboo Witch King of the Three Witches Sect lodged a complaint with our Curia, demanding this matter be addressed.”
The Corpse Emperor slammed the dais furiously. He roared, “Archbishop Gudri, the Three Witches Sect belongs to the Asian Dao Alliance! If the Red Feather Witch King was killed, why did the Three Witches Sect complain to the Curia?”
A red-robed elder stood up, glaring at Archbishop Gudri, and harshly reprimanded him, “Is your Curia attempting to interfere in our Eastern affairs? Gudri, are you inviting death?”
This old Daoist clearly had a fiery temper. As he shouted, a crimson light burst from the crown of his head. A flying sword, wrapped entirely in roaring flames, shot out trailing waves of intense heat.
The temperature within the hall immediately soared. In the blink of an eye, all metal components in the hall began to glow red and soften, on the verge of melting into slag.
The other eleven delegates of the Asian Dao Alliance also rose angrily, glaring at Archbishop Gudri, looking ready to strike should words fail.
The Asian Dao Alliance, apart from its conservative faction, had internal disputes and conflicts. However, any outsider attempting to exploit these internal affairs would invariably face a united blow from both the righteous and demonic factions.
Archbishop Gudri’s face turned pale as he stared at the flaming sword hovering above the red-robed Daoist’s head. He stammered incoherently, “Venerable Lie, listen to my explanation. The person who killed the Red Feather Witch King was Mr. Gu Xechen, the disciple of the First Dao Master of the Nine Hells Path, His Excellency the Corpse Emperor. How would the Three Witches Sect dare complain within the Dao Alliance?”
“Nonsense!” The Corpse Emperor exploded in fury, kicking the dais before him to splinters. His figure vanished on the spot, like a phantom—no, he was a phantom, appearing instantly before Archbishop Gudri. He seized the Archbishop’s throat, and long, black, razor-sharp nails slowly emerged from his fingertips. The nails sliced Gudri’s fair, tender neck, drawing a few drops of blood that slowly trickled down. He looked at Archbishop Gudri and smiled menacingly, “Attempting to frame my disciple? You are seeking death.”
The Corpse Emperor threw his head back and laughed. “Who doesn’t know that my disciple, Gu Xechen, despite his profound martial arts, cannot cultivate the Dao? Once his talent is pushed to the limit, his strongest state is that of the Golden Core stage! A Federation warrior at the Golden Core stage might struggle to handle even three or five actual Golden Core cultivators. How could my disciple kill a Spirit Transformation stage expert?”
Venerable Lie also roared in anger. “It is indeed nonsense! The conflict between the Three Witches Sect and the Nine Hells Path is well known among the many sects of our Asian Dao Alliance! If the old zombie himself had personally slaughtered the entire Three Witches Sect, we would not be surprised; this is not the first time the old zombie has done such a thing! But you claim Gu Xechen, that boy, killed the Red Feather Witch King? Do you take us old fellows for three- or five-year-old children, easy to fool? Trying to sow discord within our Dao Alliance? You chose the wrong people!”
The Dao Alliance representatives all sneered, looking mockingly at the ashen-faced Archbishop Gudri.
The conclusion that Gu Xechen could not cultivate the Dao was a consensus reached by the Dao Alliance Grandmasters after observing him with their divine sense. A Federation martial artist incapable of cultivation, even if he reached his absolute peak, would only attain the power level of a Mercury-class warrior, equivalent to the attack power of an ordinary Golden Core expert—but his actual combat strength would be much lower than a true Golden Core expert. How could he possibly kill a Spirit Transformation master?
The Corpse Emperor shook his head mockingly and sneered, “Trying to incite division? This tactic is too crude! I will discuss this matter thoroughly with your Pope!”
Archbishop Gudri cried out hoarsely, “I swear by the name of the Lord, the Red Feather Witch King went to the Third Colony Planet to await Gu Xechen and was killed there! This news came from the Black Feather Witch King! The Red Feather Witch King’s soul is truly scattered! If Gu Xechen could not have killed the Red Feather Witch King, then someone must have aided him!”
The Corpse Emperor tightened his grip slightly, saying grimly, “What are you implying?”
Archbishop Gudri narrowed his eyes and struggled to squeeze a few words out through his nearly crushed throat: “If Mr. Gu Xechen could not kill Lord Red Feather Witch King, then there must be a Grandmaster-level expert accompanying Mr. Gu Xechen! The Curia did not send anyone to his side, nor did the Pantheon of Gods. So, who killed the Red Feather Witch King?”
Venerable Lie paused, then recalled his flying sword, shouting gravely, “The Kunlun Dao Sect has no one by Gu Xechen’s side.”
A green-robed old Daoist chuckled calmly. “The Cloud Terrace Temple of Mount Zhongnan has no one by Gu Xechen’s side.”
A withered, black-robed elder stated dryly, “The Soul Refining Sect has no one by Gu Xechen’s side.”
A plump, red-faced Great Monk chuckled merrily. “Of course, we couldn’t possibly have anyone by that boy Gu Xechen’s side. Our small temple only has our Venerable Abbot, a peak Spirit Transformation master, capable of killing the Red Feather Witch King. The other great monks and smiling monks are nowhere near a match for that old gentleman—or rather, the deceased gentleman—so it couldn’t be us.”