"If there's a chance, I must personally thank your revered master in person."
Jiang Weiyang held a teacup, taking small sips, a gentle and graceful smile on her face.
The young girl in the red dress shook her head slightly. "My master prefers quiet and solitude, detached from the mundane world, and does not like being disturbed by outsiders. His intervention today was merely an accident. You need not take it to heart."
Jiang Weiyang smiled and said nothing more, continuing to sip her tea in small, measured sips.
The red-dressed girl watched her elegant and composed demeanor, as if she remained refined and graceful no matter the situation, and could not help but feel a little envious. However, she quickly remembered the purpose of Jiang Weiyang's visit and could not stop herself from asking, "Why have you suddenly come in the dead of night? What is it that you want?"
Jiang Weiyang set down her teacup but did not answer the question. Instead, she smiled and said, "I still don't know your name, miss. You should already know my background. My name is Jiang Weiyang, and I am the princess of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty. I fled the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty to escape the marriage alliance my father tried to force on me, and I have been on the run ever since…"
The young girl in red was briefly startled. She had not expected Jiang Weiyang to reveal her background so candidly.
"My name is Yao Yao. You should be able to guess my background as well…" she said, feeling that Jiang Weiyang had been deliberately steering the conversation and maintaining control throughout, which made her feel a bit strange and uneasy.
Jiang Weiyang smiled. Her eyes were clear and gentle. "Naturally. The existence who appeared earlier must be the rumored Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, correct?"
Aside from the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, she could not think of anyone else in the world who could frighten State Preceptor Xingming like that.
Yao Yao nodded, not denying it.
During her time traveling abroad, she had never revealed her identity, but many discerning individuals could still guess her background after some investigation.
And as the princess of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, Jiang Weiyang was exceptionally intelligent—how could she not see it?
The smile on Jiang Weiyang's face remained. "I never imagined I would encounter that senior under such circumstances."
She sighed inwardly, feeling that fate was playing a trick on her. Through a series of unforeseen events, she had encountered the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance and been saved by him.
Originally, along this journey, she had been hesitating and debating whether to secretly make her way to the territory of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
In the vast and boundless Vast Expanse today, aside from the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty, where else could she go?
But her identity was very special. Especially now that the Alliance of Righteous Unity and the Heaven-Slaying Alliance were at war. If she appeared in the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, what would all the races and various traditions of the Vast Expanse think? How would her father, the Alliance Leader of the Alliance of Righteous Unity, handle the situation? How would the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty cope?
For the greater good, the place she should avoid most right now was actually the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
Yao Yao glanced at Jiang Weiyang with some curiosity and asked, "You're not afraid of my master?"
From everything she had seen and heard during her time in the Vast Expanse, no matter what level of cultivator or being, upon hearing the name of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's Alliance Leader, they all changed color in fear, trembling as if facing ghosts or gods.
Yet now, on Jiang Weiyang's face, she saw no trace of fear or terror—instead, there was even a hint of admiration and reverence.
Jiang Weiyang smiled at this. "Why should I be afraid of that senior? This is not flattery on my part. Since the Heaven-Slaying Alliance came into existence, I have heard of every single thing it has done. Although each deed is shocking and fills all races, civilizations, and traditions of the Vast Expanse with awe and terror, if you broaden your perspective and look at it within the entire ancient history, you will find that this is merely a similar trajectory—an inevitability of history."
"Every tradition or civilization, at its rise, inevitably goes through bloodshed and war. The Heaven-Slaying Alliance, in just a few thousand years, has risen to the forefront of the Vast Expanse, completing a journey that took other civilizations and traditions hundreds or thousands of epochs. That can only be described as an inconceivable miracle."
"The wars and battles that would have taken hundreds or thousands of epochs have been condensed into just a few thousand years. How many needless sacrifices and deaths have been spared?"
"The Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance has always been a figure I admire and am curious about. In my leisure time, listening to my maids read ancient histories to me, I have compared the outstanding heroes, ancient emperors, true sages, and worthies of all eras with the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance. In the end, I always find it difficult to find anyone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with him."
"I have always believed that the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance will usher in a new era for the Vast Expanse."
Yao Yao listened to these words, utterly dumbfounded. She nearly spat out the tea in her mouth.
If it weren't for the fact that Jiang Weiyang's face was full of sincerity and earnestness, not seeming like flattery or sycophancy, Yao Yao would have suspected she was making things up.
Who would believe such words if they were spoken aloud?
In the eyes of the secular world, the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance is a demon who brings chaos to the Vast Expanse, stirring up boundless calamities and disasters.
It is also the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance who has caused countless races and traditions to be wiped out, destroyed the homes of countless cultivators and living beings, leaving them homeless and wandering.
Yet, oddly enough, these words actually carried some truth.
"If my master heard you say that, he would probably be pleased." Yao Yao swallowed the retort she had been about to make, her expression strange.
Could the princess of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty be a bootlicker?
As she had grown older and learned more about many things, Yao Yao had to accept that there was still a long, long way between Gu Changge and the brilliant, righteous, and flawless image she had always held in her mind.
During this time, hearing so many rumors about Gu Changge and learning what he had done in the Vast Expanse after leaving the Dao Prosperity True World, Yao Yao still felt very distressed.
Back in the Dao Prosperity True World, Gu Changge had been labeled a demon by many traditions and forces. Some even called him the world-ending Demon Lord, turning pale at the mention of his name.
And after coming to the Vast Expanse, the rumors and gossip had only intensified. The Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance was an existence far more terrifying and dreadful than any demon.
Of course, regardless of everything, Gu Changge would always be her brilliant, righteous, and flawless master in her eyes, not to be slandered by anyone.
Jiang Weiyang saying this surprised her, but it also made her feel a certain goodwill toward her.
"That is why I have an unwelcome request tonight."
Upon hearing Yao Yao's words, Jiang Weiyang could not help but smile. Then, as if remembering something, her expression turned serious. She stood up and bowed earnestly to Yao Yao. "I want to follow you, Yao Yao, to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance."
Yao Yao was taken aback. She had not expected that this was what Jiang Weiyang wanted.
"You want to go back to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance with me? Actually, you want to request an audience with my master, don't you?" But she was not stupid and quickly understood Jiang Weiyang's intention, a strange look in her eyes.
Jiang Weiyang nodded. "To be honest with you, Yao Yao, the many things that have happened recently in the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty have raised many questions in my mind. That is why I wish to seek an audience with the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance to have my doubts resolved. I am willing to pay any price for this."
Yao Yao remained silent.
Jiang Weiyang was not in a hurry and waited for her response.
She knew her decision was somewhat abrupt. She had also been hesitant before. But after the attack by State Preceptor Xingming, she finally understood that aside from the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, she had nowhere else to go.
And perhaps the only way to resolve the confusion in her heart was to truly meet the Alliance Leader of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance.
"You can come with me to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, but whether my master will see you is not something I can decide. I will not plead for you, even if you are the princess of the Weiyang Immortal Dynasty."
Yao Yao did not hesitate or ponder this question for too long before giving her answer.
She did not think that letting Jiang Weiyang return with her to the Heaven-Slaying Alliance would have any consequences.
It was just a trivial matter.
"Thank you, Yao Yao." Jiang Weiyang's face lit up with joy and a smile as she gave another graceful bow.
Yao Yao waved her hand helplessly.
"In that case, I won't disturb your rest any longer, Yao Yao." Jiang Weiyang, understanding the social cues, did not linger. She put on her gauze hat and prepared to take her leave.
Outside the carriage, her maidservant was waiting. As Jiang Weiyang stepped out, the maidservant moved to help her toward the back of the caravan.
However, as if suddenly sensing something, Jiang Weiyang furrowed her delicate brows and raised a hand to stop her.
Inside the carriage, Yao Yao, who had been about to resume her meditation and cultivation, also felt something. Her expression turned cold, and her figure instantly appeared outside.
"I didn't expect these pests to be so persistent as to chase us here."
Her eyes glinted with coldness as she looked at the silent, gloomy night sky. Wisps of miasma and mist rose from the ancient forests around them, and a bone-chilling coldness began to spread.
"It seems you have also attracted some trouble, Yao Yao." Jiang Weiyang said softly.
Though she could not see, her powerful perception far surpassed that of ordinary Dao Realms cultivators.
"Just a few idiots courting death." Yao Yao snorted. In her delicate hand, a square, crystal-clear, four-sided Heaven-Overturning Seal materialized, radiating astonishing rainbow light.
"Young lady, someone is after us…"
The caravan leader, a skinny old man, hurried over, his face full of anxiety.
Yao Yao glanced at him. "No need to panic. I told you I would handle it."
Despite her words, the skinny old man remained deeply worried and anxious.
"Hand over the item."
Under the pitch-black night sky, a figure in black robes appeared silently, exuding an cold and terrifying aura. An overbearing pressure swept down, causing the surrounding void to seem as if it would freeze and crack.
Behind this black-robed figure, several more figures appeared one after another, each with aura no weaker than his. They wore pure white lotus masks, and similarly exuded a cold aura as terrifying phenomena rose and fell around them.
Even in this region with natural restrictions, they could still glide through the air, ignoring the oppressive force.
"All of them are existences at the Immortal King level…"
The skinny old man's expression changed, and he grew even more fearful.
Everyone in the caravan also had their expressions shift dramatically. Under that terrifying pressure, they could not even move.
The strongest person they had guarding them was only an Immortal King of the same level.
Facing a group of such powerful beings, how could they resist?
Normally, Immortal Kings would rule over ancient cities, commanding millions of people—lofty existences, rarely seen, like dragons that never showed their faces.
But who would have thought that so many would appear tonight?
"What exactly are we transporting this time, to bring out so many Immortal King level beings trying to seize it?" Many cultivators turned pale.
Under the immense pressure of the Immortal Kings, everyone was frozen in place, their legs weak, almost kneeling and prostrating on the ground.
For the entire Vast Expanse, Immortal Kings might be insignificant, but for one star domain or one ancient realm, Immortal Kings were exalted beings who could pluck stars with a raise of a hand and shatter mountains with a wave of a palm.
"To stir so many Immortal Kings just for a caravan like this…" Jiang Weiyang was also surprised.
She suddenly became curious: what exactly was Yao Yao, the disciple of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance's Alliance Leader, escorting?
"Where did you people get that item?" Yao Yao's expression remained calm, unaffected by the pressure of the several Immortal Kings. She stared coldly at them.
"You have no right to know."
The leading black-robed figure swept his gaze over the carriage tightly wrapped in black cloth. As if sensing something, he reached down with a large hand, covering it with vast pressure, intending to take it away.
But before his hand could get close, the Heaven-Overturning Seal in Yao Yao's hand suddenly glowed. Infinite pressure swirled around it, as if a true deity had resurrected within. Radiant divine light surged, and a blurry large hand also shot out, striking the black-robed figure with a puff.
"What?!"
The black-robed figure seemed to change expression, incredulous. Then his body suddenly exploded with a bang, but no blood flowed out—instead, it turned into several piles of flesh and blood stained black by some substance.
The other black-robed figures wearing black lotus masks also changed expressions, not expecting Yao Yao to have such means.
But that did not stop them from trying to seize the carriage. All of them reached out with large hands, intending to take it away.
Yao Yao snorted coldly. The Heaven-Overturning Seal glowed again, and this time, surging lightning appeared, strand after strand, coalescing out of nothingness and continuously blasting forward.
Each lightning bolt carried a destructive aura, pouring down and blocking the several black-robed figures.
"Stop pretending. Do you think I can't sense you just because you're hiding deeper?" Her gaze fixed on a certain void, and she said coldly.
"If I hadn't come, you might have actually taken that thing away and ruined our plans." An indifferent voice suddenly spoke from that void, accompanied by a thick finger descending. It looked ordinary, but contained a terrifying, boundless magical power that froze everything before it, preventing anything from approaching.
The Heaven-Overturning Seal in Yao Yao's hand was also frozen, unable to exert its divine might. As the finger descended, cracks even appeared on its surface, showing signs of breaking.
Jiang Weiyang sensed this. A streak of light flew out from her jade-like hand, transforming into an ancient talisman that also radiated vast power, blocking the descending finger.
A figure in white robes, also wearing a black lotus mask, appeared there. Though surprised, his gaze remained very cold, as if looking down at ants, devoid of any emotion.
The other black-robed figures, the moment they saw him appear, all knelt down reverently, pressing their foreheads to the ground in extreme fervor.
"This… this is a Dao Realms existence…"
The skinny old man, who had been excited earlier when Yao Yao used the Heaven-Overturning Seal to kill an Immortal King, was now utterly stunned. His face was full of terror and despair.
For cultivators like them, still struggling in the Immortal Path, a Dao Realms existence was, in every sense, a true god.
The two were simply not on the same level. A single thought from such a being could annihilate them countless times over.
"I knew that cultivators at the Immortal Path level couldn't be involved in this. There must be a mastermind behind it…" Yao Yao showed no panic or fear upon seeing the white-robed figure. Instead, she had a look of confirmation, as if she had guessed correctly.
"So what if you know? The black lotus descends to save all beings. It is up to us to rescue this chaotic world." The white-robed figure looked at Yao Yao with cold yet compassionate eyes.
"Just aevil cult."
Yao Yao cursed. This so-called Black Lotus Cult, which had sprung up from nowhere, operated on the fringes of the Heaven-Slaying Alliance, deluding sentient beings, inciting them to abandon everything, and worship the Black Lotus Cult Leader.
She had initially dismissed this evil cult as unworthy of attention. But she had accidentally stumbled upon their ritual of offering sacrifices to the Black Lotus Cult Leader and then discovered something that shocked her to the core—something almost unbelievable.
That was why she had taken the "item" from the carriage and was now being hunted by these followers of the Black Lotus Cult.
The white-robed figure said nothing coldly. He glanced at the carriage still tightly wrapped in black cloth, then reached out with a large hand to grab it. Vast magical power surged, directly suppressing Yao Yao so she could not move.
Yao Yao felt indignant, then panicked. She began to regret and fear. This was her first time facing a great enemy at the Dao Realms level. The life-preserving jade talisman Gu Changge had left her had only been used earlier that day.
In the past, she had always acted recklessly, relying on her safety net. But now, having lost her life-preserving jade talisman and facing an unbeatable great enemy, she was suddenly at a loss, not knowing what to do.
"I owe you a favor today, Miss Yao Yao. Let me take care of this trouble for you."
Just then, Jiang Weiyang, who was beside Yao Yao, spoke softly. She was not suppressed by that overwhelming pressure.
She took a brocade pouch from her sleeve and gently opened it. A sword's hum rang out, and a light, cyan streak of light flew out—it was an unsharpened sword embryo with no markings.