The Alliance’s Scheme and Yan Jun’s Battle

Yan Yun had obtained this news from Bai Zhihua.

It was no wonder that Yan Yun had declared at the time that if this information were to leak, the Lin family and all those associated with them would face eternal damnation.

Firstly, Jiang Country would never forgive them; neither would the Immortal Alliance, and the Righteous Dao Alliance would follow suit.

“Mother, this simply won’t do. The risks are far too great. Have you not considered that even if we manage to get past the King, how will we ever overcome the Immortal Alliance and the Righteous Dao Alliance?” The Eighth Prince immediately implored Consort Lin.

However, Consort Lin regarded him with a look of profound disappointment.

“What is there to fear?” Consort Lin retorted, her face etched with cold severity. “Those who aspire to great achievements do not fret over minor details. If one is afraid of everything, then nothing can ever be accomplished. Rest assured, as long as this matter is not discovered prematurely, once it is put into action, by the time they realize what has happened, it will already be a done deal.”

The Eighth Prince was instantly stunned into silence.

“Mother, I absolutely cannot agree to this,” the Eighth Prince declared, his tone stern and unyielding. “I am a prince of Jiang Country. Even if I cannot become king, I will at least be a marquis in the future. I would never betray Jiang Country. I urge you and the Lin family to pull back from the brink, or else I will inform the King of this matter.”

He was no fool, having lived for over a century; how could he not recognize that the risks involved were simply too immense and utterly unworthwhile?

Just as the Eighth Prince prepared to depart, his body abruptly became rigid, unable to move.

“My… my body,” the Eighth Prince stammered, twisting his head with great difficulty to look behind him.

Upon seeing this, he discovered his mother enveloped in a strange, dark purple energy, which coalesced behind her into a shadowy, black figure.

“Your Highness Consort, it seems your son is still too young,” a mocking cackle emanated from the shadowy figure. “He needs a little push.”

“This? What is this, Mother? You?” The Eighth Prince’s face was a mask of utter astonishment.

The power emanating from Consort Lin was both eerie and formidable, clearly not her own.

“Lin’er, your mother and the Lin family have nowhere left to retreat,” Consort Lin stated, gesturing towards the black figure behind her. “You’ll have to endure a little hardship for a while. Senior Xinhun, I trouble you.”

A series of chilling laughs echoed from the black figure as it fixed its gaze upon the Eighth Prince, its eyes suddenly glowing with an eerie red light.

Upon seeing this crimson glow, the Eighth Prince’s eyes instantly glazed over, becoming vacant.

“There, Your Highness Consort,” the mysterious expert known as Xinhun chuckled unnervingly. “The Eighth Prince will now obey your every command without question. Whatever you bid him do, he shall do.”

If any Immortal Alliance experts had been present, they would have been utterly shocked, for this mysterious expert named Xinhun was none other than the Old Ancestor of the Illusionary Demon Sect, a prominent force within the Demonic Dao Alliance, whose strength ranked among the top ten.

Xinhun, also known as Xinhun True Lord in the demonic path, specialized in soul manipulation techniques and had already reached the Great Perfection Divine Venerable Realm. Though he was merely an ordinary Great Perfection Divine Venerable, his soul’s intensity was no weaker than that of an Earth-tier Soul Venerable.

“Lin’er, go back now,” Consort Lin said in a low voice. “Wait for your mother’s good news.”

The Eighth Prince immediately bowed respectfully.

“Yes, Mother.”

Only after the Eighth Prince had departed did Consort Lin begin to converse with Xinhun True Lord.

“Senior, regarding this matter, how confident is the Demonic Dao Alliance? And, can the Demonic Alliance eliminate Yan Yun for my Lin family?”

However, Xinhun True Lord did not agree to this matter.

“That won’t do,” Xinhun True Lord replied. “Perhaps you are unaware, but many within our Demonic Alliance once had dealings with the Heavenly Poison Maiden. If not for her untamed nature and unwillingness to be bound, she would likely have established her own sect within the Demonic Alliance long ago.”

“Many factions within our Demonic Alliance seek an opportunity to win over Yan Yun; therefore, she cannot die,” Xinhun True Lord declared.

Consort Lin’s expression shifted drastically upon hearing this.

“How can this be?” Consort Lin exclaimed. “Our Lin family’s enmity with her runs as deep as the ocean. If she remains alive, even with the Demonic Alliance’s assistance, won’t my Lin family still be doomed?”

Xinhun True Lord let out a cold snort.

“That is not for this old man to concern himself with,” he stated dismissively. “After all, in the eyes of our Demonic Alliance, your Lin family holds no value. Try to be more understanding.”

After uttering these words, Xinhun True Lord fell silent.

Consort Lin, too, wore an expression of utter helplessness.

Thus, another day passed.

Today, it was finally Yan Yun’s turn to take the stage. She was called upon in the afternoon.

“Yunhua Sect’s Yan Yun versus Jinyang Sect’s Ji Yunfei! Will those whose names have been called please ascend the stage!”

The moment these two names resonated, the spectators outside the arena immediately erupted into a buzz of discussion.

“The Heavenly Poison Maiden’s successor is competing. I wonder if she can create another miracle this time.”

“I doubt it will be easy. From what I know, Jinyang Sect is the largest sect in Ji Country, and her opponent’s surname is Ji. There’s a good chance he’s a member of Ji Country’s royal family.”

Yan Yun, however, remained perfectly composed and serene. She slowly rose, preparing to ascend the stage.

“Alright, it’s my turn to perform,” Yan Yun chuckled.

Yet, Jiang Yao’s expression was far from pleased.

“Be careful,” Jiang Yao warned, her gaze serious. “You’ve encountered a formidable opponent. This Ji Yunfei is exceptionally strong.”

Yan Yun’s brow furrowed, and she immediately looked towards the arena, where Ji Yunfei had already ascended the stage.

The moment he stepped onto the stage, he unleashed his aura without the slightest hesitation.

At that instant, a golden sun-like phantom, with him at its center, enveloped his surroundings.

A colossal golden solar phantom manifested vividly as his power erupted.

The aura emanating from this individual was incredibly fierce, far more potent than that of an ordinary Divine Mark Realm cultivator.

‘Damn it, don’t tell me I’m this unlucky,’ Yan Yun thought, her face instantly darkening. ‘This aura… this is going to be tough.’

Ji Yunfei floated in the air, resembling a Son of the Sun, his tempestuous power continuously radiating in all directions.

“The Blazing Sun Physique? This aura… he must have broken through to the Spirit Transformation Realm after reaching Great Perfection Cavern Heaven Realm, and even his Qi Sea has transformed into a Spirit Sea,” Fairy Yunshuang was the first to openly question. “Alliance Master Shangguan, what is the meaning of this? Was it not agreed that the disparity in strength between opponents should not be too great?”

However, just as she was about to continue, Fairy Yunxia restrained her.

“Shuang’er, say no more,” Fairy Yunxia advised. “I understand that Alliance Master Shangguan has his reasons.”

Shangguan Jinyang immediately offered a grateful nod to Fairy Yunxia, choosing not to elaborate further.

The truth was, Yan Yun had been secretly designated for elimination, which was why she had been matched against such a formidable opponent from Ji Country.

“Alas, Fellow Daoist Yunxia, please forgive the Alliance,” Dou Ke transmitted via divine sense, apologizing to Yunxia. “You must understand the Alliance’s reasons for acting this way.”

He genuinely wished to treat all participants fairly, but the Alliance had already made a definitive decision regarding Yan Yun.

While they would not harm her, they would certainly not permit her to rise within the sphere of influence of the Righteous Dao Alliance.

For the greater good, they felt they had no other choice.

“Little one, you’re in for a tough fight,” Yan Lingyun remarked, having seen through all of Ji Yunfei’s strengths and weaknesses at a glance.

Given Yan Yun’s current circumstances, it would be utterly impossible for her to defeat the opponent.

This was because, relying solely on her own strength, Yan Yun could at most display the power of a minor to major accomplishment in the Spirit Transformation Realm.

Yan Yun subtly glanced at the higher-ups, and seeing the helpless expressions of Fairy Yunshuang and the others, she knew this was an arrangement secretly orchestrated by the Righteous Dao Alliance.

‘Alas, as expected, the Righteous Dao Alliance holds significant prejudice against us within their sphere of influence,’ Yan Yun sighed inwardly.

Yan Lingyun also wore an expression of utter helplessness.

‘Although their actions are unsettling, from a rational perspective, they are entirely reasonable,’ Yan Lingyun mused. ‘I offended too many people back then and had unclear connections with many in the Demonic Dao Alliance. If I were a high-ranking member of the Righteous Dao Alliance, I wouldn’t allow an unstable element to operate unchecked within my jurisdiction.’

Yan Yun didn’t dwell on it. Although her opponent was incredibly powerful, she had no intention of backing down.

“Then let’s give it a try,” Yan Yun declared, rising into the air and flying towards the arena.

“Yan Yun, don’t be stubborn!” Jiang Yao hastily shouted. “If you really can’t win, just concede. You don’t need those paltry rewards anyway.”

Su Muyu also immediately stood up and moved to the edge of the spectator stands. With her child facing such a formidable opponent, she simply could not sit still.

The Yan family members were similarly agitated.

“How could she be matched with such a powerful character?” Yan Kun fretted. “This person is much stronger than the guy I fought yesterday.”

The moment Yan Yun landed on the arena, she was buffeted left and right by the scorching spiritual energy emanating from her opponent.

Before the fight even began, she was already overwhelmed by her opponent’s sheer power.

“What a pity, I didn’t get to face Jiang Yao,” Ji Yunfei mused, a satisfied glint in his eyes as he looked at Yan Yun. “But encountering you is also a worthy challenge, successor of the Heavenly Poison Maiden. Come, let me witness the might of the poison cultivation technique that swept across the continent a millennium ago.”

Yan Yun’s gaze upon her opponent grew increasingly sharp. She took a deep breath, unleashing her unique Cavern Heaven. The immense Cavern Heaven rapidly coalesced above her head, instantly generating a powerful suction force that began to draw in the energy Ji Yunfei had released.

In that instant, a vast amount of scorching spiritual energy was devoured by Yan Yun’s Cavern Heaven.

This sight caused Ji Yunfei to frown. He immediately retracted the power he had unleashed.

“How is this possible?” Ji Yunfei exclaimed, a hint of shock in his voice. “How can your unique Cavern Heaven devour my power?”

Yan Yun, seeing her opponent retract his power, finally let out a breath of relief, wiping her brow. ‘What’s with the pretense?’ she grumbled inwardly. ‘I know you’re formidable, but trying to overwhelm me with mere aura won’t work.’

The cultivators outside the arena also looked quite surprised.

“This little girl’s unique Cavern Heaven is truly peculiar,” Chen Yingtian mused, puzzled. “Could it have mutated?”

Unfortunately, although Yan Yun’s Cavern Heaven could absorb scattered power released by others, it could not convert it for her own use.

“Come, Fellow Daoist from Ji Country,” Yan Yun declared, taking a deep breath and gesturing calmly. “Let me witness the techniques of your Ji Country.”

Though Ji Yunfei was somewhat surprised, he still did not believe Yan Yun could defeat him.

“Hmph! Then let us put it to the test!”

“Blazing Sun’s Illumination!” Ji Yunfei acted without delay, soaring into the sky as incredibly dazzling golden energy erupted from his entire being.

This golden energy transformed into streaks of light, shooting towards the ground.

‘He’s unleashing a powerful move right from the start? Is that appropriate?’ Yan Yun thought, realizing the attack was too dense for her to evade.

Yan Yun could only summon a Divine Mark Realm defensive artifact, placing it before her. It was a token radiating a chilling aura.

As the token flew forth, it released a massive amount of cold air, forming an ice wall that enveloped Yan Yun, barely fending off Ji Yunfei’s assault.