Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

Wang Xuanling and Chu Liang, fully dressed and ready, stepped forward and knocked on the pavilion door once more.

Knock, knock, knock.

Moments later, the shrimp soldiers and crab generals opened the door again.

"Who goes there?" they asked.

Without responding, Chu Liang calmly unfurled the scroll. Earlier, Immortal Yuan Lu had used the portrait of the South Sea Hallowed Mother to gain entry.

As expected, the moment their eyes fell on the scroll, the two demonic creatures immediately knelt and bowed deeply.

When they rose, one of them asked, "And you two are…?"

"Xuan Yinzi of the Dark King Sect," Wang Xuanling said, raising his token.

"Violet Gold Marquess," Chu Liang added, flashing his token.

"So it's the two of you. Please wait here for a moment. I will report to the Sea Master at once," the shrimp-headed creature said before turning and hurrying upstairs.

Before long, it rushed back down, loudly announcing, "The Sea Master will see you now!"

The first floor remained empty. Once the doors were closed, the shrimp soldiers and crab generals led them to the second floor. Unlike below, this level lacked separate chambers. Instead, there was a large, rectangular table in the center of the room.

At the head of the table sat a thin, gray-bearded old man. His aura was vast and profound, like the tides stretching endlessly into the horizon. As he sat with a straight posture, his very presence seemed to command the space—like the ocean itself had taken human form.

He was likely the Sea Master the shrimp and crab had mentioned.

To his right sat Immortal Yuan Lu with several diabolical cultivators behind him.

Before they could take their seats, Immortal Yuan Lu of the West Sea Diabolical Forces sneered.

"Violet Gold Marquess, we finally meet in person. I imagine you didn't expect to see me here today, did you?"

Previously, Yuan Lu had collaborated with the Violet Gold Marquess on an important scheme, but Chu Liang, using the marquess' token, had sabotaged the plan. Yuan Lu had blamed the Dark King Sect, causing the start of a war between the West Sea Diabolical Forces and the sect. The ensuing war dragged on for years, with heavy casualties on both sides.

"Sect Leader Yuan, I had no choice that day," Chu Liang replied calmly.

For most, the question would have caused confusion, leaving them unsure of how to respond. But since it was Chu Liang who had been asked, it worked out—he was the one directly involved.

Chu Liang slowly replied, "Sect Leader Yuan, I never intended to go against you. It was that fucker Lin Poyun who feared that if you seized the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, his position as leader of the diabolical sect would be threatened. So, he ordered me to sabotage your plans in secret. I only obeyed him to win his trust and uncover where he had imprisoned the former sect leader. After years of searching, I finally found him and released him."

As he spoke, he glanced at Wang Xuanling behind him.

Wang Xuanling froze for a moment before nodding. "That's correct."

Haaaaaaaa. Chu Liang sighed inwardly. The old man's acting is atrocious. I laid out the entire backstory, and he couldn't even add a few more details.

Then again, the more you say, the more mistakes you might make. Maybe this isn't such a bad thing.

"Heh." The Sea Master, the elder at the head of the table, suddenly chuckled. "Years ago, we reached out to Sect Leader Xuan Yinzi, but he vanished soon after. So, he was imprisoned by the current sect leader. Now that he's free, it is naturally his time to rise again."

"Indeed," Wang Xuanling replied gravely, taking his seat.

After sitting down, Chu Liang smiled and said, "We came to the South Sea today for matters of the past. I hadn't expected such a lively gathering. Since that's the case, we won't impose. Please proceed with your discussions. If necessary, we can excuse ourselves."

In truth, Chu Liang had no idea what plans Xuan Yinzi had made with these people. He spoke only to appear proactive, hoping to sidestep any probing questions.

"Eh." The Sea Master raised his hand slightly. "If we were concerned about you overhearing, we wouldn't have called you up here."

Immortal Yuan Lu still spoke with irritation. "So, you already contacted him long ago, Sea Master. It seems our West Sea Diabolical Forces were nothing more than an afterthought to your plans."

"Sect Leader Yuan, don't be upset," the Sea Master said leisurely. "For years, your West Sea Diabolical Forces kept to themselves. Even if we wanted to reach out, we had no way of finding you. It's only in recent times that your ambitions have come to light."

"Indeed," Chu Liang chimed in. "With the West Sea Diabolical Forces locked in conflict with the Dark King Sect, it's clear our common enemy isn't just the righteous sects, but Lin Poyun as well. This is exactly why we should work together sincerely."

"How do I know you're not an undercover agent sent by Lin Poyun?" Immortal Yuan Lu questioned. He seemed to agree with Chu Liang's reasoning, but after years of conflict, resentment lingered.

"Sect Leader Yuan!" Chu Liang declared. "If I am an undercover agent sent by Lin Poyun, let my entire family perish, and may I be left an orphan!"

His words rang with conviction, each syllable echoing through the room. The weight of his oath left little room for doubt.

"Hmph." Immortal Yuan Lu snorted but said nothing more.

"Alright, alright," the Sea Master interjected, waving his hand as if smoothing the tension. "Xuan Yinzi and Violet Gold Marquess, you both came here to discuss cooperation. Let's speak plainly."

"Since Sect Leader Yuan arrived first, it's only right for you to speak with him first," Chu Liang said with a wry smile. "Besides, we are weak and few in number. How could we presume to speak ahead of him?"

"Let's not mention that again. Anyone who enters this hall is an honored guest of the Ruins of Return Cult," the Sea Master replied with a shake of his head.

Still, he turned toward Immortal Yuan Lu. "Then I shall speak with Sect Leader Yuan first."

Wang Xuanling watched in stunned silence. Is this really happening?

How does this kid negotiate with diabolical sects so effortlessly? It's as if he knows things even they don't.

You'd better have been recovering in some hidden realm all these years… and not secretly running around in the criminal world.

"My conditions are simple," Immortal Yuan Lu said bluntly. "As long as you fulfill your promise to kill the Sword Emperor of the West Sea, we will cooperate fully with your plans. But if the immortal sects in the Divine Nine use a legendary artifact, I'll leave immediately."

"Legendary artifacts are indeed troublesome. No one can fight a legendary artifact head-on," the elder said with a chuckle."Naturally, we wouldn't force you all to die."

As their conversation unfolded, footsteps echoed from below. A moment later, someone ascended the stairs and entered the room.

The person who arrived was a middle-aged man dressed in loose robes, faint stubble lining his face. He gave off this lazy demeanor, and with each step, the large wine gourd at his waist swayed gently.

Upon seeing the man, Chu Liang immediately felt a sense of familiarity.

He's Huo Tianya!

This was the Celestial Charm Sect member he had encountered outside the Phoenix Sheep Hidden Realm.

As expected, the shadow of the Celestial Charm Sect always seemed to loom behind every upheaval in the mortal world.

Huo Tianya approached the Sea Master and took out a small black flag the size of a palm. "Sea Master, this is for you."

The enchanted tool he brought out was none other than the Cloudcrest Dragon Banner!

"Heh." The Sea Master chuckled as he accepted the flag. "If stealing a legendary artifact from the sects in the Divine Nine were as easy as taking the Cloudcrest Dragon Banner from the Sea King Sect, life would be far simpler."

Huo Tianya's gaze drifted to Chu Liang and Wang Xuanling seated nearby and suddenly asked, "Who are these two?"

The Sea Master introduced, "That is Xuan Yinzi, the former sect leader of the Dark King Sect, and that is the Violet Gold Marquess."

"Hm?" Huo Tianya furrowed his brows. "That can't be right. I've met Violet Gold Marquess before…"

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