Chapter 218: Invitation

After leaving the Central Room and returning to the scene of the incident with Master Mo Ziqing, we found that the area had already been tightly sealed off by more urgently summoned Eastern Yuan Guards, evacuating all unrelated people.

The surviving victims had been completely relocated, and the raging fire had been successfully extinguished. However, following the previous violent explosion and fire, it was certain that the people and various objects inside that building had not escaped their fates.

Watching the Eastern Yuan Guards continuously carry out the charred remains from inside, Miss Vilyric fell into silence.

Although the number of staff in such a top-secret location shouldn’t be too many, there were likely at least a hundred or more. An incident of this magnitude during the Four Saints Selection Tournament would surely keep the Holy Alliance busy for a while.

Miss Vilyric wasn’t concerned with compensating the families of the deceased or soothing public sentiment; she was merely curious about who had “hacked” into the Heavenly Eye system to orchestrate such a shocking event, and what their goal might be.

Detonating hidden lines suddenly, blinding the Holy Alliance’s eyes and confining their vision solely to the capital, meant they surely wanted to achieve something through this.

Once bitten, the high-level officials of Qiguo would definitely be on guard, so such methods could likely only be used once.

To expose such a trump card and still act, it seemed the other party was determined and had stirred the still lake; it would not calm down until this incident was completely over. This was a formal declaration of war.

What was unclear was whether such an incident was happening only in Qiguo or if the other three nations were also experiencing similar events…

“Miss Vilyric, Miss Xiao Kong? Shouldn’t you be competing at the grand venue? Why are you suddenly here?”

As we stood outside the charred ruins, a figure suddenly descended from above, with a slightly surprised voice.

The Priestess turned her head to glance at him, her expression unchanged.

“Oh, it’s you. Long time no see.”

The newcomer was naturally familiar, the team leader from the Divine Spirit Sect, Teacher Mu Ze, possessing True Longevity realm strength.

Noticing the surprised expression on the other party’s face, Miss Vilyric casually explained.

“We couldn’t possibly miss such a commotion. It’s just some small tricks. So, are you here to join in on the fun? Or are you representing the Holy Alliance on official business?”

“…It seems Miss Vilyric has already guessed my identity.”

“After all, your behavior was rather obvious.”

Without saying more, just the fact that a few disciples from the Divine Spirit Sect had received the privilege of automatic qualification was enough to show their close ties with the Holy Alliance.

Given this, it wasn’t difficult to deduce that as the team leader, Mu Ze was related to the Holy Alliance too. He might not openly expose his identity, but handling such sudden incidents suited him far more than Shangguan Qiuming, the Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch.

It was clear that Master Mo Ziqing recognized Mu Ze as well; upon his arrival, he naturally stepped forward to chat with him, primarily explaining the events leading to this situation and the current statistical status.

Using such formal reporting language while in his position indicated that the person behind Mu Ze was indeed that Holy Monarch.

After understanding the situation, the just-arrived Mu Ze’s expression gradually grew serious.

“The Heavenly Eye has actually collapsed? Strange, but the broadcast from the grand venue hasn’t been interrupted. Wait, could it be…?”

It seemed he remembered something; his expression slightly changed, and after hesitating for a moment, he turned to the two girls beside him with resolute determination.

“Miss Vilyric, Miss Xiao Kong, now that an accident has occurred, it’s no longer the time for mutual probing. If it vraiment is as I expect, this matter will likely bring immense turmoil and panic to Qiguo… no, the entire Ancient Spirit Realm!”

“What do you mean?”

Mu Ze stepped forward and whispered something into the Priestess’s ear.

Hearing his speculation, Miss Vilyric and Miss Xiao Kong exchanged glances, raising their eyebrows.

“Is that possible? Even so, what does that have to do with me? Or are you suggesting I do something?”

With a meaningful glance sweeping across the girls, Mu Ze spoke candidly.

“We need a pillar, a lighthouse to guide us in the dark… Miss Vilyric, would you be interested in meeting the Holy Monarch?”

“Oh? Right now? Is this your idea or Shangguan Qiuming’s?”

“This is my own initiative, but I believe once he understands the situation, he will make the same decision. Though he can be somewhat arrogant and headstrong, he is indeed a wise ruler who prioritizes the greater good. If there were any prior offenses, Mu Ze is willing to apologize on his behalf to both of you.”

At a time like this… meet the Eastern Yuan Holy Monarch?

To be honest, Miss Vilyric had always held an indifferent attitude toward the Holy Monarch. Although he had engaged in some probing and provocation, it was merely to an extent that wouldn’t anger the Priestess or demand her attention. As long as he didn’t obstruct her ascent to the Fairy Island through the tournament, she was indifferent.

She initially hadn’t planned to bother with him, at most aiming for first place in the finals to show that guy the ropes, but since Mu Ze had brought it up specifically…

Perhaps this was an opportunity.

…

The headquarters of the Eastern Yuan Holy Sect, established in Xingyuan City, was a towering fortress reminiscent of a mountain.

There weren’t many extravagant external decorations; the iron-gray stone walls looked somewhat ancient and plain, providing a sharp contrast to the grand appearance of the venue hosting the Four Saints Selection Tournament.

After leaving Master Mo Ziqing to continue the search and disaster relief efforts, Mu Ze led the invited Miss Vilyric and Miss Xiao Kong directly to this place from the west side of the incident scene.

To be honest, although the Eastern Yuan Holy Sect was nominally a sect, its scale had long exceeded what this form could represent. Only after entering this ancient fortress did the Priestess finally sense some of the sect’s inherent atmosphere.

The training grounds were lively, with disciples in exclusive blue uniforms of the Eastern Yuan Holy Sect walking back and forth, discussing various cultivation issues or chatting about the ongoing finals of the Four Saints Selection Tournament, as well as the recent explosion in the west city, among other hot topics.

This was the vibrant scene a normal sect should display, unlike the cold, state-like machinery guarded by the Eastern Yuan Guard visible from the outside.

These outer disciples clearly didn’t recognize Mu Ze but did recognize the popular competitors, Miss Baihong and Miss Silver Cat, who were advancing rapidly in the finals.

Seeing these top competitors unexpectedly appear within the sect, they all showed surprise. However, perhaps due to some regulations, they didn’t dare to approach directly, merely watching them with eager and curious gazes as they walked past.

Perhaps feeling that such attention was overly glaring, Miss Vilyric, who naturally couldn’t stand it, initiated the conversation.

“By the way, I don’t think I’ve ever seen disciples of the Eastern Yuan Holy Sect or powerful figures from the Eastern Yuan Guard participating in the Four Saints Selection Tournament. There should be quite a few skilled individuals here, right? Is there a reason for that?”

In response, the middle-aged man with short blue hair walking in front turned his head, smiling at her.

“Actually, there’s no complicated reason, just avoiding suspicion. Although Lingyin Fairy Island holds a high status and has a profound heritage in the Ancient Spirit Realm, it rarely interacts with the lower world. It’s mysterious and exclusionary, forming a completely different force compared to the Eastern Yuan Holy Sect.”

“Allowing a few outstanding disciples, like Shangguan Hong, to go for further studies is acceptable, but how could the Holy Monarch allow all his outstanding talents to flow freely into the outside world? This is a strategy for dominance and the foundation for maintaining influence.”

“In fact, that is the purpose of the Divine Spirit Sect; the Holy Monarch hopes that Qiguo can separate itself as much as possible from the influence and interference of the Fairy Island, ensuring a clear distinction between the pro-island faction and the national faction, appointing them accordingly.”

“After all, a blade, as sharp as it may be, is only a good weapon when wielded in one’s own hands. Do you both understand?”

   

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