Chapter 1209: Murder Conspiracy
Han Chenfei was the number two expert in the legion, second only to Ouyang Chuanqi. She was a peak second-stage Soul Foundation Realm cultivator, only a step away from the third stage. In her squad were the Han sisters, Pan Yun, Ma Qihao, and others. When they saw Xiang Shaoyun joining them, they were overjoyed.
Xiang Shaoyun apologized to the other squads. He was only one person, and he couldn't join all of them. With him in Han Chenfei's group, Gong Qinyin naturally joined as well. Even Lady Shura was supposed to join, but she had decided to stay with her original squad.
She was already his woman. There was nothing for her to fight for. The best help she could give Xiang Shaoyun was to work hard and grow strong silently. Gong Qinyin didn't know many of these geniuses, and she was also the weakest. Thus, her only choice was to follow Xiang Shaoyun.
Back at those small places like Wu Town and Cloud Margin City, she was still a genius of her generation. But upon coming here, she found out just how pitifully weak she was. Here, she was but a normal Emperor.
Her resolution steeled as she vowed to put much more effort into cultivating and not be Xiang Shaoyun's burden. Her natural affinity with the dao of zithers was her biggest advantage. As long as she persisted with her path, she would have a bright future.
A new day arrived quickly.
A majestic group of people had assembled before the Contribution Stele. As far as the eye could see, there were people. Apart from the four academies' disciples, there were also other Soul Foundation Realm cultivators in this group. These people were all here for the Devil Hunting Expedition.
In the dominion, there were four Bloodsin Cities in total. One was located in the Western Desert. Each Bloodsin City was holding a Devil Hunting Expedition, signifying that the Soul Foundation Realm experts from all over the dominion were taking part in this expedition.
Although many people wouldn't take part in such a dangerous operation, there were still people who couldn't resist the temptation of becoming a Saint. Many of them had been stuck at peak Soul Foundation Realm for many years. They did not have any resources to attempt a breakthrough into the Saint Realm. Neither did they have the confidence to rely on their own power to break through. Thus, the Devil Hunting Expedition was their best chance.
At least 20,000 people had gathered around the stele. Most of the participants were Soul Foundation Realm cultivators, but some were also nearing the realm. Seeing so many Sovereigns was an eye-opening experience for many of them.
Just a single Soul Foundation Realm cultivator was considered a formidable expert capable of ruling a massive territory. It was shocking to see so many of them gathered.
However, the dominion was boundlessly large with countless inhabitants. The number of people gathered here was insignificant compared to the overall population of the dominion. Standing before them, Tang Zhan gave a generic opening speech before handing the jade plates to all the participants.
Because there were too many participants and some were still on the way, the signup period was extended to half a month. Anyone who signed up during this period would be allowed to participate.
Many of the Overlord Legion members gave up after seeing the sheer number of experts gathered. Ultimately, only those like Xiang Shaoyun, Ouyang Chuanqi, Han Chenfei, and some others registered.
The same happened to the other academies. Only the freaks registered. It was pointless for those below the Soul Foundation Realm to participate.
The jade plate distributed started with zero points, and points could be gained by killing devils. The more devils one killed, the more points one would get. In three years, the winners would be selected.
For the sake of fairness, Tang Zhan announced a rule where the points gained from devilish materials couldn't be recorded in the jade plates. The rule was added at the last minute to prevent the cultivators from killing each other. Many felt relieved.
Devils might be scary, but humans could be scarier. Who knew when someone would be stabbed in the back?
After Xiang Shaoyun and the others received their jade plates, the Overlord Legion set off.
The Devil Domain was boundlessly large. The legion's 10 squads dispersed in different directions but still maintained a certain distance from each other. That way, others would be able to provide help when a squad encountered danger.
...
A small number of people were gathered at a hidden location in the fort. The spot was sealed with spatial power, and unless one was a powerful Heaven Battling Realm expert, one wouldn't be able to see through the seal.
If Xiang Shaoyun was here, he would recognize that they were Dragon Phoenix Academy elders. They were Situ Mingyu, Shadowflash, Feng Huosuo, and a few others. One of them had a mask on and a scarlet cloak around him. His entire person radiated mysteriousness. Standing behind Situ Mingyu, he looked rather inconspicuous. Even so, none of them could neglect his presence.
He was none other than Situ Dilin, the adopted son of Situ Mingyu. He had a physique of pure fire, possessing a talent comparable to the Dragon Phoenix Academy's top prodigies. They were here to talk about the Devil Hunting Expedition and Xiang Shaoyun.
"Dilin, just try your best for this expedition. It won't be easy to enter the top 100," said Situ Mingyu.
"With our support, that wouldn't be hard," said Shadowflash.
"That's right. If we can't even help Dilin enter the top-100 with so many of us working together, it would be too embarrassing," said Feng Huosuo. "I'm more concerned with killing the little bastard, Xiang Shaoyun."
"I'm going to kill him with my own hands," said Situ Dilin, who had been silent throughout the meeting.
"Don't look down on that little bastard. He had defeated Zhan Wushuang with one move. His foundations are strong," said Feng Huosuo.
"I don't care. I must kill him myself," said Situ Dilin, his eyes gleaming murderously.
"It won't be hard to kill him. When you encounter him, just crush the jade slip I gave you. I'll personally end him," said Situ Mingyu.
"That might not be the right move. With Tang Zhan as his backer, he must have some hidden cards. If we fail to kill him and expose ourselves to the academy, someone will make a move against us," said Feng Huosuo.
"Heh, I have a good idea. Listen to me," said Shadowflash with a smirk. He told them of his plan, and afterward, everyone nodded in approval.
Xiang Shaoyun, I will repay you tenfold for killing me, vowed Situ Dilin inwardly.