Highland City, on the day of the gathering.
The teenage girl from the Red Cotton Sect, Hong Er, followed her father to the assembly area way ahead of time.
Unfortunately, because the Red Cotton Sect wasn't well known, their position wasn't very good.
At that moment, Hong Er's face was even paler, it was as if she couldn't breathe properly.
"Master Uncle… Junior, she…"
A lady that looked gentle instantly became worried and asked, "Is there a problem?"
"Don't worry!"
The middle-aged man looked at his daughter closely and shook his head. "You impulsively activated 'Kun Ming mysterious secret' again? You know that if you're not skilled at it and carelessly use it, it'll easily backfire… There's going to be a lot of Spiritual Knights gathered here and they'll have a lot of evil intentions. Hong Er, you have to hold on…"
"Father…"
The teenaged girl stubbornly clenched her fists tight. "I… I don't want to be a burden."
"Don't worry, all we have to do is go with the flow during this alliance meeting. At that time, all of you will just have to watch for my hint before you do anything!"
The middle-aged man waved his hand, but he was laughing bitterly in his heart.
A weak sect could only be a fence-sitter. This was the tragedy of being weak.
"That is…"
At this moment, the teenage girl, Hong Er, seemed to have suddenly sensed something. She looked in a certain direction, and her body began shaking uncontrollably.
…
"Huh?"
Qian Huanyi looked at a part of the meeting stage and seemed to be thinking about something.
At this moment, his whole body was wrapped in a black robe, and his presence was concealed to its limit. Beside him was a muscular man with a cone-shaped bamboo hat. He was tall and sturdy—Superior Wu Zun.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, I just sensed an interesting spiritual aura; it should be a cultivation technique of the Red Cotton Sect!"
Qian Huanyi eyes glimmered. "This spiritual aura seemed to have discovered our hidden selves. After all, Spiritual Knight spells are ever-changing. It isn't unusual to occasionally have one or two distinct powers. However, this fellow will be experiencing shock."
"I'm more worried that she'll expose our business."
Superior Wu Zun pressed his bamboo hat firmly. "After all… by accepting the invitation and coming over here to help Heaven Spirit Ancestor, we should still maintain this hidden state before the Dream Masters appear in order to make an unexpected attack."
"Don't worry, regardless of what spells there are in the world, I've seen most of them in the imperial's collection. I retaliated slightly and even sent a hint over. I'm afraid that the person with the spiritual aura has already fainted. There won't be any problems," Qian Huanyi said confidently.
As a former fated True Elemental and an elite Spiritual Knight, he had read extensively. His spiritual skill cultivation was basically unbelievable.
"That's great then…"
Superior Wu Zun trusted Qian Huanyi a lot. He slowly closed his eyes and didn't speak again.
Ping! Ping!
After who-knows-how-long, Heavenly Spirit Zhang, with his splendid clothes, leisurely walked into the meeting area, accompanied by the sound of a large number of gun salutes.
"Greetings, old master!"
Many people from the Heavenly Spirit Association quickly greeted him. Like sound waves, they pressured the other smaller sects to imitate them.
"There's no need for such a formality, everyone, please rise!"
Heavenly Spirit Zhang's voice rang throughout the area, and it could be heard no matter how far or close one was seated. However, the voice wasn't sharp, and it even had a type of power that made everyone rise at the same time.
"Eh? His order was strictly abided?"
Superior Wu Zun was shocked, a grave look flashed across his pupils. "This Heavenly Spirit Association might really be a challenge. How confident are you in getting rid of Heaven Spirit Ancestor?"
"100%!" Qian Huanyi added on, "if I don't mind getting seriously injured and dying with him!"
"Then, we aren't able to become enemies…"
Superior Wu Zun released a long breath.
Even God Seeking Palace couldn't handle Qian Huanyi's death, let alone him being seriously injured!
"Letting Heavenly Spirit Association dominate the east seas is better than the Dream Masters having it!"
Qian Huanyi said, "The Martial Alliance shares the same viewpoint as us. Otherwise, why would they send men and horses as escorts and protection?"
"Indeed, Dream Masters are the biggest threat in the world!"
Superior Wu Zun nodded his head continuously. "Not letting them rise up again is our bottom line!"
"According to the rumors, the plan this time isn't small. Baize Mountain and Evil Divine Sect are going all-out, and they even pulled in the forces from 9 Extremes Mountain… On the other hand, the Ancient One actually escaped from Da Qian and went missing as soon as the Realm Alliance received the latest news…"
Talking about this, even Qian Huanyi took a cold breath in. "More importantly, he was unexpectedly forced out of this empire—alive!
"In today's Da Qian, there are less than five existences that can actually force the previous Sages into this state!"
Superior Wu Zun clenched his jaws as well, and he thought of a certain suspect.
"The one that continuously defeated the demon generals, the master of 9 Extremes Mountain that's referred to as the best in Da Qian, is very suspicious…"
"If that's the case, then it's great!" Qian Huanyi's attitude was clear. "The Dream Masters are despicable towards each other. It's inevitable that the heart of the alliance won't be conforming even if they are on the surface. They can crush them, one after another."
To them, the Dream Masters killing each other was something they dreamed of.
Just as they were secretly conversing, the Heaven Spirit Ancestor onstage had also completed that day's performance.
Heavenly Spirit Zhang originally had a look of one that was gifted, his pair of peach eyes looked like they could entice others, causing many female Spiritual Knights below them to be secretly moved.
His speech was nimble; he bemoaned the state of the universe, pitied the fate of mankind, and went to the point.
"… Da Qian is suffering from a catastrophe. I initially set up the Heavenly Spirit Association for self-help. Under the tyrannical power of the Dream Masters, we're barely surviving. Today, we Spiritual Knights bear the heavy responsibilities of the human race's rise and fall, and we cannot let the east seas suffer under the demonic disasters and chaos again. Those that are willing to be with Heavenly Spirit can come forward to swear a sacred oath. From then on, we will move forward and backward together. Heavenly Spirit will guarantee to view everyone the same way and be impartial!"
"Heaven Spirit Ancestor's words are reasonable!"
When he just finished his speech, a few small sects replied.
Red Cotton Sect's people could tell that this was the party's shill, and everyone was deliberating about it.
The slogan was naturally a fake. What really moved people was the benefits within.
At least, Heaven Spirit Ancestor had previously sent people over to Red Cotton Sect to pass a message. He promised that they wouldn't only retain their traditional path, but they would also receive a piece of territory after they joined!
This was too important for the continuity of a sect.
Hence, there were a few other small sect masters that came out to announce their allegiance, out loud.
"An irresistible trend!"
Red Cotton Sect's sect master sighed once and wanted to move a step forward to complete the vow.
"Haha!"
At this moment, insolent laughter was heard. A Dream Master leisurely entered the place.
"You are…" Heavenly Spirit Zhang was long prepared, and without rushing, he asked.
"I am Shen Tao, the vice-sect master of the Evil Divine Sect!"
Shen Tao's introduction to his sect raised a racket.
"This person… what courage!" Red Cotton Sect master's eyes widened as he saw what happened.
Today, people had long hated Dream Masters. The person called himself a Dream Master, and even more so, one of the vice-sect masters of the 5 Grand Organizations, in a gathering of Sacred Knights and Wu Zongs. This added oil to the fire.
In actual truth, unless the person had the cultivation of a True Elemental Spiritual Knight, he would've been killed long ago by the surrounding, anxious Spiritual Knights and Wu Zongs.
"Then, I wonder what's your purpose in coming here?" Heavenly Spirit Zhang's peach eyes cooled down as well.
"I only want to ask something. Is the east sea prefectures your home?" Shen Tao laughed coldly and continued, "Such a rash decision to divide it up and give it to others—have you asked me yet?"
"Sigh…"
Zhang Heavenly Spirit sighed faintly. "You're not qualified to say these words. Looks like the Dream Master Alliance wants to wage a war with me?"
"Where are Baize and Evil Divine? Ask them to come out and die!"
A few strong powers appeared, their anger almost solidified.
In actual truth, these were only the forces of the Heavenly Spirit Association itself. There were other Martial Alliances and God Seeking Palace elites that were silently guarding to ensure that there was no loss.
"Baize and Evil Divine…"
At the mention of this, Shen Tao's facial expression became slightly odd. "I'm afraid that you'll never see them again."
With this, he immediately bowed to the other side. "Welcome, master!"
Several Dream Masters appeared and bowed grandly as if they had witnessed their own gods.
In this suffocating atmosphere, Fang Yuan gradually revealed himself and walked into the meeting area slowly.
"Brother Fang…"
Heavenly Spirit Zhang laughed bitterly. "When we bid goodbye before, I didn't think that we would meet in this kind of atmosphere today!"
"The former debt of gratitude and the duty for revenge made it beneficial to not say anything til now!"
Fang Yuan waved his hand. "Today, you'll only survive if you comply! I will only ask this once, are you willing to submit?"
"Submit?"
The True Sage beside Heavenly Spirit Zhang couldn't hold it in anymore, and he shouted loudly, "With just you on your own?"
Kaboom!
While talking, a thick martial artist rose up like the sun and transformed into a horrible giant.
Seeing this, Fang Yuan blew lightly.
Whoosh!
Instantly, the giant quickly melted as if the spring snow had come into contact with the sun.
A shocking spiritual aura suddenly spread across the entire area.
Kaboom!
Two locations exploded, and the people from Martial Alliance and God Seeking Palace appeared.
They looked at Fang Yuan, dumbstruck as the scene fell into dead silence.
"This is… This is…"
Superior Wu Zun and Qian Huanyi looked at each other as if there were stormy seas in their hearts. "Power of the Heavenly Abode? A Sage?!"
"Impossible! There's someone that achieved the sacred state among the Dream Masters again?"
Even if that scene had many strong individuals, and even Qian Huanyi and Superior Wu Zun were present, people that fell off the sacred level, they weren't confident at all when facing against the true sacred state.
"He's merely a Sage, I'll go all-out. Even if I die, I'll slaughter him!"
A voice filled with hatred and sadness was heard from the meeting area. A united resistance instantly rose up.
"Kill him!"
"If the Sages don't die, the bandits won't stop!"
"We have many powerful people, True Elementals, True Sacred, and the forces from God Seeking Palace and the Martial Alliance. Just a mere Sage… Ahhh!"
Fang Yuan indifferently pointed at the few Spiritual Knights who were still shouting, and they exploded on the spot. They died a horrible death.
"All of you will hurt yourselves because of your mistake!"
He pressed his hands down again, and the power of the Heavenly Abode spread out, enveloping the entire area in a split-second.
Kaboom!
The scene instantly quietened down. It was as though the people were ducks that were held by their neck, and there was a Tai Mountain crushing their hearts, so they didn't speak anymore.
In a split-second, he suppressed the whole scene!
This was a heavenly threat!
"How is it?"
Fang Yuan looked towards Heavenly Spirit Zhang. This was his last piece of goodwill.
"I used to bow my head to the Sages, I don't want to surrender a second time!"
Heavenly Spirit Zhang paused several times, and his body emitted out a brilliance as though he was a firefly dissipating.