“What?! The Sect Master of the Wanfa Sect slept with the daughter of the Sect Master of the Pofa Gate, causing a massive battle between the two sides, and both ultimately perished?”
Three months later, Su Bai listened in disbelief to the intelligence brought by her subordinate cultivators. Everything had been prepared, but the two involved parties had simply both exploded!
The alliances and counter-alliances she had imagined, the division of interests, the back-and-forth negotiations at the table, the exchange of political chips—all of it… gone.
The feeling was like punching cotton.
“All right, you may withdraw first.”
Zhao Shanming received the order and bowed before stepping back.
Outside Qingyang Hall, he happened to run into Su Xiaohei humming a tune. Su Xiaohei’s expression was cheerful, and his steps unusually light.
“Greetings, Daoist Xuantian.” Zhao Shanming cupped his hands in salute.
Who in the Sanshan Sect didn’t know that after ten years of trials, Daoist Xuantian had returned having obtained a great opportunity? His cultivation had not only reached Foundation Establishment Completion, but his spear technique was also extraordinary, reaching the pinnacle of mastery.
By calculation, he had only been cultivating for fifty years—a solid young talent. Moreover, he had the backing of a Golden Core True Immortal, so there was at least a fifty percent chance he would break through to Golden Core in the future.
Two Golden Core disciples from the same lineage meant that Sanshan Sect might soon be promoted to a mid-tier sect.
“Greetings, Elder Zhao.”
Su Xiaohei nodded slightly.
Xuantian was his Daoist name, given to him personally by Su Bai after he broke through Foundation Establishment.
Upon entering the room, Su Bai was sitting there, brow furrowed, face full of melancholy. Su Xiaohei’s eyes darted around, a slight smile playing at his lips. Casting an invisibility spell on himself, he quietly tiptoed behind Su Bai.
“Mother~”
Su Xiaohei wrapped his arms around Su Bai from behind, pressing his small head affectionately against the back of her neck and nuzzling her like a spoiled child.
“Don’t be so troubled.”
“This is Heaven helping us! Think about it—now that the Sect Masters of Wanfa and Pofa Gate are dead, Sanshan Sect will face no obstacles in expanding from here on out.”
“This is a huge blessing. The entire sect should celebrate wildly for three days and nights.”
Having lost her opponents, all her preparations were ultimately in vain. Su Bai absentmindedly uttered, “Mm.”
“Disciple.”
“Mother, I’m here.”
“Xiaohei.”
“Master, I’m here.”
“Tell me, why isn’t the Immortal Alliance a truly unified government system? With my talent, I could fit in like a fish in water and rise to the top three seats. Or if there were no Central Plains Immortal Alliance and instead a hundred sects flourishing independently, playing the strategy of distant alliances and nearby aggression, eastern expeditions and western campaigns—I am confident I could make Sanshan Sect one of the top ten immortal gates in the world.”
“But instead, it’s exactly like this—an odd combination of a confederation and a feudal system. There is the Immortal Alliance above, yet I can’t freely execute my plans. Below are the hundred sects, constantly bickering over trivial matters.”
“I’ve mastered a Dragon-Slaying Technique, but there’s no dragon to slay. I wanted to train a few small fry, but they all died. What a headache.”
Su Bai spoke from the depths of her heart, words slipping out involuntarily.
“If I were in a foreign land, I would base myself on family, gathering talents from all directions, abandoning the distinctions of bloodline and discipleship, treating everyone equally, and founding an Immortal Court. I would be emperor—the First Emperor of this world. I would appoint officials, establish offices, unify the chariots and writings, and unify the people’s morals!”
“???”
What is a confederation? What is a feudal system?
What even is an emperor?
The Great Evil Demon of Five Domains, Su Xiaohei, was confused and puzzled.
But the old ghosts in the Soul Prison within his sea of consciousness were arguing and debating fervently.
At that moment, Su Bai seemed to realize she had said too much. She immediately backhanded Su Xiaohei and then grabbed his face with both hands, her dark eyes staring straight at him with utmost seriousness.
“Don’t tell anyone these words.”
Su Xiaohei didn’t understand, but still obediently nodded.
“Oh, right.” Suddenly recalling something, he slapped his forehead and grasped Su Bai’s hands. His jet-black eyes glittered with hopeful light. “Mother, I want to join the Immortal Alliance.”
“Mm, you have reached Foundation Establishment Completion, so that’s only right. In a few days, I’ll contact Daoist Zhang to arrange a good position for you.”
…
Outside Qingyang Hall, the old ghosts in the Soul Prison came out to stir trouble again.
“Tsk tsk tsk! Never thought that girl had such ambition.”
“Heh! Her heart is higher than the sky, but her life is thinner than paper. Emperor? Unifying five domains? Even the Dao-merged Immortal Lords can’t do that. And her?”
“Heh heh heh! Su Little Ghost, looks like your good intentions have backfired. But my ‘Heart Demon Worm’ technique sure is effective, stirring up the darkest twisted desires in one’s heart. Such a pity about that Foundation Establishment girl, though.”
“Pfft! Didn’t you see how our Prison Lord’s whole heart is focused on that Qingyang girl, ignoring other women? Prison Lord, if you ask me, you should just imprison that Qingyang girl, lock her in a cage, and train her day and night. Slowly strip away her pride, her self-esteem, everything… until she becomes your submissive.”
Su Xiaohei ignored them completely, walking straight to his abode.
However, the old ghosts of the Soul Prison were not done and started harmonizing again.
“By the way, Old Ghost Liu, do you think that Qingyang girl could fall in love with our great benefactor Prison Lord who secretly helps her behind the scenes?”
“Love? How is that possible!”
“In that girl’s eyes, I see ambition, I see career-mindedness, I see wild ambition—but not the ability to love. Perhaps to the Qingyang girl, our Prison Lord—both foster son and disciple—is just a bargaining chip, less useful than a Golden Core helper. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have arranged a marriage alliance for Prison Lord.”
“Then does our great benefactor Prison Lord really love his revered Master?”
“Love? That’s just childish possessiveness and unwillingness to let go. Such base things don’t deserve to be called love.”
“A child who has nothing else clings to the only straw in his hand as salvation, constantly idealizing, admiring, and endowing it with special meaning.”
“Hah! In the end, it’s just a scared little dog’s dying fantasy of not being abandoned or forgotten.”
When Su Xiaohei returned to his abode, those harsh words echoed relentlessly in his mind. His previously calm state was rippled with waves. Even the full operation of the Great Freedom Only-My-Will Heart Method couldn’t help—because those invisible knives and swords truly pierced the most sensitive spot of that certain “little dog” inside him.
“Oh dear, if you ask me, our Prison Lord is actually not at all…”
“Enough.” Su Xiaohei murmured softly.
“You’re all wrong. Our great benefactor Prison Lord is actually—”
“Enough.”
“Tsk tsk tsk~ The way you say that makes us old ghosts even more eager. What kind of malformed fruit will blossom from the thorny flowers growing in this corrupt soil of broken relationships and ethics?”
“I said… enough!”
A furious voice thundered in the sea of consciousness, rolling through every corner. The entire sea of consciousness trembled as if the apocalypse had arrived!
Demonic aura ran rampant, magical energy surged skyward. A dazzling black sun rose, formed from the demonic external elixir Su Xiaohei had previously refined, carrying the ocean water to batter the Soul Prison, forcibly suppressing the various voices of debate.
A long purple banner smoked in his hand. The expression on Daoist Xuantian’s face was grim, murderous intent radiating fiercely. The troublemaking old ghosts were frightened into silence for a moment.
At this moment, compared to being the courteous, righteous pillar disciple of the Qingyang Sect of Sanshan Sect, he looked more like Zhou Xuan—the Great Evil Demon who roamed freely across the five domains!