Chapter 1111: The Three Great Merchant Alliances

After waiting for some time, Ning Wuhui finally arrived. He entered the white jade square together with several disciples of the Heavenly Dao Sect. Sensing Qin Sang’s gaze, he calmly glanced back at him before heading toward the area where the righteous cultivators gathered.

Seeing Ning Wuhui, Qin Sang’s expression eased slightly. He pricked up his ears, quietly listening to the discussions among the surrounding cultivators. Every cultivator on the square was an expert, and Qin Sang managed to overhear quite a few hidden secrets.

He soon noticed that not all cultivators intended to enter the inner hall. Many planned to remain in the outer hall to explore its hidden realms. However, staying in the outer hall at this time was hardly wise.

When Qin Sang arrived, he had already noticed that the celestial array had grown unstable and the spiritual qi chaotic. The entire outer hall was in disarray; ferocious beasts had gone mad, and the barriers and ancient arrays had been affected, making the place far more dangerous than before.

As Qin Sang silently observed the situation, the Corpse Puppet Pouch at his waist suddenly trembled slightly. His expression shifted as he sent his spiritual consciousness into it.

"Be careful. Old Devil Mou is here!" It was Bai’s warning.

Qin Sang was startled. "He’s on the square too?"

"Yes! I just used the Fire Curse Seed to secretly probe the surroundings. Old Devil Mou is close, definitely among these people," Bai said in a low tone.

Qin Sang quickly lifted his gaze, scanning every cultivator in the plaza, especially the Spiritual Infant grandmasters.

He had once investigated Old Devil Mou’s background in detail. Yet none of these people resembled him in the slightest.

Old Devil Mou was a hated figure; everyone wanted him dead. He must have disguised himself. But for him to openly enter the plaza right under the Devil Lord and Lingzhuzi’s noses was sheer audacity.

"Can you find his true body?" Qin Sang narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flashing within them.

"It won’t be easy," Bai replied. "There are too many Spiritual Infant cultivators here. I dare not act rashly. Moreover, when I sensed Old Devil Mou’s approximate location, it struck me as rather intriguing..."

Following Bai’s instruction, Qin Sang looked toward the area where devilish cultivators had gathered. They were right near the Devil Lord.

"You’re suggesting the Devil Lord might be sheltering Old Devil Mou..." Qin Sang said.

Bai gave a soft hum of confirmation. "When Tianfeng Island was besieged, only the Devil Lord and Lingzhuzi were present. The Devil Lord could have easily created an opportunity for Old Devil Mou to escape. Given Old Devil Mou’s strength, he’d be well worth the Devil Lord’s effort to recruit. The only question is whether Lingzhuzi noticed."

Qin Sang snorted coldly, unsurprised. He had already suspected something when no word of Old Devil Mou’s death ever surfaced.

After subduing the Dongming Cold Flame, Old Devil Mou’s strength had far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators at his level. If the Devil Lord could take him as a trusted aide, he would no doubt do so gladly. Compared to that, the lives of a few Core Formation Realm cultivators meant nothing.

"Lingzhuzi may or may not know!" Qin Sang’s tone was icy. "Lingzhuzi’s actions were clearly meant as a warning to other Spiritual Infant cultivators not to act recklessly within Seven-Kill Hall. With Tianfeng Island’s destruction and Old Devil Mou forced into hiding, the goal was achieved. Unless Lingzhuzi wishes to confront the Devil Lord directly, even if he suspects something, he’ll likely turn a blind eye. After all, the main conflict in the cultivation world today isn’t between righteous and devilish paths, but between races."

Outside lay the demon race of the Demonic Sea and the witch race, while the righteous and devilish factions within humanity were evenly matched. None of the great powers wished to see internal strife among the human race.

Back in the Small Cold Domain, even the red-haired grandmaster and Devil Lord Tongyou had advanced and retreated together.

Bai spoke approvingly, "It’s good that you understand. Using others to kill him won’t work. We can’t afford reckless moves. If you want revenge, you’ll have to rely on yourself."

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Who knows how many years that will take... It seems I can only swallow this resentment for now." He shook his head and dismissed his distracting thoughts.

At present, the most important matter was finding the ancient teleportation array, returning to the Small Cold Domain, maturing the Nine-Illusion Heavenly Orchid, and attempting to form his Spiritual Infant. He could not afford to lose reason over hatred.

While Qin Sang and Bai conversed in secret, a faint floral fragrance drifted through the air. Qin Sang looked up and froze slightly.

At the edge of the square stood a woman who seemed to have stepped out from a sea of flowers. Her figure was graceful, her beauty radiant, every movement brimming with natural allure.

The moment she appeared, every cultivator’s gaze turned toward her, accompanied by gasps of admiration. Even Lingzhuzi and the Devil Lord glanced over, stirred from their composure.

"So it’s Daoist Qingyun. Daoist Ji and Daoist Baili should be arriving soon as well, no?" Lingzhuzi’s eyes flickered as he spoke.

His words immediately caused an uproar across the plaza. Qin Sang was equally astonished.

One of the three great merchant alliance leaders, the leader of the Xiyou Alliance, was known precisely by the name Qingyun. Rumor described her as a woman of unparalleled grace and beauty, and seeing her now, Qin Sang found the reputation more than deserved.

The other two mentioned by Lingzhuzi were the leaders of the Beichen Alliance and the Dongji Alliance respectively. More and more human powerhouses were arriving.

The leaders of the righteous and devilish paths, and now the three merchant alliance leaders. Together, they represented the greatest powers of the human race, all gathered here at Seven-Kill Hall.

The leader of the Xiyou Alliance walked forward gracefully. Her path lay neither with the righteous nor the devilish, but with the neutral faction.

Core Formation cultivators stepped aside along her way, while the Spiritual Infant grandmasters greeted her with warm smiles. The three merchant alliances were not sects but loosely bound federations, each entwined with countless powers across the cultivation world.

Qin Sang carefully watched the expressions of Lingzhuzi and the Devil Lord but could read nothing from them.

Qingyun’s expression remained calm as she stopped before Seven-Kill Hall. "I came alone. As for when Daoist Ji and Daoist Baili will arrive, I do not know."

Lingzhuzi chuckled softly, clearly unconvinced. The Devil Lord sneered. "Who doesn’t know that the three merchant alliances are as close as branches of the same tree? You three never leave your cave dwellings lightly, let alone venture into hidden realms alone. One would think someone meant to harm you."

There was a faint hostility in his tone. Yet Qingyun’s composure did not waver. Her voice was neither humble nor proud as she replied, "The three of us possess modest cultivation but bear the burdens of the merchant alliances. Naturally, we must act with utmost caution. We created the alliances to better support our cultivation, but some insist on weaving false conspiracies around us. With dangers on every side, we cannot afford carelessness. If we lose our lives, what meaning would anything else hold?"

Suddenly, a sonic boom came from the distance. Everyone turned their eyes toward the sky and saw two streaks of light approaching at incredible speed, revealing two figures. One was a red-faced elder of commanding presence; the other, a refined scholar. They landed upon the plaza, sweeping their gazes across the scene.

The red-faced elder laughed heartily, his voice booming like thunder. "So everyone is here already! Daoist Baili and I are only a step late. I hope we haven’t missed anything important!"

The scholar followed, bowing courteously to Lingzhuzi and the Devil Lord. When he looked toward Qingyun, however, he found her face expressionless and cold, offering no greeting. He frowned slightly, sighing inwardly. "Daoist Ji, Daoist Baili."

Lingzhuzi clasped his hands in return. "You have come just in time. The trial realm of Seven-Kill Hall has yet to open."