Special Reactions, and Branch's Conquest Mission

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--- Chapter 155 ---

Upon returning to the Thousand Weapons Association, Yu Long smelled the rusty blood in the air. It was faint, but Yu Long's sense cannot be wrong.

His expression eased a little when he realized the bloody air came from the dungeon. It must be Su Meiling who dealt with her hateful members of the Grandwake Clan. 

Yu Long teleported to the dungeon and heard heavy breathing. As he stepped down the stairs, he saw Su Meiling surrounded by bits of flesh, bones, and blood.

Su Meiling's black hair also turned dirty auburn, which fits her current crazed look. She looks like someone who clawed her way out of hell with black blood-like tears running from her eyes.

On top of that, Yu Long noticed Su Meiling's cultivation base abruptly jumped from the peak of Earth Profound Realm to the 5th level of Sky Profound Realm. 

And no, this has nothing to do with Emperor Breaking Pills. Su Meiling experienced this rapid breakthrough naturally from sheer emotional release.

'What a fascinating specimen.' Yu Long thought while staring at Su Meiling with bright eyes. 

He clapped his hand and walked inside, "Congratulations on achieving your revenge." 

"Not yet..." Su Meiling answered quietly and closed her eyes. 

"After some torture, they finally opened their mouths about the incident that caused my late husband's death. They have planned a coup for a long time, and with the support of Seven Stars Divine Palace, they eventually dared to make a move." 

"With the price of the Grandwake Clan's treasured item, Coiling Dragon Feelers, Seven Stars Divine Palace, and the Grand Elder orchestrated a plan through Blackwood Stronghold." 

"Unfortunately for them, my husband stored the key in the treasure storage keenly. Even after years, they can't find it." 

"So, you wanted to attack the Seven Stars Divine Palace now?" Yu Long asked casually.

Su Meiling turned around and gazed at Yu Long, "If you allow me to." 

"I have no power or authority to compete with the Seven Stars Divine Palace, but you did." She put on a self-mocked smile. "Even If I asked for your help, I know the price won't be light." 

"This is my personal revenge, and I can't sell the Grandwake Clan more than our earlier agreement."

"The only thing I can offer is myself." 

"Then, give yourself to me." Yu Long chuckled reassuringly. "I will give you power and influence to trample over the Azure Cloud Continent." 

He wanted to know more about Su Meiling's condition and stretched his right hand, seemingly inviting her into the darkness. 

Su Meiling was stunned for a second. She stared at Yu Long's hand and grabbed it, accepting the devil's hand. 

...

Five minutes later, Yu Long and Su Meiling returned from the dungeon. 

"You may consume three Emperor Breaking Pills. Although your rapid breakthrough was natural, your overall foundation is weak." He calmly instructed her. 

"Okay." Su Meiling listened attentively. 

"Also, what Profound Art did you cultivate?" Yu Long asked.

Su Meiling narrowed her eyes in confusion and still answered, "It's a long-passed Profound Art called Three Earthly Methods. This profound art is the second most cultivated in the Grandwake Clan's library." 

"Oh, what's the first?" 

"The most cultivated Profound Art is actually mandatory for every clan member. It's called the Rootless Revolution." 

"Quite an ingenious name." Yu Long raised his brow.

Su Meiling smiled weakly and explained, "The Grandwake Clan obtained three profound arts(two which were Three Earthly Methods and Rootless Revolution, and one that's offensive profound art), two defensive artifacts, and one heavenly herb from a mysterious expert." 

"Our ancestors didn't say much about the mysterious expert as he simply came and disappeared from the Azure Cloud Continent like a ghost, but these gifts were definitely the foundation of the Grandwake Clan." 

Yu Long frowned, "Is there a possibility the mysterious expert is from outside?" 

"There is. We all thought the same but couldn't do anything about it. With our clan's strength, we couldn't search for the mysterious expert on the vast ocean, no?" Su Meiling reminisced about her banters with her late husband. They have this same conversation.

"That's true... Do you have a copy of these Profound Arts?" Yu Long couldn't help but rub his eyes in expectation. 

"I do, but what do you want to do with them?" Su Meiling answered with a nod. As the current clan leader, she always brought backup resources in case the Grandwake Clan got destroyed or experienced great danger.

Yu Long smiled, "I'm going to take a look and modify them to suit your overall physical conditions." 

"..." Su Meiling felt like she was facing a deity or something. 

...

Yu Long whistled his way through to the dining room. It's time for lunch, but he couldn't find wives and maids anywhere.

"Where are they?" 

"They are roaming around the Azure Cloud Continent." Said Ye Zhi, who leaned against the door. 

Yu Long turned around, "Eh, and they didn't tell me beforehand?" 

Ye Zhi gave Yu Long a 'Are you serious' look and returned, "Lord Shadow, you also didn't tell them you wanted to visit the Cloud's End Cliff."

"Ah." Yu Long scratched his cheek. "I have no defense on that matter." 

"It's better to be cautious so I don't bring them along." 

"Understandable." As a woman herself, Ye Zhi knew the reason behind Shadow Brides' annoyance, but she also understood the intention behind Yu Long's action. He's just being rational.

She was curious about something, though. 

"Lord Shadow, Do you find something in the Cloud's End Cliff?" 

"It was an abyss." Yu Long replied while taking a seat. "I encountered and tamed several Primordial Devil Beasts."

"I also confirmed the death of our Shadow Agents. Some of the tamed Primordial Devil Beasts told me they perished under the claws of aggressive Devil-Winged Typhoon Tiger." 

"Well, the situation there is special. One couldn't fly, and the darkness energy slowly corrupted one's being." 

"Thankfully, the shadow agents cultivated [Art of Reaper] and [Art of Lesser Ghost], so they fought until their last breaths." 

"D-Did you kill the beast?" Ye Zhi clenched her hand tightly. 

Yu Long didn't say anything and threw something to the ground, staining the carpet with filthy black blood. It was a freshly decapitated tiger's head, which is five times bigger than a normal tiger. 

There is also a dense devil aura from it. 

Ye Zhi's eyes radiated with coldness as she suddenly moved. She pulled a blade from the hidden sheath on her tights and began slashing the tiger's head continuously.

"Die, die, die!" 

"H-How dare you take my comrades' lives!"

Yu Long watched this silently, allowing Ye Zhi to vent her emotions. 

Then, he noticed something inside Ye Zhi as if the hate overflowed in her profound veins and triggered a miraculous change similar to chemical reactions.

It's just like Su Meiling!

'Wait... Now that I think about it, Hong Guan experienced a similar thing when we wiped the Heavenly Spear Thunderfire Fortress.' Yu Long was close to the truth. However, he couldn't get his hand into it directly.

As Yu Long deeply thought about something, Ye Zhi's blade was 'finely' covered by a thin layer of thunder and wind. 

Both elements came from her profound aspects, and she finally cut through the tiger's head.

Just a reminder, the Devil-Winged Devil Tiger is around the peak of the Divine Origin Realm. And Ye Zhi, as a mortal profound practitioner, could damage its flesh and bones, showing her might. 

"Cool your head." Yu Long threw a towel at Ye Zhi. 

"I have another mission for you." 

Ye Zhi wiped devil blood from her face, "What is it?" 

"Destroy the Seven Stars Divine Place as the opening for our Shadow Realm in the Azure Cloud Continent." 

"This..." Ye Zhi's cold eyes lit up.

"Yup, the very mission you wanted." Yu long grinned at her. 

Ye Zhi bowed, "Thank you, Lord Shadow!" 

Yu Long waved his hand and continued, "It was part of a deal. I will give you fifteen hours as I don't have much time left here." 

"What's the matter?" Ye Zhi couldn't help but question. With Yu Long's power, he shouldn't be tight on time. 

Yu Long tapped the dining table and replied, "Well, something big will happen in the Heavenly Sword Villa. I left Hong Guan and Lily there, but the incoming enemy is too much." 

"Even for them?" Ye Zhi was shocked. She might hate Chu Yueli for taking her spot as the Shadow Bride, but she knew 'normal' women couldn't have those positions. 

Hong Guan and Lily are the most prominent shadow agents. They are the founders, and their legends resound in the Shadow Realm. 

Yet they couldn't handle this incoming enemy?

"They won't lose, but won't win either." Yu Long laughed mysteriously. 

Dullahan, the Death Knight, is not your average Kaiju.

However, it can be applied to Hong Guan and Lily as well. They aren't your average women. 

They followed Yu Long the longest than anyone in this world and possessed power that many hasn't witnessed.

On top of that, Hong Guan and Lily are his soon-to-be wives!