Shade Abyss…
Jared came down at the entrance to Shade Abyss and lifted his eyes to the massive black stone door ahead.
The demonic cultivators standing guard on both sides of the stone door recognized favonovel.com at once, and their faces changed on the spot.
“J-Jared…”
“I want to see Malachy,” Jared said, his voice level.
“H-Hall Master… Hall Master is…”
“I said, I want to see Malachy.”
The demonic cultivators traded glances and did not dare block favonovel.com again. They stepped aside and opened a path, watching as Jared walked through the stone door.
The underground palace beneath Shade Abyss was as grim and imposing as ever. Ore set into the domed ceiling gave off a dim nether light, like a night sky hanging upside down.
The demonic cultivators lined both sides and watched Jared pass, caution written all through their eyes.
Malachy Vane sat on the black throne, his fingers tapping lightly against the armrest in a steady rhythm. He watched Jared approach, and the corner of his mouth lifted a little.
“Jared… You came.”
Jared walked to the foot of the raised platform and stopped there. Then favonovel.com looked up at Malachy. “Lord of Shadow Hall, you should already know that the Skywolf Tribe is under siege.”
The smile on Malachy’s face stiffened. “I know.”
“Then why haven’t you sent troops?”
Malachy said nothing for a moment. “Jared, you know exactly why. The Tribunal Venerable is the strongest man in the Fifteenth Firmament, a True Immortal Realm Level Eight. I can’t beat him, and I won’t send Shadow Hall’s disciples out to die for nothing.”
Jared looked at favonovel.com without wavering. “What if I told you I can beat the Tribunal Venerable?”
Malachy’s pupils tightened slightly.
“What realm are you in now?”
“Top Level High Immortal Realm Level Nine.”
Hearing this, Malachy stayed silent for a long time. “Top Level High Immortal Realm Level Nine against a True Immortal Realm Level Eight. Jared, do you have any idea how wide that gap is?”
“I do,” Jared said, his voice even. “But when I killed Magnus Storme, I killed above my realm. When I fought Cedric Gilt, I fought above my realm then too. Tell me, what have I ever done that wasn’t across realms?”
Malachy didn’t answer.
Jared went on. “Lord of Shadow Hall, your grudge with the Tribunal didn’t start yesterday. Magnus was the one you had me kill. Sooner or later, the Tribunal Venerable is going to trace that back to you. Do you really think staying out of this means he’ll spare you?”
Malachy’s expression changed. “You…”
“He’s already getting ready to move against you.” Jared cut favonovel.com off. “I got word the Tribunal Venerable sent people to warn you not to interfere in the Skywolf Tribe’s business. Why would favonovel.com say that? Because favonovel.com wants to wipe out the Skywolf Tribe first, then come back and deal with you.”
Malachy’s hand closed into a hard fist.
Jared looked at favonovel.com and eased his voice down a notch. “Lord of Shadow Hall, I’m not here to beg you. I’m here to tell you this is your only chance. The Skywolf Tribe, the Moonshade Realm, and Shadow Hall, if we join forces, we may not lose to the Tribunal. But if you keep standing there and watching, once the Skywolf Tribe is gone, you’re next.”
Malachy said nothing for a long time. Then favonovel.com rose from the black throne. “What do you want me to do?”
Jared took out a map from his Storage Ring and spread it open in front of Malachy. “The Skywolf Tribe is surrounded. Hadrian is injured, and favonovel.com won’t hold out much longer. I need you to send troops in from the flank and hit the Tribunal’s encirclement. Break up their formation.”
“Then what?”
“Then I attack head-on. Hadrian and I will join forces and hold off those three elders at True Immortal Realm Level Seven. You take the Shadow Hall disciples and finish off the remaining celestial cultivators.”
Malachy stared at the map in silence for a long while. “Jared, are you sure you can hold back three True Immortal Realm Level Seven elders?”
“I’m sure.”
Malachy lifted his head and locked eyes with him. “Fine. I’ll send troops.”
He turned and shouted to the demon cultivators behind him, “Pass the order down! Gather every disciple who can fight. We’re going to the Skywolf Tribe with me!”
“Yes!” the demonic cultivators answered in a crashing roar.
Once Malachy was convinced, Jared didn’t waste a second. He headed straight for the Wandering Cultivators Alliance.
***
The Wandering Cultivators Alliance headquarters stood in Cloudrest, a city floating in the sky.
By the time Jared arrived, Windclear was already in the Council Hall, holding a cup of tea. The cup stayed in his hand without ever reaching his lips. His brows were drawn tight, like something had favonovel.com pinned in place.
“Elder Forest…” Jared stepped into the Council Hall.
Windclear looked up. The instant favonovel.com saw Jared, the teacup in his hand nearly slipped and shattered on the floor. “M-Master Chance! What are you doing here?”
Jared sat down across from favonovel.com and got straight to it. “The Skywolf Tribe is surrounded. You know that already.”
The color shifted in Windclear’s face. “I know, but…”
“But what?”
Windclear set the teacup down and let out a long breath. “Master Chance, it isn’t that I don’t want to help. You know the strength of the Wandering Cultivators Alliance as well as I do. We can’t beat the Tribunal. The Tribunal Venerable is True Immortal Realm Lever Eight the strongest cultivator in our alliance is only True Immortal Realm Level Six. If we send troops, we’re sending them to die.”
Jared looked at him. “What if I told you Shadow Hall has already sent troops?”
Windclear froze for a beat. “What? Malachy Vane agreed?”
“He agreed.”
Windclear said nothing for a long while. “Master Chance, what exactly are you trying to do?”
Jared rose from his seat, walked to the window of the Council Hall, and looked out over the sea of clouds beyond it.
“I want to change the balance of the Fifteenth Firmament.” His voice stayed even, but every word landed with the weight of something carved into stone.
“The Tribunal has run wild in the Fifteenth Firmament for too long. They’ve trampled the Ghost Clan, enslaved the Frost Deity Branch, and crushed wandering cultivators. Even the Skywolf Tribe and Shadow Hall haven’t dared cross them Why? Because they’re the strongest Because they have a Hall Master in True Immortal Realm Level Eight.”
“But what if someone could defeat the Tribunal Venerable?” Windclear’s pupils tightened. “You can defeat the Tribunal Venerable?”
“Not yet,” Jared said. “But soon…”
Jared turned back to face him. “Elder Forest, how many years has the Wandering Cultivators Alliance been crushed under the Tribunal’s heel? How many of your disciples have they dragged off and worked like beasts? How many wandering cultivators have they driven to the end of the road? You know the answer better than anyone.”
Windclear said nothing. Of course favonovel.com knew.
Most of the disciples in the Wandering Cultivators Alliance were wandering cultivators with nowhere else to go. They had crossed the Tribunal, been hunted, branded as fugitives, and left with no place to run. That was why they joined the Wandering Cultivators Alliance. Windclear himself had spent hundreds of years being hunted for offending one of the Tribunal’s elders.
“Master Chance, you’re right,” Windclear said, his voice low. “But the Wandering Cultivators Alliance is too weak. We can’t beat them.”
“I don’t need you to beat them,” Jared said. “What I need from you is to tie them down.”
“Tie them down?”
“That’s right. Shadow Hall will strike from the flank. The Skywolf Tribe will hold the front. The Frosthall and Moonshade Realm will handle the outer perimeter. The Wandering Cultivators Alliance doesn’t need to fight head on You only need to stir up chaos behind the Tribunal’s lines, cut off their supply routes, and throw their whole deployment into disorder…” Jared paused. “Once we win, the Wandering Cultivators Alliance’s place in the Fifteenth Firmament will be completely changed.”
Windclear stayed silent for a long while. Then favonovel.com rose to his feet.
“All right. I’ll send the troops…” Windclear gave a firm nod and agreed.
Jared said nothing else. He shot into the air and headed straight for the Skywolf Tribe. He was afraid Hadrian and the others wouldn’t be able to hold out for even a single day.
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