Chapter 394 - 210: Cold Marrow Secured, Mission Accomplished

Chapter 394: Chapter 210: Cold Marrow Secured, Mission Accomplished

With the successive fall of Luoyun Manor’s three Profound Mastery experts, its many elders and disciples were either dead or had fled.

This majestic manor, which had dominated Ning’an for two hundred years, had finally lost its last ounce of strength to resist.

What unfolded before everyone was a one-sided, overwhelming slaughter and purge.

Among the surviving disciples of Luoyun Manor, some threw down their weapons and begged for mercy, some wailed that they were willing to become slaves, and others tried to trade treasured possessions for their lives.

However, the faces of the government soldiers were as cold as iron, and their blades showed no hesitation, for Governor Chen’s earlier command had been perfectly clear.

Kill them all, be they old, weak, women, or children.

At this moment, no one dared to defy their superior’s will, and no one dared to show the slightest mercy.

A military command is absolute, especially when dealing with a treasonous clan.

The bloody purge continued unabated.

...

In mid-air, Chen Sheng withdrew his gaze from the battlefield below. He turned to Lu Qingsong, Bai Qing, and Wangqingshan beside him, a sincere smile gracing his face.

"Brother, Sect Leader Bai, Clan Leader Wang, for this... my deepest thanks."

Chen Sheng spoke these words with utmost sincerity.

In today’s battle, although the experts from the Three Sects hadn’t truly entered the fray, their stance at the critical moment had played a decisive role.

If they hadn’t switched sides at the critical moment to stand with the Government Office.

This battle would have been impossible to fight, not under the combined pressure from over ten Profound Mastery experts from Ning’an’s six major powers.

Lu Qingsong stroked his beard and laughed, his voice booming.

"Governor Chen, you are too kind. We made an agreement back then. How could we be the sort of people to go back on our word?"

His words were well-spoken, but they carried a hidden edge.

He was both pointing out that the two sides had a prior pact and reminding Chen Sheng not to forget the promised division of spoils.

Chen Sheng naturally understood the subtext and nodded immediately.

"Rest assured, everyone. I have never been one to break my promises. As for the matter of the ’New Alliance’ we discussed... I wonder what your thoughts are on it now?"

Bai Qing’s beautiful eyes shifted as she was the first to state her position.

"Our Three Sects have now made bitter enemies of Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple. To guard against their future retaliation, it is indeed necessary for us to join forces for self-preservation. I believe Governor Chen’s proposal is most appropriate."

Then, she paused, turning her gaze to Lu Qingsong, her expression solemn.

"Sect Leader Lu’s cultivation is profound, and the Iron Sword Sect’s foundation is deep. He is more than qualified to be the Alliance Leader and command our three factions."

Wangqingshan also nodded in agreement.

"I think so as well."

Everyone’s gaze now fell upon Lu Qingsong’s face.

Lu Qingsong’s expression grew pensive, and he did not immediately agree.

When Chen Sheng had first proposed it, he had indeed been excited, feeling it was a heaven-sent opportunity to strengthen the Iron Sword Sect.

But after calming down and thinking it over, he sensed the hidden dangers.

The position of Alliance Leader was certainly prestigious, but once he took it, the Iron Sword Sect would become a thorn in the side of Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple.

Risk and opportunity had always coexisted.

Seeing this, Chen Sheng chuckled lightly, his tone unhurried.

"Brother, you need not worry so much. It is only Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple. As long as the Three Sects and the Government Office are of one mind, no matter what they scheme, they are nothing but clay pigeons in the face of absolute power."

Then, Chen Sheng changed his tune. His voice lowered, but it carried an even greater allure.

"Furthermore... when the time is right, we can wipe out those two factions. And then, wouldn’t the entire Ning’an Martial World look to the Iron Sword Sect, the Danxia Sect, and the Wang Clan for leadership?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Qingsong, Bai Qing, and Wangqingshan all felt their hearts tremble violently.

Although they had long suspected this, hearing Chen Sheng state his intentions so nakedly still sent a jolt of shock through them.

Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple... they were the overlords who had dominated Ning’an for over a century.

Their foundations were unfathomably deep, and their number of Profound Mastery experts far exceeded the total of their three factions combined!

Waging war on them would be no different from unleashing a bloody storm that would engulf the entire prefecture!

A sudden silence fell over the group, broken only by the faint sounds of fighting and crying carried on the wind from the distance.

The three of them remained silent, each rapidly weighing the immense benefits against the equally immense risks.

Chen Sheng took in their reactions but was not anxious. Instead, he gave a carefree smile.

"Of course, this is a matter for the future, not an urgent priority. You need not decide right away." ℯ

From the moment these three factions had openly sided with the Government Office today, they had completely burned their bridges with Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple.

Their interests were now bound together; the general tide of events was flowing in the same direction.

Even if they hesitated now, when they faced the inevitable counterattacks and suppression from those two powers in the future, they would only align themselves more closely with the Government Office.

This was an open conspiracy.

From the moment they had agreed to move against Luoyun Manor, they had entered the game. There was no turning back.

"Governor Chen speaks reason."

Lu Qingsong pondered for a long time before finally breaking into a smile. However, deep within that smile lay a gravity that could not be entirely concealed.

.....

「Luoyun Manor, Grand Conference Hall.」

Chen Sheng sat upright in the seat of honor that had once belonged to Lu Canghai. On the zitan wood table before him, two objects lay quietly.

The first was a Purification Bottle carved from suet-white jade. It was no bigger than his palm and was warm to the touch, yet it faintly emanated a bone-chilling cold.

The mouth of the bottle was sealed with a Spirit Talisman. Through its translucent body, one could see twelve crystal-clear droplets of liquid shimmering with a faint blue light. This was the Cold Marrow.

It was also one of Chen Sheng’s most important objectives in this battle.

If he could refine all twelve drops of Cold Marrow, he estimated it would be enough to raise his cultivation to the peak of the Primordial Sea Realm.

The second item was a cage crafted from some kind of transparent crystal.

Inside the cage crouched a toad, its body like carved suet-white jade, only the size of a fist.