Chapter 294 293: Earth Gate?

After listening to Jiao Zhiming's account, Tang Yi finally learned that this faction called the Heaven-Devouring Sect was actually a hidden influence from the Northern Domain!

Someone with Jiao Zhiming's strength was merely an ordinary disciple in this faction!

A Battle King Level warrior could only be an ordinary disciple. This showed just how powerful the faction was!

'The Core Disciples, the Elders, and even the Sect Leader… just how powerful must they be?'

Their overall strength was more than twice that of the West Mansion.

However, that wasn't the most shocking part. The most shocking thing was that this faction in the Northern Domain, the Heaven-Devouring Sect, was actually just a branch of a larger power!

A faction even more powerful than the West Mansion was merely a branch? This shocked Tang Yi beyond belief.

According to Jiao Zhiming, the Heaven-Devouring Sect belonged to a power called the 'Earth Gate'. This power was immense, with many branches under its command. Each branch could act as an overlord in its own right, and each one was on par with the West Mansion!

For example, the Heaven-Devouring Thieves Tang Yi had encountered before were one of this power's branches, called the Heaven-Stealing Sect!

Another example was the Wolf Heaven Mercenary Corps Tang Yi had run into!

They were also another branch of this great power, called the Heaven-Raiding Sect!

These two factions, plus the current Heaven-Devouring Sect… all three could deploy countless experts at a moment's notice. And factions like these were just branches of the Earth Gate? It was simply astounding!

Tang Yi never would have imagined that the three factions he had conflicts with all came from the same power—the Earth Gate—and were all branches under its command! It was truly staggering!

Tang Yi couldn't help but sigh. 'It seems I'm just destined to clash with this Earth Gate. Otherwise, how could I keep running into their people so easily?'

'Still, this Earth Gate is unbelievably resourceful!'

They had cultivated a powerful faction like the Wolf Heaven Mercenary Corps right under the West Mansion's nose!

And there was a Heaven-Devouring Sect in the Northern Domain!

'Perhaps the Southern and Eastern Domains have branches of the Earth Gate as well!'

'No wonder they often sent the Heaven-Devouring Thieves to attack the major powers of the Four Great Domains. So it was to weaken the local influences of the Four Great Domains and cultivate their own power!'

If Tang Yi hadn't captured this cowardly Jiao Zhiming, he never would have known about the existence of this 'Earth Gate,' let alone that the Wolf Heaven Mercenary Corps and the Heaven-Devouring Thieves were its branches!

Logically speaking, the Earth Gate seemed far more powerful than the West Mansion, and much stronger than the native influences of the Four Great Domains. They should have been able to easily defeat the local powers and take over the Four Great Domains. Yet, they hid in the shadows, developing slowly, and didn't clash head-on with the local powers. It was truly strange.

And according to Jiao Zhiming, the Earth Gate had coveted the Four Great Domains for a long time. The reason they hadn't clashed with the local powers and operated so cautiously within the Four Great Domains was apparently because they feared another power of comparable strength. This power was protecting the order of the Four Great Domains, which was why the Earth Gate didn't dare to act rashly.

In other words, the Earth Gate was afraid of being discovered by this mysterious power, which was why its branch factions operated secretively under false identities within the Four Great Domains.

Jiao Zhiming also said that their mission to the West Mansion this time was to obtain a treasure. This treasure was called the 'Saint Spirit Blood.' It was a blood-like liquid. Jiao Zhiming didn't know its specific effectiveness, only that it was extremely precious and that the higher-ups of the Heaven-Devouring Sect placed great importance on it.

This treasure was buried in an altar within the West Mansion's Little Extreme Sacred Land. The Heaven-Devouring Sect had dispatched a total of twenty-three disciples, including Jiao Zhiming, who disguised themselves as West Mansion examinees to infiltrate the Little Extreme Sacred Land and seize the treasure.

All twenty-three disciples possessed the strength of a Battle King. Their leader, in particular, was a Seven-Star Battle King—incredibly powerful!

Furthermore, a certain Hall Master from the West Mansion's Qian Palace was actually a mole for the Heaven-Devouring Sect, responsible for coordinating with their group for this mission!

After hearing Jiao Zhiming's account, Tang Yi finally realized that the seemingly peaceful Four Great Domains were actually in such turmoil, hiding so many factions with ulterior motives!

If not for Jiao Zhiming's explanation, Tang Yi would never have known that the West Mansion had also been infiltrated by such a power, and that they had even reached the upper echelons of the Outer Mansion!

After lowering his head in thought for a moment, Tang Yi turned to look at Jiao Zhiming.

When Jiao Zhiming saw Tang Yi look at him, he was initially overjoyed, thinking Tang Yi would let him go after hearing his confession.

But unexpectedly, the look in Tang Yi's eyes as he turned was dark and gloomy. No matter how you looked at it, that expression did not bode well!

"W-what are you trying to do? You said that if I answered honestly, you would let me go!" Jiao Zhiming shrank back, scrambling backward as he looked at Tang Yi in fear.

"Did I? I only told you to answer my questions honestly, but… I don't recall saying I'd let you go after you answered, did I?" Tang Yi said with a cold smile.

"You… You're going back on your word!" Jiao Zhiming cursed, pointing at Tang Yi.

"Heh, promises are for good people. For someone like you… Heh."

Tang Yi sneered as he advanced on Jiao Zhiming. He slowly clenched his right hand into a fist. A single light strike would surely kill Jiao Zhiming on the spot.

Jiao Zhiming was terrified out of his mind. He backed away, screaming at Tang Yi, "Don't! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! There's something else I haven't told you! I still have something to say! If you spare me, I'll tell you what it is!"

Hearing this, Tang Yi slowed his steps and stopped, feigning surprise. "Oh? So you were still holding back. It seems my decision was correct. Someone like you deserves to die!"

"No, I wasn't holding back! It's… you just didn't ask me, so I didn't tell you! And it has nothing to do with the Sect or this mission, but I think it has something to do with you! So… please, I'm begging you, spare my life!" Jiao Zhiming knelt on the ground and pleaded.

"Tell me first. I'll see what it is. If this information is valuable to me, then I'll consider sparing your life. But… if it's worthless to me… Heh. You know, sometimes there are things more terrifying than death," Tang Yi threatened.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Tang Yi's threat, Jiao Zhiming shook his head and refused. "No, I can't say. If I tell you, you'll just kill me. You have to promise me first that you'll let me go after I tell you. Otherwise, I won't say a word!"

Having learned his lesson from before, Jiao Zhiming had gotten smarter. He knew that Tang Yi would kill him to silence him after getting the information he wanted, so this time, he refused to speak first.

"Hm?"

Tang Yi's eyes widened as he snapped, "You're fucking bargaining with me? Believe it or not, I could kill you right now! Say it or don't! There are over twenty people from your Heaven-Devouring Sect who entered the Little Extreme Sacred Land. If you don't talk, I'll just kill you and go ask them instead, won't I?"

"No, they don't know! Only two people know about this. One is me, and the other was the one you just killed!"

Jiao Zhiming said immediately. He still wanted to struggle and negotiate with Tang Yi, but all he received in return was a vicious glare.

Seeing that look, Jiao Zhiming immediately conceded. "Alright, I'll talk! I'll talk! But if what I say is useful to you, you have to let me go!"

"Speak!" Tang Yi said.

"You're an examinee from the North District, right? I wonder if you know those few very beautiful girls from your North District. Right now, they…