"Your sources are quite well-informed," he noted. His expression wasn’t like when he had used Qin Yun’s matter to pressure Chu Lingyuan; instead, he appeared somewhat cold toward Wu Yue and the others.
"You trapped us all here with a wave of your hand. Naturally, we need to know what you are plotting in your secret meetings," Wu Yue said bluntly.
The Prison King didn’t argue the point. He simply paced behind Chu Lingyuan and said slowly, "News just came in not long ago. Lu Feng and the others have already arrived outside the Bronze Sect and are currently negotiating with Qing Cang."
"That fast?" Chu Lingyuan’s expression shifted slightly. "You started planning this the moment you woke up."
Calculating the timeline backward, Chu Lingyuan quickly figured it out, and his face grew even darker.
During this time, he hadn’t just been sitting around waiting to die; he had been constantly trying to find a way to leave this place as quickly as possible. However, the location they had chosen to hold the ritual was extremely hidden. They had traveled here by spaceship, and without using a Star Gate, it would take at least three to four months to reach the nearest transit hub. He had brought materials and engineering equipment to construct a miniature Star Gate, but the Prison King obviously wouldn’t just stand by and watch. Chu Lingyuan had already come up with a method but hadn’t implemented it yet. To think that they had already struck at his front door.
"I swore a poisonous oath in the Flame Space that I must grind Qin Yun’s bones to dust and scatter her ashes to quell the hatred in my heart." The Prison King’s voice turned icy. "You can only blame Qin Yun for not finishing the job cleanly. If she had killed me too, none of this would be happening today."
Chu Lingyuan remained expressionless. "Will you be satisfied just by grinding Qin Yun’s bones to dust?"
The Prison King was noncommittal but grew much more serious, stating solemnly, "On behalf of the Hanhai Emperor, I sincerely invite Brother Chu to join our Royal Court."
"Join you?" Chu Lingyuan’s cold eyes narrowed slightly.
"That’s right. I believe Copper Heart will make the same choice. I don’t know what Brother Chu thinks of us, but we absolutely didn’t go there with any thoughts of subversion or massacre," the Prison King said with utmost sincerity.
But Chu Lingyuan had already seen through their intentions. He sneered, "First, you use Qin Yun’s evil deeds to make the other Sects watch from the sidelines. Then, you prepare to breach the Bronze Sect with the force of a thunderbolt.
"You’ll force us to join you. By that time, even if my master returns, it will be hard for him to retaliate. He might even have to hold his nose and accept this reality. What a perfect calculation."
Hearing this, the expressions of Wu Yue and the others couldn’t help but turn subtle.
The reason they had stayed silent earlier was partly because Qin Yun was indeed disgusting. On the other hand, a clash between the Bronze Sect and the Royal Court meant that even if the Bronze Sect were overthrown in the end, the Royal Court would definitely suffer heavy losses as well. But if the Royal Court was planning on full integration, that changed everything.
The Prison King hurriedly said, "Please rest assured, Brother Chu. When Lu Feng and the others went there, we had already discussed this. We will avoid killing anyone if possible. Even if someone is injured by mistake, we will offer ten or a hundred times the compensation."
Chu Lingyuan fell silent for a long moment before replying coldly, "It seems you think you have us completely cornered. Don’t forget, you only have a little over two months left. Furthermore..."
At this thought, Chu Lingyuan suddenly realized something was wrong and looked up at Wu Yue and the rest. Since the Prison King was revealing his plans right now, wasn’t he afraid that these people might change their minds and rush to the rescue?
"You seem very confident that you can breach Copper Heart in a short amount of time," Chu Lingyuan pointed out meaningfully.
The Prison King chuckled. "Even if there’s a problem with the Flame Fire, we wouldn’t dare underestimate the core of the Bronze Sect. Therefore, when Lu Feng left, he took the Star River Throne with him."
"The Star River Throne?"
It wasn’t just Chu Lingyuan; the expressions of the other men all changed. Qi Heng asked in astonishment, "You even took out a thing like that? Aren’t you afraid something will happen in the royal capital?"
"Only by doing so can we show our determination regarding the Bronze Sect," the Prison King said, his expression turning even more sincere. He pointed at Wu Yue and the others. "Brother Chu, look at these people. You claim to stand together through thick and thin, yet now that the Bronze Sect faces the imminent danger of being overthrown, they all sit back and watch.
"They even intend to reap the benefits like a third party watching a fight. Do you really want to see them get their way?"
The faces of Wu Yue and his group instantly turned ugly. Earlier, the Royal Court had wanted to use their influence to pressure Chu Lingyuan, but now they were turning around and accusing them of standing idly by.
Chu Lingyuan furrowed his brows tightly. If Copper Heart were breached, then both Moonlight and the Spirit of Sun would fall into the Royal Court’s control. Even if Qing Cang would rather die than submit, the others might not have the same unyielding courage. This was especially true for those with families and dependents, coupled with the benefits promised by the Royal Court...
"It seems Brother Chu is still unwilling to accept this," the Prison King suddenly added. A few words were certainly not enough to make Chu Lingyuan join the Royal Court immediately. He simply offered, "How about this? If the vast majority of the Bronze Sect is willing to merge into the Royal Court, then Brother Chu shouldn’t go against everyone’s wishes. Does that sound fair?"
No matter the circumstances, everything had to be results-oriented. All he needed to do was whittle down Chu Lingyuan’s internal resistance.
"Otherwise..." he continued with feigned helplessness, "I will just have to hold my nose and make Qin Yun the head of the Bronze Sect."
Out of Qing Cang, Chu Lingyuan, and Qin Yun—the three disciples of the Ancient King—having any one of them join the Royal Court would make things easier. If neither Qing Cang nor Chu Lingyuan was willing, he would be forced to resort to his final option: Qin Yun. He believed Qin Yun would definitely agree, but that would mean he had to watch her live.
"Qin Yun?" Chu Lingyuan’s eyes twitched. "You even colluded with Qin Yun?!"
"Zhen Yu, Qin Yun must die!" Wu Yue stood up furiously.
"Of course she will die, but when she dies will be strictly decided by my Royal Court," the Prison King said indifferently. He then looked back at Chu Lingyuan. "Brother Chu, think it over carefully."
The Prison King returned to the head seat, and the atmosphere grew somewhat silent. Li Qingyi and the others furrowed their brows, all weighing the impact of the Bronze Sect joining the Royal Court.
Right at that moment, a rapid KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK shattered the silence.
"Come in," the Prison King said lightly.
The newcomer appeared to be a communications soldier. Originally wearing an urgent expression, he burst in and said, "Your Excellency, over at the Bronze Sect..."
Before he could finish, he caught sight of the others sitting in the meeting room. His voice instantly trailed off, and he lowered his head.
"There’s a result from the Bronze Sect already? That was fast..." The Prison King’s eyes flickered slightly; Lu Feng had moved very quickly. He said casually, "Speak. There are no outsiders here."
Pairs of eyes converged on the communications soldier. Everyone present was a Morning Star Venerable. Cold sweat poured down the soldier’s forehead, yet he gritted his teeth and didn’t dare to speak.
The Prison King frowned, faintly realizing that something was amiss. Before he could speak, Li Qingyi’s soft voice drifted over. "Speak."
The voice seemed to possess magical properties. The moment it poured into the communications soldier’s ears, his expression turned dazed, and he spoke blankly.
"The latest news: the Bronze Sect’s Flame Fire has reignited. The Profound Turtle King, in order to protect His Highness Han Xiao and the others while they retreated, perished on the Star River Throne."
"What?!"
The Prison King’s expression changed drastically. He shot to his feet, the sound of rattling chains echoing from within his body.
The Flame Fire reignited? The Profound Turtle King has perished?
Chu Lingyuan’s heart skipped a beat, and a sense of disbelief swelled within him. This...
Noticing the pairs of eyes turning toward him, he forced himself to stay calm. He slowly exhaled, making it seem as though everything was under control.
Seeing his calm demeanor, Wu Yue snorted coldly in his heart. He suspected that the Flame Fire had recovered long ago, but the Bronze Sect had deliberately kept it a secret to spring a massive trap.
Li Qingyi’s eyes flickered slightly. "What are the exact details?" she asked softly.
The communications soldier spoke blankly, as if under mind control. "The Rebellious God King utilized the Star River Throne, forcing Qing Cang to use the measures left behind by the Bronze Ancient King in response. They originally held the advantage.
"However, at the critical moment, the Bronze Sect’s Star Seed emerged from the Flame Fire and seemingly resolved the crisis. The Flame Fire has resumed supplying power."
Su Chen?
Hearing this name, everyone’s expressions changed slightly for a moment.
Wu Yue’s expression was grim and cold. This youngest Star Head had already completely stolen the show at the Peak Star Conference.
"What a piece of trash. You spoke as if victory was in your grasp, yet this is the outcome," he mocked unceremoniously, both as a counterattack to the Prison King’s earlier attitude and out of hatred for his incompetence.
"What about Qin Yun?" Qi Heng suddenly asked. The Royal Court had also colluded with Qin Yun. Did she not play any role at all?
"At the critical moment, Qin Yun intended to make a move against Su Chen, but she was blocked by him. She was then jointly suppressed by the Chairmen of the Bronze Sect and subsequently slain by Qing Cang."
The communications soldier spoke without any emotional fluctuation, but to the ears of the men present, his words were no less than a clap of explosive thunder.