After the Buddha of the Buddhist Domain redeemed the undead of Spirit City and dispersed the resentment lingering in the air, Ye Zichen and company didn’t linger.
However, even after they left, the reappearance of the Lich Yao King left the great emperors solemn and grave.
Especially Empress Su Qingyan and Great Emperor Bi’an.
The Empress’ little brother had long-since died, yet the Lich Yao King had repurposed his corpse; this was downright blasphemous, and it completely crossed the Empress’ bottom line.
Bi’an, meanwhile, had just lost a brother-in-arms of ten thousand years, never to meet again. Worse, Zhao Jie’s soul had been stripped from his body in the process.
Now, both of them bore a grudge against the Lich Yao King, a grudge like an endless abyss of blood. After leaving Spirit City, they returned to their respective factions. They both swore that they’d pursue the Lich Yao King to the ends of the earth if need be.
Chao Feng and Ye Rong, the Lord of the Big Dipper, returned to the Star Altar; they hadn’t been back since the incident with the Bai Family began. The Society of Saints couldn’t go without its leader forever, so when the Fox Empress and Great Emperor Bi’an left, they decided to go back home too.
There was still work to be done in Spirit City, but the Great Emperors had long since created a chat group to discuss it in. They could just work out the details in-app.
“Great Emperor Bi’an and Empress Su Qingyan sure are furious.”
“I really didn’t come to your Third Era in vain. I’ve encountered all sorts of grand spectacles I could only see in ancient tomes back home.”
“Does the Yao Lich King count as one?”
“Sure, I suppose!”
Ye Zichen and Pu Jingwan naturally made their way back to Heavenly God City. This was the conversation they had en route.
Whap! Whap!
They both simultaneously felt someone smack the backs of their heads. When they turned around, they saw Xuan Ji frowning at them. “Who taught you to gossip about people behind their backs?”
Both of them smiled sheepishly, but kept silent. Xuan Ji continued, her tone just and upright, “We’ll arrive back in Heavenly God City soon.”
Ye Zichen and Pu Jingwan understood what she was trying to communicate. Of late, they’d spent practically all their time in the Northern Divine Mountain’s Sea of Innocence, or alternatively, in the Yao Realm’s Northern Kingdom. Although their subordinates had returned to the Central Divine Mountain ahead of them, they, the ones most worthy of God Emperor Zhou Wu’s attention, had yet to make an appearance since their falling out.
This trip to Heavenly God City was to be their first real clash with the God Emperor.
“It’s most important that you be careful; entering Heavenly God City means that Zhou Wu and his subordinates will be keeping tabs on you day and night. Although the Xue Family and Xue Tie have obscured the truth, Zhou Wu is no ordinary man; no one knows what he’s really thinking. We don’t know what the Divine Arbiter told him in her reports, either. You’d best proceed with the utmost caution,” said Xuan Ji to Ye Zichen.
Ye Zichen nodded. He looked at the city. They were getting closer and closer. Then, he took a deep breath and shot on ahead.
`
Inside the city.
Heavenly God CIty was vibrant and flourishing, as always. It looked no different from when they’d left.
However, as soon as they stepped into the city, they felt several auras sleep over them. Ye Zichen and Xuan Ji glanced at each other, then nodded lightly.
“I’m going back to the Profound Pavilion.” Xuan Ji patted her pocket.
Ye Zichen smiled, nodded, then watched her leave. “Let’s go back to the Upheaval Alliance.”
When they arrived back at their base, the situation there startled Ye Zichen, and rather severely at that.
Xiao Yumei rushed over as soon as Ye Zichen arrived. Ye Zichen couldn’t help but ask, “These people…”
Ding! Ding!
A notification popped up on Ye Zichen’s phone. At the same time, Xiao Yumei shot him a pointed look.
He nodded and took out his phone, then saw the message she’d sent. “This is no place to chat. Let’s enter the pocket dimension, then talk.”
Ye Zichen and Pu Jingwan followed Xiao Yumei into the base. They traversed countless cobblestone paths and saw a crowd stopped in front of an ornamental mountain.
Xiao Yumei pressed her palm against the mountain, and a door of light opened within it. She glanced at Ye Zichen, then went on ahead. Ye Zichen took a few looks around, then followed her inside.
“Alliance head!” Inside the light gate was a veritable paradise. As soon as Ye Zichen stepped inside, he saw Xiao Hu, Xiao Yan, Wei Jie, and the other high-ranking members of the alliance.
Xiao Yumei nodded at them, then smiled and explained, “This pocket dimension is a divine artifact the Outsiders gave us. Not even Zhou Wu can infiltrate it with his divine sense. The upper echelons of the Upheaval Alliance discuss the alliance’s affairs, both big and small, inside.”
“Not bad.” Ye Zichen nodded. The pocket dimension was rather large. It wasn’t endless, but it was at least big enough to house a million people.
“But that’s not all; time moves differently inside the pocket dimension,” said Xiao Yumei. “For every day that passes on the outside, a hundred days pass inside. That way, we can use it to train up our recruits a hundred times faster than we could otherwise. This will rapidly increase our qualitative strength.”
“To think the Outside has treasures like this!” Ye Zichen couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
He’d asked for a treasure like this back when discussing his conditions with Han Yan, but he’d never actually expected them to have one; he’d only suggested it casually. And yet, they’d really sent one over!
“The people outside….”
“The Outsiders showed up a few days ago with a shipment of armaments. They left some of their people behind to shore up our forces, too,” said Xiao Yumei. “Also, quite a few of the Divine Mountains sent us manpower. Some of these people showed up on their own due to our reputation, too.”
“Because of our reputation?”
“The Upheaval Alliance’s rise to power has been rapid indeed, and we’re in contact with several Divine Mountains. We’re a brand new faction, but people think highly of us already. It’s only natural that people would seek to join our ranks, but…”
“But those who’ve chosen to seek refuge with us might very well be agents and informants of other factions, like the God Emperor and Lightning Emperors’ estates?” said Ye Zichen.
“Exactly.” Xiao Yumei nodded. “I’ve arranged for our people to investigate the backgrounds of everyone who joins due to our reputation. However, if our enemies want to infiltrate us, they’ll naturally prepare thoroughly. It’ll be difficult to tell who’s truly loyal and who isn’t on short notice. But we can’t just kick them all out either, because the new recruits’ ranks undoubtedly include people sincere about joining our ranks!”
“What’s so hard about it? If they want to send people for us to use, let them.” Ye Zichen, in stark contrast, understood that when you created a faction, it was inevitable that other factions would send in informants. There was almost no way around it.
He’d even sent someone into the Lightning Emperor’s Estate himself. Why not let Xiao Ting send someone back, too?
“Right, how was it over in Spirit City?” asked Xiao Yumei.
“Don’t even bring it up. All the great emperors are upset about it,” said Pu Jingwan. “I wanted you to come with me, but you refused. Had you gone, you would have gasped at the sheer spectacle of it all; that Fox Empress is way too fierce. Then there was that expert of the Buddhist Domain. That sea of souls was quite something!”
“Would it kill you to say just a little less?” Ye Zichen rolled his eyes irritably at Pu Jingwan, then furrowed his brows. “Anything going on with our neighbors?”
