The No.1 Undercover in the Immortal World-Chapter 816 - 322: The Struggle for Leadership and the Unsealing of Individuals
The conflict between the Central Plains and the Grassland had originally settled down due to marriage alliances, as well as both sides having to face the threat from the Demon Land after the Four Spirits Barrier made contact, forcing them to form a united front.
Moreover, given Lin Yun’s involvement, they should not be fighting amongst themselves at such a critical moment.
But in truth, they were also discussing a very serious issue, which was the selection of the supreme commander to lead the fight against the Demon Race.
Had it been a mere leading position in the war, given their status, they wouldn’t have cared too much.
Both sides had already reached a consensus on cooperation, so there was no point in squabbling over such a trivial matter. After all, with everyone’s strength, the so-called supreme commander was nothing more than a figurehead.
But when the candidates for the election stood up, Snow Maiden took one look and thought, good lord, they’re all Lin Yun’s women!
Representing Great Qin of the Central Plains was Lin Yu, but at this time Dongfang Hongyue was in secluded cultivation, still assimilating the Divine Position of the Moon God and did not participate, thereby defaulting herself out of the race.
Fang Yu and Jiang Chenyu admitted they were no match for Lin Yu and thus lost interest in competing.
As for the Demon Tribe, they only sent one representative, Flower Fairy.
After Yuan Zihe returned, Yuan Zidan was allowed to go back. Fighting the Demon Race was everyone’s responsibility, and the Yuan Family, being descendants of one of the Four Kings, still maintained their honor. Considering the current emergency and the need to unite all possible forces, Yuan Zidan was competent and letting him go would be beneficial.
However, Yuan Zidan was not eligible to compete.
Thus, the main competitors came down to Lin Yu, Snow Maiden, Flower Fairy, and Qian Qian.
Qian Qian suggested that she should lead as she was powerful and experienced.
But her intentions were no secret to anyone.
If Qian Qian became the leader in this fight against the Demon Race, wouldn’t she also take the lead in Lin Yun’s harem afterward? The others had the same idea, naturally they wouldn’t let Qian Qian succeed.
Thus, everyone opposed unanimously, citing Qian Qian’s lack of popular support.
Qian Qian was so infuriated she nearly went berserk, especially due to Snow Maiden’s betrayal.
Weren’t we supposed to be eternal sisters?
Yet, you turned around and cast a dissenting vote?
So, when Snow Maiden wanted to lead, she also voted against her, reasoning that Snow Maiden’s wisdom was insufficient.
Flower Fairy’s power was deemed insufficient.
Strength, wisdom, popular support - the only one who met all three criteria was Lin Yu.
Initially, Snow Maiden didn’t realize Lin Yu had become so strong. After their encounter, she wanted to fight her, and the result was a draw.
This rate of improvement was terrifying.
Even though Lin Yu met all the requirements, Qian Qian and Snow Maiden still weren’t convinced.
Thus, the allied forces became deadlocked.
If Lin Yun knew that they were still bickering out of jealousy at such a time, she probably would be speechless.
I’ve already dealt with the Demon Race, and you’re still fighting internally?
"Since none of you are convinced by each other, how about none of you become the leader and let Lin Yun be the leader instead?"
Jiang Chenyu, who was watching, proposed a suggestion.
The tense trio suddenly saw light at the end of the tunnel.
Indeed, this was a good solution!
Even though Lin Yun’s popularity was not as profound, he was somewhat understood by everyone, both on the Grassland and in the Central Plains.
Now, letting Lin Yun command the allied forces could both help establish his prestige and stop others from harboring ulterior motives.
"I think it’s possible, but where has Lin Yun gone? When can he come back?"
Lin Yu was still worried that Lin Yun would bring back another new sister this time, which had become an old routine she was now used to.
Qian Qian pondered for a while, thinking that everyone here was devoted to Lin Yun, and there was nothing to hide. If there really was an insider traitor, it wouldn’t escape her monitoring.
After all, these people were not Zhen Li, and none could give her a sense of crisis.
"Lin Yun went to the Demon Land, hoping to temporarily slow down the Demon Race’s advance and gather intelligence on them. I reckon we should receive some news from him soon."
When these words were spoken, everyone in the room tensed. No one here knew exactly what the Demon Land was like, but the ferocity of the Demon Race had already begun to show just the tip of the iceberg.
Even Qian Qian, a Divine Spirit, was so wary of the Demon Race. For Lin Yun, a mortal, to venture deep into the Demon Land was truly risky.
One had to admit, albeit Lin Yun sometimes acted out of line, he never disappointed when it came to major crises.
"In that case, let’s put our disputes aside for now and let Zhao Lingyu coordinate the war efforts. Her Cultivation Level isn’t high, which makes her well-suited for this role."
Lin Yu shared his thoughts, and Fang Yu agreed.
Despite feeling somewhat shown up by Zhao Lingyu’s marriage to Lin Yun, upon reflection, they realized it wasn’t such a bad thing for them.
Favor should not fall into the hands of outsiders. Zhao Lingyu’s empress position could be said to have been elevated by Fang Yu and Lin Yu themselves. If Zhao Lingyu were to choose another man, wouldn’t they just be making a wedding dress for someone else?
After all, the number of women around Lin Yun was already plenty; adding one more Zhao Lingyu wouldn’t hurt.
Lin Yu and Fang Yu convinced themselves in this way, finding more reason in it the more they thought about it.
And the matter up for discussion with the Snow Maiden and Qian Qian could be well-handled by Zhao Lingyu. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶
Her power was negligible; she was merely a mascot.
Among Lin Yun’s women, only she had the lowest Cultivation Level, and without deep ties to Lin Yun, posed the least threat. It was most fitting to have her as a mascot.
Qian Qian quickly grasped Lin Yu’s ploy and explained it to the Snow Maiden. The others more or less understood, and the matter was settled.
"What we need to do now is to focus on our cultivation, stay vigilant, and wait for Lin Yun or the Demon Race army to arrive."
Qian Qian gave the final summary. With no objections, they prepared to adjourn the meeting.
But suddenly, Qian Qian felt a chill on the back of her hand.
It was a drop of rainwater that had landed there.
This was somewhat strange.
Qian Qian initially thought it was just a sudden downpour. She had already erected a barrier, so how could the rain penetrate it and land on her hand?
Something was off about this rain.
With a thought, she began investigating the extent of the rain’s reach. This was the breadth.
Moreover, her Divine Sense extended upwards toward the depths of the dark clouds, delving into the depth.
Regardless of the issue with the rain, exploring in these two directions should yield some clues.
Qian Qian was of such a mindset to investigate and verify, but perhaps she need not have bothered.
Merely on one count, she could already tell something was amiss.
For a God, it was normal to cover three thousand miles in a single thought, but as her Divine Sense swept in all directions, the Four Spirits Barriers to the east, west, south, and north were still intact, and it was raining everywhere within this world.
Not only that, but the intensity of the rain was the same everywhere.
"This..."
"What’s wrong?"
Lin Yu was the first to notice Qian Qian’s anomaly. They were about to disperse, but Qian Qian suddenly stood still, seemingly casting a spell. They were initially going to leave and attend to their own matters, but now they stayed, curious to see what discovery Qian Qian had made.
Qian Qian didn’t respond to Lin Yu’s question. To investigate the scope of the heavy rain was simple, a thought away, but to explore upwards to the source of the rainwater, the resistance here was much greater, not something achievable in a moment.
Qian Qian felt herself ascending against the rain, quickly passing through the clouds, then through the chaotic layers of violent winds, and finally reaching the Outer Realm.
Wait, the Outer Realm?
Qian Qian was stunned on the spot; she no longer dared to continue her exploration. How could a rain originate from the Outer Realm?
She wanted to stop, only to find that she couldn’t. Her thoughts were out of control, continuously drifting upwards, getting closer and closer to the moon. As the distance closed, Qian Qian seemed to hear a faint weeping sound in her trance.
The voice was pitiful, like that of an abandoned woman.
At that moment, Qian Qian felt a chill run through her entire body.
She dared not feel sorry for the crying person, this scene was far too terrifying.
Who on earth is crying?
Can I still get back?
Qian Qian desperately wanted to escape, but couldn’t.
Just like that, she found herself descending upon the moon.
The sound of crying became very clear, yet Qian Qian couldn’t locate the source of the weeping.
Such a sight made Qian Qian, a godlike being, feel immense pressure.
Why did I curiously explore that?
Knowing there was a problem, why did I still investigate?
In any case, she now greatly regretted it.
Above the moon, there was nothing but silver-white mist, and Qian Qian always felt a great terror lurking within.
She dared not wander, only managing with difficulty to keep herself in the same spot.
At last, the crying stopped abruptly.
Silence is the most terrifying—after the crying ceased, Qian Qian felt as though a fearsome presence had locked onto her.
She was observing me, dissecting me, and perhaps, the next moment would be to hunt me.
Although it was only a wisp of Divine Sense that floated up here, Qian Qian had this intuition.
She might very well die.
But the other party had not killed her yet, probably out of some curiosity about her.
What should be done to win a slim chance of survival?
Lost in thought, Qian Qian watched as the fog before her eyes suddenly dispersed, and then, she saw someone.
A woman.
She was tied to a stone column, with dense, thick chains snugly wrapping her body. It wasn’t until she looked lower, at the base of the column, that Qian Qian noticed a tail.
A strange person bound on the moon like this?
Certainly, she is not human, and definitely not just a simple divine being.
Merely witnessing such a scene made Qian Qian’s heart pound wildly.
Even though it was only a wisp of her Divine Sense that had come.
The chained woman was originally bowing her head, hair spilling over her shoulders, ignoring Qian Qian’s scrutiny for a while, before suddenly lifting her head to look at Qian Qian.
Qian Qian felt like she was being looked at but not directly.
The profound gaze seemed to pierce through her, conversing with an even more ancient existence.
Yet her gaze clearly fell upon herself.
Truly baffling.
"You have come, my liberator."
Qian Qian: "?"
She was somewhat puzzled.
But since the person could talk, and by the tone, seemed to be expecting her for help, it probably wouldn’t be fatal.
Just as Qian Qian breathed a sigh of relief, she heard the woman murmur to herself: "It doesn’t matter anymore, he despises me..."
"?"
Qian Qian’s eyes widened, still clueless about what was happening, the next moment she felt like she was falling off a cliff, a sensation of weightlessness came over her, and quickly she returned to her own body.
Before she could catch her breath, Qian Qian felt itchiness and pain on her body, as if something was about to burst out from within.
Qian Qian’s complexion instantly turned ashen.
This was a sign of losing control.
Once such a sign occurs, losing control is almost inevitable, unless, like her parents, she could give birth to a child, then this madness would temporarily disappear.
But there had been rumors that loss of control could be inherited.
That madness-inducing power would only lie dormant, never truly disappearing.
Qian Qian had always been living on edge, also working hard to discipline her state of mind, elder told her, to stay away from losing control, what needed to be done was not restraint, but to follow the heart.
Qian Qian had always been true to her heart, living for so many years without a single anomaly.
But this time, merely by seeing that woman, hearing just two sentences from her, signs of losing control appeared, that woman must be the problem!
A great terror resides on the moon!
"What’s wrong with you?"
Though they were fair-weather friends, the Snow Maiden, seeing that something was off with Qian Qian, showed concern immediately.
Qian Qian’s heart was already ice cold.
But, she quickly calmed herself down and did not reveal the truth to the Snow Maiden, only saying, "I sensed something amiss with this rain, did a little investigation, expended some Divine Power, nothing serious."
"Oh, is that so..."
The Snow Maiden didn’t pry further, just going along with her statement, asked: "So what did you find out?"
"This rain is very dangerous, not sure when it will stop, we need to prepare for a flood."
As she uttered the two words "flood," Qian Qian’s heart tightened again.
She and Lin Yun had seen the future in the muddled timeline; it was submerged in floodwater, with only a handful of survivors.
Not only that, but when they were investigating history, "flood" was also a term that appeared frequently.
Now, it was coming again.
Given the current rainfall, rivers and lakes would rise, flooding was now inevitable.
However, if she informed these people in advance to prepare, perhaps fewer would perish in the floods.
"What a pity that Great Snow Mountain is now contaminated, otherwise, no matter how severe the flood, hiding in Great Snow Mountain would be safe."
The Snow Maiden’s thought went straight to running for higher ground.
This was indeed the correct choice.
In the future Qian Qian had experienced, the Central Plains People had gathered at White Tiger Ridge, the tallest mountain in the Central Plains.
It seems, that time, the Snow Maiden might well have been leading people up Snow Mountain.
Even though the trend of the future had clearly changed from what they had experienced, some things seemed to be returning to their original trajectory.
The flood was still bound to happen, no matter what means were used, the last resort was the high mountains.
But even White Tiger Ridge might not be the ultimate refuge; if the floods did not subside, eventually it too would be submerged.
The real root of the problem lies with those who trigger the disasters.
Like that strange woman who proclaimed she wanted to destroy the world!
Qian Qian analyzed the situation calmly for a moment, soon pinpointing the source.
But what could she do, knowing this? Qian Qian was aware that with her own capabilities, she might just be squashed like a bug by the other party.
"Right, she said ’he despises me now’—if I can find him and he says he likes her, could that solve the problem?"
At that moment, Qian Qian felt herself to be a genius.
However, the rain was getting heavier...
