Chapter 1118: Chapter 601: Crisis at the War Alliance Ancestral Land, Undercurrents Surging

The appearance of Liu Yue and the sudden disappearance of Zi Ling were like pouring a bucket of oil onto the embers of last night’s storm, pushing Jiang Shu’s unease and vigilance to their peak.

The War Alliance still appeared grand and majestic on the surface, yet beneath the shadow of this magnificent palace, he sensed the scent of stormy blood and the breath of conspiracy.

Should he leave before this matter involves him?

This thought strongly surged within Jiang Shu.

A wise person does not stand under a dangerous wall, let alone in such a treacherous vortex where even a Venerable Peak could instantly fall!

The War Alliance is unlike other places, filled with Great Powers. His cultivation at the Peak of the Tenth Realm might be decent elsewhere, but in face of this colossal entity, he was still far lacking.

However, this idea only appeared in his mind for a split second before Jiang Shu forcibly suppressed it.

There is indeed danger within the War Alliance.

But therein also lies opportunity.

Among the Wind Cloud Pride, especially Zhan Feng, who considers him wholeheartedly.

He had just agreed to join him on the Ancient Battle Soul Path three days later.

Leaving without a word now, though Zhan Feng would understand, would create a rift between them.

Whether in the Cang Mang Domain or the Star Ruins Realm, the importance of allies is immensely high.

Like Zhan Feng, who if not falling in the future, even if not advancing to the Saint Realm, could achieve Venerable Peak.

In his absence, he would still be able to protect Xuanxing.

Moreover, the battle intent and realizations of the human predecessors within the Ancient Battle Soul Land were irresistibly attractive to him.

Giving up now felt bitter.

More crucially, would Zhan Feng be drawn into this unknown vortex?

Jiang Shu weighed his options again and again.

He was not a reckless person, nor would he entrust his life to ephemeral luck.

He decided to stay but remain extraordinarily vigilant.

Until circumstances became clearly and extremely dangerous, he needed to wait for Zhan Feng to probe, and to personally confirm the trip on the Ancient Battle Soul Path three days hence.

Should anything spiral beyond his control, he would immediately reveal all his cards, using the Heart of Space to forcefully break the lock and flee.

The life-saving trump given by Luo Venerable and the various contingencies acquired from the Deep Space Sea gave him seventy percent confidence to escape at the first sign of the situation worsening.

Not to mention, he also had the ultimate skill of the Two Realms Shuttle.

Having made up his mind, Jiang Shu remained silent.

He carefully perceived his body condition, ensuring that the minute impact from last night’s brief shock had completely dissipated.

Over the next two days, in Jiang Shu’s perception, the atmosphere in the War Alliance’s core area underwent a subtle but profound change.

Firstly, the security was upgraded.

The core area, already a veritable fortress, doubled its patrolling battle squads. Their realms notably heightened, mostly Ninth Realm Late Stage elites, and occasionally, he noticed commanders of Tenth Realm with obscure auras leading the teams.

Each squad exuded a murderous aura, their fierce gazes sweeping through every corner of space, as though searching for invisible enemies.

The fluctuations of the space restrictions became more complex and frequent.

Secondly, the upper echelon’s movements became a mystery.

Though nine scarlet stars continued to float above the core area’s sky daily, representing the nine Supreme Elders, their light seemed dimmer than usual, and none had surfaced again.

Zhan Jiuxiao was completely out of sight. Jiang Shu tried contacting him with the Star Token, only to be met with a cold, unresponsive barrier.

Liu Yue knew almost nothing, clearly having no access to any core information.

An intangible tension permeated.

The core disciples of the War Alliance he occasionally encountered among the floating islands were all in a hurry, their expressions more solemn than before, and their mutual eye contact less, tinged with suspicion and caution.

The air appeared to thicken with an invisible pressure, even the artificial suns in the sky seemed to bear an inexplicable lead-gray hue.

The battle cries occasionally heard from the martial arenas, or training vibrations from distant floating islands, were almost extinct over the past two days, eerily silent.

Liu Yue continued to timely deliver abundant spirit food and cultivation resources daily, her manner more deferential and cautious.

When Jiang Shu casually inquired again about Zi Ling or last night’s disturbance, her eyes obviously dodged, her words more nervous and vague, repeatedly emphasizing that the Vice Alliance Hierarch had spoken, requesting the Elder to rest assured and ignore other matters.

However, these few words only increased Jiang Shu’s doubts.

This wasn’t regular vigilance; it was clearly the reaction after a significant internal incident, on edge with every sound.

The urgent task involving Zi Ling mentioned by Liu Yue increasingly seemed like a clumsy lie.

Yet he did not press further, instead discreetly absorbing the resources Liu Yue brought, seizing the time to refine his mana, and comprehend the fusion of the Heart of Space and Taichu Dao Rhyme.

Every increment of Power gave him an additional grasp of self-preservation when facing a situation.

He had ceased placing hope on the Star Token representing his status as an Outer Elder, treating it merely as decoration.

Meanwhile, he quietly injected a faint Divine Thought containing spatial coordinate information into a carefully hidden special Jade Talisman from Jiuyu Commerce Alliance close to him.

It was the emergency messaging arrangement agreed with Luo Venerable. Once crushed, regardless of the distance, Luo Venerable would sense it immediately, tear space, and come to assist.