Shen Lang mulled it over for a moment before saying, "The Elder Ancestors of the Xiu Hua Sect mentioned this before, but they didn’t know anything either. The Holy Light Sect didn’t ask them to participate; it’s just that those old geezers from the Holy Light Sect got complacent and intentionally or unintentionally let a tiny bit of information slip."

"Even their allied Sects knew nothing. In the Celestial Profound Mountain Range area, there are only so many Profound Iron Level Influences. It’s clearly impossible for the Holy Light Sect to win over other Sects in such a short time, and no one from the Imperial Dragon Sect has notified me about this either..."

"In that case, the mysterious factions the Holy Light Sect mentioned must be from outside the Purple Chu Country. For example, the Beast Emperor Palace."

"If I were them, the best time to move against the Profound Dao Sect would be after the trial in the Yumu Cave Blessed Land."

"All the elites from the Profound Iron Level Influences in the Purple Chu Country will be entering the Yumu Cave Blessed Land. Several Elder Ancestors from every Profound Iron Level Sect will also be going in. Their Sects will be left vulnerable, making it the perfect time to strike."

"Although people from the Holy Light Sect will also be entering the Yumu Cave Blessed Land, it won’t be a problem if the forces they’re colluding with are from outside the Purple Chu Country."

"This is because, aside from that group from the Celestial Defying Demon Realm, everyone else entering the Yumu Cave Blessed Land is from the various major powers within the Purple Chu Country."

"Strictly speaking, forces from other countries entering the Purple Chu Country would normally be treated as invaders. However, once the Yumu Cave Blessed Land opens, the Imperial Dragon Sect and a few other Sects will have a large number of their powerhouses tied up with the event. They might not have the spare manpower to monitor the entire Purple Chu Empire, making it the perfect time for outsiders to enter the country."

As Shen Lang laid out his reasoning...

Qian Luo’s eyes widened, filled with utter disbelief.

’What else does this guy know? How did he figure out so much from just a couple of sentences I said?’

It was one thing for Shen Lang to deduce that the forces allied with the Holy Light Sect were from outside the Purple Chu Country after just a few words.

But from the sound of it, he had even figured out *when* the Holy Light Sect planned to make their move?

’Even I, a Master of One Peak in the Holy Light Sect, don’t know any of this!’

’And another thing, why are the Xiu Hua Sect’s Elder Ancestors mixed up with the Profound Dao Sect?’

’The Xiu Hua Sect was supposed to be allied with the Holy Light Sect, and they have a pretty big grudge against the Profound Dao Sect...’

’Also, what did he mean by "no one from the Imperial Dragon Sect has notified me about this either"?’

’Does the Imperial Dragon Sect have to report to you before they do anything?’

Qian Luo felt like he was caught in a massive vortex. His mind was spinning into chaos, yet he couldn’t break free.

At that moment, Ying Huo, who was just as shocked, cautiously asked, "Then... what should we do now?"

He continued, "Since the Holy Light Sect dares to make a move, they must be confident. We, on the other hand, know nothing about their true strength. When the time comes, you, my lord, will have to lead people into the Yumu Cave Blessed Land. If they really choose that moment to strike, it will be difficult to handle, even with our current combat strength."

Shen Lang nodded. "That’s exactly what I was thinking. If it’s just forces like the Beast Emperor Palace, I can handle eight or ten of them. But if a Spirit Copper Level Influence is involved, then we’ll have a real problem."

"A Spirit Copper Level Influence!" Ying Huo and Tie Feng exclaimed in shock.

Qian Luo nearly jumped out of his skin. ’Holy shit, aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue with all that big talk? The Beast Emperor Palace is a Profound Iron Level Influence even stronger than the Holy Light Sect! If there were eight or ten of them, wouldn’t wiping out the Profound Dao Sect be a piece of cake?’

’And you’re saying you can handle eight or ten of them?’

But he could only think such things to himself. He would never dare to say them out loud.

Even the usually talkative Tie Feng understood the gravity of the situation and didn’t dare to make a sound.

"Send out the War Wolf experts to cover a five-thousand-li radius. Report to me immediately at the first sign of any movement," Shen Lang said coldly.

Ying Huo’s gaze sharpened as he said respectfully, "Understood. I’ll send a Sound Transmission Talisman back right away to make the arrangements."

Just then, Shen Lang turned his head again and asked, "Qian Luo, what are the chances that the Holy Light Sect is taking the lead in this operation?"

"Uh..." Qian Luo clearly didn’t understand what Shen Lang meant.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "The lead? My lord, are you suggesting the Holy Light Sect is leading those other forces? That’s impossible. Based on my guess, any one of those forces is stronger than the Holy Light Sect... because when the Elder Ancestor spoke of this matter, his face was filled with deep apprehension."

Shen Lang chuckled lightly. "While the Holy Light Sect can’t lead this operation, they are the Sect closest to the Profound Dao Sect. If the other forces are indeed from outside the Purple Chu Country, the Holy Light Sect would become their base of operations, wouldn’t it? As a Master of One Peak in the Holy Light Sect, even if you weren’t notified, you must have noticed some clues, right?"

Ying Huo and Tie Feng understood Shen Lang’s meaning and both stared strangely at Qian Luo.

Qian Luo thought for a moment, then suddenly clapped his hands. "Now that you mention it, my lord, I do remember something! That’s right, I did notice some strange things!"

"Let’s hear it," Shen Lang said, composed and unhurried.

Qian Luo flew a little closer and lowered his voice. "The Holy Light Sect’s Elder Ancestors have been very active recently, unlike in the past when they would enter seclusion for decades at a time."

"Lately, they’ve been busy for a long time in the Holy Light Sect’s forbidden grounds, seemingly setting up some kind of Array. And that area was already off-limits to ordinary disciples, but recently they’ve expanded the restricted zone several times over, even clearing out several surrounding mountain peaks. All the disciples from those areas were driven to other peaks..."

"So... they’re getting ready to host some guests," Shen Lang said leisurely.

Ying Huo’s eyes lit up. "My lord, you mean they’re preparing to use the Holy Light Sect as a base of operations? To have all the powerhouses from the Sects that are planning to attack the Profound Dao Sect secretly enter the Holy Light Sect and hide there?"

Tie Feng finally couldn’t hold back anymore. "Damn it, those bastards! Do they really see us as lambs to the slaughter? Since we know they’re using the Holy Light Sect as their base, we should strike first! We’ll flatten them and wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"

Qian Luo and Ying Huo stared at him like he was an idiot, which made Tie Feng feel so sheepish that he didn’t dare finish his sentence.

"Wipe them all out? How? Unless all the Elder Ancestors attack at once, it would be difficult to even break through the Holy Light Sect’s Sect Protection Array," Ying Huo said coldly.

Qian Luo didn’t dare to speak, wiping away cold sweat.

This whole situation was just too bizarre. He was clearly a member of the Holy Light Sect, one of the people who wanted to deal with the Profound Dao Sect.

But now, here he was, standing with people from the Profound Dao Sect, discussing how to deal with the Holy Light Sect.

Even a sly old fox like Qian Luo was finding it hard to adapt to this change in roles.

A sharp glint flashed in Shen Lang’s eyes, and then he let out a soft laugh. "Tie Feng isn’t actually wrong. The reason I asked about this is because that’s exactly what I have in mind."

Ying Huo and Tie Feng were stunned. ’Is my lord planning to have the Elder Ancestors of the Five Great Sects all attack the Holy Light Sect directly?’

’How else could they possibly wipe them all out?’

Just then, Shen Lang suddenly stopped in mid-air and turned around.

He held out his right hand, opening his palm toward Qian Luo.

In the center of his palm lay a strange, walnut-sized bead, black and red in color.

Qian Luo was on the verge of tears. "My lord, I’ve already handed over my Soul Blood! Do I really have to take poison too? And one this big! I’ve never heard of a poison pill this huge. If I try to swallow this, I’ll probably choke to death before the poison even gets me... Can I not eat it? My Soul Blood is in your hands, which means my life is in your hands. I would never dare to betray you!"

"How about this? I can swear a Heart Demon Blood Oath to follow you to the death and never betray you. How does that sound?"

Shen Lang glanced at Tie Feng with a hint of exasperation.

Tie Feng was completely baffled. ’This bastard just keeps whining on and on... What’s it got to do with me?’

Shen Lang rolled his eyes and said, "Tie Feng, if you have time, you should go check your family tree and see if there’s a Qian Luo in it... I feel like this guy’s non-stop nonsense is on par with yours. His personality is just like yours!"

Tie Feng’s eyes went wide. "You must be joking, my lord. That’s impossible. How could my family produce such a world-shaking, god-and-ghost-terrifying character..."

Only then did Shen Lang say, "This isn’t poison. It’s a tool for you to use against the Holy Light Sect."

Everyone was very curious. What was this thing? Was it poison or a Magical Treasure?

It was so small. Could it really be used to deal with the Holy Light Sect?

Qian Luo curiously took the bead and examined it over and over, but he was still completely clueless.

"This is called... a ’Silent Extinction Divine Thunder’," Shen Lang said grimly.

What Shen Lang had taken out was one of the three Silent Extinction Divine Thunders he had obtained from Lei Yanzi!

The Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, rumored to be able to kill even Emperor Martial Realm Powerhouses...

Qian Luo’s eyes widened in realization. "Oh, so it’s called a Silent Extinction Divine Thunder. So this thing is a Silent Extinction... Silent Extinction..."

"HOLY SHIT!"

Qian Luo’s hands trembled violently, tossing the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder into the air. In a flash, the guy was gone, moving so fast that even Ying Huo was left in the dust!

"..." Shen Lang reached out, caught the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder, and shook his head helplessly.

Nearby, Ying Huo and Tie Feng’s faces were filled with terror, but at least they weren’t as pathetic as Qian Luo. Despite their fear, they remained hovering motionless in the air.

In the distance, Qian Luo peeked his head out from behind a mountain cliff, looking at Shen Lang with a resentful expression, like a bird startled by the twang of a bowstring.

The Silent Extinction Divine Thunder. The rarity of this item was nearly unparalleled.

And as Xuanwu Realm Martial Artists, how could they not have heard of its terrifying power?

According to many descriptions in the Classics, a typical Silent Extinction Divine Thunder possessed matchless power; a single one the size of a peanut could obliterate an entire mountain.

And the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder in Shen Lang’s hand was the size of a walnut!

Could there be anything more terrifying...

"Although the Silent Extinction Divine Thunder is terrifyingly powerful, it’s actually very safe. It’s not as dangerous as you imagine."

Shen Lang shook his head helplessly, then beckoned to the distant Qian Luo.

"No, no... don’t, don’t..." Qian Luo dawdled, refusing to come out. He looked like he was about to burst into tears.

This was no joke.

To think that he, Qian Luo, had never been so scared in his entire life...

Even when surrounded by more than ten Xuanwu Realm Powerhouses earlier, he hadn’t been this terrified!

Even now, his heart was pounding uncontrollably!

’This is too fucking scary...’