Chapter 726: Strife of the Nine Kings
In Heaven of the Universe, central region.
At the very center of this Heaven of the Universe, which resembled a small continent, there stood a towering and majestic mountain peak.
The peak was like a sharp sword, piercing straight into the sky, a magnificent sight to behold.
This mountain was called Universe Peak, and it was the most important place in all of Great Luo Heaven.
Not only did the three Elders control the entire Heaven of the Universe from here, but even the Sect Master, who had been in seclusion for many years and rarely emerged, was also located within this very mountain.
This was considered the central hub of the entire Heaven of the Universe, and even of the entire Universe Sect itself.
Today, Universe Peak was particularly lively, as the sound of breaking wind continuously echoed across the sky.
One after another, powerful streaks of light swept over from the distance and finally landed on this majestic mountain peak.
Today was the day of the Universe Sect's once-every-three-months "Council of the Nine Kings," and this could be considered one of the more important meetings within the sect, so it was rare for anyone to be absent.
At the summit of Universe Peak, a grand palace stood silently.
The palace exuded an ancient aura, as if it had been passed down from primordial times, inspiring a sense of awe in all who beheld it.
Above the great hall, there was a row of splendid and majestic thrones; clearly, these were the seats of the Nine Kings.
Behind those thrones stood numerous figures, most of whom were gathered in distinct groups around each throne, with clear lines drawn between them.
Wherever there are people, there is conflict.
The same held true within this vast Universe Sect; various factions fought among themselves for their own interests, and the grudges and enmities between them were anything but rare.
Whoosh!
Just as the vast hall was filled with indistinct human shadows, several streaks of flowing light suddenly shot over from the distant horizon and finally descended upon the silver throne at the far end.
All gazes turned at this moment, and when they saw that silver-haired, graceful figure, a flicker of burning heat flashed in their eyes.
"That is the Silver Mist King. As expected of the top-tier genius of our Universe Sect, to become the master of a Palace at such a young age and be granted the title of Silver Mist King!"
"The Silver Mist King grows more dazzling by the day; no wonder all the young talents of the Heaven of the Universe are drawn to her."
"However, although the Silver Mist King's talent is great and her strength outstanding, her Silver Mist Palace itself is nothing special, and its overall power is ranked almost at the very bottom among the Nine Palaces."
"Indeed. But I heard Silver Mist Palace has gained a new Commander, who is said to be a holder of a Universe Gold Token."
"Oh? A new Commander? One wonders how strong this person is, and whether they can help the Silver Mist Palace reverse its decline."
"Who can say? Perhaps we will get to watch a good show today. After all, the Calamity King has swallowed up quite a bit of the Silver Mist Palace's interests over the years; it is hard to say the Silver Mist King will not seize this chance to demand them back."
…
Within the vast great hall, all kinds of hushed whispers were quietly spreading.
Yet to those murmurs, Jiang Yinlan seemed not to have heard a thing. She lifted her delicate face and looked toward the main seat of the ancient hall, where an empty black throne stood, her long, beautiful eyes narrowing slightly.
Lin Langtian and Mu Honglian stood behind the silver throne where Jiang Yinlan was seated, their gazes straight ahead without wandering.
Not long after Jiang Yinlan's appearance, the edge of the sky once again resounded with the sound of air being torn apart.
Moments later, streaks of light flashed over and landed on the remaining thrones.
With the arrival of these figures of light, a powerful oppressive aura of spiritual energy instantly spread throughout the hall.
The silhouettes that landed on those thrones were clearly all of a heavyweight level.
Lin Langtian's gaze swept across them and found that the newly arrived consisted of four or five groups of people.
Seated upon the black throne at this time was a middle-aged man with an expressionless face. He wore black robes, and his pupils were pitch-black, like a pair of black holes, sending chills down one's spine.
Behind this middle-aged man followed a burly, towering figure.
The man's frame was tall and powerfully built, with a scar that ran across half his face, and there was a faint yet extraordinary fluctuation of spiritual energy undulating around him.
"That is the Calamity King, who now counts as the strongest among the Nine Kings. Given a bit more time, he might even be qualified to step into the ranks of the Elders. That is one of the reasons he dares to suppress our Silver Mist Palace." Mu Honglian spoke in a low voice as Lin Langtian's gaze fell upon the two figures.
Lin Langtian gave a slight nod. The Calamity King left him with an impression of great depth and unfathomable might.
"And the person behind the Calamity King is Dong Kui, the current leader among the five great Commanders. His strength is extremely formidable."
Lin Langtian's eyes flickered slightly as he turned to look at the burly man. Sensing the immense power contained within the latter's body, he nodded again.
This Dong Kui seemed to have taken the path of tempering the fleshly body.
Lin Langtian's gaze then moved on and fell upon the second group of people. Seated upon the yellow throne at the moment was a middle-aged man with an extremely straight posture.
He possessed a pair of long, slender hands, and his entire being exuded an incomparably sharp aura, like a long spear that could pierce through the heavens.
"That is the Spear King, another formidable figure among the Nine Kings. His spear arts are brought to the level of divine mastery, and among those of the same realm, there are almost none who can withstand him." Mu Honglian explained.
Lin Langtian nodded lightly, and then his eyes suddenly stirred.
He had seen behind the Spear King a man whose figure was also somewhat slender and sharp. The man's roaming gaze was cast in this direction.
Clearly, however, his target was not Lin Langtian, but Mu Honglian, who stood beside him with her small face flushed and adorable.
"That should be the Spear King's disciple, Luo Lin, right? Judging by the look of it, he seems to have taken a fancy to you, Commander Mu?" Lin Langtian mused for a moment before chuckling.
At his words, Mu Honglian's pretty face instantly turned red. She shot Lin Langtian a glance and whispered, "Commander Langtian, don't talk nonsense."
Seeing this, Lin Langtian smiled faintly and had just opened his mouth to say something when the scene before them suddenly changed.
Before the Nine Kings, a tall, oval stone platform slowly rose up from beneath the floor.
The stone platform extended nearly along the edge of the great hall, leaving the center an open space. At the very top of the platform was a golden throne that overlooked everyone.
Although that throne was empty at the moment, it still seemed to emanate an invisible pressure that spread out from it, enveloping the entire hall.
Clearly, that throne belonged to the true ruler of the Universe Sect, the Sect Master who had been in seclusion for many years.
Beneath that golden throne stood three lotus platforms, and at this moment, three figures radiating faint halos were seated in meditation upon them.
The space around them showed signs of distortion.
Lin Langtian was no stranger to the one in the middle; it was precisely the Great Elder, Qian Qiong.
To the Great Elder's left was also an old man with hair white as snow, yet his skin was as smooth as a baby's, and there was not the slightest wrinkle on his face.
Though this person's aura was not as overwhelming as that of the Great Elder, it was still exceptionally deep and profound.
On the Great Elder's right was a middle-aged man with an ordinary appearance and an equally ordinary aura. However, it was obvious that anyone who could sit upon a lotus platform here could not be ordinary in either strength or status.
"You have already met the Great Elder. The one on his left is the Second Elder, who also serves as the backing for the Calamity King and the others. A major reason the Calamity King dares to act so overbearingly is that the Second Elder supports him."
Lin Langtian nodded slightly. The auras of the three Elders were unfathomable, and they had likely already surpassed the level of Seventh Grade Sovereign.
"What about the Sect Master?" Lin Langtian asked in some confusion.
"The Sect Master has not appeared for many years." Mu Honglian replied softly. "It is said that the Sect Master suffered severe injuries back during the internal strife of those years and has been in seclusion ever since to recuperate. Hence, the Great Elder has been presiding over all matters, great and small, of the Universe Sect."
Lin Langtian's eyes narrowed slightly at this. It seemed that the internal strife back then had indeed dealt the Universe Sect an extraordinary blow. Even the Sect Master had been grievously injured and forced into long-term seclusion.
As Lin Langtian pondered, the Great Elder looked over the filled seats below and smiled faintly. "Since everyone is present, let the Council of the Nine Kings begin."
The territory of the Universe Sect was vast beyond measure, occupying nearly half of the Northern Region and bordering many other equally powerful forces.
Thus, clashes between powers were unending, and many contentious matters were usually brought before the Council of the Nine Kings to be resolved.
Because of her shallow seniority and the small territory of the Silver Mist Palace, Jiang Yinlan did not speak up on these matters, but instead closed her beautiful eyes slightly and quietly observed everything.
Lin Langtian and Mu Xinlian stood silently, their gazes lowered in focused composure.
The discussion over these issues continued for more than an hour before finally nearing its end.
Seeing this, the Great Elder shifted the topic. "Now that all affairs have been settled, it is time to speak of the 'Universe Spirit Pool' struggle two months from now."
At these words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly tightened.
The eyes of the various Kings also sharpened, for they understood this was the true main event. After all, the "Universe Spirit Pool" was extremely enticing.
Jiang Yinlan also opened her beautiful eyes at this point, her cold gaze turning to the Calamity King as she said coolly, "This time, in the struggle for the Universe Spirit Pool, our Silver Mist Palace will also be participating."
Everyone present felt their hearts tremble. It seemed the Silver Mist Palace was truly dissatisfied with its last-place status.
The Calamity King's expression remained as calm as a still lake as he said calmly, "From what I know, aside from Palace Master Jiang, there seem to be no other experts in the Silver Mist Palace. Could it be that you plan to send that Commander of yours who is only a First Grade Sovereign to compete?"
Mu Honglian flushed with anger at these words. Before Lin Langtian's arrival, she had indeed been the only Commander of the Silver Mist Palace.
Though Mu Honglian was indignant, she knew well that her strength was far from noteworthy at the Commander level. Moreover, the other party was the renowned Calamity King, leaving her with only the courage to be angry, not to retort.
Jiang Yinlan's pretty face grew ever colder at the sight. Her jade-like hand suddenly slammed down upon the massive stone table.
In an instant, a crack shot out from beneath her palm like a sword, cleaving straight toward the Calamity King.
"Hmph!"
Seeing Jiang Yinlan dare to strike first, the Calamity King's eyes turned icy cold, and his palm fell abruptly.
A streak of black light shot from his palm like a crack and collided head-on with the onrushing fissure.
Boom!
The enormous stone table before the Nine Kings trembled violently, but before the shockwave could explode outward, a gentle force surged forth and dissolved both attacks.
"No fighting is allowed in the council hall." Great Elder Qian Qiong lightly waved his sleeve as he spoke, his voice indifferent.
The Calamity King gave a cold snort, his black eyes fixed on Jiang Yinlan as he said flatly, "Even if you have obtained a quota, so what? Who can your Silver Mist Palace send to compete for the Universe Spirit Pool?"
Jiang Yinlan hesitated at this and glanced at Lin Langtian. In her heart, she too was not certain whether Lin Langtian possessed the necessary strength.
If he lost, the Silver Mist Palace would truly lose all face.
Seeing this, Lin Langtian simply stepped forward and said, "Lin Langtian, at your service, newly appointed Commander of the Silver Mist Palace. As for this Universe Spirit Pool struggle, our Silver Mist Palace will not yield the right to take the lead!"
(END CHAPTER)
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