Shen Kang was secretly complaining in his heart. Getting the offerings of the Holy Spirit Cult to join the Sun Moon Empire was not an easy task.
If Ye Xishui discovered it, a single mistake could put his life in danger.
Moreover, when persuading them, there was no guarantee the other party wouldn't report it; this was all risky.
However, if this matter succeeded, his position in the Sun Moon Empire would be secure from then on.
Shen Kang cupped his hands and said, "This minister is willing to give it a try, to make the offerings of the Holy Spirit Cult abandon darkness for light. It's just that…"
Xu Jing's gaze sharpened: "Just what?"
Shen Kang carefully chose his words: "It's just that this minister needs to inquire what treatment Your Majesty can offer those former colleagues of mine, so that it will be convenient for this minister to persuade them."
Xu Jing laughed heartily upon hearing this, waving his sleeve: "I can promise that all who sincerely come to surrender will be settled with the treatment of ninth-level soul mentors.
For daily cultivation needs, whatever the Holy Spirit Cult can provide, my Sun Moon Empire can provide as well. Whatever the Holy Spirit Cult cannot provide, my Sun Moon Empire can still provide!
Beloved Minister Shen, if you can recruit a few Titled Douluo or Super Douluo experts for me, I will reward you heavily heavenly materials and earthly treasures, ninth-level soul guidance devices, and everything you could want.
If there is anything else you need to inquire about, feel free to say it. I have always been generous toward talents and never stingy."
Hearing Xu Jing's promises, Shen Kang had a plan in mind. As long as the treatment was in place, everything would be negotiable.
"This minister understands." Shen Kang bowed deeply. "Within two days, I will surely return to give Your Majesty a reply."
Seeing that Shen Kang had nothing more to say, Xu Jing waved his hand, indicating that Shen Kang could withdraw.
Immediately after, Shen Kang, accompanied by ninth-level soul mentors, left the imperial palace. He flew once more toward the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters.
After Shen Kang left, the two eunuchs who served closely by Xu Jing's side and protected him said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, for gaining another strong expert's allegiance."
Xu Jing's gaze was profound: "Allegiance? It's merely a relationship of interests. The people of the Holy Spirit Cult, even if they are not evil soul masters, are not easy to deal with. They can be utilised, but absolutely cannot be trusted.
If real danger arises, they are guaranteed to run faster than anyone. However, when the time comes to wage war against the three Douluo empires, having them there will also reduce the losses for my Sun Moon Empire."
"Your Majesty is wise!"
......…
Holy Spirit Cult headquarters, Dark Spirit Douluo Shen Kang's exclusive palace.
Shen Kang returned here once again. However, this time he came back intending to win over a few offerings who usually disliked evil soul masters and had normal martial souls.
For example, Dragon Douluo Li Fei, Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, Black Crow Douluo Wu Yun… These few had joined the Holy Spirit Cult for various reasons.
Some were loyal to Long Xiaoyao, so they followed him into the Holy Spirit Cult.
Some were mistaken for evil soul masters and hunted down, so they could only go along with it and join the Holy Spirit Cult.
Others had offended too many people and sought refuge in the Holy Spirit Cult for protection.
In Shen Kang's view, these three types were all persuadable. After all, without special circumstances, who would willingly associate with anti-human, insanely evil soul masters?
Just as Shen Kang sat on the sofa in the main hall, pondering whom to approach first as his persuasion target.
The doors of the main hall were knocked on, and Zhongli Wu walked in.
Zhongli Wu looked at Shen Kang sitting on the sofa like a big shot, immediately walked up to him, and asked, "Offering Shen, what have you been doing all day? Why haven't I seen any sign of you?"
Zhongli Wu did not suspect Shen Kang of betraying the Holy Spirit Cult. After all, everyone in the Holy Spirit Cult knew that Shen Kang and Long Xiaoyao had a close relationship, almost like a half-master-disciple bond.
Shen Kang said coldly, "As an offering, in the Holy Spirit Cult, I only take orders from the Supreme Leader and the Hall Master of the Offering Hall. It seems I don't need to report anything to you, the Leader.
If the Leader has something he wants to know, he can have the Supreme Leader or the Hall Master come find me."
Seeing that Shen Kang gave him, the Leader, no face at all, Zhongli Wu's expression darkened.
But he couldn't possibly call his mother and Uncle Long over for such a small matter.
Zhongli Wu snorted coldly: "The Holy Spirit Cult is about to migrate to the three Douluo empires soon, and everyone is busy. As an offering, you can't just idle around."
With that, Zhongli Wu assigned Shen Kang a task.
Fearing that Shen Kang would treat his words like wind past his ears, Zhongli Wu continued, "Mother has put me in charge of the migration. If you don't do it, even if you are an offering and have some relation to Uncle Long, you will still be punished."
With that, Zhongli Wu flicked his sleeve and left gracefully.
Shen Kang looked at the fox pretending to be a tiger, Zhongli Wu, his eyes narrowing as he thought to himself, "Without Ye Xishui backing you, you're nothing."
Naturally, Shen Kang didn't take Zhongli Wu's words to heart. He had already betrayed the Holy Spirit Cult and pledged allegiance to the Sun Moon Empire, so how could he possibly do the tasks Zhongli Wu assigned him?
However, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he still put on a show.
Time flew by, and soon it was late at night.
Shen Kang invited Black Crow Douluo Wu Yun, with whom he had the best relationship, out for drinks.
Of course, on the surface, it was for drinks, but Shen Kang's real purpose was naturally to probe a bit, to see if Wu Yun had any intentions of leaving the Holy Spirit Cult and pledging elsewhere.
Even if Wu Yun had no plans to leave the Holy Spirit Cult, or if something seemed off, Shen Kang believed Wu Yun wouldn't go tattle to Ye Xishui.
Shen Kang prepared a table full of fine wine and delicacies, quietly waiting for Wu Yun's arrival.
Moments later, a black-clothed person, completely covered in a cloak, whose appearance couldn't be seen clearly, arrived at Shen Kang's main hall.
Black Crow Douluo Wu Yun looked at the sumptuous wine and food, removed his cloak, revealing the face of an ordinary-looking man in his forties.
Like Shen Kang, Wu Yun was an offering in the Holy Spirit Cult's Offering Hall, with extremely strong power, ranking among the top twelve offerings of the Offering Hall.
Wu Yun was not an evil soul master; it was just that his martial soul, the dark crow, was of dark attribute, so he had always been misunderstood and even hunted as an evil soul master.
In a fit of anger, Wu Yun killed all those who hunted him, which immediately offended several major forces. Those forces then sent the Titled Douluo experts to surround and hunt Wu Yun.
To save his life, Wu Yun had no choice but to seek refuge in the Holy Spirit Cult.
Due to the similarity in attributes, Wu Yun and Shen Kang had close interactions, usually cultivating and discussing together, with a deep friendship.
After sitting down, Wu Yun smiled: "Old Shen, why so excited today, preparing so much good wine and food?"
Shen Kang picked up the wine bottle, poured a cup for himself and Wu Yun, then said: "I've been in a bad mood lately, so I wanted to find you for a drink to relax."
Wu Yun had a good relationship with Shen Kang and was quite aware of Shen Kang's recent situation.
He knew that the Supreme Leader Ye Xishui had been giving him a hard time for some unknown reason lately, so he looked at Shen Kang sympathetically, planning to drink and eat with him to relieve his depression.
Wu Yun raised his cup, clinked it with Shen Kang's, then drank it all in one gulp, smacking his lips: "Old Shen, this wine is really good."
Shen Kang smiled: "This wine was bought from an international merchant.
It's said to be brewed with rare medicinal herbs like snow lotuses containing spiritual energy from ice mountains, and after brewing, it's stored in a cellar for ten years. If you think it's good, I'll buy dozens more bottles next time."
Wu Yun said, "That would be great, haha, come, drink more."
Shen Kang was naturally happy to see this; the more they drank, the easier it would be for him to probe later.
After three rounds of drinks and five courses of dishes, both were a bit tipsy. When men drink, once the excitement kicks in, they can't help but talk about everything under the sun and discuss world affairs.
Wu Yun let out a burp: "The day after tomorrow, the Holy Spirit Cult will withdraw from the Sun Moon Empire and head to the three Douluo empires.
At that time, the Holy Spirit Cult will inevitably go to war with the royal families of the three Douluo empires, Shrek Academy, and those sects.
We will have no choice but to take action. War is dangerous; one careless mistake, and our lives might be gone."
Shen Kang followed up: "Brother Wu Yun, that's not all.
On the current continent, the Sun Moon Empire's power is formidable. It probably won't be long before they launch a unification war.
At that time, even if the Holy Spirit Cult conquers the three Douluo empires, it will still have to fight the Sun Moon Empire.
The Sun Moon Empire's strength is not something the three Douluo empires can compare to. Once war breaks out, anyone could die."
Wu Yun poured another cup, drank it in one gulp, and sighed: "The Sun Moon Empire's strength has indeed become more astonishing in recent years.
The Holy Spirit Cult has Ye Xishui and Long Xiaoyao, two Ultimate Douluo experts holding the fort, yet they still have to leave the Sun Moon Empire to develop in the three Douluo empires.
This world will probably belong to the Sun Moon Empire. If the Holy Spirit Cult really clashes with the Sun Moon Empire in the future, I have no intention of fighting to the death."
Shen Kang echoed: "I think the same. The linked attacks of the Sun Moon Empire's soul mentor legions are no joke. Besides Ultimate Douluo, who can withstand them? Super Douluo would die on contact."
Seeing that the time was about right, Shen Kang murmured: "There aren't many peaceful days left. I really want to find a place to retire."
Wu Yun smiled bitterly: "What are you thinking? You know the Holy Spirit Cult's rules better than anyone. Once you join, leaving is almost impossible."
Shen Kang's eyes flashed as he probed: "Old Wu, if… I mean, if there was a way out, would you consider it?"
Wu Yun stopped caring about drinking at this point, staring at Shen Kang and quickly asking: "A way out? What way out? Tell me."
Seeing Wu Yun interested, Shen Kang immediately used his soul power and spiritual power to seal the surroundings, preventing eavesdropping or spying.
This way, if someone wanted to listen in on his and Wu Yun's conversation, they would have to break his spiritual and soul power seal; otherwise, even an Ultimate Douluo expert couldn't eavesdrop.
After doing all this, Shen Kang said, "The Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, Xu Jing, once extended an olive branch to me. He promised that as long as we are willing to pledge allegiance, the treatment will be excellent."
Wu Yun's pupils contracted; in his excitement, he didn't control his strength, and the crystal-clear wine cup shattered into pieces.
Wu Yun was silent for a moment before lowering his voice: "Old Shen, are you crazy? You know the consequences of betraying the Holy Spirit Cult better than anyone!"
Shen Kang said calmly, "Of course, I know. But you've seen it too—continuing to follow the Holy Spirit Cult will only drag us deeper, becoming more and more dangerous.
The Sun Moon Empire is now prosperous and powerful; unifying the continent in the future is almost certain. Why should we accompany the Holy Spirit Cult to our graves?
If we pledge to the Sun Moon Empire, with its protection, what can the Holy Spirit Cult do to us?
If the Holy Spirit Cult could really deal with the Sun Moon Empire, why would they leave the Sun Moon Empire to develop in the three Douluo empires?"
Wu Yun's expression changed; clearly, he was struggling internally. After a long while, he slowly said, "Xu Jing… can he really be trusted?"
Seeing that Wu Yun didn't refuse outright, Shen Kang was delighted and quickly said, "Xu Jing personally promised that all who sincerely come to surrender will be settled with the treatment of ninth-level soul mentors.
He said whatever the Holy Spirit Cult can provide, the Sun Moon Empire can provide, and even more. Moreover—"
Shen Kang paused, "We are not true evil soul masters; we don't need to devour souls and flesh to improve our cultivation. Xu Jing accepting us is only beneficial to him, with no downsides."
Wu Yun took a deep breath and said in a low voice: "This matter is too risky. If it leaks, we will undoubtedly die."
Shen Kang nodded: "So we must act cautiously. I have already preliminarily gained Xu Jing's trust. If you are willing, we can leave the Holy Spirit Cult together and join the Sun Moon Empire."
Wu Yun was silent for a long time before finally gritting his teeth: "Alright! I'll go with you! However, just the two of us isn't enough weight. If possible, let's pull in a few more trustworthy people to join the Sun Moon Empire together and increase our importance."
Shen Kang smiled: "That's exactly what I was thinking. What do you think of Dragon Douluo Li Fei and Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng?"
Wu Yun pondered: "Li Fei is a follower of Long Xiaoyao; he may not be willing to leave.
But Zhang Peng… he joined the Holy Spirit Cult back then out of necessity and has no loyalty to the Holy Spirit Cult. As long as it's beneficial to him, he won't mind joining the Sun Moon Empire at all."
Shen Kang nodded: "Then let's start with Zhang Peng. Tomorrow, I'll find an opportunity to talk to him."
The two conspired for a while longer before Wu Yun put on his cloak and quietly left.
One day later, Shen Kang and Wu Yun successfully won over Scorpion Tiger Douluo Zhang Peng, as well as two other Title Douluo offerings with ninety-third level cultivation, to betray the Holy Spirit Cult.
As for Li Fei, because the risk of winning him over was too great, they did not take action to persuade him.
Then, the five of them, Shen Kang included, took advantage of the night before the Holy Spirit Cult's official migration and left the Holy Spirit Cult, flying toward the direction of Mingdu.
...…
The next day, when the Holy Spirit Cult had gathered all resources and was preparing to withdraw from the Sun Moon Empire.
Long Xiaoyao suddenly discovered that five offerings from his Offering Hall were missing at once.
Long Xiaoyao showed a shocked expression: No, what happened? How did half of my subordinates disappear at once? Zhang Peng, Shen Kang, Wu Yun… where did they go?
Ye Xishui saw this scene, her expression condensing, her beautiful eyes filled with killing intent as she thought to herself, "Disappearing at this time, nine out of ten have defected!
These offerings who joined midway are just not as loyal as the ones cultivated from a young!
They enjoyed the protection and resources of my Holy Spirit Cult, yet they betray us. They should be killed—all of them should be killed!"
But Ye Xishui knew that now was not the time to dwell on this. She took a deep breath and said loudly, "Let's go!"
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