"Yes," the Patriarch confirmed. He stepped out and tossed a jade token directly into the waiter's hands.
"Very low profile," Lingtian muttered, glancing up at the worn wooden sign hanging above a humble noodle shop.
"Let us go in," the Patriarch instructed. The waiter, having verified the token, gave a sharp nod and guided them into the shop.
-------------------------------------------------------
The waiter guided them past the wooden tables where a few patrons sat slurping noodles quietly. He led them to the back kitchen and pushed open a heavy iron door, revealing a dimly lit stone corridor.
The air shifted immediately. The chaotic noise of the bustling city vanished, replaced by the humming of a powerful sound-isolation array.
They walked to the end of the corridor and stepped onto a circular stone platform. The waiter bowed and retreated. The Patriarch channeled a wisp of energy into the platform. A flash of light enveloped them, and the scenery changed entirely.
They were now standing inside an elegant pavilion floating above a quiet underground lake. The scent of premium spirit tea filled the air.
Sitting cross-legged behind a low wooden table was a middle-aged man dressed in a plain grey scholar's robe. He was calmly pouring tea into three cups. He had no overwhelming aura, looking completely like an ordinary person.
"Old friend, you brought a guest," the man said without looking up, his voice smooth and welcoming.
"Gu Tianying," the Patriarch greeted, stepping forward and removing his cloak. "This is the young friend I mentioned in my message."
Lingtian pulled off his hood, throwing the cloak onto a nearby wooden rack before walking straight to the table. He sat down opposite the Founder without waiting for an invitation and picked up one of the teacups.
"Good tea, it has a fine lingering taste," Lingtian remarked after taking a sip.
The founder of the Lunar Region finally looked up. His eyes locked onto Lingtian. A sudden, suffocating pressure instantly flooded the pavilion, pressing down on Lingtian with the weight of a mountain. The tea in the cups trembled.
The Patriarch's expression changed, but before he could speak, Lingtian simply placed his teacup back on the table. The dark energy of his hybrid void and death core circulated silently through his meridians, barely warding off the pressure, yet he did not even blink, maintaining absolute composure despite the intimidation.
Seeing his calm demeanor despite the overbearing force pressing down on him, a smile slowly formed on Gu Tianying's face as the heavy atmosphere vanished. "This tea is a specialty I got from the mainland."
"Your trade center really does deserve its reputation," Lingtian replied, raising his hands to salute him, flawlessly hiding any trace of fatigue caused by the pressure.
"Let us get to business. My old friend, Lu Yang, rarely praises people like he did in his message. What deal did you say you wanted me in for?" Gu Tianying asked, taking another sip of tea.
"I promised the Patriarch to revive his sect to the absolute peak in two months, and to do that, I will need your cooperation," Lingtian said, watching him closely.
"That is quite an audacious statement," the Founder noted, reaching for the teapot to refill his cup.
"Yes. I need your help to annihilate the sect in four days," Lingtian replied directly, meeting the Founder's gaze.
The Founder paused, the teapot hovering slightly in his hand. He placed it down and leaned forward.
"You want me to help you destroy the Eclipsed Sun Sect?" Gu Tianying asked, glancing briefly at Lu Yang, who looked away awkwardly.
"Not exactly. It is just a front. I just need your help in putting up a play," Lingtian clarified.
"The three factions, the Lunar Region, and Lu Yang's Eclipsed Sun Sect have kept the wilderness in a stalemate for decades. If the Eclipsed Sun Sect is suddenly annihilated, the balance breaks. I will be the only force posing a threat to the three factions in the wilderness, which will trigger an all-out war," the Founder analyzed, his eyes narrowing. "Why would I risk my foundation for a piece of dead meat?"
"Like I said, this is just a front. My real purpose is to establish a new hidden force to take care of your hidden troubles," Lingtian said, tapping his finger on the wooden table. "A new, terrifying assassin organization will claim responsibility for the sect's annihilation. An organization so fast and brutal that it will leave the three factions entirely on the defensive, paranoid about who is next."
The Founder stayed silent, processing the layers of the scheme.
"They will be too busy guarding their own necks and being wary of each other to worry about you. An organization capable of killing a Sovereign Immortal and annihilating an entire sect overnight would definitely be attractive bait. One of the three factions will expose their neck, wanting to ally with this new organization to wipe out their rivals. And that is exactly when the second Sovereign Immortal will die," Lingtian concluded, taking a sip of tea.
"A flawless divide-and-conquer tactic," the Founder muttered, his eyes gleaming with newfound interest.
"But there is still no concrete reason for me to help you. The Lunar Region can continue being the strongest powerhouse in the wilderness without the need to destroy the three factions. If we become the sole ruler of the wilderness, will rebellion not spring up?" Gu Tianying challenged, waiting anxiously for the response.
"Ah. I thought you would be able to see the grand progression of all this," Lingtian said, locking his gaze with the very curious Gu Tianying.
This kid... you really are cunning, Lu Yang thought, watching the Founder of the Lunar Region wrapped completely around Lingtian's finger in a mix of curiosity and greed.
"And what could I have missed?" Gu Tianying asked, running a finger along the rim of his cup, his eyes still locked on Lingtian.
"Why did the upper nineteen factions of the Demon Realm establish three more factions in the wilderness?" Lingtian asked in reply.
"To quell the chaos of the Battle of the Thousand Sects," Gu Tianying answered, waiting for him to land.
"You and the Patriarch, depending on the cultivation resources of this wilderness alone, have no hope in your lifetime of stepping onto the path of a Sage. The mainland is where your opportunity lies. But unfortunately, the Eclipsed Sun Sect and the Lunar Region were both established outside the rule of the upper nineteen factions. You have no legal right to enter the mainland," Lingtian continued, instantly seizing the absolute attention of both men.
"If I could give the both of you the opportunity to become the saviors of the wilderness by ending the chaos caused by the annihilation of the three factions... tell me, will the upper nineteen factions not have no choice but to work with the only forces remaining capable of maintaining order?" Lingtian asked, watching both Patriarch Lu Yang and Founder Gu Tianying ponder the massive implication.
"What do you need?" Gu Tianying asked decisively after a long, heavy silence.
"I want complete, unrestricted access to your intelligence network spanning the entire wilderness," Lingtian stated. "And when the time comes, I want the Lunar Region's full cooperation for my next move."
"You are very ambitious for someone at your cultivation stage," the Founder noted.
"I will take that as a yes," Lingtian said, taking a sip from his teacup.
Gu Tianying laughed, a rich, genuine sound that echoed across the underground lake.
"Old friend," he said, looking at Lu Yang. "You really brought me a monster this time."