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墨書 Inktalez
Privy Hall had always been the nemesis of the Wei Family.
On the surface, Duke Sui's Residence and Privy Hall maintained a semblance of harmony, but in reality, both the Wei Family and Privy Hall regarded each other as their greatest enemies.
In the Southern Ming Divine Domain, it was an established fact that the Temple of Martial Arts commanded the Cloud Spirit Sect while the Wei Family controlled the military.
However, the issue lay within the military itself. The Wei Family's army had essentially become their private force, one that even the Supreme Deity of Southern Ming could not control.
On the other hand, Privy Hall still held sway over a portion of the Southern Ming Divine Domain's military, nearly half. The very responsibility of Privy Hall was to oversee the military.
This mutual disdain meant that both Privy Hall and the Wei Family were eager to swallow each other's forces, which was fundamentally why they could never coexist peacefully. As the Wei Family grew in power, it directly compressed Privy Hall's influence, making harmony between them impossible.
The greatest challenge facing the Wei Family was indeed Privy Hall. Wei Jian could not fathom whether Privy Hall would side with the military or with the Supreme Deity of Southern Ming if a conflict arose.
Perhaps Privy Hall would relish seeing the Wei Family fall. If the Wei Family openly opposed the Supreme Deity of Southern Ming, Privy Hall would undoubtedly take advantage of that situation and align with him.
Thinking along these lines, a troubled expression crossed Wei Jian's face as he looked at his eldest son, Wei Yong. He said calmly, "Let's wait and see. Although our Wei Family is powerful, we are not a match for the Supreme Deity of Southern Ming. We have been unable to gauge the number of strong individuals within Sea Palace; after all these years, his subordinates must be formidable."
"Father," Wei Yong replied with a strange look on his face as he gazed at Wei Jian, "what if we were to reach out to the Temple of Martial Arts?"
Wei Jian furrowed his brow. "You mean to have Wei Chen bring the Temple of Martial Arts to our side? I fear he may not have that capability."
"Father," Wei Yong insisted, "you often teach us that success depends on human effort. During this Eastern Forest Contest, we will have a chance to meet Wei Chen. If I can find an opportunity to talk to him about his willingness to cooperate, there is potential there."
Wei Yong’s thoughts drifted to his fifth brother, once considered useless. It felt strange to him; after all, during their time at Duke Sui's Residence, Wei Chen had always been oppressed and bullied by many, including himself. Now, however, he had risen powerfully and become a high-ranking member of the Temple of Martial Arts—something Wei Yong had never anticipated.
Wei Jian pondered for a moment before responding. "If Wei Chen could indeed rally support from the Temple of Martial Arts for us, our chances would greatly improve. However, it also depends on his own intentions; we cannot know if he is willing. Moreover, there is the question of whether he can truly become a core figure within the Temple of Martial Arts. Although he currently enjoys prominence there, no one knows what the future holds for him. While he is still considered part of our Duke Sui's Residence family, it remains uncertain what position he can secure within the Temple."
What neither Wei Jian nor Wei Yong realized was that at this moment, Wei Chen was no longer just their Wei Chen. His future was beyond their imagination.
"Father, aren't you also planning to do that? When we meet the other Major Forces, we can publicly expel Wei Chen from our Wei Family. If that happens, perhaps he will gain the true trust of the higher-ups at the Temple of Martial Arts," Wei Yong said calmly.
Wei Jian replied, "That's what I was thinking, but it's hard to say how effective it will truly be. Moreover, it's possible that Wei Chen will resent us for it, which is difficult to predict."
"That is true." Wei Yong nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "Father, let me handle this matter for now. I'll talk to Fifth Brother first and then discuss the collaboration with the Temple of Martial Arts."
...
As the strong members of the Wei Family headed towards the Eastern Forest, three thousand miles away in the northeast of Xing'an City, Dinglong Mountain was bustling with activity and filled with voices, creating a lively atmosphere.
Dinglong Mountain was one of the four Major Forces in the Southern Ming Divine Domain and served as the headquarters of Privy Hall, controlling half of the military.
Among the four Major Forces in Southern Ming Divine Domain, aside from the Temple of Martial Arts located in the border area of Snow Ridge Mountains, the other three Major Forces were situated in prosperous areas. Duke Sui's Residence and Southern Ming Divine Palace were within Xing'an City, while Privy Hall's Dinglong Mountain was not far away.
The location of the Temple of Martial Arts seemed intended to avoid conflicts in prosperous areas; however, their choice was more about stability and being less susceptible to attacks, making it a place that was easy to defend but hard to assault.
Dinglong Mountain, where Privy Hall was located, featured towering peaks that shot straight into the clouds within a hundred-mile radius, creating a spectacular sight. The main peak of Dinglong Mountain extended most of its body into the clouds, appearing like a fairyland from a distance—truly breathtaking.
In fact, Dinglong Mountain was not only a defensible stronghold but also concealed formidable formations that were quite terrifying.
Once, an elderly man forcefully invaded Dinglong Mountain because his grandson had been bullied to death in the military. The old man was powerful and sought justice for his family. At that time, his strength was regarded as second only to those possessing a Divine King Token—he was considered the strongest person beneath the Supreme God. Of course, that title was earned after he led his family in a bold assault on Dinglong Mountain.
Unfortunately, even such formidable strength meant little; no one from Dinglong Mountain confronted him directly. They relied solely on their formations to hold their ground. When the old man finally exhausted his strength, the Privy Council Master emerged fiercely and repelled him.
He was merely repelled; he was not killed.
The old man led his family into seclusion, and from that moment on, they never appeared in the Southern Ming Divine Domain again. Even within the rest of the Divine Realm, the Supreme Gods were inquiring about their whereabouts, hoping to draw that mysterious family into their ranks. However, despite exhausting all efforts, they could not locate them.
Time passed, and the people of the Southern Ming Divine Domain gradually forgot about that extraordinary family. Yet, in the minds of the higher-ups in the Southern Ming Divine Domain, the family known as the Fire Tribe would forever remain a nightmare. Even a powerful entity like the Privy Hall, which controlled over ninety percent of the military in that era when the Wei Family was still rising, could do nothing against the so-called Fire Tribe. If it were now, the declining Privy Hall would likely have already been overrun by that family.
Nevertheless, the Privy Hall remained one of the four Major Forces within the Southern Ming Divine Domain, still significantly stronger than the newly emerged strongest Cloud Spirit Sect and Thunder Sword Sect.
Aside from these four established forces, there was another power that could not be overlooked: the Thunder Sword Sect.
The Thunder Sword Sect had risen in the Southern Ming Divine Domain for over a hundred thousand years, gathering countless masters of swordsmanship. Although it was on par with Cloud Spirit Sect and was always subject to regulation by the Temple of Martial Arts, the Temple's control over Thunder Sword Sect was not substantial.
The four Major Forces along with Thunder Sword Sect ruled over the Southern Ming Divine Domain. Regardless of a deity's level, as long as they had not joined any faction, they would always act cautiously and would not dare to offend anyone from the four Major Forces or Thunder Sword Sect.
At Dinglong Mountain's main peak, three thousand miles northeast of Xing'an City, the summit was unusually flat, as if it had been sliced smooth by a sword. The area at the top was vast, with no fewer than a thousand large buildings and a resident population of around forty to fifty thousand.
When the Wei Family's army set out on their expedition, everyone from Privy Hall's headquarters gathered together in that expansive square atop Dinglong Mountain.
A figure clad in silver silk armor and wearing a silver mask scanned the crowd with piercing eyes that felt like steel needles stabbing into many hearts.
This middle-aged man was none other than the Privy Council Master, at Sixth Level Divine Realm. Since reaching this level, he had never faced anyone in direct combat, so no one knew his true combat capability. Perhaps it was comparable to that of the Temple of Martial Arts' Old Master; perhaps he had reached a realm similar to Yue Songyang—who could tell?
"Gentlemen, I assume you are all aware of the changes happening at the Temple of Martial Arts?"
After a long silence, the Privy Council Master asked calmly.
"We are aware," everyone responded in unison.
"Now that you know, who is our greatest enemy? Are you all clear?" the Privy Council Master continued to ask.
"The fifth son of the Wei Family, Core Disciple of the Temple of Martial Arts, Wei Chen!" The members of the Privy Hall had long understood where their biggest threat and challenge lay.
The Wei Family and the Temple of Martial Arts had never had any ties and could not unite, but the emergence of Wei Chen had thrown the Privy Council Master into a state of panic. He knew all too well that if the Wei Family and the Temple of Martial Arts were to join forces, with the Southern Ming Divine Palace remaining indifferent, then the Privy Hall would be in jeopardy. It was highly likely that their military power would be further weakened by the Wei Family, potentially leading to their complete fall from the ranks of the Four Major Forces, relegating them to an embarrassing position similar to that of the Thunder Sword Sect. Moreover, the Thunder Sword Sect was gaining strength; it wouldn't be long before they surpassed the Privy Hall.
The urgent task for the Privy Hall was to sever any connection between the Temple of Martial Arts and Duke Sui's Residence at all costs, preventing them from forming an alliance.
Wei Chen was the key point in this matter.
The Privy Hall was well aware of Wei Chen's exploits within the Temple of Martial Arts. Under the Privy Council Master's direction, everyone in the Privy Hall knew that their greatest enemy and threat lay with one person.
That person was none other than Wei Chen.
Of course, the Privy Council Master was not foolish; he recognized that Wei Chen currently held a high status as both a Core Disciple of the Temple of Martial Arts and the fifth son of the Wei Family. Killing Wei Chen would be quite difficult.
The Privy Council Master had never intended to hide his desire to eliminate Wei Chen; everyone in the Privy Hall knew it, as did spies from other Major Forces within. Such matters could not be concealed. The Privy Council Master envisioned that once Wei Chen was dead, the Temple of Martial Arts would likely refrain from retaliating and would instead watch as their rivals clashed. At that point, it would still be a contest between the Privy Hall and Duke Sui's Residence, with minimal losses on their part. After all, hadn’t they always been competing against each other?
If it came down to an outright battle, the Privy Hall would not fear Duke Sui's Residence. The defenses of Dinglong Mountain were not something Duke Sui's Residence could compare to.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our primary mission at the Eastern Forest Contest is not merely to obtain treasures; our foremost task is to find every possible way to kill Wei Chen! This matter cannot be hidden, nor do we need to conceal it. Once Wei Chen is dead, it will undoubtedly be seen as our doing; even if it isn't us, everyone in the Southern Ming Divine Domain will believe it is."
The Privy Council Master surveyed everyone around him and said fiercely, "Fortunately, there are not many participants from the Temple of Martial Arts and Duke Sui's Residence at the Eastern Forest Contest. Meanwhile, half of our strongest will be heading to Eastern Forest; we must secure Wei Chen's head!"
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