System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

127: A storm is brewing, and clouds are gathering from all directions.The atmosphere in Tianfeng City became increasingly subtle and tense two days before the Sword Discussion was set to begin.

On the surface, it remained a prosperous scene with merchants gathering and crowds flowing like a weave; in the major restaurants and teahouses, discussions about which Prodigy would take the crown were clamorous.

But in the shadows, invisible undercurrents were surging wildly.

Benefiting from the precise information and removal methods provided by Ye Chen, the seven top Prodigies, led by Yan Lie and Bing Yun, secretly launched highly efficient and covert operations.

Utilizing their prestige and trust within their Sects, they quietly screened their fellow Disciple brothers and sisters.

The results were shocking!

It was not just the seven of them; almost all Core Disciples who were highly regarded by their Sects and had the strength to place in the Sword Discussion had been implanted with that sinister tracking mark, to varying degrees!

The locations of the marks were bizarre and varied; some were inside personal accessories like jade pendants or hairpins, and some were even branded directly onto the weak nodes of their Protective Aura. The methods were so devious that they were impossible to guard against!

Anger and lingering fear spread among the geniuses of the various Sects, but they all remembered Ye Chen’s warning and suppressed the urge to settle scores with the Dark Hall immediately.

Instead, they secretly assisted one another, carefully removing the marks using the embryonic form of the Chaos Sword Intent taught by Ye Chen (simplified and attribute-simulated by Ye Chen, allowing it to be briefly driven by different attributes of Qi), and strictly sealed off the news.

Meanwhile, under the personal command of Shadow Guard Commander-in-Chief Nangong Qing, the Shadow Guards’ operations became bolder and more in-depth.

Relying on the approximate underground palace structure and Formation node map drawn by Ye Chen, as well as the evidence regarding the leylines’ anomalies provided by Shi Yue of the Thick Earth Sect, the Formation masters of the Shadow Guards, after repeated deductions, finally tentatively identified the core area of the underground palace and the locations of several key energy hubs of that ”Myriad Soul Spirit-Devouring Formation.”

However, the underground palace’s defenses were tight, and with that eerie holy egg guarding it, the risk of a frontal assault remained enormous.

Nangong Qing’s strategy was to appear relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside, secretly mobilizing elite forces to lay a dragnet, waiting until the day of the Sword Discussion for the Dark Hall to jump out and initiate the blood sacrifice, then attacking from both inside and outside to succeed in one stroke!

Inside the Imperial City, the atmosphere was equally heavy.

Although the old Emperor did not appear directly, he had already issued a secret decree, mobilizing some of the royal retainers who had been in seclusion for years, as well as the two elite guards directly under the royal family, the ”Dragon Soar” and ”Tiger Gallant” guards, to secretly deploy around the Sword Discussion Stage, ready to respond to any emergencies at any time.

The Elders leading the major top Sects were not all mediocre either.

Their most outstanding Disciples successively showed signs of unstable Qi and slight discomfort in their Divine Soul (a brief discomfort after removing the marks).

Although the Disciples brushed it off with excuses like having a mishap during Cultivation, it still aroused the vigilance of some Elders, who secretly tightened their guard.

The entire Tianfeng City was like a powder keg about to be ignited, lacking only that single spark.

Yet Ye Chen, who had triggered all of this, had vanished as if into thin air, leaving no trace.

Using the hidden dragon ring and the 【Myriad Transformations】 Divine Ability, he had completely altered his appearance and Aura, transforming into an idle, low-level Loose Cultivator mingling in the marketplace.

He wandered through different teahouses and taverns every day, appearing to have nothing to do, but in reality, he was like the most patient hunter, capturing any trace of abnormal fluctuations in the air related to the Dark Hall.

The moon-eater token fragment in his hand was sealed layer by layer by the Chaos Gang Qi and had not produced any further anomalies.

However, he could feel that an invisible net of search was still shrouding the entire city, only it had become more covert.

On this day, at dusk.

Ye Chen sat in the corner of a noisy tavern in the south of the city, listening to the boisterous talk of the patrons around him, while his gaze swept seemingly unintentionally across a seemingly ordinary herb shop across the street.

According to the intelligence provided by the Shadow Guards, this shop was highly likely to be a secret contact point for the Dark Hall.

Just then, a group of young people dressed in luxurious clothes with extraordinary Auras walked into that herb shop, surrounding a brocade-clad youth with an arrogant expression and cold, sinister eyes.

Ye Chen recognized the brocade-clad youth in the lead; it was none other than the third young master of the Zhao family, Zhao Kun, whom he had taught a lesson at the Drunken Immortal Residence that day!

At this moment, Zhao Kun seemed even more ostentatious than before, and the Aura around him had condensed significantly, even faintly reaching the Earth Fiend Realm Second Layer. Clearly, he had received quite a few ”benefits” during this period.

The group of lackeys behind him also possessed vigorous Auras, their eyes flickering; they were not kind-hearted people.

”People from the Zhao family, coming to a Dark Hall contact point...” Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, sneering in his heart.

It seemed the collusion between the Zhao family and the Dark Hall was already blatant.

He remained calm and collected, attaching a wisp of faint Divine Sense to the corner of the clothes of one of Zhao Kun’s lackeys, like a maggot on a bone, and quietly followed them into the herb shop.

The interior of the herb shop was quite expansive; passing through the front hall, there was a quiet courtyard in the back.

Zhao Kun and his group were clearly familiar with the route, entering a side room in the center of the courtyard directly.

Inside the room, a figure shrouded in a black robe, whose face could not be seen, was already waiting.

”Third Young Master Zhao, have you brought the items?” The Black-Robed Figure’s voice was hoarse and grating.

Zhao Kun signaled one of his lackeys behind him to hand over a heavy Storage Pouch, a fawning smile on his face: ”My Lord, this is the latest batch of ’goods’ my father asked me to deliver. They are all, as per your requirements, urgently transferred from various branches, and the quality is absolutely top-notch!”

The Black-Robed Figure took the Storage Pouch, scanned it with his Divine Sense, and nodded with satisfaction: ”Hmm, Patriarch Zhao is attentive. After the Holy Venerable descends, there will be no shortage of benefits for your Zhao family.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Kun’s face bloomed with a smile, and he quickly said: ”It is my Zhao family’s honor to serve the Holy Hall! It’s just... My Lord, regarding that Sword Discussion matter...”

The Black-Robed Figure interrupted him, his voice carrying a trace of impatience and arrogance: ”Everything is under control.

A dragnet has long been laid at the Sword Discussion Stage; once the time comes, those so-called Prodigies will all turn into nutrients for the holy egg to hatch!

By then, the entire Tianfeng City will tremble at the feet of the Holy Hall!”

He paused, his cold, sinister gaze sweeping over Zhao Kun: ”Your Zhao family only needs to do your part, stabilize the City Defense Division, and ensure that no unwanted troops interfere on the day of the Sword Discussion.

If there are any mishaps...”

A chilling intent to kill instantly enveloped Zhao Kun, making him shiver violently, his face turning pale as he repeatedly said: ”I dare not! I dare not! Rest assured, My Lord, the Deputy Commander of the City Defense Division is my uncle; everything has already been arranged, and there will absolutely be no problems!”

”It had better be so.” The Black-Robed Figure snorted coldly and waved his hand, ”The goods have been delivered; you may leave.

Remember, keep your mouths shut.”

”Yes, yes, yes! This Junior will take his leave!” Zhao Kun, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly led his men to bow and exit the side room, leaving in a rush.

Ye Chen, hidden in the shadows, heard this conversation clearly, and the chill in his heart grew even stronger.

The Dark Hall had actually infiltrated even the City Defense Division! It seemed their preparations were far more thorough than he had imagined!

He memorized the Aura of the Black-Robed Figure and the location of this contact point, then quietly withdrew his Divine Sense.

Leaving the tavern, Ye Chen walked along the streets where the lights were just beginning to shine.

He appeared leisurely, but in his mind, he was rapidly integrating the information he had obtained today.

The Zhao family was responsible for stabilizing the city defense, the Dark Hall controlled the Sword Discussion Stage Formation, using the Prodigies as sacrifices... The plan was linked ring by ring.

If not for him having detected it in advance and united all parties, the day of the Sword Discussion would likely have truly been a one-sided massacre!

”I must ensure there are no slip-ups...” Ye Chen’s gaze was firm.

He needed to immediately inform Nangong Qing about the collusion between the Zhao family and the City Defense Division.

He found a hidden corner and, through the hidden dragon ring, transmitted the intelligence.

After finishing all this, he looked up at the night sky.

The stars were dotted, and the moonlight was hazy, but beneath this quiet night, a devouring storm was hidden.

There was one last day left.

He could feel that the dark gold fragment in his bosom seemed to be slightly heating up, creating an extremely faint resonance with some existence deep in the distant Imperial City.

The chaos spirit pearl also transmitted a trace of an imperceptible warning.

It seemed that, besides the Dark Hall’s conspiracy, there was something else that had been stirred by this impending storm.

”Regardless, let us see the outcome at the Sword Discussion Stage.”

Ye Chen took a deep breath, suppressed the distracting thoughts in his heart, and his figure merged into the bustling crowd, continuing his ”wandering.”

He was waiting, waiting for the moment that would decide the fate of countless people to arrive.

The wind fills the building, heralding the coming storm.

Tianfeng City had ushered in the final tranquility before the storm.