Chapter 367 - 367: Shang Zhou’s Ambition
“Your kindness, I, Shang Zhou, will forever engrave in my heart,” Shang Zhou said.
“Fellow Daoist, rest assured that I will definitely find a satisfactory home for you all in the East Barrens, even the entire Heavenly Martial Continent!” Shang Zhou continued, smiling.
“Haha… I hope so.” Marquis Champion laughed coldly.
When he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves and departed. The current Shang Zhou had already dissatisfied him. If Shang Zhou continued to overstep, he would not hesitate to cripple him and support a more obedient Emperor Lord for Dashang. If necessary, he would even destroy the entire Dashang Empire without regret! After all, the lives of their race were most precious. A mere Dashang Empire was nothing. Without the Dashang Empire, there would be a second, a third… They had the strength and resources to cultivate countless experts. Such a fatal temptation, he believed many forces would be unable to resist.
“You will definitely be satisfied!” Shang Zhou muttered as he watched Marquis Champion depart. “I am earnestly selecting a good home for you all.” The smile on Shang Zhou’s lips grew more perverse as he gazed toward the Great Mystery Sacred Sect, a hint of madness in his eyes.
“The dark creatures are already in Dashang! I wonder how many experts you will bring, Su Chen! Do not disappoint me!” he thought.
At that moment, a general in golden armor strode out and knelt respectfully before speaking, “Your Majesty!”
“How goes the formation setup?” Shang Zhou asked coldly, glancing at him.
“Your Majesty, the formation is about ninety percent complete! In another half month, it will be finished!” the general quickly replied, his heart trembling at Shang Zhou’s words.
“However…” He paused as if he had just realized something and a trace of unease flickered across his face. “However, some materials are still lacking to complete the formation setup. It will likely be difficult to gather them quickly.” “If you lack anything, go straight to the national treasury,” Shang Zhou stated. “I have little time left. The formation must be done within half a month, or you know the consequences.”
As Shang Zhou spoke, immense pressure descended. The general’s armor seemed to bear countless mountains, nearly shattering. Sweat streamed down his face. “I understand!”
Shang Zhou nodded slightly and casually waved a dismissal. The general quickly stood, bowed, and departed.
Looking at the figure of the departing person, Shang Zhou’s expression turned contemplative. In his hand, a yellowed ancient scroll appeared, and his eyes revealed a chilling demeanor.
“No matter what, the Profound Heaven Emperor used this method to become a great emperor,” he thought. “Even if 1 cannot become an emperor today, this method can help me directly cross the Great Saint and Saint King Realms to reach the Quasi-Emperor Realm! For me, becoming a quasi-emperor is enough, at the very least to dominate the entire East Barrens!”
It was impossible for two Great Emperor Realm powerhouses to emerge from the same path. This was an undisputed fact that almost every cultivator understood well. As Dashang’s emperor, he naturally understood this too. Therefore, his aims were not so lofty. As long as he could reach the peak stage of the Quasi-Emperor Realm, it would suffice! Next, he believed he could stride a completely new path by himself.
“In that case, there is no need to keep some people,” Shang Zhou muttered softly, killing intent flickering in his eyes.
This faint killing intent appeared only for a moment but was noticed by others. In the darkness outside the hall, a grey-robed elder with white hair and beard witnessed everything with his own eyes. Hearing Shang Zhou’s last words, his hair stood on end as a bad premonition rose in his heart.
“Oh no!” he thought. “Shang Zhou is indeed scheming. My master’s relic has actually fallen into his hands… And he even wants to make a move against the young mistress!”
This grey-robed elder was none other than Elder Wang, who had been hiding in Dashang to protect Shang Zimo. Although not strong, his concealment techniques were extremely terrifying. Even Saint Realm experts would be unable to detect him if not carefully watching. Since this was Dashang, even Shang Zhou would not idly scan every corner daily with his divine sense. After all, most were quite assured about their own nests. If one could not even trust their own lair, there would be few places in the world that could be considered safe.
“I must inform the young mistress quickly that we need to leave this place immediately,” Elder Wang thought anxiously. Without hesitation, he transformed into a cloud of black fog and swiftly moved toward Shang Zimo’s quarters. The entire process was soundless, the soldiers guarding the hall unaware.
But just before Elder Wang could depart, an icy voice suddenly sounded in his ear, “Where I reside, how could you come and go as you please?”
“D*mn it!” Elder Wang felt as if plunged into an icy cave, his whole body trembling as if stared at by a prehistoric beast. He was at most at the peak stage of the Quasi-Saint Realm, while the other party was a Saint Realm powerhouse, even one step away from entering the Great Saint Realm. He had no chance of survival! Whether he lived or died depended entirely on the other party’s mood.
Elder Wang did not await death passively. He shot upwards, the aura of a peak-stage Quasi-Saint Realm expert erupting out and spreading throughout the Imperial City.
“Shang Zhou!” His voice rumbled like thunder between heaven and earth. “You betray the human race by cooperating with the dark creatures! Are you not afraid of being punished by human powerhouses?”
What he did was tantamount to courting death. But at the same time, it could expose Dashang’s dirty dealings and warn the Young Mistress living in the Imperial City. As long as Shang Zimo saw his current plight, she would surely understand what was happening and find some way to escape.
Even if he died, it would not be in vain. As for rescuing Shang Zimo personally, that seemed impossible now! He was not a saint. Recklessly trying to save Shang Zimo would only expose their relationship and accelerate their deaths.
“Interesting!” came the calm reply, as if Shang Zhou’s greatest trump card being exposed bothered him not at all..