"What did you say? The ambush failed?!"

Within a great hall in the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance, upon hearing the news, the Young Master, Zhou Chengzong, glared down at the person before him, his face a mixture of shock and anger, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Two Earth Fiend Martial Masters and four Chaoyuan Martial Masters had joined forces, yet they failed to take down Chen Sheng? Instead, they were all killed by him, and not a single one managed to escape?!

If the man hadn’t said it himself, Zhou Chengzong would never have believed it.

After all, Chen Sheng’s Cultivation was merely at the Chaoyuan realm. Even if he was hailed as the top expert below the Ning’an Earth Fiend, in the end, he was just a Chaoyuan Martial Master.

How could he possibly fight and defeat an Earth Fiend?

One had to understand that the gaps between the Innate Three Realms were immense. Even the Ning’an Ten Heroes found it difficult to fight across realms. When he himself had done so, it was only by a combination of various factors that he’d barely managed to succeed.

After all, the difference between True Qi and Evil Qi was far greater than an ordinary person could imagine.

Even if Gao Yuanzhao was no match for Chen Sheng due to his inexperience as a newly-ascended Earth Fiend, there was still Elder Liu, a man steeped in the Earth Fiend realm for many years. Could the two of them not even take down a mere Chaoyuan Martial Master?

’Are they that useless, or is Chen Sheng really that terrifying?!’

For a moment, Zhou Chengzong’s expression was dark and uncertain.

Bowing before Zhou Chengzong, Elder Kusou of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance looked absolutely terrified as he hurriedly said:

"I would not dare deceive you, Young Master. Every word is true. I have already sent men to investigate in person, and the matter is all but confirmed. The site of the battle was a complete wreck."

"What about our spies in the Jingwu Bureau? Has any definitive news come from them?"

Zhou Chengzong gripped the armrest tightly, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The best way to confirm this was to get inside information from the Jingwu Bureau.

"Young Master, our moles in the Jingwu Bureau... they’ve all been... eliminated. The men I sent to contact them were all captured in one fell swoop." Elder Kusou’s brow was furrowed as he reported in a low voice.

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chengzong’s pupils constricted. His already sinister gaze turned even darker.

The moles in the Jingwu Bureau were assets the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance had cultivated with great difficulty. He had planned on using them to prove his own prowess and capability to the Alliance.

But he never expected that he would not only lose two Earth Fiend Martial Masters but also his network of moles.

The losses were too great!

Even within the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance, Earth Fiend Martial Masters were few and far between. Each one was a core combatant. With the addition of the four Chaoyuan Martial Masters, it was no exaggeration to say the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance had suffered a massive loss this time.

After this failure, it would be difficult for him to answer to his father.

Unsurprisingly, once word reached his father’s ears, he was bound to be reprimanded.

And from the fact that his moles had been eliminated, Zhou Chengzong could easily deduce the key information.

It had to be Chen Sheng, or perhaps the Jingwu Bureau’s high command, who had detected the moles ahead of time. They then simply went with the flow, baiting the hook to lure the fish in. Once they confirmed everything, they wiped them all out in one fell swoop.

No wonder.

No wonder Chen Sheng had suddenly gone to visit the Xu Family for no apparent reason.

It was all a setup, a premeditated plot.

Now, reviewing the events in hindsight, Zhou Chengzong quickly understood the key to it all.

But this realization only made him more furious and resentful.

He had actually become Chen Sheng’s stepping stone.

"Well played, Chen Sheng. It seems I underestimated him."

A thick killing intent simmered in Zhou Chengzong’s eyes.

When his father had told him to take the opportunity to eliminate this recently famed young genius from the Government Office, he had been dismissive. He even thought that a mere Chen Sheng wasn’t worthy of him acting personally.

But now, he had to admit it.

This Chen Sheng truly had some skill and ability.

He had underestimated his opponent.

This man was not someone to be taken lightly.

"Should we devise another plan to lure him out of the Jingwu Bureau and kill him?"

Seeing the Young Master’s fury, Elder Kusou hurriedly suggested in a low voice.

Zhou Chengzong shot him a glance, his gaze darkening, and snorted coldly.

"Do you take the people at the Jingwu Bureau for fools? If we try to lure someone out now, there’s no telling who’s really baiting the trap. What if they’re the real hunter in waiting? Who will bear the responsibility then?"

From this incident alone, he could tell that Chen Sheng was a formidable character.

Though his Cultivation was still shallow, his potential was already apparent.

He had to be killed, that was certain, but making a move now was not wise.

The enemy would definitely be on guard.

"The Young Master’s lesson is correct. I was reckless."

Elder Kusou quickly admitted his mistake.

"Chen Sheng cannot be allowed to live, but we cannot be hasty." Zhou Chengzong closed his eyes, silently calculating. After a long while, he spoke:

"Set this matter aside for now. The most pressing issue is to push forward the marriage between the Qu Shui Song Clan and Gao Qilin. If that can be accomplished, my father won’t be overly critical of me."

The Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance had always wanted to establish a foothold in Ning’an Prefecture. However, the six top sects in the prefecture had already carved up most of the resources, leaving no room for the Alliance.

Because of this, the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance was caught in a dilemma.

But now, the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance had a preliminary plan. Externally, they would ally with the Demon Dao’s Blood River Sect. Internally, they would target the Danxia Sect, doing everything in their power to weaken it and ultimately take its place.

This was why the Blood River Sect and the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance had been clashing so frequently with the Danxia Sect’s experts in recent months.

As for Luoyun Manor and the Iron Sword Sect, they were also part of this scheme.

The Qu Shui Song Clan has already secretly pledged allegiance to the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance. As a vassal force of Luoyun Manor, they will undoubtedly prove to be a brilliant strategic move in the future if utilized properly.

Gao Qilin’s background was also not simple. Zhou Chengzong had already decided that once the marriage was settled, he would use the Song Clan as a proxy to pour resources into supporting Gao Qilin, helping him become a True Inheritor of the Iron Sword Sect.