Hearing this name, fated-like, Zhang Buzhou nodded silently.
Diao Xingyun couldn’t have misheard—he simply couldn’t have!
"Do you guys not know?" Among those traveling together, someone chuckled and said, "This Ji Jingqiu is no simple character; it’s said that he is the true mastermind behind the Sun and Moon Alliance. He possesses great strategies and profound scheming, never appearing in the forefront, but the development of the Sun and Moon Alliance to this point is all his doing."
"There’s a rumor that he previously collaborated with Senluo to overpower Zhong Nanzhu!"
"What I heard is that Ji Jingqiu alone defeated Zhong Nanzhu. Didn’t you notice the tone Zhong Nanzhu used when he mentioned Ji Jingqiu? He clearly looks down on Senluo, but he’s particularly wary of Ji Jingqiu!"
People went back and forth, quickly sketching the rumored figure of Ji Jingqiu.
Diao Xingyun and Zhang Buzhou exchanged a look, their eyes filled with suspicion.
From these people’s descriptions, this "Ji Jingqiu" not only had unfathomable strength but also deep cunning—a person of great ambition hiding behind the scenes.
"The Sun and Moon Alliance possesses profound strength, and it’s long been rumored that they harbor the ambition to unify the Ancient Road!"
"This time, the Heavenly Net Hall is probably doomed; Ji Jingqiu wouldn’t make a move unless he was absolutely sure he could succeed by at least eighty to ninety percent."
Diao Xingyun and Zhang Buzhou looked at each other, wordlessly.
Zhang Buzhou looked up, at this moment, Jiang Tunhai was fiercely battling Zhong Nanzhu, while Senluo stood behind with his hands behind his back, facing the wind, and did not join forces in the offensive.
Diao Xingyun transmitted his voice: "Do you think it could be Jingqiu?"
Zhang Buzhou inhaled deeply and said, "In this world, how can there be so many coincidences of people with the same name and surname? That guy having defeated everyone in White Jade City with a single strike, and overcoming a Taboo afterwards, is nothing strange."
"Ji’s reputation seems to be negatively affected quite severely," Diao Xingyun muttered, glancing at Zhang Buzhou and chuckling, "Congrats, Zhang Sandao’s credibility has risen again!"
Zhang Buzhou’s mouth twitched.
The group stealthily penetrated deeper and found a treasury; Diao Xingyun and Zhang Buzhou teamed up and easily subdued the Sealing King Martial Artist guarding it.
They opened the Treasury.
"Great Medicine! There are actually three plants of Great Medicine in this treasury!"
"And a superior spiritual machine..."
Looking at the treasures inside, everyone was delighted and unhesitatingly divided the loot as agreed before, taking what they needed, and then scattered in all directions.
Zhang Buzhou and Diao Xingyun each took two plants of Great Medicine and ran toward the city outskirts.
Diao Xingyun suddenly stopped, puzzled he asked: "If it really is the Jingqiu we know, then why should we flee? Why not just join the Sun and Moon Alliance?"
Zhang Buzhou was stunned.
An unanticipated path.
And at that very moment.
The great battle within the city finally came to an end.
After a fierce fight, Zhong Nanzhu seized an opportunity and fled alone; Senluo and Jiang Tunhai seemed to have been prepared, following unhurriedly behind.
The news shook all sides; the Sun and Moon Alliance used old grudges as a pretext to exterminate the Heavenly Net Hall. Though it seemed righteous, it still stirred up enormous undercurrents beneath the surface.
Soon after, the Moon Palace officially declared war on the Nether Mansion.
This was not unusual in the past, as both sides were always archenemies, but discerning people could see that this time the situation was drastically different, as behind the Moon Palace stood the Sun and Moon Alliance!
This event once again created an uproar, marking the official start of the struggle for supremacy in the Ancient Road!
But what was more unexpected to all parties was...
Across various parts of the Ancient Road, invasions from the Nether Sea became noticeably more intense, with many previously peaceful worlds experiencing invasions similar to the Yanfu mists!
Many realms fell into crisis, and numerous Martial Artists’ explorations and travels faced immense obstructions.
"Your Highness, a person claiming to be a descendant of Emperor Heaven wishes to see you."
In the great hall, a woman in a white robe and bare feet slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of dignified and inherently majestic phoenix eyes, profound as the starry skies.
The Divine Race’s Suopo was unmatched in beauty, but even in her presence, she seemed comparatively lacking.
"Bring him in," she said indifferently.
Soon, a young man strode in. He appeared very young, but his demeanor had a strange dissonance.
Upon seeing Chi Ji, his eyes brightened, but he quickly suppressed it, smiling and saying, "You are the Goddess of the Saint King Lineage? I am ’Emperor Heaven City’, a descendant of Emperor Heaven. If you assist me in descending upon this battlefield, I can help you capture the Sun and Moon Alliance’s Ji Jingqiu."
Chi Ji turned around, her eyes each marked with white crosses, revealing a divine and imperious aura.
She scrutinized the young man, scoffed, and said, "A mere fragment of a soul, borrowing the body of a Heart Nightmare, dares to play tricks with me? Emperor Heaven Hundred Veins, from which vein are you the waste?"
The young man’s expression darkened, born of the Ancient Road’s will, he considered himself a true descendant of Emperor Heaven. Hearing Chi Ji insult the Emperor Heaven Hundred Veins sparked a chill in his heart.
Before the young man could speak, Chi Ji seemed to lose interest, turned back, and said lightly:
"Whichever vein it is, now they’re nothing but stray dogs, still daring to bark?"
"For the sake of the old Heavenly Venerables, I won’t kill you today. Get lost."
The young man was furiously enraged, this woman’s arrogance nearly matched Ji Jingqiu’s, utterly preposterous!
After he left, Chi Ji called for Suopo and instructed:
"Have there been any recent news of Ji Jingqiu?"
"So far no, the alliance led by Nether Mansion has already fought with the Sun and Moon Alliance twice, but there still hasn’t been any sighting of Ji Jingqiu," Suopo replied.
Chi Ji let out a cold laugh and said:
"Before this, I hadn’t realized how patient and deeply scheming he could be, truly ambitious. Worthy of the World Venerable Lineage, indeed a lineage true to its nature."