Chapter 261: 妖 Emperor and Saint Lord Fighting Over a Man

It was clear that the demon race still held the advantage. Long Qinghuang continued to overpower the Bone Dragon. It was astonishing that even with their last resorts being crushed and their forces overwhelmed, not a single person from the Heavenly Frost Nation had deserted.

For an elite and powerful army, such a display would be quite normal.

However, for the Heavenly Frost Nation, which was structured as a sect alliance, this was highly unusual. Achieving such unified resolve would be difficult, even with the promise of significant rewards.

What were they hoping to gain?

Unless they had a fallback plan or were absolutely convinced that reinforcements were on their way.

In other words, they were prepared for the possibility of being discovered and had a contingency plan. Even in their current predicament, they were confident they could drag the Heavenly Jade Holy Land into the fray.

Where did such confidence come from?

Lu Xingzhou's mind raced. He immediately leaned in and whispered to Ye Tinglan, "Who told you about the dragon bone fragments? Control him, now!"

But it was already too late.

A sword light suddenly erupted from their hiding spot, streaking directly towards a demon in the midst of the intense battle.

Ye Tinglan sharply turned her head, recognizing the old man who had previously shown her the dragon bone fragments, and who was also the 'successful bidder' from Hanlan City.

"Who gave you permission to act on your own!" Ye Tinglan demanded angrily.

The old man responded with righteous indignation, "I apologize, but I cannot stand by while the demon race slaughters humans, especially while you are still flirting with that young man. What kind of behavior is this? If you won't act, we will!"

Before Ye Tinglan could respond, Long Qinghuang’s booming laughter echoed from afar. "The Heavenly Jade Holy Land," she declared, "is truly just a bunch of sneaky opportunists!"

Ye Tinglan seized the old man and stated decisively, "It's too late now. Prepare for battle!"

As anticipated, countless torrents of demonic energy, in a myriad of colors and powers, surged like a raging storm from the distance, slamming towards their hidden location.

Whenever anyone from the Heavenly Jade Holy Land appeared on the scene, the demons' immediate reaction was always to direct their attention toward them.

They were the demon race's greatest enemies over the past few decades, inspiring unparalleled hatred and vigilance. Compared to them, the Heavenly Frost Nation was insignificant.

The members of the Heavenly Jade Holy Land were also forced to engage. Amidst the clash of various powers, their hidden position was completely exposed.

Lu Xingzhou's fears were confirmed—the Heavenly Frost Nation had a hidden agent within the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, which explained their certainty that they could drag the Holy Land into the conflict. Once the Heavenly Jade Holy Land was involved, to prevent their own members from being instantly annihilated by the opponent's strongest, the most powerful individuals from both sides would naturally have to engage each other first.

Regardless of Ye Tinglan's prior considerations, at this moment, she had no choice but to join forces with Si Han and the Bone Dragon to corner Long Qinghuang and defeat her first.

Otherwise, if Long Qinghuang were to break free, the other members of the Heavenly Jade Holy Land would undoubtedly suffer heavy casualties.

"Bang!" Long Qinghuang threw off the Bone Dragon and unleashed a punch directly at Ye Tinglan.

Ye Tinglan gracefully waved her slender hand, and a Tai Chi phantom materialized in the void. Long Qinghuang's mountain-shattering, city-destroying punch sank into it, vanishing as if a clay ox had plunged into the sea.

The two sides were in a momentary stalemate, but Long Qinghuang's gaze bypassed Ye Tinglan and fixed on Lu Xingzhou and A'nuo in the distance, her expression turning somewhat cold. "You captured them?" she asked.

Ye Tinglan looked puzzled.

"No wonder the Heavenly Jade Holy Land arrived at the same conclusion as I did, lying in wait like an oriole behind the mantis and the cicada at the Heavenly Frost Nation's hidden location. It turns out you got information from him."

Ye Tinglan, not wanting Lu Xingzhou to be drawn into such a dangerously powerful battle, and fearing collateral damage, said, "This conflict is not something I desired. If you withdraw now, both sides can remain unharmed, and we can resume our fight another time."

Long Qinghuang was visibly surprised that Ye Tinglan would offer to cease hostilities, especially while holding the advantage of a pincer attack with Si Han and the Bone Dragon. She paused, then replied, "We can stop, but let me take those two people behind you."

Ye Tinglan was even more astonished by this response and blurted out, "Absolutely not!"

Long Qinghuang sneered, "Has the Heavenly Jade Holy Master also found love? Daring to contend with me for a man."

Ye Tinglan was speechless.

Nearby, the Heavenly Jade Holy Land members silently clashed with the demon race. As their eyes met, the animosity between them seemed to noticeably lessen.

This was perhaps the least aggressive battle the Heavenly Jade Holy Land and the demon race had fought in years; everyone was subtly eavesdropping on the conversation.

Good heavens! The Demon Empress and the Heavenly Jade Holy Master were publicly fighting over a man in front of the entire world!

What kind of preposterous scenario was this?

Unfortunately, someone didn't want the audience to enjoy the show.

Si Han, Lord of the Heavenly Frost Nation, seated atop the Bone Dragon's head, charged from behind Long Qinghuang. "Holy Master Ye," he called out, "I know you are troubled and dissatisfied. Let us first defeat the Demon Empress, and then we can discuss matters. I will certainly provide the Holy Master with a proper explanation!"

Given the circumstances, Ye Tinglan had indeed decided to focus on defeating Long Qinghuang first. However, she was still reeling from Long Qinghuang's comment about fighting over a man.

Long Qinghuang's left hand unleashed a roaring dragon punch, forcing back the Bone Dragon, while her right hand struck at Ye Tinglan again. "In that case," she declared, "let's see if you can defeat me!"

"Wait, I barely even attacked, why aren't you leaving? Is it really just to fight over a man?" Ye Tinglan parried the attack, feeling as if she were in a dream.

The three-way skirmish eventually devolved into two human factions besieging the demon race. What began with the demon race overpowering the Heavenly Frost Nation shifted to a temporary stalemate, with humanity even gaining a slight advantage.

Lu Xingzhou didn't bother to observe the ongoing battle. His gaze was fixed on the ground beside him.

The old man, who had dragged the Heavenly Jade Holy Land into the conflict, lay subdued on the ground by Ye Tinglan, with no one having the leisure to pay him any attention.

Lu Xingzhou and A'nuo simultaneously displayed chillingly sweet smiles.

The old man remained expressionless.

Lu Xingzhou crouched before him, a smile playing on his lips. "Was it worth it? Weren't you doing quite well within the Heavenly Jade Holy Land? Why become a traitor?"

The old man replied coldly, "I am no traitor. I merely found it unbearable!"

"Don't be ridiculous. Your little charades might fool simple women, but you expect to deceive me?" Lu Xingzhou produced a small dagger and pressed it directly against the old man's lower body. "Furthermore, if 'not being able to stand it' gives you the right to cause trouble, then I can't stand the sight of *that* on you. Perhaps I should just remove it?"

The old man's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare! I am an Elder of the Heavenly Jade Holy Land! If you kill me, even the Holy Master will have difficulty explaining it!"

"What explanation is needed for dealing with a traitor?" Lu Xingzhou twirled the dagger with a cold sneer. "From the moment you began bidding on the dragon bone fragments at the auction, weren't you already deliberately cooperating with the Heavenly Frost Nation? The other bidder was likely also from the Heavenly Frost Nation, putting on a coordinated act, weren't they?"

"Do you have proof?"

"Do you think this is some kind of romance novel where we need to collect evidence at a time like this?" Lu Xingzhou plunged the dagger into the old man's thigh.

The old man shrieked, drenched in cold sweat, and pointed a trembling finger at Lu Xingzhou. "You... you..."

"I'm not interested in wasting words with you. Just one question," Lu Xingzhou said coldly, twirling the dagger. "The Heavenly Frost Nation doesn't have the authority to compel your betrayal. Who is truly behind you?"

The old man retorted furiously, "What rubbish are you spouting? It's all mere speculation!"

"Speculation?" Lu Xingzhou pointed back at the fierce aerial battle behind them. "Long Qinghuang isn't retreating even now. Do you truly believe she's risking her life just to 'snatch' me?"

The old man fell silent.

"You'd have to ask yourself. How would I know?"

"This current situation is the outcome of your contingency plan. The original strategy was to instigate a battle between the demon race and the Heavenly Jade Holy Land in the center of the glacier. On the surface, this would appear beneficial to the Heavenly Frost Nation, allowing them to capitalize on the mutual devastation of the demon race and Great Qian. However, upon closer inspection, the Heavenly Frost Nation's chaotic system, lacking transcendent masters, is no match for Great Qian. Even if the Heavenly Jade Holy Land suffers losses, it wouldn't prevent Great Qian from overwhelming Heavenly Frost. So, what was the practical purpose of Si Han's maneuver? If it failed, it would only invite retaliation from Great Qian against Heavenly Frost. Is Si Han an idiot?"

The old man remained silent.

"Beyond Si Han, there's actually another individual who would be delighted to see both the demon race and the Heavenly Jade Holy Land severely weakened... This person harbors a deep hatred for the demon race and is utterly fed up with being suppressed and constrained by the Heavenly Jade Holy Master. When they jointly attacked the demon race years ago, he and the Demon Empress both suffered heavy losses, yet it allowed your Holy Master to become the most powerful in the world. This lingering regret and resentment gnaw at him like ants, making him yearn for the Heavenly Jade Holy Master to experience the same taste of defeat. Moreover, he is the only one capable of turning people from the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, like yourself, against them."

The old man's eyes widened with a hint of terror.

"This individual aims to target the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, and there are few forces they could align with. The Heavenly Frost Nation is one such option, and perhaps significant promises were made, such as aiding Si Han in establishing a unified Heavenly Frost Dynasty. Si Han likely believes he has nothing to lose, regardless of the outcome. The Great Qian imperial family is stirring up internal conflict against the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, which he would naturally welcome, explaining Si Han's fervent efforts."

"However, the situation has now changed. You've activated your contingency plan, which, while still capable of creating conflict between the demon race and the Heavenly Jade Holy Land, won't succeed in tricking sensible leaders. As long as both sides' leaders aren't fools, they will attempt to clarify the situation and cease hostilities, rather than foolishly falling into another's schemes. It's clear your Holy Master already intends to stop fighting, so why won't Long Qinghuang accept?"

"It can't be about fighting over a man; that's not worth risking the entire demon race for... It can only mean she's reached another agreement with someone, shifting her stance to collectively target your Holy Master. This is the minimum outcome the planner sought to achieve, willing to temporarily cooperate with the demon race for it." At this point, Lu Xingzhou let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Even if there's a grain of truth to the 'fighting over a man' claim, it's merely a convenient diversion."

The old man was speechless.

"Long Qinghuang will relentlessly tie down your Holy Master. At the crucial moment, Si Han will shift his attack from Long Qinghuang to your Holy Master. And at her most vulnerable point, the mastermind behind everything will strike, sealing the outcome." Lu Xingzhou finished, fixing his gaze on the old man's eyes, and stated coldly, "All I want to know is, did Gu Zhanting come in person?"

The old man's face paled with alarm.

He had remained silent throughout, but by the end, his lips were trembling slightly, and he stared at Lu Xingzhou as if he were staring at a monster.

"Most likely not," Lu Xingzhou sneered. "It's not merely that his injuries haven't healed; he's also unwilling to expose his identity, which would cause a complete rupture with the Heavenly Jade Holy Land. Given that, you are now the only one who can prove he's the mastermind. Do you really think that if you stubbornly insist there's no evidence or that you merely acted out of principle, Ye Tinglan will be powerless against you? No, the one who will want to eliminate you then won't be Ye Tinglan, it will be Gu Zhanting. He won't leave you, a living piece of evidence, in this world."

The old man looked stunned. After a long silence, he spoke in a hoarse voice, "He... did not come in person."

"It must be a transcendent elder from the royal family, who has also concealed their appearance," Lu Xingzhou stated. "If you wish to survive, you only need to do one thing."

The old man stared fixedly at him.

"You and they must have a means of remote communication; it's impossible to rely entirely on tacit understanding," Lu Xingzhou explained. "All you need to do now is send a message, compelling this person to appear early. Then, when the final reckoning comes, I will ensure your survival."