Xie Buyu and the others did not found the Divine Alliance in the first year after their master’s fall. The real reason was that they had already set out on the path of vengeance. Over the next century, they hunted down and slew each of the seven who had attacked their master, Yanyong—until only the true mastermind, Gu Zongdao, remained alive.
They were not unwilling to kill him; it was just that Gu Zongdao had vanished without a trace the moment Yanyong perished. So much time had passed that many assumed he must have died somewhere unknown. Even if Xie Buyu and her companions hungered for retribution, they could no longer fulfill their wish. At last they accepted that Gu Zongdao was indeed gone, and only then did they establish Wuliang Hall and proclaim their bold motto: “Defy us, and ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) we strike!”
During that era they were truly impassioned. In the northern reaches of the Divine Realm they fought numerous fierce battles, earning Wuliang Hall a formidable reputation and attracting many divine beings to join them. Everything seemed to be heading toward a bright future—until on one expedition Xie Buyu suddenly locked herself in the main hall for several days, her once-unmatched vigor gone. Afterwards she withdrew into seclusion and ceased all involvement in Alliance affairs.
Her cloister lasted three hundred thousand years. In that time, Elder Zhu Qiyuan, Ma Tongtian, and Jiang Mingtian each vanished without explanation, and Dongfang Yelai returned gravely wounded, unconscious. All that remained to hold up the Alliance was Nangong Yantian. He had always been the most even-tempered of their sect, never one to seek conflict. Yet faced with such catastrophe, he could bear it no longer. He stormed into Xie Buyu’s retreat, demanding that the Alliance Sovereign emerge.
What transpired inside no one knows—but those nearby sensed tremendous surges of divine power. After a long while, Nangong Yantian walked out, his countenance darkened. He abandoned his old mild manners and began sowing discord everywhere. With time, he seemed to become the true soul of Wuliang Hall. Meanwhile Xie Buyu, having remained secluded so long, was nearly forgotten. Two years after emerging, only a handful still went to pay their respects—Nangong Yantian was not among them. Xie Buyu said nothing, continuing her reclusive life.
By now many within Wuliang Hall believed that the true Sovereign of the Divine Alliance was Nangong Yantian, not Xie Buyu. A few, however, disagreed. After all, an Alliance can have only one leader—and if someone grew too prominent, it risked breeding upheaval.
Having heard Elder Ge’s account, Ye Yu probed, “Do you mean the senior siblings turned on each other for power? And you warned me off so I wouldn’t pick the wrong side and be purged?”
Elder Ge nodded gravely, then pointed at Ye Yu. “You were fortunate. Yesterday’s events were entirely Nangong Yantian’s staged drama. His true supporters had already been sent out on missions; those left in the Alliance were either loyal to Xie Buyu or neutral fence-sitters. He arranged for you all to reinforce his cause, hoping you’d die in the chaos he’d orchestrate. He never expected you to burst in midway and break his trap. Now you know why it was Xie Buyu who came to your aid last night.”
Ye Yu’s expression turned ice-cold. “So that makes perfect sense. No wonder Nangong Yantian targeted the three elders—to use them as instruments! Ridiculous. Fight among yourselves if you must, but why drag me into it? And now that I survived, everyone’s scrambling to win me over with olive branches? Is this how you do things in Wuliang Hall? I thought this Divine Alliance had promise, but apparently not.”
Ye Yu shook his head. He truly had no desire to meddle in their sordid affairs. He pushed the Nine-Turn Hidden Dragon Pill and all the rare treasures before Elder Ge. “I’m leaving Wuliang Hall. Take these as a memento—perhaps we’ll meet again someday.”
Elder Ge looked startled and hurried to block his path. “Nangong Yantian is unpredictable. If you leave now, he may suspect Xie Buyu sent you on a covert errand. It’s safest to wait a few days before you go. And I can’t let your gifts go unanswered—here, take something from me as a keepsake.”
He tossed Ye Yu a simple wooden blade. Ye Yu caught it and his eyes lit up. Having studied the Complete Compendium of Divine Realm Artifacts last night, he recognized at once that this unassuming wooden knife was in fact a superior divine weapon named Zhanhun (Soul Severer): it could harm the soul without injuring the divine body. No matter how strong one’s divine form, it could not withstand its edge. Rumor held that the number of Divine Lords who had fallen to it reached double digits.
Ye Yu had expected Elder Ge to offer something fine, but never imagined it would be a superior divine artifact right away. “Old man with the sidelong glance, you’re generous!”
He gripped Zhanhun and tried to raise it for inspection but found an unseen force pulling it down. Elder Ge whispered, “A fine weapon indeed, but to wield it you must win over its spirit. Be content, lad—don’t think I’ve tricked you. Xie Buyu spoke highly of you here, yet I wouldn’t let her claim it. I gave it to you straight—such is the esteem I hold you in. Go study it well; master it, and your divine counterpart will become an unstoppable force.”
Ye Yu nodded and departed with Zhanhun.
At the same time, in Wuliang Hall’s inner sanctum, Xie Buyu stood before a massive scroll inscribed with every member’s name—and each name bore a color-coded mark.
