The Bewildered Thousand Feather Empire
Murong Gong and the others had been traumatized by the Black Viper.
Especially Murong Gong and Zhang Shaofeng.
They had experienced the Black Viper's butt from an extremely close distance.
It was incredibly smelly!
They had crashed right into the Black Viper's behind, which had angered it.
The group stumbled back several yards before finally stopping.
They began scrutinizing the black dog that was still snarling and baring its white teeth.
This dog... was really the formidable Black Viper?
Moreover, this black dog had no aura of cultivation.
But they could confirm that it was this very black dog that had spoken earlier.
"You say you're the Black Viper?" Murong Gong mustered his courage and asked.
The Black Viper nodded and said, "At that time, I was unclear that you were friends of that existence. I've come to apologize this time, especially to you two. I'm truly sorry for severely injuring you."
Hearing these words, Murong Gong and Zhang Shaofeng were convinced that this black dog was indeed the Black Viper.
Because they had heard the words "that existence" from the Black Viper's mouth.
It was referring to the Progenitor!
"So the Progenitor not only used the top Heavenly Lord Pavilion to suppress the Thousand Feather Empire but also helped us get revenge by turning the Black Viper into this state!"
Murong Gong blinked his eyes, thinking to himself.
Zhang Shaofeng and the others shared the same thought as Murong Gong at this moment, with looks of reverence in their eyes.
Seeing that the group remained silent, the Black Viper, thinking they still didn't believe it, silently recited an incantation.
In the next moment, it began to grow larger.
In the blink of an eye, it appeared in its true form inside the grand hall.
Murong Gong and the others, feeling the extremely formidable aura from the massive creature up close, were stunned.
You... you want to do what!
After reverting to its original form, the Black Viper asked, "Do you believe me now?"
Hearing this, Murong Gong and the others' mouths twitched.
We already believed you!
"We believe you, we believe you!" Murong Gong said.
Only then did the Black Viper nod in satisfaction, turning back into a black dog. It then said with a bitter smile, "The fact that I injured you has already happened. Here's what we'll do - in the mountain cave where I reside, there are many treasures you need. I'll give them to you as compensation. How about that?"
Murong Gong and the others listened with eyes growing wider and wider.
What a generous offer!
"Good! Good!" Murong Gong quickly agreed.
Suddenly, he felt that the injuries he had suffered were worth it.
Hearing this, the Black Viper let out a breath of relief.
That's good, then.
"Let's go."
Under the Black Viper's lead, Murong Gong and the others appeared outside the cave entrance.
The weather was still beautiful.
Just before, there had been the sounds of insects and birds, but as soon as they appeared, everything fell silent.
The surroundings became extremely quiet.
Murong Gong and the others looked at the black cave entrance, not afraid of the Black Viper deceiving them, and followed it inside.
First, since the Black Viper knew of the existence of the Progenitor, it meant the Progenitor had truly encountered the Black Viper.
Second, the Black Viper was so much stronger than them that it had no need to deceive them - it could just kill them directly.
The Black Viper led the way, while Murong Gong and the others carried torches, venturing deeper inside.
Before long, they reached the end of the cave.
It was a very large space.
On the cave walls hung many luminous pearls that provided light.
Murong Gong and the others extinguished their torches and looked at the scene before them.
For a moment, they were dumbfounded.
Weapons piled up like small hills!
Top-grade spirit stones piled up like small hills!
And a small pile of unknown treasures!
The Black Viper said, "All these things belong to you now, as compensation for what I did to you. The next time you see that existence, I hope you can put in a good word for me, or at least say that you no longer bear any grudge against me. Can you do that?"
Murong Gong and the others, dazed, looked at the black dog on the ground and immediately nodded vigorously like pecking chicks.
Jackpot!
This was a real jackpot!
Seeing their reaction, the Black Viper exhaled again.
At this moment, it also did not forget to look in a certain direction.
Its gaze fell upon a compass that floated over to it.
It looked at Murong Gong and the others and said, "This is a formation array. I've already infused it with enough spiritual energy. As long as you set it up on the peak of your sect's mountain and activate it, a Great Protective Formation will appear, enveloping the entire sect. Its defensive power will reach the Peak of the Great Traverse Realm. Without two Peak Great Traverse cultivators attacking together, no one can forcibly enter the formation."
After speaking, the formation compass floated over to Murong Gong.
Murong Gong had already gone dazed and shakily held out his hands to receive the compass.
I must be dreaming!
A Great Protective Formation capable of withstanding the Peak of the Great Traverse Realm?!
Their two sects had just begun merging. Once they established their mountain gate, if such a powerful formation arose, how imposing would that be?
In their perception, throughout the mortal realm, there were only one or two powers possessing such a high-level formation.
Now, their remote and extremely weak sect had unexpectedly gained access to such a formation - it was simply unimaginable!
Murong Gong and the others were so delighted that they nearly burst into dance.
At the same time, in a majestic palace far away, several people wore gloomy expressions, as still as a pool of dead water.
A middle-aged man sat on the main seat, looking as if he had been served by dozens of strong men - his face was as black as charcoal, gritting his teeth.
"What exactly is going on! Who can tell me!"
A loud roar suddenly echoed throughout the palace, shaking endlessly.
The others all kept their heads lowered, for how could they know what was happening?
The Heavenly Lord Pavilion had abruptly begun suppressing them, leaving them equally bewildered.
It had caught them completely off guard.
The middle-aged man sitting on the main seat was Liu Zhengtao, the Emperor of the Thousand Feather Empire.
Just earlier that day, he had finalized an alliance with several major powers, agreeing that they would no longer distinguish between each other in the future.
Who would have thought that, just a few hours ago, these powers had all sent word that they would cut off all ties with the Thousand Feather Empire?
Once again treating them as strangers!
Apart from them, all the powers that had cooperated with the Thousand Feather Empire had sent identical messages, coldly informing them that their partnerships were over, as if they had all coordinated in advance.
Moreover, apart from that, the Heavenly Lord Pavilion had also begun suppressing them in other ways.
In business dealings.
In the expansion of their influence.
They were being constrained in almost every aspect.
Some empires had even publicly declared that if anyone from the Thousand Feather Empire dared to set foot in their territory, they would be executed without mercy!
In just the span of an afternoon, the Thousand Feather Empire had gone from being the golden phoenix admired and courted by all to a dog fallen into the water, looked down upon by everyone!
In front of the gloomy and silent main hall, an old man suddenly appeared.
As soon as he appeared, the entire hall fell even more silent.
This person was Liu Guangpu, the Retired Emperor of the Thousand Feather Empire.
His cultivation level was the First Level of the Great Traverse Realm.
Seeing his father, Liu Zhengtao said with an unsightly expression, "Father, you've heard the news too?"
Liu Guangpu said solemnly, "You still want to hide it from me? Speak, what exactly is going on?"
Not long ago, Liu Guangpu had used his status to establish connections with several top experts of the continent. Now, each of them had told him they were cutting ties from then on.
He found it hard to understand and accept this sudden shift, especially considering how respectful those experts, despite being much stronger than him, had been not long before.
Liu Zhengtao's face twitched as he smiled bitterly, "Father, I'm just as clueless!"
Just as the two were feeling perplexed, another person suddenly appeared in the main hall.
This person wore black robes and a black mask, exuding a cultivation aura at the middle stage of the Great Traverse Realm - extremely formidable.
The newcomer was a member of the Heavenly Lord Pavilion!