"The Grand Summoning Order! Every high-ranking member of the Wind and Cloud Cult, listen well! Your Cult Master has urgent news to announce. All high-ranking members currently at headquarters—report here at once!"
Xiahou Jing, as the Cult Master, issued his command.
The Wind and Cloud Cult had been severely weakened after the last battle, their strength reduced to perhaps two or three tenths of what it had been. Now, the Eight Great Dharma Kings, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, and the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends were noticeably fewer in number than before.
Jiang Chen mingled among the Earthly Fiend Elders, a mix of excitement and anticipation stirring within him.
This time, he had infiltrated separately, even parting ways temporarily with the four Stone Goliath Clan brothers. He had disguised them and slipped them into the Wind and Cloud Cult's headquarters as well. However, under these circumstances, only the high-ranking members were permitted to attend—attendants and subordinates of those leaders were strictly forbidden.
Jiang Chen sat in his seat, eyes cast downward, nose aligned with heart, and made no attempt to converse with any of the other Earthly Fiend Elders.
Fortunately, the atmosphere was oppressive. No one dared to be too familiar with one another, lest they offend the Cult Master.
Jiang Chen's gaze shifted subtly toward the Wind and Cloud Cult Master. Standing beside him was unmistakably an old man—and Jiang Chen felt a faint sense of familiarity in the elder's aura.
"So it really is him," Jiang Chen thought. "This so-called reclusive human expert really has colluded with the Wind and Cloud Cult. What exactly does this Cult offer that's so tempting? What could possibly make a hidden powerhouse of the human race lower himself to entangle with the Wind and Cloud Cult?"
Jiang Chen genuinely couldn't understand.
Xiahou Jing swept a severe gaze across the assembly. "Everyone, the Glazed Glass Royal City has gone too far. At a critical juncture like this, they presumptuously declare war on our Wind and Cloud Cult. The Heavens themselves wish for their destruction. Does anyone have suggestions, or strategies to repel the enemy? Speak freely."
The Purple Nether Great Emperor was the first to respond. "Cult Master, the Glazed Glass Royal City is riding high on its momentum right now. In this subordinate's view, this battle must be won through cunning, not brute force."
"And how do you propose we use cunning?" Everyone knew the idea of clever tactics, but what did that actually look like?
"The root of the Glazed Glass Royal City's problem lies with Jiang Chen. If we can eliminate that brat, the Glazed Glass Royal City's army will crumble without a fight. Those rabble won't be able to amount to anything on their own. The Cult Master's great undertaking of uniting the human race will then proceed unobstructed."
In the end, it all came back to eliminating Jiang Chen first.
But for the Wind and Cloud Cult, that was precisely the greatest obstacle. Last time, they had besieged the Glazed Glass Royal City—an excellent opportunity, a flawless deployment—yet they had still fallen one move short.
Jiang Chen said nothing, quietly biding his time.
*Almost there,* he calculated inwardly. *The timing should be about right.*
Just as he was mulling this over, the chair beneath him suddenly lurched violently. Then the entire great hall began to shake.
"What's happening?" The violent tremors caught nearly everyone off guard, and most sprang to their feet in alarm.
"Is it the Glazed Glass Royal City's forces? Have they attacked?"
"Impossible! Even the Glazed Glass Royal City's army couldn't possibly arrive that quickly—"
**BOOM!**
Before the crowd had recovered from their shock, a series of thunderous explosions erupted from the Wind and Cloud Cult's headquarters in rapid succession, followed by ghostly wails and demonic howls from every direction.
The tremors beneath their feet grew worse.
*This is bad!*
The Cult Master's expression shifted slightly. In a sudden flash of realization, he understood what was happening. Someone was sabotaging the foundations of the Wind and Cloud Cult's headquarters.
If the foundation was shaken, how could the Cult possibly stand firm?
**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**
Each explosion was more powerful than the last, each more terrifying than the one before.
The waves of tremors surged, each cresting higher than the previous.
Even Xiahou Jing could no longer sit still. If the headquarters' foundations were compromised, even relocating the entire operation would deal a devastating blow to the Wind and Cloud Cult.
"Jing Yun, take a few people and go investigate!" Xiahou Jing ordered.
The Purple Nether Great Emperor cupped his fists, then pointed to several individuals. "You—follow me. Let's go see what's happening."
Jiang Chen watched the Purple Nether Great Emperor lead his group away and silently chuckled. *Just a handful of them? That's practically delivering them on a platter to the four Stone Goliath brothers.*
Jiang Chen kept his composure but inwardly praised the Stone Goliath Clan brothers for their excellent work.
As long as the Wind and Cloud Cult's internal stronghold suffered problems, panic would inevitably spread among the ranks. Once chaos took hold of their hearts, Jiang Chen would have his opening.
In truth, at this very moment, Jiang Chen felt a strong impulse to show his hand.
However, with so many Wind and Cloud Cult powerhouses present, he couldn't afford to act rashly. So Jiang Chen decided to wait a little longer.
Until a truly definitive opportunity presented itself, he would restrain the urge to strike.
From the Cult Master all the way down to the provisional elders, every face bore an expression of gravity, every pair of eyes tinged with anxiety.
There was no doubt about it—this inexplicable upheaval had only intensified the already strained atmosphere within the Wind and Cloud Cult. The air was so taut that a single spark could set it ablaze.