Allies of the Burning Heaven Palace

The thought exploded in his mind like a clap of thunder, causing Xuanyangzi to shudder violently. The expression on his face instantly shifted from pleasant surprise to sheer horror, and then from horror to a complex mix of disbelief, wild joy, and fear!

He stared fixedly at the ten seemingly ordinary puppets, his throat dry and his lips trembling, yet unable to utter a single word.

Ten Quasi-Emperor puppets? How could that be possible!

It was hard to say if there were even ten Quasi-Emperors in the entire Xuanhuang Great World!

But if it was his Junior Brother who brought them out, did it suddenly seem not entirely impossible?

He felt his brain buzzing. One moment, he felt he was overthinking things and engaging in wild fantasies.

The next moment, he felt that given his Junior Brother's style, it was entirely something he would do! The two conflicting thoughts waged a mad war in his mind, making his expression as colorful as a knocked-over dye vat.

Gu Changge took in Xuanyangzi's ever-changing, unpredictable expressions—ranging from shock to ecstasy to self-doubt—but merely smiled faintly without saying another word, picking up the teacup beside him to take a light sip.

Keep guessing.

Looking at Gu Changge's calm and breezy demeanor, which clearly spelled out a silent admission combined with a look of watching a good show, the absurd speculation in Xuanyangzi's heart instantly turned into an eighty percent certainty!

He forcefully suppressed the excitement that was threatening to burst through his chest, took several deep breaths, and barely managed to keep his voice from trembling. J-Junior Brother... this... this generous gift, your Senior Brother... I...

For a moment, he simply did not know how to express the monstrous waves surging in his heart. Ultimately, it culminated in a deep bow, everything conveyed in silence.

Carefully, as if handling the most precious treasures in the world, he stored away the ten puppets that were possibly, probably, perhaps Quasi-Emperors.

He felt as though his storage space had become infinitely heavier, as if it were now carrying the future of the entire sect.

Once his emotions settled slightly, the shock brought about by the puppets was quickly replaced by another kind of excitement on his face. It was as if he had suddenly remembered something highly amusing, completely forgetting his wretched state from being beaten up in the tower just moments ago.

He took two steps closer, wearing a smug expression that practically screamed praise me, and lowered his voice to speak to Gu Changge. By the way, Junior Brother Changge, I have an interesting matter to tell you.

Seeing that the Seven Sects Tournament is approaching, I took some time a few days ago to visit the Burning Heaven Palace and used a few little tricks to investigate. Guess what?

Without waiting for Gu Changge to respond, he impatiently continued. Ha! That Third Elder is indeed up to no good; he's actually a nail planted by the Myriad Laws Pavilion right beside Lie Tianxiong!

And that Fourth Elder is hidden even deeper—he's a man from the Great Yan Sect!

Even their First Elder is a restless one. Relying on his seniority, he refuses to accept the Second Elder managing the sect in the interim and is secretly trying to contact people to stir up trouble!

Xuanyangzi spoke with dancing eyebrows, as if sharing some incredible discovery.

Good thing the Second Elder is our man. He planted his own people in key positions early on and has earned Lie Tianxiong's deep trust. That is the only reason the situation has been stabilized.

From top to bottom in their sect, among the core disciples and deacons, there are so many hidden nails! Tsk tsk, I really don't know how this Lie Tianxiong manages his sect; it's almost been infiltrated into a sieve!

He paused, the smugness on his face growing thicker. Adopting a modest tone of not claiming credit, which was actually full of showing off, he said.

As your Senior Brother, I simply couldn't stand watching it, so I had to expend a little mental effort, cast some soul-control arts, and slightly sorted things out. As for now!

He spread his hands with a radiant smile. Aside from Lie Tianxiong himself still holding up the facade on stage, from the secluded patriarch down to the elders and core disciples, you could say that the Burning Heaven Palace, from top to bottom, is now entirely composed of our Qingxuan Sect's people!

After he finished speaking, he raised his head slightly and stealthily observed Gu Changge's reaction, expecting to see a look of approval or surprise on his Junior Brother's face.

He believed this operation was executed beautifully and cleanly. Taking down a major sect without shedding a single drop of blood was undoubtedly a grand masterstroke.

Gu Changge listened to Xuanyangzi's boasting, his calm gaze landing on that smug, praise-me face, staring so intently that the smile on Xuanyangzi's face gradually began to feel a bit eerie.

His heart started beating like a drum. Did Junior Brother think I did something wrong? Or were the methods too underhanded?

After a long while, Gu Changge finally raised an eyebrow slightly, the corners of his mouth curling into an extremely faint arc, and said slowly. Senior Brother certainly has good spirits and a kind heart. With the massive foundation of the Burning Heaven Palace, your sorting out has indeed saved Palace Master Lie Tianxiong a lot of trouble in distinguishing the loyal from the treacherous.

Hearing this, Xuanyangzi was stunned for a moment before tasting the teasing undertone in the words. His old face flushed red, and he gave a dry, awkward laugh.

Ahem, Junior Brother must be joking. I was also thinking of the overall situation of the sect, taking precautions against future troubles...

He quickly changed the subject, his tone carrying the excitement of someone waiting for a good show. But speaking of Lie Tianxiong, he's still in seclusion. When I was sorting things out last time, I casually sensed his aura. Good heavens, his cultivation is about to break through to the peak of the Heaven and Human Realm! It seems the stimulation he received last time wasn't small.

Xuanyangzi smacked his lips, continuing his own fantasies with a tone full of anticipation.

Tsk tsk, just think about it. When this old fellow, full of self-satisfaction and feeling like he's on top of the world again, finally breaks out of seclusion, ready to restore his former glory and find a chance to wipe away his past humiliation... hehehe...

He couldn't help but laugh out loud, as if he could already see that comical scene. As a result, when he opens his eyes, he'll find that everyone in his home, from top to bottom, all his core members, have clear eyes and are immensely respectful to him, shouting 'Palace Master is mighty' while in their hearts they are all thinking 'Long live the Qingxuan Sect!'

Hahaha! Just thinking about that scene is hilarious!

Gu Changge looked at Xuanyangzi's animated face, full of the excitement of someone who had pulled off a massive heist and was just waiting to watch the fun.

Then, listening to his scheming that was completely devoid of any psychological burden and even carried a hint of petty pride, the hand holding the teacup paused almost imperceptibly.

He silently looked at Xuanyangzi for a few seconds, a trace of an extremely rare, almost bewildered confusion flashing deep in his eyes.

For a moment, even with Gu Changge's state of mind, he actually couldn't quite distinguish...

Was the style of conduct of this Qingxuan Sect he was in considered righteous or villainous?

This manner of quietly thoroughly investigating someone else's foundation, swapping everyone from top to bottom with their own people, and then squatting on the sidelines waiting to see the victim's dumbfounded expression...

No matter how you looked at it, it shared the exact same flavor as the classic operations of those behind-the-scenes masterminds and demonic path titans in the novels he read in his past life.

Yet, Senior Brother Xuanyangzi still wore a candid look of having performed a great merit for the sect, completely lacking any self-awareness.

Gu Changge lowered his eyes and gently blew on the tea leaves floating in his cup, remaining silent in his heart.

Forget it. Righteous or evil, as long as Senior Brother is happy and the sect is stable, that is fine.

It's just that, did the atmosphere of this Qingxuan Sect start to get a bit... crooked from the moment he brought out the soul-control arts?