The World Changes, the Martial Alliance is Born

The next day.

A bombshell piece of news spread across the entire world like a swarm of locusts.

The strongest and most formidable organization in the Western Nation—

Death’s Hand!

Had been reduced to ruins overnight!!

The entire martial arts forum was flooded with a mysterious video that had suddenly appeared online.

In the footage,

Dick Hobbert, the leader of Death’s Hand, stood frozen in front of a floor-to-ceiling window.

Then, the Night King strode forward and ran him through with a single sword strike.

Subsequently, grandmasters from various sects arrived, only to be obliterated by the Night King’s sword energy, which blotted out half the sky.

On the martial arts forum,

Netizens in the comments under the Night King’s video were utterly dumbfounded.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. The Night King is way too overpowered!”

“Seriously, one strike to kill the leader of Death’s Hand, another to wipe out five grandmasters.”

“Wait, why was Dick just standing there waiting to be killed?”

“This is insane! How are we supposed to compete with that?”

“Are we just supposed to become cannon fodder against the Night Organization after becoming martial artists?”

“Hold on, why are you all so panicked? Haven’t you noticed the Night King only targets those guilty of heinous crimes?”

“Uh… what are you implying?”

“What I mean is, there’s no need to worry. As long as you haven’t done anything evil, you’ve got nothing to fear from the Night King!”

“Besides, even if he does come knocking, right now he’s only likely to go after those ancient martial sects that treat ordinary lives as worthless!”

“Hmm… you’ve got a point. So becoming a martial artist won’t put us in danger after all?”

“Who knows? What if the Night King’s real target is martial artists themselves?”

The forum was a mix of rational discussions, despairing rants, and indifferent voices.

No one could have predicted this.

Three days ago,

When the Night Organization issued its kill order against Death’s Hand,

People had dismissed it as a mere joke. Yet now… it had become reality.

The Western and Eastern Nations urgently held a joint international press conference.

At the venue,

The heads of both nations’ martial arts departments appeared on screen.

The Western Nation’s representative was a bald Black man, with his identity displayed below:

[Blake Adolf]

Both men wore grave expressions.

Long Tianyuan faced the camera, his fists clenched as he spoke in a heavy voice, “Last night, our world suffered an unprecedented catastrophe.”

His tone carried unmistakable grief and fury.

His gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, locking onto every viewer.

“That black-clad figure, and the dark sword in his hand, have taken the lives of countless of our comrades.”

“The leader of the Thunder Sect, along with the other grandmasters—they were the pride of our world, the elite of the martial arts community. Their loss is a weight we cannot bear.”

Blake, the Western Nation’s martial arts department head, was equally resolute. Taking the microphone, he declared in a steady voice, “Our nation has suffered a devastating blow. Our martial artists, too, lost their lives in this sudden calamity.”

“This is no mere joke. This is a challenge to all of us, a threat to the entire world.”

“The Night King! He is the world’s evil, bringing destruction upon us all!!”

His voice brimmed with unshakable resolve: “Humanity must unite—not only to face the Night King but also the hidden dangers lurking in the shadows!”

The atmosphere at the press conference was tense. The two department heads sat side by side, their nations’ flags fluttering behind them.

“We will pool all our resources to locate the Night Organization’s base and find the Night King!”

Long Tianyuan spoke again, “We will not let our comrades die in vain. We will restore peace to this world.”

“This is our vow, and our duty.”

Blake raised his voice in a rallying cry: “We call upon all martial artists, all citizens, to stand together against this threat.”

At this point,

Long Tianyuan’s expression turned deadly serious: “Here and now, I, alongside Western Nation’s Blake Adolf, declare that our two nations shall merge into one!”

“We hereby formally establish… the Martial Alliance!!”

“We will share resources, jointly develop martial arts facilities, and stand united… against the Night King!”

“The Night King’s power has far exceeded our expectations.”

“If left unchecked, the world will soon be shrouded in his darkness!”

“Here, I also urge the ancient martial sects—this is no time for division. The time for unity is now!”

“……”

“……”

The Gu Residence.

Gu Yan watched the broadcast, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

Good. Everything was proceeding exactly as planned.

The Eastern and Western Nations had merged.

From this moment onward, the world… would no longer be divided by nations. There would only be one united human entity—the Martial Alliance!

Heh. Perfect.

With the Eastern and Western Nations dealt with, all that remained was…

The ancient martial world!

Gu Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had already received word.

After the deaths of the Thunder Sect’s leader and the other grandmasters last night, the ancient martial sects hadn’t banded together. Instead, they were scrambling to seize the territories left behind by the fallen.

Such was the ruthless reality of the martial world.

But… this would only delay his plans.

With that thought, Gu Yan flicked his finger.

Whoosh!

Ten shadowy figures materialized behind him.

Their auras alone confirmed it—every one of them was at least a grandmaster!!

Then,

Gu Yan’s gaze remained fixed on the screen as he spoke in a detached tone: “You ten, take Stone and the others to the ancient martial world.”

“Eliminate the ten sects on this list.”

If you insist on dragging your feet, don’t blame me for stepping in to speed things along.

The moment he finished speaking,

Swish!

The ten grandmaster-level shadows vanished in an instant.

Wiping out ten sects was as trivial to Gu Yan now as deciding what to eat for dinner.

He was acutely aware of the shift in his mindset.

His expression remained calm as he watched the live broadcast.

Soon.

Once the world united under a single banner, a true Martial Alliance to oppose the Night King would be formed!

Then, the final step—becoming the enemy of all—could begin in earnest.

He had done all he could for now.

All that remained… was to wait.

Gu Yan leaned back on the sofa and raised the back of his hand.

Buzz—

A strange blur distorted his vision momentarily, and his hand briefly appeared double.

The corruption of the Power of Night was deepening.

Gu Yan’s expression didn’t change.

The Power of Pure Love could envelop the Power of Night, slowing its spread.

But…

The cost was the depletion of his own reserves of Pure Love Value.

And that… was unacceptable.

Because…

The Power of Love had another purpose—it couldn’t be wasted here.

For the sake of the plan, this small sacrifice was worth it.

Gu Yan clenched his fist, the haze in his mind dissipating as his gaze grew resolute.

No matter what the ultimate truth was...

This time, he would never be separated from Leng Qingqiu again!

Speaking of which... judging by the timing...

The task he had assigned to Wang Yulan and the others should be nearly complete by now.

Planting the [Seeds of Malice], infused with the Power of Night and the cells of the Night King, in forbidden zones across the world.

Through them, continuously absorbing the energy of those forbidden lands, allowing Gu Yan to master their inherent rules and laws!

Once fully harnessed...

Gu Yan would be able to forcibly summon all forbidden zones into the mortal realm!

And thus... usher the demonic creatures into the present world!!

A grand invasion of monsters—Gu Yan would flawlessly recreate this spectacle.

And when that time came...

The true hero... would also step onto the stage.

If disrupting the plot like this could draw out the mastermind behind the scenes...

Then...

He would spare no cost to eradicate that existence!