I Can Merge Techniques

"That was nothing more than childish squabbling." Zhang Yanzong’s expression grew even darker.

Lingkong Jade didn’t turn back, her voice drifting over. "If anything truly goes wrong with the matter of the Burial Immortal Valley, you, Zhang Yanzong, and your century-old Zhang Family, will cease to exist!"

"Refuse to join me, and you’ll live to regret it!"

Before her voice had even faded, her figure vanished into the secret passage like a phantom, leaving behind only a chilling gust of wind.

In the secret room, Zhang Yanzong’s tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"That bitch..."

He muttered to himself, his gaze complex, ’Does she really intend to ruin my plan?!’

’If she really dares to ruin my plan, the Lord Guardian will make her live a life worse than death!’

"Father." The secret room’s door was pushed open, and a person walked in. It was Zhang Tianyu.

"Lingkong Jade is insidious, cunning, and obstinate. Now that she’s here, she certainly won’t let this rest."

"Should we report this to the Main Altar?"

Zhang Yanzong waved his hand, his gaze firm. "No need. The top priority right now is the Burial Immortal Valley."

"No matter how audacious Lingkong Jade gets, she wouldn’t dare sabotage the crucial affair of the Burial Immortal Valley."

"But it’s highly likely she plans to take advantage of the conflict between our Zhang Family and the other powers to reap the benefits."

"Send out the order to tighten our security. Pay close attention to the movements of the various factions in the city, especially the Demon Suppression Bureau and Prince Zhennan’s Mansion."

"Yes, Father." Zhang Tianyu replied respectfully and withdrew without a sound.

Zhang Yanzong was left alone in the secret room.

He stared at the wall, his gaze deep, lost in thought.

The light of the Luminous Pearl cast mottled shadows on his face, reflecting the schemes and ambition in his heart.

Burial Immortal Valley, a Secret Realm that had lain dormant for a thousand years, would see the light of day again because of the Moon Worship Sect’s plan.

And because of this, a bloody storm was bound to sweep through Qing Province.

Zhang Yanzong knew full well that the real storm had only just begun.

He had to tread carefully, acting with the utmost caution, to preserve the Zhang Family in this great game and... advance even further.

However, Lingkong Jade’s appearance had put him on edge.

Often, the threat came not from the Demon Suppression Bureau or the Great Yan Dynasty, but from within the Moon Worship Sect itself...

The Moon Worship Sect was far from a united front.

Multiple factions, each with its own agenda, were constantly plotting and backstabbing...

...

Some thirty miles outside of Qing Province, there was a desolate hill.

The wind whistled through the withered grass, rustling like ghostly whispers.

Two black figures appeared out of thin air. They were Lingkong Jade, who had just left the Zhang Family’s secret room, and her personal bodyguard, Qian Ning.

"Hmph!"

A cold snort, filled with incandescent rage, shattered the hill’s silence.

Lingkong Jade’s beautiful face was twisted with fiendish rage, her expression as dark as a thundercloud, her eyes burning with untamed fury.

"The nerve of Zhang Yanzong! The nerve of the Zhang Family!"

"He just became a Divine Sacrifice Envoy and he already dares to act so insolently before me!"

"Does he really think he has everything figured out? That with the power of the Zhang Family, he can play all the major families and sects of Qing Province, and even Prince Zhennan’s Mansion and the Demon Suppression Bureau, in the palm of his hand?"

"What a narrow-minded fool, living in a dream world!"

She grew angrier as she spoke. With a flick of her sleeve, a sharp blast of force swept out, instantly pulverizing a nearby boulder half her height.

The black-robed woman beside her, Qian Ning, bowed. "My Lady is absolutely right."

"The Zhang Family has been lying low in Qing Province for years; their fangs were filed down long ago. Now, with a taste of power, they think they can overturn the heavens. It’s laughable that they dream of using the Burial Immortal Valley affair to become the sole power in the region."

"In my opinion, there’s no need for us to intervene. They are bound to end in a disastrous defeat..."

Lingkong Jade’s anger abated slightly, replaced by a deeply hidden anxiety. "The Burial Immortal Valley affair is no small matter. It’s a critical step for our Moon Worship Sect to seize control of the world!"

"Do you think I truly care about Zhang Yanzong’s attitude?"

"The point is, with the failure at Cyan Yang Ancient City and the theft of the ’key,’ I can barely answer to the Lord Guardian as it is."

"I must use the Burial Immortal Valley affair to redeem myself. Otherwise... the consequences will be unthinkable."

Hearing this, Qian Ning immediately understood her lady’s real trouble and said in a low voice, "But Zhang Yanzong is completely unreasonable and has forbidden you from intervening. What are we to do, My Lady?"

A cold, derisive sneer touched Lingkong Jade’s lips. "Just because he forbids me from intervening, I’m supposed to listen?"

"He wants to be the one to stick his neck out? Fine. I’ll let him."

A glint flashed in Qian Ning’s eyes as she instantly understood. "My Lady, you mean... we watch from the sidelines, and once he fails, we step in to save the day?"

"Precisely." A cunning glint appeared in Lingkong Jade’s eyes. "At that point, I can atone for my past failure and justifiably take over the sect’s affairs in Qing Province."

"I’ll let Zhang Yanzong know who’s really in charge!"

"That fool is only acting so arrogant and domineering because he knows I lost the Ten Thousand Souls Banner!"

But at the mere thought of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, an undeniable flash of bitter loss and venomous resentment crossed Lingkong Jade’s eyes.

"Damn it!" she seethed, gritting her teeth as her nails dug deep into her palms.

"It’s all because of that Yue Mankong from the Demon Suppression Bureau!"

"I spent decades of my life’s blood and gathered countless living souls to forge the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, only for him to rip it away from me!"

"If I still had the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, this trip to the Burial Immortal Valley would have been the perfect chance for it to Devour the souls of countless experts."

"It would have helped me break through my bottleneck and ascend to a whole new level!"

"If I still had the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, the Burial Immortal Valley..."

The battle at Cyan Yang Ancient City had been a bitter and profound humiliation for her.

She had been the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole waiting behind.

Not only did she fail, but she suffered a great loss, her most precious treasure gone with the wind.

Every time she thought of it, her heart twisted in agony.

Seeing that she had touched a raw nerve, Qian Ning quickly changed the subject. She bowed and asked, "My Lady, please quell your anger. There is something I must ask—"

"What should be done about the Demon Suppression Guard, Chu Fan, who came to Qing Province from Cyan Yang Ancient City?"

At the mention of the name "Chu Fan," Lingkong Jade’s expression shifted, a flicker of disgust mixed with a barely perceptible trace of admiration.

"Chu Fan..." She mused for a moment before saying something startling. "A genius is hard to come by. That boy has ruined my plans time and again, and he’s utterly detestable, but he’s also a rare talent, the kind you see once in a century."