Published at 8th of September 2026 7:18 am

Chapter CH.1948 Manipulation

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Wu Hong glanced at the pale face of Xu Yuhan. "Are you worried someone has been manipulating this outcome from the shadows? There is no need for that. Your clan probably didn't know how to sanctify, so they thought they could succeed by perfectly mimicking Emperor Sui.

"But, on that note, your existence has become crucial to the Emperor Path. If Emperor Sui can be revived, our prosperity will be just around the corner."

She turned her eyes to the Holy Lord. "We should discuss increasing Young master Xu's security measures. Nothing can happen to him."

"As you wish, Saintess," the Holy Lord bowed.

"Now, you two: what's the purpose of your visit today? Be direct and don't waste my time."

Su Chengfeng stepped forward. "Our holy lands would like to buy the method of creating the Battle Spirit System."

"That's out of the question. If you want the system, pay us, and we will install it for you."

"Is there no room for negotiation?"

"No."

"What if we insist?"

"You have free will, so you can do whatever you please. But your actions mean shit to me," Wu Hong bluntly stated.

"Saintess, are you prepared to suffer the wrath of both Holy Lands?" Su Chengfeng knew how important the Battle Spirit System was. Since its creation, the Emperor Dao Holy Land's casualties in the Samsara Battlefield have already been reduced by 12% — and that's just the beginning. The system has existed for a long time, and it's already this effective. Meanwhile, in the Borderworld, the advance of the Red Cloud has completely altered. There are rumors Commander Long is preparing a counter-attack to regain land after his retreat.

"Your threats are meaningless — especially now that our holy land has four Quasi-Saints," Wu Hong casually replied. "And if you do dare attack us, that's fine. Everybody can die. We'll deactivate our side of the Three Path Array and let the Red Cloud swallow the world."

"You wouldn't dare."

Wu Hong chuckled. "You don't know me if you think that. If the Emperor Dao Holy Land dies at the hands of its 'allies,' then the world can burn with us."

Su Chengfeng and Cui Yun's expressions were severe; they couldn't tell if this Saintess was bluffing or not, but their intuition told them she wasn't. That woman might be crazy enough to burn the world if the Emperor Dao Holy Land is attacked by the other two.

"What if we offer 5 Dao Blessed Lands?" Cui Yun added.

"Not interested." With the revival of the Emperor Path, there should be more blessed lands being born. Plus, Wu Hong's current strategy for a while will be to cultivate Elite Emperors, so numbers didn't matter much.

"What about an Emperor Sui's inheritance?" Su Chengfeng asked.

"What are you talking about?" the Holy Lord asked.

"What most people don't know is that, besides Sovereign Dao, Emperor Sui was a master of Weapon Forging. Our holy land happens to have his inheritance, and we will offer it in exchange for the Battle Spirit System."

"No," Wu Hong replied without hesitation.

"Saintess."

"Think about it rationally," Wu Hong stated. "Emperor Sui's Weapon Refining Inheritance will only provide us with slight improvement. Meanwhile, the Battle Spirit System — the Power of Hope — is the key to saving this world. It's invaluable."

The Holy Spirit opened his mouth, but no word came out; he understood the Saintess was correct, but the idea that his founder's inheritance was in someone else's hands pained his heart.

"Don't worry too much. There are other ways to retrieve the inheritance."

"Really?"

"I don't need to lie to you," Wu Hong replied. As long as her array is set, there are indeed ways to retrieve the inheritance. Although there might be some risks, it will be worth it to appease the holy land.

"Thank you, Saintess."

"Saintess, this is —"

"Alright, your affairs are concluded. Now, it's my turn," Wu Hong said. "Are you aware that we are currently repairing the Three Paths Array?"

"Yes, what of it?" Su Chengfeng asked with gritted teeth, trying to control his anger.

"Why has your holy land contributed so little to the process?"

"It's your repair; why should we pay for it? You're lucky we are even providing any resources at all."

"So, that's how you feel? Very well. From now on, we'll divert all the array's strength to protect us and only us."

"You can't do that!"

"I can do whatever I want."

"Don't get agitated," Cui Yun said, placing her hands on his shoulder. "She's obviously bluffing. The Three Path Array is such a complex thing; how could she manipulate it at will?"

"You are grossly underestimating me," Wu Hong sneered. "The array is three Saint Arrays combined into one. Luckily, Emperor Sui's array — the one connecting to the Grand Dao Source — is the central commanding array. After repairing and strengthening, it won't take much effort to divert most of the power to our territory."

The two Saint Sons glanced at each other, communicating through divine sense. They truly couldn't tell if Wu Hong was telling the truth; more importantly, they couldn't risk it. The simple question of what-if forced them to hesitate.

"Alright, I already gave you enough of my time. If you want to pay for the system, do it. If not, leave. The same goes for the Three Path Array."

"Please," the Holy Lord said, showing them the way.

"Have you already determined the price for the system?" Wu Hong asked through divine sense.

"Yes," the Holy Lord replied.

"Double it."

"Is this alright?"

"Desperate people have no bargaining power," Wu Hong calmly replied.

"As you wish."

While the Holy Lord and Peak Masters negotiated with the Holy Lands or dealt with the sermon's aftermath, Wu Hong had someone bring her information on the sect's current affairs. As such, a pile of books, scrolls, and talismans lay at the foot of her throne. A few hours later, everyone gathered in the room.

"Saintess, what exactly is your plan?" Han Guo asked. After the Holy Lord brought them up to speed on the previous meeting, this was the question everyone wanted to ask.

"The Xu Clan's power must be recuperated," Wu Hong replied, eyes still glued to a document. "However, whether it's you, the disciples, or the majority of Emperor cultivators, they will not accept us directly attacking them. Most of you have too much reverence for Emperor Sui, while the others do not want the holy land to be too powerful.

"And more importantly, I don't want my actions to affect the current growth of the Emperor Path. So, we must first weaken the Xu Clan's reputation and status in the world. And the best way to do that is to question their legitimacy."

Wu Hong finished one scroll and immediately took another.

"Another way to annex them is to use the excuse of protecting Emperor Sui's vessel."

"Wait, what you said was true?" the Holy Lord asked. He thought the Saintess was just trying to destroy Xu Yuhan's Dao Heart.

"It is," Wu Hong nodded. "I suspect the other holy lands planned to work with the Xu Clan. However, after they verify my words, they will most likely try to kill him instead. That will be an opportunity to intervene."

"Should we make early preparations on the Xu Clan beforehand?" Han Guo asked.

"You catch on quickly," Wu Hong said. "My words should have planted a seed of doubt in Xu Yuhan's mind. We'll use it to destroy his relationship with the Xu Clan. And once the holy land tries to kill him, he'll have no other choice but to rely on us.

"Well, he's stupid, so he might try to run away alone. So, keep an eye on him."

Wu Hong paused before searching for a document; she wanted to know the status of the Holy Land's shadow organization. The result was both good and bad. In their territory, the Holy Land kept a tight ship; they had eyes on every powerful clan or faction—including the Xu Clan. They also had many members on the inside. However, when it comes to the other holy land's territory, they were utterly useless.

The reason was simple: these people sucked at training Qi Path cultivators. For some reason, their cultivation methods were obviously different, allowing the True Qi Path Holy Land and the Five Element Harmony Holy Land to detect their spies easily. On many occasions, these spies joined the other side to acquire better resources and techniques.

"That won't do," Wu Hong thought. Information has always been crucial to any plan. And in this complex dimension, such a truth is even more prominent. With a thought, Wu Hong condensed a seed with her spirit particle.

"Find a prisoner and use it to turn them into my puppet. That person will lead you into spreading your shadow dimension into the other territories."

"Yes, Saintess," Han Guo said, since the shadow organization was under her control.

"What happened with the negotiations?"

"They agreed to our terms for the Battle Spirit System, but they remained quiet about the Three Path Array."

"Then, let's give them some motivation." Wu Hong sent words to the first avatar, asking her to divert some of the power from the Three Path Array.

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