Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 113

Volume 7 Chapter 113: Arrangement and Seizing Power

What is Zhang Xusheng really thinking? What does he want to do?

This kind of question echoed in everyone’s heart at this moment.

Or, perhaps, no one knew except Zhang Xusheng; or maybe, even Zhang Xusheng himself was not so clear.

Various questions also accumulated in the hearts of the "An" organization members under Zhang Xusheng, but to them, Zhang Xusheng was their sky, their god, even their faith. Although Zhang Xusheng’s serious and determined appearance in recent days made them uncomfortable, they still buried those questions deep in their hearts.

"Do as Zhang Xusheng says, don’t ask why; Zhang Xusheng must be right" – this saying was deeply engraved in their souls.

At this moment, all the members of the "An" organization stood quietly outside Zhang Xusheng’s room, waiting for his call.

Since the "Spirit Eater" reappeared, Zhang Xusheng had spent most of his time in his room, and no one knew what he was doing. Ever since Xu Qingfan brought countless Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands cultivators to the Human Alliance, Zhang Xusheng’s time spent in his room increased even more.

"Come in."

After standing in silence for a long time, Zhang Xusheng’s voice finally reached their ears, soft and almost like a sigh.

Pushing open the door, Mingluo and Jiluo, along with a group of "An" organization members, entered the room, standing in neat rows with their hands respectfully by their sides.

"Have you all completed the tasks I asked you to do?"

Zhang Xusheng sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly opening his eyes and asking.

"All completed."

Mingluo replied.

Zhang Xusheng nodded, a serious expression on his face softened a little, and faintly, it seemed possible to glimpse a hint of the familiar, elusive smile that showed his pride and reserve.

"Then you may leave. The final battle is here, and the results will be revealed in the coming days. You must prepare well and not be careless."

"Yes."

Mingluo and the others answered respectfully and were about to leave.

However, as they were leaving, Mingluo showed a hint of hesitation. After a moment, he stopped again, bowed to Zhang Xusheng, and then asked, "Leader… I know I shouldn’t ask these questions, but if I do not ask, we will be uncertain as we carry out our tasks… These days, with your actions… Are you really determined to help the Human Alliance? Although with your intelligence, in just one month, the entire Human Alliance has followed your will, the power you built in the Human Alliance over the years has gradually been consumed by Zizhen, Xu Qingfan, and others. Nearly half of the new humans you trained have been killed by Chou, and now, only the original members of our ‘Dark’ organization still listen to you. According to your plan, the Shura Clan is unlikely to win, and even the ‘Spirit Eater’ won’t pose a threat to us in a short time. Aren’t you afraid that after helping the Human Alliance regain control of the Shenzhou Continent, Zizhen, Xu Qingfan, and the others will betray you?"

Zhang Xusheng quietly looked at Mingluo for a moment, and the expression in his eyes grew more mysterious.

"I am not a donkey, and that burden is not so easy to remove. To me, everything in the world is just a piece on a chessboard. When a piece becomes useful, I will naturally focus on training it. Don’t worry… Even if the opponents are just Zizhen and Xu Qingfan, I can still lead you all to succeed, even against the heavens."

Although Zhang Xusheng did not reveal a single bit of his plan, strangely, upon hearing his words, everyone’s hearts calmed down, as if with Zhang Xusheng leading them, victory was already within reach.

Only Mingluo’s eyes flickered with a complex expression.

Is everything in the world just a piece on a chessboard?

Mingluo couldn’t help but remember the time when the "An" organization and the "Ming" organization were in conflict, and how Zhang Xusheng had readily abandoned the "An" organization…

As everyone else left, Jiluo was kept behind by Zhang Xusheng.

"In my life, I have spent almost all my time studying life and the soul. I have transformed countless beings, allowing them to evolve freely according to my wishes. I have even created new beings… I have mastered the powers of life, soul, and time and space, which originally did not belong to the creatures of this world…"

A look of confusion crossed Jiluo’s eyes, not understanding why Zhang Xusheng suddenly spoke of these things, yet he continued to listen quietly.

"But especially the evolution and creation of living beings… This should be a power only the Heavenly Way possesses. I am not only acting on behalf of Heaven, but I am even going against Heaven and controlling the great trends of the world. This violates the most fundamental right of the Heavenly Way—fate. During this time, I gradually feel that Heaven no longer allows me."

As he spoke, a hint of sarcastic laughter crossed Zhang Xusheng’s lips, as if mocking the stinginess of the Heavenly Way. However, Jiluo trembled, as he naturally understood what happens to a person when Heaven does not allow them.

In the mortal world, there is a saying called "Heavenly Tribulation," meaning that if a person acts against Heaven, a great power will come down from Heaven, either fierce winds or lightning, directly erasing that person from the world. However, cultivators know that so-called "Heavenly Tribulation" does not truly exist. If there were really such a thing, "Heavenly Tribulation" would be intangible; it would transform into your fate, becoming countless coincidences, pushing you step by step toward ruin.

Yet at this moment, Zhang Xusheng remained calm and simply said with a faint smile, "You have seen what has happened these days. Basically, all the coincidences have been against us. One of my purposes in what I have done recently is merely to deceive Heaven."

"Master…"

Jiluo said with concern, but he was interrupted by Zhang Xusheng.

"I will only say these words to you. I do not trust anyone else, especially Mingluo. His loyalty to me is only because of my strength. But you were personally trained by me. Among everyone, you are the most loyal to me…"

"Master, whatever you need, let me do it. As long as I can help you defeat the Heavenly Way, I, Jiluo, have no regrets!"

Excitement flashed in Jiluo’s eyes as he spoke repeatedly.

"Even if this matter will make you lose your soul and never return to the cycle of life and death?"

"As long as it helps you, my master, to gain victory, Jiluo would rather lose his soul and never return to the cycle of life and death!"

Zhang Xusheng smiled. In this moment, Zhang Xusheng finally returned to the elegant, calm, and all-controlling being he once was.

"Alright, right now, there is something only you can do!"

…

While Mingluo and others worried that Xu Qingfan and Zizhen might turn against them, Xu Qingfan and Mr. Liu were indeed discussing this matter.

Internal conflict is always one of humanity’s deepest instincts, even for Xu Qingfan, because in the eyes of humans, no matter how serious external threats are, they will never compare to internal troubles. Moreover, over the years of contact with Zhang Xusheng, they have truly seen through his terrifying and merciless nature.

At this moment, in Xu Qingfan’s room, Xu Qingfan, Mr. Liu, all the experts from Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, and all of Xu Qingfan’s disciples gathered together.

"Zhang Xusheng’s plans and arrangements in these days are flawless, but I still don’t trust him."

After studying Zhang Xusheng’s plans all night, Xu Qingfan did not find any conspiracies or flaws, but his unease did not lessen at all.

Mr. Liu nodded and said, "I don’t believe it either, but if we don’t have a better plan, we’ll have to follow his."

Xu Qingfan shook his head and said, "Zhang Xusheng’s plan is perfect. We don’t need or can’t come up with another plan; however, we also can’t just focus on Zhang Xusheng’s plan. He might be using it to distract us while his real goal lies elsewhere."

Mr. Liu nodded and said, "I thought of this too. A month ago, I had my people secretly observe all of Zhang Xusheng’s followers, but so far it seems they have been following the plan without any other actions."

After thinking for a moment, Xu Qingfan suddenly turned and said, "Zhenxian, Zhenling."

"Disciple is here!"

Tian Zhenxian and Tian Zhenling stepped forward and replied respectfully.

"Send your entire ‘Tianzuo Camp’ to work with Senior Liu’s cultivators and watch every move of Zhang Xusheng’s followers. There must be no mistakes!"

"Yes!"

Looking at Xu Qingfan’s arrangement, Zhang Ningmei hesitated for a moment and suddenly said, "Master, I think there are serious problems with Zhang Xusheng’s plan."

Xu Qingfan and Mr. Liu were both surprised and asked, "What is the problem?"

"It’s too perfect, with no flaws at all, and that is the biggest flaw!" Zhang Ningmei said seriously, her expression showing the wisdom of a great thinker. "Zhang Xusheng’s plan is indeed well-connected, and while his method may be effective against the ‘Spirit Eater,’ it has a great chance of defeating the Shura Clan. However, because it is too perfect and has no weaknesses, it actually has many deadly flaws. This means that if any part of this plan goes wrong, even something very small, it could cause the entire plan to fall apart…"

Hearing Zhang Ningmei’s words, Mr. Liu and Xu Qingfan both shivered and glanced at each other, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.

Yes, what is called perfect is actually the least perfect.

Mr. Liu slowly nodded and said softly, "Yes, I actually overlooked the most important point."

Xu Qingfan frowned and said, "So this plan must be carried out by our people, and we cannot let anyone from Zhang Xusheng’s group get involved at all…"

Saying this, Xu Qingfan looked up and said, "Senior Liu, tomorrow you and I will take all the responsibilities Zhang Xusheng has and place them in the hands of our own people. Even though we will follow his plan, we must not allow his people to be involved."

…

After everyone had left, Xu Qingfan stood by the window, looking at the starry sky for a long time. His face was calm, like a still pond, but deep in his profound gaze, there was a storm brewing inside.

After a long while, Xu Qingfan sighed and took a book of chess strategies from his desk, starting to read it carefully.

However, with his heart unable to settle, he could not focus on it at all. Though the book was in his hands, he had not turned a single page.

"Senior Brother Xu, it’s time for your medicine."

Suddenly, Dongfang Qingling’s voice sounded beside him. When he turned to look, he saw Dongfang Qingling holding a cup of tea in front of him, and Ting’er standing next to her.

Ever since the balance of life and death energy in his body had been restored, but with the meridians and dantian damaged, Xu Qingfan had to take a special pill made by Scholar Beihai every ten days. He often forgot, and it was always Dongfang Qingling who reminded him.

Xu Qingfan quietly nodded, took the tea that Dongfang Qingling offered, pulled out the pill from his sleeve, swallowed it, and then picked up the chess book again.

However, a moment later, Xu Qingfan suddenly froze, realizing that he was holding the chess book upside down. He smiled awkwardly and quickly turned it around.

Seeing Xu Qingfan’s expression, Dongfang Qingling couldn’t help but smile and asked, "Senior Brother Xu, are you still thinking about Zhang Xusheng?"

"Yes, but no."

"What are you thinking about?"

Xu Qingfan whispered, "I am thinking that the Shura Clan and the Spirit Eater are both great enemies of humanity. A fierce battle could happen at any moment, and yet here I am, only focused on plotting against Zhang Xusheng, fighting for power. Looking back at my past actions—slander, schemes to take others’ strength to benefit myself—I used to sigh while reading history about those who, even when faced with outside threats, still plotted and fought for power among themselves. If future generations find out about my actions, will they see me as one of those short-sighted people driven by ambition?"

As he sighed, a faint weariness showed on Xu Qingfan’s face.

A hint of sadness flashed in Dongfang Qingling’s eyes as she sat next to Xu Qingfan, their shoulders touching. She softly said, "At least the people around you know that everything you do is for humanity."

Xu Qingfan smiled self-deprecatingly and said, "Everything is for humanity… I am not that great. From the beginning to the end, I have only been trying to protect myself. Even now, it is still the same."

Suddenly, Xu Qingfan’s body stiffened.

While he was speaking, Dongfang Qingling gently leaned her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around one of his, as if trying to send warmth to his heart and ease some of his weariness.

After a moment, Xu Qingfan relaxed, his mind clear of other thoughts, feeling much better.

As he looked up, he happened to see Ting’er bowing her head and leaving the room.

Xu Qingfan and Dongfang Qingling held their positions like that for the whole night.

…

When the sky brightened again, the bells at the top of Ronghua Mountain rang continuously, calling all the Grandmasters and sect leaders to a meeting.

When Xu Qingfan arrived at Qingxu Hall with Chou, the previous tiredness and conflict had long disappeared, and he remained calm and composed as always, seeing that all the sect leaders were already seated.

Meetings like this happened almost every day, especially now that a great battle was about to begin; there were many complicated matters to discuss again and again.

After Xu Qingfan and Chou sat down, as usual, this meeting turned into Zhang Xusheng’s one-man show.

Zhang Xusheng stood in the center of Qingxu Hall and said to everyone, "During these days, we have gathered enough spirit stones. They will be distributed among all the cultivators in the Human Alliance according to their strength and roles on the battlefield, to prepare for the great battle. I would like to thank Taoist Friend Xu Qingfan, for half of these spirit stones were provided by Taoist Friend Xu; otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to prepare so many."

Saying this, Zhang Xusheng nodded at Xu Qingfan, and Xu Qingfan smiled and nodded back at Zhang Xusheng.

Zhang Xusheng continued, "To ease the worries of the Shura Clan, we have hidden all the defense arrays in Yongzhou State, but we can activate them at any time. Without hesitation, the Shura Clan will soon launch a full attack. After all, our strength lies in defense, and time is running out."

"Moreover, in these ten days, the Shura Clan experts have frequently come near Yongzhou State to spy on us. Under my command, the entire Human Alliance pretended to be unaware that a decisive battle was approaching. Our focus is on the south, disguising ourselves as if we are defending against ‘Spirit Eaters’, ready to eliminate them at any moment."

"In these days, our cultivators who have been spying on the Shura Clan have suffered great losses. However, from the little information we have, it is clear that the Shura Clan is also actively preparing to fight us because the ‘Shura Statue’ has returned to them. Those humans taken by the Shura Clan long ago have been transformed into Half Shura. Although these Half Shura are much weaker than pure Shura Clan members, their numbers are far greater. Most importantly, the Shura Clan seems to have abandoned their usual method of fighting with brute strength. Those Half Shura have been practicing formations for many years. From the scarce intelligence we have, it appears they are learning the ‘All Immortals Formation’! Clearly, among the captured human cultivators, someone must have told them how to arrange the ‘All Immortals Formation.’"

Upon hearing Zhang Xusheng’s words, the sect leaders grew restless.

The reason humans have been able to stand against the Shura Clan until now is because of the ‘All Immortals Formation’. If the Shura Clan has also learned the ‘All Immortals Formation’, how can humans resist?

Seeing the unease among the sect leaders, Zhang Xusheng said, "But friends, do not worry. Although many humans were taken by the Shura Clan, most of them were ordinary people. There were some cultivators, but they were all low-level. They only know a little about the ‘All Immortals Formation’; the true essence is still in our hands. Moreover, their practice of the ‘All Immortals Formation’ has been rushed, unlike our training day and night for over a hundred years. They will surely have many flaws, and we may find it easier to win because of these flaws."

Hearing Zhang Xusheng’s words, the sect leaders felt a bit relieved.

"However, the strength of the Shura Clan this time will definitely be no less than in the last great battle. We must be very careful! Based on my judgment, the Shura Clan will be ready within a month, and the plan I designed called ‘Deceiving the Sky and Crossing the Sea’ will also be implemented in half a month."

Thinking of Zhang Xusheng’s nearly perfect plan ‘Deceiving the Sky and Crossing the Sea’, the sect leaders were invigorated, and their confidence grew.

"In addition, there is the news about the ‘Spirit Eater’."

Upon hearing Zhang Xusheng’s words, all the sect leaders could not help but tense up, as they still had no solution regarding the ‘Spirit Eater’.

"Everyone can probably feel that the aura of the ‘Spirit Eater’ in this world has become stronger. According to the reports from the cultivators who went to investigate, the ‘Spirit Eater’ has been heading towards us since breaking free. After all, we have the most Spirit Qi and creatures with Spirit Qi here. For more than a month, the ‘Spirit Eater’ has been devouring the Spirit Qi and spiritual beings of the world, leaving behind a wasteland with no creatures left. The places it has been are now noticeably lacking in Spirit Qi. At this moment, the body of the ‘Spirit Eater’ is more than ten times larger than when we last saw it."

"Although it has a huge body, its only weakness is its slow movement. However, that is only relative; as its strength grows, its speed is increasing too. It can cover several miles with a single step and has now left You State and Liangzhou, entering Hanzhou. At its current speed, it will likely reach us in just over three months. At that time, its speed will be no less than that of a golden core cultivator. This means we must resolve our battle with the Shura Clan within three months, or all cultivators below the Golden Core Stage will be devoured by the ‘Spirit Eater’. After consuming these cultivators, the ‘Spirit Eater’ will be as fast as a Nascent Soul Stage master… In the end, none of us here will be able to escape its pursuit and devouring."

As Zhang Xusheng spoke, the expressions of all the cultivators in Qingxu Hall become increasingly serious.

"So, Taoist Friend Zhang, what do you think we should do in the coming days?"

Xu Qingfan finally broke Zhang Xusheng’s one-man speech and asked.

Zhang Xusheng nodded and said, "Two points: First, we must continue to confuse the Shura Clan, pretending to prepare for a battle against the ‘Spirit Eater’ to lead them to misjudge. Second, we as masters must also train. For over a hundred years, it has been the lower and mid-tier cultivators practicing various formations day and night. Now, we must train as well. While the ‘All Immortals Formation’ made up of lower and mid-tier cultivators can trap ordinary Shura Clan members and even most Shura Clan experts, it cannot deal with Grand Tantian and Asura. It is our responsibility to find a way to hold them back."

Hearing Zhang Xusheng’s words, all the masters nodded. The terror of Grand Tantian and Asura’s strength still sent shivers down their spines as they recalled it.

"Among them, the most important is you, Taoist Friend Xu."

Suddenly, Zhang Xusheng looked at Xu Qingfan and said this.

"Me?"

Xu Qingfan looked at Zhang Xusheng with confusion.

Zhang Xusheng nodded and said, "If I am not mistaken, you must have created a top-level magical treasure for controlling space and time over the years, Taoist Friend Xu?"

Xu Qingfan’s face was calm, but inside, he was shocked. Very few knew about his creation of the "Heaven and Earth Chess," even in Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. How did Zhang Xusheng know?

Could it be…

Zhang Xusheng seemed to see through Xu Qingfan’s thoughts. He shook his head and said, "Taoist Friend Xu, please do not misunderstand. I did not place spies around you. It was just that when you self-destructed in the ‘Azure Crystal Treasure House,’ a magical treasure fell from your sleeve. I saw a piece of ‘Heaven and Earth Azure Stone’ that contained powerful time and space energy, along with over a hundred pieces of ‘Imperishable Jade’ that naturally held restraining power, like chess pieces. At our level of skill, simple hard work is no longer enough; we need to gain understanding from other aspects to advance. What you learned from the ‘Formula of Life and Death’ and ‘Substitute for Heaven,’ if connected with other principles, must relate to chess. So, I deduced that you must have created such a treasure."

A glint of caution flashed in Xu Qingfan’s eyes; Zhang Xusheng’s observation and reasoning skills were incredibly sharp, to the point that it made Xu Qingfan a little afraid.

Although that was the case, Xu Qingfan still nodded, his expression calm and steady as always, and simply asked, "What of it?"

Zhang Xusheng explained, "When we fight against Grand Tantian and Asura, this magical treasure of Taoist Friend Xu will definitely be very useful. It will help us and weaken Grand Tantian and Asura, especially Grand Tantian. To be honest, his only strength lies in his speed and power. If Taoist Friend can slightly limit his speed and make us a bit faster, then our chances of winning will surely increase. In the upcoming battle, Taoist Friend Xu, you will be the one who controls the rhythm and even leads us, so you are naturally very important."

Hearing Zhang Xusheng’s words, everyone’s eyes brightened, and Xu Qingfan thought for a moment before nodding and saying, "Since you say so, I will not shy away from my responsibility."

Zhang Xusheng nodded, looked around the group, and asked, "That’s all I have to say. Do any of you Taoist Friends have anything to add?"

The masters all shook their heads, as Zhang Xusheng had already mentioned everything they wanted to say, so they had nothing more to add.

"In that case, let’s not delay. Let’s go train now to get familiar with the new battle strategies and how we work together."

Just as the masters were about to leave with Zhang Xusheng, Xu Qingfan and Mr. Liu exchanged a glance and said together, "Wait a moment."

"Are you two Taoist Friends looking to discuss something?"

Zhang Xusheng asked.

Mr. Liu nodded and said with a smile, "Indeed, over these days, all the plans of the Human Alliance have been carried out by your followers, Taoist Friend Zhang. This must be tiring and not good for the upcoming big battle. Meanwhile, the cultivators of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands under Taoist Friend Xu have been resting and recovering. I suggest that in the coming days, all arrangements be taken care of by the cultivators of Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, while your followers, Taoist Friend Zhang, take a break to prepare for the upcoming battle. What do you think, Taoist Friend Zhang?"

Hearing Mr. Liu’s words, everyone slightly trembled and looked at Zhang Xusheng.

Over these days, Zhang Xusheng had unknowingly become the leader and controller of the Human Alliance with his great talent. Everything in the Human Alliance was arranged and carried out by Zhang Xusheng’s people. In a way, Zhang Xusheng controlled the operation of the Human Alliance, and although Mr. Liu spoke lightly, he was actually seizing power.

However, everyone agreed with Mr. Liu’s plan because they thought it was too dangerous and unsettling to hand the Human Alliance over to Zhang Xusheng.

But after Zhang Xusheng finally reached this step, would he agree?

To everyone’s surprise, Zhang Xusheng nodded.

"Actually, even if Taoist Friend Liu didn’t say it, I would have arranged things this way. My people have indeed been a bit tired these days, so from now on, I will leave all matters of the Human Alliance to Taoist Friend Xu."

Xu Qingfan nodded and said, "I will certainly not let everyone down."

Thus, the control of humanity was handed over to Xu Qingfan in just a few words, which everyone found unbelievable.

But no one noticed that a shadow suddenly flickered in the eyes of Immortal Zizhen.

Once upon a time, he was the ruler of the Human Alliance, but now, with the shift of power in the Human Alliance, he could not say a word.

After Xu Qingfan and Zhang Xusheng completed the transfer of power, following Zhang Xusheng’s arrangement, the group of masters left Qingxu Hall and flew towards the outside of Yongzhou State to train for the upcoming great battle.

But just as everyone had left Qingxu Hall, something unexpected happened.