Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Waiting

There was no sun or moon here, no day or night. A forever-chaotic sky hung over the land.

No stars turned, and no wind or thunder moved.

This place was quiet to a frightening degree.

Layer upon layer of scorched earth spread out with no sign of green, and there was no rain, wind, or lightning.

Jagged black ridgelines crawled like the corpses of giant dragons, stretching toward an endless border.

A dark purple fog shrouded this world all year long.

If an ordinary person stepped in, they would likely be swallowed in an instant.

At the deepest part of this god-forsaken land, the Heaven Severing Lands hid seven forbidden grounds. There used to be more.

But then City Lord Ember barged in like a madwoman and wiped out several by force.

Now, the Heaven Severing Lands had only the Seven Forbidden Grounds left.

In each forbidden ground, a peak True Devil sat in command.

Under them, the Devil Seeds were beyond counting.

At this moment, at the center of the Seven Forbidden Grounds, the seven peak True Devils were holding a gathering.

Their bodies were hazy and unreal in the mist, and only thunder-like voices rolled across the sky.

A voice roared: “The Human Race has produced another seedling of The Strongest.”

Another voice snarled: “Clearing seven layers of the Golden Soul Altar shows peerless talent.”

A third voice cracked like ice: “We must not allow the Human Race to birth another The Strongest. Absolutely not.”

At that shout, wind and cloud surged in a land that normally had none, and power burst out from all sides.

A deeper voice rumbled: “As long as Mother remains, the number of our Devil Seeds will keep rising. There is no need to fight the Human Race to the death so early. But we still cannot allow them to produce another The Strongest.”

In sheer count, the True Devils had more top beings than the Human Race did.

But it did not matter.

The Human Race’s Five Supremes were each more terrifying than the last. Especially City Lord Ember. The last time she lost control, she smashed several forbidden grounds in the Heaven Severing Lands.

She was badly injured for it, yet the memory of those days still filled them with dread.

Another voice agreed: “Yes. All threats must be cut in the cradle.”

A cold command fell like a blade: “Activate the kill order. At any cost, hunt down the Human Race prodigy: Li.”

Someone asked with a hiss: “Have we found this Li’s trail?”

A curt answer came: “No. Information in the Wanfa Eye is known only to Ember. Li is the super-genius she raised in secret. No one knows her movements.”

Another voice replied: “I have already set all our forces searching. But Ember hid her tracks too well. We cannot find even a shred.”

A voice scoffed: “That is normal. Ember hid for so many years. Of course she left nothing for us to find.”

A wary tone followed: “If we cannot locate her in the real world, then we must act in the Soul Prison. But since the Golden Soul Altar ended, she has never left Myriad Arts City.”

A dry voice clicked like stone: “Even a peerless genius cannot become strong out of thin air. To reach the peak, tempering is a must.”

Another voice agreed: “Right. Li cannot turtle inside Myriad Arts City forever. She will leave.”

A harsh whisper crawled across the mist: “When she does, our people will have their chance.”

A reminder came, low and grim: “Do not get careless. The Human Race’s peak experts are not fools. They will try everything to protect Li.”

A voice cut back with bitter humor: “Even the tightest protection has gaps. Otherwise, how did Yu Mo die?”

At the mention of Yu Mo’s death, several Phantom Stage figures showed complicated looks.

They should have been pleased to erase a peerless Human Race genius.

But Yu Mo’s death had birthed a monster even more terrifying than Yu Mo. If they had known Ember would become like this, they would rather have left Yu Mo alive.

After a brief silence, the Phantom Stage figures gathered their focus again.

One reported in a flat tone: “Either way, our plan then was a great success. Quasi-Supreme Yu Mo was slain by our design. As for Li, she has not yet grown.”

Another voice snapped: “Yes. Li must die.”

A confident report followed: “I have set all forces in motion. Li’s movements are completely under our eyes.”

A planner said coolly: “When Li leaves Myriad Arts City, we will stir up trouble in the Heaven Severing Lands at the same time. Not for anything else, only to tie down the Human Race’s five peak experts. Then I would like to see who can still protect her.”

A hard voice concluded: “A thousand strong enemies are less frightening than one of The Strongest. To remove Li, we may use our deepest hidden pieces.”

Another voice warned: “Li should carry Thunder Marrow that Ember gifted her. We must hold Ember in place, so that even if she receives a distress call, she cannot split her attention to go. Remember, at any cost.”

Voices overlapped in a cold chant: “At any cost.” “At any cost.” “At any cost.”

The roars fell away, and silence returned.

At the edge of the Heaven Severing Lands, a vast formation covered the region.

Five Human Race peak experts stood at the five formation nodes.

Ember’s true body guarded this place.

She looked up at the gray sky and let out a small, cold laugh.

[These True Devils are about to make their move.]

Back then, she had been too weak. She had watched, eyes open, as her Little Sister was swallowed by demonic energy.

But now, that would never happen again.

She sent a voice transmission, calm and sure: “When Li heads to the Soul Prison, the Heaven Severing Lands will stir. You all deal with that crisis with full strength. As for Li, do not worry.”

She had prepared for so many years.

Perfect.

It was time to draw out the Human Race’s deepest-hidden traitor.

But for now, she needed a little more patience.

Ember closed her eyes again. [I have waited this long. I do not mind waiting a while more.]

In Myriad Arts City, Li Shuang had no idea she had set every side on edge. She was still digesting her recent gains.

After more than two years, she used a Disguise Talisman again. She changed her face and, through the exchanges of the Heaven and Earth Furnace, harvested another batch of Value Points.

After a few trades, she would swap to a new look.

It might seem overly cautious, but it was safer.

Over seven days, little by little, Li Shuang saved up one hundred thousand Value Points.

That amount should be enough to handle sudden trouble.

Then she stopped.

In the Wanfa Eye, the City Lord had opened extra supplies just for her.

Only a small group could buy those items.

Their effects were excellent, but the Merit Point cost was also shocking.

With the Heaven and Earth Furnace, Li Shuang could get rare things in a cheaper way.

Also, she planned to save her Merit Points to buy a teleportation array.

So she did not purchase any extra supplies.

Seven days later, when she felt ready, Li Shuang went back into the Golden Soul Altar.

In the Heaven Severing Lands, a harsh voice reported: “Li has vanished inside Myriad Arts City, but no one has seen her go to the Soul Prison.”

Another guessed: “She may have returned to the real world.”

A third replied without worry: “No rush. Keep waiting.”

A fourth voice judged: “The Soul Prison is extremely helpful for growing stronger. She cannot avoid it forever.”

A final voice ended it: “We have all the time in the world to wait.”

Their short talk faded, and the Heaven Severing Lands fell silent again.

Meanwhile, Li Shuang kept sharpening her Spirit Refinement soul with full focus.