strictlysupreme Chapter 56 A Changing Landscape, Breaking the Deadlock Again
Chapter 56 A Changing Landscape, Breaking the Deadlock Again
Ling Yu's expression was grave as she leaned closer to Dai Yao and whispered, "Palace Master, the Immortal Realm... is going to impose economic sanctions on us!"
Dai Yao almost spat out the tea she had just drunk. "What? Economic sanctions? Are you kidding me? Do cultivators even know about this?" Before she transmigrated here, the immortal and demonic realms were completely estranged. Now they were actually using modern economic methods, which really opened her eyes.
"Palace Master, this is what happened..." Lingyu recounted the whole story in detail.
It turns out that some forces in the Immortal Realm, citing Ying Sha's attack on Dai Yao, claimed that the Demon Palace was harboring criminals and violating the peace agreement, and that they would unite to impose economic sanctions on the Demon Palace and cut off its resource supply.
After hearing this, Dai Yao's expression also became serious.
Although the Demon Palace is powerful, it relies heavily on trade with the Immortal Realm for many of its cultivation resources.
If the Demon Palace is subjected to economic sanctions, its development will inevitably be severely affected, and the consequences will be unimaginable in the long run.
"This is clearly an attempt to kill us!" Dai Yao slammed her fist on the table in anger. "Investigate! Find out exactly who's behind this!"
After a thorough investigation, Dai Yao discovered that the instigator of this economic sanction was actually an insignificant little force in the Immortal Realm—the Flowing Cloud Sect.
The Flowing Cloud Sect has always harbored resentment towards the Demon Palace, and this time they want to use the Shadow Fiend incident to completely suppress the Demon Palace.
What's even more interesting is that, in order to achieve their goal, the Flowing Cloud Sect actually colluded with several powerful forces in the immortal realm in secret, promising to give them many benefits after the deed was done.
Dai Yao's lips curled into a cold smile. "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Since you want to play, then I'll play along." She compiled the evidence of the Flowing Cloud Sect's collusion with other forces and anonymously sent it to the leaders of those major immortal forces.
These powerful forces already harbored resentment towards the Flowing Cloud Sect, and now that they saw the evidence, they were furious.
In order to protect their own interests, they immediately stepped in to stop the economic sanctions plan and severely punished the Liuyun Faction.
The crisis at the Demon Palace was thus easily resolved.
Mo Tian looked at Dai Yao, a complex light flashing in his eyes: "Dai Yao..." He paused, then said in a deep voice, "You did very well this time, and everyone in the Demon Palace is extremely grateful to you."
Dai Yao raised an eyebrow; this old fox was being sarcastic again. But she replied with a grin, "Palace Master, you flatter me. It's all for the prosperity of the Demon Palace! You know what I mean, working soul!"
Mo Tian sneered inwardly. A working-class soul? He probably wants to take his place, doesn't he? On the surface, however, he remained calm: "Yes, good that you understand. But in the future, be more careful in your actions and don't be too flamboyant." The implication was that she should tone down her brilliance and not steal his thunder.
Dai Yao rolled her eyes inwardly; this old man was starting to make things difficult for her.
In the days that followed, Mo Tian began to restrict Dai Yao's power both openly and covertly, and handled all kinds of important matters by bypassing her.
Dai Yao naturally noticed Mo Tian's actions, but instead of retaliating directly, she secretly gathered evidence and waited for the right opportunity.
"Palace Master, you wanted to see me?" Dai Yao pushed open the door to the secret chamber and looked at Mo Tian, who was sitting in the shadows, her tone calm.
Mo Tian cut to the chase: "Have you been feeling like I'm targeting you lately?"
"I wouldn't dare." Dai Yao smiled slightly. "The Palace Master is extremely busy; how could she have time to target me?"
"Hmph!" Mo Tian sneered. "Don't play dumb with me! Do you really think I don't know what you've been up to lately?"
Dai Yao stopped pretending and looked directly into Mo Tian's eyes, secretly thinking that in order to gain a foothold in this Demon Palace, she not only had to deal with the difficulties from the Immortal Realm, but also had to manage her relationship with Mo Tian.
She knew Mo Tian was suspicious, so she had to be careful with every word and every action. But her goal was not just to survive in the Demon Palace; she wanted to change the Demon Palace and even the entire landscape of the immortal and demon realms.
So she said sincerely, "Palace Master, everything I have done is for the Demon Palace, heaven and earth can bear witness!"
"For the Demon Palace?" Mo Tian sneered, "Or for yourself?"
The atmosphere instantly became tense, and the secret room was filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Dai Yao took a deep breath and laid out her plans for the future of the Demon Palace, as well as her concerns. She knew that without gaining Mo Tian's trust, she would find it difficult to move forward.
After a heated exchange, Mo Tian fell silent.
Dai Yao's plan was bold yet wise, truly for the long-term development of the Demon Palace. Finally, he sighed, "I misunderstood you."
Meanwhile, at the marriage preparation office in the Immortal Realm, Jun Wuhen sat upright, waiting for Dai Yao's arrival.
He elegantly picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and a barely perceptible glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes. "Dai Yao, I hope you won't disappoint me."
Dai Yao stepped into the preparation office, meeting Jun Wuhen's gaze without fear. The two exchanged words, their dialogue resembling a duel between masters, testing each other's limits.
During the negotiations, Jun Wuhen spoke eloquently and logically, as if everything he did was for the sake of peace between the two worlds.
Dai Yao listened from the side, her heart unmoved, and she even felt a little like laughing.
With acting skills like that, it's a shame he doesn't deserve an Oscar.
While Jun Wuhen was eloquently speaking at the negotiating table, his eyes kept drifting towards Dai Yao.
This woman from the Demon Palace was unlike any other person he had ever met in the immortal or demonic realms. Her eyes revealed a kind of determination and wisdom, which made him want to learn more about her. Of course, none of this could affect his original intention of seeking benefits for the immortal realm.
Dai Yao returned from the Immortal Realm. Night had fallen, and the Demon Palace was shrouded in tranquility.
Lingyu appeared at the palace gate, "Palace Master..."
Seeing Dai Yao safe and sound, Ling Yu's eyes were filled with joy and admiration. She hugged Dai Yao tightly, saying, "Sister Yao, you're finally back! I was so worried!" Dai Yao smiled and patted Ling Yu's shoulder, "Don't worry, who is your Sister Yao? This is nothing!"
Lingyu clung tightly to Daiyao's arm, following behind her like a little tail, chattering about the major and minor events that had recently occurred in the immortal and demon realms.
As Dai Yao listened, she secretly observed her surroundings, keenly sensing something amiss. A faint, lingering smell of blood permeated the air.
Dai Yao slowed her pace discreetly and asked Ling Yu in a low voice, "Has there been any unusual situation at the Immortal-Demon border recently?" Ling Yu thought for a moment and replied, "I heard there have been some minor skirmishes, but nothing serious. The Palace Master has already sent people to handle them."
Dai Yao frowned slightly; her intuition told her that things were not so simple.
Suddenly, shouts of battle shattered the tranquility of the night. A group of men in black rushed out from the shadows and surrounded Dai Yao and Ling Yu.
"Sister Yao, be careful!" Ling Yu drew her sword and stood in front of Dai Yao.
"A mere trick!" Dai Yao sneered, and with a flash of light, a snow-white longsword appeared in her hand. The sword exuded a chilling aura, as if it could freeze everything.
“The remnants of the Shadow Fiends?” Dai Yao recognized the men in black at a glance.
The leader of the men in black chuckled sinisterly, "Dai Yao, you keep ruining our plans. Today is your death day!"
"You bunch of ugly bastards think you can kill me? That's utterly ridiculous!" Dai Yao fearlessly charged forward, her sword flashing like snow, drawing graceful arcs across the night sky.
With each swing of her longsword, Dai Yao stirred up a chilling wind. Although the number of men in black was large, her figure moved among them like a ghost.
Each time the longsword pierced the body of the man in black, a crisp, cracking sound could be heard—the sound of the cold energy on her sword instantly freezing the opponent's blood. Ling Yu, though fighting desperately to defend herself, was gradually showing signs of fatigue. Just then, Dai Yao suddenly shouted, unleashing her full spiritual power. Her sword transformed into a white streak of light, instantly blasting away the surrounding men in black, and then, like autumn leaves swept away by the wind, she slaughtered them one by one.
Just then, Dai Yao suddenly felt her feet slip and she fell downwards.
Oh no, it's a trap!
Dai Yao reacted quickly, steadied herself in mid-air, thrust her long sword into the rock wall, and used the momentum to leap out of the trap.
"Trying to scheme against me? No way!" Dai Yao sneered, wielding her long sword even more fiercely. The sword energy crisscrossed, like a butterfly dancing, killing all the men in black around her.
Dai Yao and Ling Yu fought side by side and quickly wiped out all the remaining members of the Shadow Fiends.
Looking at the corpses scattered on the ground, Dai Yao felt no joy, but rather a sense of unease.
"Lingyu, pass down the order to strengthen security. I have a feeling that things are not so simple."
"Yes, Sister Yao!" Lingyu respectfully accepted the order.
Dai Yao looked up at the sky, where a bright moon hung high, yet it seemed exceptionally desolate.
Can the realms of immortals and demons truly coexist peacefully?
A voice suddenly rang out behind Dai Yao: "I'm afraid...it will be very difficult."
Dai Yao turned around and saw that the person who came was Mo Tian, the representative of the Demon Palace. He was still very fat, but his eyes showed an unprecedented solemnity.
"Lord Demon Heaven, what brings you here?" Dai Yao asked, cupping her hands in greeting.
Mo Tian sighed, his fat face full of worry: "Alas, the Immortal Realm is causing trouble again. They say they want a marriage alliance, but in reality they want to take the opportunity to plant spies to investigate the situation of my Demon Palace."
Dai Yao raised an eyebrow. This plot development was quite interesting! "A marriage alliance? With whom?"
"The Star Dream Fairy is said to be an unparalleled beauty, gentle and kind, with extraordinary beauty..." As Mo Tian spoke, a hint of regret appeared in his tone.
Dai Yao's inner monologue: Exceptionally beautiful? Is she just a naive and innocent girl?
"So what do we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die, can we?"
Mo Tian patted his round belly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "Of course not! I've already made arrangements. The negotiations are tomorrow, and you're coming with me. I want to see what they're up to!"
The next day, representatives from both the immortal and demonic realms gathered together.
Jun Wuhen, the envoy from the celestial realm, was dressed in white and exuded elegance. Every gesture he made revealed the demeanor of a celestial being. However, a subtle calculation was hidden in his seemingly gentle eyes.
Dai Yao thought to herself, "As expected of the male lead, he's putting on quite a convincing act!"
During the negotiations, Jun Wuhen spoke eloquently and logically, as if everything he did was for the sake of peace between the two worlds.
Just then, Zi Xiao suddenly stepped forward, pointed at Dai Yao, and said sternly, "Demon Palace witch, you have repeatedly provoked the Immortal Realm. Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven!" Dai Yao rolled her eyes inwardly: Here it comes, the classic scene of framing someone!
No sooner had Zi Xiao finished speaking than he drew his sword and thrust it at Dai Yao.
Zi Xiao's sword pierced towards Dai Yao like lightning, its blade radiating a blinding light, as if carrying the judgment of the celestial realm.
The surrounding air seemed to be cleaved open by the sword, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
Dai Yao remained calm and composed, her eyes fixed on the approaching sword. Just as the sword was about to pierce her, she dodged to the side at an incredible angle, her body as light as a willow branch in the wind.
Immediately afterwards, she swung her sword backhand, and the swords clashed, sending sparks flying. The people around were shaken back a few steps by the sudden burst of power.
At this moment, Dai Yao's long hair fluttered in the wind, her eyes filled with icy killing intent as she confronted Zi Xiao. The entire hall seemed frozen by this tense atmosphere.
Dai Yao was prepared and easily dodged the attack, then forced Zi Xiao back with a counter-attack.
"Where's the evidence? Which eye of yours saw me provoke the Immortal Realm?" Dai Yao sneered, showing no sign of backing down.
The two sides were on the verge of a fight.
Jun Wuhen quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying it was just a misunderstanding and hoping that both sides could reconcile.
Dai Yao knew in her heart that this was just a delaying tactic.
She observed her surroundings discreetly, and suddenly noticed that Fairy Star Dream's gaze was a little strange...
Xingmeng secretly gave her a look.
Dai Yao's heart skipped a beat. Could it be...?
Before she could think it through, Xingmeng suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!" Everyone looked over and saw that the jade pendant in Xingmeng's hand suddenly shattered, turning into starlight and dissipating in the air.
"Not good!" Mo Tian's expression changed drastically. "This is..." Before he could finish speaking, the entire hall suddenly shook violently, and a powerful force surged from the ground, instantly knocking everyone to the ground.
“The barrier… is broken…” Dai Yao heard Mo Tian’s weak voice coming from not far away, followed by a chilling laugh that echoed through the ruins.