Zhu Wenjie looked completely perplexed. "That's impossible. Takeda Masao nearly had everyone stumped this time. What trouble could be more fearsome than him?"

Zhu Hongyu shook her head and sighed. "A single Takeda Masao is nothing. Whether it was Liu Jiyu or me, killing him would have been incredibly easy. The only reason we didn't act was because of the blade intent he brought from the Dahe Nation!"

"I just didn't expect Takeda Masao to be so arrogant as to enter the arena without that blade intent. Otherwise, how could Chen Zheng have possibly stolen the show so completely?"

"What?" Zhu Wenjie was truly startled, staring at her aunt in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Liu Jiyu and her... they could have easily killed Takeda Masao? Their inaction wasn't because they were wary of him, but because of the blade intent he brought from the Dahe Nation—a gift from one of their High Priests?

Sensing the doubt in her niece's mind, Zhu Hongyu patiently explained, "You need to think about it more carefully. What was Takeda Masao's strength ten years ago? Back then, he merely caught the heroes of Da Shang off guard."

"And later, wasn't it Huo Dongge from Mount Langya who easily resolved the crisis Takeda Masao created?"

"But because of that, the higher-ups began to see Mount Langya as a threat. They suppressed it and began supporting other martial arts factions. The Liu Family was the biggest beneficiary at the time. Our family was sent to Tai Long by the higher-ups to act as a check against the Lius."

"This..." Zhu Wenjie had never imagined such high-level political maneuvering was involved. Still, she couldn't quite understand. "But is a single, ethereal blade intent really so powerful that both you and the Liu Family are this wary of it?"

"Of course, it must be feared. Mount Langya is a cautionary tale," Zhu Hongyu shook her head slightly. "But the main reason is that our intelligence indicates the blade intent given to Takeda Masao by a Dahe Nation High Priest is truly extraordinary."

"When Takeda Masao pledged his allegiance to the Dahe Nation, we conducted a thorough investigation. The shrine he affiliated with is called the Asura Eight Divisions Shrine."

"This shrine ranks among the top three in the Dahe Nation and has two head priests. According to our information, the one Takeda Masao knows is the shrine's Vice Chief Priest!"

"In the shrines of the Dahe Nation, the Chief Priest is the highest-ranking clergyman, with the Vice Chief Priest just below him. Typically, a shrine has only one priest of the highest order, known as a High Priest. However, at the Asura Eight Divisions Shrine, both the Chief Priest and the Vice Chief Priest hold that esteemed rank!"

"Becoming a High Priest in the Dahe Nation requires their Emperor's permission, which shows you how strict the qualifications are. The blade intent within the divine talisman Takeda Masao brought is a legacy left behind by a former High Priest of that shrine."

"It is said that the blade intent within this single talisman contains that High Priest's entire life's cultivation and possesses immense power. In the Dahe Nation, the strength of even an ordinary High Priest surpasses the level of an Emperor Wu, so..."

"What?" Zhu Wenjie cried out, interrupting Zhu Hongyu. "No way! Are you saying that the Vice Chief Priest of the Asura Eight Divisions Shrine has already reached Jiangbei...?"

"Correct. That's why I didn't make a move," Zhu Hongyu nodded. "Besides, don't you find the Zhennan Prefecture's actions this time to be very unusual?"

Zhu Wenjie's expression grew serious. "It is strange. Situ Qi and Yi Ruiyang are of equal rank, so neither can command the other. One advocates for war, the other for peace. It's truly puzzling why the Zhennan Prefecture would send them both to Tai Long."

"It's not that hard to understand," Zhu Hongyu said with a soft laugh. "Zhennan Prefecture is aware of our family's strength, as well as the Liu Family's. That's why they sent Situ Qi and Tao Jinshan here to make a gesture."

"But they were worried about 'what-if' scenarios, so they sent Yi Ruiyang as a precaution. However, from what I understand, Zhennan Prefecture only made this decision because the Vice Chief Priest of the Asura Eight Divisions Shrine pressured them."

"I imagine Chen Zheng already knows this. He wants to witness that divine talisman for himself now, likely to secure the full support of Zhennan Prefecture. But with his level of strength... Hmph." Zhu Hongyu trailed off, but her dismissive tone made it clear she was not optimistic about Chen Zheng's chances of emerging unscathed from a confrontation with the divine talisman.

Zhu Wenjie was stunned. Her shock wasn't for Chen Zheng's sake, but at the revelation that Zhennan Prefecture was being manipulated by the Vice Chief Priest of the Asura Eight Divisions Shrine. It was truly astonishing!

The fact that a single Vice Chief Priest could manipulate so many people in Zhennan Prefecture was almost too incredible to believe.

"Alright, there's nothing more to see. Let's go back," Zhu Hongyu said, standing up. She led Zhu Wenjie out of the room. To her, regardless of the final outcome of Chen Zheng activating the divine talisman, a storm was inevitably brewing over Tai Long.

「Elsewhere」

Chen Zheng and his companions followed Mukai Toshiaki into the depths of the Black Dragon Association's dojo.

The Black Dragon Association's dojo was built in the strict architectural style of a Dahe Nation shrine. Mukai Toshiaki led them to the dojo's primary structure—the main shrine building.

The main shrine building is the most distinctive structure in a Dahe shrine, divided into three halls: the main sanctuary, the offering hall, and the hall of worship.

The main sanctuary houses the object of worship, as well as offerings and sacred treasures. The people of Dahe believe it is the residence of the gods and thus consider it the most sacred part of the shrine. Entry is strictly forbidden to anyone who is not a priest.

Yet, Mukai Toshiaki was now leading Chen Zheng and the others directly into the main sanctuary.

Unlike the Buddhist and Daoist temples of Da Shang, the Black Dragon Association's dojo enshrined a collection of bizarre and hideous monster statues. Each one had a loathsome appearance and was clearly nothing ordinary.

Chen Zheng couldn't be bothered to look at them. He knew the Dahe Nation supposedly had eight million gods; they'd deify just about anything. Who knows what kind of nonsense this dojo enshrines? His only goal was the so-called blade intent from the divine talisman left behind by the former High Priest.

Once inside the main sanctuary, Mukai Toshiaki quickly retrieved an ancient-looking brocade box from an altar beneath the central statue. He then presented it to Chen Zheng with both hands.

"This is a divine talisman passed from the former High Priest of the Asura Eight Divisions Shrine to the current Vice Chief Priest. It contains a sliver of the former High Priest's blade intent. Before Takeda Masao came to Tai Long, the Vice Chief Priest gave this very talisman to him."

"I was there when it happened. According to the Vice Chief Priest, although the blade intent within this divine talisman can only be used once, it is powerful enough to slay any master from Da Shang, regardless of their realm!"

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