Chapter 633: He Zhenghaos Ambition

Chapter 633: He Zhenghao's Ambition

"What are you so afraid of?"

It was nothing short of a verbal execution, a blow aimed at the spirit itself. The moment the words landed, He Zhenghao broke out in a cold sweat.

"I harbor absolutely no disloyal thoughts, Sir, please see the truth!" he declared at once.

"Think thrice before acting, and watch yourself." Li Fan gave a cold snort, and his phantom form shattered, vanishing without a trace.

A long moment passed before He Zhenghao dared straighten his hunched body.

He wiped the sweat from his brow and let out a slow breath. Then, remembering that his daughter was standing right beside him, he caught himself and coughed once, composure restored.

Fortunately, He Xinxin hadn't noticed her father's distress. She pressed a hand to her own chest and exclaimed, "Senior Li's presence is so formidable! It's almost as impressive as those Dao Unity Immortal Venerables back at home. It really scared me."

"Mm, that’s only natural. The Secretary-Envoy may very well be an Eter—" He Zhenghao caught himself mid-sentence, sensing the danger in his own words.

Luckily, his daughter hadn't caught the meaning of his words. He steered the conversation elsewhere.

What exactly did the Secretary-Envoy mean by those words? He didn't directly deny Xinxin's deduction. He just said he wouldn't leave...

A moment later, a flicker of dread passed through He Zhenghao's eyes.

Could it be that the Congyun Sea is truly on the verge of a shocking upheaval?

He sank into deep contemplation.

Meanwhile, deep within the Administration Hall, Li Fan had observed every subtle shift in He Zhenghao's expression without a single ripple in his heart.

Will you abandon power and flee far away? Or gamble on your current wealth and authority?

Fellow Daoist He, what will you choose?

From what Li Fan knew of him, there was little doubt He Zhenghao would choose to stay in Congyun Sea. Even so, Li Fan hoped the He Zhenghao of this lifetime might yet surprise him.

He turned his attention away from He Zhenghao. Through the Secretary-Envoy's token, Li Fan summoned the many members of the Congyun Sea's bureaucratic system.

"The Secretary-Envoy hasn't called for us in some time. I wonder what the urgent matter is?"

"It is odd indeed. I haven't heard of anything pressing recently."

The crowd murmured among themselves.

He Zhenghao, still lost in his inner turmoil, wore a distracted look.

Gao Yuan noticed, and a look of understanding crossed his face. He didn't ask immediately, instead filing it away.

Once everyone had gathered, Li Fan appeared unhurriedly.

"Greetings, Secretary-Envoy!" The salutation rose from all those present.

"At ease. Please, sit." Li Fan's expression was genial.

"I didn't call you here today for any urgent matter. As you know, although I hold the post of Secretary-Envoy for Congyun Immortal City, I have never been one to meddle in affairs. The governance of the Congyun Sea has never been neglected. Its yearly comprehensive ranking among all the provinces has even risen. That is, of course, entirely to your credit."

Li Fan paused, scanning their expressions, then continued, "As they say, one good turn deserves another. I have recently divined an opportunity, and I have come to inform you of it."

At those words, every cultivator in the room brightened. Who was Li Fan? He was someone who wouldn't blink at millions of contribution points. An "opportunity" from him was bound to be extraordinary! They watched him with barely contained anticipation.

"I have divined that, before long, a cave dwelling will rise from the floor of the Congyun Sea. That is where the opportunity lies." Li Fan's voice was low and deliberate.

The moment he said it, the cultivators stirred.

"Of course, opportunity has always walked hand in hand with danger. Whether you choose to pursue it is entirely your own affair." He added that final line with a faint, unreadable smile, then vanished from their sight.

The moment it was clear he had truly left, the hall erupted.

"What in the world does the Secretary-Envoy mean by this? Summoning us from such distances just to give us one sentence?"

"Strange! Truly strange!"

"A cave dwelling at the bottom of the sea. Ancient sect ruins, perhaps? If the Secretary-Envoy himself calls it an opportunity, and went through all this trouble to tell us, it must be something immense!"

Flushed with excitement, they dissolved into a cacophony of overlapping voices.

But within He Zhenghao's heart, doubts bred like tangled weeds.

"Fellow Daoist He, do you know something about the inside story?"

Gao Yuan's voice reached him through a transmission.

After a moment's thought, He Zhenghao gave him a brief account of recent events, hoping to hear his view.

"Something is about to happen in the Congyun Sea?" Gao Yuan's heart lurched, though his face betrayed nothing.

"But the Secretary-Envoy said he himself would not leave. He questioned your intentions, and then announced this cave dwelling opportunity..."

Gao Yuan's thoughts moved at lightning speed.

Before long, the answer came to him.

"So that's it!"

"Please, Brother Gao, enlighten me!" He Zhenghao clutched at him like a drowning man reaching for a lifeline.

"The Secretary-Envoy is using this cave dwelling opportunity to alert us. Something is stirring in the Congyun Sea, yet he refuses to leave. Why? Because opportunity and crisis go hand in hand!" Gao Yuan's voice rang with barely suppressed excitement.

"Given the resources the Secretary-Envoy commands, if even he values this opportunity so highly, then it can only be something that enables a person to ascend in a single step."

A Soul Arbiter of heaven and earth?

He Zhenghao and Gao Yuan locked eyes, their thoughts converging on the same conclusion.

"So that's how it is." He Zhenghao murmured, as though every piece had finally settled into place.

The Secretary-Envoy fell from the Eternal Life realm. To re-attain the Dao and achieve eternal life, he must follow the steps of the new methodology. He will not let this chance at Dao Unity slip by. And I have heard that when a Soul Arbiter of heaven and earth descends, it never comes without blood and violence. When that time comes, even Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators may not survive the calamity, let alone those of us at Golden Core.

A Soul Arbiter of heaven and earth is about to descend... This cannot be spoken of directly; if the heavenly mechanisms sense it, more variables could arise. And as the Secretary-Envoy's old subordinates, he cannot bear to watch us perish uselessly in the coming storm. So he found another way. This is how he chose to alert us.

The realization struck He Zhenghao like a bolt of lightning.

His heart surged with excitement, even as a forbidden emotion began to sprout within him.

A Soul Arbiter of heaven and earth...

He Zhenghao's eyes narrowed.

"And you, Brother Gao?" After a long silence, he turned to Gao Yuan, whose expression had grown equally turbulent. "What are your thoughts?"

"Fellow Daoist He, have you heard a certain saying?" Gao Yuan met his gaze.

"Which one?"

"There is no greater merit than riding the dragon's ascent. If the Secretary-Envoy succeeds in achieving Dao Unity, and we, his subordinates, remain steadfast and loyal throughout..." Gao Yuan's tone was profound and resonant.

As He Zhenghao listened, a blazing fire of ambition kindled in the depths of his heart.

And deeper still, a thought surfaced, one he dared not voice.

The Soul Arbiter of heaven and earth belongs to the virtuous.

If the Secretary-Envoy fails to sacrifice the soul of heaven and earth... then perhaps, just perhaps, that chance might fall to someone else entirely.

After all, such things have happened before in the annals of the Xuanhuang World.