Chapter 331: A Letter of Heavenly Demise

"Domination of the Nine Heavens" () Find the latest chapter!

The League of Blades actually has two 'Holy Cities'. One is the headquarters of the Holy Sanctuary, the genuine Holy City, named as such since its founding, originally serving as the stronghold of the Holy Sanctuary. The other...

Zenith City, also known as Blade City, is the headquarters of the League of Blades Council. Alongside the Holy City near the west, it is hailed as the twin jewels of the League of Blades, serving as the political, cultural, and commercial hubs of the alliance's eastern and western regions.

In recent years, some have begun referring to Blade City as the Holy City, thanks to the presence of the Zenith Holy Sanctuary. Since its inception, the Zenith Holy Sanctuary has consistently topped the rankings of all Holy Sanctuaries, standing as the spiritual and honorary symbol of the Holy Sanctuary. It represents the pinnacle of cooperation between the Holy Sanctuary and the League of Blades Council, embodying the closest bond between the two major powers.

As the earliest established cornerstone Holy Sanctuary, located in the alliance's most prosperous city, and backed by significant political influence, it enjoys unparalleled advantages in politics, resources, and connections. The successive principals of the Zenith Holy Sanctuary have almost always been high-ranking members of the League of Blades Council. The current principal is Fu Changkong, a prominent figure in the League of Blades Council, while his younger brother, Fu Changsheng, represents the conservative faction within the Holy Sanctuary and recently observed the Rose Challenge at the Xifeng Holy Sanctuary...

The rise of the Fu family is an anomaly in the League of Blades. In earlier years, they were an ordinary family subordinate to the Ye family, one of the Eight Sages. However, the emergence of the Fu brothers, Fu Changkong and Fu Changsheng, who shook the alliance as heroic twins in their youth, hunting down several notorious demonic figures from the Nine Gods and venturing deep into enemy territory to assassinate targets, marked them as talents rivaling Thunder Dragon. Later, in their middle years, they entered politics—one joining the League of Blades Council, the other the Holy Sanctuary. Leveraging the balance between the alliance's two most powerful forces, they climbed to high positions, elevating the Fu family to its current status as a preeminent family in the alliance. Even the Ye family of the Eight Sages now stands on equal footing with them only by virtue of their lineage, and in terms of actual power, the Fu family may even hold a slight edge.

With courage, strength, wisdom, and strategy—and the fact that there are two such individuals, brothers no less—it's no wonder they've thrived.

While many in the alliance and the Holy Sanctuary despise them, it must be acknowledged that both brothers are more than worthy of their high positions in terms of both capability and charisma.

In the principal's office of the Zenith Holy Sanctuary, Fu Changkong was resting with his eyes closed. The burdensome administrative tasks of the school were, frankly, not his concern. Unlike Karida's micro-managing style, Fu Changkong believed in the responsibilities of a 'commander'—leaders should delegate, focus on the big picture, and appoint the right people. That was true leadership.

His fingers tapped lightly on the desk. Despite the recent unfavorable news, a faint smile played on Fu Changkong's lips.

Unlike his subordinates, who clamored to suppress the Rose and censor the Holy Sanctuary's Light, Fu Changkong understood that the common folk weren't fools. Falsehoods might deceive temporarily, but not forever. The recent 'open reporting' and shifting narratives in the Holy Sanctuary's Light were permitted by him personally. Why bother suppressing news of the Rose's seven victories? With the Blade Holy Path still active, even without media coverage, word would spread. The more you suppress, the more curiosity grows; the more you vilify, the more sympathy the Rose garners. Why not praise and elevate them instead?

The Rose's seven consecutive victories, even overcoming the formidable Dark Demon Island unscathed, had left many of Fu Changkong's subordinates feeling as though the sky had fallen, fearing for the Zenith Holy Sanctuary's safety. Some even suggested covertly eliminating Wang Feng's team, staging a shipwreck on their return journey from Dark Demon Island...

Naive, foolish, idiotic!

The Zenith Holy Sanctuary had basked in glory for so long that many had grown numb to it. Some even believed the gap between it and the second-ranked Dark Demon Island was negligible, speculating that if Dark Demon Island had participated in past Heroic Championships, the Zenith Holy Sanctuary might not have retained its top spot.

Why? Because the Zenith Holy Sanctuary had never faced a true rival. Without competition, how could its strength be demonstrated? How could others understand the true disparity between first and second place?

His myopic underlings failed to grasp that the Rose's seven victories, marching triumphantly to the Zenith Holy Sanctuary's doorstep, weren't a disaster but an opportunity—a chance to remind the entire alliance of the Zenith Holy Sanctuary's supremacy.

Did a king not need stepping stones? Did a king not need to ascend further? Kings who thought otherwise had long been dethroned. Now, the ascendant Rose was the perfect stepping stone to solidify the Zenith Holy Sanctuary's foundation.

Yet his foolish underlings were consumed by panic, concocting clandestine petty schemes that sickened him. Truly...

Fu Changkong couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle. Frankly, he sometimes envied Thunder Dragon—the old man had a remarkable granddaughter.

In truth, Fu Changkong deeply admired Karida's boldness and capability. In just a year or two, she had revitalized the moribund Rose Holy Sanctuary, elevating it to a position where it could challenge the Zenith Holy Sanctuary... Meanwhile, his own granddaughters, adorned in gaudy finery and parading as high-society ladies in the imperial capital, made him wish he could sweep them all out with a broom—out of sight, out of mind.

Knock-knock...

A gentle rap at the door. Fu Changkong responded calmly, "Come in."

"Grandfather."

It was Ye Dun.

The relationship between the Ye and Fu families was extraordinary. In earlier years, the Fu family had been subordinate to the Ye family, akin to retainers. But as the Fu brothers rose to prominence, the two families transitioned from cooperation to kinship—Ye Dun's mother was Fu Changkong's youngest daughter. The backing of the Ye family, one of the Eight Sages, was part of the reason the Fu brothers endured through various struggles. Of course, they now also served as the Ye family's support, a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Fu Changkong smiled faintly. "How are your preparations for the battle against the Rose coming along?"

"I've compiled detailed profiles on every member of the Rose, including their performances in previous battles, life trajectories, personalities, and preferences," Ye Dun replied respectfully. "Drawing from the Xifeng Holy Sanctuary's strategy against the Rose, I believe their weaknesses lie primarily in the beastmen, Fante Xi, and Wang Feng. We should exploit these vulnerabilities. I've restructured the team, bringing in two junior brothers from the Demon-Subduing Academy, and Zhao Ziyue has provided the exorcism array diagrams used last time to suppress the beastmen. They won't be able to transform on the field. Additionally..."

He spoke earnestly, detailing strategic responses for every member and aspect of the Rose, even their tactical tendencies—evidence of thorough preparation.

Fu Changkong listened quietly. Overall, he was quite satisfied with this grandson—steady in temperament, meticulous in thought, and gifted, bearing a shadow of his own youthful brilliance. The only shortcoming was Ye Dun's lack of setbacks. Born into privilege, his path had been too smooth, leaving traces of impractical arrogance. Moreover, growing up amidst the scheming of great families had made him overthink, lacking the raw dominance and decisiveness to cut through complications with sheer force—the instinct to know when to strike without second thought.

"...Three-to-one, that's my guarantee, and the most precise result after countless calculations." Ye Dun's eyes gleamed with determination: "If anything goes wrong, I willingly accept punishment!"

"Calculations?" Fu Changkong chuckled. "Numbers can be calculated, but can people? People are unpredictable, my child..."

Ye Dun was slightly taken aback—was his grandfather doubting him? But Fu Changkong's next words left him even more surprised.

"Besides, what I want isn't three-to-one." Fu Changkong gazed at him calmly, his seemingly aged eyes carrying an unfathomable depth that Ye Dun could never quite grasp. "That’s as good as losing!"

"This..." Ye Dun was truly stunned.

His grandfather had never been one for empty, unrealistic boasts. Could he not see Rose's strength? Truth be told, even achieving three-to-one was something Ye Dun felt only 70% confident about, and to secure that, he’d already had to take some risky tactical gambles. As for three to zero—against a team like Rose, with aces like Winnie Lee and Mapeier? That was nearly impossible!

"Come out." Fu Changkong clapped his hands as he spoke.

The door opened again, and four dust-covered figures silently entered the office, looking as though they had just returned from a long journey.

"No way..."

"Little Leaf, long time no see." The leader, a man weather-beaten, appeared over a decade older than Ye Dun, though in reality, he was only three years his senior. Cloaked in a gray mantle, he smiled faintly, radiating quiet pride. "What, don’t recognize me?"

"Brother Tianzhe?" It took Ye Dun a full two or three seconds to react.

Tianzhe Yifeng—an unusual name, but one that had already resounded throughout the Holy Sanctuary and the entire Alliance long before Ye Dun had made his mark at Zenith Holy Sanctuary.

Back then, the Champions’ Tournament was still highly popular, and during those two tournaments, Zenith Holy Sanctuary’s slogan was: "We will never deploy Tianzhe Yifeng first!"

In that era, no disciple in the Holy Sanctuary dared to face Tianzhe Yifeng in combat. He was the very definition of an untouchable legend. Even the so-called second-ranked fighters of the Holy Sanctuary at the time could only bow their heads and humbly request his guidance. He had reached the pinnacle the moment he debuted, yet he continued to push his limits. By his first year, he had already dominated the entire Holy Sanctuary; by his second, he was unbeatable—no one dared face him.

After Ye Dun entered Zenith Holy Sanctuary, Tianzhe Yifeng chose to leave on a journey, no longer staying at the academy. Many saw this as him stepping aside to make way for the golden boy of the Ye and Fu families, allowing them to elevate Ye Dun as Zenith’s new poster boy. While there was truth to that, it wasn’t the whole story. The real reason was far simpler—by the end of his second year, the Holy Sanctuary’s curriculum could no longer keep up with his level of cultivation. Staying would only hinder his progress. So he left, pursuing martial perfection. To avoid worldly distractions, he even adopted a low profile, working under a fake name, forever immersing himself in the most dangerous covert missions—even the name he registered with the bounty hunters was false.

This was a true warrior—one whom even Ye Dun had once idolized.

Now, three years later, he had suddenly returned...