Volume Two: A Bandit's Life - Chapter 55: A Successful Alliance

"A Sovereign truly exists!"

Both Qin Shuang and Li Yang frowned slightly. They feared no ordinary Godking, but dreaded the intervention of a Sovereign. Fortunately, Sovereigns had their own pact and could not act casually, yet who could guarantee that every single Sovereign would abide by it?

"Our former Sect Master was a Sovereign!" Duan Shuai nodded. Matters having reached this point, he had nothing left to conceal. If a Sovereign was indeed involved, these two Godkings surely would not dare to act rashly. After all, a Godking opposing a Sovereign was tantamount to an egg striking a stone. Figures like Lin Meng were not something one encountered every day.

"No matter who it is, anyone who dares to touch my big brother shall die!"

A cold light flashed across Qin Shuang's eyes. Space froze instantly in place, and the Xuanqing Qi Rod materialized in his hand, stopping a mere inch away from the top of Duan Shuai's head.

"Lead the way, take us to your Sovereign!"

"Time standstill!" Duan Shuai gasped in astonishment.

Duan Shuai was also a Godking who had comprehended time standstill, so breaking free from it would not be difficult. What shocked him deeply, however, was that his intelligence reports contained no data indicating that Qin Shuang had already mastered time standstill. During the recent battle against the Thunder Punishment City, all participating personnel had been strictly ordered to maintain secrecy. Having lost face, the Thunder Punishment City naturally would not go around broadcasting it.

"Xiao Shuang!" Li Yang's brows twitched slightly. It was a universally known rule that Sovereigns would not casually strike against those beneath the Sovereign realm. However, that did not mean anyone dared to provoke a Sovereign. If a Godking were to offend a Sovereign first, even if that Sovereign wiped out the Godking's entire clan, no other Sovereign would step out to stop them. After all, a Sovereign's dignity was paramount.

"Don't worry, Li Yang, nothing will happen. Since I dare to do this, I have my assurances!" Qin Shuang sent a voice transmission to Li Yang. Li Yang also knew that the two brothers had a Sovereign backing them, but there were disparities even among Sovereigns. Furthermore, struggles at the level of Sovereigns were beyond their ability to intervene.

"I will not take you there. No matter how powerful you are, you are definitely no match for a Sovereign!" Duan Shuai shook his head, paying no heed to Qin Shuang's threat. He knew the temper of the Sovereign in his sect, and moreover, he could not be certain whether it was indeed his sect's Sovereign who had carried off Qin Si.

"Very well, I will find them myself!"

Suddenly, a vast and terrifying aura manifested around the three of them. A youth clad in black robes inexplicably appeared beside Qin Shuang—it was none other than the Hualian avatar, transformed into the likeness of Qin Yu.

"Sovereign Lord!" Duan Shuai blurted out in sheer terror.

Duan Shuai had long suspected that the Purple Mystic Alliance had a Sovereign supporting it, otherwise it could not have developed at such a rapid pace. Yet he had never expected this Sovereign to appear here so abruptly. The thought that it might genuinely be his own sect's Sovereign who had abducted Qin Si filled him with dread; if two Sovereigns were to go to war, both the Purple Mystic Alliance and the Water-Breaking Sect would face a monumental trial.

Disregarding Duan Shuai's pale expression, Qin Shuang used his avatar—possessing Sovereign-level cultivation—to continuously scan the entire God Realm. To Qin Shuang, the Purple Mystic Alliance was secondary; what mattered most was his eldest brother. If anything truly happened to Qin Si, it would be too late for regrets.

"On an island in the southeast!"

Before long, Qin Shuang located Wuye Island and gathered information regarding Qin Si. Wuye had taken Qin Si away without any ill intentions, and thus had not set up any barriers to conceal his presence.

"Li Yang, Qin Shuang, stay here for now and watch him. I shall be right back!"

Qin Shuang deliberately had the Hualian avatar turn, speak those words, and then vanish. Sending the avatar alone to rescue Qin Si was a plan he had devised just moments ago. Facing a Sovereign, neither he nor Li Yang would accomplish anything by showing up; they would only become a burden.

"Senior!" Duan Shuai wanted to stop him, but it was already too late. He could only glare fiercely at Qin Shuang in vexation. He now had zero control over the progression of events and could only pray for a favorable outcome.

On Wuye Island, the moment the avatar appeared, Wuye was instantly aware of it.

"Which friend has come uninvited?" Wuye remained seated, suddenly calling out in a loud voice. Opposite him, Qin Si was still steadily drinking his Erguotou.

"Uninvited? A most amusing joke. You took my man away, and you expect me to wait for an invitation just to come looking for him?"

The avatar laughed heartily, arriving beside Wuye and Qin Si mid-sentence. Seeing that Qin Si was unharmed, Qin Shuang finally felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"Xiao Shuang?"

Qin Si naturally recognized this as Qin Shuang's avatar. That Qin Shuang had not come personally, sending only an avatar instead, was precisely the outcome Qin Si desired most in his heart. Now, his confidence surged significantly.

Qin Si briefly recounted the entire situation to the avatar, noting simultaneously that Wuye was not necessarily an enemy and could be turned into a friend. Yet Qin Si also knew that to forge an alliance of equals, their own side had to demonstrate strength. Therefore, Qin Shuang's appearance at this exact moment was truly a most opportune timing.

"You are referring to him?" Wuye was slightly stunned, his expression then relaxing. "I merely invited Alliance Master Qin here to discuss some old matters. How can you say I took your man?"

"Haha, you invited him, but did he consent?"

The avatar found a seat and sat down, positioning himself very cleverly—blocking Qin Si entirely behind him. Even if a fight broke out, it would grant Qin Si a chance to slip away and avoid being caught in the crossfire.

"Very well. Since you are here, you are also a friend. In any case, my sole purpose was to inquire about someone, but I have yet to learn my friend's honored name?"

"Qin Yu!"

Qin Shuang unhesitatingly hijacked his father's name. In their minds, even a Sovereign was nothing compared to their father anyway.

"Qin Yu? It seems I have never heard the name of this Sovereign in the God Realm?" Wuye wore a look of puzzlement. Sovereigns in the God Realm were different from Godkings; while unknown Godkings could emerge in large numbers, the number of Sovereigns and their respective names were practically transparent. After all, every Sovereign was considered a disciple of Hongmeng and was required to gather regularly to pay respects to Hongmeng.

"It is nothing strange that you haven't heard of it." The avatar smiled faintly and stopped drinking. For an avatar, drinking alcohol yielded no flavor whatsoever—it was merely a waste.

"You..." A flicker of clear anger surfaced on Wuye's face. "Fine, I have no interest in knowing my friend's identity. However, I wish to know what relationship my friend has with Lin Meng?"

"Lin Meng is my second elder brother!" Qin Shuang had already learned the situation from Qin Si and knew Wuye would ask this question. Since he had already usurped his father's name, he might as well carry it through to the end.

"Second elder brother?" Wuye stared intently at the avatar, then his expression unexpectedly softened into a smile. "I understand. In that case, it was I who acted rashly today. When my friend next meets Lin Meng, please convey that Wuye of the Water-Breaking Sect has always kept his kindness in mind. Wuye shall personally visit to apologize for today's rashness another day. As for the alliance mentioned by Alliance Master Qin, the Water-Breaking Sect shall raise absolutely no objections!"

Wuye laughed heartily, rose, and cupped his fists in salute. Now it was the brothers Qin Si and Qin Shuang's turn to be baffled. Qin Shuang had originally prepared for a battle to demonstrate their faction's might, never expecting the other party to concede so quickly. Qin Si felt the most depressed; the alliance had originally been proposed by the Water-Breaking Sect, but now it made it look as though his Purple Mystic Alliance was the one eagerly proposing it.

Regardless, being able to ally with a faction possessing a Sovereign was ultimately a good thing. Moreover, this Sovereign seemed to care deeply about the favor he owed Lin Meng. Qin Si's mind began spinning—since Lin Meng was his second uncle, that made them family. Surely his second uncle wouldn't mind him utilizing a Sovereign's favor? Splendid, he would make use of it then. It would put Wuye at ease and bring extra benefits to his own family.

Within the Purple Mystic Mansion, Qin Yu shook his head repeatedly. Everything the two brothers did within the Hongmeng God Realm was under his control, and he could only offer a bitter smile at their appropriation of his name.

In the White Cloud Hall, Lin Meng laughed heartily. Just like Qin Yu, Lin Meng had been paying attention to the two brothers' affairs, and Qin Si's plotting naturally could not escape his notice. He had not the slightest objection to Qin Si using his name to act; instead, he wondered if he could leverage his past influence to assist these two young scions without intervening personally.

In Water-Breaking City, Qin Shuang was the most well-informed regarding everything on Wuye Island. Slowly, a trace of a smile surfaced on his face. Li Yang, receiving Qin Shuang's voice transmission, also understood how the events had unfolded. Only Duan Shuai, accompanying the two of them, remained completely in the dark, his expression of intense nervousness unmistakably clear.

"Big brother is back!"

The corners of Qin Shuang's mouth lifted into a knowing smile.

At that moment, Duan Shuai finally received word as well. The command transmitted by his sect's Sovereign was to forge an alliance—a genuine alliance. Duan Shuai was extremely satisfied with this outcome, all the more so after having witnessed the appearance of the Purple Mystic Alliance's Sovereign.

The alliance between the Purple Mystic Alliance and the Water-Breaking Sect was a momentous event for both Iron-Flower City and Water-Breaking City. With the two cities united, their combined strength multiplied greatly. Greater strength meant enhanced safety guarantees for the residents of both cities, and a specially constructed teleportation array between the two domains made future communication even more convenient.

External powers paid little attention to the alliance of these two factions, as such alliances occurred frequently in the God Realm. Only the Thunder Punishment City and two other factions of the Water-Breaking Sect monitored the development with intense interest.