Chapter 72: Qian Gu Dong Feng and Leng Yao Zhu

In the past, while the Spirit Pagoda and Tang Sect were always at odds, it never escalated to the point where one faction's leader would personally take action and eliminate a high-ranking member of the other.

But now, things were different!

Because at this moment, Qian Gu Dong Feng truly was engaging in an act that defied all moral and ethical standards!

If one does not commit wrongdoing, one does not fear ghosts knocking at the door.

If there's no filth in one's trousers, there's no fear of being falsely accused. But right now, Qian Gu Dong Feng's trousers were truly filthy.

The Tang Sect, as an organization on par with the Spirit Pagoda, had its influence spread across the continent, reaching into countless industries.

Although it might not uncover his shady dealings with the Holy Spirit Cult, stealing a twelfth-level fixed soul-guided artillery shell from the Federation was not something that could be accomplished by just one or two people, nor through just one or two steps.

If the Tang Sect happened to notice some anomaly pointing toward the Spirit Pagoda, it wouldn't be entirely impossible.

Killing Xu Shengqun this time might very well have been a way of testing the waters.

It was exactly the kind of thing the Passionate Douluo, Zang Xin, would do—"A passionate swordsman with an emotionless blade"—taking the life of a Hyper Douluo without so much as blinking, just to probe for information.

Qian Gu Dong Feng didn't even dare seek trouble with the Tang Sect. He had no choice. If he acted rashly, Zang Xin might see through his intentions.

After all, in the plan to bomb Shrek Academy, the Tang Sect's headquarters in Shrek City was the second priority target.

If they could obtain a second twelfth-level fixed soul-guided artillery shell, its primary target would be none other than the Tang Sect headquarters in Shrek City.

At this point, the most reasonable and realistic approach would be to temporarily halt the plan to steal the twelfth-level fixed soul-guided artillery shell and let the rising storm sink back beneath the waves.

At least until they could determine whether Xu Shengqun was indeed killed by Zang Xin, and whether the Tang Sect had caught wind of the bombing plan.

But was that even possible?

Could they really afford to stop, to slow down?

The plan to steal the twelfth-level fixed soul-guided artillery shell involved too many officials, too many people making efforts behind the scenes, and too many others profiting from it. It wasn't something that could be stopped just because he wanted to.

Moreover, the plan was not solely under his control. The Holy Spirit Cult, the black-gloved executioners they had chosen, were not entirely under his command.

And then there were those even more radical Federation councilors—were they people he could fully manipulate?

Once such a plan was set in motion, there was no turning back. Either they hit the target, or they got crushed midway.

Even if Qian Gu Dong Feng wanted to stop now, countless hands behind him would still be pushing him forward. There was no avoiding it. The only thing he could control was how fast they moved.

"Ring, ring, ring..."

On the desk, a red telephone rang.

This was the Spirit Pagoda's exclusive soul communicator, utilizing the most advanced soul-guided technology to ensure secrecy, available only to the top hundred members of the organization.

"Tower Master," a hoarse voice came through from the other end of the communicator. It belonged to Han Tianyi, one of the highest-ranking figures in the Spirit Pagoda beneath its Extreme Douluo leaders.

He was the most powerful spiritual master of the current era, possessing spiritual power surpassing that of most Extreme Douluo, nearly reaching the pinnacle below the Divine Origin Realm.

Whenever something extremely troublesome arose, Qian Gu Dong Feng would often rely on Han Tianyi, who could multitask through his formidable spiritual power, to handle it.

"Han Lao, how are things progressing?"

"Tower Master, everything is normal."

"The Spirit Pagoda branch in Mingdu, which you pointed out, has shown no signs of irregular activity, nor has there been any presence of unauthorized Tang Sect personnel."

"As for the Blacksmith Association, I personally kept watch but did not detect any suspicious individuals."

"Unless a being with god-level spiritual power was concealing themselves, no one could escape my day-long surveillance."

"The two War God Hall warriors who attended the banquet with Xu Shengqun—Ice Moon Douluo Tang Limei and Morning Cat Douluo Zhu Xuan—both returned safely to War God Hall, maintaining their usual routines."

"As for Zang Xin, after returning to the Tang Sect, my observations and reports from internal informants indicate that his behavior has also remained unchanged."

Hearing Han Tianyi's report, Qian Gu Dong Feng felt even more unsettled. The fact that all these powerful figures were acting normally gave him the eerie sense of calm before the storm.

However, there was at least one piece of good news—no one had yet made an explicit move against the Spirit Pagoda. That meant the core of the plan had not been exposed.

Whoever was testing the waters was still waiting for him to make a mistake.

As he pondered, Han Tianyi did not hang up immediately but instead voiced a question.

"Tower Master, forgive me for asking…"

"Are you planning something?"

Temporarily suppressing his emotions, Qian Gu Dong Feng responded with the depth of his scheming nature, playing the sentiment card.

"Han Lao, you and I both grew up within the Spirit Pagoda's system."

"When we were young, we took pride in being part of the Spirit Pagoda."

"When we grew up, we harbored ambitions to make the Spirit Pagoda proud of us."

"All I can tell you is this: Everything I do is for the benefit of the Spirit Pagoda."

"For too long, we have been suppressed by Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect."

"Thirty years to the east of the river, thirty years to the west. The tide of this era is now turning in our favor."

On the other end of the communicator, Han Tianyi remained silent for a long time before finally speaking in his aged voice.

"I understand, Tower Master."

After hanging up, Qian Gu Dong Feng's breathing grew heavier.

Since the plan could no longer be stopped, and since there was only the choice between slowing down or accelerating, with his decisive nature, he quickly made his decision.

Delays would only bring complications!

They had to move faster!

They had to move as fast as possible!

Fast enough that before the other superpowers could react, they would have already secured the twelfth-level fixed soul-guided artillery shell!

"Bam!"

His hand slammed down on the soul communicator once more.

"Beep, beep, beep..." He made dozens of calls in succession.

"..."

"Difficulties?"

"What difficulties?!"

"If there are difficulties, then overcome them!"

"..."

"Funding?"

"All necessary funds will be drawn from my Qian Gu Clan's private assets!"

"..."

By the time Qian Gu Dong Feng finished making his calls and was just about to catch his breath, the door to his office suddenly sounded with an extremely forceful knock.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The knocking was loud and rude.

Moreover, the person knocking didn't wait for permission and directly kicked the door open.

The intruder had jade-like skin and a fiery temperament. She was passionate yet alluring, radiating an almost sun-like vibrancy. Her figure was tall and graceful, like the most exquisite of sculptures.

It was none other than Leng Yao Zhu, the current Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda—an Extreme Douluo-level, four-word battle armor master who also held the rank of Black-grade Mecha Pilot.

At this moment, she had completely abandoned her usual composed demeanor—or rather, when it came to Qian Gu Dong Feng, she had never been composed.

Her delicate hands slammed against the desk, making a thunderous sound. Her beautiful phoenix eyes glared icily at the middle-aged man before her, whose sharp features and eagle-like gaze had dominated the world of spirit masters.

"Qian Gu Dong Feng!"