The entire world kept an eye on the battle in Tianshui Prefecture.
Against surviving members of the long-destroyed Zhongli Sword Sect, not only did the Alliance fail to fulfill its previous promise of capturing the Yun family, but even Elder Mo Yundi from the Alliance was killed.
This dealt a great blow to people's trust and confidence in the Alliance, and the prestige of the Martial Arts Alliance suffered considerably.
Twenty years ago, the Alliance successfully held the World's Strongest Martial Arts Tournament, and many of its powerhouses ascended to the Upper World. These powerhouses were certainly enviable, but their departure also suddenly weakened the power of the Martial Arts Alliance.
The strongest martial artists and the higher ups were taken away in one fell sweep. Even Red Tail didn't remain here for long and only exercised remote control over the Alliance through reincarnation, so the inside of the Alliance descended into great chaos for a while.
And when several major forces finally managed to regain control of the situation, the Alliance could never return to its former glory anymore.
Without Red Tail—someone who could force all the higher ups into submission—internal strife was inevitable. So compared to twenty years ago, the Alliance's control over the world was actually much weaker.
And the Tianshui Prefecture incident seemed to be the last straw. The seemingly prosperous Martial Arts Alliance seemed to become unstable overnight, tossed about by wind and rain.
But at this critical juncture, the Alliance made a decision that stunned countless people.
It strictly forbid everyone from mentioning topics related to the "Zhongli Goddess." Even a verbal discussion was considered a rebellion!
When this order came out, all the martial artists in the world were in an uproar.
Some said that the Martial Arts Alliance was out of their minds. If someone disobeyed the Alliance, then they should find a way to kill her. What good would ordering their own people to shut up do?
Others claimed that vile characters were stirring up trouble inside the Alliance. Otherwise, the Alliance wouldn't have gone so far as to persecute people over their speech.
But even more people saw a great mansion on the verge of collapse; they saw the frailty behind the behemoth called the Alliance…
...
"Alliance Leader Qin, please reconsider! This order is tantamount to self-destructing…"
"That's right. If the Alliance Leader wants to take the life of that Zhongli Goddess, then old fellows like us can just do it. Why the need for this gag order?"
"Alliance Leader, please withdraw the order!"
In the headquarters of the Martial Arts Alliance in Martial Alliance City, a group of white-haired old men were trying to persuade a middle-aged man.
Every one of these people was a pillar of the Martial Arts Alliance, a Transcendent Realm grandmaster. It's just that they didn't ascend to the Upper World twenty years ago because of their old age.
The one they surrounded was Qin Yuezhi, the current Alliance Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance and also the Sect Master of Venerate Heaven Sect.
Qin Yuezhi forced a smile onto his face as he tried to persuade these elders one by one.
He was the direct disciple of Venerate Heaven Sect's previous Sect Master. Although he was powerful and had extraordinary talent, his seniority really wasn't too high. Everyone before him was his elder.
Now that they came to find him because of his "unwise order," Qin Yuezhi really couldn't kick them all out.
After trying his hardest and successfully persuading all of the old ancestors to return, Qin Yuezhi finally sighed in relief. At the same time, a red-clothed figure also appeared in front of him.
Qin Yuezhi didn't dare show disrespect and hurriedly saluted. "My Lord."
Even as the Alliance Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance, Qin Yuezhi still didn't dare show the slightest disrespect to the person before him—because she was the one who single-handedly established the Martial Arts Alliance!
Red Tail nodded slightly. "Continue to target Yun Tianyang. This time, send a Transcendent Realm expert over to provide support."
"Yes," Qin Yuezhi answered, but then said, "My Lord, even a lion must use its full strength to fight a rabbit. That Yun Tianyang is only one step away from Transcendent Realm. What if…"
But Red Tail just laughed. "That's exactly what we're trying to determine—whether that 'what if' exists or not."
...
Two months after the gag order was issued, an elder of the Martial Arts Alliance—the Transcendent Realm martial artist Li Jin—received an order to personally head to the Northwest to capture Yun Tianyang and his master.
Although Li Jin was extremely talented in martial arts and entered Transcendent Realm at the age of 40, he had a ruthless temperament and lusted after money and women. His arrival could be considered a disaster for the Northwest.
In just half a month, countless families in the Northwest were wiped out and a large number of innocent martial artists died violent deaths—all so Li Jin could acquire ten thousand taels of gold and a house full of beautiful wives and concubines.
Everyone in the Western Region lived in fear, panicking at the slightest sound. The gag order became more prevalent, almost to the point where people could only communicate with their eyes, too afraid to even speak.
The Martial Arts Alliance's reputation in the Northwest plummeted even further. While hating Li Jin, many people also began to hate the Martial Arts Alliance as well.
Finally, in the third month of Li Jin's arrival in the Northwest, a major event transpired—Yun Tianyang and his six companions infiltrated Li Jin's residence and killed him in one fell swoop!
To think that a powerful Transcendent Realm grandmaster would actually die in his own residence like this. Once news of this spread, it immediately shocked the world.
The next day, Yun Tianyang led a group of martial artists and launched an attack on the Northwestern capital, Daming City, raising the curtain on the armed resistance against the Martial Arts Alliance.
In this battle, Yun Tianyang himself displayed the strength of a Transcendent Realm martial artist and became a genuine grandmaster level expert.
His six companions also revealed impressive strength. Almost all of them were close to Transcendent Realm and had the makings of a group of young heroes.
Some meddlesome people even started calling them the "Northwestern Seven Tigers." For a while, their fame was unparalleled.
...
"I personally watched the fight between Yun Tianyang and Li Jin from the sidelines. Yun Tianyang broke through mid-battle," Red Tail dutifully reported what she saw.
"Is he also a child of destiny?" Gu Nan asked.
"No." Red Tail, however, shook her head. "There was the aura of destiny lingering on him, but it felt more like it came from an external source… Ah Xiu's surplus destiny probably fell onto him."
Gu Nan couldn't help laughing involuntarily. He didn't expect that Ah Xiu's power of destiny had become dense enough to share with others.
Red Tail added, "Ah Xiu is still one last step short of her breakthrough, so they plan to develop peacefully for a while after conquering Daming City."
"How can they be allowed to settle down?" Gu Nan curled his lips into a smile. "We've gotta give the children some pressure… I'll head there myself."
...
Daming City.
The head of the "Northwestern Seven Tigers"—Yun Tianyang—was in the courtyard, practicing his punches at a leisurely pace. Six other young men and women were also in the courtyard.
"Boss Yun, when are we going to slaughter our way to Martial Alliance City?"
"Exactly! Old Yun, one word from you, and the brothers here will definitely jump into scalding water and plunge into raging fire for you!"
"You two," a woman next to them said helplessly, "you're already famous martial artists. Can't you be a little more civilized!?"
The previous one snickered, but a bald man rubbed his smooth head and replied, "But I, Mo Wentian, am precisely that kind of person. If you want me to learn to put on airs like those powerful figures, that won't happen!"
Hearing his companions bickering, Yun Tianyang slowly withdrew the strength in his fist and cut in helplessly, "Let's not be rash. My master just entered closed-door cultivation again, and we also need some time to recuperate."
"Also, my master said that…" Yun Tianyang hesitated for a moment before continuing, "we cannot underestimate the Martial Arts Alliance. There may be enemies inside that not even she can handle."
The remaining six people were stunned when they heard that. They actually knew how strong Yun Tianyang's master—the woman known as the Zhongli Goddess—was.
"Boss Yun, if you fought your master right now, could you beat her?" The one who spoke earlier asked carefully.
Yun Tianyang instantly answered with a bitter smile, "I can't even withstand one strike of Master's… The stronger I grow, the more I feel that Master's realm is unattainable."
Mo Wentian slapped his own forehead and exclaimed in shock, "Doesn't that mean that the Martial Arts Alliance also has this kind of invincible expert?"
"Yes." Yun Tianyang nodded. "Master told me that I should run as far away as possible if I ever saw a silver-robed person wearing a silver mask."
Just then, a manservant ran in and shouted, "Young Masters, someone outside is asking for an audience!"
"Who is it?"
"Uh… The person didn't give a name. I only know that it's a strange person wearing a silver robe and a silver mask."