In the main hall, Mo Fan, Lingling, and the others were dumbfounded.
Since when was Lu Jun involved in the Black Vatican purge again? Rumor had it this time they even tracked down two Red Cardinals, terrifying!
He had been staying in the Demon Capital all along, living no differently from them.
Lu Jun ignored their curiosity, focusing intently on Leng Qing's account.
"Everything went smoothly with the capture of Cheng Ying, Su Qingqing, and Vinnie. They never expected the Tribunal to act and, in a single sweep, eliminated the southern generation of Black Vatican members."
"Cheng Ying even managed to catch a big fish a prisoner specifically under Leng Jue, whom I led the execution of."
"The seven major disciples under Leng Jue, including the Purple, Orange, Red, and Blue Fiends, were mostly slain."
Leng Qing spoke slowly, her calm tone steeped in the scent of blood.
Mo Fan, in a daze, seemed to see countless flashes of blades, the clang of swords, and rivers of blood.
"Unfortunately…" Leng Qing shifted her tone with a sigh. "At the final moment, Leng Jue seemed to notice something. He abandoned all his subordinates and fled north with only a few confidants."
Hearing this, Lu Jun nodded. The Tribunal's operation had been well-organized, swift, and covert, perfectly illustrating efficiency and precision.
Many Black Vatican members had been unaware before the net closed in, not even realizing that their usual contacts had been replaced, walking straight into the trap.
Among all the powers, the Tribunal was indeed reliable. In the original timeline, many calamities had positive consequences, and they had fought on the frontlines.
But Leng Jue wasn't a fool, nor simple. He reacted to the death time difference and instantly escaped thousands of miles away.
"However," Leng Qing continued, "the good news is that Jiuzhou had already set up a tight net in the north. Leng Jue is likely trapped."
"The only concern is if Leng Jue reached the vast northern plains, even the densest net would be like finding a needle in the ocean. Hopefully, we can intercept him ahead of time."
Lu Jun asked again, "And what about Nine Infants? South Guard is right in the heart of the Imperial Capital's Forbidden Court, surrounded by countless Super Tier experts and even Forbidden Spells. He shouldn't be able to escape, right?"
Leng Qing opened her mouth but paused, pressing her lips together. "Nine Infants… he escaped."
Ah—Lu Jun was both surprised and astonished. Under the heavy encirclement of strong powers, he still managed to slip away? Even more remarkable than Leng Jue.
Leng Qing let out a long sigh, smiling bitterly. "It's a long story. Nine Infant's escape just happened."
Nine Infant was differed from other Red Cardinals who wove conspiracies to cause calamities. He preferred to focus on his own strength, cultivating to full Super Tier, the youngest among them, around thirty to forty years old, a true Forbidden Spell seed.
To gain advancement, over the years he had actually done many good deeds, one or two comparable to Mo Fan's efforts saving the Ancient Capital.
So when the higher-ups first heard Bai Xu was Nine Infant, they didn't dare believe it. Even Blue Bat hesitated when verifying, plus he had cultivated deeply in human society for years, building connections with many influential people. Some of those relationships were quite close.
As for the civilians who benefited from him, that was even more complex—overall, extremely tricky.
The key was that there was no decisive evidence.
In the end, Pang Lai decided to try, deliberately letting Jiuzhou reveal a major flaw, giving the Black Vatican operators a maddening opportunity. If successful, it could plunge Yanji into chaos.
South Guard Bai Xu remained unmoved. For a moment, everyone hesitated.
At that instant, Bai Xu acted, decisively seizing the opportunity to slip away. He had long sensed something amiss from frequent probing and had resolved to escape.
Leng Qing spoke coldly, "He colluded with the Pacific Empire, absorbing part of the Sovereign Emperor's power within himself, blocking the breath of a Forbidden Spell."
At this, Mo Fan and Lingling felt solemn awe. Escaping the hand of a Forbidden Spell was worthy of a Red Cardinal.
Though not as destructively impressive as Salan in the Ancient Capital or Leng Jue in the Mediterranean, in terms of reputation shock, Nine Infant was stronger.
Lu Jun, however, remained silent. In the original timeline, Nine Infant did kill several Guardian-level powers, but there was something clownish about it—dying quietly, unnoticed.
Claims that Nine Infant had buried a top-tier human powerhouse were contradicted when Hua Zhanhong appeared later, showing that all the injuries, hiding, and so on were false. Hua Zhanhong had been at peak condition, merely playing a game in Hawaii.
This contrast made Nine Infant seem more like a comedian.
Lu Jun held a slight taboo regarding Salan; even her death couldn't be fully confirmed. He regarded Leng Jue as a dangerous foe but dared to tease him closely. Nine Infant, however, he dismissed, just cannon fodder.
"As expected, every Red Cardinal cannot be underestimated."
Now Lu Jun reflected, and upon careful thought, Nine Infant's greatest advantage lay in his deep roots within human society. His trip to Hawaii had only trapped him within his own web.
Heh—of course, it wasn't necessarily by his own choice. It was a superior's order; one in his position had no choice but to comply.
Lu Jun's casually indifferent expression turned serious. He had thought Jiuzhou's elimination of the two would be almost certain, leaving him little reason to intervene. Yet now it seemed he would have to step in personally.
Just as Lu Jun was about to speak, Leng Qing's phone rang. Her face changed drastically as she answered.
Seeing this, Lu Jun frowned and rubbed his temple, sensing that something major had occurred.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Leng Qing took a deep breath, her expression grim. "Nine Infant and Leng Jue have joined forces. They're fleeing north together, and their movement has triggered a massive disaster, tying up the powers of several major cities."
"Additionally, there's subtle abnormality along the Pacific coast."
As she finished, Lu Jun's expression grew calm, thinking to himself: the butterfly effect has begun. Nine Infant and Leng Jue, two Red Cardinals, collaborating?! A path he had never imagined.
He vaguely recalled that the reason Leng Jue had been able to summon the Great Pyramid of Khufu in the northern plains, sweeping thousands of miles like a tiger, was because the eastern seas had encountered problems. The Pacific Empire formally invaded, launching the first wave of attack.
This led to much of Jiuzhou's forces being drawn away to counter it, forcing the high-level powers to painfully abandon the northern plains.
Thus began the era of maritime chaos.
Now, with the timeline altered, it also coincides with certain logic: given Nine Infant's ties to the Sea Demon, it is highly likely this could trigger an early invasion by the Sea Demon Empire!
Mo Fan, Lingling, and the others were equally stunned by the alliance of two Red Cardinals. A single Red Cardinal could overthrow a nation; two working together? It could well be the brewing of a national-scale calamity.
The Tribunal members, including Leng Qing, also intuitively perceived Nine Infant and Leng Jue's predatory vigilance from afar.
Their flight wasn't the desperate struggle of trapped beasts, it was a deliberate bait, drawing forces into a trap, manipulating Jiuzhou, and controlling half the heavens.
They were intentionally guiding Jiuzhou's power, attempting internal and external coordination.
Only Lu Jun remained calm. These unexpected developments instead heightened his battle intent. There was no unease, his own power had risen, and any difficulty could be cut down with a single strike.
He resolved to head north, personally subduing the two!
For additional chapters
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