A blonde beauty lay in the embrace of her man when she suddenly shuddered, waking up after witnessing a disturbing scene. "They are all dead."
"Even that young lady from the Sacred Blade Clan?" her partner questioned, already wide awake. "I thought she was protected by her Constellation."
"She is also dead. I couldn't pick up their conversations, but it seems like her Constellation ditched her and contracted with one of Xuefeng's wives," the beauty explained bitterly before assuring, "Thankfully, she left using her body, so we don't have to worry about her. Even you wouldn't be able to do anything against that monster."
Her partner frowned at her statement, but he couldn't fight against facts. Even though they were the leaders of the Fate Gods, the Yin-Yang power couple that ruled the God Realm from the shadows, they were nothing against the Constellations. Any of those monstrous beings could wipe them into nonexistence with a single snap of a finger.
"What do you suggest then?" Yang asked with a troubled gaze. "Our plan consisted of using the combined power of the God Realm experts to kill him, but it doesn't seem like it's working. If we do nothing and just hide, he will eventually collect all Elemental Stones and start hunting us down. At that point, our Fate Abilities will be completely useless against him."
Yin paused, taking a moment to comprehend all the information. As much as she was confident in their strength, she had to agree with her husband. The Elemental Bracelet was a nemesis to all Fate Holders, so they had to kill him before it was too late. With only five stones, he still couldn't fully protect himself, which was their only hope.
"If you can't beat them, join them."
Just as they were brainstorming, a humanoid figure emerged from the shadows and nodded its head. It was a middle-aged man with combed black hair and red eyes, dressed in what looked like darkness itself. His presence was hard to notice, even for the couple, which was a testament to his skills.
"Master of Shadows!" Yin-Yang couple exclaimed at the same time and swiftly bowed, not daring to show disrespect. The man was completely out of their league, a person working directly for the Constellations.
"You can drop the formalities. I don't have much time before I'm discovered, so let's get to the point," Shadow announced calmly. "I advise you to give up on the Elemental Bracelet. Even if you had the strength to get it, the power currently ruling this set of Realms wouldn't let that happen. If you continue with your plans, you and every single member of your organization will perish."
The couple paled, not expecting such a straightforward warning. "Could you explain why? We thought the King of Heaven wasn't on good terms with Xuefeng."
"It's quite complicated due to an internal fight, but I discovered the Supervising Realm is controlled by two entities, each holding onto half of its power," Shadow revealed as his gaze sharpened. "The Elemental Bracelet owner is supported by one of them, potentially aiming to take over the Supervising Realm after he collects all the Elemental Stones.
This Artifact is quite powerful once completed, so I wouldn't be surprised if they succeed."
The Yin-Yang duo took a deep breath, feeling the cold sweat roll down their backs. "Should we pass this information to the other faction and recall our forces then?"
Although they were the leaders of Fate Gods, it was an empty title. Around half of their forces have allied to create an opposing faction, so they couldn't force them to retreat.
"My employer's offer is only directed at you two since involving too many people would be suspicious," Shadow replied as he waved his hand, producing a black parchment out of thin air. "Your task is simple: Make Xuefeng sign this contract in exchange for the Elemental Stones he seeks.
If you succeed, my employer will not only offer you her blessing, but she will also help you with your third refining."
"This..." Yang hesitated while reading through the conditions of the contract. "As much as this offer is tempting, can we at least know which Constellation trusts us this much?"
Shadow paused as he looked at the ceiling cautiously and released a dark cloud through his body, quickly shrouding them in darkness.
"There are currently three Constellations who are eyeing this set of Realms, and my employer is the strongest of them, ranking just outside of the top one hundred in the Celestial Ranking. She is looking to strengthen her force for the upcoming challenges, and a soldier with the completed Elemental Bracelet would be a great asset to her," Shadow explained briefly.
"I trust you understand the importance of this task. Hope you don't disappoint me."
The couple exchanged glances and nodded firmly, keeping the contract in their storage ring. Although the mission sounded hard, the contract itself was heavily in favor of Xuefeng, granting him immense benefits that no one would reject. The only issue was securing the Elemental Stones, which were in possession of an annoying old man who was impossible to catch.
"I assume you accept the offer. In that case, I'm going to depart─"
Shadow's words were interrupted as golden light pierced through the darkness, suddenly enveloping Shadow's body. All he could do was smile bitterly before he vanished from the chamber, leaving the Yin-Yang couple dumbfounded. It was clear whatever took him away was beyond their power, so they could only focus on the task at hand.
"I will start looking for the Elemental Stones while you help the rest with the hunt," Yin suggested as she sat cross-legged, activating her Fate Ability without wasting time. "Since Xuefeng is protected, we don't need to worry about him dying even if all the forces combine. That should buy us some time, just make sure you stay clean."
"Who do you think you married? I will keep him occupied without tracing any leads back to us," Yang promised with a smile. "It just so happens I know a few clans who can't wait to get their revenge on him."
***
"Is this the place?" Xuefeng questioned as his group hovered in the sky, gazing at the vast city stretched to the horizon. "When we heard Darius talk about the Teleportation Station, we should have expected it would be located within a big city."
"It would be less risky to go around and fly to the capital directly, but it's pointless. Be it here or in the capital, we won't be able to avoid a fight," Xiao Wen commented while cracking her knuckles. "We might as well beat them up right away, which will send a message to anyone who tries to mess with us."
"I am quite bored just traveling, so I wouldn't mind a bit of entertainment," Nuwa nodded in approval, her eyes gleaming dangerously. "I didn't have the opportunity to test my new Soul Arts yet, so I hope we meet some strong opponents today."
Xuefeng remained silent, not as confident in their strength as before. Although they should be able to handle any cultivator who has completed their first or second refining, their meeting with Constellation Viena made him aware of potential dangers. They now stepped into the arena involving beings beyond their current capabilities, and one wrong move could lead to their death.
"I'm sure the Fate Gods are aware of our whereabouts so we will face them one way or another, but let me make one thing clear," Xuefeng began, his tone serious. "This is the first and last time we have faced a Constellation. Until I'm confident I can protect you, we are going to avoid such confrontations."
Everyone's face darkened, but no one complained about his decision. Even though Viena's strength was restricted after descending into Jaine's body, she was still on another level they could never match. While they only experienced one lifetime, Constellations absorbed hundreds or even thousands of memories, giving them the ultimate advantage in battles.
"I'm sure not many Constellations offer a similar blessing, but if we happen to meet another one, I want you to be prepared to retreat," Xuefeng added with a sigh. "I would rather lose face than risk any of your lives."
He didn't wait for a response, as this decision wasn't up for debate, and gave a signal to Ling, who released Thunder Goddess from her space. The woman who came out was identical to her original self, to the point even Xuefeng wouldn't recognize she was just an Avatar if he didn't know beforehand.
"Do you remember what I told you? Don't act rashly just because it's your Avatar. Your soul will still be injured if you die," Xuefeng reminded her just in case. "I count on you."
"Don't worry, I poured all my Qi into this body so I won't fall easily," Thunder Goddess assured as she stretched her arms and covered her face with a hood. "I will report back when I reach the capital."
She didn't even offer a kiss goodbye as she burst into purple lightning, disappearing on the spot. Her task involved gathering intel about the Fate Gods and the Godly Arena, hoping to give themselves a slight edge. It would be even better if she could infiltrate the enemy ranks, but that was just the best-case scenario.
"Let's go. We shouldn't make them wait too long."