Chapter 2616: Opportunity
Xu Ji answered in a low voice, "Cheng Feng is quite special. People say that he's astoundingly handsome, and you can even consider him the male version of Yi Jun. If that was all there is to it, he wouldn't be a problem. The real problem is his other identity: he’s a disciple of Sovereign Ninth Lotus."
Lu Yin’s eyes narrowed. "Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciple?"
Everyone else in the room became increasingly somber as Xu Ji continued to explain, "You should already know about the Cyclic Universe’s Three Sovereigns and Nine Sages, and Sovereign Ninth Lotus is one of the Three Sovereigns. She has disciples spread across the entire Sixverse Association. Anyone who catches her eye might end up as one of the Sovereign’s disciples, regardless of their background or strength. Cheng Feng has been invited to visit Sovereign Ninth Lotus on three different occasions, which is very rare, even for her disciples. Despite hailing from my Voidforce Universe, he is highly respected in the Cyclic Universe and has a truly exceptional status."
Old Dian sighed. "Arresting him means that we will need to face Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s many disciples and possibly even the Sovereign herself."
"Given the fact that Cheng Feng has been invited to visit Sovereign Ninth Lotus on three different occasions, we can only imagine how highly she regards him," Ghost Three spoke carefully before turning to face Lu Yin, "Acting Bureau Director, I think that we need to report this to Bureau Director Wuji and ask him to make a decision."
Old Dian interjected, "Even Bureau Director Wuji is unlikely to enter a dispute with Sovereign Ninth Lotus. We must first definitively prove that Cheng Feng is a spy, without giving them any room for arguments. If there is any leeway, Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s other disciples will become our greatest obstacle."
Lu Yin stood there with his hands clasped behind his back. While in seclusion, he had already started planning how they had to go about arresting Cheng Feng. Nothing that was being said was a surprise to Lu Yin.
With the possibility of facing off against Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciples, and even the possibility of facing one of the Three Sovereigns, a single mistake could lead to disastrous consequences.
No one was implying that Sovereign Ninth Lotus would protect a spy. If someone was proven to be a spy, then not even the Great Sovereign would protect them. However, until there was conclusive proof, they could not lay a finger on Cheng Feng. Doing so would be disrespectful to Sovereign Ninth Lotus, and that would antagonize her many disciples.
This was no different from Lu Yin's Heavens Sect. Anyone who harmed someone from the Heavens Sect would face retaliation from Lu Yin, unless there was solid proof that the person was a spy.
"How do you plan to proceed?" Xu Ji asked as he stared at Xuan Qi’s back.
Lu Yin responded with a question, "Sovereign Ninth Lotus has invited him to visit three different times. Why?"
"His singing," Xu Yue answered.
Lu Yin looked surprised. "His singing?"
Xu Yue nodded, and admiration filled her eyes. "Cheng Feng has the most enchanting voice in all of human history. When he sings, it can mend broken hearts."
Lu Yin looked at Xu Ji before glancing at Old Dian and the other captains. All of them nodded in agreement. "There’s no denying that his voice is beautiful. I’ve heard it myself, once."
"I’ve also heard him sing once."
Boss Guan grinned. "I heard him once too, though only from a distance. Still, his singing, it's..."
The man failed to find the words to describe it.
However, the woman had betrayed humanity and even become a disciple of Cheng Kong. She had attacked all of the top students of the Sixverse Academy, which had captured the entire Sixverse Association’s attention. After that, her whereabouts had become a complete mystery.
No one had expected Tu Shuangshuang to show up in the Voidforce Universe, let alone for her tracks to be discovered by the Bureau.
The Bureau issued a public announcement: anyone who provided information related to Tu Shuangshuang would be rewarded, and whoever captured or killed the woman would be given the opportunity to become Xu Wuji's disciple.
As a Void Suprema, Xu Wuji was one of the Voidforce Universe’s peak powerhouses. Few were capable of reaching his level. Becoming such an expert’s disciple would be taking a step into the heavens, which would allow a person to instantly achieve the same status that Xu Ji and others enjoyed. This was an irresistible temptation to many, and in an instant, the entire Voidforce Universe sprang into action. Countless people appeared and started searching for Tu Shuangshuang, including even some older experts who had been in seclusion. Even members of the older generations wished to become Xu Wuji's disciple. It was only normal for anyone who had not yet become a Void Suprema to wish for such a master.
At this moment, all the information brokers in the Voidforce Universe became popular destinations, but not in the way of thriving business. They were surrounded and intercepted. No one believed that these people would sell news about Tu Shuangshuang; they were sure to take action themselves. Those without leads could only focus on these people, as they were the most likely to locate Tu Shuangshuang.
Eventually, the news spread to the Cyclic Universe, where it instantly gained the attention of Sage Hua's followers. Every last one of them tried to travel to the Voidforce Universe to join the hunt for Tu Shuangshuang. There was no one who hated Tu Shuangshuang more than the followers of the departed Sage Hua.
The once revered Hua Gate had become a laughingstock, and it was all because of Tu Shuangshuang.
A single announcement caused the Voidforce Universe to become the focus of a large portion of the Sixverse Association.
...
Broken Cliff was a renowned location in the Voidforce Universe, and it was only because Cheng Feng had been born there. His otherworldly singing enchanted countless people, and had even caught Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s attention. The three invitations she had extended to Cheng Feng had made his birthplace one of the most popular tourist destinations in the entire Voidforce Universe.
Every year, countless people would wait around Broken Cliff, hoping to hear the man sing. Even a single line would be enough to satisfy them.
Broken Cliff was not a planet, but rather a landmass that drifted through outer space. Its appearance was the source of its name of Broken Cliff. The landmass was not small, and it was home to hundreds of empires of varying sizes. However, the moment Cheng Feng's fame spread across the Sixverse Association, all of those empires had disappeared, and Broken Cliff had become a quiet place.
A man stood at the bottom of a towering mountain of snow, facing into the wind. His arms rose as the icy wind buffeted his body, causing his white clothes to flutter. He looked like a celestial being who was gracing the mortal realm with his presence, as he had a stunning and nearly divine appearance. This man was Cheng Feng.
Beneath the snowy mountain stood a village. It was a very ordinary village, and there were no powerful cultivators there. The only inhabitants here were ordinary people. It was Cheng Feng's hometown and where he had been born. Despite the fact that none of the villagers were cultivators, Cheng Feng took care of them, and all of them were able to live to ripe old ages.
As the cold wind slowly diminished, Cheng Feng dropped his arms and stared up into outer space. He was not standing on the highest point of Broken Cliff, though this was his favorite place. When he had been young, he had met someone at this location, and that meeting had changed his life. That person had given Cheng Feng the chance to seize control of his own life.
Cheng Feng soon descended from the top of the snowy mountain, and he arrived at a place where a woman was waiting for him. Although her appearance was unremarkable, her bearing was exceptional, and she carried a delightful fragrance that would lift the spirits of those who smelled it.
"Tu Shuangshuang has appeared," she said. She was Ling Mu, another one of Sovereign Ninth Lotus’s disciples. She had just arrived in the Voidforce Universe, and she had traveled straight to Broken Cliff to meet with Cheng Feng.
The man asked, "Does Sovereign Ninth Lotus have any orders for me?"
"No."
Cheng Feng nodded. "Tu Shuangshuang is beneath Sovereign Ninth Lotus's attention."
"This is an opportunity for you," Ling Mu stated, much to Cheng Feng’s puzzlement.
The woman stared at him. "Do you truly wish to stay here for the rest of your life and sing? You may have a very high status here in the Voidforce Universe due to Sovereign Ninth Lotus's influence, but this is as far as you'll ever go here. However, if you can seize this opportunity and capture Tu Shuangshuang, then I can speak to Sovereign Ninth Lotus on your behalf and ask her to move you to the Cyclic Universe. With the Sovereign’s assistance, you may even receive a chance to compete for Sage Hua’s seat."