CHAPTER 69: THE ALLIANCE WITH HAI LOU LAN

Clark calmed his thoughts. In truth, he wasn’t nervous. The idea in his mind was simple.

Create massive chaos and destroy their ranks.

The ancients had ideas about plans: how to devise them and also how to destroy them.

The first part was breaching the city walls - and that was the weakest of them.

Then comes shattering your enemy’s tactics in battle.

Third: destroying your enemy’s plans before they are executed.

And finally: destroying your enemy’s very ability to plan itself.

Clark laughed.

• "Do they think I’m a fool? All gathered in one place just to kill me, simply waiting for me to come to them? Fine."

• "I will destroy this entire place!"

Clark surged forward among the cloud buildings, intentionally destroying the formations.

Clark had learned from Mao Hua that these things were called "Building Formations," created through a vast number of Extreme Movements.

Some of them granted immense combat power.

But Clark’s real focus was observing the flow of events.

He wanted to see their strength; he was trying to stall to make them believe he was weak.

So far, no one had seen Clark’s true power, not even Hai Lou Lan, because the last time Clark showed his true strength, he and everyone else died because of the fake Spectral King.

So now, as the saying goes, "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

Clark was breaking through the buildings, destroying them one after another.

One, two, three, and finally four... then he stopped at four.

It was strange.

He paused for a moment, reassessing and investigating. He realized they were searching for him inside the semi-destroyed buildings, one after another.

At that moment, only one door stood between them and Clark. Cloud Building Number Four was immensely huge, spacious enough for a battle between two armies.

Clark was calm. He thought about his weaknesses and everything.

There are two types of opponents you should fear:

First: Your opponent who does not fear death, who will achieve victory even if he loses a hand or his face is disfigured.

Second: The calm, quiet one.

Therefore, Clark wanted to know what kind of opponents he was facing.

From Clark’s estimation of Hai Lou Lan, she was the quiet type. But her Zombie transformation was troublesome.

• "Who cares? Either victory or escape."

• "What is honor in the face of failure?"

• "In my youth, I truly learned about the world’s hardships."

• "Although I don’t remember everything, my perspective on my former self has now formed."

• "What I mean is: Give a man love, money, and children, then strip him of everything. You will see him thirsting for his own goal."

• "Will is not honed by love, trivial romantic feelings, and friendships."

• "Rather, what builds it is will and thirst for the goal. What I call the Path of the Strong."

• "Yes, I once walked foolishly, chasing after desires."

• "But since I awakened, I felt overwhelming emotions, not directed at anyone, but towards myself. They were feelings of joy."

• "Now, since I possess..."

A brief silence. He looked at the ceiling covered with clouds and stars.

Clark spread his arms.

• "Let both worlds and all the heavens bear witness! This is my covenant with myself."

• "I am Clark. I have always been Clark. No matter how many times I am reborn, I remain myself."

• "Striving for my goal without any hesitation or regret. For what is regret before my will?"

• "Now I say it with all pride: I can make history."

Clark fell silent and turned with utter coldness.

Five enemies stood before him, ready for battle.

One man against five.

But Clark adopted a calm stance.

• "Greetings, gentlemen."

It wasn’t the first time the leader, Su Tai, had seen Clark.

A man with a calm appearance, possessing striking handsomeness. The bridge of his nose was prominent and slender, harmonizing with his face and ideal jawline.

He had black hair like the night, reaching his waist. His body was filled with muscles.

If Hai Lou Lan were to describe him: "Calm like a tiger, and a killer like a viper."

Behind this man lay nothing but cunning, nothing more. He was not an honest man, nor a saint.

But if we were to describe him, he was like an evil Buddha. But an evil one with a strange and creative chaos - that was her perspective of Clark.

As for Su Tai, he cultivated the Blade Path laterally, and alongside it, another path gave him tremendous power due to the abundance of Dao Marks.

Clark didn’t understand the reason for his frighteningly huge physique.

But he said:

• "Gentlemen, I don’t know what’s happening or why we are meeting. But I wish to work with you, if possible, alongside the great Lord Su Tai, whom even the great Immortals fear to rival."

Su Tai replied arrogantly:

• "It’s good that you know, young man. But who are you?!"

Clark replied:

• "I am Zu Long, from the Shadow Sect."

• "A beginner. You can consider yourself my elder brother, and this is an honor for me, sir."

Clark was spouting nonsense, merely repeating information that Mao Hua had told him.

"Always adopt weakness and never reveal what you hide."

Su Tai looked at him with admiration.

• "Well, young man, you are good and know when you should submit."

Usually, these words might anger some, but Clark deliberately showed a helpless attitude and made way for them.

Clark thought to himself:

• "Prestige and dignity are completely meaningless. Why would you try to be proud if you can’t protect yourself? If I wanted to be rude, no one could match my sharp tongue! Hahaha!"

The five advanced and became six with Clark’s presence. Each pair stood side by side, and of course Clark and Hai Lou Lan stood beside each other.

Hai Lou Lan knew the lie Clark had fabricated. After all, they had been in the Immortal Unconsciousness for four months, so understanding each other’s behavior wouldn’t be difficult for them.

But Clark was thinking about forming an alliance with her and gaining benefits.

But what’s the use of talk if there’s nothing binding Hai Lou Lan and preventing her from betraying him?

Clark knew that Hai Lou Lan had been treated condescendingly because she was late in finding the cloud buildings and was injured. If not for the Zombie’s high recovery abilities, she would have died.

Hai Lou Lan cultivates the Transformation Path, and alongside that, she has a good understanding of the Poison Path, to the extent that with poisonous Extreme Movements, she has simulated the Transformation Path.

She is intelligent, and it wouldn’t be surprising if her understanding of the Poison Path is very high, perhaps even higher than a master’s attainment.

Although she is mortal, and very close to the realm of Origin Return, meaning she is also close to the rank of an Immortal Refiner.

But it’s truly exhausting without a solid foundation and vast wealth. Your life will be difficult.

There are two types of Extreme Movements: Immortal and Mortal. The Mortal consumes your mental strength.

As for the Immortal, it consumes Immortal Essence.

But Immortal Essence can only be created with Primordial Essence, which the Immortal Unconsciousness produces in small quantities, not much.

Therefore, Primordial Essence was the currency in the Immortal world, and everyone tries to exploit it: creating trade, developing the Immortal Unconsciousness, or monopolizing materials.

Therefore, benefits... benefits cannot be dispensed with.

Therefore, Clark wanted to obtain everything, but he couldn’t defeat all of them alone.

Therefore, the pawn existed: the weakened Hai Lou Lan after the Heavenly Tribulation.

Her soul was injured. She was not physically intact, and her soul was severely injured.

So Clark would exploit this.

He whispered to Hai Lou Lan:

• "Listen, I will help you. I know what’s happening. It’s clear to me, these people won’t give you anything, or worse, they will kill you. So think."

• "About the matter... listen, I can heal your soul with the Self-Infinite Extreme Movement. But I need a human soul to implant into your soul, then you refine it yourself with the Self-Infinite."

Clark’s offer was extremely tempting.

But Hai Lou Lan was intelligent and not foolish.

• "I agree, but wait. I will make a Blood Alliance contract with you. Using the blood method, I can simulate the star method and create alliances."

• "If either you or I violate the alliance, we will die!"

The two added their conditions. Clark was strict:

First: Once she heals herself, Hai Lou Lan must return the Self-Infinite. Neither Hai Lou Lan nor Clark can bring anyone else to kill either party.

Also: Hai Lou Lan can obtain the complete Poison Path for herself, while Clark will obtain the inheritance of the Blade and Darkness. If he wants to give Hai Lou Lan something, that’s his choice.

Also: She must give him information about the Immortal World, and also about the Zombie transformation.

Clark controlled everything in the agreement.

And thus, although Hai Lou Lan felt pressured, she agreed.

Now, let’s see who is the easiest one to kill in a miserable way!!!

To be continued....