Chapter 599: Underground Paradise!
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Yue Shan.
The jungle was dense and the scenery picturesque. The inverted moonlight shone upon the mountains and rivers, swifts returned to their nests, and only the intermittent sounds of insects and frogs occasionally broke the silence of the forest.
In a valley by a pond, a monolith several zhang high emanated a piercing chill. In front of the stele, two figures sat cross-legged.
"Brother Senmori, after several days of discussing philosophy, I've gained much. I'm deeply grateful!" The man with a rugged face and a beard bowed respectfully.
"Hehe, Lord Sima, your natural talent is exceptional, and your cultivation has already surpassed mine. With your talent and age, you have the potential to challenge the God Realm. I'm old!" the black-clad elder across from him said with a shake of his head.
"No, Brother Senmori, you're being too modest. You are the only Ghost Ninja within the Ninja Bloodline. Your enlightenment of this Sacred Stele grows day by day. Even breaking through to the God Realm is highly possible for you!" the man humbly said.
Right at that moment, a figure appeared at the mouth of the valley, rushing towards the direction of the pond!
"Haha, Madam has come. You haven't returned for several days—she must be pining for you!" the black-clad elder said with a smile.
This elder was none other than Wataru Senmori, the former Clan Leader of the Jihe family, and the man sitting opposite him was Sima Tianhao, the Head of the Martial Alliance.
The two were friends despite the years that separated them, with few being recognized by Senmori. Sima Tianhao was the only one, his one and only friend!
Sima Tianhao turned his head to look at the figure rushing over in a hurry, and couldn't help shaking his head with a wry smile!
"Brother Senmori, it seems I must leave. I'll visit again another day!" Sima Tianhao excused himself in a low voice, about to stand, but that figure had already approached.
"Tianhao, something's happened!" Kuno Natsuko came up close, said in panic.
Sima Tianhao's brows rose, and a cold light flashed in his eyes in the night. His body, which was about to rise, steadied once again, "What has happened?"
"The Martial Alliance...it's finished!" Kuno Natsuko took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice calm.
Senmori's eyelids twitched at the side, his mind filled with doubt. The Martial Alliance was Snow Country's number one power. What did she mean by it being finished?
However, he didn't speak up. Since entering Yue Shan, he had long let go of worldly concerns—Martial Arts was his only pursuit.
Sima Tianhao's expression darkened slightly, and he said indifferently, "Explain slowly, what do you mean by finished? I don't quite understand."
Kuno Natsuko took a deep breath, her face pale, "The Four Great Protectors of the Martial Alliance, one betrayed, three died, and the Vice Alliance Hierarch, Lord Mikawa, has also perished!"
"Whoosh!"
Upon hearing this, Sima Tianhao suddenly sprang to his feet, staring at Kuno Natsuko with a look of shock, and violently grabbed her shoulders, his hair bristling, "What did you say?"
Grabbed by Sima Tianhao, Kuno Natsuko was considerably calmer by now.
She promptly explained the news she had learned to Sima Tianhao in detail.
"According to the survivors who escaped the scene, that person is Ling Beiming!" Kuno Natsuko finally dropped another bombshell.
Sima Tianhao felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, his body swaying, almost falling over!
"Ling...Ling Beiming?" Sima Tianhao muttered to himself, his mind a whirl of confusion.
Even Senmori at his side was taken aback. The drastic change within the Martial Alliance shocked even him, especially since the provocateur was Ling Beiming.
This name, although he had sequestered himself in the mountains for years, he was somewhat familiar with!
"Impossible, how could he still be alive? It makes no sense, it must be a lie!" Sima Tianhao shook his head vigorously. This news was even harder to accept than the death of the Martial Alliance's Protectors and the Vice Alliance Hierarch.
"Tianhao, regardless of whether it's true or not, the Martial Alliance needs you to go back and take control. If you don't return now, the people of the Martial Alliance will scatter!" Kuno Natsuko said calmly.
Having come all this way, her heart had gradually calmed down, mainly because she had received the news a while ago.
The initial panic had passed somewhat, and plus, the natural instinct of a woman to stabilize upon seeing her man act as her pillar, calmed her significantly.
Sima Tianhao, reminded by his wife, felt a surge of emotion, forcibly suppressed the tumultuous waves in his heart, took a deep breath, and finally managed to compose himself.
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"Go!" Sima Tianhao spat out the word through clenched teeth.
"Brother Senmori, I must take my leave first!" He then greeted Wataru Senmori with a nod.
"Um, go ahead. Do you need my help?" For the first time in history, Wataru Senmori offered to come out and lend a hand.
Sima Tianhao pondered for a moment, took a deep breath, "No need, our Snow Country cannot be without a Seventh Grade practitioner in the Martial Arts Realm. If something were to happen to me, at least you'll still be here!"
Wataru Senmori fell silent and then said, "Rest assured, when necessary, I will offer a helping hand to the Snow Country Martial Arts World!"
Sima Tianhao nodded slightly and immediately dashed towards the valley's exit with Kuno Natsuko.
...
Meanwhile, Kuno Yukki had sent a Guard Army to the Sakura Association, and hundreds of guards thundered in, shocking many civilians.
However, by the time these guards arrived at the Sakura Association's headquarters, the building was already deserted, and Maemoto Kento had long since vanished without a trace.
Soon after, the Takekawa Family's forces also made their attack, but to no avail. Before long, Dead Servants dispatched by the Shrine followed in secret.
Wave after wave of people searched the Sakura Association's premises to no avail and eventually left.
The entirety of Snow Country was alarmed by these stirring events, attracting the attention of many spies and intelligence officers lurking in the region.
Especially the Martial Alliance's startling upheaval and the elusive news about Ling Beiming were quickly communicated by hidden agents in Snow Country.
International dignitaries and major forces in the Underworld all quietly shifted their focus to the land of Snow Country.
As for the rumors about Ling Beiming, the major forces didn't take them too seriously, with many believing it to be the work of someone using Ling Beiming's name to stir up trouble!
Underground Paradise — Beneath an island in the Pacific Ocean lies a military stronghold constructed by the Nazis during World War II, which was later commandeered by the First Family.
At that moment, a sultry woman in a tight outfit was riding a jet ski, speeding through the narrow crevice in the water, her wake sending up a spray of water droplets!
Moments later, the jet ski stopped in front of a cave entrance.
The woman immediately stepped up the steps at the entrance and entered the cave.
Inside, the cave opened up into a modernized space with every amenity, though not very large at around five hundred square meters.
This was but a small part of the Underground Manor; similar caves numbered in the hundreds throughout the underground island, but few were as large as this.
Most were typically between two and three hundred square meters.
The military defenses here could withstand a nuclear level attack, and the annual rent was measured in 'hundreds of millions' of US Dollars.
Despite the high price, all renowned Underground organizations and powers chose to rent an office in one of these caves.
The Underground Paradise represented a status and symbol, not every organization was qualified to rent a space here for office use.
Only organizations and powers granted access here were considered to have entered the upper echelon of the Underworld, even organizations like Hongmen, Tangmen, and Dragon Gate symbolically rented a spot here.
"Hey, Linda, you look like you have something important on your mind. Could it be about Beiming?" the man asked with a smile.
"Hehe, you guessed right. However, if you knew what he's up to now, you wouldn't be so calm!" The woman, who had just disembarked from the jet ski, flicked her wet blonde hair and said indifferently.
"Oh? Do tell!" The man closed the laptop in front of him, spread his hands, and laughed.
"I'm not too sure about the accuracy of the information. I've sent people to check. It's said that Beiming has gone to Snow Country to challenge the Martial Alliance!" The woman spoke while tying up her hair.
"Slap!"
At these words, the man slapped his hands on the table and stood up abruptly. "What did you say? He went to Snow Country to challenge the Martial Alliance? Was Elder Leisure People involved?"
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