The Dark Bastion!
The Dark Lord!
Although Ye Ming did not know much about the three major forces in the Western underground world, he was aware of the existence of the Dark Bastion.
However, he never expected that Weiss would be the Dark Lord's eldest son.
"Why is Weiss in the Temple of Destiny?" Ye Ming asked with doubt.
"Alas!" Upon mentioning this topic, Loria couldn't help but sigh. "You should know that in the Western underground world, strength reigns supreme. When a person loses their value, they have no chance of survival there. Do you understand what I mean when I say that?"
"You mean Weiss lost his value!" Ye Ming's expression tightened.
"Precisely! The night before he was to be named the next Dark Lord of the Dark Bastion, he sought me out and had his cultivation completely crippled," Loria said, shaking her head. "When we found him, he was on the verge of death on the streets."
"Heh heh heh! This is truly heartless!" Ye Ming scoffed repeatedly.
To abandon one's own son so ruthlessly when he lost his value, it was evident that the Dark Lord was indeed a formidable individual.
"The Western underground world is inherently brutal. Those who lack this awareness are best advised not to enter," Loria knew this all too well. It was with this awareness that she had fled the Kingdom of Britannia and changed her destiny. Fortunately, she was lucky to have met Ye Ming.
"With Weiss's current strength, he could completely crush the Dark Bastion and reclaim everything he lost," Loria said in a deep voice. "I also know that Weiss has been waiting for a command from us."
"Now is the opportune moment."
"Indeed!" Ye Ming nodded. "This way, the Dark Bastion will also become our subordinate."
"What about the Heavenly Maiden Palace? How have you arranged for them?"
The Heavenly Maiden Palace!
The sole super force in the Western underground world composed entirely of women. It was said that their Palace Master was also unfathomably mysterious, with hardly anyone having seen her true face. Under her command, she had trained ten Heavenly Maidens. Each Heavenly Maiden possessed terrifying strength.
"I have no intention of resorting to any coercive measures against the Heavenly Maiden Palace," Loria's eyes softened noticeably when the Heavenly Maiden Palace was mentioned. "Whether from a woman's perspective or from the standpoint of the Temple of Destiny, we should not become adversaries."
"Oh! You seem to have a good impression of this Heavenly Maiden Palace," Ye Ming expressed his curiosity.
"It's not a good impression, but admiration," Loria smiled gently. "To be precise, I deeply admire the Palace Master of the Heavenly Maiden Palace."
"It's rare to hear the word 'admiration' from you!" Hearing her say this, Ye Ming became interested in meeting the Palace Master.
"Ye Ming, do you know what most women are in the Western underground world?" Loria asked in a low tone.
"This..." Ye Ming understood what she meant and did not reply.
"Resources! Goods! Tools!" Loria stated indifferently. "Whether women born in the Western underground world or those brought in or captured from elsewhere, most eventually become playthings for those in power. They are like commodities, browsed and selected at will."
This! This was the cruelty of the Western underground world. Ye Ming listened silently, holding Loria's hand, without speaking.
"Fortunately, one day, an organization called the Heavenly Maiden Palace suddenly appeared in the Western underground world," Loria said with a relieved smile. "The emergence of this force became a sanctuary where women could find peace and, at the same time, became a place of aspiration for countless women."
"With the protection of the Heavenly Maiden Palace, although it couldn't solve the survival problem of women at its root, it at least offered them a sliver of hope."
"That is enough." Loria turned to look at Ye Ming and said softly, "If I hadn't met you, I would likely be in the Heavenly Maiden Palace now."
"That Palace Master is indeed admirable!" Ye Ming said sincerely. "Someone who can support a sky for women, we cannot and should not be her enemy."
"Yes! That's what I think too!" Loria nodded heavily. "However, with the coming chaos, she alone may not have the ability to support women once more."
"Therefore, I intend to speak with her personally." Loria was going to take the initiative.
"Have you met that Palace Master?" Ye Ming asked.
"Met her once or twice!" Loria smiled proudly at this. "In the entire Western underground world, apart from her few trusted confidantes, I am likely the only one who has seen her true face."
"Oh! You mean even the Dark Lord hasn't seen her?" Ye Ming became even more curious.
"No!" Loria laughed. "Even at large events jointly organized by the three major organizations, she rarely participated. Even when she attended, her true face was hidden behind a veil, unseen by anyone."
Speaking of which, Loria suddenly looked at Ye Ming with amusement and asked:
"Do you want to see her true face?"
"Uh... No! I don't!" Ye Ming gently embraced Loria, kissed her forehead, and said with satisfaction, "You're not as beautiful as her anyway."
"You smooth-talker!" Loria lightly punched him with her small fist, her lips curving into a stunning arc.
"If what you say is true, then those divine attendants you selected for me before, whom you cultivated, were meant for the Heavenly Maiden Palace?" Ye Ming suddenly recalled "Tina" and others. Those were all young women with both talent and beauty. However, Ye Ming had resolutely refused at the time. Later, he learned that most of those women had stayed in the Temple of Destiny and had been secretly cultivated by Loria. Now, it seemed Loria had long been prepared to foster a relationship with the Heavenly Maiden Palace. Truly worthy of being the Goddess of Wisdom.
"Those individuals have good talent. After this period of cultivation, some have already entered the Origin Realm," Loria said, looking at Ye Ming and smiling. "Especially that girl named Tina, she cultivates exceptionally diligently. I wonder if it has something to do with someone?"
"This..." Ye Ming touched his nose, his old face flushing. Indeed, when he returned to the Temple of Destiny, he had had significant interactions with Tina. He had even met her a few times after his return and had specifically given her a cultivation technique.
"Alright! I won't tease you anymore!" Loria let him off the hook and continued, "I will speak with the Heavenly Maiden Palace tomorrow, and I hope we can reach a favorable outcome."
"Mm! Thank you for your hard work!" Ye Ming squeezed her small hand, his eyes filled with emotion.
"If everything goes smoothly, at the alliance conference the day after tomorrow..." Loria's expression turned serious, and she said with conviction:
"We will become pioneers of a new era."