Indeed!
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian's brows furrowed.
He had previously suspected the existence of an insider within headquarters, and now it seemed almost a certainty.
Otherwise, how could the Anti-Black Alliance have bypassed this crisis?
However, now that the Dark Association was alerted, the insider would likely be exposed before long.
Ye Cangtian expressed regret over this, as he did not wish to see any force resisting the Dark Association extinguished.
With that thought, Ye Cangtian sighed and said, "Alas, the tall tree in the forest is bound to be destroyed by the wind!"
Everything was a consequence of the Anti-Black Alliance's growth, which had attracted the attention of the Dark Association...
...
In the early morning, the sun slowly rose.
After seeing Tang Xinwan off, Ye Cangtian headed to the family compound.
Old Master Xu was in the courtyard, basking in the sun. After the crisis in the capital, he had returned to his leisurely life.
"You brat, you're here."
"Come, quickly tell me, what's going on overseas? Be specific..."
Upon seeing Ye Cangtian return, Old Master Xu immediately sat up and said eagerly.
He knew Ye Cangtian was no ordinary person and was curious about what had happened during his trip.
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian walked over, sat down, and then slowly recounted the events overseas.
After Old Master Xu heard the entire story, a faint smile appeared on his face. Although there weren't overly thrilling plot points, being able to thwart the Holy Light Hall's ambitions single-handedly and leave the Dark Association with nothing was an exceptionally perfect outcome.
With that thought, Old Master Xu gave Ye Cangtian a thumbs-up, praising him repeatedly.
"Alright, Old Master, please stop praising me. If you keep it up, I'll get too carried away!"
Ye Cangtian interrupted Old Master Xu's praise and then his expression turned serious. "I came here not only to report the situation but also to inquire about Shangguan Yanran's condition."
Mentioning Shangguan Yanran, Old Master Xu's face darkened.
He slowly sighed and said, "Yanran's condition is not optimistic!"
From the information received from the Hidden Group, there were some details about Shangguan Yanran.
Shangguan Yanran's condition was not good. Initially, after her return, she had a certain period of clarity each day.
However, as time passed, the periods of clarity became fewer and fewer.
Despite Oriental Mingyue trying every possible method, nothing had worked...
What!
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian's face also darkened.
What had Xingyuan done to Shangguan Yanran?
Why, after leaving the Dark Association headquarters, had Shangguan Yanran's condition not improved but worsened?
Could it be that Xingyuan could still infiltrate the Huaxia ruins and continue to persecute Shangguan Yanran?
With that thought, Ye Cangtian shook his head. This was absolutely impossible. The entrance to the Huaxia ruins was protected by a powerful formation, and Xingyuan could not have passed through it without a trace.
Moreover, Xingyuan was stationed at the Dark Association headquarters and could not easily leave.
It seemed he needed to contact Yao Bao'er as soon as possible.
Ye Cangtian muttered to himself. The Hidden Group was helpless regarding Shangguan Yanran's condition.
At this moment, he could only consider Yao Bao'er as his last hope.
And everything had to be arranged quickly, otherwise, Shangguan Yanran might lose herself and never recover.
That would be akin to her fading away like a fallen flower, and even more painful for Shangguan Yanran herself. Ye Cangtian absolutely did not wish for such a thing to happen.
With that thought, Ye Cangtian glanced at Old Master Xu and said, "Old Master, I want to bring Yao Bao'er into the Hidden Group. Do you think that's possible?"
"In principle, no."
"After all, Yao Bao'er belongs to the Death Squad, and the Death Squad is also a foreign force."
"However, for Shangguan Yanran's sake, it should be fine. But how will she pass the formation at the entrance of the Huaxia ruins?"
Old Master Xu immediately understood Ye Cangtian's intention and spoke slowly.
After all, Shangguan Yanran was in critical condition, and having passed the entrance of the Huaxia forces, she was now technically considered part of the Hidden Group.
To save her, it was unlikely anyone would object.
"Passing the entrance formation should not be difficult," Ye Cangtian said after a moment of thought.
Yao Bao'er herself harbored no ill will towards Huaxia. On the contrary, because of him, she always considered Huaxia's stance.
If guided properly, it should not be difficult to make Yao Bao'er completely become a member of the Hidden Group.
In that case, passing the entrance formation would be absolutely no problem.
Seeing Ye Cangtian's confidence, Old Master Xu then said, "Then you go ahead with it. Leave the other matters to me!"
"Old Master, thank you."
"Then I won't stay here long. The Dark Association's Purple Dragon has also returned, and I need to go see him!"
Ye Cangtian, seeing Old Master Xu agree, quickly expressed his gratitude and then got up to leave.
"You kid! You haven't even sat down for long before leaving, truly a busy man!"
Watching Ye Cangtian's retreating figure, Old Master Xu grumbled with a laugh.
However, he did not stop him. Talents like Ye Cangtian were too rare. Some matters truly couldn't move forward without Ye Cangtian, so he had no choice but to let the capable person carry more of the load.
...
Hiton Hotel.
Ye Cangtian arrived at the luxurious suite on the top floor with a brisk pace. After steadying his breathing, he knocked on the door.
Creak!
Purple Dragon opened the door. However, Purple Dragon lacked his usual warmth and appeared somewhat subdued.
Ye Cangtian immediately sensed something was wrong. It seemed his visit was not for a good reason.
The two entered the room. Purple Dragon closed the door and then walked up to Ye Cangtian.
"Po Xiao, I already know about your matters on Myriad Serpent Island."
"How should I put it? The results are somewhat unsatisfactory!"
Purple Dragon's voice was somewhat low. Overall, the situation on Myriad Serpent Island was commendable.
However, for someone of Po Xiao's caliber, achieving this much was somewhat disappointing to him.
He was quite pleased with Po Xiao's persuasion of Ke Zera to sever ties with the Ninja Clan.
With this matter, coupled with the pressure from the Holy Light Hall and the Dark Association on the Ninja Clan, it ultimately led to Hyuga Yuichi's forced suicide as atonement.
This was an achievement, he admitted.
But since the Caesar Mercenary Group had landed on Myriad Serpent Island, why did they withdraw?
Why not directly take over Myriad Serpent Island?
This was a wasted opportunity! Or rather, a serious command error!
On the other hand, as soon as he heard Purple Dragon's words, Ye Cangtian understood the reason.
"I thought it was a big deal! You're just upset that the Rattlesnake Mercenary Group wasn't captured?"
Ye Cangtian chuckled and continued, "Don't worry, the Rattlesnake Mercenary Group won't escape. Sooner or later, they will surrender to the Dark Association!"
Hmm?
Hearing Ye Cangtian's voice, Purple Dragon cast a doubtful glance and said, "What do you mean? Explain it clearly."
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian chuckled and said, "Isn't it simple? The Holy Light Hall will not let the Rattlesnake Mercenary Group go, and if Ke Zera wants to protect the Rattlesnake Mercenary Group from annihilation, he can only surrender to the Dark Association."
"What if he surrenders to the Holy Light Hall?" Purple Dragon retorted.
The Rattlesnake Mercenary Group had suffered heavy losses and could not possibly withstand the Holy Light Hall. Under immense pressure, surrendering to the Holy Light Hall was not impossible.
"Impossible."
"Even if Ke Zera had such intentions, the others in the Rattlesnake would not agree. Don't forget that the Rattlesnake's current state is all thanks to the Holy Light Hall!"
Ye Cangtian directly denied it and continued, "The reason I chose to retreat was because what was offered was not a deal. I want Ke Zera to beg to surrender to us.
This way, he will know that everything is hard-won and will cherish it more."
Upon hearing Ye Cangtian's explanation, Purple Dragon's somber gaze softened slightly.
He pondered for a moment and continued, "Alright, the matter of the Rattlesnake Mercenary Group is concluded. What about those small and medium-sized forces overseas?"
After all, Po Xiao was an Earth-rank executive. With his formidable martial prowess, combined with the Caesar Mercenary Group, conquering some small and medium-sized forces should not be difficult.
But now, the Dark Association had not annexed any forces, which was clearly inconsistent with Po Xiao's capabilities. This left him extremely puzzled and unsure how to report to headquarters!
"Heh heh, you don't know about the Holy Light Hall's actions, do you?" Ye Cangtian asked with a smile upon hearing this.
"Don't play coy with me. My information is very reliable. Aren't you just going to say that those forces formed an alliance? Could that stump you?"
Seeing the smile in Ye Cangtian's eyes, Purple Dragon's anger flared. The other party was someone he had personally promoted, so he naturally spoke with a bit more seriousness.