Let them offer their loyalty!

This is also a rather unusual political signal.

What's even more intriguing… Huang Shangzong is the third person in the Sanctuary to advance to the Fifth Order.

The ranking is only behind Old Rao and Elder Tang, even surpassing Pang Haichen. (Chapter 474)

This, within the faction, truly carries an air of "overstepping."

With this in mind, Qiu Tu's thoughts suddenly cleared up.

He couldn't help but recall how, back then, Huang Shangzong's position was adjusted—from Speaker of Dongye State to Speaker of the New State. Oddly enough, it was Elder Tang who personally brokered the conversation, rather than Pang Haichen, the faction leader. (Chapter 476)

And then… Pang Haichen had deliberately used the codename "Emperor," which inevitably pointed towards Huang Shangzong.

A bold idea emerged in Qiu Tu's mind…

'Could it be… that there's some issue between Huang Shangzong and Pang Haichen?'

'And that Old Rao and Elder Tang, after discovering a flaw in Pang Haichen, have astutely leveraged this to support Huang Shangzong and balance Pang Haichen within the "Academic Faction"?'

The more he thought about it, the more Qiu Tu felt his speculations were likely close to the truth…

Otherwise, it'd be hard to explain Elder Tang's attitude towards Pang Haichen today, and the peculiar relationship between Huang Shangzong and the three faction leaders.

This could mean that, unwittingly, Qiu Tu had long been involved in this upper-echelon power struggle within the Eighth Sanctuary.

Thinking of this, Qiu Tu couldn't help but wonder what kind of daunting mission Elder Tang intended to entrust him with...

No matter the mission, before assigning it, Elder Tang surely had to throw him a big pancake first, didn't he?

At the very least, it was customary for senior frontier officials to enter the Supreme Council.

Under these circumstances, a minor promotion for him wouldn't be too much, right?

For others, such a promotion might seem inconsequential. After all, a Supreme Council Member had less authority than a State Speaker.

But… for Qiu Tu, position symbolized power.

Even this half-level promotion would be enough for him to climb higher.

By then, combining the Nine Stars in a Row and the "Earth Vein Flower," Qiu Tu could amplify his "False Frame," potentially advancing his strength to the late Fifth Order or even the Fifth Order Peak!

If this happened, he would rank among the top elites across the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Sanctuaries.

Such leverage would significantly increase his room for maneuver.

...

After reviewing the entire conversation with Elder Tang, Qiu Tu had formed a general plan for his next steps.

— His immediate course was to wait.

Wait for Elder Tang to complete all the preliminary preparations and then reach out to him.

In the meantime, he could continue infiltrating the "Fog Hidden Association" as Muye, monitoring the arrival of the Sixth Tier Great Evil God, Yaksha...

With this thought, Qiu Tu casually calculated the timing. If his estimation was correct, tomorrow… that Evil God Little Loli should arrive, shouldn't she?

Thinking this, Qiu Tu controlled his clone to lie on the bed, while his own consciousness returned to his main body.

The night passed without event…

Next morning, Qiu Tu got up, then followed Muye's usual routine to freshen up briefly, taking out a piece of "Boundless Divine Crystal" to feign a recovery of strength.

At 10 a.m., the Sect Hierarch and the Messenger came to pay their respects.

They also took the opportunity to report the latest intelligence for the day.

According to the Sect Hierarch's information, Huang Shangzong and Tang Feifei had successfully captured thirteen cities within the Disaster Zone, officially establishing the New State.

This came as these thirteen cities had long been under the control of Anti-government Armed Forces and the Evil God Sect.

Thus, Huang Shangzong enacted a policy of heavy-handed military control over these areas.

During this time, Tang Feifei's authority skyrocketed. Her talent in military training allowed her to implement large-scale conscription, expansion, and rigorous training.

With the Sanctuary providing continuous support, the New State's military strength grew formidable within just a month.

Once sufficient forces were in place to suppress all unrest, the New State quickly began stabilizing…

Of course, while discussing this, the Sect Hierarch spoke from the Evil God's perspective. His remarks were steeped in sorrow and profundity, which ironically amused Qiu Tu...

Thus, the day passed swiftly.

Since all parties seemed engrossed in their own affairs, nothing significant occurred.

Nevertheless, everything felt akin to the calm before the storm—an undeniable sense of mounting tension in the air...

As night fell, the clock struck 10:00 p.m.

Qiu Tu and the Messenger arrived early at the edge of the "Trading Area," patiently waiting.

Soon, the edge of the "Mist Zone" began to spread outward, resembling dry ice subliming into fog, gradually permeating the surroundings.

Amidst this transformation of the "Mist Zone," suddenly… a figure emerged from within.

The figure was petite, carved from fine jade, with a chubby babyish face. Standing about 1.3 or 1.4 meters tall, she looked absolutely adorable.

She wore a puffed princess dress and had two small pointy horns on her head. With a pacifier in her mouth, she exuded a dazed, yet endearing charm.

Interestingly… though she had two small black wings behind her, she didn't use them. Instead, she clung to a massive "Dandelion," nearly twice her size.

As the wind blew, the fluffy fibers on the dandelion gently quivered, carrying her gracefully through the air.

This was "Yaksha," the northwest regional head of the "Fog Hidden Association."

Although Qiu Tu had heard from Muye that "Yaksha" was an adorable Little Loli, seeing her in person left him awestruck.

After all, if not for her identity, Qiu Tu would never have guessed that the Little Loli before him was, in fact, the fearsome and notorious Great Evil God.