Transmigrating to become Hua Qiangu

The group returned to Changliu Mountain with the divine artifact, and the entire mountain was immersed in a tense yet hopeful atmosphere. Hua Qiangu placed the artifact in a secret chamber on Changliu Mountain and sat down with the others to discuss strategies for fighting the Shadow Cult.

"Now that we have the divine artifact, it's time to take the initiative and give the Shadow Cult a crushing defeat." Sha Qianmo rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Ni Mantian nodded slightly, "That's right, but the Shadow Cult acts in secret. We must first find out their strongholds and next steps before we can act effectively."

"I think we can send some disciples to secretly gather information and see if the Shadow Cult has been making any unusual moves lately," You Ruo suggested.

Bai Zihua pondered for a moment and said, "This is feasible, but we should select some clever and capable disciples to avoid alerting the enemy."

Hua Qiangu looked at everyone and said, "What you all said makes sense. However, we must also be wary of the Shadow Cult coming to seize the artifact once they learn that it has been purified. The defenses of Changliu Mountain must be strengthened."

“Little Bone is right. We need to set up more formations and restrictions to ensure the safety of the divine artifact,” the Ancestral Master said.

Just as everyone was discussing animatedly, a disciple rushed in, looking flustered: "It's terrible, elders! A group of people claiming to be messengers of the Shadow Cult have come down from the mountain, saying they want to negotiate with us!"

"Negotiation? What are they up to?" Sha Qianmo frowned, his face full of disdain.

"Whatever they're up to, we need to be careful." Hua Qiangu stood up. "Let's go and meet them."

When the group arrived at the foot of Changliu Mountain, they saw a group of men in black standing there in neat rows, led by a man wearing a black mask.

Hua Qiangu stepped forward and coldly asked, "What brings your Shadow Cult here?"

The masked man bowed slightly, but his tone carried a hint of arrogance: "We have heard that you have obtained a divine artifact. Our leader hopes to negotiate with you to jointly utilize the artifact and maintain the balance of the immortal world."

"Shared use? Hmph! Your Shadow Cult has committed countless evils and is trying to use the artifact to achieve your ulterior motives. How could we believe you!" Sha Qianmo said angrily.

The masked man remained calm and said, "Our leader has reformed and deeply understands his past mistakes. Now he is willing to join hands with Changliu Mountain to fight against other dark forces and restore peace to the world of immortals."

"Who can believe your words? What evidence do you have to prove that you have truly repented?" Ni Mantian questioned.

The masked man was silent for a moment, then took out a token from his pocket. "This is our leader's token. With this token, one can mobilize a portion of the Shadow Cult's forces. We are willing to show our sincerity first and obey the orders of Changliu Mountain."

Everyone looked at the token, some of them puzzled. The Shadow Cult's sudden change of attitude was truly perplexing.

"Even if you show sincerity now, how can we be sure this isn't a conspiracy?" Bai Zihua stared intently at the masked man, his gaze sharp.

The masked man raised his head. "We are willing to keep some of our disciples as hostages at Changliu Mountain. If we do anything wrong, you may deal with us at any time."

Hua Qiangu pondered for a moment and said, "This matter is too important; we need time to consider it. You should go back first, and I will give you an answer in three days."

The masked man nodded. "Alright, we'll await good news. We hope Changliu Mountain will make a wise choice." With that, he led his men away.

Back on the mountain, the group resumed their discussion.

“I think there’s definitely something fishy going on here. How could the Shadow Cult suddenly become good?” Sha Qianmo firmly opposed cooperating with the Shadow Cult.

“I also find it suspicious; they must have some kind of conspiracy. But if we refuse directly, it could trigger a major war, and we are not fully prepared for that yet,” Dongfang Yuqing analyzed.

"Perhaps we can play along and agree to their request first, then see what they're really up to," Tang Bao said, blinking.

"Tang Bao is right. We can use this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the Shadow Cult's internal situation and perhaps find their weaknesses," Hua Qiangu said.

"But what if they really have some kind of conspiracy? Wouldn't we be in great danger?" You Ruo asked with some worry.

"Therefore, we must be fully prepared. While agreeing to their demands, we should strengthen the defenses of Changliu Mountain and arrange for people to secretly monitor them," Hua Qiangu said.

After some discussion, the group decided to agree to the Shadow Cult's request for cooperation and see what they would do next.

Three days later, the Shadow Cult's messengers returned to Changliu Mountain.

Hua Qiangu looked at the masked man and said, "We agree to cooperate with you, but you must abide by our rules and not do anything that violates our promises."

The masked man was overjoyed. "Thank you for your trust, Changliu Mountain. We will definitely keep our promise."

“Alright, from now on, the hostages you sent will remain at Changliu Mountain. Go back and tell your leader to draft a cooperation plan as soon as possible, and we will discuss it in detail later,” Hua Qiangu said.

The masked man nodded in agreement, then left with his men.

"I hope our decision this time is the right one." Bai Zihua watched the Shadow Cult members depart into the distance, a hint of worry in his heart.

"No matter what, we must be careful. Next, we need to speed up the defense of Changliu Mountain and arrange for people to monitor the Shadow Cult," Hua Qiangu said.

Everyone busied themselves, each acting according to their plan. However, unbeknownst to them, the Shadow Cult's true conspiracy was only just beginning. In the shadows, countless eyes were fixed on Changliu Mountain, and a far greater crisis was quietly approaching…