Zuo Lizhou was naturally not caught completely off guard.
In such a setting, with all five senses heightened, a Grandmaster of Martial Arts possessed extremely acute perception.
It could be said that the moment Xin Beitian lunged towards Feng Chengmao, Zuo Lizhou was already alerted.
When Xin Beitian changed direction, Zuo Lizhou was instantly startled and instinctively braced himself for defense.
However, a master of Xin Beitian's caliber, striking with a sneak attack, was simply too fast.
Even though Zuo Lizhou was alerted and immediately reacted to dodge, he was still unable to evade Xin Beitian's full-force blow.
With an expression of disbelief, his body was sent flying.
He circulated his True Qi, attempting to fully neutralize the damage caused by Xin Beitian's internal energy. Yet, Zuo Lizhou's body convulsed violently, and he coughed up blood in mid-air.
He still found it hard to believe.
He and Xin Beitian had known each other for over thirty years, understood each other deeply, and he had placed immense trust in him.
He wouldn't have been this shocked even if others had betrayed him.
However, his cultivation was formidable. After falling to the ground, he pressed his palm onto the earth, forcefully suppressing his injuries before standing up. He looked at Xin Beitian, who had attacked him, his eyes filled with anger and incomprehension.
Feng Chengmao and Raman did not seize the opportunity to attack.
Feng Chengmao did not seem surprised by the turn of events. Raman and another South Asian Grandmaster, however, were bewildered.
Of course, even though Zuo Lizhou was seriously injured, it was not guaranteed they would gain an advantage by attacking now.
Only Wang Wuzhong and the injured Tian Zixu looked on in consternation.
Yan Siyu, who had not intervened from a short distance away, was also astonished.
Chen Fan, after his initial surprise, shook his head.
This scene was exactly like the situation where Song Wuji had sneak-attacked Mo Ran, bearing the complete style of Wu Zhao.
"Why?"
Zuo Lizhou stared intently at Xin Beitian, spat out another mouthful of blood, and asked in a hoarse voice.
Xin Beitian's palm was not easily endured. It was Zuo Lizhou himself; any other ordinary Grandmaster of Martial Arts would likely have met their end instantly from such a strike.
Looking at Zuo Lizhou, Xin Beitian's expression flickered slightly, a hint of guilt and a touch of melancholy appearing.
"Brother Zuo, I apologize."
He hesitated before speaking, then said, "That step of breaking through the Human-Heaven barrier, the temptation for martial artists like you and me is too great!"
"Hmph?"
Zuo Lizhou's expression shook violently. "You... by betraying me, you can take that step?"
"It's the method to take that step!"
A voice rang out.
Chen Fan turned his head to see Wu Zhao.
His figure was graceful, his robes billowing in the wind. His calm expression exuded a sense of control and confidence that everything was within his grasp.
"Wu Zhao?"
Seeing Wu Zhao, Zuo Lizhou glanced at Chen Fan, a chilling, icy glint flashing in his narrowed eyes.
Chen Fan's gaze also fell upon Wu Zhao. The latter's demeanor remained unchanged, but his air of spirited confidence was undoubtedly more pronounced than last time.
"Brother Chen, I trust you've been well!"
To Chen Fan's surprise, Wu Zhao nodded in greeting and spoke with a smile.
Chen Fan let out a cold laugh and said, "You orchestrated all of this, didn't you? Such a magnificent play, truly a masterpiece. You must have put considerable thought into it."
"Brother Chen flatters me!"
Wu Zhao chuckled. "However, for the situation today, it was all worth it!"
"Why?"
Zuo Lizhou gritted his teeth, his voice chillingly stern. "Wu Zhao, you are also a member of the Brotherhood. The Brotherhood and the Hero Alliance are two sides of the same coin. How could you plot against and deal with me?"
Wu Zhao spoke leisurely. "Alliance Leader Zuo, in all my plans, you have always been my greatest enemy, the ultimate figure to be dealt with!"
"Should I consider myself honored, then?" Zuo Lizhou asked coldly.
Wu Zhao smiled. "Honor is hardly necessary. All beings are equal, and everyone is but a chess piece on the board. Even with differences in importance, they are fundamentally just pieces."
Zuo Lizhou snorted coldly.
Chen Fan leaned on his sword, listening to Wu Zhao continue.
"As for why I plotted against you, Alliance Leader Zuo, it is because your ambition is too great!"
Wu Zhao said. "And because the Hero Alliance has gathered the martial artists of the entire Great Xia, even so many Grandmasters of Martial Arts, once you control the Brotherhood in turn, who in this world could oppose you?"
"Is it just for this?"
Zuo Lizhou replied coldly, "I have no interest in secular affairs!"
"You might not be interested, but your son, Zuo Tian Ce, and those around you, Fu Qing Lei, Duan Mu Liang, and so many others, are interested in secular power."
"Cultivating martial arts is such an arduous path; not everyone can persevere with unwavering dedication, focusing solely on martial arts."
"Many people think that after dedicating half their lives to hardship in cultivation, it's time to enjoy themselves."
Wu Zhao stated. "Money, women, power – to speak and have no one dare to defy you. Such enjoyment, how many can refuse?"
Zuo Lizhou fell silent upon hearing this.
He himself was an ambitious man; how could he not understand the allure of power?
However, he was indeed not attached to secular power. He never cared about money or women; what he desired were resources.
He wanted to touch upon higher realms and interact with higher-level existences.
"So, outside Seven Star Ridge, you used Chen Tian Jiao and Jing Wu Sheng to plot against Fu Qing Lei and others, cutting off my arms?"
After a period of silence, Zuo Lizhou said with hatred. "And now, you've arranged for Xin Beitian to betray me? Do you have something he wants?"
"I told you, it's the method to break through the Human-Heaven barrier!"
Wu Zhao said. "Master Xin and you were never truly aligned. He was not invested in the affairs of the Hero Alliance, yet you always forced the Hero Alliance's matters upon him."
Zuo Lizhou gave a bitter laugh and looked at Xin Beitian. "Xin Beitian, we have known each other for thirty years. If you were dissatisfied with me, why didn't you say so directly?"
Xin Beitian shook his head and replied, "It's not dissatisfaction, precisely. It's just that I also don't want to see the Xin family become a vassal and puppet of the Hero Alliance one day."
Zuo Lizhou's expression grew even more desolate.
He was inwardly extremely proud and had, in fact, never taken the Brotherhood seriously.
The Brotherhood, with its immense secular power, was merely a tool in his eyes.
Yet now, he had been defeated by the Brotherhood.
He reached into his pocket, took out a ring, and slipped it onto his right middle finger. He said, "Wu Zhao, who exactly are you?"
"Alliance Leader Zuo still seems unwilling to accept this?"
Wu Zhao chuckled.
"To be schemed against by you, for Xin Beitian to betray me, so what?"
Zuo Lizhou stated gravely. "I, Zuo Lizhou, will never fear such things. If you wish to kill me, even if you gather all the experts from the martial and cultivation worlds, you will have to pay a price!"
"Alliance Leader Zuo is indeed imposing!"
Wu Zhao said. "To understand something, there's no need to rush."
"Alliance Leader Zuo asks who I am. Many friends present are also curious, especially Brother Chen Tian Jiao!"
Saying this, he looked towards Chen Fan.
Chen Fan said faintly, "I know some things now."
"Du Fu Min told you some things, didn't he?"
Wu Zhao smiled. "However, not everything in detail."
"I, Wu, am the illegitimate son of the Wu family in the capital. I lived abroad from a young age and was only brought back to the Wu family when I was eight."
He stated. "The Wu family treated me well; there were no melodramatic storylines."
"Therefore, I can be considered the Third Young Master of the Wu family."
"In another identity, I am the actual controller of the Brotherhood, codenamed Zi Wei!"
Zi Wei, the master of the Big Dipper, the destiny of an emperor!