Mortal World Peak, atop a mountain’s summit.
Fu Shenxiu stood alongside Eternal Daoist Lord at the cliff’s edge, gazing silently up at the sky for a long time.
“Master, to which level of the Immortal Path has Sword Venerable Fudao ascended?” Fu Shenxiu couldn’t help but ask.
The Eternal Daoist Lord gave a wry smile, “I have merely lived a few more years than you. I only know about the Divine Immortal of Wondrous Dharma; the names of the three higher realms are beyond my reach.”
Fu Shenxiu sighed, “That Heavenly Demon from Outer Heaven felt even more formidable than Senior Meng before perishing in an instant. It is indeed true that beyond the skies there are higher skies, and beyond people there are higher people.”
The Eternal Daoist Lord frowned slightly and sighed, “I always have the feeling that something troublesome is coming to the Holy Court. To think they would even dare to let in such a demon; turmoil that hasn’t been seen in a million years will soon come upon this world.”
Fu Shenxiu nodded; he felt the same way.
“Regardless, it’s a good thing that Sword Venerable Fudao destroyed that demon. But before he could cleanse the world of the Heavenly Demons, they began slaughtering innocents. The Holy Court is truly confused to cooperate with such beings!” declared Fu Shenxiu with righteous indignation, finding the dialogue between the Holy King of the Holy Court and the Dark Emperor to be absurd.
When did the Holy Court become like this?
The Eternal Daoist Lord said no more; there were things he couldn’t speak aloud.
At this moment, not only was Mortal World Peak discussing this matter, Great Cultivators from Qi Fortune sects and Dynasties across the land, and even within the Immortal Dynasty, were engaging in debates about it.
The influence of this event was fermenting swiftly.
…
As summer turned to autumn.
Inside Third Medicine Valley.
Gu An sat at a table while Shen Zhen sat across from him, excitedly discussing something.
Months had passed, and the great battle between Sword Venerable Fudao and the Dark Emperor had not been forgotten by time; rather, it had become increasingly significant.
“It’s said that the Heavenly Demon from Outer Heaven was invited by the Holy Court. Tsk tsk, indeed, this world’s a dark place where no fresh news can be found. Whether it’s the Daotian Sect, Supreme Sect, Seven Stars Spirit Realm, or the Holy Court, they all have their dark secrets,” said Shen Zhen, dripping with sarcasm.
Gu An responded helplessly, “My dear grandmother, can you please not say these things out loud? Those Cultivators are as powerful as Immortals; aren’t you afraid of being overheard?”
“What’s the difference if they hear? Now everyone’s spreading that the Heavenly Demon was invited by the Holy Court. They say eight continents’ creatures have been devoured by the Dark Emperor. What a sin!” exclaimed Shen Zhen indignantly.
Gu An reminded, “Criticize all you want but make sure you don’t write this down or illustrate it.”
Shen Zhen rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, “Do you think I’m that foolish? Plus, I don’t possess that strong a sense of righteousness. I just can’t stand the Holy Court claiming to be just and using the holy name, only to do such things.”
At this moment, chess players in the valley below were also cursing the Holy Court.
Gu An sensed the whiff of conspiracy. How could the Holy Court, with all its capabilities, allow public opinion to swell to such an extent?
As if the Holy Court wouldn’t care about face – that was even less possible!
From the attitude of the Great Nether Saint King, one could see that what the Holy Court cared most about was their reputation.
Reputation might seem ethereal, but when it reached a certain level, it could influence the Qi Fortune of a person or a faction, and one could even predict the public opinion of a power based on the rules of Heaven and Earth.
Of course, whether the Holy Court was good or bad depended on what kind of existence Shengtian was.
As Gu An reflected, he decided to make a trip to Heavenly Prison.
Regardless of whether the external rumors were a conspiracy or not, he had some vengeance to claim.
An Ancient Hour later, after Shen Zhen had left, having vented her feelings, Gu An saw her downstairs. After she departed, he headed towards the Teleportation Array.
…
Atop the grand hall, flames flickered.
A man in a black robe sat on a throne with a furrowed brow and an uneasy mind, as two small dragon souls emerged from the dragon bone crown on his head, entwining each other.
Months had passed since the fall of the Dark Emperor, yet Sword Venerable Fudao hadn’t come to kill his way into Heavenly Prison, not bringing him any relief but instead increasing his anxiety, giving him an ominous feeling of impending disaster.
Heavenly Prison was a Minor Heaven and Earth, well concealed, but for a Great Power like Sword Venerable Fudao, no hiding place would suffice.
Snap!
Suddenly, the man in the black robe felt his shoulder being clutched, his heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively opened his eyes.
In the corner of his eye, his pupils dilated, and he felt as if he had tumbled into an abyss, his limbs icy cold.
Beside him stood a figure enshrouded in dark purple Demonic Qi, whose real form he could not discern despite his high Cultivation Level.
Sword Venerable Fudao!
Gu An looked down upon him and cast a Life Span Detection.
[Demon Soul Master (Eighth Floor of Carefree Primordial Immortal Realm): 590,328/800,000/1,500,000]
Gu An spoke slowly, “Having lived for more than five hundred thousand years, you’ve not had it easy. Will you confess willingly, or must I do it myself?”
His voice, altered, was harsh and carried a chill that terrified the Demon Soul Master.
“The Domain Master of Broken Sea Domain, Qing Songzi, came to me. He claimed it was arranged by the Great Nether Saint King, to allow a batch of Heavenly Demons into Taicang Continent… It’s the Holy King; I could not decline. I am merely a pawn; I bear no grudges against you, senior. Please, spare me…” The Demon Soul Master bit his teeth and spoke, filled with fear.
Gu An looked up, his gaze towards the top of the hall. His left hand still pressed on the Demon Soul Master’s shoulder.
Following Gu An’s vision, a streak of golden light appeared atop the grand hall, as if space had split open. The light quickly expanded, and a figure stepped out from it.
The person was bathed in golden light, so even Gu An couldn’t see the true form.
Gu An threw another Life Span Detection at the newcomer.
[Holy Minister (Nine Layers of Divine Thought True Immortal): 0/0/0]
No life span?
It’s not the true form!
The Demon Soul Master also saw the figure of the Holy Minister, his eyes filled with panic. He had never seen the Holy Minister before, but such an emergence was not favorable for him at this time.
The Holy Minister spoke, “I can depose the Great Nether Saint King.”
His first statement caused the Demon Soul Master’s complexion to shift drastically.
Such audacity! Explore hidden tales at empire
Within the Holy Court, only two entities had the power to depose a Saint King…
No matter which it was, the Demon Soul Master dared not provoke.
Gu An asked, “Who might you be?”
The Holy Minister replied, “I am the Holy Minister of the Holy Court, overseeing the entire court. The coming of the Dark Emperor was my idea, originally intended to eradicate the Heavenly Demons of the Mortal World. However, I did not anticipate such a preposterous outcome.”
Gu An didn’t expect the Holy Minister to admit to this so readily; for a moment, he couldn’t discern the Holy Minister’s true intentions.
“Sword Venerable Fudao, you have refused the destined Qi Fortune of the Holy Court, and I do not wish to delve into your reasons. I only seek to understand your stance towards the Holy Court to prevent any misunderstandings between us. From your actions, it’s clear you are neither of the Demon Path nor the wicked,” said the Holy Minister calmly, his tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Gu An fell silent for a moment and then said, “I have no intention of making enemies with anyone. I seek only to cultivate in peace. My previous intervention was merely because I resided in that land, benefiting from nature’s spiritual energy, and felt an obligation to act on behalf of that land.”
Upon hearing this, the Holy Minister immediately said, “I see. I can understand. Through the ages, indeed, there have been ascetics like you who are solely dedicated to the Immortal Path. You have shielded those people, and they are fortunate for that. From this point on, the Holy Court shall not disturb your cultivation.”
This time, there was a hint of mirth in his tone.
“May I make a request?” Gu An suddenly asked.
“Please, speak.”
“Bring the Great Nether Saint King to me. I want to kill him myself.”