Chapter 832 - 775: Storm Approaching

Chapter 832: Chapter 775: Storm Approaching

Ziwei Star Alliance, Tianqiang Realm, beneath Taixuan Mountain.

When an incident occurred in the Qingyun Realm, Shen Mingjing had already returned to the rear position of the Demon Clan, sitting cross-legged on a large green stone by the river, leisurely fishing with his rod and tackle.

The Fire Qilin lay beside him, looking at Shen Mingjing with confusion in its eyes.

Without even turning his head, Shen Mingjing knew what the Fire Qilin wanted to ask.

"You’re wondering why, knowing that Jiang Yuebai, Shen Huaxi, and others could become formidable enemies in the future, I didn’t set an ambush to kill them directly, right?"

The Fire Qilin lowered its eyes, indicating that was indeed what it wanted to know.

Shen Mingjing baited the hook and cast the rod, "You still don’t understand, adults. The Human Clan is unlike the Demon and Demon Clans; humans have emotions. Various kinds of emotions, so the elders of the Human Clan always leave life-saving methods for their beloved juniors."

"Jiang Yuebai and Lu Nanzhi both train under Immortal Monarch Chongming. Immortal Monarch Chongming would surely have given them both life-saving secret techniques. Tell me, going myself would be courting death, wouldn’t it? Sending others would be useless; we can’t kill them at all, so why sacrifice my subordinates in vain?"

Sacrifice in vain?

The Fire Qilin snorted, emitting two streams of smoke and fire from its nose, thinking of how many Demons had been sacrificed in vain by Shen Mingjing.

The Demon Detection Array, a hundred-year toxic plan, was orchestrated by him. At that time, Shen Mingjing had just come out of the Demon Realm, disguised as a human, yet only had Early-Stage Golden Core Cultivation.

He told no one about it, not even within the Demon Clan. The Demon Clan had always thought that the Great Array was researched by the Human Clan, as so many of their attacks had failed against it.

Only the Fire Qilin knew that the array was created by Shen Mingjing, using the characteristics of human greed and love for glory, making humans’ own Array Dao sect deliver it to the Star Alliance.

Why Shen Mingjing liked the Tianqiang Realm and was willing to sacrifice so many Divinity Transformation Stage true demons to acquire it, was due to a life-changing encounter there when he left the Demon Realm.

With his intelligence and wisdom, he solved the puzzle left by the Array Dao giant, Daoist Taixuan, and obtained Daoist Taixuan’s entire legacy, which is why the Taixuan Stele he created back then could pass as the real one because it truly was in his possession.

Over the past century, Shen Mingjing had diligently studied Array Dao, becoming a master far exceeding ordinary people.

Although he wouldn’t feel any gratitude, he still mimicked the methods of the Human Clan. After the Demon Clan took over the Tianqiang Realm, he asked the Demon Lord for the Taixuan Mountain Range as private territory and rebuilt Xuandao Sect there.

Only, besides him, there was no one else in Xuandao Sec, not even any other demons.

In this instance, the same as with the Tianqiang Realm, Shen Mingjing informed the Demon Lord only at the last moment before acting, using the Demon Detection Array to destroy all the front-line Transmission Arrays of the Taiwei Star Alliance.

The deceptive Eye-Blocking Technique over at the Qingyun Realm, Shen Mingjing knew he wasn’t capable of eliminating all elite forces of the Upper Realm under the noses of many Mahayana experts to ever cut off the Human Clan’s fortune.

At this moment, it was likely that the front line of the Human Clan and the entire Taiwei Star Alliance had fallen, seized by the Demon Clan.

The period during which each Qingyun Conference was held was the truce period between the Human and Demon Clans because the Demon Clan also has traditions of their own.

Every three hundred years, the Life Breathing Ceremony must be held in the Demon Realm, where all Demons below Divinity Transformation Stage must leave offspring in the Demon Realm to continue the Demon Clan’s life force, enabling the Demon Army to be inexhaustible. This is an unbreakable tradition spanning ten thousand years for the Demon Clan.

Of course, Demon reproduction is different from humans. Low-Level Demons have no gender and don’t require a ten-month pregnancy. All Demons can produce offspring by splitting their core Demonic Qi through special methods, with numbers ranging from dozens to hundreds or even thousands at a time.

They only care about giving birth, and whether the offspring survive depends on themselves, consuming companions and anything ingestible around to grow stronger.

The Demon Clan has no concept of morality. Even ’sibling’ offspring can devour each other without mercy after birth, while their progenitors only care about the strongest survivor.

At this point, Shen Mingjing interrupted the Life Breathing Ceremony to launch a full-scale invasion of the Human Clan. The Human Clan wouldn’t have anticipated it, nor would the Demon Clan themselves.

Fortunately, Shen Mingjing persuaded the Demon Lord to interrupt and postpone the half-completed Life Breathing Ceremony, in case human spies within the Demon Clan discovered more clues beforehand and leaked the information.

During this period, many Demons went to the battlefield while heavily pregnant with offspring.

The Fire Qilin couldn’t help but laugh to the point of spitting fire when it thought of that scene.

Once the situation stabilizes, the Demon Clan could continue expanding from the Taiwei Star Alliance to the Ziwei Star Alliance, even to the Tianshi Star Alliance.

Compared to these war achievements, the loss of nearly a million troops to the Demon Detection Array over the past century seems insignificant.

And Shen Mingjing’s deliberate exposure of the Demon Detection Array had an even more profound purpose.

"Why must one always go to war during such leisurely times?"

Shen Mingjing sighed, and suddenly the fishing line tightened; a fish was hooked!

The Fire Qilin huffed, shook its head, then closed its eyes to cultivate.

With one pull, Shen Mingjing hooked a big fish, laughed happily, and then released it back into the water after removing the hook.

"Sometimes, enemies can become an opportunity. They’re probably very curious about who brought Tai Sui into the Observatory now. I just hope they catch this person soon, as I don’t want to follow in the footsteps of the Ice Demon Saint Master."

Shen Mingjing’s smile gradually grew cold, as he cast the rod again, expertly hooking the fish he just released.

*

Qingyun Realm.

Mahayana Immortal Monarch Fatian personally took action to handle the aftermath, allowing the Heaven Pillar of Qingyun Realm to be repaired. Overall, the casualties were not severe; from a broad perspective, less than one-tenth were dead or injured.

However, everyone was trapped in the outer ring of mountains in Qingyun Realm, temporarily forbidden from leaving.

Even the sects and families that left early had Immortal Alliance’s elites sent for investigation.

Only when all the investigation results come out will Qingyun Realm be reopened.

At this moment, hearts were in turmoil, and the public was unaware of the Taiwei Star Alliance’s frontline defeat, steeped in recent fear.

In those sites where comrades died, intermittent cries of grief could be heard.

Jiang Yuebai was very relieved that she followed her intuition and had the Heavenly Interence Sect’s members leave early.

Although the Zhuge Family left with many, a young disciple participating in the Golden Core Stage died in the Taixu Rain, killed by his out-of-control Armor.

Zhuge Ziyin, who stayed to take care of the Zhuge Family’s disciple, was overcome with grief and guilt, and was kneeling silently beside the young disciple.

Yun Shang and Kong Jingyan were unharmed, albeit shook up, staying within the old Heavenly Interence Sect’s base to calm their spirits.

Zhao Fuyi brought Jiang Yuebai and the other three along with the Three Demons back to the Heavenly Interence Sect’s base, setting up a Great Array around for alert.

They hadn’t rested long when people from the Star Alliance came, inviting Luling and Sleeping Lotus to the Observatory in Taibai Realm, as Immortal Monarch Fatian wished to see them.

Fire Grain still had the appearance of his original wheat seedling form, placed by Jiang Yuebai in a specially crafted flowerpot, and carried by Xie Jingshan, thus not accompanying them.

After Jiang Yuebai and Lu Nanzhi checked on the condition of Yun Shang and Kong Jingyan, they exited the tent, seeing Shen Huaxi and Xie Jingshan sitting under a tree with the flowerpot in hand, Shen Huaxi’s face clouded with worries.

The two walked over, sitting across from Shen Huaxi, with Jiang Yuebai ready to discuss the entire affair and its subsequent effects with Shen Huaxi.

"Can’t you put down the flowerpot? It’s poking my face!"

As soon as Jiang Yuebai sat down, the tip of the wheat in the flowerpot held by Xie Jingshan poked Jiang Yuebai’s face, with Fire Grain’s spike burning with fire nature, it was scalding!

"Wasn’t it you who told me to hold it?" Xie Jingshan was more justified than Jiang Yuebai.

Unwilling to argue, Jiang Yuebai took the flowerpot, set it behind her, ignored Xie Jingshan, set up a Sound Insulation Barrier, and began discussing the event with Shen Huaxi.

The final discussion left Jiang Yuebai cold in sweat.

Shen Huaxi spoke quietly, "I have underestimated this affair; perhaps Qingyun Conference isn’t the real target of the mastermind behind the scenes. Something major must have changed at the frontline, and consequently, unity and trust among the Human Clan is about to collapse."

Lu Nanzhi frowned deeply, while Xie Jingshan was a bit confused and asked, "Why?"

Shen Huaxi sighed and explained, "The most critical factor in this Qingyun Realm incident is who brought Tai Sui into the Observatory. At this moment, the Observatory houses nearly all Upper Realm cultivators above Refining Void, and every single one of them is suspicious."

"Can’t the Mahayana Immortal Monarch investigate?" Xie Jingshan asked again.

Lu Nanzhi replied, "Are all Mahayana Immortal Monarchs necessarily good people?"

With this remark, Xie Jingshan shuddered, chills running down his spine.

Only then did he perceive the terror of this affair, earlier the Human Clan could unite as one because the Mahayana Immortal Monarchs led in solidarity, but now, should suspicion arise among them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Moreover, while it is easy for Mahayana Immortal Monarchs to investigate cultivators below, it’s not as straightforward among themselves.

"But aren’t Mahayana Immortal Monarchs all dedicated to leading the Human Clan? They shouldn’t harm their own for the Demon Clan, right? They’ve known each other for thousands of years, surely their moral standing is clear." Xie Jingshan said.

The group fell silent, each hoping that was the case, so if all Mahayana Immortal Monarchs had no issues, it would only be a matter of time until the traitors below were uncovered.

Shen Huaxi added, "Then there’s the Demon Detection Array, it’s as if the mastermind deliberately exposed it, waiting for everyone to realize it can’t detect demons, leading to scrutiny and pondering over how many demons infiltrated over the century? How can one continue to trust and employ those around them?"

"The mastermind behind the scenes is truly terrifying, perceiving human nature and intentions visibly, understanding that once the seed of doubt is planted, it will grow roots and flourish, hard to eradicate. Moreover, the Human Clan always has individuals driven by self-interest, heedless of the truth, making it tough to re-gather trust and unity within the clan!"

They all fell silent together, only the wind sweeping through trees sounding rustling, echoing through the mountains.

A storm is brewing, a foreboding wind indeed!

The gust from Qingyun Realm has begun blowing across the Upper Realm everywhere...