Chapter 1281: I Don't Blame You

Daoist Wuwei felt deeply powerless. At the very least, the current situation in the Mortal World was no longer something Daoist cultivators like them could intervene in.

Chen Changsheng went to take a look for himself.

The entire border region was now almost completely controlled by cultivators from the Cultivation World. The laws of Great Jing had long since vanished here. These cultivators were a mixed sort—not everyone who walked the path of cultivation was a good person—and the situation had only grown more chaotic as a result.

This place was exactly like the Blood Fiend Path of the past—a lawless land devoid of rules.

Chen Changsheng was observing the area when a gaze suddenly fell upon him.

"Mister Chen!!"

An astonished shout rang out. Xiao Dongxu came running over.

He stared at the person before him, too shocked to speak.

"Mister Chen, you're awake?! When did you wake up? Where have you been all these years?!"

Looking at Xiao Dongxu before him, Chen Changsheng also felt a bit dazed.

The two of them arrived at a tea house in the border region.

Naturally, Chen Changsheng wouldn't explain the specifics. This involved far too many things, and it was best not to let outsiders know.

"Why are you here?"

"Previously, the Underworld was indeed ruled by the Demon Sovereign. But after he left, the realm was brought to order by its own rules. Now... it is a masterless land, or rather, it is ruled by the Heavenly Dao."

When speaking of these matters, he felt somewhat guilty.

Xiao Dongxu said, "Previously, Mister Zhong took a trip to the Underworld and told me that it had been occupied by demonic cultivators. But later on, no more demonic qi was seen emerging from newborn infants."

"Is that so..."

"What exactly happened in the Underworld previously? Do you know, Mister?"

Because he knew Mister Chen was a cultivator who had emerged from the Mortal World, he was afraid his own choices might incur the Mister's displeasure.

Chen Changsheng said, "It is operating normally."

They found a private room on the second floor, only beginning to discuss past events after the waiter had served their tea and snacks.

"Mister Chen, I made this trip for the sake of my sect."

Chen Changsheng was momentarily taken aback.

Xiao Dongxu paused. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Mister, let's find a place to talk without rushing."

Chen Changsheng explained, "The Demon Sovereign placed a demonic artifact before the Gate of Reincarnation. That was what caused the souls entering Reincarnation to carry demonic qi upon rebirth. It has been resolved now."

His expression calm, Chen Changsheng said, "It is to be expected."

Unsure of how to explain it for a moment, Chen Changsheng paused before simply saying, "I fell for the Demon Sovereign's trick and was trapped in the Underworld all this time. I only just got out."

Xiao Dongxu stared blankly for a moment before asking, "The Underworld... what is the situation there now?"

Xiao Dongxu nodded and said, "Tianji Mountain does not lack this Heavenly Dao qi destiny, but my Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain is declining by the day. As a disciple, and even more so as a candidate for headmaster, I must consider the sect's future. The current situation in the Cultivation World is complex, and since the Mortal World possesses its own destiny, I came..."

Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Xiao Dongxu asked, "What about you, Mister? You previously sank into the Dream Method, and we exhausted every means but couldn't save you. You inexplicably vanished without a single clue. Where have you been all these years?"

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng largely understood the situation. He asked, "Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain?"

"The Heavenly Dao?!"

Startled, Xiao Dongxu murmured in disbelief, "The Underworld gave birth to the Heavenly Dao?"

Chen Changsheng nodded. "That's right."

Xiao Dongxu parted his lips in surprise upon hearing this, visibly relaxing a moment later. "If it is the will of Heaven, then there is no need to worry too much. I only feared that the Underworld would fall into the hands of someone with ulterior motives."

"Mhm."

Chen Changsheng offered a simple response, seemingly unwilling to dwell on the matter.

The two of them continued to chat.

Chen Changsheng then asked about the current state of the Cultivation World.

Xiao Dongxu's expression turned grave. "The situation in the Cultivation World is not good. Demonic cultivators are running rampant right now. On top of that, they aren't picky when recruiting disciples, so more and more people are stepping onto the demonic path. They have grown to a massive scale and are very difficult to deal with."

Chen Changsheng paused in surprise. "Who leads the demonic path now?"

Xiao Dongxu said, "A demonic cultivator named Wang He. We still don't know his background."

"Wang He?"

Chen Changsheng searched his memories and actually recalled someone.

Chen Changsheng said, "Unless they merely share the same name, this person might be from the Mortal World. This Chen heard that name in his early years."

"You've heard of him, Mister Chen?"

"Yes."

Chen Changsheng then spoke of the past Investiture of Immortals Assembly and the previous situation at Quanshan.

"To think Quanshan had such a history..."

Xiao Dongxu was somewhat dazed after listening. It was indeed a far cry from the Quanshan of today.

Chen Changsheng had also seen Wang He later on. It was during the time he fell into the Demon Sovereign's physical body. On that day, Wang He's figure had been in the demonic cultivators' camp. Despite the drastic changes in the man's appearance, Chen Changsheng still remembered a few fragmented scenes.

"It should be the same person," Chen Changsheng said.

Xiao Dongxu said, "This man's comprehension is extraordinary. He self-realized the demonic path, adhering purely to his own ego and heart. That day, he triggered an anomaly in heaven and earth that many Immortal Sects sensed. Even the qi destiny was disturbed and tilted in his direction. Given enough time, I fear this man might become a supreme demon."

Chen Changsheng felt a moment of daze upon hearing this. "How much time has actually passed?"

He simply found it hard to believe.

When Chen Changsheng wandered the Cultivation World in earlier years, he had learned a few things. Even for the most talented cultivator, breaking into a major realm could easily take a century. It required the accumulation of years. Yet, only a few decades had passed, and Wang He was already capable of ascending to supremacy?

This was a bit too fast.

Xiao Dongxu leaned in closer and spoke in a hushed voice, "It is indeed inconceivable. Previously, this Wang He fought with disciples of Sword Mountain. At the time, Wang He's Dao Cultivation was not very deep. It should have been utterly impossible for him to reach such heights in so short a time."

"We only received the news later on. Wang He did not possess such absolute talent. It was the Demon Sovereign who returned and bestowed upon him a Demon Pill, forcefully elevating him just like that."

Chen Changsheng paused. "A Demon Pill?"

He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Where did that demon get a Demon Pill?

Thinking about it carefully, he felt a moment of daze. If this were the case, then that demon had likely begun scheming from the very beginning. This Demon Pill was also part of his plan.

"Yes," Xiao Dongxu said. "We still don't know where this Demon Pill came from. The Demon Sovereign showed himself, and we later sent people to search for him, but turned up empty-handed. He is too difficult to track down."

Listening to these matters, Chen Changsheng fell into contemplation.

Xiao Dongxu said, "Right, Mister, there is one more thing I must inform you of."

"Previously, you entrusted that auspicious qilin beast to my Xuanjiu Immortal Mountain. But later on, it vanished without a trace for no reason. The sect dispatched many disciples to search for it, but failed to find it. We have no idea where it went."

"Mister, I..."

Chen Changsheng waved his hand and said, "I don't blame you."