Chapter 125: Plotting Against Wugui City? Just Courting Death

Chapter 125: Plotting the City of No Return? Merely Courting Death

Miluo Zunzhu left the underground palace and, accompanied by his subordinates, entered the City of No Return.

He gazed at the city, a look of astonishment in his eyes.

"In just a few short years, the City of No Return has transformed completely.

If those old recluses awaken from their seclusion and find the world's pattern so changed, I fear... they will drop their jaws in shock."

To be honest, the changes in the City of No Return left Miluo Zunzhu deeply shaken.

Upon learning of it, he immediately relayed the news to his father, Mikong Dazunzhu.

Now, Mikong Dazunzhu was actually in the City of Great Sorrow.

He watched the City of No Return, and from time to time, an aura of a Zunzhu flew across the sky.

Envy flickered in his eyes: "If only these Zunzhus could serve me, how wonderful that would be."

Miluo Zunzhu strolled through the city for half a day, then finally returned to the inn.

Night fell, and Miluo Zunzhu sat in meditation with his eyes closed.

A single candle burned in the room.

Suddenly, the candlelight flickered, and a black-clad figure stealthily slipped into Miluo Zunzhu's room.

Miluo Zunzhu opened his eyes, his expression cold and stern: "You've come?"

"Greetings, young master!" The visitor was indeed a Zunzhu, yet before the equally-ranked Miluo Zunzhu, he was utterly servile.

This Zunzhu had originally been a peak-stage Land Myth, serving Miluo Zunzhu.

Miluo Zunzhu had him swear a Heart Demon Oath, and following his orders, he secretly came to the City of No Return and eventually broke through to become a Zunzhu.

Such individuals were not limited to this one Zunzhu before him.

Except for the first few sermons, those who came were mostly innocent, truly seeking to break through their realm.

Among those who later came to the City of No Return, many harbored other intentions.

The nails that Miluo Zunzhu and his father had planted in the City of No Return were far more than one.

All had sworn Heart Demon Oaths and were trustworthy.

"How are matters progressing?" Miluo Zunzhu asked in a deep voice.

"Reporting to the young master, this Blood Palace... is not as fearsome as imagined.

Its members are rather loose, and in truth, there is no loyalty whatsoever.

If we act and seize the Blood Lord, those people might not even lift a hand to save him—they might even applaud!" the black-clad man said in a low voice.

What he said made a great deal of sense.

Great kindness is akin to enmity.

The human heart is unfathomable.

The Blood Palace was established too recently, with no guiding principles or any goals.

All the Zunzhus fight their own battles, and there is no loyalty.

Toward the Blood Lord, some Zunzhus feel gratitude, but others harbor fear and resentment.

They do not wish... for the Blood Lord to continue preaching, nor for more Zunzhus to appear in this realm.

After all, if there are too many Zunzhus, their own status as Zunzhus becomes less precious.

Miluo Zunzhu nodded: "What have you discovered about the Blood Lord's strength?"

He had already asked this question of several other hidden agents.

"The Blood Lord's power is mysterious and unfathomable, but once, when he slew a demonic scourge, the cultivation he displayed was roughly at the mid-stage Zunzhu level—nothing to fear," the black-clad Zunzhu replied.

Miluo Zunzhu's expression was troubled: "Even if he is only mid-stage Zunzhu, I am still somewhat afraid."

Indeed, the Blood Lord's ability to preach and make others comprehend the origin was already beyond belief; he could not be treated as an ordinary person.

But fortune favors the bold, and his father's lifespan was nearly at its end, which was why they had joined forces with several Great Zunzhus to plot against the City of No Return.

In their view, the City of No Return's Guardian could preach and help others step into Zunzhu, the most likely explanation being that he possessed a Tablet of Fate.

There was no other explanation.

"Young master, the Blood Lord only seems mysterious; in truth, he is half-mad, and... his cultivation technique seems to have led to qi deviation, causing him to frequently forget things," the black-clad man urged again.

What he said was also the reality.

Everyone who had come into contact with the Blood Lord could sense his strange words and actions.

Moreover, a Zunzhu with a poor memory, and it didn't seem like an act—it was truly absurd.

Miluo heard this, his gaze deep: "I still fear an accident. What if... it's all an act?"

The black-clad man quickly urged: "If you do not take the Blood Lord's place today, another Zunzhu will do so tomorrow!"

This black-clad man was a classic example of great kindness turning into enmity.

Serving under the Blood Lord, he felt extremely uncomfortable and harbored a sense of guilt in his heart.

To make that guilt disappear, it was better to have the Blood Lord die.

Miluo heard this, his expression complex: "This matter... let us discuss it later."

Hearing this, the black-clad man could only withdraw.

In the inn, only Miluo Zunzhu remained, alone with his thoughts.

"I hope this matter... succeeds in one fell swoop!"

"If it succeeds, my Mi family will become the first overlord of the Flowing Wind Realm!"

In truth, he and his father had been planning this for many years!

They had also allied with other Zunzhus, continuously sending Land Myths who had sworn Heart Demon Oaths of loyalty into the City of No Return.

Within the City of No Return, there were many Zunzhus loyal to him.

Every day, a great deal of information about the City of No Return was transmitted to the City of Great Sorrow.

It came through different channels.

These loyal individuals were also different from one another, but the information they conveyed was largely the same.

"After the next thousand-person sermon assembly, we must act!" Miluo Zunzhu knew that if they did not act now, it would be too late.

The number of Land Myths he could send into the City of No Return had reached its limit.

In another hundred years, if the City of No Return had tens of thousands of Zunzhus,

plotting against it would be nothing but a fantasy.

Now was the best opportunity.

The longer the time, the slimmer the chances.

This time, many Zunzhus from the Southern and Northern Lands had cooperated, sealing off the news, all to plot against the City of No Return and gamble on a big win.

"May the Blood Lord truly be only at the peak of the Middle Stage."

"May it be that before his sermon, he did not make the cultivators swear heart-demon oaths of loyalty, truly because of his madness."

"May... this plan succeed!"

Lord Miluo uttered three consecutive "may"s, his heart still filled with caution and trepidation.

...

Within the City of No Return, people came and went, traffic bustling like a flowing river.

Wang Gai and Li Yunzhi sat in a tavern, drinking wine together.

Wang Gai sighed: "A storm is brewing."

Now, over two thousand peak Land Immortals had arrived in the City of No Return.

In a few more days, these two thousand peak Land Immortals would listen together to the Blood Lord's sermon and step into the realm of Supremes.

Li Yunzhi looked at his close friend and whispered, "Have you sensed something off about the City of No Return lately?"

Wang Gai's expression shifted: "A little."

The Blood Palace now had a total of one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five Supremes.

This number, to be honest, had nearly surpassed the number of Supremes in the Southern Lands.

Of course, among so many Supremes, not a single one was at the Middle Stage.

"Yesterday, someone sought me out," Li Yunzhi said hesitantly.

Wang Gai looked at Li Yunzhi, his expression stern: "Speak plainly. I won't tell anyone."

Li Yunzhi gazed at his close friend, hesitated for a moment, then transmitted his voice to Wang Gai.

The gist was that a Supreme had hinted to him that something major might happen in the Blood Palace in the future, and he should not take sides lightly.

After the transmission, Li Yunzhi looked uneasy: "Do you think... the Blood Palace is about to split apart?"

"Is someone planning to move against the Blood Lord?" Wang Gai's face turned cold.

Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, Li Yunzhi no longer beat around the bush: "Tell me, we have received the Blood Lord's grace—when the time comes, should we..."

He was conflicted.

Emotionally, he wanted to repay the Blood Lord's kindness in preaching.

Rationally, since things had already come to this, it meant the enemy was coming fiercely and had long laid their plans.

If he rushed in recklessly, he would likely only die, unable to change the outcome or affect the greater situation.

"A bunch of clowns dare to lay hands on Lord Blood!" Wang Gai was furious.

The scene of the Blood Lord slaughtering over twenty Supremes was still deeply etched in his memory.

Were Supremes powerful?

In the Blood Lord's eyes, they were probably as fragile as ants.

Those over twenty Supremes, including ten at the Middle Stage, were all from the Northern Lands.

Facing the Blood Lord, they couldn't even last a single round.

Wang Gai, who had been watching at the time, even felt that if the Blood Lord had turned on them, they would have met the same fate as those Northern Supremes.

Unfortunately, Li Yunzhi had been busy that time and hadn't gone.

Otherwise, Li Yunzhi would have known the Blood Lord's mysterious power and wouldn't be worried at all.

No matter how many Supremes, before the Blood Lord, they were just cabbages.

"Wang Gai, do you know something?" Seeing Wang Gai's unwavering faith in the Blood Lord, Li Yunzhi couldn't help but ask.

Wang Gai smiled: "Rest assured, no amount of schemes can harm the Blood Lord."

"You really do know something!" Li Yunzhi was annoyed.

This feeling was unpleasant.

"Could it be that the Blood Lord has already seen through the conspiracy?" Li Yunzhi guessed, but still felt something was off: "With the Blood Palace's loose organization, hardly anyone is truly loyal to the Blood Lord. How can the Blood Lord win?"

Since the enemy dared to strike, they must have prepared thoroughly, and perhaps even great Supremes were involved.

"Could it be..." Li Yunzhi's eyes widened: "Is the Blood Lord the illegitimate son of the White Emperor?"

Hearing this, Wang Gai spat out his tea: "That's an insult to the Blood Lord! Stop guessing!"

In Wang Gai's heart, the Blood Lord was even more terrifying than the White Emperor.

The White Emperor was powerful, but was he as... horrifying as the Blood Lord?

The Blood Lord was no human—he was a demon god!

...

On the city wall of the City of No Return.

This area was forbidden for anyone to ascend.

Only Chen Huan and Yuan Qi could climb it.

Of course, also Qi Yuan and Xiao Jia.

At that moment, Qi Yuan, clad in a blood-red robe, held Xiao Jia close as he stood on the city wall.

"After tightening screws for too long, one must come out and breathe fresh air."

Xiao Jia, as always, leaned against Qi Yuan. A wooden board with a "smiley face" pattern slipped from her sleeve and fell into Qi Yuan's hand.

"If only you could take form," Qi Yuan said, looking at Xiao Jia. The game had been long, but thankfully Xiao Jia had always been with him.

Xiao Jia stood quietly by Qi Yuan's side, saying nothing.

"My memories lately have been coming and going," Qi Yuan said, a look of recollection on his face. "When I entered the Gate of Myriad Differences and sensed the origin, I nearly sank into the state of 'Forgetting.'

Besides hearing the canary's call, I also felt as if someone had been tugging at my sleeve.

Xiao Jia, was that you?"

During this time, Qi Yuan had been trying to break through to the level of subtlety with the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra.

Fragmented images had inexplicably surfaced in his mind.

For instance, when he fell into the state of "Forgetting," a hand had been clutching his sleeve.

These images had only come back to him now.

From Xiao Jia's sleeve, another wooden board slipped out.

A pattern of a hand holding a sleeve.

"So it was you," Qi Yuan wanted to touch Xiao Jia's nose but grasped at air.

He wasn't disappointed. Still holding Xiao Jia, he mused: "In the Gate of Myriad Differences, is there anything else I've forgotten?"

He had a premonition.

Once he fully remembered, the Great Forgetfulness Heart Sutra might reach the level of subtlety.

Then, he would have more confidence.

Now, he was merely invincible among those of the same rank.

As for the White Emperor and the Venerable One, he had never encountered them, nor did he know just how powerful those two truly were.

He wondered if they were as formidable as the Yin God.

If so, this game would be rather difficult to clear.

"What a pity—the demonic scourge has its limits. If I want to level up further, must I slaughter everyone in this world?"

Qi Yuan was no bloodthirsty madman, nor was he utterly selfish.

"If only there were a new place to grind levels."

Now, merely killing demonic scourge brought him little improvement.

He would need to slay some Supremes instead.

"How strange—what exactly is the limit of this world? How can it produce so many Supremes without running out of resources?" Qi Yuan sank into thought again. "Or is it a case of draining the pond to catch the fish?"

Generally speaking, in a normal world, the number of strong beings is roughly fixed.

This world had too many Supremes, yet too few beings as powerful as the Venerable One and the White Emperor.

It did not conform to the standard pyramid structure.

At that moment, deep within the White Emperor Palace.

The White Emperor, the strongest of the Southern Lands, had a presence as frail as paper. He opened his eyes, a complex glint flashing in their depths: "The Thirteen Northern Demon Demons… have they reached the ends of the earth?"

"I hope this time… it will not all be in vain."

"Grievances… should also be settled."

"Master… if you were still here, what would you do?"

"Last time, the heavens and earth trembled, as if the sermon at Nine Coiling Mountain had reappeared. Was it Master… that drop of blood you left behind, reincarnating into the world?"

"The comrades in the Ten Thousand Demon Gate cannot hold out much longer."

The White Emperor's eyes were filled with desolation.

He upheld the situation in the Southern Lands, not just for the South, but for the entire Flowing Wind Realm.

The battlefield of this world was not merely the conflict between North and South.

The North-South conflict was only about eradicating the demonic scourge.

The enemies of the Flowing Wind Realm were not just the demonic scourge.

There were also demons!

The greater battlefield lay within the Ten Thousand Demon Gate.

"Back then, Master alone suppressed the Ten Thousand Demon Gate, slaughtering all the demonic scourge.

Now, the Ten Thousand Demon Gate… we too must suppress it!"

Tens of thousands of years ago, Master Blood Lord stepped into the Ten Thousand Demon Gate, suppressed the myriad demons, and nearly perished.

Guided by the Stone Tablet of Fate, the Thirteen Northern Demon Demons—those who were once the White Emperor's junior brothers and sisters—chose without hesitation to enter the Ten Thousand Demon Gate to awaken their master.

This act did indeed awaken the Blood Lord.

After awakening, the Blood Lord, with great power, cleared the entire Ten Thousand Demon Gate.

Then he fell, leaving only a single drop of blood that flowed out of the gate and vanished.

The threat within the Ten Thousand Demon Gate was exhausted.

But who would have known that within the Ten Thousand Demon Gate, endless demons were also rampaging, struggling to break free?

The White Emperor had once suspected that it was the Stone Tablet of Fate that made them step into the Ten Thousand Demon Gate, thus opening it.

Yet the facts were already set and could not be changed.

"I pray… success."

If this succeeded, the situation in the Flowing Wind Realm could be prolonged for another three hundred years.

If it failed, the entire Flowing Wind Realm would become a true paradise for demons and monsters.

"Yanran… did the Stone Tablet of Fate influence you?"

The White Emperor let out a long sigh, infinitely forlorn.

This avatar of his should now merge with his true body and enter the Ten Thousand Demon Gate.

The situation at the Ten Thousand Demon Gate was not optimistic.

…

In the City of No Return, Supremes gathered like clouds.

For many years, no living demonic scourge had been seen running within dozens of miles outside this city.

Now, the City of No Return could be said to be perfectly safe without Qi Yuan's garrison.

At this moment, within the City of No Return, powerful beings assembled.

Two thousand peak Land Myth experts gathered in one place, their faces bearing various expressions.

Some were anxious, some expectant, some uneasy.

A few Supremes were also among the crowd; they had captured a large number of demonic scourge and earned another chance to hear the sermon.

Wang Gai and Li Yunzhi were also in the crowd.

Compared to Wang Gai's calmness, Li Yunzhi now seemed unsettled.

His heart was pounding, and he looked very nervous.

"Wang Gai, how can you not be nervous at all?" Li Yunzhi couldn't help but send a telepathic message.

Because just now, he had seen Supreme Miluo—the former garrison commander of Great Sorrow City.

"Why should I be nervous? If a bunch of cabbages came waving their claws at you, would you be nervous?" Wang Gai was very calm, even looking forward to what was about to happen.

Ever since he witnessed the Blood Lord's power, he had regarded the Blood Lord as the one true god, the child of destiny!

If not the child of destiny, how could he be so terrifying?

"You know things but won't tell me. If I knew, I wouldn't be so worried." Li Yunzhi was indignant.

Clearly, Wang Gai knew more than he did.

"You don't need to do anything later—just follow… Supreme Yang Hun's example… and grovel," Wang Gai said, glancing at Supreme Yang Hun, who was acting like a lapdog.

As Wang Gai's words fell, a mysterious and unfathomable aura swept through at that moment.

Everyone in the field stopped their conversations, gazing at the figure in a blood-red robe on the city wall, their faces filled with reverence.

"We pay homage to the Blood Lord!"

"We pay homage to the Blood Lord!"

The voices rolled like thunder, as startling as a bolt from the blue.

This is far more lively than when the sermon was given at Ninefold Mountain.

A pity, though—these people lack the simplicity of those on Ninefold Mountain, and some harbor ill intentions.

Venerable Miluo stood among the crowd, watching hundreds of Venerables bow to Qi Yuan, a look of longing in his eyes.

He wished, with all his heart, that he were that man.

At this moment, his heart was unsettled.

A sense of urgency, like before a great undertaking, gripped him.

Just then, Qi Yuan’s gaze fell upon Venerable Miluo, making his heart skip a beat.

He heard the Blood Lord’s ethereal voice: “Venerable Miluo seems hesitant to speak—is there something you wish to say?”

Hearing this, a flood of thoughts raced through Venerable Miluo’s mind.

Could it be… I’ve been exposed?

Forcing himself to stay calm, he spoke slowly: “The Blood Lord is indeed the Blood Lord, caring for all beings, preaching to the multitudes without taking a single thing in return.”

He truly meant the praise, though it was somewhat exaggerated.

“If it were me, I could never do the same,” Venerable Miluo continued.

“And if it were you, what would you do?” Qi Yuan’s eyes held an inscrutable smile.

“If it were me, I would surely make them swear a heart-demon oath before the sermon, and only those who pledged loyalty to me would receive the teachings,” Venerable Miluo spoke his true thoughts.

This was likely the sentiment of most Venerables.

Thus, they found the Blood Lord’s open preaching hard to comprehend.

But then, hearing Venerable Miluo’s words, Qi Yuan adopted a contemplative expression: “What you say… seems quite reasonable. How about this—today, all of you swear a heart-demon oath… and pledge loyalty to me?”

Qi Yuan looked down at the Terrestrial Myths below, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

The Terrestrial Myths exchanged uneasy glances; some were even terrified.

Cold sweat seeped from Venerable Miluo’s palms.

If they truly swore the heart-demon oath, those hidden among these Terrestrial Myths would be exposed without a doubt.

He was panicking now.

For some reason, he felt as though he had been seen through.

And then, Qi Yuan suddenly laughed again: “Just joking. What use would I have for your loyalty?”

What is loyalty compared to life itself?

“The sermon… begins.”

(The chapter ends)