Purple Mansion

Taking the key.

On the way.

Zhong Songtang brought Lu Jing and Old Wu to the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.

The towering structure crouched upon the rugged mountains like a colossal beast of steel. More than nine hundred steps stretched before it, packed with cultivators ascending and descending, as though the entire mountain range had been turned into this giant beast's footstool.

Just moments ago, Zhong Han had been transferred away.

Official duties were too demanding; they could not spare anyone.

Recently, cultivators who had fallen into demonic deviation often appeared within the city. Ordinary constables were no match for them, so law-enforcement cultivators inevitably had to be dispatched.

One or two days would have been manageable, but every few days, there would be another incident of demonic deviation.

It was truly maddening.

"Demonic deviation?" Lu Jing followed Zhong Songtang up the lofty stairs, repeating the term he had heard from Zhong Han.

He had thought that such a prosperous place surely would not have cultivators falling into demonic deviation. Most such cultivators had practiced techniques and spells beyond what they themselves could bear.

Even the current demonic path was gradually abandoning the methods of the ancient demons. The ancient demons had been too radical, so although many cultivators practiced demonic arts, very few managed to attain the Dao. Indeed, no one had been able to cross that threshold at all.

"My worthy nephew does not know this, but because Heavenly Mechanism City's puppet techniques have advanced by leaps and bounds, many cultivators have gained power far beyond what their Yin Spirits can bear. Such power constantly torments the Yin Spirit and crushes the mind, and thus they fall into demonic deviation."

"The same is true of other cultivators."

"It is merely that their strength matches their Yin Spirits, and with