They had caught a Demonic Cultivator?
A faint, triumphant smile surfaced at the corner of Qin Anlan's lips.
In his scheme against Ye Qingyun, that Demonic Cultivator played a crucial role.
He was the key to Qin Anlan being able to kill Ye Qingyun openly and aboveboard.
"Bring him in."
Without turning his head, Qin Anlan issued the order.
So-called Demonic Cultivators were, in truth, cultivators of the Demonic Path.
The cultivation paths of the Northern Underworld Continent numbered in the tens of millions.
Generally speaking, they could be divided into Law Cultivators, Body Cultivators, Martial Cultivators, Soul Cultivators, Demonic Cultivators, and Evil Cultivators.
Body Cultivators, Martial Cultivators, Soul Cultivators, and the like had special cultivation requirements, and their cultivation journeys were exceedingly arduous.
Thus, few people chose such methods of cultivation.
Throughout the entire Northern Underworld Continent, Law Cultivators were almost the mainstream.
The so-called Demonic Cultivators and Evil Cultivators could all be grouped under the banner of Demonic Cultivators.
These people blazed a different trail in cultivation. In order to rapidly increase their strength, their cultivation methods were exceptionally cruel.
Some killed others to refine blood for cultivation, while others devoured other people's cultivation techniques for their own use.
Because they harmed others to benefit themselves, once such cultivation began, countless innocent commoners and cultivators would suffer disaster.
Therefore, Emperor Xuanyuan had once issued an extermination order, launching an all-out hunt for Demonic Cultivators.
This dealt the Demonic Cultivators within the Heavenly Flame Empire a devastating blow, leaving them nearly wiped out.
Only a small number of Demonic Cultivators escaped to the Land Beyond the Frontier, where they barely clung to life.
Within the Heavenly Flame Empire, Demonic Cultivators had long become a crooked and evil path condemned by all, one that anyone had the right to execute.
Those Demonic Cultivators who had fled to the Land Beyond the Frontier did not dare enter the Heavenly Flame Empire's territory without permission.
As for why the Demonic Cultivator captured by Ming Yue had come here,
Qin Anlan was somewhat curious.
Qin Anlan did not have to wait long before an old man with a deathly pale face, weak aura, and barely a breath left in him was thrown into the main hall.
The old man's expression was gloomy, and a shocking scar ran across his face.
It added several shades of viciousness and ruthlessness to his entire bearing.
This man's aura was extremely robust. He was a powerhouse at the Mid Saint stage.
Unfortunately,
his aura was now unstable, and he gulped down fresh air in great breaths.
There were still traces of blood at the corners of his mouth that had yet to dry.
Clearly,
he had already been severely injured.
The instant he saw Qin Anlan, the old man did not dare show the slightest insolence.
He respectfully knelt before Qin Anlan and said in a trembling voice, "Zhong Wanchou pays respects to the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis."
"No need for such formalities."
Qin Anlan nodded calmly.
As soon as he spoke, his gaze fell upon Zhong Wanchou, sizing him up from head to toe.
"I have long heard of the name of Demonic Cultivators."
"Today is my first time seeing one of your kind. It has truly opened my eyes."
These words made Zhong Wanchou smile bitterly.
An indescribable bitterness also lingered at the corners of his mouth.
"My wife ran away behind my back with one of my disciples, taking with her all the ultimate arts I cultivated throughout my life, as well as a great number of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures."
"For all these years, I have crossed mountains and rivers, traveled through a thousand lands, all to capture those two thieves."
"Recently, I heard news that the two of them had hidden in the Capital City. That was why I only wished to enter the city and find them."
At this point, the bitterness on Zhong Wanchou's face deepened, as though he had put on a mask of pain.
Though he was a Demonic Cultivator who had killed countless people,
he was, in truth, also a pitiful man.
On one trip away, his wife and disciple had emptied out his entire fortune behind his back and fled to roam the world.
For all these years, he had worn a lush green grassland atop his head.
All he wanted was to find those two and vent the resentment in his heart.
Yet what happened?
Not long after sneaking into the Capital City, he had been discovered.
And the ones who had set their sights on him were none other than the legendary Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.
What kind of power was the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate?
Though Zhong Wanchou had been far away in the Land Beyond the Frontier, he had long heard of it.
It was one of the Heavenly Flame Empire's foremost powers, an existence that absolutely could not be provoked.
At that thought, Zhong Wanchou could not summon even the slightest desire to resist.
He recalled how that mysterious powerhouse had suddenly made a move.
With a single strike, Zhong Wanchou had been rendered utterly incapable of resistance and directly knocked unconscious.
Had the other party not wanted to spare his life because he was still of use,
Zhong Wanchou would likely have been beaten to death long ago.
When he saw Qin Anlan, the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis,
Zhong Wanchou felt only fear and reverence.
He harbored no thoughts whatsoever that would be detrimental to Qin Anlan.
Not to mention, Zhong Wanchou had vaguely sensed
several powerful auras locking onto his entire body.
The moment he made any rash move, what awaited him would be the destruction of both body and soul.
Clearly,
these were the auras of the many experts from the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate.
They had long been on guard against him.
Looking at Zhong Wanchou's miserable state, Qin Anlan smiled faintly.
This sort of scene felt strangely familiar.
"I invited you here this time because there is something I would like to ask you to handle."
Qin Anlan looked at Zhong Wanchou indifferently.
His manner made it seem as though he truly only wanted Zhong Wanchou to take care of some trivial matter for him.
It was merely that his way of inviting someone was a little rough.
Zhong Wanchou did not hesitate and immediately cupped his hands. "Whatever orders the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis has, this old man will brave boiling water and raging fire without hesitation."
Yet there was still some confusion in his heart.
He did not know why this Young Lord of the Divine Marquis had captured him.
What did he want Zhong Wanchou to do for him?
As a powerhouse of the Saint Realm,
Zhong Wanchou was,
on the Northern Underworld Continent,
also considered a figure who could shake one region with his might.
But before the Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate, he was completely insignificant.
The Divine Marquis of Zhenguo's Estate was filled with experts.
Any elder they casually sent out would be at the Saint or Saint Lord level.
"There is someone who has been subjected to Body Seizure by Huo Yun Xie Shen. I need you to identify him before a large crowd."
Qin Anlan smiled faintly.
He immediately laid out his entire plan without reservation.
Hearing this, Zhong Wanchou's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.
Even the way he looked at Qin Anlan was full of panic and unprecedented reverence.
At the same time, he could not help cursing inwardly.
"They say Demonic Path figures like me, Zhong Wanchou, are cruel in our actions and merciless in our methods."
"But compared to this Young Lord of the Divine Marquis, I am not even worthy of carrying his shoes."
"Framing someone for being possessed through Body Seizure by a Demonic Cultivator—he truly is sinister to the core."
That was right.
Qin Anlan's plan was exceedingly simple.
He wanted Zhong Wanchou to publicly identify Ye Qingyun as someone who had been subjected to Body Seizure by the legendary great Demonic Cultivator, Huo Yun Xie Shen.
As the Young Lord of the Divine Marquis, if Qin Anlan went to kill someone possessed through Body Seizure by a Demonic Cultivator,
not only would he face no obstruction,
the many powers of the Tianyuan Empire would even applaud and cheer.
Even the Left Prime Minister would be utterly helpless before such an unsolvable dilemma.
Before you continue