Karma's Retribution, The Royal Verdict

Lan Chang'an ended his nearly six-month-long short-term seclusion, and his age reached 394.

"After advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm, the lighting speed of the Fourth Life Nascent Soul's shadow increased significantly."

Lan Chang'an discovered that the Fourth Life of the [Nine Imprint Tablet] was already half lit up, and only half a year had passed.

In other words, it will only take Lan Chang'an one year to activate the Fourth Life.

His Fourth Life, which he descended to incarnate last time, has not yet been exhausted. If he doesn't engage in magical battles, or use his energy for drawing talismans, creating puppets, or divination, it can last even longer.

After reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, the arrival and possession of the Fourth Life no longer possesses the leap in advancement Golden Core Realm.

Even at his peak, the Fourth Life Master Lihuo of Master Li Huo was no match for Lan Chang'an in a one-on-one fight.

After his previous battle with the True Lord Red Snake, Lan Chang'an had a better understanding of his own strength.

The <Withered Extinction Divine Light> is very powerful, consuming the Essence Blood energy of a "quasi-fourth-tier body refiner," making its power quite considerable.

A hit will wither the target's vitality and reduce their strength. If the hit is solid, the effect of reducing lifespan will be obvious.

If Lan Chang'an were to expend his lifespan, the power of the <Withered Extinction Divine Light> would increase even further.

In a prolonged one-on-one duel, few below the Nascent Soul Middle Stage could match Lan Chang'an.

Of course, Jing Wufeng is an exception.

Even the most powerful "Withered Extinction Divine Light" needs to hit the target's body.

During his seclusion, Lan Chang'an acquired some of the Crimson Nether Snake King's memories.

The Serpent King was devoured by the [Nine Imprint Tablet]. In the half-finished area illuminated in the Fifth Life, one can perceive a vast and disordered collection of memories.

The Crimson Nether Snake King has the deepest seniority in the Great Snake Mountain and holds many secrets of the sect in his memory.

Lan Chang'an was interested in the part about the True Lord Ming Shui, but unfortunately, he had very few memories of him.

The relationship between Great Snake Mountain and True Lord Ming Shui was lukewarm, consisting mainly of mutual exploitation.

However, "Baota Sanren" had quite a few secret dealings with Great Snake Mountain.

The Baota Sanren is not simply a Rogue Cultivator; he also has a powerful faction behind him...

When Lan Chang'an delved into his memories, he couldn't help but feel surprised.

The Crimson Nether Snake King has the Baota Sanren's contact information in his memories; perhaps there will be a chance to lure him out.

"The Baota Sanren's offensive capabilities are average, but his defensive skills are quite formidable. Destroying his physical body is easy, but if his Nascent Soul soul leaves his body to escape, it takes a lot of confidence to capture him."

"Capturing a Nascent Soul is more difficult than killing the Nascent Soul Spirit Body..."

Lan Chang'an had considered using the Baota Sanren as nourishment for the [Nine Imprint Tablet].

The Fifth Life of the frame seal is now 55% lit up; each time a Nascent Soul is swallowed, it will increase by 10%.

Before advancing to the Nascent Soul Realm, this goal seems unattainable.

However, after devouring the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon, the progress accelerated significantly.

Now, it seems that illuminating the goal of the Fifth Life is within reach.

"If we join forces with Jing Wufeng and combine our spatial Divine Ability, we might have a chance to capture the Nascent Soul Nascent Soul of the ' Baota Sanren ' alive."

Lan Chang'an decided to postpone the plan.

A few days later.

Lan Chang'an went to the Zixia Peak cave to meet and discuss Daoism with Fairy Zixia.

There are many hidden agents planted on Great Snake Mountain, targeting the Cloud Glow Sect.

Lan Chang'an told Fairy Zixia the secret, asking her not to reveal it for the time being.

True Lord Zixia was moved, and at the same time astonished that Lan Chang'an was able to perform a "soul search" on the Crimson Nether Snake King.

Once you reach the Nascent Soul level, it becomes quite difficult to search the souls of others of the same level.

There are many Secret Method controlling the soul, which place Restriction on the core secrets within the Sea of Consciousness to prevent soul searching.

Moreover, Lan Chang'an is only at the Nascent Soul Realm, making it even more difficult for him to perform Soul Search on veteran Nascent Soul.

Although the Crimson Nether Serpent King, as a transformed demon king, does not possess a nascent soul, the essence within its essence core is extremely resilient and closely integrated with the demon king's core, making soul searching no less difficult than for an ordinary nascent soul cultivator.

"The Serpent King's spirit could not withstand torture and revealed some secrets. I promised to let it return to the cycle of reincarnation."

Lan Chang'an made up an excuse, saying that he had mastered a secret technique for torturing and interrogating the soul.

In fact, the Crimson Nether Snake King had already died during that battle.

The Great Snake Mountain sensed something and probably never imagined that Lan Chang'an could obtain the memories of the Snake King Old Ancestor.

The Demon-Monster Turmoil is in full swing in the Central Region.

This Demon Calamity is on a large scale, even affecting the other four regions of the Great Abyss.

The Central Region of the Great Abyss was filled with wailing and lamentation. Lower and middle-level cultivators suffered immense loss of life, and countless cultivation Lineage and small and medium-sized Marketplace were wiped out.

Many high- Golden Core Realm cultivators have also perished.

Very few Nascent Soul Old Monsters, due to bad luck or greed for fourth-tier materials, die at the hands of Devil Creature.

At this critical moment.

The Three Dominant Powers of the Great Abyss — the Northern Region's [Yellow Heaven Ghost Palace], the Southern Region's [Heavenly Sword Pavilion], and the Eastern Region's [Sea-Suppressing Sect]—issued orders to send some aid to the Central Region, and also to train their disciples and followers.

The Nascent Soul Great Cultivator "True Lord Fuhai" issued a warning:

The excessive amount of Demonic Crystal paid by high-level cultivators from the Central Region to enter the [Ancient Nether Palace] has caused an anomaly in the forbidden Demon Abyss, resulting in an even greater outpouring of demonic energy.

The powerful figures in the Central Region are fighting their own battles, and many Nascent Soul Old Monsters have obtained fortuitous opportunity in the [Ancient Nether Palace], making it difficult to reach an agreement.

Furthermore, the Demon-Monster Turmoil poses little threat to the true elites and can even yield a batch of Devil Creature materials.

In their view, the Sixteen Sea-Suppressing Sects control the coast and are the richest in resources, so it's easy for them to talk big. But the Evil Dao Ghost Palace faction in the Northern Region is very welcoming of Devil Creature materials.

The Three Dominant Powers of the Great Abyss are not of one mind.

As for the Western Region of the Great Abyss, it is a Ancient Wild Forest Sea, belonging to the territory of Demon Beast, and bordering the western side of the Central Region Forbidden Land.

It is said that there is a Avian King, a descendant of True Spirit, in the Ancient Wild Forest Sea. Its cultivation level is at the mid-stage of the fourth rank, but it is no less than that of Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.

The actual Central Region is a fragmented circle. That gap is the connection between the Endless Forest and the Central Region Forbidden Land.

The Western Region Forest Sea is also a region plagued by Demon Calamity. Affected by the Central Region Forbidden Land, a large number of Demon Beast have been corrupted by demons.

As the Demon Calamity reached its peak, fourth-tier Devil Creature also appeared in the spheres of influence of the Great Snake Mountain and the Cloud Glow Sect.

Moon Empress.

A fourth-tier Devil Creature has appeared on Great Snake Mountain; it is actually a rare pseudo-dragon species.

Under the guise of "friendly assistance," Lan Chang'an led Di Yan Jun at breakneck speed.

Great Snake Mountain vehemently rejected and condemned the move.

Lan Chang'an arrived at the scene too late. The three Nascent Soul Cultivator had already killed the fourth-order Devil Creature of the pseudo-dragon species.

Within the territory of the Great Snake Mountain, there is actually a Nascent Soul elder from the royal family. It is unknown whether he appeared by chance or had been secretly lurking for a long time.

"The Great Dayu Imperial Clan doesn't want Great Snake Mountain to suffer even greater losses, so they provide overt or covert protection and support."

Lan Chang'an could only leave with regret.

Another six months or so have passed.

A fourth-tier Devil Creature has also appeared within the territory of the Cloud Glow Sect, fleeing from the borders of the Great Dayu Kingdom.

Fourth-tier Devil Creature are not unintelligent, but they struggle to suppress their killing instincts, and some are unwilling to fight against Nascent Soul True Lord.

It often takes three Nascent Soul to have a good chance of killing a fourth-tier Devil Creature.

Upon receiving the intelligence, the three Nascent Soul cultivators of the Cloud Glow Sect mobilized all their forces to hunt down fourth-tier Devil Creature within their territory.

If we are too slow, the Nascent Soul Cultivator from Great Snake Mountain and the royal family might interfere and try to take a share of the spoils.

The fourth-tier Devil Creature that entered the Cloud Glow Sect's territory was a tiger. It was swift and moved with incredible speed, destroying a medium-sized Immortal City.

"It's a pity it's not a fourth-tier bird-type Devil Creature."

Lan Chang'an was slightly disappointed, as birds would greatly aid the Strange Spirit Peacock's advancement to the fourth rank.

It took the three Nascent Soul cultivators of the Cloud Glow Sect quite a bit of effort to finally intercept this fourth-tier Demon Tiger in a valley.

To this end, Lan Chang'an used divination to calculate and track the tiger; Fairy Zixia's [Wind and Cloud Fan] increased mobility, and the Wind and Cloud Law Technique restricted the Demon Tiger's escape.

Otherwise, further delays will introduce more variables.

Lan Chang'an, Jiang Ziyan, Di Yan Jun, three Nascent Soul cultivators, joined forces and, with the aid of Puppet Army Formation, managed to kill the fourth-tier Devil Creature relatively smoothly.

In other words, Di Yan Jun was engaged in close combat with a fourth-tier Devil Creature and was seriously injured in the final counterattack.

Not long after the fourth-tier Demon Tiger was killed, two Nascent Soul from Great Snake Mountain rushed over, but left disappointed before they could intervene.

"Senior brother, there's no need to worry."

True Lord Chilian consoled himself, "The royal elders said that crafting a fourth-tier Puppet is extremely complex, requiring many types of materials; one fourth-tier Devil Creature creature isn't enough."

Even if the Cloud Glow Sect spends a great deal of money to gather all the necessary materials, the first attempt to become a fourth-tier Puppet Master will most likely fail, and the second attempt may not be successful either.

The royal records contain information about fourth-tier Puppet masters, which is extremely difficult.

On the way back to the Cloud Glow Sect, Lan Chang'an suggested:

"Ziyan, the sect will keep half of the materials for the fourth-tier Devil Creature, and collect some more. I will assist in creating Quasi-Tier 4 Puppet in the future."

Currently, Lan Chang'an has no plans to create a fourth-tier Puppet.

Some materials from fourth-tier Devil Creature can be used to enhance the Green-Armored Puppet. The materials required for the Strange Spirit Peacock are extremely limited, and very few are actually usable.

Gathering all the materials for a complete Tier 4 Puppet is not something that can be done in the short term.

This involves the core and central components of a fourth-tier Puppet; it cannot be completely replaced simply by finding any fourth-tier Demon Beast or Devil Creature shell.

Lan Chang'an opted for a less demanding approach, crafting a near-fourth-tier Puppet that suited his puppet-making skills and provided him with more experience.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Da Long."

Fairy Zixia could not refuse; her eyes were filled with tenderness as she spoke softly.

Logically speaking, she should have received at most one-third of the materials from this hunt of fourth-tier Devil Creature.

However, without the support of a sect or powerful organization, it would be difficult for a Nascent Soul Rogue Cultivator to monopolize most of the fourth-tier Devil Creature in the Great Dayu Kingdom.

Furthermore, during this Demon Calamity, the Cloud Glow Sect, through its influence, helped Lan Chang'an collect high-level materials to upgrade all the Puppet in the Puppet Army Formation to the third-tier superior grade; it was only a matter of time.

"The Demon Core of a fourth-tier Devil Creature is rarely useful to non- Demonic Path cultivators. Da Long can look for an opportunity to trade it out in the future."

After negotiation, True Lord Zixia offered compensation.

This Demon Core is not of the earth element, and even after purification, its effect on Di Yan Jun is far less than that of the Essence Spirit Great Pill used to Demonized Stone-Heart Dragon back then.

Stone-Heart Dragon was only half-demonized, while the Demon Calamity this time involved species that were deeply demonized.

After the spoils were distributed, Jiang Ziyan felt both happy and worried.

She realized that Xiang Dalong's initiative to make concessions and offer to refine Quasi-Tier 4 Puppet was a way of repaying her and the Cloud Glow Sect.

In this way, when Lan Chang'an leaves Cloud Glow Sect and returns to his hometown, he will not feel indebted.

How much longer until Xiang Dalong leaves?

Jiang Ziyan felt a pang of sadness, sensing that this day was not far off.

The latter half of the return journey.

Jiang Ziyan remained silent, simply holding Lan Chang'an's arm.

Until an urgent message came from the Cloud Glow Sect.

Swish!

Jiang Ziyan suddenly flipped her hand and took out a Communication Jade Pendant, receiving an urgent message from the sect.

"How... how could this be!"

True Lord Zixia's eyes darkened, and his face turned ugly, as if he had been caught off guard.

"Ziyan, what happened?"

Lan Chang'an was puzzled. He stroked her jade-like hand, gently comforted her, and asked her why.

Cloud Glow Sect, Yingyi Peak Main Hall.

When the two Nascent Soul True Lord arrived, several coffins were placed inside the hall.

The coffins placed here are those of high-ranking sect members who sacrificed themselves in the Demon Calamity, or cultivators who made outstanding contributions.

After a short wait, a new coffin was brought over, but the lid had not yet been sealed.

Wrapped in a white cloth was the mutilated corpse of a man, a bloody and gruesome sight. The head was missing, and signs of gnawed flesh by Devil Creature were visible on the mangled shoulders and other areas.

"Reporting to the two True Lord."

The Snow Peak Sect Master entered the main hall, bowed respectfully, and recounted the details:

"This morning, Junior Brother Hu led a team to clear the Demon Calamity near Red Mountain Lake. Although there were many Devil Creature in the area, there were only two Tier 3 Devil Creature. Unexpectedly, during the battle with the Devil Creature, a powerful late-stage Tier 3 demon suddenly attacked, and the situation became extremely precarious."

"At the critical moment, Junior Brother Hu stepped forward, restraining the late-stage third-tier Devil Creature and drawing it away, thus preventing mass casualties. Junior Brother Hu said he was confident in his ability to protect himself, but by the time the sect's reinforcements arrived, he had already been brutally killed by the late-stage third-tier Demon Ape. Seeing that the Demon Ape outnumbered him, it abandoned Junior Brother Hu's mutilated body and fled the scene."

The Snow Peak Sect Master looked sorrowful, explaining the cause and effect of the events.

"You beast!"

A cold glint flashed in True Lord Zixia's eyes, and his chest heaved slightly. The tragic news of his personally taught disciple filled him with grief and indignation.

The oppressive aura of Nascent Soul level cultivator made the entire hall feel suffocating, and the Core Formation Cultivator present dared not even breathe loudly.

She bent down to examine the body herself and confirmed that the wounds were from a demon; no human intervention has been found so far.

"Where are Xiao Hu's personal belongings?"

"The Storage Bag exploded during the battle, and all the commonly used Law Treasure and sturdy items are still there, so it shouldn't have been a case of killing to steal treasure," the Snow Peak Sect Master replied cautiously.

"Pass down the order: find the Demon Ape within three days. I, the True Lord, will personally slay this fiend!"

True Lord Zixia took a deep breath, her killing intent palpable, then closed her eyes tightly to calm herself.

Hu Ang's death stirred up deep sorrowful memories in True Lord Zixia's heart.

In her early years, when she Golden Core Realm, her beloved senior brother perished in the belly of Devil Creature during Demon-Monster Turmoil.

Later, I learned by chance that this matter was orchestrated behind the scenes by True Lord Yunlan.

"Ziyan, life is what it is. The most urgent task is to investigate the truth and avenge Xiao Hu."

Lan Chang'an offered a few words of comfort in a soft voice.

He wondered to himself, what would Jiang Ziyan think if she knew Hu Ang's true identity?

Now, the possessed True Lord Yunlan has also died in the Demon-Monster Turmoil, which can be considered a kind of karmic retribution.

Three days later.

The Cloud Glow Sect has located the culprit: a late-stage, third-tier Demon Ape.

The Demon Ape was severely injured, a mark left by Hu Ang in their battle, and was beheaded by the arriving Fairy Zixia in a fit of rage.

After investigation and analysis by the Cloud Glow Sect, it was concluded that Hu Ang's death was purely due to bad luck and his own arrogance.

The difference between the mid-stage and late-stage Core Formation Golden Core Realm is quite significant. It's normal that Hu Ang was defeated and killed when fighting a late-stage third-tier Devil Creature alone.

Only Lan Chang'an knew that although Hu Ang was in the mid-stage of the Golden Core Realm, due to the fusion of his remnant soul with the Nascent Soul, his true strength was enough to rival Late Core Formation cultivator.

With some effort and by using our trump card, we have a chance to solo kill a late-stage Tier 3 Demon Ape.

He lured the Demon Ape away in order to conceal his strength and keep the materials for himself.

Otherwise, if the sect receives the Demon Ape's precious materials, they will be used to strengthen Xiang Dalong's Puppet Array.

However, Hu Ang's cultivation level was ultimately inferior to that of the Demon Ape. If a third party intervened during the battle, such as someone in the Late Core Formation, the risk would be considerable.

If the intervenor is Nascent Soul True Lord, it will be even more undetectable.

True Lord Zixia would not suspect Lan Chang'an about this matter.

Because Lan Chang'an and Di Yan Jun were not present during the incident; they were both accompanying her in tracking and hunting fourth-tier Devil Creature.

Even if Lan Chang'an still had a Quasi-Tier 4 Puppet, it would be impossible for him to control it at such a great distance.

Secret Chamber of the Underground Palace.

Lan Chang'an met the Green-Armored Puppet he hadn't seen for some time.

"This is a Spatial Storage Ring that Hu Ang has hidden on him. I've already checked it for any foreign objects." Puppet Master Wei presented an item.

"Well done! The Cloud Glow Sect was unaware of the existence of a third party."

Lan Chang'an praised.

"Dealing with a mere Late Core Formation cultivator, especially through covert tactics, is naturally not difficult."

Puppet Master Wei were perfectly reasonable.

Becoming a true fourth-tier Puppet is completely comparable to a Nascent Soul True Lord.

Due to the unique nature of the Puppet Avatar, Puppet Master Wei can remotely sense and control Lan Chang'an.

Even beyond the limits of control, Puppet Master Wei can stand alone and carry out tasks on his own.

The Central Region has experienced many Demon Calamity. Some forces have developed different types of powdered medicinal fragrances, some of which can attract Devil Creature, while others are repelled by Devil Creature.

Using appropriate methods and his own intimidating aura, Puppet Master Wei secretly drove the third-tier Devil Creature to the scene of the incident.

Given the speed of a third-tier Devil Creature, Hu Ang's team would suffer heavy casualties if he didn't fight back.

To avoid revealing his true strength and arousing True Lord Xiang's suspicion, Hu Ang could not publicly display his true abilities.

Lan Chang'an anticipated this, formulated a corresponding plan, and used his near-fourth-level Divination Art to advance the scheme.

Things are unpredictable, and many plans may not go as expected.

However, when the Heavenly Secret Fate Art reaches a certain level, it can manipulate the wings of a butterfly, slightly influencing the trajectory of events and causing them to align with one's expectations.

A powerful Divination Master can even divine the death of a target remotely through divination, simply by slightly altering the course of fate at a crucial juncture.

Of course, this ability often comes at a price and cannot be used frequently.

Moreover, it is less effective for those with good fortune or high-level cultivators.

Those with great fortune, in particular, are protected by divine secrets, making them not only difficult to scheme against, but also subject to even stronger backlash.

With the Crimson Nether Snake King and True Lord Yunlan dying one after another in the Demon-Monster Turmoil, Lan Chang'an's plan to settle scores has come to a temporary halt.

Originally, Lan Chang'an considered having the Green-Armored Puppet bring back Hu Ang's remnant soul to test whether the [Nine Imprint Tablet] could devour it.

However, during the calculations, it was discovered that bringing back the remnant soul would increase the difficulty of the plan and introduce more variables. It would be better to let the Devil Creature devour it and sever the connection.

Lan Chang'an estimated that the remnant soul of Nascent Soul Cultivator had already fallen in rank and would have little effect on the [Nine Imprint Tablet].

As for what True Lord Yunlan encountered in the Ancient Nether Palace, Lan Chang'an knew the general outline through the memories of the Crimson Nether Snake King.

True Lord Yunlan was murdered by the combined forces of True Lord Red Snake, Baota Sanren, and Demon Blade Nangong Xiu.

In the Ancient Nether Palace, True Lord Yunlan did indeed handle the Pseudo-Spirit Treasure, which he then gave to other Nascent Soul Cultivator, after which it had nothing to do with him.

Therefore, a remnant soul that is not a Nascent Soul is of little value to Lan Chang'an.

A year later, the demonic energy pouring out from the Central Region Forbidden Land had noticeably decreased by several percent.

The threat of Demon-Monster Turmoil has diminished.

The major powers have determined that the demonic chaos that has swept across the entire Great Abyss is entering its final, concluding phase.

Its duration and the number of high-level Devil Creature it contains exceed those of the past several thousand years.

During the years of the Demon Calamity, apart from a few crucial actions, Lan Chang'an mostly focused on cultivating Divine Ability and secret techniques, and using the materials he collected to enhance the strength of the Puppet Array.

Divination Art was also frequently used, even at the cost of extending one's lifespan.

In the sixteen years since he advanced to the Nascent Soul, Lan Chang'an has lost more than thirty years of his lifespan, especially in recent years, when the depletion has been greatest.

Fortunately, he vaguely touched upon the higher realm of fourth-order divination, glimpsing the mysterious river of the Unseen.

Recently, while sorting through the tokens he had received, Lan Chang'an discovered a Heaven Character Conch).

It was clearly left by True Lord Jingtian.

"The fact that this person brought this token to the Cloud Glow Sect indicates that he has visited the Great Dayu Kingdom at least recently."

Lan Chang'an's eyes flashed slightly as he activated the Heaven Character Talisman Restriction on the conch shell using the agreed-upon method.

Really!

Jing Wufeng's back appeared in the conch shell, his hands behind his back. He said he had temporarily gotten rid of the trouble and was preparing to meet with Lan Chang'an at the right time.

Moon Empress.

With most of the high-level Devil Creature cleared from within the Great Dayu Kingdom, the major powers breathed a sigh of relief.

On this day, an imperial edict arrived from the Great Dayu Imperial Clan and was delivered to the Cloud Glow Sect by an envoy.

Zixia Peak Cave.

"This is a secret decree personally issued by the Emperor Yu, stating that the truth behind the death of the Crimson Nether Snake King has been uncovered. This is a preliminary verdict, for our review. If you disagree, you can go to the Imperial City Court for verification."

Fairy Zixia frowned slightly and handed the imperial edict to Lan Chang'an.

"The Demon-Monster Turmoil isn't over yet, and the royal family is already issuing a verdict?"

Lan Chang'an read through the contents of the imperial edict.

"Huh! How did the royal family conduct this investigation? How are they so certain we're the murderers?"

Lan Chang'an disagreed, believing it to be biased.

"The royal family possesses a secret technique for tracing the 'source of Sha Qi.' As long as there is the lingering aura of the deceased, including items like the Soul Lamp of a sect, it is possible to trace the aura of the murderer. Of course, this technique comes at a high price and is generally not used."

"The source of Sha Qi? The royal family actually possesses such a secret technique."

Lan Chang'an's expression was solemn.

In other words, as long as murder is associated with karmic consequences Sha Qi, there is a possibility of tracing the source of the crime.

The Great Snake Mountain's cooperation with the royal family's investigation has clearly pinpointed the Cloud Glow Sect.

Once the evidence is presented in court, Lan Chang'an will find it difficult to escape responsibility.

The royal court decreed: the Cloud Glow Sect must hand over the Snake King Remains or the corpse of a fourth-tier Devil Creature; in addition, the Cloud Glow Sect's territory, including a Marketplace and three mineral Spirit Field, will be allocated to the serpent as compensation.

If either party disagrees, they can go to the Imperial City together for a public and fair confrontation.

(End of this chapter)