Repercussions

As time passed, news of the battle between the Buddhist and demonic forces in Chongzhou quickly spread outward.

First came word that the Holy Monk of Esoteric Buddhism from the Western Regions had converted the myriad demons, provoking the demonic cultivators of Chongzhou to join forces in resistance.

Then there was the possessed Divine Monk Jinghui, who erupted with battle prowess comparable to that of a Purple Mansion cultivator.

And finally, Blood Demon Ancestor Su Jie, from Qingzhou's Strongest Demonic Cultivator, had burst onto the scene, displaying strength that overwhelmed everyone present and revealing genuine cultivation in the Purple Mansion Realm. He had directly suppressed and executed all the eminent monks from the Western Regions.

The news was too shocking to ignore. Su Jie's advancement to the Purple Mansion Realm in particular was earth-shaking, supermajor news. It caused the message to sprout wings and fly into the homes of countless families throughout the Great Li Dynasty, as well as the major sects and Noble Families and Powerful Clans.

Great Li City!

As the capital of the Great Li Dynasty, it seemed entirely detached from the disaster-stricken lands elsewhere in the Great Li Dynasty.

While countless commoners in the other great provinces were frowning bitterly over winter provisions and warm clothing, Great Li City remained immersed in song and dance.

The wealthy merchants and powerful nobles spent money like dirt, enjoying lives of drunken revelry in high-end restaurants, flower boats, and opera houses. They traveled in carriages drawn by spirit beasts, surrounded by servants, feasting to the sound of bells and cauldrons, and living in unimaginable luxury beyond the reach of the common people.

No matter how many crises and hardships befell the Great Li Dynasty—with refugees everywhere threatening the foundations of the state, and the Divine Eagle Empire raiding