Expelled from Humanity

"Turns out neither of you likes True Spirits very much? Then why put on such a false front—screening your target customers?"

Tian Xiaoxiao's reaction was flat. She was merely a little puzzled.

"What does liking or disliking have to do with it? It's business. Can you really refuse to work just because you dislike it?"

Zuo Ming spread his hands.

"Business? Do you need so much money for cultivation? And Teacher, are you trying to repair your Soul Dao Injury?"

Tian Xiaoxiao looked toward Nan Xi.

"Young people, you don't understand. The more human you are, the more clearly you can feel your own limits—the lifespan, the environment, the oppression of those above, the constraints of your own talent. They're like countless chains binding your entire body, leaving you utterly unable to move..."

Zuo Ming sighed.

So you don't plan on being human anymore?

Everyone looked at Zuo Ming and Nan Xi with that thought in their eyes.

"No need to wonder. Just as you've guessed, I abandoned being human. How could a human break through layer upon layer of restraints and reach the peak?"

Zuo Ming smiled.

"I see. There are always countless excuses for violating the Heavenly Laws."

Tian Xiaoxiao said.

Xie Jinglun nodded as well. They were all excuses.

Although Zuo Ming had not said it outright, his creed was that he had to reach the peak no matter what. Even if countless people were ruined and their families torn apart, he would not care.

Unable to raise a blade against the so-called people above, he had instead chosen to join them. That explained everything.

"What about you, Teacher?"

"Living a few more years is always good. But now that I've been exposed, I don't want to experience the suffering of hell all over again."

Nan Xi shrugged as she spoke.

After a century in prison, with her soul burned endlessly as fuel, she had erased all of those memories after emerging alive, leaving behind only her Soul Dao Injury.

Yet merely mentioning hell caused despair and madness to surge from the depths of her soul. She understood all too clearly that she could never repeat that nightmare.

The faces of both Nan Xi and Zuo Ming had gone deathly pale, revealing the stillness of the grave.

"Soul Poison?"

The people around them changed expression slightly.

Under the restraints of a Dao Artifact, a criminal's power was completely gone. They could not even commit suicide, and poison was useless.

Even Soul Poison could only reduce one's life force to its lowest point or disrupt one's memories to prevent others from investigating the past.

Nan Xi and Zuo Ming had destroyed the evidence not out of brotherly loyalty, but simply to conceal a deeper secret—and because they did not want to endure the torment of being sent to hell. They had crippled themselves in advance.

"It's useless. Your Memory Bodies have already been copied. Whether you live or die now will not affect the final Memory Adjudication. Even if you die countless times, you'll be restored to your original state."

Yan Feng Dao Artifact Wielder said indifferently.

"You prepared quite thoroughly. You even backed up our Memory Bodies in advance. You won't even let me die. Where exactly did I expose a flaw?"

Zuo Ming's expression became hideous.

What did the death of the Eighth Seat have to do with him?

Why would a Dao Artifact Wielder investigating the Eighth Seat's death possess evidence of his crimes—and even initiate a Memory Body copy?

As a Level Six Researcher, he managed an enormous business. Both he and his organization placed great importance on protecting his memories.

He could not possibly have failed to notice an ordinary Memory Body copy. In other words, the other side had used a high-level memory-reading method capable of ignoring all his defenses. Leaving aside the power it consumed, what made them think he was involved in an even greater secret?

They had already gathered a mountain of evidence against him and should have understood his background and affiliations. Why were they still suspicious enough to use such a high-level Memory Body copy?

"Let me tell you so you can die knowing why. Simply put, you and King Yu both belong to the Divine Court. In truth, King Yu died because he was ordered to assassinate Qing Liu Sheng. Unfortunately, members of the Heavenly Curtain guarded the Verdant World. All three assassins died, and their memories were searched."

"Unfortunately, your image appeared in their memories. I'm not here to investigate the truth behind King Yu's death. I came purely for you and your accomplices. You swept through the Verdant World Research Institute, so it's only natural that I would take extra precautions."

A phantom book appeared in Yan Feng's hand. Its pages turned, and countless fragments of Zuo Ming's and Nan Xi's memories flashed by. The expressions of the many researchers present changed drastically as the Dao Artifact's laws enveloped them and sealed their power.

"You should know what crimes you committed. I won't waste words explaining them."

Those people's hearts turned to ash.

They collapsed to their knees.

The Dao Artifact hovered in the air and could directly adjudicate the facts of a crime. If the Red Heaven people violated the Heavenly Laws without being caught, so be it. Once caught, they had no room to refute anything.

Could it not read minds?

Did it need evidence?

The Red Heaven Dao Artifact was an artifact of rules. It could directly interrogate the soul and body, forcing them to answer whether they had ever violated the Heavenly Laws. Once a cultivator was suspected, everything was already over—let alone now, when their memories had been read directly and the evidence found.

"These are scholars from the Five Great Academies? How ironic."

Yan Feng Dao Artifact Wielder swept his gaze over those who had not been locked down by the Dao Artifact.

There were almost none.

Breaking the law represented immense benefits. Otherwise, why break the law?

Most of the researchers here had willingly assisted Zuo Ming for profit, violating the Heavenly Laws concerning True Spirits on a massive scale without exception.

Most had helped with research and trafficking, receiving vast sums of money and elevated status in return.

"So what if we're scholars? What's wrong with wanting to stay alive? You bastards divide up the world's spiritual energy and cut off the path of cultivation, leaving us to watch ourselves age day by day and wait for death in torment. Why? Why can't we live for a few more centuries?"

"Because you're people above others? Because you're the God Empress's guards?"

A middle-aged man suddenly spoke from within the crowd, seizing everyone's attention. His eyes held astonishment, shock, and... something strange.

He had mocked the Dao Artifact Wielder. Was he trying to add a few more years to his sentence?

Since everything could be completely investigated in the Red Heaven Realm, and the Dao Artifact directly restrained criminals, there was no fear of resistance. Sentences could only be increased, never reduced. There was no such thing as weighing police resources.

In other words, anyone who committed a crime had to bear a price exceeding the crime itself. As for how much it exceeded it by, that depended on the circumstances and could vary.

"Heh. A bunch of cowards!"

Fu Duozhu raised his head and sneered coldly, his gaze sweeping over everyone with utter condescension.

Their crimes could not be repaid even with death. What difference would it make if the sentence fluctuated? It would merely mean dying in an uglier fashion.

So Fu Duozhu swallowed his anger no longer. He directly mocked them head-on.

This was a widely known contradiction. The spiritual energy of the Red Heaven Realm had withered, and most people had lost the possibility of cultivation. All they could do was watch others live forever in carefree bliss.

The same was true for those who remained in the Verdant World to research True Spirits.

The Verdant World had no spiritual energy and offered no path of cultivation. It was no different from exile.

In short—

His speech was incredibly bold.

Nearby, Yun Ye and the other two watched the spectacle with great relish. What, did someone ask what they thought?

Naturally, they had no thoughts at all.

Only an idiot would get involved in this sort of matter. They were all students of Purple Snow Academy, chosen from ten thousand. Their emotional intelligence and intellect could not possibly be low.

As long as they were not familiar with someone, they had no opinion whenever politics came up.

Yan Feng Dao Artifact Wielder continued reading the various memories expressionlessly. Upon hearing those words, he shifted his gaze to Fu Duozhu. His hollow, pitch-black eyes made Fu Duozhu uneasy, but he quickly met his gaze again.

They were all dying anyway. Could he not stand tall one last time?

In the present era, with Dao Artifacts enforcing the rules, even the most powerful cultivator could not release an aura to harm anyone. The old days, when merely looking upon someone's true form could result in one's soul being erased by their status, were gone.

No matter how powerful a Dao Artifact Wielder was, he still had to obey the rules established by the Heavenly Laws.

Yan Feng Dao Artifact Wielder spoke. "Interesting. Then how did you get into Purple Snow Academy? How did you remain in the Verdant World as a researcher? Because you're a person above others?"

"That's right. Because you're a person above others. If you weren't one, if your family weren't wealthy and influential, how could you have obtained the chance to enter Purple Snow Academy and change your fate?"

"You have no self-awareness at all. You've made fast money for so many years—did your intelligence decline as well?"

Yan Feng asked and answered his own questions, showing Fu Duozhu no mercy.

"You're talking nonsense!"

"You're just changing the subject!"

"Yes, my family is indeed stronger than that of most ordinary people. But even if I'm a person above others, does that mean I have no right to criticize the Red Heaven's current state?"

"It's a fact that you've left ordinary people with no way to live. If there really were a path of advancement, why would I violate the Heavenly Laws? Why would I have ended up like this?"

Fu Duozhu roared.

"Foolish."

Yan Feng merely waved his hand. The Dao Artifact's rules sealed the area, directly forbidding Fu Duozhu from speaking.

Fu Duozhu raged helplessly and struggled wildly, trying to say more, but not a sound emerged.

Even lip-reading could not reveal what Fu Duozhu was saying; his words were fragmented and unclear.

Most of the researchers looked at Fu Duozhu without emotion. They neither despised him nor believed he was right.

What Fu Duozhu said was true, but it could not stand up to scrutiny.

First, he had entered Purple Snow Academy precisely because his background was extraordinary, and his innate talent was extremely high. He could be said to surpass ninety-nine percent of ordinary people.

It was merely that relying on talent alone and his current family background, he could not walk this road to the end. Thus, he attacked everything and sought every possible means to keep advancing.

Second, although cultivation was impossible in the Verdant World, it was still a world outside the Red Heaven Realm, and the effects of the Heavenly Longevity Law were weaker there than in the Red Heaven Realm.

Perhaps Fu Duozhu could live only a hundred years in the Red Heaven Realm, but in the Verdant World, he could live a hundred and fifty.

The Verdant World was exile?

How many people wished to be exiled beyond the Red Heaven?

Fu Duozhu himself was one of the upper class, a beneficiary of the rules. He had never intended to seek blessings for ordinary people. He merely wanted immortality for himself, even if countless people had to die for it...

Even a single death was enough to invalidate all his excuses, let alone countless deaths.

No matter how rotten the Immortal Dynasty was, what right did he have to speak for the masses?

He was a perfect example of the profiteering class: always wanting more, always believing he occupied the moral high ground, and always claiming to represent the vast majority.

"Scum who betrayed the Immortal Dynasty, ignored the Heavenly Laws, and reached this point by using others as nourishment—if you have nothing meaningful to say, go tell it all in hell."

"It ends here!"

Yan Feng did not regard the people before him as human.

Though the words were harsh, he spoke without reservation. The moment some people violated the Heavenly Laws, they were no longer human. They had been expelled from humanity.

This was not some minor offense like petty theft or a brawl. It was the grave crime of betraying humanity and wantonly trafficking, using, and exploiting citizens recognized by the Heavenly Laws.

The criminal-law Heavenly Laws and civil-law Heavenly Laws served different purposes. They did not exist to make people repent, but purely to punish criminals.

Even obtaining compensation from the hands of criminals had been explicitly forbidden by the Heavenly Laws Yun Ye wrote at the beginning, preventing the classic dilemma of "the dead are already dead, but the living still have to go on living."

That did not mean victims could not receive compensation. It simply meant the Immortal Dynasty would provide it.

It had failed to protect its taxpayers...

Paying a little money was only reasonable, right?

Yun Ye felt it was perfectly reasonable.

The Immortal Dynasty had obtained such enormous authority. How could it have no responsibilities? Surely no one would hire someone to slaughter their entire family just to exploit the system.

Well, in that situation, setting aside whether they could evade the Dao Artifact's supervision, even if they truly did, Yun Ye would accept it. If someone had killed their whole family for money, then the Immortal Dynasty's corruption and hopelessness would be plain to see. If they could live properly, there would have been no need to do such a thing.

These rules ensured that criminals remained criminals. Even high-level cultivators could not evade punishment. They deterred potential crime as much as possible and obtained justice for victims. In the Red Heaven Realm, such criminals were directly expelled from humanity, losing all lawful rights.

Still, eras changed. In the modern Red Heaven Realm, quite a few people believed the punishments were too severe and hoped they would be revised.

"President, Tian Xiaoxiao, today has truly opened my eyes. A Level Six Researcher, a teacher from Purple Snow Academy, so many elite researchers..."

"You can know a person's face but not their heart. The school really does have a point. Reality isn't a fairy tale. There's too much we haven't seen, and it can always break the limits of our understanding!"

Xie Jinglun sighed.

"You care about that? I'm more concerned about the Eighth Seat's death. You know how much weight that Eighth Seat carried, don't you? All ten seats of the All-Knowing Society have the potential to Open Heaven and Split Earth, expanding the Red Heaven Realm's sphere of influence. Yet he was ordered to assassinate the President and failed. Which expert of the Heavenly Curtain do you think it was?"

Tian Xiaoxiao said.

"Exactly. We seem to have escaped a disaster without realizing it. Those were three True-Realm cultivators, beings who would have been called True Persons in ancient times! Not to mention that the Eighth Seat had the potential to Open Heaven and Split Earth, with unparalleled combat power. We should thank that member of the Heavenly Curtain who protected us!"

"I've always heard that the Heavenly Curtain was everywhere, and that even the multiverse might not be able to hide anything from them. I never thought we would actually encounter them. How lucky!"

Xie Jinglun felt immensely relieved.

This was an organization of the Immortal Dynasty with considerable deterrent power. It could not possibly lack fame.

Many cultivators chose to join official organizations such as the Heavenly Curtain after graduating in four years. Naturally, they would learn about them in advance. In terms of treatment and status, the best choice in the Red Heaven Realm was naturally the Divine Army, followed by Immortal Officials, and then important organizations such as the Heavenly Curtain. These were hot topics of discussion every year.

"It's lucky to be protected, but unlucky to be targeted. I hope we don't become people like Zuo Ming."

"The world is difficult, Jinglun. For the sake of immortality, how far could you go?"

Yun Ye patted Xie Jinglun on the shoulder.

"..."

Xie Jinglun suddenly fell silent. This question was genuinely difficult to answer. If asked whether he wanted immortality, naturally he did. But if immortality required dirtying his hands, what would his answer be?

He was extremely unwilling.

Yet when he imagined himself dying, he seemed to hesitate.

"Ah, the terrible choice between life and death. It's much harder than choosing whether to save your girlfriend or your mother. The latter is only hypothetical, but life and death are a road everyone must travel."

Xie Jinglun let out a long sigh and stopped thinking about it. He truly could not continue. The more he thought, the more terrified he became. Who would be willing to die?

Before taking the criminals away, Yan Feng Dao Artifact Wielder glanced at Yun Ye, as if scrutinizing him.

Yun Ye had been fortunate this time, saved just in time by the Heavenly Curtain.

In most people's eyes, they would probably advise Yun Ye not to leave the Red Heaven Realm casually.

After all, the Outer Heaven had no Dao Artifact to prevent assassinations. Anyone could launch an attack under any circumstances, making it impossible to guard against everything. The best choice was to avoid leaving the Red Heaven Realm as much as possible.

Given Yan Feng's temperament, he would probably offer a few words of warning to anyone else. But this Qing Liu Sheng before him truly did not inspire any desire to converse.

As a Dao Artifact Wielder, he could not easily see through this student's Dao Robe.

It was a treasure on the same level as his own. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to block his sight. Judging by the power of this Dao Robe, even if one estimated conservatively, a True-Realm cultivator probably could not break through its defenses. It was a supreme defensive treasure.

The student had worn such a treasure the moment he entered the academy. His background was self-evident.

Worrying about someone with such a powerful backing would be nothing more than having too much free time.

As Yan Feng took Zuo Ming and the others away, most of the Research Institute suddenly became empty. The remaining people were shaken, but they could not conceal their excitement.

Aside from the newcomers who had just joined, everyone else had endured until their opportunity arrived. Simply because they had not joined Zuo Ming's corruption, they deserved several promotions in the Research Institute even if their abilities were mediocre. Both their treatment and prospects had suddenly brightened.

What a wonderful thing it was.

After Zuo Ming and the others left, they instead enthusiastically held a banquet and even invited Yun Ye and the others to celebrate. Their nerves were astonishingly strong.

The three of them politely declined. They merely took Afina with them and returned directly to the Red Heaven.

Verdant World.

A silver-haired girl crouched among the mountain rocks, waiting for a flying dragon.

Dragon blood was an immense tonic. It was said that there was a certain chance it could give a Shining Fairy thin dragon blood and allow her to evolve Dragon Blood Shining Wings.

Mili Yaliya had accumulated far too little and could not see the path ahead at all, so she decided to try slaying a dragon.

At least this was a genuine path. The Dragon Slaying Sword Saint had obtained dragon blood after slaying a dragon, causing his strength and talents to evolve further and allowing him to step into the Saint Domain. Even if the improvement would be minor for her now, it was still hope for advancing another step.

"Wuu!!!"

A long cry rang out, and the Bloodfire Flying Dragon flashed past before gliding gracefully toward her.

Mili Yaliya gripped her sword. Silver magical wings suddenly unfurled behind her, and she struck out at astonishing speed, slicing through the sky.

She had already stepped into the Transcendent Saint realm, and her might was truly astonishing. When her sword came down, it smashed apart the Bloodfire Flying Dragon...

A single scale!

Boom!

The Bloodfire Flying Dragon lashed out with its tail, blasting Mili Yaliya away. She crashed through several mountain peaks in succession before finally coming to a stop.

As a true spirit born in the Red Heaven Realm, the Bloodfire Flying Dragon could give birth to Life Force even without spiritual power nourishing it. It was merely far weaker than it had been in the Red Heaven Realm. Even so, compared with the Shining Fairy, it held an overwhelming advantage.

"Slaying a dragon isn't that easy..."

Mili Yaliya muttered to herself as she climbed out of the ruins. Then she suddenly turned her head and looked into the distance. An old man in black robes was standing there. She could not help but feel her hair stand on end—she had not sensed him in the slightest!

"Mili Yaliya, as a recognized member of the true spirit race, you are qualified to join the various major organizations of Red Heaven, and even to explore the multiverse."

"You want to become stronger, don't you? I wonder if you have heard of humanity's Eye of Supervision—the Red Heaven Curtain that covers the multiverse?"

"Your aptitude is excellent. Come to the Curtain, and you will have the opportunity to display your talents and continue advancing."