Tracing the Source, Chanjiao's Hidden Hand

Though fury and shock churned in his heart, Xuan Chuan's hands did not slow in the slightest.

Facing the poison-fire inner core roaring toward him, he no longer held back. Though the Purple Lightning Hammer did not appear, a thread of pure Violet Firmament Divine Thunder intent had already fused into his sword aura!

"Break!"

He raised two fingers and pointed. The azure sword aura suddenly erupted with dazzling violet lightning, its power soaring!

Like a sword of the Thunder God, it hacked fiercely into that demonically charged poison-fire inner core!

Boom!

Thunder and fire burst together, and the deafening blast shook the heavens!

The sword aura containing the power of Violet Firmament Divine Thunder possessed an innate restraint against demonic and wicked things!

The demonic radiance on the poison-fire inner core's surface instantly dimmed. The violent spell traces winding around it melted beneath the lightning like ice and snow, letting out shrill hissing wails.

The inner core itself was sent flying back by the blow, fine cracks appearing across its surface!

"Puh—!" With his life-bound inner core damaged, the Evil Flood Dragon suffered a vicious backlash. Its massive body rolled violently through the air as blood sprayed wildly from its mouth, its aura instantly withering.

Xuan Chuan pressed his advantage. His figure flashed like lightning, and in an instant he appeared above the Evil Flood Dragon's head. Spreading his five fingers, runes flowed across his palm, carrying the power to suppress and search souls as he slammed it down upon the dragon's crown!

"Soul-Seizing Search!"

His powerful divine sense became a sharp blade, forcibly piercing the Evil Flood Dragon's muddled defenses of consciousness and rifling through its chaotic fragments of memory!

Countless scenes of bloodshed, slaughter, and devouring flashed past, but Xuan Chuan's target was clear—he went straight for the source of that "catalyzing" power!

Soon, deep within that violent, blood-red sea of memories, he caught a crucial scene:

Several days earlier, beneath the moonlit night.

A young Daoist in a pale azure robe, his face carrying a measure of harshness and arrogance, silently appeared above the stretch of river where the Evil Flood Dragon cultivated.

The Daoist held a small jade mirror in his hand. Cold yet eerie radiance shone from its surface as his lips moved in continuous incantation.

He sent threads of subtle yet highly inciting Jade Clarity Immortal Light into the river, precisely merging them into the bodies of the Evil Flood Dragon and several powerful nearby demon beasts...

Though the scene was blurry, Xuan Chuan clearly caught and committed to memory the Daoist's appearance and those distinctive fluctuations of Jade Clarity Immortal Art!

So it really was someone from Chanjiao!

A chilling gleam flared in Xuan Chuan's eyes! Judging from the Evil Flood Dragon's memory fragments, that Chanjiao Daoist seemed to be named Xiao Zhen?

He was a third-generation disciple under Lingbao Grand Master, one of Chanjiao's Twelve Golden Immortals?

His purpose was crystal clear—catalyze the vicious nature of demon beasts, stir up a beast tide, and massacre the Human Race! Create boundless slaughter and Karmic Force!

And disciples of Jiejiao would occasionally pass through this place while traveling or carrying out missions. This monstrous Karmic Force and karma...

A great portion of it would be laid upon the heads of the Jiejiao disciples who just so happened to be nearby! What a venomous scheme—kill with a borrowed blade, then shift the blame onto another!

Had he not personally led a team here this time to accumulate Merit, some fellow disciples ignorant of the truth might truly have passed by, been dragged into this mess, and been stained with immense Karmic Force for nothing!

"What a Jade Clarity Orthodox Lineage! What a 'following Heaven and answering mankind'!" Xuan Chuan was enraged beyond measure, killing intent blazing around him.

He withdrew his divine sense. The Evil Flood Dragon's soul had already been grievously wounded, and it was barely clinging to life, no longer capable of resistance.

With a casual wave, Xuan Chuan cast a seal, shrinking its enormous draconic body down to the size of a loach. After binding it, he tossed it into his sleeve.

This flood dragon was also a victim, used by others. It could be dealt with separately later.

His figure turned into a streak of light once more, following the remnants left behind when Xiao Zhen cast his spell in the Evil Flood Dragon's memories,

as well as the exceedingly faint Jade Clarity Immortal Art fluctuations emitted by the catalyzing spell itself, speeding toward a distant mountain shrouded in clouds and mist!

In no more than a moment, Xuan Chuan had silently infiltrated that mountain.

Sure enough, behind a concealed cliffside, he saw that third-generation Chanjiao disciple named Xiao Zhen!

At that moment, Xiao Zhen sat cross-legged atop a blue stone, the small jade mirror floating before him. Its surface reflected the situation on the distant battlefield of the Human Race settlement.

When he saw Xuan Chuan lead the Jiejiao disciples in forming an array to resist the attack, then easily defeat and capture the Evil Flood Dragon, obvious astonishment and anger appeared on his face.

"Useless trash! Utterly useless trash! You couldn't even handle such a trivial matter, and you even lost a True Immortal flood dragon!"

Xiao Zhen muttered a curse, a vicious gleam flashing through his eyes. **"But... since you Jiejiao people have delivered yourselves to my door and become tainted by this karma, my efforts have not been wasted!

Once I urge it on again and drive those beasts completely mad, let's see how many people you can save!"**

As he spoke, the hand seal in his fingers changed. Jade Clarity Immortal Power surged within him as he prepared to activate that eerie jade mirror once again and intensify the catalysis of the remaining demon beasts!

Just as his hand seal was on the verge of forming—

A voice, icy to the bone and filled with boundless fury and mockery, exploded behind him like a thunderclap:

"Fellow Daoist Xiao Zhen! Is this what your Jade Clarity Immortal Art is for—such vile deeds as catalyzing demon beasts, slaughtering mortals, and framing others?!"

!!!

Xiao Zhen's entire body suddenly stiffened as he spun around in horror!

Xuan Chuan had appeared at some unknown moment, standing with his hands behind his back several dozen feet behind him.

His gaze was like ice that had endured for ten thousand years, fixed fiercely upon Xiao Zhen and the jade mirror before him that still emitted ominous fluctuations!

Caught red-handed!

Xiao Zhen's face instantly turned deathly pale!