When Cutting Down Weeds, Pull Out the Roots!

Jiang Cheng was completely terrified. Kneeling on the ground, his lips moved for a long while, but he could not get a single word out.

He had lived half his life and seen his share of the world in the Shattered Star Sea, but he had never heard anyone discuss a Core Formation True Person in such a casual tone.

What outrageous arrogance! They don't even take a Core Formation mighty figure seriously!? What sort of person must that ancestor of theirs be? Could he be... a Nascent Soul!

He could not help stealing another glance at the people in the room. The more he looked, the deeper the chill in his heart grew. Leaving everything else aside, even the plain robes they wore were made of fine material, more exquisite than the magic robe his master had treasured for years!

"When did a group of dragons from across the river come to the Shattered Star Sea? They're far too terrifying. Master surely has no chance of survival..."

Only moments ago, he had still clung to a sliver of hope. If these people really dared to storm the imperial palace, his master might well kill them all once he unleashed his soul banner.

Then Jiang Cheng would not only escape, but also receive credit for luring the enemy into a trap. If his master was pleased, he might even reward him with a few high-grade blood pills.

But now, that hope had been smashed to pieces, with not even crumbs left behind.

These people had an endless supply of spiritual treasures. How could any minor sect possess such deep resources?!

They had to be disciples of a Core Formation immortal sect!

They might even be... scions of a Nascent Soul immortal sect!

At that thought, Jiang Cheng's attitude changed drastically. The trembling, half-dead look on his face vanished, replaced by an eagerness bordering on obsequiousness.

"Seniors, I have something else to report!"

Li Zhengjun saw the change and knew that the Devil Cultivator had already guessed how powerful their background was. He was certainly taking his instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm to the extreme.

He did not expose him, merely smiling as he said:

"Tell us everything."

Jiang Cheng hurriedly nodded and said:

"I wish to report him to you, Senior! That old devil is worse than a pig or a dog! Not only does he use living people to refine blood pills, but his methods are utterly devoid of conscience... there aren't enough bamboo slips to record every one of his crimes!"

He recounted everything Daoist Lu had done, one thing at a time. Li Yuankai frowned as he listened, but still put it all on record, so that after they seized the Ning Kingdom, they could proclaim it to the entire country and raise their banner high, making it easier for the Lineage to establish a foundation.

Jiang Cheng's face was flushed red from cursing as he continued:

"You see, that devil's Devil Cultivation Method has reached another critical juncture, and he urgently needs a fresh batch of blood food. As it happens, the palace examination is coming soon. Martial grandmasters from everywhere will gather in the capital then, and he can catch them all in one net. He's been doing this for years. The palace examination is held once every three years, and each time, a group of the very best martial artists is 'selected,' never to be seen again. Martial artists throughout the land think they entered an immortal sect to cultivate. How could they know that they all became ashes in the Pill Furnace!"

Li Dongping was upright by nature and could not bear the sight of such evil devils. He said:

"You sound awfully righteous. Are you saying that devil was the only one who ate people, and none of you disciples ever had a single bite?"

Jiang Cheng was struck dumb for a moment. He wanted to lie but feared the Heart-Questioning Talisman. His face turned bright red, and in the end he could only steel himself and say:

"My lord, please see the truth. I, a Devil Cultivator, have indeed used blood refinement, but it would be a real injustice to accuse me of eating people. The blood food and blood pills are the great devil's alone to enjoy. We disciples aren't even allowed to smell them. We can indeed devour mortals at other times, but mortals have so little Qi and Blood that we can't refine anything worthwhile from them, and it costs spiritual power too. It simply isn't worth it. Think about it: if mortals were useful, why would that old devil go to such lengths to put on this elaborate show of selecting martial artists in the Ning Kingdom?"

As he spoke, his tone even took on a hint of grievance.

"Right now, the one with the highest cultivation in the imperial palace is that old devil, Daoist Lu. He's at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining, just a hair away from Foundation Establishment. Below him are four protectors, all at the sixth or seventh layer of Qi Refinement. Then there are minor cultivators like us, thirty or so in all, most of us hovering around Early Qi Refining. To put it bluntly, we're laborers who run errands and do odd jobs for those five devils. We haven't gained a single benefit, but we haven't missed out on a single evil deed."

Li Zhengjun listened without showing any reaction, then followed up on his words:

"Is there anything worth noting about those four protectors? Can they form a formation to fight an enemy?"

Jiang Cheng thought for a moment, then answered earnestly:

"They can. Those four protectors can form a 'Hellfire Entrapment and Slaughter Formation.' When the four of them join forces to activate it, hellfire blazes within the formation, with power comparable to a full-strength strike from a Late Qi Refining cultivator. And once the formation is set, anyone who enters it is plunged into purgatory, with flames and thick smoke on every side, making it hard to tell one direction from another. Only a cultivator who has condensed Spiritual Sense, like a Foundation Establishment mighty figure, can see through to the formation's core and escape."

"Foundation Establishment mighty figure? Spiritual Sense?"

Jiang Cheng's words once again lowered the Li Household cultivators' expectations of the Great Scarlet Realm. According to the comparison between realms Li Zhengjun had given them, Foundation Establishment cultivators of the Great Scarlet Realm were roughly equivalent to Qi Ingestion cultivators of the Yuyu Realm.

But a cultivator at the Embryonic Breathing Fifth Layer could already possess Divine Sense, while in the Great Scarlet Realm, one had to reach Foundation Establishment to possess Divine Sense.

Seeing everyone smile without speaking, Jiang Cheng realized that the "Foundation Establishment mighty figure" he had just mentioned had made him a laughingstock again.

These people did not even take Core Formation True Persons seriously. What did a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator amount to?

He could only give an awkward chuckle to cover his embarrassment.

Li Zhengjun asked a few more questions, and Jiang Cheng answered them all truthfully. The Heart-Questioning Talisman showed no reaction.

Several members of the Li Household exchanged glances. By now, they had a general understanding of the Devil Cultivators in the Ning Kingdom and knew roughly what formations were set up in the imperial palace.

Li Yuankai finished writing the last few strokes, then looked up and asked, "When will all these Devil Cultivators gather?"

Jiang Cheng replied, "On the first day of next month, the palace examination will begin, and all those Devil Cultivators will go to the imperial palace."

Li Zhengjun thought it over, then asked one final question:

"Have these Devil Cultivators practiced any life-preserving Cultivation Methods? Or do they have any means of escape?"

According to Jiang Cheng's earlier account, there was indeed a disparity between the two sides in numbers and cultivation, but the Li Household had Law Artifacts and talismans to protect them. Fighting and defeating higher-level cultivators would not be difficult.

What they truly needed to guard against was someone escaping in the chaos.

The Lineage had only just entered the Great Scarlet Realm and had yet to establish a foothold. According to True Person Yuhong's strategy, they had to keep a low profile in the early stages.

Therefore, not a single local cultivator who had seen them fight and knew their capabilities could be left alive.

When cutting down weeds, they had to pull out the roots!

Jiang Cheng had not expected Li Zhengjun to be so meticulous. Slapping his forehead, he flattered him:

"My lord, you truly leave nothing out of your calculations! I was just about to mention that. If you wish to catch those devils all in one net, you must bring more people and surround the imperial palace so tightly that not even water can leak through. Those Devil Cultivators may not be the best at fighting, but every one of them is formidable when it comes to fleeing for their lives."

"They have all learned a Blood Escape Technique. In a crisis, they need only burn their Essence Blood to instantly multiply their escape speed several times over. Ordinary methods simply can't catch them."

"If even one of them escapes, there will be endless trouble down the road, especially if it's Daoist Lu. He's been operating in these waters for nearly twenty years and knows the ins and outs of every part of the Shattered Star Sea. If he escapes and later hides in the shadows, waiting for a chance to retaliate, just thinking about it is unpleasant."

By then, everything that needed asking had been made clear.

Li Zhengjun looked around. The other members of the Lineage remained silent, meaning they had nothing to add.

He gave Li Dongping a look. In an instant, a treasured light flashed in the room, and the seven-story pagoda hovering over Jiang Cheng's head abruptly descended. Its base opened, and a beam of golden light enveloped him completely.

Before Jiang Cheng could even cry out, his figure shrank rapidly. He was drawn into the pagoda and vanished from sight.

Li Zhengjun said calmly, "Hold him prisoner for now. Keep him for further questioning. Once the Devil Cultivators have been completely wiped out, we'll deal with him."

Li Dongping cupped his fists and said:

"As you command, Patriarch. The devils' palace examination is in thirteen days. I have already sent four members of the Lineage to slip into the capital, survey the terrain, and verify Jiang Cheng's account. They should return to report before long."

Li Zhengjun nodded and said:

"Good. None of you should act rashly for now. We'll decide on all actions after I return from the Yuyu Realm. I'll take this confession to the True Person for review, gather enough lightning talismans, and find a formation capable of sealing off the entire imperial palace."

"In this battle, we must not let a single one escape!"