Volume 4, Chapter 154 – Demon Court Edict

With her feelings stirred, Bai Xiang had originally intended to drag Bai Zhuqing back to their room to “cultivate.”

But two waves of visitors came to interrupt them midway, so she could only temporarily put those thoughts aside. After turning away the first group, she received the second.

The first group was an envoy from Qianyuan Sect. The man presented a formal invitation gift of the highest grade and invited her to Luohui Hall tomorrow to watch the matches together and “incidentally discuss a few misunderstandings and disputes.”

A visitor like this did not surprise her. If Qianyuan Sect were not fools, they ought to be able to see that in the short term, it was no longer possible to restrain her through dirty tricks. The normal next step, then, would be alliance-building and realignment—find a way to turn this enemy into an ally.

But.

Bai Xiang disliked Qianyuan Sect’s style immensely.

The way this sect conducted itself was completely different from Taixu Monastery. Taixu Monastery at least still upheld some Daoist traditions. In its inherited spirit—or at the very least in Daoist Fengxu—one could still see the pride and restraint of Daoism.

Qianyuan Sect, by contrast, was pure domination and ferocity. They had always acted tyrannically. Whether they were fighting over fragment belts, mining regions, or disciples, the methods they used could never be brought into the light.

On the Venerable Net, one often saw independent Venerables accusing the great powers of bullying others, and quite a few of those accusations involved Qianyuan Sect.

It was even said that Luo Ying had snatched away his disciple Yang Chen from someone else. When that party refused, Luo Ying wiped out their entire lineage, leaving not a single relative alive. That alone showed just how overbearing the man was by nature.

And even if all of that were rumor, all of it slander, Qianyuan Sect had indeed directed Wentian Dao against her, tried to use the greater cause of the human path to pressure her into bowing her head, and even schemed to split the human path itself—those things were certain.

Even the fact that, at the same time, so many Void People sects had struck with ruthless and lethal force, not merely slaughtering the Yu people they faced but tearing off their limbs and eating them—Bai Xiang later checked the news and found that such things had also occurred in the other two major divisions, but nowhere near as frequently as in Tongyun.

So that was clearly abnormal. It could be taken as evidence that someone had directed it.

Taking everything together, only Qianyuan Sect stood under that suspicion. And for Bai Xiang, that suspicion alone was enough.

“I see. She refused.”

Qianyuan Sect’s residence was a manor in the outer suburbs. After carefully listening to the envoy’s report, Daoist Luo Ying stroked his beard and shook his head with a smile.

“This Bai Xiang, Bai Zhixing—does she think we were currying favor with her?”

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He truly had intended to befriend Bai Xiang by extending the invitation, but more than that, it was because Daoist Luo Ying had acknowledged her. He thought that for her to break cleverness with sheer force like that made her someone worth noting, and he had intended to make her acquaintance so they could fight the Demon Court together in the future.

In Luo Ying’s view, the only force that could hinder Qianyuan Sect’s further rise in the future was the Demon Court. He had spent no small amount of effort laying out his plans, yet the Demon Court was too powerful. He had to unite every force that could be united before he could dare say he had even some chance.

And Bai Xiang, as the “genius” who had created a new method, also happened to conflict with the pool-seat of the Transmitters’ Venerable Saint. In the future, she could never possibly be brought into the Demon Court’s fold; she was bound to stand against it. So he had thought that, since she was currently under restrictions and her future prospects were grim, the two sides might as well cooperate.

He had not expected Bai Xiang to have no such intention whatsoever. From the scene described by the envoy, her attitude toward Qianyuan Sect, and toward Daoist Luo Ying himself, could be described as exceedingly indifferent.

Daoist Luo Ying pictured the scene in his mind and decided that such indifference might also be read as complete disdain.

“Ignorant fool of a woman.”

After the envoy withdrew, that was how he appraised Bai Xiang to himself.

“Fate will not lightly open its gates to you. Being able to create a new method has already all but exhausted your effort and your destiny.”

“Since you are so incapable of appreciating what’s good for you, there is no need for me to speak to you of destiny any further.”

A while later, another envoy came bearing a message.

“A Demon Court edict? They want us to investigate everyone within the sect who cultivates ‘sacred weapons’?”

This message was no ordinary one. According to the envoy, the edict had not only been sent to Qianyuan Sect, but also to every Void People sect participating in the Dao-Void Martial Tournament.

Daoist Luo Ying immediately took out his Black Venerable Card and logged onto the Venerable Net, only to find that the entire network was already discussing the matter.

[The Sacred Court has suddenly announced a full investigation into the ‘path of sacred weapons.’ Does anyone know what this is about?]

[A short while ago, I saw someone say in the plaza that this happened because Taixu Monastery reported something to the Sacred Court.]

[Reported? Taixu Monastery? What did they discover?]

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[Not sure, but it seems to have something to do with the disappearance of their Dao Child, Wang Xiu.]

At present, the news was still unclear. There was only the edict and no explanation. Many sects were indignant and felt that the Sacred Court was meddling far too broadly this time.

That was because sacred weapon methods had already spread everywhere. It was not only that the human race, unable to truly accept Dao-Void Methods and thus finding their future path blocked, needed sacred weapon methods to increase their battle power; many demon cultivators likewise depended on sacred weapon methods and hoped to rely on them in combat against others.

After all, sacred weapon methods were much easier to cultivate than Dao-Void Methods. As long as one gathered enough materials and forged a lower sacred weapon, anyone could rapidly raise their battle power through it. And the wealthier the great powers and major sects, the more people within them relied on this path.

That was why the reaction was so intense. Everyone felt uneasy and had no idea what this “investigation” was really about.

[The edict only tells us to ‘investigate,’ but after we find them out, what then? How are we supposed to handle them?]

[It doesn’t say. That’s what’s so strange. This is the first time I’ve ever seen the Sacred Court issue such a hasty decree.]

It was indeed strange.

Daoist Luo Ying frowned as well, reading and pondering at the same time, constantly turning over in his mind what Taixu Monastery might have discovered.

Could there be some hidden danger in sacred weapon methods?

Had the human race, or the human path, planted some secret backdoor in the sacred weapon methods? Would cultivating them affect one’s future path?

That seemed unlikely, didn’t it?

Those methods had been approved by those people… if there were a backdoor, those people should not have failed to see it.

Just as Daoist Luo Ying was puzzling over it, suddenly everyone logged onto the Venerable Net received the same network message at once.

[Cease all investigation into the ‘path of sacred weapons.’]

This decree… was completely the opposite of the previous one?

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By this point, the Venerable Net was in an uproar.

Because it was too obvious.

This meant that divisions had arisen even within the Sacred Court itself. There might even have been a serious dispute, which was the only way to explain why two contradictory decrees had been issued in succession. They had clearly come from different Hall Masters, from different factions.

“Interesting.”

Daoist Luo Ying narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Though I do not know what exactly is going on, internal conflict on their side is good for my plans.”

He logged out of the Venerable Net, skillfully blew the wisp of black qi that had followed him back into the Black Venerable Card, then called a servant over and gave an order.

“Have Yang Chen check the exact number of people in the sect cultivating sacred weapon methods, then prepare a list for me.”

“Yes.”

“Wait.”

Daoist Luo Ying stopped the servant again.

“…And tell him this as well: the blueprint he obtained from the Dilun Secret Realm—tell him not to busy himself researching it for the time being. It will not be too late to work on it after this matter has been clarified.”

The servant accepted the order and withdrew. Not long after, Yang Chen received the message in full.

“Tell Master I will obey his command.”

“Yes.”

After dismissing the servant, Yang Chen looked around to both sides. Once back inside, he shut the door and took out two shielding talismans from his storage jade token and affixed them to the door.

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Only after doing all that did he let out a slight breath of relief. Then he took from the jade token a dull gray blueprint that looked as though it had been made of stone, and squinted as he studied it.

He had obtained the blueprint in a Secret Realm some time before. The reason he had disappeared recently, to the point that he had even been overtaken on the Heaven’s Pride List, was that he had been busy searching for treasures in that Secret Realm.

And this blueprint was tied to a set of higher sacred weapons that suited him extremely well, matching perfectly with the essence-spirit of the chess piece he had refined earlier.

Ordinarily, he would not have needed to be in such a hurry, but that Bai Xiang…

Yang Chen frowned, once more recalling the golden pupils that had shattered his chessboard formation.

Those golden pupils—had she really cultivated the Xuandi Scripture?

He had to admit that the pressure this woman brought was extraordinary. She was an opponent even more frightening than Chang Hongyuan.

But I will not lose.

Yang Chen narrowed his eyes.

Even Chang Hongyuan could not shake my position. She is nothing more than a human woman… how could I possibly stand beneath you?

Just wait and see.

He steadied his mind and poured all his focus into the blueprint.

Once I fully understand the secrets within it, neither Bai Zhixing nor Chang Hongyuan will be worthy of my notice.

Nor will I need to remain shackled to the mere Heaven’s Pride List.

The upper ranks of the Venerable List—those are my destined home!