Having received a definitive confirmation from Gu Zhao, the Celestial Xia aerospace system urgently revised its original concept for the Moon Base. They abandoned the pursuit of a small, precise layout in favor of a comprehensive, large-scale design. At the same time, preliminary feasibility studies commenced for scientific research projects regarding space transportation, space materials, and space engines.
Foreign nations and ordinary citizens didn’t notice anything unusual. For one, Gu Zhao had already brought back Moon Rock and Moon Soil last time. Furthermore, Zhang Hang had uploaded a video of them having hotpot on the Moon. Many people assumed Gu Zhao was simply building a magnificent Guanghan Palace and bringing friends along for a joyride. Some ambitious foreign scientists, at most, complained about it being a tragic waste of heavenly treasures, but they harbored no other thoughts.
Wanling Jiangbei.
"Taoist Yan Song, Taoist Jing Feng!" Upon hearing that two Elders from the Jiangnan Daluo Palace had arrived together, Dean Shen Yingzhou of the Pingzhou Spirit Court ended his seclusion to welcome them.
"Dean Shen!" Taoist Yan Song greeted with a chuckle, cupping his hands.
Shen Yingzhou’s eyes revealed a mix of anticipation and anxiety. "Have traces of demons been found in Pingzhou as well? I haven’t heard any recent news of many civilians being murdered."
The news of the Celestial Demon’s awakening had already spread throughout the Central Plains. The Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits had returned, the White Spirit Mountain Master had sent word, and Princess Shuwen, Dean of the Jiangzhou Spirit Court, had reported to the main headquarters, broadcasting the warning to the world. The Celestial Demon was reviving, spreading Demonic Thoughts, tempting people into becoming Fallen Demons, and expanding its Demon Realm. It sought to reshape the world and turn the mortal plane into a Demon Realm.
Yet, while the major factions of the Central Plains, the Xuanwei Divine Sect, and the Spirit Court remained entirely in the dark, the newly risen Daluo Palace in Wanling Jiangnan had already annihilated three Demon Cultivators—the Netherfire Sect Leader, the Mo Lake Ink Flood Dragon, and the Cloud Celestial Palace Master—purifying three Demon Realms.
Many experts in the Central Plains were utterly bewildered. What exactly was the Daluo Palace? Where did it come from? How could it be so powerful? Soon after, more and more information about the Daluo Palace made its way to Jiangbei.
A foundation of several hundreds to nearly a thousand years? This wasn’t a major issue. Which true superpower didn’t have thousands or even tens of thousands of years of history? A mere few centuries only qualified them as an emerging faction.
Techniques passed down by Spirit Realm Upper Gods? This was also nothing spectacular. Ghost Gods communed with True Spirits for Cultivation, while Demons followed their bloodlines for Refining Techniques. Who didn’t have an ancient ancestor backing them?
Dream Transmission? Mage Cultivation? Now, this was novel. Since ancient times, the world only possessed Dharma Gates where Ghost Gods relied on Soul Refining and Cultivating Incense and Fire, or where Demons Cultivated bloodline Cultivation Techniques to achieve Ascension to the Spirit Realm. Mage lineages were virtually nonexistent; even the few that existed involved practicing in Harmony with Demons, Spirits, and Gods. However, the Great Demons did not find this strange. Whether it was from their bloodline imprints, the phenomenon of Fairies transforming into humans, or the Dharma Gates of practicing in Harmony with a Fellow Cultivator, they knew humanity’s potential extended far beyond its current limits, and they certainly didn’t lack true backing. Now that a Mage lineage had appeared in the world, it merely meant a human paragon had finally turned their attention to this realm.
Achieving extremely high Dao Practice in a short amount of time? This... this... this was somewhat terrifying! The question was: did everyone in the Daluo Palace possess this ability, or was it limited to a select few? Then, they learned about the distinction between the Daluo Palace’s original Elders from its homeland and its newly inducted ordinary disciples. Upon discovering that these original Elders had successfully practiced Cultivation in a barren wasteland devoid of Spiritual Qi, everyone couldn’t help but look at them with admiration. This was a group of absolutely ruthless individuals!
Moreover, the Daluo Palace had been busy in Wanling Jiangnan aiding the distressed, supporting the poor, punishing the wicked, and engaging in Demon Suppression. By penalizing corrupt officials and assisting virtuous families, they had virtually transformed their territory into a utopia where dropped items were left untouched on the streets, doors remained unlocked at night, neighbors lived in harmony, and the rule of law and morality flourished. In just two or three years, under the Daluo Palace’s carrot-and-stick governance, Wanling Jiangnan—especially Jiangzhou, Yongzhou, and most of Yazhou—began to exhibit the early signs of a golden age.
In fact, it was arguably even better than when the region was under the jurisdiction of the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court! As a result, the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court were both embarrassed and impressed, quietly dropping any plans to march south and reclaim their lost territory. Anyway, the Court could still operate normally in Wanling Jiangnan, and the Xuanwei Divine Sect wasn’t lacking the Incense from Jiangnan alone. They could afford to concentrate their main forces on the Western Divine Country and the Northern Barbarian Race instead. It was the best of both worlds!
Soon after, while various experts in the Central Plains were inspecting their own territories, several Elders from the Daluo Palace Crossed the River and headed north. These Elders all possessed over a thousand years of Dao Practice. The strongest among them had even surpassed two thousand years. No matter where they went, they were formidable overlords in their own right. Furthermore, the strength they displayed far exceeded that of Ghost Gods and Demons with equivalent Dao Practice.
Taiyi Wind and Fire sweeping through heaven and earth, golden Saber Qi capable of rending the skies and tearing the earth apart, Five-Colored Thunderclouds blotting out the sun, a Netherworld Divine Prison as towering as a mountain, a Tai Chi Sword Diagram brimming with condensed power, and Nanming Li Fire shining like the blazing sun... Even for Taoist Jing Hong and Taoist Jing Fa, who had the weakest Cultivation, whenever their longswords infused with vigorous True Qi were unsheathed, ordinary Demons and Ghosts would struggle to withstand a mere two strikes from them!
A few days prior, Taoist Jing Feng had discovered traces of a Demon in Lezhou. Several Daluo Palace Elders had joined forces and completely annihilated a powerful expert who had deeply entrenched himself in Lezhou, wiping out his entire faction in a single day. This truly opened the eyes of countless experts in the Central Plains. Almost overnight, the name of the Daluo Palace resounded across the world! This was a mighty faction backed by Spirit Realm Upper Gods and supported in the mortal plane by the Dragon King of Ten Thousand Spirits! Forget about calling them an emerging power; the Daluo Palace didn’t just have a promising future—it was already an immensely powerful, dominant force ruling its own territory.
Moreover, most of the experts in the Central Plains were not evil by nature, and those who had seen Gu Zhao at the Rainbow Mountain birthday banquet actively sang his praises. Therefore, Taoist Yan Song and his seven peers quickly established a formidable reputation in Jiangbei, befriending many and effectively opening up new opportunities. At the same time, their reputation for keenly discerning good from evil and having a sharp sensitivity to Demonic Qi also spread widely.
Thus, the moment Dean Shen Yingzhou of the Pingzhou Spirit Court saw the two Daoists, he was filled with both anticipation and anxiety. He anticipated that if they could eliminate the Demon in Pingzhou, his territory would finally be safe. However, he was also anxious, fearing they might encounter a foe so powerful that he and his subordinates would be no match for it.
"Not ’many’ civilians? I wonder what you consider ’many’?" Taoist Jing Feng said mildly.
"Along the upper and lower reaches of the Luoxing River by Pingzhou’s Luoxing Lake," Taoist Yan Song added, "hundreds of fishermen households have already perished by the water."
Shen Yingzhou’s expression drastically changed. Luoxing Lake was a massive body of water nestled deep within Pingzhou. The Luoxing River, originating from Luoxing Lake, was a major tributary of the Source River—one of the three great rivers traversing the Central Plains. The Demon King residing at the bottom of Luoxing Lake was named Ni Daxing. Calling himself the Celestial Star Dharma King, his true body was a Celestial Star Salamander with five to six thousand years of Dao Practice. For an expert of this caliber, as long as he didn’t act out of line or commit atrocities that were too extreme, the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court generally turned a blind eye—even if he occasionally killed a few people for Refining Treasure or ate a few as a snack. The Daluo Palace certainly punished wickedness and eradicated evil, but sometimes, they were a bit too radical.
Seeing Shen Yingzhou’s change in expression, both Taoist Yan Song and Taoist Jing Feng shook their heads. In truth, it wasn’t that the Daluo Palace had zero tolerance for imperfections. After all, even among their Twenty-Eight Star Officials were Huang Yuan and Ye Ruyan, who possessed Evil Qi. The various Ghost Gods of Silent God Mountain carried no small amount of Evil Qi either. But no matter what, there was always a limit.
"This Celestial Star Dharma King has already become a Fallen Demon," Taoist Jing Feng stated indifferently.
"The good news," Taoist Yan Song interjected, "is that he likely acquired the Demon Technique only recently and couldn’t resist the temptation. His descent into becoming a Fallen Demon isn’t too deep yet, and he hasn’t established a Demon Realm."
Shen Yingzhou was left entirely speechless!