Chapter 456 - 442: Came Back Late

Chapter 456: Chapter 442: Came Back Late

Of the former Demon Path Five Sects of Liang Country, the Blood Demon Sect was no more, and the Ghost Spirit Sect had long since fallen in the wake of the Qingfeng Sect’s rise.

The Fragrance Sect and the Corpse-Driving Sect were not having an easy time either. They each found a powerful backer and became Vassal Sects in all but name.

A lineage from the Moral Sect’s Celestial Punishment Peak took control of Zengguang Immortal City, bringing a new sense of order to the Northern Domain. At the very least, overt large-scale massacres of mortals and other cruel Demon Path methods, such as gathering Vengeful Spirits, became far less common.

Even the No-Life Sect didn’t dare gamble on how deeply Celestial Punishment Peak would involve itself in the Northern Domain, or what actions it would take against behavior that violated the Moral Sect’s codes of conduct.

On the surface, Celestial Punishment Peak only had a single Nascent Soul True Monarch and the disciples of Yuan Mo’s lineage stationed in Zengguang Immortal City.

Compared to the Northern Domain’s two titans, the Dharma Aspect Sect and the No-Life Sect, they were not on the same level at all.

But behind it stood the behemoth that was the Moral Sect. Any Nascent Soul Cultivator who had participated in the siege of the Immortal City and the annihilation of the Du Family could never forget the astonishing power displayed by Great True Monarch Hongfa.

Barring the elusive Divinity Transformation Great Powers, he was a true giant standing at the apex of this world.

From a certain perspective, the Divinity Transformation Great Powers—who needed to sequester themselves from the world to extend their lives and would not leave their Grotto Heaven Secret Realms unless absolutely necessary—were actually less of a deterrent in the Cultivation Realm than Great True Monarch Hongfa.

A Divinity Transformation Great Power would not act unless an event occurred that provoked the wrath of both men and gods and affected the overall situation of the entire Cultivation Realm.

But Great True Monarch Hongfa could appear before you anytime, anywhere, without restriction.

Having already achieved a Grotto Heaven Prototype, he could suppress an entire Sect with a single hand.

The Fragrance Sect had millions of followers, and all who joined were considered brothers and sisters, skilled in using the Talismanic Water Spell.

Even those without Spiritual Roots could use basic Magic and Talismans. A group of three to five, working together, could rival a Mid-Stage Qi Refining Cultivator.

But without Spiritual Roots, they also lacked Magical Power, so every time they cast a spell, they had to pay the price of burning their Essence Blood.

After just a few uses, their qi and blood would decay, their faces would resemble that of an old man, and they wouldn’t live past the age of thirty.

Their vast numbers of followers were nothing but expendable consumables. A single mission could result in the loss of thousands, or even tens of thousands, of lives. In any case, there was an endless supply of mortals to replenish their ranks.

In the territory of the Fragrance Sect, the population was the sparsest.

The Corpse-Driving Sect was even worse. The bodies of cultivators who died of natural causes weren’t enough for them, so they often used Secret Techniques to concoct powerful refined corpses.

For this Sect, the number of High-Tier Cultivator corpses hidden within their gates represented the depth of their foundation.

The practice of grave robbing and corpse theft was commonplace.

The Major Sects deeply loathed the Corpse-Driving Sect. No one wished to be disturbed even after death, only to be enslaved as a puppet and ordered about by others.

In the Great Zhou, the practices of these two sects were strictly forbidden by the Moral Sect. They would have been stripped of their names and status long ago, losing the right to continue passing down their teachings and recruiting disciples.

Now, out of fear, they reined in their activities and became much more low-key.

The Joyful Union Sect, on the other hand, saw its status rise like a boat with the tide. This was because Fairy Lianyu had become Suihan True Monarch’s concubine, and also because the Joyful Union Bell, which could be condensed through the Celestial Maiden Scripture, had a wondrous effect on reaching the Nascent Soul realm.

The Ice Soul Palace was short on manpower, so it only took the area immediately surrounding the Ten Thousand Miles Icefield as its directly-controlled territory.

For the lands farther away, they granted the Joyful Union Sect the status of agents, allowing them to govern on their behalf.

Moreover, although the Joyful Union Sect was famous for its Dual Cultivation Technique, it emphasized mutual consent and did not engage in abducting other cultivators.

At most, their sect’s conduct was just a bit more open. Unafraid of Celestial Punishment Peak coming to their door to admonish and lecture them, their influence expanded severalfold.

Before the Ten Thousand Beasts Pavilion, a dark mass of cultivators had gathered, their expressions hostile. The atmosphere was tense, like a drawn bow.

"Fairy Jiuru, you’ve brought your people to surround our sect’s Market. What is the meaning of this?!"

Honglian’s face was frosty. A green serpent as thick as a water bucket emerged from her Spirit Beast Bag. It had the body of a snake and the head of a human—a bewitching face with fiery red lips had appeared abruptly where the snake’s head should be.

This was her Lifebound Spiritual Beast, a Tier Three Mid Grade Beauty Serpent.

"Sister Honglian, long time no see... Little sister has only come this time because your pack of Spirit Beasts broke into our Joyful Union Sect’s Medicine Garden and trampled to death several thousand-year-old Spirit Grasses that Senior Sister Lianyu specifically ordered to be planted."

Fairy Jiuru looked to be a young woman of seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a simple white long-dress. Her black hair was casually pinned up with a wooden hairpin.

Her skin was delicate, her small mouth was slightly upturned, and she had a high-bridged nose. Her eyes were both innocently charming and tinged with a hint of seduction, like a bottomless clear spring that drew one in to drown.

She stood barefoot on the muddy ground, yet her feet remained as pristine as fine jade, not a speck of dirt upon them.

She was flanked by two cultivators. One was valiant and heroic, with handsome features, a tall, slender build, and a five-foot-long green-edged sword in his hand.

The other had rugged features, a thick brown beard, and exuded a powerful, masculine aura.

The two had vastly different temperaments, but they had one thing in common: both were Core Formation True Men.

Furthermore, the gazes they directed at the young woman were fervent, their expressions a mix of excitement and obsession.

This woman was the most outstanding disciple of the Joyful Union Sect after Fairy Lianyu. She had cultivated her Charm Art to a realm that surpassed her master’s. While still in the Foundation Establishment Stage, she had already seduced a Core Formation True Man into becoming her devoted subject.

After reaching Core Formation herself, she went on to completely captivate two more moderately famous Core Formation True Men, trapping them so thoroughly in a sea of desire that they could never escape.

"These Spirit Grasses were meant as a tribute for Suihan True Monarch. If we can’t produce them when the time comes, how is little sister supposed to explain herself to the True Monarch?"

Fairy Jiuru timed her expression perfectly, revealing a hint of bashful distress. Her voice trembled slightly, causing the cultivators around her, both men and women, to show expressions of pity.

"What kind of Medicine Garden has no Forbidden spells, allowing common Spirit Beasts to just wander in!"

Honglian suppressed her anger, knowing the other party was just making trouble for no reason and had simply picked a random excuse to start something.