Chapter 1801 - 905: Turbulent Undercurrents

"The true Pantao?"

Li Yan certainly knows about Pantao.

Back then, the Pantao Conference in the capital caused havoc, creating wicked entities watered by the vital blood of countless children.

Within the Nine Gates Yin Ruins, he even found the true body of the Pantao tree.

That thing is indeed sinister.

The bark twisted, formed by countless tightly adhered, agonizing children’s faces, with lush green leaves dripping with vitality, roots blood-colored, embedded upon layers of white bones.

Amidst the bone heaps stands a altar, offering tribute to a divine statue with leopard tail, tiger teeth that can roar, crowned with a crested bird, the ancient fierce divine statue of the Queen Mother, unlike the current Fude Zhengshen is completely different.

Surely, there are many secrets contained within, but with the death of Zhao Qingxu, no one knows anymore.

Li Yan withdrew his thoughts, his gaze at Chen Yuanlu now filled with vigilance.

"Pantao?"

Li Yan repeated the word, sipped tea and said calmly, "Senior Chen talks about... the ’Immortal Fruit’ watered by human lives, growing atop a pile of children’s corpse bones?"

His voice grew colder, with a hint of sarcasm towards the end.

Crown Prince Xiao Jingheng leaned against the couch, hearing this, his eyelashes fluttered slightly, he wanted to speak but held his tongue.

Chen Yuanlu merely shook his head slightly.

The elder, one of the Ten Grandmasters of the Divine State, showed no anger, instead he said softly, "Back when the ’Pantao Conference’ was causing havoc in the capital, I was in seclusion at Laojun Cave in Yuzhou. Upon emerging, I heard of this matter, thoroughly investigated the records, discovered many anomalies."

He paused, his gaze fell on Li Yan’s face, "For instance, if Pantao were merely a sinister entity cultivated by human lives, how could it earn such a reputation for centuries?"

Li Yan didn’t respond, waiting for the continuation.

Chen Yuanlu continued, "I scrutinized the Scripture Pavilion at Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Wudang Golden Summit Secret Record, and even remaining Pre-Qin bamboo slips at Qiankun Academy, discovering that this entity had appeared during the Western Han."

"Western Han?" Li Yan raised an eyebrow.

"Correct." Chen Yuanlu’s speed slowed, "In the first year of Yuan Shou of the Western Han, a large-scale civil unrest erupted in the twenty-six commanderies and states of Guandong. Tens of thousands spontaneously gathered in Chang’an, each holding a ’talisman’, claiming it was bestowed by the Queen Mother of the West, promising its bearer ’exemption from disaster and death’."

Bang!

The charcoal in the warm pavilion sparked again.

Li Yan squinted his eyes, "Acting on the Queen Mother’s decree by talisman?"

He certainly knew about this major event in the Divine Land’s Mystical Sect.

According to the Mystical Sect, it was a faction of Fangshi worshipping the Queen Mother of the West who plotted to expand their faith and seize power. They used the secret technique of ’Divine Nightmare’, a large-scale nightmare curse, using incense powered by the Mortal Gods, driving countless ordinary people into madness.

During the battle of Chengdu, Lu Sheng had used this technique to wreak havoc.

His thoughts here heightened Li Yan’s vigilance.

Chen Yuanlu continued, "According to records, no fewer than ten thousand were bewitched, shaking the foundation of the state. Yet strangely, this tumult was swiftly pacified, with history barely recording it, as if intentionally erased."

"Even stranger, after the unrest was quelled, Wang Mang regained power shortly, and in the second year of Jushi, he issued ’Great Testimony’, forcibly linking Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun with the Queen Mother of the West, claiming the Empress Dowager was her incarnation. From then on, the worship of the Queen Mother of the West transitioned from illicit folk practice to official veneration, her incense flourishing to this day."

An inexplicable chill raced up Li Yan’s spine.

He stared at Chen Yuanlu, "What does all this have to do with Pantao?"

Chen Yuanlu paused in silence, then spoke, "I can only say, I’ve found some clues, Pantao truly exists, and is not sinister. Ever since Zhou Muwang feasted at the Turquoise Pool, Emperor Wu of Han built the Golden Mother Hall, Wang Mang leveraged power to usurp, up to the present chaos of the ’Pantao Conference’—events share its shadow."

"Finding this entity could extend the Crown Prince’s life, stabilize the court, and crucially resolve today’s chaotic Daluo Law Realm, reforge cosmic order!"

The warm pavilion suddenly fell silent.

"Forgive my frankness."

Li Yan obviously distrustful, "What you say, senior, is mere speculation. Without substantive evidence, expecting me to believe the demon tree, growing on children’s corpse bones, is some ’cosmic key’—"

He paused, leaned forward, the Duan Chen Blade sheathed across his knees.

"Unless you provide the truth, I won’t agree."

With these words, it’s outright questioning.

Chen Yuanlu might be one of the Ten Grandmasters, but what’s the current world like?

The Daluo Law Realm’s rift wide open, all Immortal Gods’ Divine Souls falling to the Human World, even the Thunder Department responsible for enforcing heavenly punishment staying shut, the heavens’ Divine Beings unable to protect themselves.

At this critical moment, who knows if a power-hungry individual would exploit the turmoil to seize authority?

If they used the so-called "Pantao" to control the Crown Prince desperate to prolong his life, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Chen Yuanlu, after listening, remained expressionless.

He gripped his sleeves again, calmly said, "The last clue to Pantao lies within the Nine Gates Yin Ruins. Whether you go or not, matters will proceed. I cannot say much, but I can tell you—"

He lifted his eyes, "In this matter, Wudang Yu Chanzi and Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhang Heavenly Master are involved."

Boom—

It felt like thunder exploding in Li Yan’s mind.

Yu Chanzi?

Zhang Heavenly Master?

In the naval battle against Japan, Yu Chanzi sat beneath the Sui Lun True Monarch Statue, using the incense of countless Divine State citizens as a lure, summoned a Lu Soldier army accumulated for millennia by the Mystical Sect, forcefully breaking the cluster of Wild Gods of Japan, Li Yan remembers vividly the bloodied yet upright figure in the Daoist robe.

And Dragon Tiger Mountain Zhang Heavenly Master, though not present at the front lines, lent the mountain-stabilizing magic artifact "Five Thunders All-Purpose Seal", sent three High Priests under his gate across the sea with three thousand talisman armor Daoist Soldiers for support.

In that battle, Dragon Tiger Mountain lost High Priests, the grass over their graves now grown threefold.

These two are pillars of the Divine Land’s Mystical Sect.