Chapter 2659: Hell Still Has Eighteen Layers

No matter how the Spirit Void Saint Venerable tries to keep it secret, the demon puppet masters of the Spirit Essence Palace are the actual operators of this task. This secret cannot be hidden from them.

"Who do they believe in? Give me a list." Under He Lu Tian's light tone, a heavy killing intent was concealed, "We don't want those who don't obey."

"Yes." Xiao Ping also said, "The new address of the Spirit Essence Palace has not been leaked. It seems the source of the last leak is likely not within the palace."

"Need you say that?" Xiao Ping's tone, He Lu Tian immediately heard it, but had no intention of paying attention.

"Weren't you told to keep the experimental subjects and not destroy them? Recently, a hundred heavenly gods will descend and reside long-term at the Spirit Essence Palace. No matter the circumstances, they will protect the Spirit Essence Palace completely."

A hundred heavenly gods descending! Xiao Ping's breath hitched—wasn't that like a hundred bosses dropping from the sky?

However, a hundred heavenly gods can indeed protect the Spirit Essence Palace as solidly as an iron barrel.

He Lu Tian's stern voice echoed in the Quiet Heart Pavilion: "For these five months, whatever you need, the Heavenly Palace will satisfy your request. Your task has only one item—"

"Give it your all, complete the final mission entrusted to you by the Saint Venerable!"

Xiao Ping knew neither she nor the Spirit Essence Palace could utter half a "no," so she could only take a deep breath and make a promise:

"I will definitely complete the mission!"

￥￥￥￥￥

Ju City Chixiao Golden Hall, Imperial Study.

Outside, the sun was bright, birds chirped on the garden branches, He Lingchuan covered his mouth and yawned.

After the Panlong World reopened to him, he resumed his busy days inside and out, though fulfilling, it was also exhausting. Real-world state affairs grew busier by the day, the Panlong World's battlefield grew more urgent by the day, the strong must attend to both ends, exhausting their minds on both fronts.

He hadn't finished his yawn when Sun Hongye entered.

"Your Majesty, ten days ago, Wei State experienced a rebellion, two provincial governors and one general rose in arms in three places in succession, now fighting fiercely."

Wei State borders Mu State, not far from Between Between Between Beijia.

"Which side has the upper hand?"

"The rebel momentum is stronger, even deploying special weapons. The court army initially lost several battles in a row, now organizing a counterattack, but appearing weak." Sun Hongye, a qualified commentator, explained the background without the Emperor needing to ask: "Wei State changed its ruler three years ago, gaining power through maternal clan influence, but never won court favor, and governance was ineffective."

"Thus, the rebellion found space." He Lingchuan asked, "Where did the rebels get their special weapons?"

"The Wei State court army was also very surprised."

He Lingchuan snorted, then asked:

"Wei State is a vassal of Mu State. Is there any movement in Mu State now?"

"None for now."

He Lingchuan hummed, indicating he understood.

For three years, such chaos has been commonplace.

The rapid recovery of heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, frequent appearances of immortals and great demons, originally kept the world in turmoil, but nothing compares to the past thousand-plus days.

Over the past three years, the world has fallen into disorder.

The craze of frequent appearances of immortals and demons has finally subsided, but wars continue unceasingly between nations, within nations, and between nations and sects!

For example, the aforementioned Wei State is a new state founded only seven years ago, having already experienced a bloody storm before its founding, with fresh memories among the people. Not even a generation has passed, and war has erupted again.

The mutual pressure between states is as common as daily meals.

To the west, Shen State is also fighting Ba Ling, isn't it?

Even the loyal vassal state of Xuan Yi under Cang Yan State has recently been busy going to war with its neighbors.

In the documents He Lingchuan stacked on his desk last month, there was also a letter about a great demon devouring a city. I don't know where three great demons suddenly appeared, attacked Fu State's city, and devoured over two thousand people in one night.

In short, this world has fallen into even greater chaos, exactly what is meant by "Hell still has eighteen layers." The scene people once longed for—after spiritual energy recovery, everyone has enough to eat, no starvation, long life and cultivation possible—has simply not appeared.

Where is the problem?

"The descent of the Heavenly Demon is imminent, requiring more nightmare energy." He Lingchuan sighed, "The more, the better."

How much nightmare energy will the Spirit Void Saint Venerable need to bring all the Heavenly Demons down?

Where does nightmare energy come from? From the human world.

The crazier the Heavenly Demon's demand for nightmare energy, the crazier the human world will become.

This is already an open secret—how could national leaders not know?

But knowing is one thing, wanting not to be drawn into the war's vortex—that is not something one can decide.

"Helpless"—these four words apply not only to people in chaotic times, but also to states in chaotic times.

"Besides Cang Yan and Mu State, who can maintain such strategic resolve?" Sun Hongye also sighed, "Between Between Between Beijia can't either. Between Between Between Beijia stirs up trouble everywhere, fans the flames, yet is itself helpless."

"The one fanning the flames most fiercely now is not Between Between Between Beijia, but the Heavenly Palace." Du Shan also entered.

Sun Hongye had already reported and seized the opportunity to retire.

"How?"

"After investigating again, the rebellion behind a certain state was found to be the Heavenly Palace's doing." Du Shan presented the documents with both hands on the table, "This is the seventh time, done openly and shamelessly."

"Is it the Heavenly Palace, not Between Between Between Beijia?"

Du Shan shook his head: "It is the Heavenly Palace personally intervening."

He Lingchuan opened the documents, glanced twice, then threw them on the table: "Before, the Heavenly Palace rarely intervened directly in human affairs."

"Before, someone else did this work for it." Du Shan smiled, "Now people are unwilling, so it has to come itself." He Lingchuan had long received definite intelligence from Spirit Void City: the Heavenly Palace believes Mu State violated Between Between Between Beijia and the heavenly gods' interests, urging Between Between Between Beijia to attack Mu State and uphold dignity, but the Demon Emperor has remained inactive for nearly five months, only stirring up a few small-scale skirmishes on the Bei-Mu border.

The Heavenly Palace is very dissatisfied.

Between Between Between Beijia and Mu State are both major powers of the current era; if these two giants go to full-scale war, nightmare energy will be extraordinarily abundant, far surpassing what the Heavenly Palace struggles to provoke in various small and medium hotspots worldwide.

Du Shan restrained his smile, lowered his voice: "A few days ago, the Heavenly Palace summoned the Demon Emperor to Mount Xushan. The attending ministers did not enter the Zhai Xing Lou, but the Demon Emperor only stayed in the Zhai Xing Lou for a moment before leaving, his aura terrifying. The ministers judged they likely parted on bad terms."

"The Demon Emperor and the Heavenly Demon have long not been of one mind." He Lingchuan tapped his fingers twice on the table, "Their relationship buried a great bomb over three years ago, unknown when it will explode. During this time, the Demon Emperor has probably not been idle."

Between Between Between Beijia is also full of talent; whatever should be researched has been researched.

Du Shan softly requested instruction: "Should we further strengthen communication with Spirit Void City, releasing more friendly intentions?"

"Of course. Spirit Void City is Spirit Void City, the Demon Emperor is the Demon Emperor, the Heavenly Demon is the Heavenly Demon—they can no longer be lumped together." He Lingchuan didn't look up, corner of his mouth lifting.