Chapter 1022: The Tentacles of the Nine Spirit Domain Are Seeping In

Mo Teng Xiao Gao Jie.

In the clan lands of the Mo Ye family, some of the Horned Demon Imperial Clan members who had gone out and luckily escaped extermination rebuilt their clan here, setting up a crude formation atop the spirit vein as a symbolic gesture, fulfilling the Imperial Clan's duty to guard its territory.

Because of the war and safety concerns, very few returned—only several dozen clan members, with just one Jiang-stage Mo Ye clansman among them.

The majority were a slave race called the Teng Hu race handling various tasks—setting up formations, repairing the damaged clan mountain ranges, houses, and so on.

No one noticed a faint shadow within the divine soul of a Nascent Soul-stage Teng Hu demon named Teng Hu Shi.

This faint shadow had merged with the divine soul, seeming to have existed there from birth.

In truth, living beings' divine souls came in all manner of strange forms—every kind of constitution existed, so a little extra grayness was nothing unusual.

Even a Great Emperor could not claim that a single sweeping glance would reveal anything.

This Nascent Soul-stage Teng Hu himself thought the same.

He loyally carried out his master's orders, carefully setting up the formation, taking out formation devices that looked no different from the usual Imperial Clan formation bases and burying them in the soil.

The core formation device, however, was respectfully delivered into the master's hands for activation.

Several months later, a fourth-stage lower-grade formation rose up in the Mo Ye family's clan lands.

"It's done."

"Too easy."

Deep within this Nascent Soul-stage Teng Hu demon's divine soul, a shadow let out a breath of relief and fell silent.

In that instant,

In Mo Teng Xiao Gao Jie, the fifth-stage spirit vein of the Mo Ye family underwent some extremely subtle changes, indistinguishable from the vein's own life-cycle pulsations, arousing no suspicion whatsoever.

In the Divine Soul Void Realm.

Unlike previous Divine Soul Void Realms, there were only nine people here; one person had been excluded.

It seemed they had long been prepared, activating ready-made means, equally distrustful of one another, each harboring their own schemes.

"That person,"

"his true nature is beginning to resurface."

Shadow Demon Dao Zi murmured: "These past years, the number of people killed, the number of people who died—even I am shocked by it."

"I often wonder whether I am the one who came from Mo Sect, or whether he is."

"Often left utterly bewildered."

"Isn't that normal?"

Ji Liuyue was somewhat baffled: "Whether it's his original sect or his current one, they're all demon sects—did you only just learn that today?"

"No."

"It's not the same thing. I'm not talking about the name. By name, in the eyes of enemies, everyone is a demon sect."

Shadow Demon Dao Zi seemed somewhat conflicted: "In actual fact, his sect's reputation is far better than my sect's. Even among mortals,

it's far better than your sect's—it's practically a sect of sages and saints."

"Toward the lesser realm cultivators, aside from not allowing them to advance, they treat them fairly well in other respects, never killing them without reason."

"Their reputation is quite good, and yet—"

"Forget it… never mind all that."

Shadow Demon Dao Zi shook his head, casting aside these muddled thoughts: "The matter in Mo Teng Xiao Gao Jie is already more than half done, barely usable. A few spots remain, but those are just backups. With the various clan kings away, internal infiltration has become far easier. I expect another ten years and the task will be complete."

The matter here referred to the deployment of the concealment formation for the Nine Spirit Domain.

All the energy of the nine Dao Zis over these years had been devoted to this task; all their cultivation had ground to a halt for it.

"How are your tasks going?"

Shadow Demon Dao Zi asked.

Mo Teng Xiao Gao Jie and several other lesser realms were his responsibility.

"Huang Sha Xiao Gao Jie has stalled—we need to wait for the various kings to leave before activating."

"Hei Shui Xiao Gao Jie is undergoing slow erosion…"

"Mo Shi Xiao Gao Jie is already complete…"

"Hua Yun Xiao Gao Jie is already complete…"

The Dao Zis reported one by one. Only Brother Brother Xuanwu's progress was slow, which was somewhat awkward, but no one said anything; a few Dao Zis mentioned they would find time to help.

"Estimated,"

Tian Ji Dao Zi calculated for a moment: "in another thirty years, we'll be largely done. Our task has a margin of error—every step done as well as possible is ideal, but missing a few is acceptable."

"Then, we wait for the big fish…"

……

Jiang Ding swept along ten blood dragons, pausing for not a single instant, flying toward the starry sky outside Huang Sha Xiao Gao Jie.

An illusory, hazy blue-flame butterfly caught up to him in the blink of an eye. It carried no killing power, seeming to be some kind of karmic tracking art.

Jiang Ding was about to draw his sword and cut it down.

"Dong Xue He Wang,"

"I've long admired your fame."

The voice of Cang Kong Di Zi came from the illusory butterfly, carrying goodwill: "You, with the body of a slave race and a shattered foundation, have forged the Fourth Realm of sword Dao—you may truly be called a peerless hero, an unrivaled prodigy."

"Even I fall short."

"That's perfectly normal."

"You were always far inferior to me."

Jiang Ding released the sword hilt and said flatly.

"……"

The Cang Kong Imperial Son fell silent for a moment.

He had to admit that this was indeed the case.

He had thought it was flattery, a condescending gesture, but the other party had not deigned to care. This person had none of the humility a slave race should possess; within his heart burned a powerful self-confidence.

"Dong Xue He Wang."

"According to what I know,"

"you have already broken free of the Flame Stone Family's slave brand?"

The Cang Kong Imperial Son stopped beating around the bush and asked.

He now styled himself the Worthy Imperial Son. Compared to the Yan Liu Imperial Son, who would slaughter entire clans at the slightest provocation, his reputation was impeccable. All the kings were willing to serve as his eyes and ears, and many secrets were not secrets at all.

"Indeed."

Jiang Ding nodded and admitted it.

"What benefits did the Yan Liu Imperial Son give you?"

The Cang Kong Imperial Son asked again.

"That man is petty, arrogant yet cowardly, and his strength is weak. In my view, there is no possibility he could have recruited you through personal charisma."

He delivered this judgment with a hint of contempt.

In his eyes, the Yan Liu Imperial Son was nothing more than the son of a country bumpkin landlord, never a true rival.

"What else could it be?"

"This old cultivator of a king — at this point, is there anything left that could move me?"

Jiang Ding countered.

"Could it be the Dao Heart Planting Demon Slave Scripture?"

"Yes."

Jiang Ding's eyes lit up slightly as he looked at the Cang Kong Imperial Son, a hint of warmth and amiability appearing in his gaze.

"Dong Xue He Wang."

"The Dao Heart Planting Demon Slave Scripture — I can give it to you as well."

The Cang Kong Imperial Son said slowly.

The one opposite did not answer, watching him expectantly.

Yet the Cang Kong Imperial Son said: "I come from an ancient Imperial Family and can shelter you far better. You have a greater chance of surviving."

"I am not deceiving you in any way. I can only swear before my ancestors that I will do everything in my power to let you live."

He said with utmost sincerity.

"As long as you swear fealty to me…"

"Shut up!"

"Cang Kong."

The warmth and amiability vanished from Jiang Ding's eyes. He cut him off coldly: "Don't speak of these irrelevant things. This king wants a Great Emperor Scripture — a true Great Emperor Scripture, not some slave scripture like this."

"If you give it to me now, I will immediately go and drag the Yan Liu Imperial Son here for you."

The Cang Kong Imperial Son fell silent.

After a long while,

he sighed.

"I would very much like to agree, but alas, I cannot…"

The Cang Kong Imperial Son sighed, and his voice gradually faded away.