Chapter 990: Seeking the Emperor's Son of the Horned Demon Emperor Clan

The Mo Yan clan cultivator Kuo Yan did not stay in Zishi City for long; after a patrol, he departed to continue inspecting the surrounding areas.

Jiang Ding silently observed him from within his divine soul.

He discovered many strengths of the Mo Yan clan.

Meticulous as hair, calculating down to the last grain, they could easily see whether the slave clans in every area were working wholeheartedly, which slaves could be further squeezed, which had been squeezed to their limit, which produced too little and needed to be culled and replaced with a new batch...

All these matters, the Mo Yan cultivator named Kuo Yan could handle efficiently.

'A fine race.'

'After slaughtering all Mo Yan clansmen with blood debts, some should be left behind to add diversity to the Immortal races.'

Jiang Ding subconsciously thought from the perspective of the Lord of the Northern Plains.

However, he actually had no say in this matter.

The Immortal Gates enforce a harsh, closed immigration policy; these talents from the Ten Thousand Races are likely to be gathered by the Badaxian Sect to strengthen their power.

Fortunately, the strengthening is not too great.

The talents of the Ten Thousand Races are restricted below the Refining Void realm; very few are allowed to advance to Refining Void, and they are destined to be puppets or avatars, so in the short term they should not affect the power balance between the Immortal Gates and the Immortal Sects.

Kuo Yan patrolled the outside for several years, then returned to Moyan Ancient City via a teleportation array.

'Very good.'

'The distance to the Emperor's Son has shortened once again...'

Jiang Ding calculated for a moment.

This is the Shadow Demon Abyss's stealth technique, using a human soul as armor to conceal; it is thousands of times safer than simply hiding in the void while traveling, and avoids facing layers of detection and guards.

Moyan Ancient City sits upon a fourth-tier high-grade spiritual vein and is the core of a region spanning over one hundred thousand li.

After returning here, Kuo Yan hurried straight to a high mountain, where he met his father, a General-rank Mo Yan cultivator who is also the deputy city lord of Moyan Ancient City.

The true city lord is naturally a General-rank clansman from the Horned Demon Emperor Clan.

Everywhere is the same: any position of value is held by a Horned Demon Emperor Clan cultivator, and all slave cultivators serve them as their masters.

Through this Horned Demon Emperor Clan cultivator, the distance to the Emperor's Son can be shortened once more.

All these things are no coincidence.

When Jiang Ding decided to lie low within the Shan Sect, he had already seen these networks; when needed, he would trigger the network to obtain what he required.

"Father, I..."

Kuo Yan recounted his experiences one by one, detailing how he handled the affairs of each slave clan.

His father occasionally offered guidance, corrections, and commentary on his actions, telling him how to do better.

These matters, for

the Mo Yan clan, are more important than strength.

Their very existence is to serve as servants of the Flame Stone Great Emperor, performing various chores for the Great Emperor to gain his favor.

"Father, over at Lingjing Lake, that Blood Demon seems dead, but in reality he may not be."

Kuo Yan hesitated: "Should we report this to the Kings and request the Kings to act, rooting out these Blood Demons entirely? Otherwise, they appear every few decades, which might form a great disaster."

"Impossible."

The Mo Yan cultivator, as tall as a mountain, shook his head.

"If we report this to the Kings, it is our dereliction of duty; once we father and son are found derelict, our status within the clan will immediately be replaced by others."

"The Kings within the clan are usually receiving the Emperor Clan Kings, obeying the orders of the Emperor Clan Kings, the Great Emperor and the Great Emperor's bloodline, plus their own cultivation; they are already very busy, with little free time each day."

"If we go disturb them again, it will very easily provoke the Kings' wrath."

For slave clans, even reaching the highest ninth rank is not easy.

"But..."

Kuo Yan was still somewhat worried.

"No 'buts'."

The Mo Yan cultivator, as tall as a mountain, spoke slowly: "Blood Demon lineages exist everywhere; even if a calamity erupts, it will not necessarily erupt here; it is not that coincidental."

"Blood Demon uprisings occur everywhere; why haven't others reported them?"

"Because they have already been handled."

"The Blood Demons are difficult to eradicate; everyone knows this. Five or six hundred years ago, many Kings already swept them clean once. What He Deheneng do you have to drive many Kings to sweep them clean again in such a short time?"

"Do not overestimate yourself."

"Yes, Father."

Kuo Yan felt a chill in his heart.

Father and son discussed cultivation matters for a while longer, then Kuo Yan bowed and withdrew.

The Mo Yan cultivator, as tall as a mountain, continued his cultivation.

Within the divine soul, many lights flowed.

For some reason, he suddenly felt he should go to meet the city lord and report the events that had occurred in Moyan Ancient City during this period.

This was very reasonable; there was nothing strange about it.

Every so often he did this, even though the other party was entirely focused on cultivation and never asked proactively.

This is the duty of the Mo Yan clansmen.

So many coincidences,

so many leaps.

Unknowingly, several years later, a Horned Demon Emperor Clan cultivator named Jiao Yan appeared in the center of the Mo Shi Xiao Gao Jie, near Huoshi Imperial City.

He gazed at the Firestone Imperial City, nestled among the clouds and volcanic ash layers in the distance, and his expression turned one of awe.

Jiao Yan was a General-rank cultivator of the Jiao Mo clan.

a General-rank cultivator.

He hailed from the family of the Flame Stone Emperor; a flame pattern grew upon the single horn on his forehead. He was a collateral branch of the family; many generations ago, his ancestor and the Flame Stone Emperor's ancestor were brothers, and back then, they too possessed the bloodline of the Imperial Clan.

However, all that was in the past.

The Imperial bloodline of his branch had faded; without a peerless genius breaking through via bloodline mutation, they might remain merely noble-blooded forever, their life's limit being the attainment of Kingship, with no possibility of ascending further.

Of course, that was already good enough.

Even within the Jiao Mo Imperial Clan, his branch was upper-tier; the legacy of their ancestors had not yet been exhausted.

Jiao Yan had come here to seek an opportunity to break through to the late stage of the General rank; he had some confidence, for his mother had once been a maid to the Flame Flower Imperial Son.

Within his divine soul, a wisp of dim light flashed once, then fell completely silent.

'Firestone Imperial City...'

'Does the Great Emperor reside here?'

Jiang Ding pondered in his heart.

'Generally, no. The Minor Thousand Worlds are too small for a Void Refining existence; Void Refining cultivators usually dwell outside the Minor Thousand Worlds, gathering spiritual energy from multiple worlds to cultivate, or they reside in the Zhong Senior Qian Shi Gao Jie of that Jiao Mo Imperial Clan, within the Jiao Mo Gao Jie—that is the place Void Refining cultivators long for.'

'The "Little Spirit Realm" of the Badaxian Sect is a crude imitation of the Zhong Senior Qian Shi Gao Jie.'

'However, the will of the Great Emperor must exist here, along with numerous methods.'

'These things are extremely sensitive.'

Jiang Ding dared no longer remain conscious.

He activated the Shadow Demon Abyss Mi Fa, plunging himself into a state of slumber, reducing his aura to the maximum extent, leaving only the final wisp of spiritual awareness on his escape means.

Only when he truly encountered an Imperial Son, an Imperial Son outside the Firestone Imperial City, would he awaken.

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