Others quickly rushed over as well.
At this moment, many subordinates of the original Source City’s ruler were attacking Holy Mother Shui Tianyi in the skies above Yuan City.
With a mere sweep of his divine consciousness, Shui Miao detected several individuals among them whose auras were different from ordinary beings. Based on prior experiences, these people were likely suspicious and might possess body-swap mirrors.
Could it be that the false Celestial Emperor Xuan Chizi had hidden himself in Yuan City?
Without waiting for others to speak, Shui Miao immediately activated the Hongyu Chessboard, composed entirely of supreme-grade holy artifacts, to suppress the group. Then he vanished and reappeared beside Holy Mother Shui Tianyi, immediately initiating a Void-Annihilation Formation to attack the assailants.
Under this onslaught, the magical treasures on the attackers were instantly destroyed. Not only did the pressure on Holy Mother Shui Tianyi ease significantly, but the suspicious individuals, whose body-swap mirrors had been shattered by the formation, began exuding devilish qi.
“This is demonic energy!”
Upon sensing the demonic aura, Xingtian Dharma Sage immediately intervened, capturing one of the individuals.
“What Shui Miao said is true. The Demon Realm has indeed infiltrated our Celestial Court…”
Chongyuanzi, his thoughts racing, instantly summoned a thunderous holy artifact and activated the Zhuxie Formation, specifically designed to combat demons, unleashing a bolt of lightning toward one of the figures radiating demonic energy. After the lightning struck, the figure’s form was shattered, revealing its true identity: a monstrous black serpent. Its grotesque and massive body writhed convulsively on the ground.
After testing the creature and confirming it was indeed an evil demon, the cautious Chongyuanzi fully activated his thunderous holy artifact, releasing several lightning bolts to attack the remaining demons.
Meanwhile, Shui Miao seized one of the demons and, using the Dream Demon Technique, infiltrated his mind to extract his thoughts and memories.
With no escape, the demons were all annihilated.
The previously incited disciples from Yuan City, witnessing this scene, were so terrified they immediately ceased their actions and retreated to the sidelines.
“What a bunch of scoundrels! Daring to claim I’m an imposter, now that several city rulers from the Celestial Court are here, what more do you have to say?” Holy Mother Shui Tianyi was furious. The people of Yuan City had not only refused to acknowledge her authority but had even attacked her, which was extremely infuriating.
Eager to show off, Xingtian Dharma Sage angrily pointed at the assembled immortals of Yuan City, “How dare you conspire with the Demon Clan and attempt to kill the newly appointed ruler of Yuan City! Your crimes are grave and unforgivable!”
“Boom!”
Chongyuanzi suddenly rained down several punitive lightning bolts upon the immortals, instantly draining their magical energy and severely damaging their spiritual essence.
“You have violated the celestial laws and must be severely punished. Xingtian Dharma Sage, I have already stripped their powers; the remaining punishment is up to you,” Chongyuanzi declared swiftly. Indeed, even without Shui Miao’s involvement, he would never show mercy to immortals who violated celestial laws.
“Excellent!”
Xingtian Dharma Sage immediately moved to arrest the immortals.
The remaining immortals in Yuan City were terrified, and none dared to show the slightest disrespect toward Holy Mother Shui Tianyi.
“The false Celestial Emperor Xuan Chizi is at the headquarters of the Sanqing Sect!”
After examining the demon’s memories for a while, Shui Miao suddenly opened his eyes, having obtained crucial information.
In the first heavenly realm, besides the five immortal mountains of the Celestial Court, there were nine other immortal mountains.
Of these nine immortal mountains, besides the Celestial Court’s Bingsi Mountain and Zhengsi Mountain, the remaining seven were the headquarters of various sects.
In the ancient Immortal Realm, these headquarters were once the palaces of the Celestial Court’s high-ranking ministers. For example, Laozi’s palace was now the headquarters of the Sanqing Sect, while Wangmu Mountain had become the headquarters of the Kunlun Sect. Previously, the caves of various immortals had now become the headquarters of several sects.
Moreover, Shui Miao had obtained crucial information.
In this first heavenly realm, the seven immortal mountains controlled by various sects were, in reality, already mostly under the control of the Demon Realm.
Xuan Chizi, the senior apprentice of the Demon Realm Emperor Wu Yazi, had come to the Immortal Realm with the primary mission of continuously consolidating the Demon Realm’s control over the Immortal Realm. After creating a situation where various sects were in conflict, he infiltrated the sects internally, using body-swap mirrors to replace the sect leaders with demons, thereby achieving the ultimate goal of completely controlling the fate of the Celestial Court.
Shui Miao then transmitted the memories he had obtained to everyone.
Wenchang Emperor felt a stirring in his heart and hurriedly turned to the Tianji Zunzhe puppet, asking, “Brother Tianji, what are your thoughts on this matter?”
“Use swift and decisive measures to root out these demons and completely eliminate them.”
The Tianji Zunzhe puppet responded promptly and decisively, following Shui Miao’s intent.
Wenchang Emperor furrowed his brow, “This might cause significant chaos. These demons have already infiltrated the core of the sects. Although we know they are demons, the disciples of the sects may not believe us. They might even think the Celestial Court is trying to violently suppress the sects, which could lead them to unite against the Celestial Court.”
Now, the resentment between the various sects and the Celestial Court had accumulated deeply.
Without an outbreak, the problem could not be completely resolved.
However, Shui Miao felt that Wenchang Emperor was exceptionally intelligent. Since he had spoken up, he must have a better plan.
Therefore, Shui Miao stepped forward and asked in a low voice, “Your Majesty, do you have a brilliant plan in mind?”
Wenchang Emperor smiled slightly, “I wouldn’t call it a brilliant plan. It’s more about addressing the current situation and finding the most perfect way to resolve the issue. I have two plans. The first is to take advantage of the fact that the demons hiding in the Immortal Realm are still unaware of what has happened here. We should immediately seal the information and swiftly locate and eliminate them one by one. However, if the information leaks, the sects below will cause trouble, so the aftermath might be a bit complicated. The other option is to hold the Immortal and Divine War ahead of schedule, causing chaos among the sects so they won’t have time to focus on anything else. Then we can take advantage of the chaos to clean up the Immortal Realm. Once the Immortal and Divine War is over, all our problems will be resolved.”
Wenchang Emperor’s considerations were very thorough and meticulous, and both plans were very realistic.
After hearing this, Chongyuanzi immediately expressed his support: “The second plan is excellent. Moreover, we can announce that this will be the final Immortal and Divine War in the Immortal Realm. This way, we not only keep our word but also give the immortals hope for the future, allowing them to gradually move away from this vicious cycle. Furthermore, the demons from the Demon Realm, knowing this is the last Immortal and Divine War, will spare no effort to seize control of the sects to gain dominance. This will allow us to identify them and take the opportunity to completely eliminate them.”
With the memory he had just obtained, Chongyuanzi completely trusted Shui Miao.
Tianyi Dejun also nodded with a stroke of his beard, showing his agreement.
After thinking for a moment, Shui Miao nodded and said, “These plans are all excellent, and we can implement them simultaneously. However, the key to this operation lies in speed. We must act quickly to completely disrupt their plans. Additionally, the Immortal and Divine War will inevitably result in the deaths of many immortals. For the future development of the Immortal Realm, we need to seek out and protect some of the promising talents.”
“This task will be entrusted to me. I know who among the three realms is talented and who is not.” Wenchang Emperor, the holy ruler in charge of all scholars, assured that those he recommended would be reliable.
Eager to show off, Chongyuanzi said, “As for the Immortal and Divine War, identifying and eliminating the hidden demons within the sects, I can take care of that.”
“Alright, seniors, if you need anything, such as holy artifacts, feel free to ask me directly. As long as I have the array blueprints, I guarantee I can forge them in the shortest possible time.” Shui Miao nodded to Wenchang Emperor and Chongyuanzi, “Besides that, the demons within the sects of this heavenly realm will be dealt with by me and my senior brother Tianji Zunzhe.”
Shui Miao’s generosity was admirable.
Offering supreme-grade holy artifacts freely—what an incredible level of trust?
This was unimaginable before, so based solely on this, everyone was completely convinced of Shui Miao.
“Brothers, is there anything I can do?”
Tianyi Dejun, an honest man, didn’t actively ask for anything. He would do whatever others asked him to do.
“…”
Wenchang Emperor and Chongyuanzi looked at each other, neither needing anyone else’s help. After all, this was a great opportunity to earn merit.
Shui Miao paused and said, “Senior Dejun, if you have the time, you could take care of some innocent immortals, protecting them from the suffering of war.”
“Great! That’s exactly what I want to do. Haha, Brother Shui Miao, you’re truly a supreme forger with great virtue!”
Tianyi Dejun was very happy.
“That’s right. I see Brother Shui Miao as a leader with the talent to command the masses, and he is also very benevolent.”
“Exactly, exactly. I used to think he was very young, but now I realize that this vigor is something we old fellows lack. Being with him makes me feel young again, hahaha…”
Wenchang Emperor and Chongyuanzi also nodded and praised Shui Miao.
“Haha, what are you all talking about so happily…”
Xingtian Dharma Sage and Holy Mother Shui Tianyi approached.
Shui Miao, using the Tianji Zunzhe puppet, said to everyone, “Everyone, for this operation, to prevent any unexpected events, I hope you all prepare mentally in advance. We must either not act, or act decisively and cleanly. Later, I will go to the Sanqing Sect with Brother Shui Miao, while Holy Mother Shui Tianyi and Xingtian Dharma Sage maintain the stability of this heavenly realm. If demons from other sects come to rescue, you must find a way to stop them. Also, if something happens to me, I hope you all can continue on this path.”
Facing Xuan Chizi, Shui Miao dared not be careless.
After all, the identity of the Tianji Zunzhe puppet was fake. If everyone found out the truth, the hard-earned momentum would be ruined. Therefore, the Tianji Zunzhe puppet would take this opportunity to perish along with Xuan Chizi.
“…”
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately became serious. After all, Xuan Chizi, the senior apprentice of the Demon Emperor, was not an easy opponent.
After a pause, the Tianji Zunzhe puppet continued, “If something happens to me, Wenchang Emperor and the Thunder Sect Dharma Sage will lead everyone.”
These two were super intelligent and strategic, just and incorruptible, enforcing the law strictly. Letting them temporarily manage the Celestial Court was the best choice.
However, at this moment, Tianyi Dejun suddenly spoke up, “Everyone, I know something, but I’m not sure if I should say it.”
“What is there not to say? We are all of one heart now.”
“That’s right! The Immortal Realm depends on us. Just speak openly!”
“Exactly, whatever it is, we’ll discuss it together.”
Everyone spoke up, feeling like a family due to Shui Miao’s influence.
“Alright…”
Tianyi Dejun furrowed his brow, “I oversee Hou City and know of some places where the souls of various severely injured divine rulers from the previous Immortal-Demon War are hidden. Although they did not directly oppose the Demon Realm, I know they have been watching the Immortal Realm closely all along. Now I’m a bit worried. We are all working hard for the future of the Celestial Court, but what if these old relics, seeing the decline of the Demon Realm, start emerging one by one and take over the Celestial Court again, reverting it back to its ancient state? Back then, it was all about extravagant feasts and grand displays, and even doing something required seeking approval for days. At that time, I really worry that they will completely abandon the reform plans we have been persistently advocating. Therefore, we need to consider this matter and figure out what to do if they all return.”
Tianyi Dejun’s considerations were very far-sighted, and he also hoped that everyone would not let the hard-earned achievements be destroyed.
“…”
Everyone looked at each other, then turned their gazes toward Shui Miao…
Shui Miao’s eyebrows moved, and he let out a long sigh, solemnly saying, “The past is the past. From now on, we will discuss everything together. We will absolutely not return to the feudal imperial era. Now, everyone should get to their respective tasks…”
“Whoosh!”
Shui Miao and the Tianji Zunzhe puppet instantly flew to the front of an immortal mountain. On the front of a huge peak of the mountain, three large black characters were carved in a dragon-phoenix dance: “Sanqing Sect.”
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