"And where is that laboratory?" Xinzi asked. Even as Hengye Wuxin, believing that they'd only put brakes on his growth, Qingxin kept most of his cultivation-related matters from the rest of the Hengye clan. Not many places in the Great Desolation World had a clear connection to him. The Black Lotus Temple aside, Xinzi couldn't think of any location. And since this one was so obvious, it likely was incorrect.
"The Imperial Wind Academy," Xue Yuanshao said, smiling for he knew that Xinzi—or anyone else for that matter, would never think of that location.
"Huh? In the capital of the Eastern Spirit Empire? What in the 18 hells was the old man doing there?" Xinzi's head tilted at the words. His forehead creased, and his eyes narrowed at Xue Yuanshao.
Xinzi could hide in Yanzhou because he had the backing of the Hengye clan, the ability to break his shackles when his Divine Soul got threatened, and last but not the least, the might of his Zhen-body. Back when Qingxin was still trying to fuse holy and divine, although his cultivation base had exceeded all his peers, and many of his elders, it wasn't enough to run amok throughout the world. Carrying out such experiments so close to the Central Domain was nothing short of suicidal.
Then again, on his meteoric rise to the peak of the Great Desolation World, Qingxin didn't know the meaning of "fear," redefining overbearingness with every deed. It wasn't until 10,000 years ago that his personality underwent a 180 shift.
"He killed and masqueraded as the great elder of the Feng Spirit clan, then headmaster of the Imperial Wind Academy. Using that cover, he weakened the other Feng elders, took control of the Eastern Imperial City, and mobilized the manpower of the Eastern Continent to gather as many experiment tools and sacrifices as he needed," Xue Yuanshao said.
Also know as the defunct Imperial Feng clan. The Feng Spirit clan had ruled the East for tens of thousands of years, before their clan master, the Nameless Sword Emperor, slaughtered the clan elders and committed suicide during the Great Desolation War. This event took place many years after Hengye Wuxin was done with Imperial Wind Academy, and right now, the Eastern Imperial Family was surnamed Shentu.
'Yep, sounds like something that Hengye Wuxin would do. That husband and wife pair both had a thing for impersonating folks. Divine Mother does as well. Maybe I should take a page off their book, one of these days.' Xinzi thought, and stood up.
"Then I guess the Imperial Wind Academy now joins the list of places I have to mess up. Can't say that I am thrilled. That list is getting too long for my taste. Well done. I was considering turning you into the next Green Hat Immortal, but turns out you're more useful as a ghost alchemist, after all," Xinzi said, clapped for good measure, then stretched his hands out. One aimed at Xue Yuanshao, the other at Tusha. The Swallowing Skill kicked in, and the Evil Qi leaking from the Infernal Nun flew into Xinzi's right hand, then poured out from the left, filling Xue Yuanshao's evil-stained soul with a surge of malevolent energies.
"Hehehe, the Green Immortal Sword Art is useless on me. I like men much more than I do women—actually, I only like men. For the Green Immortal Sword Art to display its true splendor, the practitioner needs one master that cucks them routinely and acts as the main catalyst for all their degradation. You were Xiao Hu's, but I don't think you would be mine's as well."
"This is the type of information I could have lived without. So that's why you're such a huge Wuxin-fanboy, huh? Want to choke on the old man's meat? What a tragic world we live in."
"..."
"Don't get me wrong. To each its own, more cunts for me. Then again, you were never a threat."
"..."
"At least you're consistent with yourself. You know in what way you swing and stick to that lane. I respect that. Unlike greedy mofos like Hanxing who want shafts and flower buds on the same bloody plate. There ought to be a law for being too greedy. Mhm...you know what? Scratch that. If such a law existed, I'd be the first to go to jail."
"..." As the little exchange went on, the Five Elements Transmutative Technique kicked in, alter the Xue ghost's soul to perfect the merger with the Evil Qi and covert Xue Yuanshao into a Demonic Soul. Xue Yuanshao had no idea of what Xinzi planned, but he dared not resist—not that he could put up much resistance to begin with.
"As a Blood Spirit, Tusha has no use for Evil Qi. Congratulations, Xue Yuanshao. In life, you never exceeded the peak of Supreme Clarity. In death, you will become a False Devil with a cultivation base comparable to the Heavenly Immortal Realm. Go and possess the Red-Tongued Devil's Corpse. It's yours," Xinzi said and flicked one Demonic Shard at the Red-Tongued Devil's gaping chest, it fell right into the spot where the heart used to be, latching on ruptured veins, and unleashing a berserk surge of electrifying infernal energies that spread throughout the Red-Tongued Devil Corpse. Its elongated arms trembled, chilling blue orbs flashed in its dark eyes, and its shriveled pale-blue skin, flashed with infernal energies.
"I've sacrificed one Demonic Shard to replace the Heart that Tusha is now refining. Do a good job, and I will transmute the shard into a new heart so you can tap into 100% of the corpse's abilities. There's also a world where you receive the Servant Sutra so you can carry on with your cultivation. In the meantime, you're promoted to Head Alchemist of the Liberation Temple. Here in the Liberation Temple, merit and accomplishments always receive due rewards. I expect nothing less than brilliance," Xinzi said, and waved at the 99 Corpse Demons. Clouds of multicolored energies wrapped them all, sending them into the Evil Qi Tide, which had shrunken significantly.
"Master, your servant will not let you down!" Besides himself with glee, Xue Yuanshao dropped to his knees, prostrating himself at Xinzi's feet.
"Good. Cause if you do...you know, RIP and all that." Xinzi spoke in such a casual and relaxed tone that Xue Yuanshao broke into nervous laughter—nodding repeatedly. Without further ado, the ghost, threw himself at the Red-Tongued Devil's Corpse, possessing it with fiendish delight. Thanks to the modifications offered by Xinzi, Xue Yuanshao had no problem taking root in this pristine body, and just like his sister before him, had to admit that 'A direct connection to a deity is by default an Immortal Destiny.'
Unlike Jingzhao, however, Xue Yuanshao had long lost interest in cultivation. Immortality was a tool he'd gladly use to carry out all the experiments he needed to unravel all the mysteries of heaven and earth. But beyond that, it didn't interest him anymore. A False Devil was by default immortal, so unless Xinzi wanted him to, Xue Yuanshao was satisfied just staying at the peak of the Demon Creed.
'Boss! Boss! I've gathered all the data! You were right, the girls did leave clues in the Liberation Temple!' Here, the Armored Lion King's voice echoed in Xinzi's mind.
'Show me the recordings.'
'Right on!' Images from the Recording Mirror the lion used to carry out his detective job flooded Xinzi's mind.
There wasn't much to see. But in the Liberation Temple's treasury, Xinzi found a poem coded in ancient script. After deducing the meaning, it gave this:
'I hope my husband will be lewd but not depraved—shameless, yet moral-bound. With beauties on his meat and Goddesses left to chase, may he reach the peak of his Lewd Dao, and bone till his heart gives out. Then he will find me in the western seas, saw raised by my dark umbrella to lop off his meat of misdeeds!'
"..." Underneath his blood mask, Xinzi broke into cold sweat, wondering who came up with these vicious words. The ancient script had to be Chun Xu's idea, but the words...Dong Ling for sure!
"Hum! Hum! I will now go and assault the White Immortal Sect. By the time the White-Winged Demon Brigade and I return, the true Xinzi will likely be back already. Stand ready to receive him...me...I get confused sometimes," Xinzi said, grabbed his Thousand Soul Immolation Flag, and turned towards the Blood Beast.
It lowered its head, its body expanding to a startling 30 meters as it made room for its master's butt. Our monk leaped onto the nape of the Blood Beast's neck. Pale flesh wings grew from its back, and it unfolded its wings, racing towards the White Immortal Sect.
...
Meanwhile, above Burning Spear Supercity, the sky had never looked brighter. But the citizens couldn't appreciate heaven's beauty, for a brigade of 3,000 winged angels stood underneath the clouds, weapons drawn with radiant smiles. The Dao itself echoed from their chests, hypnotizing the vulnerable while seducing the mighty. One-hundred angelic soldiers beat war drums, unleashing formless vibration waves that tore through all of Burning Spear Supercity's array nodes, and destroyed the formations.
"Henceforth, Burning Spear Supercity and the entirety of Yanzhou Province belongs to my lord, his eminence, Reverend Ecstasy!" Xin Zhong said, and white lightning crackled in the sky, as if Heaven itself backed his words.
