No answer.
Though the Supreme and Unfeeling Grand Dao—or Heavenly Dao as Xinzi liked to call it—had spread through his bones, hearts and soul, though he could feel the gate and connection established by this foreign entity, Xinzi didn't get an answer. Heaven's silence amused him, and he smiled at its lack of riposte.
"Oh now don't be shy. We will have to talk, eventually. No? Silence? You prefer it on your terms? Suit yourself." Unbothered, Xinzi dropped the matter, focusing his Divine Sense on studying his body's changes.
Even in his monastic shell, Xinzi's Soul Force rose immensely, already exceeding the Human Immortal level. His understanding of various formations shot up as well, and in the future, the rate at which his Soul Force progressed would transcend all generations.
The Heavenly Dukes were correct. The Zhen-body had been conceived to become the perfect host for the Heavenly Dao—nothing could come close to their compatibility level. But though not on par with his Zhen self, Xinzi had something the Zhen-body didn't: resistance.
With three Demon Noble Hearts, a Holy cultivation base, and the Heaven-Trampling Dao Bones—especially those bones, Xinzi's ability to resist Heaven's manipulations surpassed that of any other. The Divine Power in those bones rose at an alarming speed, and the shackles imposed by Yongye on Xinzi's spark cracked somewhat.
Another trick that no one could consider now played a crucial role: the Devil Root Refining Sutra. Without hesitation, Xinzi joined his hands in a mudra, transferring the Dark Runes in his Klesha Heart straight to his Bloodshifter Heart.
Till now, Xinzi kept the runes in a secondary heart, not only because they'd been refined there, but more importantly due to the negativity that they accumulated each time he used the Servant Sutra to free prospective White-Winged Demons from grief. But now, thanks to the Heavenly Dao, Xinzi had lost contact with his emotions and desires. He could feel them fighting in the shadows of his soul, but they mostly stayed suppressed.
So far, canceling Xinzi's emotions was Heaven's only victory—a critical victory. But on the flip side, that victory enabled Xinzi to use the Devil Root Refining Sutra in ways that even Lord Sheitan couldn't, giving him access to powers that would make his new religion spread at breakneck speed. And just like the Heaven-Trampling Dao Bones, the Dark Runes resisted Heaven's authority, cornering its influence to Xinzi's suppressed emotional spectrum.
With that said, Xinzi didn't believe that his current powers were enough to neuter Heaven's voice. It likely wasn't making a strong attempt yet, biding its time for more opportune occasions. But time wasn't necessarily on Heaven's side. Xinzi only had to grow his Evil Qi and Holy Force, both of which he could accomplish through wanton indulgence.
The Dark Runes and Heaven-Trampling Dao Bones would keep eating at the Heavenly Dao's powers, laying the groundwork for Xinzi's rebellion.
When would Heaven make its first move? Xinzi didn't know. And since he didn't know, he didn't care. Gigantic black feathered wings sprouted from his back, flapping with a dark luster that contrasted with the rainbows and radiant light orbiting Xinzi's form.
"Mhm...test, we can't do without a test," Xinzi said, and after pulling his gigantic wings back, assembled the Night Flowers in the isolated city's throne room.
Twelve hours afterward, the 100 Night Flowers lay in crude body piles of nine to twelve, drenched in thick white spunk that shimmered with an uncanny glow. Cum dripped from their lips, which stayed curved in drunken smiles as their eyes glazed over, lost in a world of infinite ecstasy.
Meanwhile, a naked Xinzi stood a the center of the body piles, love juice trickling from his lips as he stared at his right hand.
"Hot is still hot, sweet is still sweet, loud is still loud. The nerves work as they always did—actually, they're better than they ever were. I can see, hear, smell, taste and touch with an efficiency comparable to a High Devil—fuse with the activity and extract a myriad of information. However...the rewarding aspects of indulging in my senses have changed...significantly," Xinzi had never felt so strange. On the one hand, pumping a hole full of spunk felt even better than before. But the word "happiness" no longer appeared in his mind. Every time that he unloaded, a void would fill his chest, leading him to chase the sensation through another round of pounding.
It felt great, pulled him in, but could provide no balance or stability—almost like a drug.
"Hengye Li has been resenting the changes in the Eternal Night Dynasty and plots to harass the Myriad Sea clans, interfering in the spread of my decoy shell's religion. For this crime, he will be executed in Night Flower City," Xinzi's voice boomed throughout the Evernight Palace, causing the faces of elders and juniors alike to twist horribly.
Among the juniors, there was no shortage of individuals that resented the changes. But to act against their monarch? Of course, they wouldn't.
Even if sinful thoughts crossed their minds, they'd ultimately vent their frustration in ways that didn't interfere with Xinzi's goals. Hengye Li was no different, and anyone with a brain could tell that while treasonous thoughts likely crossed his mind, they'd never become more than thoughts.
Alas, the Glorious Eye of Heaven swept the world, revealing all the thoughts that the Night Spirits kept concealed. At first, they didn't think that Xinzi would use this knowledge against them. And in typical circumstances, they'd be right. What a pity that Xinzi had additional tests to run and needed a valid excuse to select the best guinea pigs.
"No...no! I'm innocent! I didn't mean to challenge the Greatest One! I was just angry! No...nooo!" Controlled by Xinzi through Divine Runes, the Zhen-body captured Hengye Li, dragging him towards Night Flower City. Along the way, Hengye Li's screams pierced through the palace walls, making several guilty juniors fear for their future.
It wasn't long before the Zhen-body reached Night Flower City's throne room and tossed Hengye Li to Xinzi's feet—it then returned to its resting place.
Alarmed, the Void Tribulant realm junior glanced left and right, trembling like a feather as he scrambled on the ground. The sight of 100 naked beauties basted in lustrous cum shocked him to the core of his Venerable Soul, but aware that the most random of thoughts could worsen his already perilous situation, Hengye Li forced himself to focus on Xinzi—banging his head on the floor.
"Greatest One, I didn't...I swear I didn't—"
"I know." Barely had Hengye Li started his plea that Xinzi reached out, lifting him by the shoulders.
Hengye Li could understand the Zhen-body making him powerless to resist. After all, be it in cultivation or battle-prowess, they didn't belong to the same universe. However, never did he expect that, despite his early-stage Void Tribulant cultivation base, all his powers and methods would vanish once touched by Xinzi's hands.
Terror rippled through his eyes, but as Hengye Li feared for the worst, Xinzi smiled at him. That smile, like the soothing glow of the sunset, dispelled all of Hengye Li's fears, making him welcome Xinzi's arms.
"Greatest One you...won't punish me?"
"No, why would I? The true criminals have set out for the Four Continents already. You are innocent in all but thoughts. If thoughts alone determined guilt, then we'd all rot in hell. I just needed an excuse to bring you here," Xinzi said, and like a puppet glued to his master's words, Hengye Li nodded continuously.
Xinzi dusted off the Hengye junior's black robe, then looked him straight in the eyes.
"Sorry, but I have to know how it feels. Don't worry, it's not gonna hurt," Xinzi said, and as Hengye Li lost himself in his lord's mystifying gaze, Xinzi's eyes went from gold to red. His mouth opened wide, revealing jagged fangs that sank into Hengye Li's jugular, tearing through his throat!
"Huh...uhh!" Hengye Li's arms flopped to the side, and like a disarticulated puppet, he stood there, letting Xinzi drink and tear through his neck with no hint of struggle. But even as the last drop of blood left Hengye Li to feed Xinzi, he didn't stop, tearing and tearing till Hengye Li's neck rolled off his shoulders, dropping to the ground.
Here, Xinzi pulled back.
"Oops. That wasn't the plan. Note that drinking with no self-control will result in heads getting detached from bodies. Mhm, noted, but does it even matter since they're dying anyway? A challenging question," Xinzi sighed, and with a casual hand gesture, activated the Zhen-body's Divine Runes, commanding it to go collect more "treasonous" Night Spirit juniors.
It wasn't long before 13 exsanguinated Night Spirit corpses lay on the ground. Xinzi's eyes reverted to gold, and his Blood Energy broke through to the fifth rank—approaching the sixth with great strides.
Never one to let good resources go to waste, Xinzi captured the Venerable Souls, pocketed the corpses, and stored the rings, a trivial harvest compared to his haul in Heaven, but useful nonetheless. Subsequently, Xinzi sat on his throne, and with a wave of his right hand, conjured lilac winds that teleported the Night Flowers right back to their chambers.
At that time, the Zhen-body brought one last Hengye scion, one who, though technically a junior, could face the elder council without flinching: the God-Child, Hengye Baxian.
