Chapter 1016: Self-made Fish Bait

Feng Lintao's elevation to King among the Human Race caused quite a stir. This was because, during the recent numerous conflicts with the Demon Feather Holy Land, the Human Race had been winning more frequently. Some of these victories seemed to be due to leaked intelligence. Furthermore, the Human Race appeared to have a thorough understanding of the powerful figures within the Demon Feather Holy Land, even discerning their internal connections. This put significant pressure on the Demon Feather Holy Land. The Human Race also maintained the initiative in the strategic planning of the war.

What truly vexed the Demon Feather Holy Land was the eradication of their moles. Since the start of hostilities, the Demon Feather Holy Land had secretly infiltrated many areas with moles, aiming to destroy the unparalleled array that determined their survival. Some moles acted as suicide operatives, striking directly, while others remained dormant. All their objectives were to dismantle this formidable array. This was a major undertaking, for which the Demon Feather Holy Land had meticulously prepared detailed plans and procedures. However, many more infiltrators had been exposed recently.

All these developments had coincided with Feng Lintao's rise, escalating from his ennoblement to his current peak as King. Yet, by itself, this couldn't definitively prove Feng Lintao's role or value, as the Demon Feather Holy Land knew that, given his former identity, he couldn't possibly have been privy to much of this information. However, the use of over ten thousand Holy Land prisoners of war as a blood sacrifice to celebrate his enthronement was an immense blow to the Demon Feather Holy Land. These tens of thousands of prisoners had their own families, partners, fellow disciples, and friends, and the ripple effect could magnify their impact hundreds of times over. If they had died on the battlefield, the Demon Feather Holy Land's people would have grieved but not erupted in fierce anger. But to be publicly sacrificed… this would instantly ignite the hatred of all within the Demon Feather Holy Land.

The existence of the array meant that the Human Race had very few prisoners from the Demon Feather Holy Land, making retaliation in kind impossible—like punching cotton, it felt utterly futile. Therefore, the public blood sacrifice would intensify the Demon Feather Holy Land's fury even further. As the executor of this act and the one congratulated for becoming King through it, Feng Lintao would directly become the target of hatred for all Demon Feather Holy Land people. Thus, the moment the Empress's words were uttered and Feng Lintao excitedly expressed his gratitude, beyond the unparalleled Sky Array, the Holy Land rumbled. Streams of divine consciousness erupted from within, locking onto that array's region. Inside, monstrous rage boiled, and killing intent surged like never before.

Regardless of cunning or choice, this matter was unsolvable. It was a move dictated by necessity, an overt strategy, sweeping across the land like a raging inferno. Feng Lintao's thoughts churned wildly. Being naturally cunning, he was no fool. The events of recent times had already filled him with anxiety, especially now. Though outwardly excited, he was inwardly in utter panic. This was never a conspiracy, so he fully understood its implications.

"This is to force me into a corner with no retreat," he thought. "To tie me completely to the Human Race. And that's just the first part; the Empress has a second objective. She clearly intends to infinitely increase my value, to fatten me up, at least to the point where most of the Demon Feather Holy Land's people hate me to the core! This way, even if the Demon Feather Holy Land's high-ranking officials know I'm innocent and see through the deception—after all, I'm not privy to much of the intelligence—it won't matter if the majority of their people utterly detest me. I've become a target. For the Holy Land, shifting the blame for their failures onto me will further ignite their people's fury and fighting spirit, which is beneficial for the Holy Land's war effort. The same applies to the Human Race. If I attract endless hatred from the Holy Land, then I naturally become a bargaining chip for the Human Race. If the Human Race suffers a military defeat, they can simply hand me over to secure other war benefits. After all, the Human Race has pushed me to the extreme, and the Holy Land's people's murderous intent towards me surpasses all others! Even if the Demon Feather Holy Land's high command knows the truth and is reluctant, they will ultimately be compelled by their people's sentiments and public opinion to agree to it." He mused, "Truly ruthless. Both the Human Race and the Holy Land are groups of calculating schemers."

As his thoughts churned, Feng Lintao maintained an excited expression, gazing towards the Holy Land beyond the array, then at the Human Imperial Palace. Finally, steeling his resolve, he raised his hand towards the Demon Feather array below and suddenly pressed down. His cultivation erupted. The heavens and earth rumbled within the array, and ten percent of the suppressed Demon Feather cultivators disintegrated, their bodies and spirits annihilated. Outside the array, the Demon Feather Holy Land reacted with enraged roars. Feng Lintao's eyes turned bloodshot, adopting a bloodthirsty demeanor. Under the gaze of the Human Race, he stepped forward, and the slaughter resumed. As the prisoners died and the bloody haze spread, Feng Lintao seemed to relish it, causing the cultivators of the Holy Land outside the array to be utterly terrified. They watched helplessly as their kin perished—their elders, fellow disciples, their children. This death was undignified and cruel. But this was war, beyond right or wrong. The moment the Holy Land descended and initiated the invasion, the positions of both sides were sealed: it was either their demise or ours. Thus, the Human Race watched with cold detachment, as did the other races. Xu Qing did not intervene, while Er Niu licked his lips. Feng Lintao's slaughter became even more frenzied. For him, it was about his own interests, caring only about the consequences of killing the prisoners, not the process. Finally, after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, when Feng Lintao struck down the last prisoner, his body was covered in blood, his expression savage. He looked up at the Sky Holy Land and let out a cold laugh. Then, he bowed deeply towards the Human Imperial Palace. "Thank you, Your Majesty." From his brutal actions, his words, and his overall behavior and attitude, there was nothing amiss with Feng Lintao. He had perfectly cooperated with the Human Race, creating a target that would attract the Demon Feather Holy Land's hatred.

Xu Qing gazed at this scene, a faint glint in his eyes. Beside him, Er Niu chuckled. "This little Feng indeed has the makings of a formidable figure. It seems we don't need to pressure him; he probably had a contingency plan even before joining the Human Race. So, to ensure our fishing expedition succeeds, Little A'Qing, in the coming days, we need to find an opportunity to obtain five pieces of his flesh and blood to perform my Great Five Ox Tracing Origin Ruthless Dao." Xu Qing had the same intention and nodded at this. Then, the two of them vanished into the crowd, leaving no trace.

Time slowly passed, and half a month went by. During this period, clashes between the Human Race and the Demon Feather Holy Land became more frequent, with even more moles dispatched by the Holy Land than before. Additionally, all moles, besides their primary order to destroy the array, had an extra mission: to assassinate Feng Lintao. This was because, in the past half-month, the act of executing prisoners had occurred again, and much of the battlefield credit was attributed to Feng Lintao by the Human Race. All this meant that while Feng Lintao's name rose to prominence in the Eastern Realm of Wanggu, he also became the Demon Feather Holy Land's universally recognized prime object of hatred. Countless Demon Feather people yearned to devour him alive. Thus, assassination attempts naturally followed. To protect this "meritorious minister," the Human Race increased the number of guards around Feng Lintao. As for Feng Lintao, he seemed to have wholeheartedly embraced the Human Race, even requesting to go out and kill enemies on several occasions, appearing to hate the Demon Feather Holy Land more than the Human Race itself. However, under the Emperor's sacred favor, he was not permitted to leave the array, only allowed to search for moles within the Human Imperial domain. This left Feng Lintao disappointed, but he fully obeyed the Empress's decree. Afterward, his slaughter of moles was exceptionally cruel, and while he occasionally sustained minor injuries, they were always superficial. Until… another seven days passed.

The Human Race and the Demon Feather Holy Land, prompted by the appearance of the Demon Feather Great Emperor, escalated from small-scale skirmishes to a full-blown war. Several Sovereigns descended, and numerous Spirit Connoisseurs emerged. On the Human Race's side, the Empress personally entered the battlefield, and the Corpse Gods of successive Human Emperors also appeared. Heavenly Kings from various races likewise joined, igniting a battle that illuminated the heavens and earth. At a critical moment during this grand war, when a void appeared in the Human Imperial domain's power, an assassination attempt unfolded on the outskirts of the Human Imperial Capital. The assassins were none other than two Seven-Realm Spirit Connoisseurs from the Demon Feather Holy Land. They had been in hiding for a long time, never exposing themselves, but now they unleashed a swift, decisive strike without hesitation. Their target was Feng Lintao, who was returning with his guards after capturing a mole. The timing of this assassination was incredibly precise, and the process was tragically brutal. All of Feng Lintao's personal guards died in battle, and he himself could not escape; his body disintegrated, his soul shattered, and his head was taken. Although King Zhenyan arrived as quickly as possible, he was a step too late. He managed to capture one Demon Feather Holy Land assassin but could not prevent the other from escaping with Feng Lintao's head. He could only collect the remains of Feng Lintao's guards who had died defending him. After news of this spread, the Demon Feather Holy Land outside the array immediately erupted in triumphant cheers. The Empress, however, wore a grim expression, but clearly had no energy to consider this matter at the moment; the war continued.

However, no one noticed that after King Zhenyan returned to his residence in the Human Imperial Capital with the remains of Feng Lintao's guards, the bodies of those fallen guards transformed into illusions, becoming shimmering specks of light that converged to form the figure of Emperor Dongsheng. These guards were all fakes! King Zhenyan showed no surprise at this, merely bowed his head before gazing into the distance, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

At the same time, outside the Human Imperial domain, on the border with the Grey Sea Great Domain, a hidden cave lay within a desolate mountain range. The cave was secluded, and the area was barren, making it difficult to detect. Inside the cave, a figure sat cross-legged, his form blending into the darkness, appearing somewhat indistinct. Moments later, his eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing a sharp gleam. Light radiated from his body, casting a faint glow within the dark cavern. By this light, one could discern that the figure was a young man, somewhat resembling a human, except for a red line mark on his forehead, composed of countless tiny runes. That was the distinguishing mark of the Liaoxuan Clan, which quickly faded.

"The Empress, the Demon Feather Holy Land—what can they do to me?" the young man murmured. "My purpose in going to the Human Race was certainly not long-term dependence. While the Empress's overt scheme left me somewhat passive, overall, it hasn't deviated from my plan. My feigned death was ultimately successful. Now, with the outside world believing I have perished, this Liaoxuan body of mine has truly freed itself from karma." This person was none other than Feng Lintao.