Chapter 786: Cleaning House

Outside the human domain, massacres of humans have occurred countless times throughout history. This is unsurprising, given that humanity was once the strongest race on the Wanggu Continent, with large populations inhabiting every region.

Following their decline, territories were seized, turning countless humans into sacrificial victims for other races overnight. Consequently, such rituals became a frequent sight.

Within humanity's current domain, however, large-scale atrocities of this nature are rare, occurring only during wartime.

The sacrifices in Tianzhao Commandery were not isolated incidents; there were three, involving populations ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions. Most victims hailed from small, mortal kingdoms, their souls brutally refined, resulting in extremely tragic deaths.

Such extreme atrocities threatened the very foundation of the human race. Consequently, when the news reached the Human Emperor, his fury erupted with astonishing intensity.

The three incidents in Tianzhao Commandery were likely just part of a larger scheme, with similar occurrences highly probable elsewhere. After all, such actions were clearly for sacrificial or cultivation purposes, and millions of victims were likely still insufficient. Other locations might have remained undetected due to clandestine operations or the negligence of local authorities.

Therefore, the Human Emperor immediately issued a decree, ordering a thorough self-investigation across the entire human domain. Simultaneously, he commanded the Five Palaces of Shangxuan to oversee the matter collectively.

Furthermore, he issued a decree specifically targeting the Heretic Immortal Sect, temporarily sealing their White Tower and banning both the Sect Master and their Ancestor.

The moment this decree was issued, it sent massive ripples through both the Imperial Capital and the Grand Academy. At this time, some even began circulating the words previously spoken by the Fused God Sect Master.

Suddenly, rumors about malevolent entities within the Heretic Immortal Sect resurfaced, and all accusations pointed directly to the sect's Dao Seeds.

The entire Heretic Immortal Sect faced a major catastrophe at this critical juncture of its resurgence. The Human Emperor's decree, combined with the escalating public opinion, placed immense pressure on the sect, as if it were being roasted over a fire.

Those who had integrated the Dao Seeds found their defenses particularly weak, as they understood the characteristics of these seeds far better than outsiders. The truth was, it could indeed devour the souls of all living beings. While this consumption strengthened the Dao Seed and accelerated the formation of soul threads, theoretically, the souls of living beings did enable those who integrated the Dao Seeds to cultivate faster.

However, there was a distinction: the souls required by the Dao Seed were not limited to humanity; souls from any race on the Wanggu Continent could be devoured and absorbed. Yet, this fact could not serve as proof of their innocence.

Consequently, in a short period, as the events unfolded, the Heretic Immortal Sect's former vibrancy gave way to silence, and its hopeful resurgence faded into oblivion. Some even went to extreme lengths, removing the Dao Seeds from their bodies and handing them over.

For Xu Qing, witnessing the Heretic Immortal Sect's resurgence—a movement he had championed—endure such a catastrophe, the feeling of impending collapse did not bring him a sense of crisis, but rather a surge of killing intent.

Since this matter was, to some extent, a consequence of his actions, he resolved to investigate it personally. If the perpetrators were indeed those who had integrated his soul seeds, he would cleanse the sect, recall all soul seeds scattered abroad, and make every effort to offer compensation. However, if the Heretic Immortal Sect was not responsible, and others were merely slandering and exploiting the situation, then regardless of who was behind them, he would utterly eradicate them, tearing them out root and stem.

With too many lives lost, Xu Qing left the Grand Academy without hesitation, immediately entering a teleportation array to depart the Imperial Capital.

Beyond the Imperial Capital, Xu Qing ceased suppressing the fluctuations of his soul seeds, allowing them to fully radiate and amplify his senses. Instantly, hundreds of thread-like lines, akin to flashes of lightning, materialized in his mind, each connecting to an individual who had integrated a Dao Seed. Regardless of whether they were purple, green, or white, all were within his perception.

The vast majority of these threads pointed towards the Imperial Capital. Of the eleven outside, some were close, others quite distant. While a typical Heretic Immortal Sect Master might struggle with accurate perception due to range limitations, Xu Qing was the source. At this moment, pouring all his effort into it and relying on an innate connection, he could clearly discern the location and status of every single thread.

Ten soul seeds were in an integrated state, while one was not. Xu Qing deduced that the unintegrated soul seed outside was likely the one currently being transported by the Tianzhao Commandery Governor.

Xu Qing closed his eyes, meticulously tracing the threads in his mind. After pinpointing that specific soul seed, his thoughts turned to the time it had departed the Imperial Capital.

Moments later, Xu Qing's eyes snapped open. Over half a month ago, a total of three soul seeds had departed simultaneously.

"The other two!" A cold gleam flashed in Xu Qing's eyes as he instantly pinpointed two more threads among the external ones. One of these was located in the ninety-seventh ring of the Imperial Capital's greater domain, while the other was much farther away, having traveled beyond this domain to Jiuzhou Commandery, one of the seven commanderies.

Xu Qing's killing intent surged. He shot forward instantly, even summoning the Ancient Sun to harness its astonishing speed, and hurtled towards the ninety-seventh ring.

The journey was long. Fortunately, teleportation was seamless. Thus, after a day, having undergone multiple teleports and utilizing the Ancient Sun's speed, Xu Qing arrived at the outer ninety-seventh ring from the inner rings of the Imperial Capital's greater domain.

The Imperial Capital's greater domain comprised 110 rings. The ninety-seventh ring was home to a considerable population of human mortals. Upon Xu Qing's arrival, it was already dusk. The entire ring-land appeared harmonious, seemingly undisturbed by any major events.

Xu Qing narrowed his eyes, retracted the Ancient Sun, and, guided by the soul seed's thread, sped directly westward across the ring-land.

Blood-red twilight painted the sky. Within this crimson glow, Xu Qing, radiating intense killing intent, traversed for half an hour before his figure emerged in the western part of the ring-land.

This vast area was predominantly flat plains, appearing somewhat sparse. It contained nine small kingdoms, each belonging to a different race. While termed "small kingdoms," these were essentially relatively autonomous capital cities. Their location within the Imperial Capital's greater domain meant they enjoyed considerably more peace.

Xu Qing's gaze was currently fixed upon one of these, a kingdom named Wanli. At this hour, smoke plumed from the kingdom's capital. From above, the streets below teemed with a vibrant crowd—pedestrians, hawkers, and merchants were everywhere.

There were some cultivators present, though not many. The highest apparent cultivation level was a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, residing within the kingdom's imperial palace.

Xu Qing's divine sense swept over the area. His body flickered, vanishing from the sky and reappearing in a street corner of the capital city, where he began to walk. As he walked through the city, neither mortals nor cultivators could detect him in the slightest; it was as if Xu Qing simply did not exist in their perception. This was due to the aura of a high-level cultivator. Possessing their own Heavenly Dao, they could establish personal laws, making them imperceptible to anyone unless that individual possessed a higher cultivation level.

Xu Qing's current mood also left him no desire to observe mortal life. Continuing his steps, he appeared outside a shop. It was a general store, where an old man, the proprietor, lay asleep on the counter, using his arms as a pillow, while a young apprentice attended to the customers.

Xu Qing's arrival naturally went unnoticed by the apprentice, but the sleeping shopkeeper's body suddenly jolted. The next instant, his figure blurred and vanished.

Xu Qing's expression remained impassive as he calmly uttered, "Return."

His words became law, altering rules and disrupting teleportation. In a flash, the shopkeeper's figure at the counter blurred back into existence, gradually becoming clear.

The shopkeeper's expression was one of profound terror. He tried to rise, but it was too late. With a flick of Xu Qing's sleeve, the surroundings shifted instantly; the space transformed, and they were no longer in the city, but ten thousand meters above the ground.

Piercing gale winds howled around them. The shopkeeper, standing there, was now awash with immense inner turmoil, his gaze fixed on Xu Qing with extreme apprehension and uncertainty. He had been meticulously cautious. Ever since learning of his companion's failed reconnaissance and subsequent demise, he had immediately abandoned his activities. He used secret techniques to create multiple avatars, scattering their traces across other rings, while his true body chose to hide here, intending to observe the situation and await further instructions from his superiors before making any decisions.

Yet now, none of his other traces had been disturbed, but someone had directly located his true body. This alone put him on high alert, but what astonished him even more was Xu Qing's identity. He had, of course, seen Xu Qing before. Simultaneously, what filled him with extreme terror was the trembling of the Dao Seed within his body and the sudden, unsettling sensation that it no longer belonged to him.

All of this seemed to scream to him that the true owner of his Dao Seed was not himself, but the Domain Lord Xu Qing, who now stood before him, radiating the terrifying aura of the Heretic Immortal Sect.

"He's actually behind the Heretic Immortal Sect."

Despair filled the shopkeeper's heart; there was no need to ask. At this moment, only one explanation for how he had been found made sense. A deathly resolve appeared in his eyes. Without hesitation, he bit into the poison sac hidden in his tooth. His life force rapidly decayed, and his body convulsed, triggering pre-arranged restrictions that caused his flesh to incinerate, leaving no trace. Simultaneously, his soul was instantly consumed by the Void Fire he had long since implanted. This entire sequence of actions was his method as a loyal agent, designed to ensure no trace of him remained.

The entire process was completed in an instant. Just before his death, the despair in his eyes vanished, replaced by a hint of mockery. It seemed to convey to Xu Qing: "You found me, you are the source of the Heretic Immortal Sect, but what difference does that make now?"

Xu Qing calmly observed the shopkeeper's actions without intervention, instead studying his methods. Having witnessed the man's suicide, he expressionlessly raised his right hand. The pointer within him instantly shifted, and a colossal phantom materialized behind him, shaking the heavens and earth. One hundred and thirty strands of soul threads surged into this phantom, solidifying it from an ethereal form; from a distance, it appeared as a divine manifestation.

Half a month prior, in his secret chamber, Xu Qing had successfully experimented with using soul threads to simulate his temporal manipulation, a technique that could break limitations and manipulate seven breaths of time. This was his tentatively designated "half fourth form."

Time and space reversed. At the point indicated by his right hand, the shopkeeper, whose body had disintegrated and soul had darkened, instantly returned to his original state, utterly bewildered.

"This..."