Chapter 194: I Am Still a Baby

The guy in the Imperial Palace stays in forbidden territory and rarely makes a move, so it's unlikely to be him. "Could it be Yunzhi from Wen Dao Sect?"

"No, that's not right either. My clone is hidden beside the Immortal, and the Immortal Sect has always been cautious. How could someone have found their way to their doorstep?"

"Could it be that the Immortal has awakened their conscience, mended their ways, and voluntarily surrendered to the Great Xia Dynasty or Wen Dao Sect, hoping for leniency?"

The black figure found the individuals on the Central Continent particularly troublesome.Ever since the end of ancient times, he had been meticulously planning events. Everything was well-organized, and by all accounts, nothing should have gone wrong.The Daqian and Dayu eras had not deviated from his plans; he had spread claims of opportunities for ascension in future generations, lulling people into slumber and awakening them during the great struggle to create confusion.However, during the Great Xia Dynasty, unexpected individuals appeared one after another, achieving immortality.Those who ascended to immortality were no longer pawns but players of equal standing to him, forcing him to repeatedly revise his plans.

"Especially that Yunzhi," he mused, "so young, yet her talent surpasses all of ancient and modern times."

"My Lord, please tell me, who is this Yunzhi...?" The attendant tried to recall influential figures on the Central Continent; none of the powerful individuals who shaped the continent's destiny were named Yunzhi.His Lord rarely praised anyone, and this was the first time he had given such unreserved commendation. How astonishing must Yunzhi's talent be?

The black figure sneered, "Just a little girl from Wen Dao Sect. A hundred years ago, when I went to the Central Continent, she personally came out to greet me and enthusiastically asked where I was from. I couldn't be bothered with her, and she didn't press the issue."

"Then, seeing that she had some skill, I engaged her in combat and offered a bit of guidance. After our skirmish, I wanted to leave, but she persistently followed me, asking for more advice. I thought, 'The relationship between cultivators should be as simple as water; why force it?' Our encounter ending there would be for the best; too much guidance might hinder her path."

"I used an escape technique to leave immediately, unwilling to be entangled with her further."

"My Lord's cultivation is unparalleled throughout history!" The attendant praised, bowing his fists, which made the black figure burst into hearty laughter.The attendant felt fortunate. Getting involved in the great struggle could lead to eternal damnation with just one misstep, but staying with his Lord was safe.His Lord's cultivation was supreme, and his schemes spanned eons; he would certainly gain every advantage in the great struggle. Following his Lord and enjoying a share of the spoils would be enough for a happy life, and with a bit more luck, he might even achieve immortality.

The black figure thought about his encounter with Yunzhi a hundred years ago and felt a loss of face.Of course, he couldn't admit that he had initiated the attack, underestimating the young girl, only to be utterly defeated and forced to flee in disarray. He had lived for countless ages, yet to be beaten by a mere "child" and compelled to escape was a disgrace.Such things could not be told to his subordinates; it would damage his authority.

The black figure recalled the events of a century ago. At that time, he had intended to visit the Immortal Sect to see how close they were to forming the embryonic Dao Fruit. Before he even reached the Immortal Sect's headquarters, he was encountered by Yunzhi, and a major battle ensued.Considering the strength Yunzhi displayed, the black figure believed she could be called the foremost person on the Central Continent and the greatest obstacle in the great struggle.Therefore, ever since then, he had only sent clones to the Central Continent to avoid being captured. "Could it be that the Great Xia Dynasty is favored by destiny?"

The concept of destiny was ethereal. To achieve immortality, one needed not only talent and strength but also luck.For instance, the Tribulation Transcender who once mastered speaking things into existence also had the potential to become immortal, but unfortunately, he encountered Huang Doudou and perished halfway.The black figure pondered for a long time but couldn't arrive at a conclusion. He simply decided to stop thinking about the matter.

"Very well, I won't dwell on this. Since my clone was destroyed, it indicates that the matter of the embryonic Immortal Dao Fruit has been discovered by others. The people on the Central Continent will be wary of Immortals infiltrating the continent, and being discovered would cause unnecessary trouble. I simply won't go to the Central Continent for a while. Once the Immortal Dao Fruit is close to maturity, I will intervene to harvest it!"

"If I can obtain the Immortal Dao Fruit, I will gain every advantage in the great struggle!"

"It's a pity about the Immortal Lady; she is destined not to be resurrected. But then, she held the Immortal Dao Fruit; if she hadn't died, no one could have obtained it."

"Truly, I never imagined back then that it would be *she* who would yield the Immortal Dao Fruit. How enviable..." The black figure faded into the distance, his voice disappearing, leaving behind only a pile of withered bones.

"How should we deal with the Immortal Sect?"Lu Yang raised the question. The purpose of their journey had been accomplished: they had found the Immortal Sect's headquarters, captured the Immortal, and even forced a clone of the mastermind to self-destruct.Now, only one question remained: how to handle the Immortal Sect.Would rashly dealing with the Immortal Sect alert the mastermind, causing them to notice something amiss? Could they use the Immortal Sect to lure the mastermind out?

Yunzhi looked at Lu Yang in surprise, not understanding why he would ask such a question. "Of course, we report it to the authorities."

"Huh?"

"There are so many people here; we wouldn't be able to interrogate them all even if Wen Dao Sect arrested them. It's better to let the Great Xia Dynasty handle it." Lu Yang almost blurted out, "Does Wen Dao Sect even have such formal procedures?"In Lu Yang's memory, interrogating with torture, coercing and tempting, infiltrating demonic cults, and becoming first in cult competitions — weren't these all things Wen Dao Sect did?"Oh, right, I did half of that myself."

"When are we reporting it?" Lu Yang was eager; the feeling of taking down a large stronghold was quite satisfying.

Yunzhi thought for a moment. "Four days ago?"

"What?"

Yunzhi explained, "Four days ago, right after entering the headquarters, my spirit left my body, and I went to the Great Xia Dynasty to report it. The reason I didn't act immediately was that I wanted to wait until all the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation cultivators had arrived before closing the net."

"Of course, the Immortal was an unexpected bonus; I hadn't anticipated that."

The Immortal felt that he had nothing better to do than attempt possession. If he hadn't come out proactively, even if the entire Immortal Sect had been wiped out, the Great Xia Dynasty wouldn't have found him.Yunzhi turned her gaze to the Immortal. "As for you..."

The Immortal quickly interjected, "My attempted possession can be likened to attempted murder; it's not punishable by death!"

"I have always been law-abiding and have never committed a single illegal act. Look, even the statue is studying criminal law." Lu Yang looked, and indeed, the statue of the Immortal held a book of criminal law.The cult leader had acted swiftly; the Immortal's statue had already been re-sculpted to hold a book of criminal law, aiming to encourage cult members to study the law.

"Furthermore, my soul only became complete the moment I received my name. Only five days have passed since then, so I am just five days old—still an infant! According to Great Xia's criminal law, I am below the age of criminal responsibility and thus cannot be held criminally liable or penalized by law."

"I'm still a baby! Please, be magnanimous, My Lord, and give me a break!"Lu Yang stared at the Immortal's ancient face, which looked as though it were nearing the grave, and thought that the name was truly fitting. *Could you really say such shameless things?*

Some people die, but they are not entirely gone...