Chapter 142: The New Four Demons

Chapter 142: The New Four Demons

"Love-struck people are a liability!" Qin Jing exclaimed with a hint of accusation in the meeting room.

Upon hearing Qin Jing's words, many of the council members who had initially planned to watch the drama silently walked away.

True to the nature of the Administration Bureau, they feared neither heaven nor earth. While they might have merely argued back a couple of times before, now they were truly pricking at people's wounds and digging up old grudges!

The elder from the Ko Family scowled, deeply stung by Qin Jing's words.

If one were to say that he had previously disliked Ji Jingqiu due to seeing a familiar shadow and thus developed an aversion, then now, looking at Qin Jing, he purely wanted to kill this person.

The elder didn't speak, merely staring coldly at Qin Jing.

Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words.

Some people thought of the Imperial City guards, and soon confirmed that this bamboo might also be an opportunity, as a subtle restlessness permeated the atmosphere.

"Before I came, I climbed up high to overlook the entire Imperial City, and I estimate there are about a dozen such sanctuaries. Not every sanctuary is as harmonious as ours."

"Don't read that Divine Script anymore," Yue Youcong emphasized.

Yue Youcong whispered the noble name and prayer from above, but paused before the last title.

According to Yue Youcong's knowledge, the war in the western part of the Federation was the result of covert power struggles among certain factions.

That was all.

Extremely uncomfortable! Ji Jingqiu quickly realized Yue Youcong's predicament!

[Congratulations on reaching the Sanctuary, Exploration Progress +1]



Doctor Chen glanced at the time and said, "Suddenly..."

The first piece of good news was that even in the Nine Provinces, the Wilderness Four Demons were considered evil gods, demon gods, and many forces viewed them as enemies.

Outside the stone pillar, a deep darkness enveloped the area, with five fingers barely visible, and a seemingly profound mist shrouded within.

Although on the surface, everyone respected the law and maintained a delicate balance of power, the private undercurrents of intrigue never ceased.

"Boss, I found something interesting." The researcher opened the latest deciphered Divine Script material with interest, "The Netherworld was originally called the Abyss Realm, and it was renamed Netherworld not long after Hela's disappearance, according to the time scale."

There were countless grudges among them, and even if they weren't major at first, over time, they had become a confusing mess.

The achievements of the Federation's Celestial Warriors in the Otherworld were significant, and even in the Otherworld, Celestial Warriors were strong enough to guard a region.

"When that malicious intent appeared, a warning prompt from the Federation side appeared before me, and within ten seconds, if I couldn't break free, I would be considered dead and forcibly removed..."

And he was completely unprepared.

Doctor Chen nodded and introduced, "Indeed, the place where the ruins are located is the Netherworld within the Nine Provinces. In this province, when night falls, a dark mist will randomly envelop the land, and without the protection of a strong person, one can easily encounter danger."

This feeling was like being in a game.

"Looks like you've gained quite a lot," Yue Youcong said with a faint smile.

Although nothing could be seen in the distant horizon, one could vaguely sense an immense and terrifying aura rising and brewing at the horizon where the sky and earth met, like the calm before a storm.

Indeed, the Otherworld beyond the Wilderness was not peaceful, which was good news for the Federation.

Many warriors had already gathered around the campfire.

Subconsciously, his intuition told him that something was standing in the darkness not far from him, staring at him.

Conflicts among young warriors were an important part of the equation, as the youth represented the future.

[For the survival of the Imperial City's citizens, the upper echelons had to seek sanctuary elsewhere. But no strong person was willing to associate with the followers of the Mother Serpent, as a legend persisted on this land, claiming that the dark mist was the Mother Serpent's means of devouring all things.]



Ji Jingqiu had dug up a bamboo pole over three meters long and immediately sensed the abundant principles and a strange power flowing within it.

Before entering, Yue Youcong and Ji Jingqiu were both Superior Seeds, and with the addition of a so-called jack-of-all-trades Daoist from the Celestial Insight Dao Field, this battle was not an easy one.

Some were even blood feuds that would never end.

"What's wrong?" Ji Jingqiu asked, puzzled as to why they were stuck at the last moment.

Ji Jingqiu suddenly sensed something amiss, as the atmosphere subtly shifted.

"By the way, are you okay?"

But in the end, the stone and the force it carried seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, disappearing without a sound.

...

The group continued reading.

"You're so lucky; I didn't meet anyone on my way here," Yue Youcong sighed. "It's only here that I've finally seen people. The situation tonight is unclear, and everyone has agreed not to attack each other until tomorrow morning."

Doctor Chen nodded.

After a brief conversation, upon learning that Ji Jingqiu had already sent off three people and was currently ranked fifth with 30 points, both were surprised.

I slid in with a tackle.jpg.

For a moment, the matter seemed to end there.

At this time, Yue Youcong seemed to be able to move, her face pale, she stumbled back a step, almost falling, and shouted, "

Under the dim and scattered night sky, Ji Jingqiu looked up.

Ji Jingqiu turned back to look at the bonfire in the center of the sanctuary.

The Religious Administration Bureau?

Doctor Chen laughed, "Isn't this good news for the Federation?"

He turned back again to look into the darkness beyond the firelight.

It seemed that everyone was forced to gather together in the darkness, following the direction of the arrow.

As he touched Yue Youcong's shoulder, an intangible power surged out from her body and instantly shot into Ji Jingqiu's body!

[On this land named the Abyss Realm, any force without the protection of a deity or the strongest will face extinction.]



"Everyone, don't read the noble name and prayer above, not even silently in your hearts, as it will attract the attention of the deity behind it!"

She whispered, "I've learned that this is Hela's doing, and you should know who Hela is by now."

Dr. Chen nodded, unperturbed.

The elder of the Ko family snorted and withdrew his gaze.

Moreover, this intangible force seemed similar to his own Qixing Hunyuan Jin, so he intentionally had the Bodhi tree intercept a strand to study its mysteries at a later time. "By the way, are you interested in this Imperial City?" Yue Youcong suddenly asked. "Come, I'll take you to see the surrounding pillars. The decryption results should be ready soon."

Ji Jingqiu's expression turned solemn, and he instinctively reached out to slap Yue Youcong's shoulder hard!

Yue Youcong suddenly pointed to a particular section.

【The great Serpent Mother, the mother of all things, is the destination of universal stillness, the weaver of fear and miracles...】

Dr. Chen's gaze deepened, and the Federation's temporary speculation was that another evil deity had filled the vacancy, or there was an unknown change.

It was like a drop of ink falling into clear water, spreading at an astonishing speed, the clarity retreating, gradually replaced by deepening ink...

The previous speaker nodded.

With his strength, this strike could have created a huge pit, emitting a deafening roar.

Ji Jingqiu threw a piece of rubble.

In the seemingly friendly yet warning gaze of Dr. Chen, Qin Jing shrugged, thinking to himself that this old man was quite patient, and he also turned away.

Dr. Chen's figure appeared between the two, offering a friendly reminder.

But there was no response.

Yue Youcong suddenly looked worried.

Ji Jingqiu was taken aback.

"Dark Mist?"

But Hela had already been taken back to the Federation for suppression by the Three Commandants!

Duan Xuanji.

"Not yet. I haven't searched for keywords like 'outsider' and 'Wood Sovereign.'"

"Look at this part—"

The second piece of news left the Federation's higher-ups in doubt—the current intercepted intelligence indicated that the "Four Demons" ravaging the Nine Provinces had not diminished to "Three Demons" but remained as "Four Demons," and they were both hostile and cooperative with each other.

Let's talk about it next time.

"Elder Ning is watching next door."

He narrowed his eyes, picked up another piece of rubble, and threw it hard towards the area outside the firelight's coverage!

This force seemed to be able to be guided.

Following the direction indicated by the arrow, Ji Jingqiu arrived at a square as night completely fell, where he found a campfire burning in the center, surrounded by ruins. In the corners stood several pillars, also in a state of disrepair.

Ji Jingqiu's eyebrows rose, showing no fear, and he looked at his two allies, waving them over.

Was this a private job for himself? Of course, Ji Jingqiu had no complaints.

Someone sighed, "Even the Nine Provinces are not peaceful, filled with crises everywhere."

Upon seeing these three gathered together, the originally cautious warrior quietly withdrew his gaze.

The latter had no intention of joining them, but when Ji Jingqiu called him over, he could only smile awkwardly and approach.

Ji Jingqiu's gaze sharpened. Serpent Mother? So, the figure he had glimpsed, with a human head and snake body, wearing a royal crown, and a shadow of a galaxy rotating in her palm—was that Hela?

Hmm, it was quite different from the image in the Crimson Lab, where a figure was pierced by a sword and lay on the ground, silent.

Ji Jingqiu glanced around, estimating about a dozen people.

But did this Qin Minister have to offend the Ko family's representative so much? Even though he was from the Qin family, the elder was just a representative. If this continued, would he be able to gain any advantage?

Wood Sovereign, also known as Wood Commandant, was the true name of Wood Sovereign.

Ji Jingqiu nodded and turned to let his subtitle prompts begin deciphering the Divine Script, and the progress bar moved quickly, perhaps because someone had already deciphered it.

But caution temporarily suppressed his strong curiosity.

After calming down completely, Yue Youcong expressed her gratitude to Ji Jingqiu, still feeling a lingering fear. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, I might have already been forced to retreat. I was careless earlier, ignoring that this place was not under the Federation's jurisdiction. Before I finished reading, I sensed an unseen force with malicious intent directed at me, rendering me immobile."

The intricate and complex relationships between the various factions within the Federation were never amicable, but rather a tangled web of interests.

The rustling of leaves in the darkness added an eerie ambiance to the scene.

In that world, they had a special title for the Divine Generals—a title that held great significance.

The bamboo's smooth surface glowed with a pure white light in the darkness, clearly not an ordinary object.

"Haha, if you two want to argue, it's better to take it outside."

Doctor Chen inquired, "Have you found any traces of Wood Commandant?"

This statement left the group in a state of suspicion, wondering if this was not just Qin Jing's personal attitude but something more...

As he left, the group watched him go, their eyes filled with uncertainty. He quickly arrived at another research room where over a dozen researchers were busy at work.

During his conversation with Yue Youcong and Duan Xuanji, Ji Jingqiu discreetly probed and learned that after killing the Imperial City Guard, they had only received a notification about the seizure of the Principle, and there was no mention of purifying the Demon King remnants.

The air grew thick and sticky, making everyone feel uncomfortable.

The ancient ruins where these young warriors had inherited their legacy were not in the Oasis, but in one of the Nine Provinces—the Netherworld.

These scum were traitors to both the Federation and humanity, with a single-minded goal of summoning the deities from the wilderness into the Grand Universe.

The bonfire, imbued with mysterious power, could repel the threats lurking in the dark mist.

She was referring to the several stone pillars surrounding the square, standing at the edge of the bonfire's glow, like a boundary line.

Yue Youcong remained silent, her back turned as she stood motionless.

For the four God Lords, this was likely one of the few matters that concerned them at the moment.

Ji Jingqiu frowned, noticing the arrow on the subtitles pointing in a specific direction. Without hesitation, he strode in the indicated direction.

Ji Jingqiu glanced at the bonfire.

The dancing flames reflected in Yue Youcong's eyes, shining with a brilliant light. "I understand now. The original faith of this Imperial City was in Hela, no wonder we appeared here!"

He knew who was behind this.

Ji Jingqiu nodded, deciding to consume the bamboo that very night, as it was impossible to bring it back to the Grand Universe.

"The fastest ones have already entered the inner city, and we've deciphered over a dozen inscriptions so far," the other person said excitedly.

"Ji, over here!" Yue Youcong called out.

Curiosity should be matched with sufficient preparation.

Damn, the Crimson Lab had already arrived at the first one, and they had already set up a filter.

It was as if he saw an expression pack:

"The citizens of this Imperial City originally worshipped a deity, but their totem suddenly disappeared one day."

"I'm fine," Ji Jingqiu shook his head.

"Sorry, everyone, I have something to attend to," he said, excusing himself.

Ji Jingqiu tried reciting it again, but to no avail. With a sigh, he gave up.

The flickering firelight seemed to dissipate some of the darkness and mist, revealing nearby trees and buildings casting distorted, menacing shadows in the glow.

They had all heard tales from their elders about certain otherworldly cults, sternly warned to stay away and never associate with them.

Some looked at him with caution, while others stared curiously at the bamboo he carried on his shoulder.

"Hmm."

"Retreat?" Ji Jingqiu considered a possibility. "Did the subtitles appear earlier?"

But the problem was, summoning these deities had never been this easy. Just reciting the divine name and prayer, not even finishing it, was enough to attract their attention. Even the bishops of underground cults required intricate rituals and specific offerings at particular times to have any chance of success. "This isn't the Federation; it's their world! They are no longer separated from us by a single world!"

Ji Jingqiu rubbed his chin, unafraid as his heart fire gave no warning of danger.

This confirmed to Ji Jingqiu that the subtitles were not under the control of the Crimson Lab.

And then...

Two pieces of news had caught the attention of the Federation's higher-ups.

...

Every night, the mysterious dark mist merged with reality, sweeping across the land and taking unfortunate lives with it.

"Mentor of the Three Realms, Benevolent Father of the Four Lives, Lord of Humanity and Heaven..."

"Tonight will likely see a selection process, leaving only the strongest or those who choose to cooperate."

Qin Jing smiled, seemingly unafraid of the Ko Family elder's threats.

Ji Jingqiu turned to see Yue Youcong and Duan Xuanji standing before the stone pillars, studying the divine script.

Only Wood Commandant and He Commandant remained unaccounted for. Wood Commandant had at least appeared in the mortal world before, but He Commandant had vanished without a trace, as if erased from existence.

With the help of the subtitles, the divine script on the stone pillars had been completely deciphered. After Yue Youcong organized the translation, it roughly meant—

Yue Youcong.

"How's the information gathering going?" Dr. Chen asked, stopping a passing researcher.

The Qin Family elders might even scold him for being reckless.

Ji Jingqiu walked over.

Mentor of the Three Realms, Benevolent Father of the Four Lives, Lord of Humanity and Heaven, Venerable Incarnation...

The divine name was recited, but Yue Youcong's experience did not repeat itself.

Like the Federation, every Divine General had the qualifications to command and guard a region.

In the deep darkness, the grass and bushes rustled, as if countless eyes watched from the shadows, but they were held back by the fire's barrier.

Ji Jingqiu and Yue Youcong took turns keeping watch throughout the night, ensuring vigilance against any threats. Yue Youcong volunteered to take the first shift to adjust her state.

After reminding her to be careful, Ji Jingqiu moved to the side and sat down to enter a state of cultivation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end