470: Chapter 485 The scapegoat has arrived!

"King of Jiuyi, you're dishonest!"

Master Bi-Bo roared, desperately urging his Azure Water Sword Art to resist.

"You said you'd let us go!"

Zhongli Yuan heard this, didn't even lift his head, and while playing with Wen Lan's beautiful hair, he asked her indifferently, "Did this King say that?"

"N-no..."

Wen Lan's heart trembled with fear, but she didn't dare to hesitate, stammering her reply.

"Wen Lan, you—!!!"

Master Bi-Bo's words were cut short as he was targeted by the Golden Armored General.

In just two or three moves, he followed in Blood Butcher's footsteps.

The Golden Armored General, using the same method, let out a shout, and Master Bi-Bo's body stiffened.

Then he watched helplessly as the opponent's sword slashed out, and the golden sword light tore through his protective spiritual light, cutting both him and his sword in two.

Jian Wuchen on the other side was terrified by this sight, but he could only grit his teeth and hold on.

Amidst the crisscrossing Sword Qi, he fought desperately, but facing the encirclement of dozens of Golden Core guards, he was ultimately outmatched.

A moment later, he was impaled through the chest by a halberd, dying with hatred.

The other Cultivators were even more routed, fleeing in all directions, but one after another, they fell under the Golden Core guards' encirclement.

Screams, pleas for mercy, and curses intertwined, quickly fading into silence.

Corpses littered the ground, blood flowing like rivers.

The Golden Armored General paid no heed, seemingly long accustomed to such sights.

After cleaning up these "trashes," he sheathed his sword, preparing to return to the carriage to report.

But at this moment, his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a figure in the distance.

It was a person dressed in black robes, walking unhurriedly towards them.

His steps were calm, as if strolling leisurely, oblivious to the corpses and bloodstains on the ground, as if he were merely on an outing.

The Golden Armored General frowned slightly. They had caused quite a commotion with their massacre here; this person couldn't possibly have not seen it. Yet, this person not only didn't detour but walked straight towards them.

"Stop!"

The Golden Armored General shouted sternly.

However, the black-robed man continued on his way, showing no intention of stopping.

"I told you to stop, didn't you hear me?"

The Golden Armored General's face darkened, and he immediately activated the Dao Court Edict.

This was the unique power of Order of the Dao Court, based on the True Lord's Dao Fruit. Within the Dao Court system, words became Law, and commands were absolute.

Even those not affiliated with the Dao Court, as long as their status did not surpass the Dao Court Edict, were considered commoners and would be subject to its control!

However, the Dao Court Edict, which had always been effective, seemed to have failed at this moment, unable to stop the opponent's steps in the slightest.

The Golden Armored General's heart sank, and he had a bad premonition.

But the opponent's target seemed to be the Prince's carriage, so he couldn't do nothing.

He extended his Divine Sense, wanting to probe the opponent's cultivation.

However, his Divine Sense had barely touched three feet around the black-robed man before it was swallowed by an invisible force.

Like a clay ox entering the sea, it vanished without a trace.

He couldn't feel anything, couldn't see through anything.

The Golden Armored General's heart tightened, but then he thought, he was a member of the Yujing Dao Court, with one of the Seven Great Grotto-Heavens backing him. In this Secret Realm, who would dare to touch him?

"Courting death!"

He no longer hesitated and slashed out with his sword!

The golden sword light tore through the Void Realm, heading straight for the black-robed man's face! This sword was enough to kill any Late Golden Core Stage Cultivator!

However, the black-robed man didn't even glance at him.

He merely raised a hand and extended a finger, gently pointing.

The golden sword light, upon touching his fingertip, instantly melted away like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun.

No, not melted, but annihilated!

As if it had never existed, leaving not a single trace.

The Golden Armored General's pupils constricted, and the alarm in his heart reached an unprecedented level.

He wanted to retreat, wanted to escape, but it was too late!

From the black-robed man's fingertip, a faint light shot out, silent but incredibly fast.

The faint light instantly submerged into the Golden Armored General's glabella.

His body began to disintegrate from within, like a sand sculpture blown away by the wind, turning into countless tiny specks of light, scattering in the wind.

From beginning to end, it took less than a breath.

A Late Golden Core Stage General, protected by the Dao Court Edict, died just like that.

He died silently, without any power to resist.

The entire scene was dead silent.

Inside the carriage, Zhongli Yuan also seemed to have noticed something and stopped his movements.

He pushed away Wen Lan, who was flushed and disheveled, from his embrace. He lifted the bead curtain and stepped out.

At this moment, he happened to witness the scene of the Golden Armored General being annihilated with a single finger.

He looked at the black-robed man, his face grim, but his eyes held an unprecedented gravity.

Nothing else, just because the opponent seemed completely unaffected by the Dao Court Edict.

What was the Dao Court Edict?

It was a unique product of the Dao Court, a mysterious manifestation of the True Lord's Dao Fruit.

Within the Dao Court system, all, by direct lineage, must adhere to hierarchy.

Even though that Golden Armored General was only at the Late Golden Core Stage, under the shroud of the Dao Court Edict, ordinary Golden Core Perfection Cultivators couldn't do anything to him.

Even if they could kill him, a trace of his Divine Soul would be intercepted by the Edict, preventing him from immediately perishing.

Unless it was someone like him, whose position and authority in the Dao Court were far superior to the opponent, they would have absolute power over Life and Death.

However, this person annihilated the Golden Armored General with a single finger, leaving nothing behind.

Not even the Dao Court Edict could preserve a trace of the opponent's Soul.

This was somewhat terrifying to ponder.

After all, it was well known that only beings of the same level could deal with Nascent Soul True Monarch methods.

Thinking of this, Zhongli Yuan put away his disdain and spoke in a deep voice.

"Who are you, Your Excellency? Why did you kill my Dao Court General?"

He thought the opponent was just reckless and unaware of the identity of the person he killed, so he deliberately mentioned the Dao Court's name, hoping to intimidate the opponent with it.

However, facing his question, the black-robed man did not answer.

He continued to walk unhurriedly, as if he had heard nothing.

No, more accurately, he heard it, but didn't care.

Realizing this, Zhongli Yuan's face grew even uglier.

He had been rampant in the Yujing Dao Court for many years, feared by all. When had he ever been so ignored?

"I, the Marquis, am speaking to you!"

He shouted sternly, his aura surging, and the pressure of Golden Core Perfection pressed down like a mountain!

At this, the black-robed man finally stopped.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Zhongli Yuan.

The eyes beneath the black robes had no pupils, no whites, only a deep Chaos.

That Chaos was like an invisible black hole, devouring everything.

The moment his gaze met those eyes, Zhongli Yuan felt his heart skip a beat.

He felt as if he wasn't looking at a person, but at a boundless abyss capable of devouring all things.

"The dregs of the Dao Court are truly a bunch of annoying flies, so noisy."

The black-robed man spoke.

His voice was hoarse and sharp, as if he hadn't spoken for a long time, carrying an unspeakable strangeness.

But what he said made Zhongli Yuan's face darken.

The opponent knew their identity, yet still dared to be so arrogant!

Before he could reprimand the black-robed man to uphold the Dao Court's dignity, he saw the black-robed man, whose words had just fallen, slowly raise his hand.

He made a grasping motion with his five fingers.

In an instant, a deep, ancient well's phantom slowly emerged in the Void Realm.

The wellhead wasn't large, only about a zhang in circumference, but it was bottomless.

Mysterious runes slowly flowed on the well walls, emitting an unchanging, ancient glow.

The spring water in the well reflected countless phantoms; they were male and female, old and young.

Some were playing and laughing, some were crying in sorrow, like the myriad states of all living beings, constantly unfolding within a single well.

Seeing this, the words on Zhongli Yuan's lips suddenly caught in his throat, his eyes filled with shock, his heart somewhat disbelieving.

But that profound dao rhyme couldn't be faked!

Although extremely faint, although it was a fleeting glimpse.

But Zhongli Yuan was certain he hadn't misjudged!

That was... the Law of Reincarnation!!!

He had once, in the Dao Court's "Sea of Books," read about the characteristics of each of the Seven Great Grotto-Heavens.

The symbol of the Dao Court was the Edict, originating from the Law of Order comprehended by the Grand Emperor, a Mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch.

Order is the discipline of heaven and earth, the sequence of all things.

From the movement of stars above to the crawling of ants below, all have their Order.

Words becoming Law, and commands being absolute, are manifestations of the Law of Order.

The Six Desires Demonic Sect follows the Dao of Control, using the seven emotions and six desires to control all living beings in the heavens; one thought gives rise to ten thousand demons, one thought extinguishes all living beings.

And this person before him, that ancient well phantom, that phenomenon of Life and Death circulation, that dao rhyme that devoured everything...

That's right, it was Reincarnation!

That was the foundation of the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord's Dao, Reincarnation, one of the Nine Supreme Laws!

"You... you are—!!"

Zhongli Yuan's voice trembled.

He recognized him.

This person before him was...

He subconsciously reached into his embrace, wanting to grasp the jade talisman within.

That was a contingency left on him by the Dao Court's Grand Emperor. Once crushed, it could summon the Grand Emperor's phantom, possessing the power of a single strike from a Nascent Soul True Monarch!

At the same time, it could also transmit the news of this place back to the Dao Court, letting the Grand Emperor know everything that happened here.

This was the best method Zhongli Yuan could think of in a short time.

It seemed that only this could give him a sense of security.

After all, he was facing a genuine Late Stage Nascent Soul Great True Lord, a being who transcended the billions of living beings in the Profound Spirit Domain.

This was a peerless fiend even stronger than his Dao Court's Grand Emperor!

However, his finger had just touched the edge of the jade talisman and could no longer move forward even an inch.

"Guessed it?"

The black-robed man grinned, a smile that seemed particularly eerie on his chaotic face.

"Not too stupid, then."

He paused, his tone becoming understated.

"However, this Venerable One doesn't want that old ghost to know I'm here. So, please die."

As his words fell, he gently closed his five fingers.

The phantom of the Well of Reincarnation suddenly enlarged, enveloping Zhongli Yuan entirely!

Zhongli Yuan felt his body was no longer under his control.

His face began to grow younger, the few wrinkles at the corners of his eyes receded, his skin became firm, and the white hairs at his temples turned black.

He transformed from a middle-aged man to a youth, then from a youth to a teenager, and finally from a teenager to an infant.

At the same time, his cultivation was wildly regressing.

Golden Core Perfection, Late Golden Core Stage, Mid-stage Golden Core, Early Golden Core Stage.

Then it plummeted further: Foundation Establishment, Qi Refining, finally becoming a Mortal with no cultivation.

His memories also dissipated; he forgot who he was, forgot the Yujing Dao Court, forgot everything.

His eyes became hollow, like a newborn infant, with the clear innocence of one who knows nothing of this world.

But this was not the end.

Within the Well of Reincarnation, that power reversed again.

The infant began to grow, becoming a teenager, then a youth, middle-aged, old age...

His entire life was re-lived in just a few breaths.

But his cultivation did not recover, nor did his memories return.

He was just a Mortal, an ordinary Mortal, who had lived through his entire life's journey in mere moments.

Finally, he became a white-haired old man, his face full of wrinkles, his back hunched.

Then he aged, and died.

His body turned into withered bones, the withered bones into dust, and the dust into nothingness.

From beginning to end, it took no more than three breaths.

King of Jiuyi Zhongli Yuan, fallen.

He ultimately failed to crush that jade talisman.

Wen Lan, who witnessed everything from the side, collapsed to the ground, trembling all over, watching it all unfold.

Her lips quivered, wanting to scream, but no sound came out.

The black-robed man did not look at her.

He waved his hand, and the phantom of the ancient well in the Void Realm slowly dissipated.

Then he turned and looked at everyone else present.

Dozens of Golden Core guards, and those Loose Cultivators who had narrowly escaped, were all frozen in place like statues.

The black-robed man's gaze swept over them, as if he were looking at a group of ants.

An invisible ripple silently spread out, and wherever it passed, everyone fell straight down as if their Souls had been drawn out, completely lifeless.

No screams, no struggles, no room for resistance.

The entire scene was dead silent.

The black-robed man withdrew his hand, not glancing at the taixu ancient bell nor the corpses littering the ground.

He merely slowly raised his hand and beckoned, and a jade talisman flew out from where Zhongli Yuan had dissipated, landing in his palm.

The black-robed man lowered his head, examining the jade talisman.

Chaotic light flickered in his eyes, as if he was analyzing, deducing, and prying into its mysteries.

A moment later, he grinned.

"Indeed, I knew those guys weren't that honest. Just like me!"

He tucked the jade talisman into his sleeve, turned, and continued walking towards the core of the Secret Realm.

His steps were unhurried, as if he had just casually swatted a few flies.

This black-robed man was none other than the Soul-Devouring Demon Lord.

To be precise, he was a Clone that had revived in a Golden Core Perfection Cultivator through a Reincarnation Imprint.

As for his true body descending? That was impossible; the commotion would be too great.

Not only might the Heavenly Dao react drastically, but other Nascent Soul True Monarchs might also make small moves, perhaps even trying to take advantage of the situation to harm him.

At that point, let alone taking away Reincarnation and shaking the Seal, whether he could retreat safely would be a problem.

So he chose a more secure path.

That was to be Reborn into the body of a Golden Core Perfection Cultivator on whom he had previously planted a Reincarnation Imprint.

With his tens of thousands of years of combat experience, comprehension of Laws, and Divine Ability methods, he was far beyond what these Golden Core Cultivators could compare to.

In this Secret Realm, he was almost invincible.

"But unfortunately, this body is too frail."

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord felt the limits of this body and frowned slightly.

Although this body was at Golden Core Perfection, for him, it was still too weak.

It was like a water cup; no matter how much water it could hold, it could never contain a vast ocean.

The power he could exert was less than one ten-thousandth of his true body's.

However, it was more than enough to deal with the Disciples of those Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands.

But he wasn't just facing those Disciples.

He knew that other Nascent Soul True Monarchs wouldn't miss this opportunity either.

Those old fellows must have also tampered with their respective juniors, leaving behind contingencies, just like this Zhongli Yuan.

Therefore, he needed stronger power.

Therefore, xuan yin jade marrow!

As long as he obtained the xuan yin jade marrow, he could use this body to Breakthrough to Nascent Soul.

Although it would only be Early Stage Nascent Soul, with his thousands of years of combat experience and comprehension of Laws, he would be invincible in this Secret Realm.

At that time, whether it was taking away Reincarnation or shaking the Seal, it would be effortless.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Lord lowered his head and glanced at the jade talisman in his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"And the scapegoat, isn't he here now?"

He tucked the jade talisman into his sleeve, looked up towards the core of the Secret Realm, and his figure transformed into a faint light, disappearing into the vast wilderness.