Great Villain: Starting by Humiliating the Son of the Heavenly Fate

Chapter 208: Revelations about the Formation, Ji Mingxiu's Shock

"Ji Mingxiu, we have little time, pay close attention." Dong Yuanzheng's figure shimmered into view within the mirror. He was a statuesque, lean elder, his raven-black hair emphasizing his cold detachment.

No sooner had Dong Yuanzheng finished his words than the mirror's image shifted, revealing intricate text. Displayed were snippets of formation-setting techniques and mnemonic incantations.

Shortly after, the mirror's imagery shifted dramatically.

Contained within a small formation that radiated a gentle white glow, was a disciple from the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace. But he was no longer recognizable he had been utterly transformed into a demonic entity, a chilling consequence of extensive corruption from the Nether Demon Spiritual Qi.

As he screamed in deranged fury, a massive surge of Nether Demon Spiritual Qi erupted from him. Yet, every wisp of this dark energy was trapped, unable to escape the confines of the formation.

The display lasted only for a brief moment.

Seconds later, the mirror shattered, turning into gleaming fragments that drifted away with the wind.

"Jiang Chen, what's your verdict?" Ji Mingxiu asked, his eyes intently focused on Jiang Chen.

Every eye in the room followed suit, awaiting Jiang Chen's analysis.

"It's unmistakably a formation tailored to contain the Nether Demon Spiritual Qi," Jiang Chen confirmed, nodding thoughtfully. "Furthermore, it's clear that it was developed by human cultivators."

"A human-crafted formation?" Ji Mingxiu exchanged uncertain glances with his peers. "Could we have misunderstood the intentions of the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace?"

Jiang Chen's face was a mask of tranquility. "We might have jumped to conclusions," he replied evenly.

However, he held back a critical piece of information.

The formation Dong Yuanzheng had showcased wasn't ancient at all. Its techniques and chants pointed to a creation from just the last hundred thousand years.

Moreover, Nangong Wan and Shangguan Ning recognized several components of the formation, suggesting its origins were outside the Immortal Martial Continent.

The Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace's assertion that the formation was an ancestral legacy was clearly unfounded. Without much introspection, the truth was evident.

The origin of this formation from the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace was undoubtedly suspect!

'It's highly likely the Nether Demon Clan granted this. To deflect attention, they introduced a formation of human design. Still, they inadvertently exposed themselves.' A flurry of thoughts raced through Jiang Chen's mind, his gaze cold and calculating.

Might the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace have such a formation due to ties with a superior human civilization?

Absolutely not! Because they didn't have the Nether Qi Extraction Secrets. Contrary to popular belief, this wasn't a treasured secret art.

If a superior cultivator force backed the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace, wouldn't they already have the Nether Qi Extraction Secrets?

This line of reasoning solidified Jiang Chen's suspicions of the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace's collaboration with the Nether Demon Clan.

Yet, he concealed these insights, already strategizing his retaliation.

In the present situation, the Purple Heaven Holy Land possessed the Nether Qi Extraction Secrets, while the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace proposed a formation that isolated the Nether Demon Spiritual Qi.

The issue of changing the meeting venue still required further discussion.

Considering the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple's involvement, the Verdant Leaf Giant Peak appeared to be a likely option.

This was mainly because the Verdant Leaf Giant Peak was most advantageous for the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple.

Jiang Chen had now abandoned the idea of changing the meeting place.

Instead, he was racking his brain for strategies to break the deadlock or shift the momentum in their favor.

Jiang Chen was now convinced of the secret alliance between the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace and the Nether Demon Clan.

Their plots, likely aimed at setting traps and diverting attention to execute multiple plans at once, seemed to be falling into place.

Now, Jiang Chen's challenge was discerning the main aim of the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace.

Were they planning to eliminate the top leaders of the Purple Heaven Holy Land and the Jade Lake Heavenly Palace during the gathering? Or was their goal broader - an invasion and subversion of the territories held by the Purple Heaven Holy Land and the Jade Lake Heavenly Palace?

With these thoughts, Jiang Chen's eyes shifted towards Ji Mingxiu and the other powerful figures in the Dao Palace realm. He observed that they had now taken on the role of mere Passersby, and their Fate Value had decreased.

Ji Mingxiu's drop in Fate Value was slight, almost unnoticeable.

Yet, the Fate Values of Sha An, Si Zhangjian, and Yao Zong had drastically dropped, now hovering just above three hundred points.

This suggested that, unless there was some external help, their days might be numbered.

Jiang Chen's gaze shifted to Mo Yu, noticing that his Fate Value had also drastically decreasedlanding just above four hundred points. This was only marginally better than the others.

'Mo Yu is likely to stay at the Holy Land's headquarters.'

'Ji Mingxiu and the other three are destined for the meeting.'

'Of the five, four have seen their Fate Values plummet to dangerously low levels.'

'It's becoming evident. The Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace and the Nether Demon Clan have a plan in place. They're looking to simultaneously eliminate the Purple Heaven Holy Land's top members and take over its headquarters!'

'Previously, their Fate Values weren't this low. Has Fang Yuan's downfall triggered these changes?'

'Indeed, with Fang Yuan at the Purple Heaven Holy Land, it would've been unassailable. Ji Mingxiu and the others, under the protection of his Heavenly Fate Value, would've been safe.'

'Yet, circumstances have shifted, and we're facing a dire situation.' Deep in thought, Jiang Chen's eyes shimmered with understanding.

Time continued its relentless march.

Noticing Jiang Chen deep in contemplation, Ji Mingxiu and the rest transitioned their talk. They began casually discussing the Nether Qi Extraction Secrets with representatives from both the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace and the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple.

Following these conversations, Ji Mingxiu, acting on Jiang Chen's behalf, secured the remains of demonic beasts. These creatures had been vanquished by the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace and the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple during the two demonic beast tides.

As for spiritual plants, there were a few available, but they were not plentiful.

The high-level assembly at the Holy Land soon came to an end.

The venue for the three major powers' gathering remained the same: Verdant Leaf Giant Peak.

Once Ji Mingxiu and the four Supreme Elders left, the Elders of the Dao Comprehension realm gradually dispersed, each attending to their individual tasks.

With the unpredictable timing of the next demonic beast tide, combined with potential threats from the Nether Demon Clan, there was an urgent need to bolster the Holy Land's defenses.

Only after everyone had dispersed did Jiang Chen make his exit from the Holy Land Grand Hall.

Rather than heading to his own dwelling, he redirected his steps to Ji Mingxiu's residence, hoping to have another conversation.

"Jiang Chen, you've come." Ji Mingxiu had sensed earlier that Jiang Chen wanted to discuss something. Thus, he had been anticipating this visit.

"Master, the formation from the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace is dubious!" Without hesitation, Jiang Chen said, "It's clear that the Nether Demon Clan provided that formation. They've been collaborating with the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace for a while now!"

Ji Mingxiu's eyes widened in shock.

"Come again?" He responded, voice thick with surprise. "I thought that formation was a human creation. How could the Nether Demon Clan have bestowed it?"

"That formation did originate from the human race..." Jiang Chen began, deliberately piecing together each mystery.

"It's becoming clear: the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace has indeed been in league with the Nether Demon Clan!" Ji Mingxiu's expression shifted quickly from understanding to rage. "How can they, as humans, ally with the Nether Demon Clan? They must be out of their minds!"

"In their pursuit of higher realms, it's not astounding that the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace would resort to such measures," Jiang Chen remarked.

"The two great powerhouses at the Void Tribulation realm have mentioned that among human cultivators, many have chosen this path. They're often referred to as 'demonic cultivators'."

With a calm demeanor, Jiang Chen continued, "I now suspect that many of the elite cultivators within the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace have transformed into demonic cultivators."

"Demonic cultivators..." Ji Mingxiu heaved a sigh.

Jiang Chen nodded grimly, "At present, the Imperial Extreme Heavenly Palace is in league with these demonic cultivators."

"Their strategy is to isolate the elite combat forces of both the Purple Heaven Holy Land and the Jade Lake Heavenly Temple during the gathering, then defeat them one after another."

He cast a meaningful glance at Ji Mingxiu, "If we're not vigilant, our Purple Heaven Holy Land could be wiped out."

"Then..." Ji Mingxiu furrowed his brows, "Should we consider not attending and instead fortify ourselves within the Holy Land?"

A note from AlphaWIA:

If you're enjoying my work, consider supporting me:

Patreon (Membership) /AlphaWIA]

Ko-fi (One time support & Membership) /alphawia]