Upon hearing that Zhao Yi also has the ability to control "spirit," the True Man Miaoyin immediately got excited and went to the Four Seas Commerce Headquarters to hunt for treasure.

She planned to unearth the Thousand-Handed Divine Statue and study it thoroughly.

The scene where the male protagonist just collected the altar was seen by everyone.

True Man Miaoyin had a premonition that after ten thousand years, the "spirit" was perhaps going to return to the cultivation realm.

Even a small Four Seas Commerce Headquarters had two "spirits."

What about those ten-thousand-year sects in the cultivation realm?

What about the even more ancient Four Seas Dragon Race?

Is there the shadow of the "spirit" behind the birth of the Immortal Alliance?

True Man Miaoyin felt an invisible net was enveloping the Da Xia royal family.

This is... truly exciting!

The rise of the Da Xia royal family was too late; when the Zhao family ascended to the supreme throne of the cultivation realm, the "spirit" had long disappeared for ten thousand years.

Ten thousand years ago, the sects led by the Heaven-Facing Sect overthrew the rule of the "spirit" and began an age dominated by human cultivators.

Thus, the Da Xia royal family did not understand the "spirit" as well as those ten-thousand-year sects.

When the Zhao family established the Great Xia Dynasty, the "spirit" was considered a public enemy in the cultivation realm, and there was even an unwritten rule that whoever sacrifices to the evil gods to summon the "spirit" would be the public enemy of the entire cultivation realm.

For many years, the cultivation realm had been peaceful, and the surveillance from Xuanzhen Temple hadn't found any news about the "spirit," and the Great Xia Imperial Court had almost forgotten about the existence of the "spirit."

True Man Miaoyin had practically memorized all the scriptures of Xuanzhen Temple. There hadn't been anything fresh for a long time, and now suddenly, a "spirit" appeared for research, filling True Man Miaoyin with curiosity.

The Imperial Clan Court would likely feel the same.

The royal kin in the Imperial Clan Court were bored on a daily basis, each thinking of changing the world or destroying their homes.

Suddenly introducing a novel item would surely divert their attention, keeping them from idleness and harming their own families.

The imperial guards and the people at the imperial court over there might be even happier.

There had been no wars in the Great Xia for over a hundred years. Without wars, there are no military achievements, and those imperial guards enlisted not for a life of retirement.

If the shadow of the "spirit" truly exists behind the Immortal Alliance, then the cultivation realm will soon be lively.

With chaos in the cultivation realm, the imperial guards will have their purpose, and promotions and wealth will be just around the corner.

True Man Miaoyin believed that once the news of the "spirit's" resurrection spread, the excitement in Shengjing City would far exceed panic and fear—probably driving the city guards to madness!

In the future, when the exotic beasts from the Crown Prince's Mansion venture out, there will surely be more people feeding them.

Those exotic beasts truly are auspicious signs.

Ever since the auspicious signs entered the city, good things just keep happening in Shengjing City.

If this isn't an auspicious sign, what is it?

As for whether the "spirit" will threaten the rule of the Great Xia Court?

True Man Miaoyin couldn't be bothered to think about it.

Adults, the times have changed!

True Man Miaoyin had just witnessed the entire process of the altar's "spirit."

The strengths were evident, and the weaknesses were equally prominent.

The strength is the rapid increase of one's cultivation level to the Tier Nine Saint King Realm.

The downside is the high cost of the elevation.

Not to mention the countless sacrifices on the altar, just the harm on the protagonist's body was enough to raise caution.

True Man Miaoyin didn't believe that Yao Su carved so many cuts on his body for aesthetics.

Receiving the "gifts" from the "spirit" must come with unimaginable costs!

Even then, the altar just raised the protagonist's cultivation level to the Tier Nine Saint King Realm.

In the cultivation realm, Tier Nine Saint King Realm might make one a dominant ruler.

But before the Zhao family, it is nothing impressive.

Perhaps the "spirit" hadn't anticipated the appearance of the Zhao family, a peculiar clan, after their demise ten thousand years ago.

With the Zhao clan's disciples successfully receiving their inheritance, just drinking cold water from the Mad Dragon Technique could breakthrough to the Tier Nine Saint King Realm.

No matter how quickly the "spirit" can elevate, could it match the Zhao family's thousand years of accumulation?

How many resources in the cultivation realm are there to offer sacrifices to the "spirit"?

This is a completely asymmetric battle.

How are they going to fight?

Therefore, True Man Miaoyin didn't believe those evil gods could shake the Zhao family's dominion.

They would only turn the originally peaceful cultivation realm into chaos.

And those impacted will only be those cultivation sects!

However,

isn't this what they chose?

For the cultivation realm sects, the Great Xia Zhao family has been fairly kind.

The Zhao family at least left 20% of the resources for the cultivation realm.

When the Heaven-Facing Sect dominated the cultivation realm, they wanted it all!

Other sects could only consume the scraps they tossed aside.

Those sects only enjoyed a thousand years of good times before their ambitions went unchecked.

To undermine the Zhao family, they crazily tried to resurrect past adversaries.

Isn't this madness?

Suddenly, True Man Miaoyin understood why the Immortal Alliance was hunting Heaven-Facing Sect people.

The members of Heaven-Facing Sect understood the "spirit" the most.

Immortal Alliance feared that Zhao Yi would pardon the remnants of Heaven-Facing Sect, and the truth would be revealed, thus they preemptively struck.

True Man Miaoyin reached the top of the Four Seas Commerce Main Building, stood on the rooftop, looked at the imperial guards digging meticulously below, and shook her head internally.

The cultivation realm sects didn't understand the Zhao clan at all.

In the eyes of the Great Xia Zhao family, the cultivation realm never mattered.

They had only one goal in mind.

And that was breaking through to the tenth tier and saving their kin.

Dominating the cultivation realm was just their means to an end, not the purpose.

"True Man, there's something strange here."

True Man Miaoyin was about to speak when she heard reports from the building with imperial guards.

Her body swayed slightly, entering the building, and she immediately saw the evil and bizarre Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Divine Statue in the secret room at the center of the building.

Unlike the enormous altar, the statue was only sixteen feet tall.

The statue was entirely pitch-black, neither gold, wood, nor stone, with a crack in its forehead, a thousand hands open with palm bloodshot eyes closed, looking evil and strange.

"Found you!"

True Man Miaoyin's eyes lit up as she curiously examined the statue, instructing those nearby: "Go find some black dogs, fetch their blood, and taint this item. Without my order, none shall approach this item within ten feet, violators will be executed!"

Black dog blood has the ability to repel evil, though uncertain its effect on evil gods, but even if ineffective it could disgust them.

"As ordered!"

The surrounding imperial guards responded in unison, then quickly went to find black dogs.

True Man Miaoyin cast one last glance at the Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Divine Statue, turned, and went to find Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi was staring at the Taotie.

The Taotie trembled as it was gazed upon, fearing its act of secretly drinking human blood had been exposed, burying its head, not daring to meet Zhao Yi's gaze.

Zhao Yi examined the Taotie, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

Previously, when the Taotie inexplicably ran away from Yao Family Town, Zhao Yi found it strange.

Later, when Prince Zhi suddenly got into trouble, Zhao Yi didn't have time to think deeply.

Just now, as Taotie railed to save the protagonist, Zhao Yi finally paid attention.

The last time Taotie suddenly ran off was to find the protagonist.

Now it risked failure to save the protagonist.

Things aren't right!

When something is off, there is usually a reason.

Zhao Yi recalled Su Qianqian before her transformation into the Taotie.

If any trace of Su Qianqian's soul remained in Taotie, these actions could be explained.

Seeing True Man Miaoyin return, Zhao Yi asked, "After Taotie undergoes transformation, will it still retain past memories? Like recognizing familiar people from before transformation."

"No!" True Man Miaoyin decisively replied.

"After Taotie reincarnates, it becomes a completely new entity, apart from the inherited memories in its bloodline, existing memories are impossible!"

"Inherited memories come from the previous and earlier generations of Taotie, there's no way there are memories of familiar people!"

Zhao Yi nodded, then kicked the pretending-to-be-dead Taotie, probing:

"Su Qianqian, come out, I saw you!"

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