"If it weren’t for Elder Luo preparing some measures in secret, I’m afraid the casualties at Luoxia Mountain would be even more severe this time."

Manipulate karma?

Shen Chongming listened, his expression slightly serious.

Such measures are indeed somewhat eerie.

Karma belongs to the power of Heaven and Earth Laws, similar to the forces of causality and time, it is a higher-level power.

Ordinary cultivators can hardly sense it, let alone manipulate it.

That Jianan Temple can control such measures indeed makes people caught off guard.

"As for the ’Seed of Destiny Transformation Scripture,’ it’s even more bizarre. Now, there are hundreds of disciples at Luoxia Mountain affected by the ’Seed of Destiny Transformation Scripture,’ as if possessed. Sometimes they are lucid, sometimes they’re deranged."

"I’ve come here because Elder Luo instructed me, saying that the Literary Dao cultivators of the Shen Family possess a power known as ’Vast Righteous Qi.’"

"If possible, I may need a few Literary Dao cultivators to accompany me to Yunzhong County City and see if they can save the disciples of Luoxia Mountain."

"Vast Righteous Qi..." Shen Chongming hesitated for a moment after hearing this, then said, "Elder Luo, to be honest."

"Back then, when my Shen Family attacked Great Witch Mountain, some monks from Jianan Temple took advantage of the situation to head south and preach the teachings at the borders of Xingyang City, implanting the ’Seed of Destiny Transformation Scripture’ into two hundred thousand common people."

"The Shen Family spent more than half a year trying various methods to save them."

Luo Yao’s face lit up with joy upon hearing this, asking, "What method did you ultimately use to remove the Secret Skill of the ’Seed of Destiny Transformation Scripture’?"

Shen Chongming shook his head with a forlorn expression and said, "In the end, I ordered the relocation of those two hundred thousand common people to the area bordering the Yin Corpse Sect and Anyang City, tacitly permitting the Yin Corpse Sect to take them away..."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao’s smile froze!

"Are you saying... there’s no saving those afflicted by the ’Seed of Destiny Transformation Scripture’?"

Shen Chongming did not answer.

After some thought, he consoled her, "It’s hard to say."

"Those affected at Luoxia Mountain are all cultivators, with a Spirit Platform in their Sea of Consciousness and a stronger Divine Spirit, giving them some self-resistance ability."

"It’s certainly not comparable to ordinary common people."

"Soon, Junior Chongxuan will accompany the Elder, and if the Literary Dao’s ’Vast Righteous Qi’ is indeed effective, that would be best."

Luo Yao nodded her head.

Initially optimistic, thinking that since Elder Jiang Xiuqi had mentioned it, the Shen Family’s Literary Dao cultivators would surely resolve the issue.

But after listening to Shen Chongming, her optimism vanished instantly.

Being of the Golden Core Immortal Sect, the six major forces of the Southern Border can still replenish their lost disciples continuously.

Yet Luoxia Mountain cannot transfer disciples from Danzhou due to the terrifying presence of the Old Man with a Conical Hat at the barrier.

"Regarding the city walls and the common people, what’s Luoxia Mountain’s loss?"

Shen Chongming switched the topic and asked.

"City walls... five were lost, and the common people’s loss is alright, around two million."

Shen Chongming slightly nodded, pondering for a moment, "Elder Luo, this time my Shen Family seized twenty-seven city walls from Fushan Country, how many can Luoxia Mountain digest?"

Twenty-seven city walls?!

Luo Yao was somewhat disbelieving of her ears, staring at Shen Chongming in astonishment.

For this grand seizure, Shen Wen’an forcefully abandoned a chance to advance to Golden Core, she guessed the Shen Family would take major actions.

But within a mere month, the Shen Family seized twenty-seven city walls!

Almost conquering one city wall each day.

"Did Fushan Country... not resist at all?"

Luo Yao asked in disbelief.

After all, it’s a Golden Core nation, how is there no resistance at all?

Shen Chongming smiled faintly, "They wanted to resist."

"But within a few days, three out of the five major armies were completely annihilated by Third Uncle, while the remaining two simply didn’t dare to show themselves."

"My Shen Family’s cultivators swept through like entering an uninhabited land."

After hearing this, Luo Yao was left agape, then she remarked, "Fellow Daoist Wen’an’s prowess is unrivaled below the Golden Core."

After a slight pause, she looked at Shen Wen’an and asked, "Of these twenty-seven cities, how many does the Shen Family plan to keep?"

In the past, when the Immortal Sect descended, Luoxia Mountain gifted four city walls to the Shen Family as a foundation.

In this grand seizure, Luoxia Mountain suffered heavy losses, Luo Yao hoped to ask for more city walls but felt embarrassed to mention it.

She could only see what the Shen Family planned to offer.

"The Shen Family doesn’t plan to keep many."

"Father and Grandfather’s intention is that including Yunshui City, the Shen Family can at most govern nine city walls, otherwise it would become a burden."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yao immediately furrowed her brows.

"So, of the twenty-seven city walls, the Shen Family plans to keep only four?"

"But the remaining twenty-three city walls, Luoxia Mountain can’t manage them all."

Shen Chongming chuckled upon hearing this, "No worries, Luoxia Mountain can pick whichever it wants, the rest... I’ll trade them with Fushan Country."

"Oh?" Luo Yao was slightly surprised but didn’t ask for specifics.

After some thinking, she hesitated, "Then, on behalf of Luoxia Mountain, I’ll ask for ten city walls... how about that?"

Shen Chongming nodded nonchalantly, "No problem."

"I’ll hand over the map of the occupied city walls to the Elder shortly."

"After Luoxia Mountain makes its choice, the remaining thirteen city walls can all be traded with Fushan Country by me."

After exchanging some casual talk, Luo Yao, still worrying about the disciples in the Commandery City afflicted by the ’Seed of Destiny Transformation Scripture,’ left the Shen Family with Shen Chongxuan and the city walls map.

...

Yingchuan County City.

Shen Wen’an and Shen Chongming sat in the grand hall, looking at Wushi Ao and a group of thick-qi army generals in front of them, Shen Chongming smiled faintly and said: