"Upper Realm, Upper Realm..."

Zheng Yi frowned slightly: "I just don’t know if it’s related to my cultivation breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Stage, or if it’s because... I’ve come into contact with someone from the Earth Demon Realm?!"

Earth Demon Realm!

The Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable currently sealed and suppressed in the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting is from the Earth Demon Realm!

A few days ago, after suppressing the Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable, I conveniently subdued Old Demon Feng, this Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

According to what he said, this so-called Earth Demon Realm had also appeared in the Cultivation Realm thousands of years ago.

At that time, they used some unknown method to open a channel connecting to the Profound Cyan Realm and launched a massive invasion.

The Profound Cyan Realm belonged to the era of the Cultivator Sects back then, and a fierce war between the two realms broke out.

The war lasted for hundreds of years.

Half of the Profound Cyan Realm was almost occupied by people from the Earth Demon Realm.

Seeing the Profound Cyan Realm about to be occupied by people from the Earth Demon Realm, it was the Spirit Realm people who noticed something was wrong and sent cultivators down to assist the Profound Cyan Realm cultivators in resisting the Earth Demon Realm.

With the assistance of the Spirit Realm cultivators, it took nearly a hundred years to drive out the people from the Earth Demon Realm.

At the same time, the channel between the Profound Cyan Realm and the Earth Demon Realm was sealed.

Even now, some demonic path cultivation techniques circulating in the Profound Cyan Realm are rumored to have spread from the Earth Demon Realm.

"I don’t know if this Earth Demon Realm belongs to the ’Upper Realm’?"

Zheng Yi murmured: "If the Earth Demon Realm is also the ’Upper Realm,’ then the Profound Cyan Realm is doomed..."

Just then, he felt his divine thought move slightly.

With a wave of his hand, the surrounding clouds and mist dispersed, and a flame flew in with a ’whoosh’ sound.

As it was about a zhang away from Zheng Yi, it suddenly exploded, and the familiar voice of Cui Xiabing came through.

"Your Majesty~ I and my sister have already investigated the situation of many scattered cultivators. We came to report it specially; I wonder if you have come out of seclusion?"

"Loose cultivators..."

Zheng Yi nodded slightly and got up to leave the place.

This group of loose cultivators is related to the future establishment of the Great Yu Immortal Dynasty, so it must be dealt with accordingly.

Outside the forbidden area, not far away in the pavilion, a woman was waiting.

She was draped in a moon-white palace dress, with light gauze like clouds dancing gently in the wind.

The hem flowed like a waterfall, delicate and soft, with a faint sheen.

Her slender waist was tied with a soft silk belt, showing elegance amidst flowing grace.

Her face was like finely crafted porcelain, warm and smooth.

Her brows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn water, with a deep and lively gaze.

Her nose was straight, lips like cherry blossoms, and the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, revealing a subtle smile.

Standing beneath the pavilion, she seemed to blend with the surrounding flowers, birds, fish, and insects, exuding an ethereal and refined aura like a fairy emerging from an immortal realm.

Years of cultivation have brought Cui Xiabing to the peak of Qi Cultivation, just a step away from Foundation Establishment.

After some time, she also needs to enter seclusion to attempt breaking through to the Foundation Establishment.

If successful, the Great Yu Immortal Dynasty will have a third Foundation Establishment Cultivator!

Seeing Zheng Yi approach, Cui Xiabing quickly trotted out of the pavilion and respectfully said, "I pay respects to Your Majesty~!"

"Rise, my beloved consort~"

Zheng Yi took her hand, walked to the pavilion, and looked around curiously: "Didn’t my beloved consort say the Imperial Noble Consort was also here, where is she?"

Cui Xiabing said: "My sister waited for a while, but when Your Majesty had not come out of seclusion, she left on her own."

"Your Majesty, Qingying is a person of passion and not very accustomed to royal protocols yet; I hope Your Majesty will forgive her."

"About the incident a few days ago of loose cultivators invading Celestial Longevity Mountain and how to deal with this group of loose cultivators, I am fully aware. Your Majesty can ask me anything."

Zheng Yi laughed: "I know her character well. Well, after all, she joined the palace later."

"As for the loose cultivators... have you found out anything?"

"Yes."

Cui Xiabing said: "Based on the Enchanting Soul Technique tests Qingying conducted on many of the surrendered loose cultivators, I have roughly grasped the situation."

"The matter originally started with the Four Ghosts of Shannan, who later contacted other loose cultivators like the East Sea Iron Crown Daoist, the Snake-Toad Brothers, and Old Demon Hua, joining forces to attempt to plunder my Celestial Longevity Mountain."

"Later, the Du Family of Beimang Mountain and other cultivator families also joined in."

Cui Xiabing succinctly said: "Besides them, regarding the origin of the alien cultivator claiming to be the Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable, they also don’t know."

"Some people among them mentioned that this Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable was a practice somehow by Hong Shan, a cultivator from the Overseas Star Island, allowing it to possess him."

"The root of everything is actually on Star Island!"

"Star Island..."

Zheng Yi murmured, a flash of killing intent passing through his eyes.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Cui Xiabing said: "That Hong Shan is actually the middleman, the liaison for Star Island within my Great Yu."

"His true identity, besides being the junior brother of Star Island’s Master Hong Hai, is also one of the behind-the-scenes leaders of Mayfly Tower in Yur Country."

"The Floating Island of Yur Country is actually one of Star Island’s liaison points in my Great Yu."

"For a thousand years, they’ve been monitoring and remotely controlling the Great Yu Cultivation Realm."

Zheng Yi frowned: "Star Island is extremely distant from Great Yu; even flying at full strength by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator takes several years, if not a decade!"

"What exactly is Hong Hai planning to spend so much manpower and resources to monitor Great Yu?"

"Does Great Yu have something he must obtain?"

"Or... is it an order from the Earth Demon Realm?"

Zheng Yi couldn’t figure it out, but when he thought of the Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable’s Divine Split suppressed in the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting, an idea formed in his mind.

"Let’s set this aside for now. Have all the surrendered loose cultivators been fully examined?"

Cui Xiabing shook her head and said: "Your Majesty, this time, there are eighty-seven surrendered loose cultivators."

"Among them, fifty-nine have committed killings in my Celestial Longevity Mountain, while only twenty-eight did not kill anyone, although they did loot a lot..."

"Fifty-nine people..."

Killing intent flashed in Zheng Yi’s eyes: "What about the Four Ghosts of Shannan?"

"Youlinzi and Matchmaker surrendered, the other two died in the chaos that day."

"Youlinzi and Matchmaker are to be executed by slicing, and their nine clans exterminated!"

Zheng Yi said unceremoniously: "Have the Shadow Guard investigate these two people’s identities and clans. All relatives within their nine clans are to be eradicated!"

Though Youlinzi and Matchmaker are loose cultivators, they, as cultivators, would undoubtedly support and protect their clansmen.

Not necessarily to bring them into the Cultivation Realm, but ordinary cultivation techniques, gold, and the like can be easily given in abundance.

Only by eradicating all of Youlinzi and Matchmaker’s nine clans can there be absolute safety.

"This..."

Cui Xiabing hesitated for a moment, eventually respectfully saying: "Yes, Your Majesty! I will go to deliver the decree now."

"And the other loose cultivators?"

"The other loose cultivators..."

Zheng Yi’s eyes flashed slightly: "Those fifty-nine cultivators who committed murder, all are to be buried alive, and their three clans razed!"

"The remaining twenty-eight surrendering cultivators are to offer up their divine souls and ignite their soul fires."

"Those who refuse, kill them!"

Having said these, Zheng Yi continued: "First, have these twenty-eight surrendering cultivators offer up their divine souls and ignite their soul fires."

"Then let them go and bury those fifty-nine cultivators alive, understand?"

Cui Xiabing’s expression turned solemn: "I obey Your Majesty’s command!"

But she hesitated: "Your Majesty, among these fifty-nine cultivators, there are some in late-stage Qi Cultivation, and even clan cultivators; isn’t it somewhat... wasteful just to kill them like this?"

"Oh? What are your thoughts, my beloved consort?"

"Your Majesty, why not let them offer up their divine souls and ignite their soul fires, ensure they are all under the control of my Great Yu Immortal Dynasty, to fully command them, and make them serve my Great Yu Immortal Dynasty..."

Zheng Yi coldly shook his head: "Ordinary people can indeed be spared, but this group of cultivators absolutely cannot!"

"My action is merely to serve as a warning to others!"

"Only by using swift and decisive means to eradicate this group of treasonous loose cultivators can I intimidate those twenty-eight surrendering cultivators, and awe the entire Great Yu Cultivation Realm!"

Zheng Yi’s tone was filled with murderous intent.

"After this, I want the entire Great Yu Cultivation Realm to be shrouded under my command!"

"Also, after eradicating this group of loose cultivators, have Feng Yunzi lead these twenty-eight loose cultivators to raze the Du Family at Beimang Mountain, the He Family at Qingyun Mountain, and the Zhou Family at Louguan Mountain, leaving no one behind!"

"Won’t submit? Then die!"

"I... obey the decree!"