Zheng Yi sneered coldly, "Hmph, even now you still refuse to confess. Do you think I can’t find out without you telling me? Let me tell you, I already have some clues. Refusing to speak will only make you suffer more."

Hong Shan trembled slightly upon hearing this, but stubbornly said, "You... you can forget about it..."

Zheng Yi shook his head and then said, "Alright, since you’re so obstinate, I’ll continue to let you taste my punishments."

Hong Shan’s consciousness began to blur, and strange visions appeared before him.

He saw the cultivators of Star Island and the people of the Earth Demon Race conspiring together.

Hong Shan wanted to see clearly, but his eyes were obscured by flames.

Meanwhile, Zheng Yi’s voice, like a devil’s whisper, continued to linger in his mind.

"Hong Shan, you only have a trace of soul left. If you continue to resist, I will have no choice but to obliterate your soul, leaving you unable to reincarnate forever!"

"Furthermore... do you know why I’m not using the Soul-Searching Technique on you?"

"You now only have a trace of soul left. Do you truly believe you can resist my soul-searching?"

"The reason I haven’t used soul-searching is simply to give you a chance..."

"Reveal the secrets of Star Island and the Earth Demon Race!"

Despair filled Hong Shan’s heart. He knew he could no longer hide the truth.

He shouted loudly, "Stop... stop... I’ll talk... I’ll talk..."

Upon hearing Hong Shan’s words, Zheng Yi immediately ceased the punishment.

Hong Shan gasped for breath, saying, "Star Island... Star Island colluded with the Earth Demon Race more than fifty years ago... They... They gradually infiltrated the entire Profound Cyan Realm..."

Zheng Yi asked further, "How did they collude? Be specific."

In order to entice Hong Shan to reveal the secrets of Star Island and the Earth Demon Race, he even employed the White Lotus Sect’s bewitching secret technique.

All for obtaining complete information!

As for soul-searching?

Now Hong Shan only has a trace of soul left, with very little memory remaining.

If the soul-searching is not completed, Hong Shan’s soul might collapse, which would be a great loss.

Hong Shan continued, "The Earth Demon Race promised the cultivators of Star Island help to breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage, even the Nascent Soul Stage, and also assist Star Island cultivators in ascending to the Earth Demon Race, becoming demon cultivators."

"To pursue higher realms and power, some cultivators from Star Island betrayed the Profound Cyan Realm, joining forces with the Earth Demon Race."

"With the help of the Earth Demon Race, they established outposts everywhere to collect intelligence and devise plots."

"For instance, Yur Country surrounding Great Yu, and Mayfly Tower, they are spies of Star Island."

Listening to Hong Shan’s words, Zheng Yi remained calm.

He was already aware of this information.

What he wanted to know now was more specific details.

"How strong are the cultivators of Star Island?"

"My, my older brother is late-stage Foundation Establishment, Fake Pill Realm."

A fake pill is the peak of Foundation Establishment.

Only one step away from the Golden Core Stage!

"How many are in the Foundation Establishment Stage?"

"Ten, nineteen! Two are mid-stage Foundation Establishment, the rest are all early-stage Foundation Establishment!"

"Nineteen?"

Zheng Yi asked with a frown, "Including you and Hong Shan?"

"No, not including."

"Are there any Golden Core cultivators?"

"No, no. B-but..."

Hong Hai continued to gasp for breath, "But many Foundation Establishment cultivators of Star Island have practiced the Earth Demon Race’s demon techniques."

"At critical moments, they can cast spells to communicate with the Earth Demon Realm, allowing a Demon Venerable to possess them!"

"Their cultivation would then be infinitely close to the Golden Core Stage!"

Hong Hai gritted his teeth, "Emperor of Great Yu, you might as well surrender... the entire Profound Cyan Realm will inevitably become part of the Earth Demon Realm."

"We... are doing this for the cultivators of the Profound Cyan Realm!"

"For thousands of years, the Spiritual Qi has been scarce, and we cultivators barely survive."

"My older brother struggled to find us a path forward, why do you still want to stop us?"

"Entering the Earth Demon Realm, we cultivators could transform into the Earth Demon Race, the Nascent Soul is within reach!"

Seeing the gradually mad Hong Hai, Zheng Yi sneered coldly, "Earth Demon Race? Why give up being part of the Human Race to become Demons?"

"When you become part of the Earth Demon Race, what about the countless mortal citizens of the Profound Cyan Realm?"

Hong Hai’s expression faltered but soon he gritted his teeth again, "So what? We cultivators pursue the path of cultivation, what can’t be abandoned?"

Zheng Yi smiled faintly, uninterested in arguing, and continued asking, "What about the Earth Demon Race, their strength?"

"Earth Demon Race?"

Hong Shan’s expression turned peculiar, but sensing Zheng Yi’s demeanor, he helplessly shook his head.

He knew that the moment he hesitated, Zheng Yi would definitely perform a soul search on him.

Given his current condition, he couldn’t possibly resist a soul search from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

He could only say helplessly, "The Earth Demon Race... the one I contacted on Star Island is merely an Earth Demon Lord from the Earth Demon Realm."

"Earth Demon Lord?" Zheng Yi asked curiously, "What is that?"

As if resigned to his fate, Hong Shan smiled wryly, "So-called Earth Demon Lords... are perhaps similar to the Cultivator Clans in our Profound Cyan Realm."

"They are considered a large force within the Earth Demon Realm."

"According to our years of observation, this Earth Demon Lord is named ’Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable,’ under whom there are three subordinates, ’Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable’ and ’Earth Lotus Demon Venerable,’ presumably kin."

"They promised us that once the channel between the two realms opens, they would allow Star Island cultivators to enter the Earth Demon Realm and serve under Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable."

"And the entire Profound Cyan Realm shall become the backyard for Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable to hunt!"

"Lord? Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable? Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable? Earth Lotus Demon Venerable?"

Zheng Yi furrowed his brow slightly, "Three Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators?"

"What about other cultivators from the Earth Demon Realm?"

"Other Earth Demon Realm cultivators... we have not seen them either."

"I see."

Zheng Yi suddenly understood, realizing that their so-called collusion with the Earth Demon Realm was merely an alliance with a force within it.

This is akin to a cultivator clan forming an alliance with another loose cultivator faction.

The difference, however, is that the Earth Demon Realm cultivators practice the Demon Cultivation Dao, while Star Island cultivators follow the Immortal Dao.

In other words, a hundred years later, they will not be faced with the demon army of the Earth Demon Realm.

But rather the forces represented by Heaven-dominating Demon Venerable?

Nevertheless, caution cannot be easily relaxed.

After all, they are Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators, and the power they represent is terrifying.

Any one of them coming to the Profound Cyan Realm could suppress the entire realm.

No wonder, all the cultivators on Star Island surrendered!

"Is everything you said true?"

"Absolutely!"

Hong Shan’s eyes flickered as he hurriedly said, "I swear on my future path, everything I said is true."

"I have cooperated so, I hope Your Majesty spares my residual soul and gives me a chance to reincarnate and cultivate anew..."

"Reincarnate and cultivate anew?"

Zheng Yi said coldly, "Does reincarnation truly exist in this world?"

"I do not know, maybe it exists, maybe it doesn’t, it’s just the wishful thinking of us cultivators..."

"Heh..."

Zheng Yi let out a light laugh, then his pupils flashed, and a strange wave of divine thought immediately enveloped Hong Shan.

"Soul, soul search! You... ah!!!"

Shortly thereafter.

The last trace of Hong Shan’s divine soul finally collapsed, with his consciousness gradually dissipating.

And Zheng Yi’s figure slowly emerged from it.

"As expected, Hong Shan did not deceive me."

"At most, it’s just the subtle strength differences among the Star Island cultivators."

"And that... Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable!"

According to Hong Shan’s remaining memories, fifty years ago while hunting a Golden Core Stage demon beast, Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable had already found him.

Under Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable’s temptation, Hong Hai and others from Star Island ultimately agreed to his terms, becoming his minions.

In light of this, they even slaughtered many loose cultivators among themselves.

In the end, with Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable’s backing, Hong Shan advanced to the late-stage Foundation Establishment, suppressing countless opposing voices.

Subsequently, in the decades that followed, Hong Hai continually launched attacks within the Overseas Cultivation Realm relying on Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable’s support.

Eventually, he unified the entire Star Island, becoming the vanguard for Heaven-supporting Demon Venerable’s invasion of the Profound Cyan Realm.

Now most cultivators from Star Island have already set out towards Great Yu, planning to reach it within a few years.

Meanwhile, other cultivators are advancing towards surrounding areas like Five Dragon Sea, Far North Icefield, and Profound Spirit Island.

These locations are vast regions within the Profound Cyan Realm, separated from Great Yu by natural barriers.

"How interesting... the Earth Demon Realm?"

Zheng Yi’s eyes flickered as he exited the Thousand Illusions Glazed Painting.

In the quiet room, a Sound Transmission Talisman was continuously thumping.

Zheng Yi waved his hand, and a voice came through.

"Your Majesty, servant Chen Hai seeks an audience."