King of Creation Chapter 1690: 1675: The Kitten's Unexpected Breakthrough (Happy Spring Festival)

Crunch, crunch!

Sizzling!

Those crunching and sizzling sounds came from the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten's jaws as it pulverized bones and tore through sinewy meat.

Grand Divine Master Shouxuan had launched a sudden strike against Ye Zhen, only to reveal an avatar disguise afterward in an effort to mislead him.

The camouflage of a Dao Realm powerhouse proved highly effective, fooling Ye Zhen's Divine Sense yet failing to evade Big Ears Nie Ting's sharp hearing.

The instant the attacker fled, Big Ears used his innate divine ability to alert Ye Zhen that Grand Divine Master Shouxuan, in pursuit of the assailant, had suffered the loss of an arm.

Thus, the identity of the assassin became crystal clear.

Furthermore, Ye Zhen grasped the real purpose of Grand Divine Master Shouxuan's abrupt assassination bid: to land a superficial, non-lethal strike.

This explained why Ye Zhen staked his life, prepared extensively beforehand, and rushed back at top speed without delay.

Ye Zhen hadn't fully wiped out the evidence of the slaughter at the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple. Beyond the baffling traces like the Spirit Void Fruit Tree Demon's aura, he preserved all other clues intact.

Had he scrubbed the scene too spotlessly, how could Ye Zhen dispel the suspicions cast upon him?

Logically, when Heavenly Temple experts reached the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple and inspected the carnage remnants, they would inevitably link it back to Ye Zhen.

The initial step involved verifying if Ye Zhen even had the opportunity to perpetrate the deed.

To check if he was truly present and possessed sufficient time to carry it out.

Under ordinary conditions, traversing from the remote Luo Prefecture Branch Temple back to Luoyi in under two hours is impossible for anyone below the Dao Realm.

Moreover, covering tens of millions of miles from the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple to the Dragon Swimming Plain demands far more than a mere decision—even ancient teleportation arrays make it incredibly arduous.

On top of that, Luoyi, the Great Zhou Empire's capital, enforces strict nighttime closures. Lacking an imperial edict or special permit, no one can pass through the city gates monitored by the Celestial Spirit Mirror from dusk till dawn.

Earlier, even Baili Fei needed the Sun and Moon Divine Monarch’s Staff of World Incineration to reactivate Luoyi's barrier gates and exit.

That action still required reporting to Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu, the Grand Marshal of the Imperial Guard, and the Military Department for clearance before departure.

For anyone else, sneaking in or out of Luoyi at night proves impossible, not even for the Eight Council Princes.

Appearances aside, Luoyi's subterranean grand guardian formations and aerial invisible barriers compel even Dao Realm experts to use only the city gates.

This imperial capital isn't mere decoration.

In times of war, it transforms into an impregnable stronghold where those below Dao Realm—and even Dao Realm masters—cannot breach or exit via alternative routes.

Given these constraints, even if Ye Zhen somehow bridged the tens of millions of miles to the Dragon Swimming Plain in a miraculous one or two hours, entering Luoyi tonight remains utterly out of reach.

In these scenarios, confirming whether the Ye Zhen in Luoyi is his real body or a mere phantom clone determines his involvement or innocence.

Ye Zhen never foresaw the Heavenly Temple employing such drastic tactics to probe his potential guilt.

With the Heavenly Temple resorting to this, Ye Zhen deemed it essential to stir up some chaos for them; otherwise, that slap would have been endured in vain.

The moment Grand Divine Master Shouhui referenced the severed limb, Ye Zhen instantly comprehended his aim. With a mere thought, he unleashed the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten.

Hearing the kitten's munching noises, the onlookers from the Ancestor God Temple, Heavenly Patrol Department, and most oblivious Heavenly Temple warriors felt only mild sympathy, nothing more.

Yet Grand Divine Master Shouhui, overseeing the matter directly, stood utterly stunned.

He had pondered countless scenarios, but never imagined a demon beast bursting forth to devour the arm.

Meanwhile, Grand Divine Master Shouxuan, concealed in the void during his chase, saw the spectacle and nearly blacked out, eyes bulging in shock.

His arm!

For a Dao Realm expert, every bit of flesh harbors immense spiritual power, refined through endless tempering.

Should the arm have been reattached, he would only forfeit a portion of his essence blood and mend within three to five days.

Yet now, devoured by the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten, that arm couldn't be salvaged—even if he slayed the Cloud Winged Tiger King and fished the mangled limb from its gut, reattachment was impossible.

Though a Dao Realm powerhouse who could regrow an arm via the Supreme Mysterious Skill to match the original perfectly, it would demand at least a decade of his cultivation base.

Agony tore at him!

He yearned to charge out and shred that beast to pieces.

But he dared not!

Convinced that emerging with his severed arm would spell his own doom, torn apart by foes.

Ye Zhen, you… you…

Finger jabbing at Ye Zhen, he stammered 'you' twice, yet found no basis to condemn him.

Could he fault the assassination target for sheltering the perpetrator?

Suddenly, the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten, fresh from gulping Shouxuan’s arm, unleashed a fierce surge in its aura.

Within mere breaths, the beast—at Late Stage Eighth Stage of Divine Communication Realm—vaulted to Peak Eighth Stage, then shattered into Ninth Stage.

Early Ninth Stage, Mid Ninth Stage, Late Ninth Stage.

Beneath the crowd's stunned stares, the Cloud Winged Tiger King rocketed from Late Eighth Stage to Peak Ninth Stage after feasting on a Dao Realm expert's arm.

Grand Divine Master Shouhui nearly coughed up blood in shock, robbed of even a chance to vent.

The concealed Grand Divine Master Shouxuan ached too deeply to utter a word, his every bit of cultivation tied to vital blood and essence.

Little rascal, you truly grasp chances well. Get back here quick, Ye Zhen laughed, playfully nudging the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten. It rolled cutely, shrank down, and nestled cozily into Ye Zhen's embrace.

Sorry about that, this little fellow's just too gluttonous. Never thought it'd wipe out the assassin's tracking trail like this.

That killer was Dao Realm anyway, fleeing for ages—even with leads, we'd probably never nab him.

No problem at all, no problem. Folks, kindly depart. I must heal now! Took a minor wound before and need to tend it immediately. Ye Zhen waved them off warmly, his dismissal plain.

Teeth clenched, face pitch-black like ink, Grand Divine Master Shouhui quitted the Silent Chamber. What choice remained but to go?

At least the Hall Master's directive was fulfilled.

Shouxuan, my apologies for this mess. I owe you big. Got a 10,000-year Blood Ginseng—I'll deliver it soon to aid your recovery. Grand Divine Master Shouhui sent via divine sense.

All vacated the Silent Chamber as Ye Zhen assumed a cross-legged pose to commence healing.

Only now did Ye Zhen release the tension gripping his heart.

He'd cut it razor-thin.

Via Innate Five Elements Divine Escape, Ye Zhen tunneled under Luoyi into the Posthouse, stirring a faint rumble below to divert the underground-guarding Grand Divine Master Shouxuan just enough for flawless fusion with his Illusory Body.

Yet scarcely had Ye Zhen rejoined his Illusory Body when the Heavenly Temple probe arrived—a hair's breadth escape.

But they'd surmounted this trial.

With suspicion lifted, Ye Zhen's name-clearing scheme stood half-victorious.

Next hinged on the Demon Clan's maneuvers.

Self-exoneration alone fell short; the Heavenly Temple craved a fall guy for their fury.

Lacking that, it'd linger unsolved, and a wrathful Dao Ancestor reversing time would doom Ye Zhen.

Besides, the patsy had to volunteer, hinging on Longnu and Yue Dao's scheming prowess.

Above all, cleared of doubt, Ye Zhen's vital Shahe City evidence could deploy.

His grand design would unfold without hitch.

Meanwhile, at Luo Prefecture Branch Temple, Moon Palace Master Baili Fei got Grand Divine Master Shouhui's dispatch.

Lord Hall Master, confirmed: the Ye Zhen at the Posthouse is his authentic self, demon servant Cloud Winged Tiger King cradled in his arms.

Ever vigilant on superior orders, Grand Divine Master Shouhui captured a brief Spirit Shadow and forwarded it via mini Communication Transfer Formation.

Upon reviewing the Spirit Shadow, Moon Palace Master Baili Fei betrayed rare astonishment. Brother Mu, did we truly misjudge this lad?

Baili Fei pondered, “Should the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple incident not have been Ye Zhen’s doing, then the Shahe City Branch Temple event probably wasn’t his handiwork either.”

“Considering the present circumstances, there’s an eighty to ninety percent likelihood it wasn’t Ye Zhen. What’s more, unless it was mere coincidence, someone intentionally framed Ye Zhen for the Shahe City Branch Temple incident!”

Mu Hall Master Mu Xu revealed hesitation here, “Yet if that’s true, who bears the real guilt for the Shahe City Branch Temple massacre?”

Contemplative looks crossed the faces of both Mu Xu and Baili Fei, but only moments into their reflection, they blurted out together, “Soul Demon Sovereign!”

Signs of the Soul Demon Sovereign lingered at the scenes of both the Shahe City Branch Temple and Luo Prefecture Branch Temple incidents.

The Soul Demon Sovereign’s powers prove the strangest and most elusive, leaving defenses virtually impenetrable. Certainly, the Soul Demon Sovereign holds both the drive and means to slaughter a Heavenly Temple Branch Temple.

“If the Soul Demon Sovereign is truly behind it, the massacre suddenly makes sense.”

This represents yet another suspicious clue for the Heavenly Temple.

Prior to this, they had blamed the Shahe City Branch Temple massacre on Ye Zhen, yet struggled to understand his reason for demolishing it.

No motive or incentive drove Ye Zhen to annihilate the Shahe City Branch Temple, especially with countless flaws left in plain sight.

However, clarity now reigns.

“Under these conditions, the entire incident’s character transforms utterly!” Baili Fei’s expression turned grave.

Right then, inside the Luoyi Posthouse, Ye Zhen—halfway to triumph in his epic scheme—finally could inspect the miraculous abilities unlocked from the Mirage Dragon Pearl by breaching the Fifth Stage Sealing Barrier!

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Today’s password is: Chicken Year, Great Luck and Prosperity!