King of Creation Chapter 1694: 1679: A Fight to the Death?

“Master Mu, let me make this unequivocally clear: once tomorrow concludes, the Ministry of Justice and the Heavenly Patrol Department’s experts will finalize their re-evaluation of the accusations you've leveled against me.

Regardless of their findings, if your Heavenly Temple remains intent on fabricating charges and leaving me with no recourse,

then tomorrow, I shall present the Spirit Shadow preserved within this Jade Scroll to His Majesty and the Ancestor God Temple. Concurrently, my associates will ensure widespread dissemination of this Spirit Shadow from the Jade Scroll.”

Within the posthouse, Ye Zhen addressed Mu Xu, the Master of Mu Hall, who had arrived in haste with a somber expression, stating directly, “At the very least, we shall engage in a fight to the bitter end!”

These final words were deliberately emphasized by Ye Zhen, carrying a distinct tone of menace.

This declaration caused Mu Xu, the Master of Green Hall, who had just entered and witnessed the Spirit Shadow, to adopt a countenance of extreme grimness, with a surge of killing Qi emanating from behind him. “Are you issuing a threat to this elder?”

“Threatening our Heavenly Temple?”

“Are you aware of the potential repercussions?”

Ye Zhen’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile, “Master Mu, you are welcome to perceive it as such; this is my ultimate measure for self-preservation. Were it not to save my own life, I would scarcely wish to unveil something of such monumental consequence.”

“However, if you harbor the notion that my demise will definitively resolve this matter and eradicate all subsequent complications, then you are, in fact, underestimating me, Ye Zhen.”

“Prior to my entry into Luoyi, I had foreseen such possibilities and instituted several contingency plans! Should I meet a violent end, rest assured that individuals will be tasked with delivering identical Jade Scrolls to Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu and the Ancestor God Temple. In the most dire circumstances, within a single day, over a million copies of the Spirit Shadow will permeate the State City of each of the 108 states comprising the Great Zhou Dynasty,” Ye Zhen declared with a chilling laugh.

Mu Xu’s gaze turned icy as he slowly inclined his head, “You lack the requisite capability for such an undertaking.”

“Why not indulge in a trial run? After all, given Lord Ye’s prowess, extinguishing my life would be a trifling matter.”

Ye Zhen’s pronouncement left Mu Xu utterly bereft of words.

This Spirit Shadow pertained directly to the future standing of the Heavenly Temple and bore implications of immense magnitude. Particularly if it were to fall into the possession of the Ancestor God Temple and the Great Zhou, the influence wielded by this Spirit Shadow would instantaneously escalate to unfathomable levels.

In this regard, not only Mu Xu, but any Mountain Master or Peak Master within the Three Great Holy Lands of the Heavenly Temple, could not afford to engage in such a gamble.

Indeed, they would not dare to contemplate it!

Following a prolonged period of silence, Mu Xu finally inquired, “What is it that you desire?”

Ye Zhen casually extended a Jade Scroll, “All my conditions are delineated within this Jade Scroll.”

With a mere cursory glance, Mu Xu decisively thrust the Jade Scroll back towards Ye Zhen.

“Regarding the stipulations contained herein, let alone any others, the initial two alone are utterly unfeasible! Your demand for one Innate Spiritual Object each of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth – such conditions…”

“Are you contemplating madness, or am I?”

“We within the Heavenly Temple do not possess a single one of these five elements. Even if we did, they would undoubtedly be under the stewardship of a Divine King or Divine Monarch, rendering us utterly devoid of any right of access, let alone the ability to utilize them in a transaction! Furthermore, it is already a considerably generous concession that you would leverage this Spirit Shadow to secure your own exoneration from our Heavenly Temple. What more do you seek?” Mu Xu expostulated with palpable anger.

Ye Zhen responded with an indifferent shrug, “You are unwilling to concede anything? Then this negotiation is officially terminated! You may either dispatch me now, or my subordinates will proceed to transmit this Spirit Shadow to Grand Celestial Official Wu Yu and the Ancestor God Temple.”

“You….”

Mu Xu, the Master of Mu Hall, became incandescent with rage, his demeanor chilling considerably, “Ye Zhen, escaping this predicament unscathed is already a blessing bestowed by the heavens upon you. I advise you, exercise restraint and refrain from provoking our Heavenly Temple if you wish to prolong your existence.”

“However, if I were to surrender this Jade Scroll’s Spirit Shadow without receiving anything in return, can you assure me that the Three Great Holy Lands of your Heavenly Temple will cease any further attempts to trouble me, Ye Zhen, henceforth?” Ye Zhen retorted with biting sarcasm.

“In that specific regard, this old man can provide a guarantee….”

“Do you truly imagine I would place any faith in such a promise? Previously, I relinquished half of the Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique and reached an accord with your Mu Hall to impose restrictions upon all Heavenly Temple forces, ensuring they would refrain from harassing me, Ye Zhen, for a period of five years. Yet, now you have conspired to corner me into this desperate situation. Would I be so utterly foolish as to believe you again?” Ye Zhen tapped his own forehead, “Even you, Master Mu, likely harbor no genuine belief in that, do you?”

Mu Xu remained conspicuously silent.

“Yet, are you not apprehensive of retribution from our Heavenly Temple following your audacious threat? While my Green Dawn Peak might be relatively manageable, the other two peaks are far from being so easily placated,” Mu Xu commented.

“Therefore, I’m seeking some leverage from your Heavenly Temple. These days, it’s more prudent to possess one’s own strength,” Ye Zhen declared with a sneer.

Silence descended once more. This time, Mu Xu, the Master of Mu Hall, remained quiet for a full quarter-hour before speaking deliberately, “Exclude the Innate Spiritual Objects that can replenish origins from the Five Elements and the five Acquired Spirit Treasures from the second condition in your proposal, and then we can converse.”

“I can withdraw the first condition, but the second is utterly out of the question! To claim your Heavenly Temple is lacking a few Acquired Spirit Treasures—try deceiving someone else?” Ye Zhen retorted with a sneer.

Master Mu Xu did not display anger this time. Instead, he regarded Ye Zhen seriously and stated, “These stipulations can be revisited for discussion with them.

However, the latter portion of the Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique must be incorporated into our side’s conditions.”

“Now you remember to advocate for Green Dawn Peak’s interests, yet when you cornered me, why weren't you considering it then?”

Ye Zhen’s words caused Mu Xu’s expression to darken, but subsequent remarks from Ye Zhen offered some relief to Mu Xu.

“If you desire the latter half of the Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique, that is acceptable! Bring forth treasures for a trade!”

At the very least, this quelled their desire for Qingli Peak’s hidden knowledge, yet observing the present circumstances, they were poised for a significant disadvantage.

After all, based solely on the efficacy of practicing the initial segment of the Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique, this lost spirit technique held immense importance for Qingli Peak.

“Very well, once the matter of the jade scroll is resolved, I shall return to negotiate this Yimu Spiritual Communication Technique with you.” With that, the Mu Hall Master, Mu Xu, vanished.

As Mu Xu disappeared, the personnel from the Heavenly Patrol Department and the Ancestor God Temple stationed outside the posthouse’s Silent Chamber collectively exhaled in relief.

Mu Xu’s earlier pervasive aura had instilled fear in them, as they were apprehensive that the Mu Hall Master might take hostile action against Commander Ye.

Witnessing the diminishing glow after Mu Xu’s departure, a mocking smile played upon Ye Zhen’s lips!

Now was the opportune moment for his reprisal.

The spirit shadow he had revealed to Mu Xu was none other than a recording Ye Zhen had meticulously created of the allied onslaught by the spirit masters, grand spirit masters, and divine masters from Shahe City’s ancient teleportation formation, alongside Ming Tang’s private Iron Guards. Their target: tens of thousands of civilians, merchants, caravans, and martial artists converging at the ancient teleportation formation in Shahe City.

Particularly egregious was the conduct of Governor Yong Kun from the Shahe City Branch Temple, who shamelessly employed a secret technique to imprison the divine souls of the massacred populace, actions befitting demons.

Coincidentally, a divine master, adorned in the attire of a high-ranking Heavenly Temple official and serving in the Shahe City Branch Temple, was apprehended by Ye Zhen at the scene during their nefarious undertaking.

Should this incident become public knowledge, the reputation of the Heavenly Temple across the Primordial Continent, especially within the Great Zhou domain, would be irrevocably damaged, reaching an unprecedented nadir.

This would erect insurmountable barriers for the Heavenly Temple in its efforts to attract adherents, particularly with officials from Great Zhou actively disseminating the news.

Furthermore, the overt transgressions of the Heavenly Temple against civilians and its entanglement in the affairs of its enfeoffed nations would necessitate a formal explanation to Great Zhou.

While Great Zhou might not possess the capacity to annihilate the Heavenly Temple, the mere principle of justice would be sufficient to inflict severe repercussions upon it.

The rationale behind Ye Zhen’s initial deployment of this spirit shadow for self-preservation was straightforward.

Initially, the Heavenly Temple directed its full might against Ye Zhen, branding him as the perpetrator of the Shahe City Branch Temple’s atrocities and unequivocally intending to eliminate him to exact vengeance and assert dominance.

Even if Ye Zhen had presented this spirit shadow then, the Heavenly Temple would have remained unyielding, propelling the situation into an unpredictable abyss.

Even if Great Zhou had obtained this spirit shadow, they could only leverage it to penalize the Heavenly Temple on that specific front, but they could not utilize it to absolve Ye Zhen.

This represented the primary impediment to Ye Zhen’s earlier disclosure of the spirit shadow.

However, the circumstances had now shifted.

Following the massacre at the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple, the Demon Clan had assumed culpability. Consequently, the Shahe City Branch Temple incident, given the involvement of the Soul Demon Sovereign, could now be seamlessly attributed to the Demon Clan.

This afforded the Heavenly Temple a plausible avenue of exoneration.

This development rendered negotiations between both parties feasible, and crucially, shifted the initiative squarely into Ye Zhen’s favor.

Under these circumstances, Ye Zhen could present this spirit shadow to entirely halt the Heavenly Temple’s investigations into the matter, thereby securing certain benefits and advantages for himself. Moreover, such affairs were highly dependent on the specific situation. At the time, Moon Hall Master Baili Fei, consumed by rage over the Shahe City massacre, unleashed the Nether Moon Yin Fire in a furious outburst, instantly eliminating over ten thousand individuals surrounding the Shahe City Branch Temple. This act could also serve as grounds for Great Zhou to officially accuse Baili Fei. However, there were two primary issues: firstly, the incident unfolded with extreme suddenness, and no spirit shadow was recorded to document it; secondly, Baili Fei possessed numerous explanations he could offer. Such as collateral damage, disciplinary actions taken, or the accidental capture of the culprit, any of which could be used as excuses. Consequently, that particular incident did not escalate into a significant disturbance. Yet, the spirit shadow meticulously recorded by Ye Zhen represented something entirely different, involving as it did, the organized violence perpetrated by followers of the Heavenly Temple. If this revelation were to break out, it would undoubtedly ignite a colossal uproar.

Outside the Heavenly Temple Lower Court, situated within Luoyi Inner City, beneath a common civilian dwelling, lay an exquisite chamber. Within this elegant space, Moon Hall Master Baili Fei, Thunder Hall Master Zhen Yan, Prince Ji Yuan, and West Patrol Xio Qiangu were seated in a cross-legged posture. They were engaged in sipping Immortal Tea and were deep in strategic discussions concerning the manifestation of the Prophet Demon Master at the Demon God Palace, the Demon Clan's acknowledgment of the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple massacre, and the potential repercussions and future developments surrounding the Shahe City Branch Temple incident.

Abruptly, the Ninth Stage Barrier that provided protection to the elegant room began to tremble violently. The expressions of the four individuals present shifted simultaneously as a blinding burst of green light erupted in the center of the room. Their initial shock quickly transformed into evident joy. “Brother Mu, your arrival is perfectly timed! We were precisely about to convene and strategize on how to deal with Ye Zhen the day after tomorrow,” exclaimed Moon Hall Master Baili Fei. “There is no need for any discussion,” responded Mu Xu, his expression exceptionally grim. “Brother Mu… what is transpiring?” The four, including Baili Fei, appeared somewhat bewildered. “Take a look at this, both of you!” Mu Xu casually extended his hand, tossing out a jade scroll containing a spirit shadow. The moment Baili Fei’s divine sense delved into the scroll, he was immediately overcome with shock at the startling imagery displayed within the jade scroll’s spirit shadow.