King of Creation Chapter 1698: 1683: Convenience and Freedom

The Dao Heart Demon Talisman, a legendary artifact Ye Zhen had only encountered in ancient scrolls, was now before him in tangible form.

Once a cultivator ascended to the Dao Entrance realm, the efficacy of the Divine Soul Oath waned considerably. This was because the oath relied on the martial artist’s own divine soul power, a medium that offered limited true constraint.

Typically, only those who had solidified a primordial spirit could invoke the Heaven and Earth Laws with their primordial spirit power to swear an oath, thereby imbuing it with significant binding force.

However, even these oaths had their subtleties, such as distinctions between true and false bodies.

Furthermore, the Demon Race invoked their Ancestor Spirit Bloodline for oaths, while followers of the Heavenly Temple's Demon God Palace swore by the great Divine Monarchs and Divine Kings they venerated, among other methods.

Though these oaths possessed some coercive power, they were not infallible.

The current predicament concerning the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow had led the Heavenly Temple into a stalemate. No matter the severity of the oath, it failed to instill complete confidence in the Heavenly Temple.

Consequently, the Heavenly Temple opted for the Dao Heart Demon Talisman.

This formidable talisman is meticulously crafted by individuals who have reached the middle to late stages of the Dao realm. By expending their own essence blood to channel the Heaven and Earth Laws and employing secret refining techniques over nine days and nights, they bring the Dao Heart Demon Talisman into existence.

After its creation, the user employs a secret technique to simultaneously activate their Innate Divine Soul and the Dao Heart Demon Talisman, uttering an oath similar to a Divine Soul Oath.

Subsequently, the Dao Heart Demon Talisman is activated in resonance with the sworn promise.

Should the oath-taker fail to honor their commitment years later, the talisman's custodian can directly activate it.

If the oath-taker truthfully confirms, upon activation, that the promise made when the Dao Heart Demon Talisman was initially set has been fulfilled, the talisman will disintegrate into dust. Conversely, if the promise remains unfulfilled, the oath-taker’s divine soul will endure a severe backlash, and their Innate Divine Soul will be afflicted with a heart demon, an indelible blemish.

This heart demon, deeply rooted within the Innate Divine Soul, becomes a permanent affliction.

Suffering from such a heart demon not only jeopardizes one's cultivation path but drastically increases the likelihood of succumbing to a state of devilry during cultivation, a fate that often leads to utter annihilation.

The exceptionally potent nature of the Dao Heart Demon Talisman ensures that, provided the creator's cultivation base is not significantly inferior to the user's, even an expert in the Creation Realm cannot evade its influence.

It proves most effective in restraining individuals of considerable power.

Nonetheless, the creation of a Dao Heart Demon Talisman is an arduous undertaking. Three drops of the creator's Origin Essence Blood are directly extracted during its forging, leading to a discernible decline in the creator's cultivation level and mental fortitude.

For these demanding reasons, Dao realm experts are exceedingly reluctant to craft a Dao Heart Demon Talisman unless faced with dire necessity.

This scarcity is precisely why Dao Heart Demon Talismans are such rare commodities.

In all honesty, the terms stipulated by the Heavenly Temple were quite reasonable.

Ye Zhen’s sole concern was the potential for the Heavenly Temple to manipulate the Dao Heart Demon Talisman.

Without hesitation, Ye Zhen accepted the Heavenly Temple’s two conditions.

“First, Heavenly Temple, you must submit a formal request to retract the investigation against me concerning the Shahe City Branch Temple. Then, once you have procured all the items specified in my conditions, I shall relinquish the original spirit shadow of the Jade Scroll,

along with the spirit shadows from all the Divine Records, and a comprehensive list of everyone who has viewed these spirit shadows. Finally, we shall activate the Dao Heart Demon Talisman to authenticate everything. What do you say?” Ye Zhen proposed.

“Agreed!”

Mu Xu’s assent was swift and unequivocal. “By tomorrow morning, our Heavenly Temple will submit the petition to clear this matter up and simultaneously withdraw all surveillance on you. Following that, I shall personally represent the Heavenly Temple in offering an apology to Commander Ye.”

“At that point, completing the exchange and activating the Dao Heart Demon Talisman for verification purposes should present no difficulties, correct?”

Ye Zhen nodded, a flicker of regret crossing his mind. He mused that his list of demands might have been too modest, given the Heavenly Temple's ability to gather the required items within a mere half-day.

Reflecting further, he acknowledged the sheer immensity of wealth possessed by even a single branch temple like the Heavenly Temple. He then pondered, how colossal must the combined riches be when accounting for the lower court, the upper house, and the formidable Three Great Holy Lands of the Heavenly Temple?

The next morning, Baili Fei, the Moon Hall Master of the Heavenly Temple, arrived with the Staff of World Incineration, seeking an audience with His Majesty, the Holy Son of Heaven of Great Zhou.

The Staff of World Incineration was a symbol of the Heavenly Temple’s Sun and Moon Divine Monarch’s personal visit, a formality that even the Holy Son of Heaven, Great Zhou, could not afford to ignore.

He immediately summoned his court ministers, including Prime Minister Bai and the Chief Sun Priest of the Ancestor God Temple, to formally receive Baili Fei with the utmost respect.

“Your Majesty,” Baili Fei began after the initial pleasantries, “this humble one has come today to request your assistance with a certain matter.”

His words cast a serious and intrigued silence over Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long and his assembled officials.

They found it quite perplexing that the Heavenly Temple would go to such lengths to discuss this matter in advance, especially when the Grand Assembly, which was scheduled to decide the fate of Second Route Wind Patrol Envoy Ye Zhen’s investigation, was set for the following day.

From the perspective of Great Zhou’s ministers, Baili Fei’s grand display with the Staff of World Incineration to gather the court was undoubtedly intended to target Ye Zhen. Who else could it possibly be?

“Master Baili, please, do speak freely. As long as your request is reasonable and within the realm of possibility, I shall certainly grant it,” Ren Venerate Emperor replied with a calm demeanor.

“This old man thanks Your Majesty in advance for your generosity,” Baili Fei responded, a warm smile gracing his features.

“Your Majesty is undoubtedly aware of the recent tragic slaughters at the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple. Following our investigation, we in the Heavenly Temple have concluded that the perpetrators were none other than the Demon Clan. This includes the incident at the Shahe City Branch Temple, which was apparently orchestrated by a Soul Demon Sovereign belonging to the Demon Clan.”

Upon hearing this revelation, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long and the ministers of Great Zhou were utterly astonished. They had been so certain that the Heavenly Temple’s intention was to create difficulties for Ye Zhen. Instead, by stating their findings upfront, they had inadvertently cleared Ye Zhen’s name, setting a completely different tone for the discussion.

This sudden turn of events left many ministers, who had meticulously prepared to challenge the Heavenly Temple’s accusations, feeling their efforts were completely in vain. All the strategies devised over several days to counter the Heavenly Temple’s expected charges became utterly irrelevant in an instant.

However, the individuals who felt the most profound sense of injustice were Prince Lik Ji Yuan and West Patrol Xio Qiangu.

One sought retribution for his son’s disgraced title, while the other was desperate to remove Ye Zhen, a persistent nuisance in his affairs. Both had entered the court filled with determined ambition for their respective goals.

Yet, in the span of a breath, their most trusted ally had completely undermined them.

How could they possibly contain their anger?

If they had not been in the presence of the court, Prince Lik Ji Yuan and West Patrol Xio Qiangu might have physically confronted Baili Fei, demanding an immediate explanation.

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long, too, was consumed by a potent curiosity regarding this unexpected development.

Despite the palpable tension and the reactions rippling through the assembly, Baili Fei, the Moon Hall Master, remained entirely composed, continuing his address at his own unhurried pace.

“The Demon Clan’s audacity this time has truly been outrageous! It is as if they believe there is no one capable within the Heavenly Temple or the Great Zhou. Their actions have been far too presumptuous!

Approximately half a day ago, the Chief Masters of our Three Great Holy Lands jointly issued an imperial edict, signaling their intent to launch a retaliatory strike against the Demon God Palace. However, due to the intricate nature of the Demon Clan’s operations, which involve the complex dynamics of the Human-Demon Battlefield, intelligence gathering, and strategic retreats, I humbly request Your Majesty’s decree. I ask that the West Patrol, the troops stationed along the Human-Demon Battlefield, and the major Ancient Teleportation Formations in the surrounding regions be mobilized to assist the Heavenly Temple in this critical endeavor.”

Upon concluding his statement, Baili Fei gently tapped the Staff of World Incineration.

Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long and his ministers were left momentarily speechless by his pronouncement. What had been presented as a request for cooperation was, in fact, a call for military support on a grand scale.

Since the objective was a campaign against the Demon Clan, who could possibly object to lending their aid?

Without hesitation, Ren Venerate Emperor Ji Long issued an imperial decree, directing the relevant governmental departments to provide all necessary cooperation as deemed appropriate, thus facilitating the Heavenly Temple’s undertaking. Furthermore, the West Patrol was specifically commanded to offer their full assistance and to act decisively when the opportune moment arose.

Given that the Heavenly Temple had officially attributed the devastating slaughters at the Shahe City Branch Temple and the Luo Prefecture Branch Temple to the Demon Clan, any previous accusations leveled against Ye Zhen were naturally rendered void and automatically dismissed.

In comparison to the monumental military action the Heavenly Temple was poised to initiate, the clearing of Ye Zhen’s name seemed like a mere afterthought.

Naturally, as long as Ye Zhen, the individual most directly affected, did not voice any complaints, no courtier would be so foolish as to hold the Heavenly Temple accountable or to reprimand them for their prior mischaracterization of Ye Zhen.

Once Grand Divine Master Shouhui, along with numerous Divine Masters, personnel from the Heavenly Patrol Department, and priests from the Barbarian Spirit Hall, had departed from the posthouse where Ye Zhen was staying, Liu Feng provided him with an update on the court proceedings.

Ye Zhen had no words for the situation other than to give his approval.

The request to retaliate against the Demon God Palace, coupled with the dissemination of a report, effectively cleared the accusations leveled against Ye Zhen.

Not an ounce of dignity was sacrificed!

Naturally, the Heavenly Temple would never publicly acknowledge their error in judgment regarding Ye Zhen or retract their accusations with any semblance of humility, which would indirectly admit their mistake.

However, the current outcome was undeniably the most satisfactory resolution achievable.

Nineteen days later, Ye Zhen was once again a free man!