Chapter 562: “Mount Longhu Compass! Exemption from the Price! Father and Son at Odds! The Shanhai Secret Realm! The Demon Immortal Legacy!”

Previously, Celestial Master Zhao had used an Earth Escape Technique to evade Immortal Jin Yu’s swarming insects, yet he was still forced out by them. Had Celestial Master Zhao mastered the Five Elements Great Escape, with his Earth Escape speed, those insects would have been utterly unable to catch him.

With a single thought, Li Yanchu suddenly sank into the ground.

The sensation was peculiar; he felt as if wrapped in a stream of flowing light, the earth around him transforming into liquid. At the slightest mental command, he could escape.

In the blink of an eye, he emerged outside Mianzhou City.

Impressive... I just mastered the Five Elements Great Escape and I already have this kind of speed?

Li Yanchu thought with delight.

The Cloud-Riding Immortal Physique gave him the ability to fly. But the Five Elements Great Escape was a far more mysterious and formidable technique for dueling. Unlike ordinary escapes, when using the Five Elements Great Escape, one’s aura was completely concealed; it was a powerful means to flee or maneuver in combat.

As for the Blood Soul Pearl, steeped in malice, it was a thoroughly demonic artifact. Its aura was extremely potent, yet Li Yanchu never used such dark instruments. Breaking it forcibly would have unleashed the vengeful energy inside, likely turning all of Mianzhou City into a ghostly domain in an instant.

Considering how to deal with such an unholy artifact, Li Yanchu thought for a moment, then drew forth the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal. He attempted to use the seal’s power to purify the malice.

With that, an ancient aura flowed from the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal. Within the Blood Soul Pearl, a semblance of a primordial spirit trembled fearfully, trying to break free. No matter how it struggled, the ancient aura of the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal continuously pulled it back.

Time passed, and the aura of the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal grew even more potent, while the Blood Soul Pearl gradually became transparent. The once-dense crimson hue vanished entirely.

Then, Li Yanchu lightly pinched it with his fingers. With a crisp snap, the Blood Soul Pearl shattered, dissolving into nothingness, vanishing between heaven and earth.

At the same time, his connection to the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal strengthened. A powerful aura descended upon Li Yanchu, causing his primordial spirit to surge in strength.

His spirit grew ever more condensed, and he could now wield this potent aura at will. This aura was identical to the one the Lord of Mount Tai's Seal emitted when suppressing strange and dangerous beings.

Previously, he had relied on the seal to channel this power. Now, it seemed he could command it as if it were an extension of his own arm.

Li Yanchu temporarily stayed within Mianzhou City.

The army of Prince Qing’s Mansion had surrendered to the imperial court, while the whereabouts of Prince Qing and his son remained unknown. Moreover, some of the mansion’s ministers and magical cultivators had also disappeared.

Yet ten days passed in peace. Prince Qing’s Mansion made no effort to search for a powerhouse like Immortal Jin Yu. They showed no sign of stirring trouble, having vanished without a trace.

During this time, Celestial Master Zhao returned from Mount Longhu carrying a powerful artifact of the sect: a compass. This compass could divine celestial phenomena; even if the heavenly secrets were obscured, it could set things right.

After receiving the compass, Celestial Master Zhao bathed, changed clothes, burned incense, and prayed. Then he cast divination to locate Prince Qing’s son and Prince Qing himself.

Forcibly probing heavenly secrets risked backlash. If the backlash was mild, one might go blind; if it was severe, one could die an unnatural death. Even Celestial Master Zhao, a master diviner, did not dare to exert his full strength.

But with the compass, the cost was waived, allowing Celestial Master Zhao to use his full ability to divinely locate Prince Qing’s Mansion. Once he obtained the results, Celestial Master Zhao summoned the three Great Yang Spirit experts of Mianzhou City, along with Li Yanchu.

“Master, what’s the result?” Xu Tiannan asked anxiously.

The threat from Prince Qing’s Mansion wasn’t just its military uprising. Its danger lay in Prince Qing's heir associating with extraordinary individuals, gathering the empire’s demonic cultivators, and even recruiting powerful Yang Spirit experts. Given time, who knew what further chaos the mansion could cause?

Xu Tiannan’s main concern was the whereabouts of the father and son; he wanted to find them and eliminate them, completely quelling the trouble in Donglin Prefecture.

“Prince Qing is dead. Prince Qing's heir is no longer in the mortal realm; he has entered the Shanhai Secret Realm,” Celestial Master Zhao said solemnly.

“Prince Qing is dead?” Xu Tiannan frowned. Each revelation was more shocking than the last.

“According to the divination, Prince Qing was killed by his own son. An ominous sign,” Celestial Master Zhao continued.

“What?!” Everyone in the room showed subtle changes in expression, frowning deeply.

“Father and son slaughtering one another... how could this happen?” Xu Tiannan shook his head.

“Prince Qing's heir has likely already fallen to demonic corruption, turning against his own family. He has entered the Shanhai Secret Realm. Should he obtain anything from there, it could unleash uncontrollable chaos upon the mortal world,” Celestial Master Zhao said gravely.

Some demonic cultivation methods required killing one’s own loved ones, such as their parents, spouse, children, friends, relatives, as a means to advance their dark arts. It was absolute ruthlessness; the path demanded the sacrifice of those dearest.

Celestial Master Zhao’s precision in divination likely stemmed from using the compass to its fullest, taking advantage of its waiver of cost.

“What is this Shanhai Secret Realm?” Li Yanchu suddenly asked.

Among those present, only he did not know the details of the Shanhai Secret Realm.

“It is a secret realm of the demon clans, shrouded in mystery,” Celestial Master Zhao said. “Unlike ordinary Blissful Lands, the Shanhai Secret Realm has always existed there. The conditions to enter are strict.”

“A demon realm... what conditions?” Li Yanchu asked.

“One cannot yet have reached the Yang Spirit realm, and one must strike a particular stone tablet. If the realm judges your power sufficient, it allows entry to seek opportunities,” Celestial Master Zhao explained.

“However, the Shanhai Secret Realm is said to have been formed by the remnants of several fallen Demon Kings. It is not particularly friendly to humans, so few are aware of it,” Celestial Master Zhao continued.

Originally, to enter the Shanhai Secret Realm, they would have needed to gather young disciples from their sect to capture Prince Qing's heir.

Now... it seemed there was a suitable candidate already at hand.

“You’re not expecting me to go in alone, are you?” Li Yanchu asked calmly.

“Prince Qing's heir has colluded with demonic cultivators and is scheming in secret. If he reaches the Shanhai Secret Realm and obtains ‘that thing,’ the consequences would be catastrophic,” Celestial Master Zhao said.

“What thing?” Li Yanchu asked.

“A weapon left behind by a demon immortal. It can command hordes of demons and move mountains or fill seas. If he acquires it, the mortal world could be thrown into chaos,” Celestial Master Zhao said gravely.

A weapon of a demon immortal...

Li Yanchu’s brow furrowed.

This heir was truly capable of stirring trouble; he had even dragged a demon immortal into the equation.