Deposed

At last, a Nascent Soul cultivator had intervened! Qin Sang's spirits rose, and he focused his gaze intently. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had noticed the newcomer moments ago. Because Qin Sang was still unsure whether cultivators of this realm were hostile to outsiders, he had not deployed even a thread of divine sense, relying purely on his spiritual sense to perceive the surroundings. As expected, the newcomer failed to detect him. He had chosen this course because he was still unfamiliar with the methods of the Divine Dao. According to his understanding, Lord White Dragon was venerated and offered incense by the common folk along both banks of this river, which essentially made this territory his fief. A god ought to have ways to oversee his domain and perceive abnormal fluctuations, and Qin Sang did not yet know what methods such deities commanded. From the earlier exchanges between the wolf demon and the Daoist priestess, it was clear that the Nine Dragons Country was merely a mortal realm under her governance, perhaps comparable to the Great Sui of his past. A single city within this mortal country had a City God and a Water God comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators guarding it, and fluctuations from several other presences could be felt further in the distance. The very first battle between cultivators he witnessed in this realm already involved a Nascent Soul-level combatant. From a single leopard's spot, one could glimpse the whole beast: the overall strength of this realm's practitioners was undoubtedly formidable. Qin Sang was not particularly surprised. The worldly yuanqi here was far denser than in the Storm Realm. As long as one could resolve the complications of chaotic yuanqi, cultivating here would actually be easier than back in the Storm Realm. Four pillars established a prison. Water and fire converged. Sensing the fluctuations emanating from the Water-Fire Celestial Prison, Qin Sang's expression grew solemn. This celestial prison possessed the power to seal off all four quarters and exert suppressive force, faintly manifesting the grandeur of a Deity Transformation cultivator mobilizing the might of heaven and earth. Once trapped within it, an opponent would have to endure the endless torment of water and fire. If Qin Sang were to rely purely on his physical body, breaking out would be far from easy. Of course, that assumed the opponent could capture and imprison him in the first place. He recalled the beam of eerie light that had flashed before the prison was erected. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly had seen through its true nature—it was a black talisman. This talisman was not drawn on ordinary talisman paper. Instead, it was condensed entirely from magic power, yet it differed distinctly from the talisman-path cultivators he had encountered before. *Are the Divine Dao and the Talismanic Dao practiced side by side in this realm?* Qin Sang mused silently. His gaze swept over the four heavenly pillars. He had a feeling that the power of this celestial prison had not yet reached its peak. Whether this person deemed the wolf troops unworthy of full force or simply lacked the strength to sustain it remained unclear. As expected, the moment the wolf troops fell into the Water-Fire Celestial Prison, their momentum collapsed. The heavenly wolf, which had just wielded enough power to sever rivers and cleave mountains, was now besieged by celestial flames and freezing cold. Trapped right at the convergence of water and fire, it bore the brunt of their dual onslaught. *Clatter! Clatter! Clatter!* The sound of clanking chains reverberated relentlessly—it had not been an illusion. Crimson beams shot forth from the celestial fire in the east, while white silk-like ribbons condensed from the frigid chill in the west, hurtling in unison toward the heavenly wolf. The heavenly wolf jerked its head frantically, spewing beams of dark light that shattered the chains, yet to no avail. There were simply too many chains, endless and inexhaustible. *Whoosh!* A flame rope streaked over, piercing straight through the wolf's belly with ease, and instantly linked with a chain of ice. Then other chains merged into it one after another, rapidly transforming into a thick, dual-colored divine chain of immense solidity. The heavenly wolf was conjured from a divine ability; by all rights, it should not have felt pain or been restrained by physical bindings. Yet when it leaped with all four limbs, it found itself utterly incapable of breaking free. Amid loud clattering, it was locked firmly in place. Sensing mortal danger, the giant black wolf could no longer spare any thought for the Daoist priestess. It frantically ordered the demon troops under its command to change formation. The lesser demons were likewise terrified, especially the auxiliary rabble, whose legs trembled uncontrollably. Had the wolf generals not kept a watchful eye on them, they would have scattered in panic long ago. However, the core wolf troops were the giant wolf's personal guard. Ferocity flashed in their eyes as their battle formation abruptly shifted. They split into three columns; the center column encircled a perimeter while the two flanks broke and rejoined in an intricate, ever-changing rhythm. Each wolf soldier seemed to turn into a living rune, transforming the entire battle formation into a talismanic diagram and tactical array. The Daoist priestess had already been on the brink of defeat, but now she felt the pressure drastically subside. Looking up in haste, she beheld a sea of deep blue water ripples in the sky, as if the river itself were flowing down from the heavens. Amid the vast, misty haze, rank after rank of water snake soldiers trod upon the waves, valiant and imposing. At the center of the formation, standing with his hands clasped behind his back upon a ritual altar, was a middle-aged Daoist in ceremonial robes. Beside him stood two water snake demons, one to his left and one to his right. Both possessed human heads and serpentine bodies—one male and one female—and both were Transformation-stage Demon Kings! Divine light gleamed in the eyes of these snake kings, their aura steeped in killing intent. Both in cultivation and bearing, they far outmatched the water snake demon generals under the priestess's command. "Master?" Overjoyed, the priestess steered her ritual altar. Receiving her orders, her troops joined forces and surged out of the celestial prison. The Water-Fire Celestial Prison did not restrain her, allowing her to depart with ease. Leaving her altar, she flew alone to the middle-aged Daoist's side, shame written across her face. "Your disciple acted rashly and disappointed you, Master." For her master to arrive so quickly, he must have been watching over her in secret all along and witnessed everything she had done. The middle-aged Daoist stroked his beard. "Wait until I capture this demon, then we shall discuss your conduct." The priestess hastily lowered her head and stood attentively at his side, her heart uneasy. Just then, another change occurred within the prison. Employing some unknown formation, the wolf troops caused the heavenly wolf's body to rapidly shrink until it was only the size of a human head. With a flash of radiance, it transformed into white light, leaping like a pure white flame, and hurled itself toward the celestial fire in the east. The moment this precious flame touched the celestial fire, it began drawing wisps of the fire into itself. Immediately afterward, the balance of water and fire within the celestial prison showed signs of collapsing. The four heavenly pillars trembled slightly, shaking the surrounding mountains and rivers—a clear indication that their foundation was unstable. The priestess was visibly appalled. Her master held sway over a metropolitan altar and possessed unfathomable cultivation; how could a mere band of rogue troops break the prison he had erected? The middle-aged Daoist, however, remained unfazed. After a moment of contemplation, he said to the two water snake Demon Kings beside him, "Given our current cultivation, erecting a Water-Fire Celestial Prison is indeed somewhat strenuous." The Demon Kings answered in unison, "The Water-Fire Celestial Prison is a divine ability practiced at the Cavern Mystery dharma rank. That Zhenren could establish it at all is already a rarity in this world." The middle-aged Daoist chuckled softly. "Have you two forgotten your own contributions? Very well, let us re-establish a Water Prison instead." The two demons nodded and swept their gaze across their battle formation. Without any visible movement from the water snake soldiers, a wisp of pure, ethereal qi rose from each of them, drifting toward the ritual altar. The spiritual qi condensed into a brush, writing a luminous water talisman in midair. An incantation echoed: *"Across ninety thousand li of the Dark Sea lies a city of stone.* *Vicious fiends guard the pass; a venomous dragon devours essence.* *By decree to the Water Officials, dispatch and bind ghosts and spirits.* *Whoever dares defy heavenly law shall be tossed adrift and brought down!* *Hasten!"* The talisman fluttered down like a streak of aquatic light, plunging into the celestial prison. In an instant, the frost melted and the blazing fires were extinguished. The water's sheen reflected the sky, turning the space into a bottomless, secluded lake. With the flames gone, the precious flame lost its target and drifted aimlessly among the waves, appearing utterly bewildered. The middle-aged Daoist gave a cold sneer. "The Cinnabar Cloud Precious Flame! You have merely skimmed the surface of the Cinnabar Cloud Mansion's teachings, yet you dare practice them before this Zhenren!" Before his words had even settled, a massive wave surged within the Water Prison, crashing violently down upon the Cinnabar Cloud Precious Flame. *Crash!* The wave bore the force to crush mountains. The Cinnabar Cloud Precious Flame flared brightly, sending a pillar of fire shooting toward the heavens, as if attempting to burst through this celestial prison. Unfortunately, it was no match for its opponent. Struck by the great wave, the fiery pillar snapped on the spot, scattering countless sparks that were swept away by the backwash and quickly extinguished. The light of the flame faded like a candle in the wind, and another wave rose within the Water Prison, dissolving it into nothingness. As the fire vanished, the wolf troops below were exposed. The giant wolf breathed heavily, glaring venomously at the middle-aged Daoist, ferocity blazing in its eyes. It did not beg for mercy. Had it merely been hunting demons and ghosts in the wild, it could have excused its actions as untamed bestial nature. But usurping a Zhenren's ritual altar and plotting to hunt down a Senior Minister of Law of the Celestial Pivot Court were crimes the Daoist sects would never forgive. It rallied its formation once more, manifesting another wolf silhouette. Yet the middle-aged Daoist had no intention of giving it another chance. Wisps of white vapor materialized out of thin air within the Water Prison, darting with agile grace. A closer look revealed them to be white snakes. Initially only a dozen, they multiplied into countless numbers in a breath, weaving a colossal net that plummeted downward. Before the giant wolf's formation could coalesce, the ethereal wolf silhouette in the air struck the net and instantly disintegrated, as though crushed beneath a mountain. The wolf troops' formation ground to a halt. Every demon felt as if struck by a sledgehammer; they stumbled in disarray, wailing in pain, and the weaker ones even coughed up blood. With their array thrown into chaos, it was too late for the giant wolf to regroup. The white snakes seized the opening, effortlessly binding the lesser demons one by one and dragging them backward into oblivion. In the blink of an eye, only the three wolf generals and a few lesser demons remained. Knowing its doom was sealed, the giant wolf let out an enraged howl and charged toward the sky. Yet even with thunderous momentum, how could it rival the middle-aged Daoist? Unable to breach even the white net, it was wrapped in layer upon layer of bindings. Though it struggled at first, it soon went limp. As for the demon troops under its command, every last one was brought to justice; not a single one escaped. The middle-aged Daoist treated this as a trivial matter. After a casual glance at the celestial prison, he turned his attention toward the City God's troops downstream. With a flick of his finger, a golden ring shot across the sky, plunging directly into the ceremonial carriage within the City God's ranks and hauling a figure back. The City God's soldiers stirred in agitation, yet none dared utter a sound, continuing their march forward in trembling silence. The figure bound by the golden ring was none other than the City God. Moments ago, seeing the tide turn against them, the City God had secretly slipped away. But upon realizing that the Daoist priestess had a Zhenren behind her—and the master of a metropolitan altar at that—he had hastily slunk back into his ranks. He had not expected the middle-aged Daoist's penetrating gaze to have caught him long before. The middle-aged Daoist looked at his disciple beside him and asked, "Do you know where you erred today?" The priestess lowered her head. "I failed to ascertain the enemy's strength. Your disciple was overly confident." The middle-aged Daoist shook his head slightly. "The troops you lead are consecrated soldiers allocated by your master, and I placed you in command of a branch altar directly. It was perhaps too hasty on my part; compared to your peers, you lack experience." Shame flushed the priestess's face. "Disciple..." The Daoist cut her off, his tone gentle. "This demon was cunning enough to plot against a Daoist cultivator of our Celestial Pivot Court. Anyone else might have fallen into the same trap, so I do not blame you for that. Where you erred is this: as an altar master under the governance of our Daoist Court, you must make proper use of local deities! Before your carriage moves, your talismanic summons should precede it!" Pausing, the middle-aged Daoist clasped his hands behind his back. "As the saying goes: nurture gods for a thousand days, use them for a single moment! When the deities of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas are all bound by decree to attend your flanks, who could possibly harm you?" As he spoke, majestic authority emanated from him. Kneeling on the ritual altar, the City God trembled violently. Enlightenment dawned upon the priestess, and she bowed respectfully. "Your disciple takes this to heart!" The middle-aged Daoist nodded slightly, then looked down at the City God, his eyes turning frosty. "Refusing a summons and fleeing before the battle—by law, you should be beheaded! Men, strip him of his divine rank and escort him to the local Yuehuang Mansion Temple to await sentencing!" The City God's face turned deathly pale, and he collapsed limp onto the ground. Two water snake demon soldiers stepped forward to receive the order. Bowing to the middle-aged Daoist, they pinned the City God down, removed his official cap, stripped off his divine robes, hoisted him up, and flew away upon a streak of light into the distance. By this time, the City God's troops arrived. Though some had human forms, most were demons; they knelt upon the riverbank in terror. Because they had not lagged behind of their own accord, the middle-aged Daoist did not reprimand them. He turned to the priestess and said, "The sacrificial festival draws near, which is vital for purging the Six Heavens' ancient qi from the mortals' bodies. We cannot leave the local folk without a City God to worship. You are the altar master of this region; you shall confer the title upon the new City God." The priestess bowed in assent, visibly relieved. She then asked, "How did you know, Master, that rogue troops were stirring up trouble here?" Upon receiving word that local demons were being slaughtered, she had believed she could handle it herself, so she had set out in haste after sending a memorial to the metropolitan altar. The metropolitan altar had stewards handling various departments; such minor affairs would normally never reach her master's desk. "Not long ago, when I visited the Jinglu sanctuary to pay my respects to the Censor, I happened upon a fellow Daoist from the Cinnabar Cloud Mansion," the middle-aged Daoist replied. "He mentioned that a Zhenren of the Cinnabar Cloud Mansion had suddenly vanished, suspecting that the troops under his command had mutinied. Hearing of it, I thought the circumstances too coincidental, so I came to investigate." Lingering fear flickered across the priestess's face. As he spoke, the middle-aged Daoist made a slight beckoning motion. The giant wolf's ritual altar shattered with a roar, and the Cinnabar Cloud Banner within turned into a streak of light that flew into his palm. After inspecting it for a moment, he handed it to the priestess. "That Zhenren of the Cinnabar Cloud Mansion should still be at the Jinglu sanctuary. Since you helped me recover this register talisman, you may deliver it to him on my behalf." The priestess accepted it with both hands, gratitude evident on her face. Her master's decree had secured credit for her. This errand would allow her to forge a good connection with that Zhenren. Though the Cinnabar Cloud Mansion was not an immense colossus like the Celestial Pivot Court or the Arctic Exorcism Court, it was still a power not to be overlooked. Holding the Cinnabar Cloud Banner, she thought of the demon troops confined within the Water Prison and glanced toward it. "Master, why not execute these evil fiends? What use is there in keeping them?" The middle-aged Daoist raised his right hand and clenched his palm downward. The four pillars of the celestial prison shuddered slightly, turning into streaks of light that soared into the sky. "Troops revolting and wrecking their altar is an ordinary matter. But when a Zhenren perishes, and the rogue troops born of his forces dare plot against someone from our Celestial Pivot Court, the matter must be interrogated thoroughly." Before his voice died away, four dragon-carved pillars materialized on the altar, sending out chains that bound the giant wolf and the remaining demon troops securely at their bases. The giant wolf looked dejected and listless, casting a feeble glance at the Daoist. The Water Prison was far more than a mere cage; in that brief span, it had already suffered excruciating torment. The middle-aged Daoist gave the wolf demon a casual glance. Just as he was about to interrogate it, his expression shifted slightly. He fixed his gaze on the wolf and let out a soft exclamation of surprise. "Master, what is it?" the priestess asked quickly. The middle-aged Daoist looked toward the distance, shaking his head. "To think they were a pair of wolf and bei demons all along. The bei demon was the true mastermind behind the scenes. Through an oversight, I allowed it to escape." The priestess was startled. "What should we do then?" "No matter," the middle-aged Daoist said indifferently. "A wolf and a bei are of one body, capable of transferring cultivation between each other. From what I see, the truly powerful demon was that bei, which transferred its cultivation into this wolf's body. The bei demon's cultivation must be severely depleted now, and having lost its ritual altar, it is no cause for concern." Shortly afterward, the group departed. Before leaving, the middle-aged Daoist cast a glance toward White Dragon Ferry, a hint of puzzlement in his expression. *** Upstream along the great river, within a mountain valley. A bei demon shaped like a fox was slinking away in concealment when a voice suddenly spoke behind it: "Fellow Daoist, please hold your steps."