Chapter 219: Conclusion & The Shadow of Zodiac

After Lian Cheng concluded his explanation, Wei Chen continued with his cue.

"With that conclusion, we now know that it is absolutely impossible for someone weaker than the realm creator to pull this off."

"So... what might have actually happened, and what kind of people could pull this off? Let us sit down and talk about it calmly."

Wei Chen raised his hand as he walked forward and pulled out a portable luxurious house-camp from his storage ring. He threw it onto the ground, and it rapidly expanded into a modest-sized but luxurious white camp.

He led the group toward the camp and opened the door. Cool and comfortable air leaked out the moment it opened. Lian Cheng nodded at him and walked inside, followed by Jobs Ganglie and Wang Hu.

As for Yan Rongjun, she bid farewell to Wei Chen before tearing space apart and returning to the Thousand Treasure Pavilion headquarters. Of course, she did this outside the camera’s view, otherwise the people watching the broadcast might have gone insane.

Wei Chen entered the house-camp last and closed the door. The atmosphere inside was extremely cozy and convenient, containing everything one could need while camping and more. There were beds, chairs, and especially a warm blue glowing heart in the middle of the room.

The group sat together around a round table while Wei Chen took out pre-brewed tea along with a tea set and poured tea for all the guests. Then he turned toward the camera with a confident smile.

"Before we start, we must thank the sponsor of this episode! Because of their support, we are able to provide this broadcast for free today!"

"Thousand Treasure Pavilion! For every resource you need, we have the solution! Especially now!"

Wei Chen raised his hand and gestured for the camera to look around.

"The Portable Treasure House-Camp! Luxury and comfort that you can bring anywhere! Especially inside secret realms, where flying arks can only stop at the entrance. With our Portable Treasure House-Camp, your comfort and convenience do not need to end there!"

"It even contains a Spiritual Qi Inducing Heart that rivals the finest qi gathering arrays of the great sects!"

He then pointed toward the camera as if pointing directly at the audience behind it.

"Think about it! Inside a secret realm, you sleep on silk and cushions made from the finest feathers while your rivals are forced to lie on mud filled with unknown filth! Buy now! Discover more!"

With that said, Wei Chen returned to his usual self and sat down amidst the gazes of the group, who never expected this guy to suddenly become a salesman.

"Hahaha." Jian Heng chuckled. "Maybe the money-grubbing nature of his fiancée has rubbed off on my good brother."

— Meanwhile - Thousand Treasure Pavilion —

"Yay! He actually advertised it for me!" Mo Xingyao raised her hand in joy as she could not wait for the official sales to begin.

"You really do like making money, huh, Yaoyao?" Yan Rongjun, who was beside her, could not help but smile wryly at the girl’s joyful antics.

"Of course I do. Cultivation requires resources, and I also need to support my father’s sect. I need every bit of money and resources I can get my hands on. In the end, cultivation for ordinary people is a bottomless pit that burns through money and resources. And ultimately, those with the most resources win the race!" Mo Xingyao said with a smile.

"Ugh... can’t argue with that." Yan Rongjun agreed.

In her early years, she herself had stolen, killed, and competed with others for resources. If not for her husband, she might currently be forced to sell her skills to one of the hypocrites in the Immortal Realm!

At this moment, one of the employees rushed into the lounge, her hands clutching a stack of reports.

"Young Miss! Young Miss! Congratulations, Young Miss! We no longer need to look for new warehouses to store the Portable Treasure House-Camps anymore!" the employee said excitedly while panting for breath.

"Huh? Why’s that? Wait... don’t tell me..." Mo Xingyao paused. There was only one reason they would no longer need additional warehouses.

"That’s right, Young Miss! The preorder list is already so long that we won’t need more warehouse space even after two years!" the employee said cheerfully.

"Really!? That’s great! Hahahaha!" Mo Xingyao burst into triumphant laughter. At this moment, she truly wanted that guy to advertise some of her older and lesser-known products as well!

If she could sell all those stocks that had been gathering dust in the warehouses, she might gain enough wealth to rival the Ximen Clan!

...

At the broadcast site, Wei Chen began the discussion.

"So, what we already know is this. It is impossible for someone with a lower cultivation realm than the creator of the realm, who was at the Pseudo Immortal Realm, to pull this off."

Lian Cheng nodded before giving his opinion.

"It is also impossible for those old monsters trying to avoid forced ascension to come out and destroy it either. Even if all the old monsters in the lower realm gathered together, they still would not be willing to exert themselves."

"That’s right," Jobs Ganglie agreed. "And it is also impossible for an army of experts to infiltrate the realm. If that had happened, we would have known in advance before the realm collapsed, and the people around Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary would have had time to evacuate," Jobs Ganglie concluded.

"So what is the most likely scenario?" Wei Chen asked, his eyes moving between Lian Cheng and Jian Heng. Both had extensive experience in the Jianghu, so he believed asking them might provide useful insights.

Lian Cheng recounted calmly.

"None of the Pseudo Immortal Realm experts descended."

"It’s impossible for the Great Ascension old monsters or an army to be involved either."

Jian Heng continued, "Then there is only one possibility left. This involves a hidden clan or sect. Only they would possess the capability to collapse a realm like this without needing an army."

Lian Cheng looked at Jian Heng and nodded in agreement with the theory.

"Yes, that is the only viable explanation. And the reason they destroyed the secret realm instead of taking control of it must be because the realm had a lock that required the bloodline of the creator or controller of the secret realm in order to fully tune and utilize it."

"Bloodline?" Jian Heng repeated. "So because they had already annihilated everyone in Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary and left no surviving bloodline behind, they decided to destroy the realm to deny it to anyone else who might still have a way to use it?" he concluded.

"Yes, Vice Sect Leader Jian. This is the only reasonable explanation that fits the situation. In order to achieve this, they likely sent a small elite strike team. Some of them may even have been Heaven’s Chosen, which would explain why their combat capabilities exceeded normal standards," Lian Cheng concluded.

At this time, Wei Chen asked, "But... since they had the power to destroy the entire sect, why didn’t they evacuate the people surrounding the area before collapsing the realm? Wouldn’t actions like this taint their Dao hearts?"

Lian Cheng smiled, the confident smile of an expert who understood things others did not.

"Why should they evacuate the people? Do those people have anything to do with them? If those mortals die, will their cultivation face a bottleneck? Or will those people feel grateful and reward them in return?"

Lian Cheng’s questions caused Wei Chen to fall into deep thought before he continued.

"Besides, evacuating the people would be counterproductive. The act of evacuating several cities would create enough commotion for other forces to notice and possibly interfere with their plans. As for a tainted Dao heart, as long as the resentment of those who died because of their actions cannot enter their Dao heart, then there is nothing to worry about."

"And I am certain that with the capabilities and resources of a hidden force, they would possess methods to deal with such resentment," Lian Cheng concluded.

— Meanwhile - Thousand Treasure City —

Within an inconspicuous building near the square, close enough for those inside to watch the public broadcast, the atmosphere was tense with malice and anticipation.

Zhang Tianlong, the man who had single-handedly burned down the entire Heaven’s Spire Sanctuary, stood on the third floor inside a dark room. Only a faint glimpse of light shone into the room as he opened the window slightly to watch the broadcast outside.

He watched silently without making any comment, but a feminine voice broke the silence within the dark room.

"It seems those people are knowledgeable enough to come quite close to discerning what truly happened. But... even with all their intelligence, they would never imagine that you single-handedly destroyed the entire sect with only minimal help from us."

Zhang Tianlong glanced nonchalantly at the woman. She wore green scale-like soft armor before he casually looked away again.

"Of course. They guessed our reason for destroying the realm. Who would allow others to profit from their own hard work?"

"Hmph!" Zhang Tianlong snorted. "You’re one to talk, Snake. For someone who simply enjoys watching carnage, I think your male counterparts are far calmer and more reasonable than you."