Reform us?

The hearts of the five wandering souls were a tangled mess. If it were possible, they would have brandished their swords and hacked Fang Chen to pieces already. Unfortunately, they had now become True Gods of the Underworld. Their lives and deaths depended on Fang Chen's whims. If they didn't want their souls to be scattered or to endure the agony of flames scorching their spirits, they could only become his puppets. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Fang Chen glanced at Little Immortal Honglian. She was still in a deep sleep, her breathing steady and calm.

He asked, "What's wrong with her? Also, tell me about her relationship with you all."

"She was struck by a colorless, odorless Soul Incense that only works on the demon race," explained Core Disciple Cheng.

He swept his gaze around, searching for his physical body. It was gone, reduced to ashes. His lips twitched slightly.

"If you hadn't destroyed my body just now, you might have been able to retrieve the remaining incense. Shao Guangyin gave it to me."

"Soul Incense? Only effective against demons?" Fang Chen's interest was piqued. "Tell me, how is this incense prepared?"

"I don't know. Only high-level demons can possess the formula, and even then, not all of them know it," explained Core Disciple Cheng. "That is why I speculate that Shao Guangyin was a high-level demon with significant status during his past life. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to become the Saint Son of the Rulai Monastery in this life."

Fang Chen nodded noncommittally. "How long will she remain asleep?"

"Given her cultivation, she will likely sleep for three to five years."

"And why? Why did you have to drug her first?" asked Fang Chen. "Don't tell me it was just to keep her as leverage against me."

"There's no point in hiding it. The Yang Gods on your side likely know of this and have had contact with them."

Core Disciple Cheng glanced at Little Immortal Honglian, a flicker of cold mockery and disdain crossing his eyes. "She is a princess born of the Abyssal Region, but she belongs to the Saint Demon clan. Despite being of the same race as us, they do not agree with our methods regarding the Nine Mortal Realms. They believe that humans and demons can coexist. Consequently, she occasionally helps the Yang Gods on your side in secret, though at other times, she aids our side as well. So, do not truly treat her as your Dao Companion. Who knows? Maybe one day, if she thinks you threaten the foundations of the demon race, she won't hesitate to kill you in your sleep."

"Humans and demons can coexist? So she is part of a neutral faction?" Fang Chen said, falling into deep thought. Then he asked indifferently, "What is this Saint Demon clan?"

"It is a special sect from our homeland; any demon who devotes themselves to the Holy Demon Sect is referred to as the Saint Demon clan. In essence, they are the same as us, but in reality, the Saint Demon clan is utterly loathsome. If they hadn't intervened back then, your Nine Realms would have changed owners long ago," answered Core Disciple Cheng, gritting his teeth. His resentment toward the Saint Demon clan was bone-deep.

"I see. So, they are the Saint Mothers of the demon side," Fang Chen said, realization dawning on him.

If he were a demon, he would likely hate the Saint Demon clan, too. But as a human, if what Cheng said was true, the Saint Demon clan could potentially be an ally to humanity. However, one would still have to guard against them suddenly reverting to a pro-demon stance.

"Since you hate the Saint Demon clan so much, why didn't you find a chance to strike at Daoist Hong before this?" Fang Chen asked indifferently. "You are a fourth-transformation immortal. Killing her quietly wouldn't have been difficult."

"Because I didn't know she was a demon before. The Saint Demon clan doesn't maintain close contact with us. Furthermore, even if I had known her identity, I wouldn't have acted against her. Killing one of our own is an unforgivable crime among us."

As soon as Core Disciple Cheng finished speaking, he felt the burning sensation return. He immediately added, "The Saint Demon clan also has nine-transformation True Demons. If we were to strike, it would push them entirely toward the human race, which would bring only harm and no benefit to our race's great cause."

Fang Chen said with a faint smile, "That is the real reason. This unforgivable crime talk is just high-sounding hypocrisy."

He had gained much today. A short interrogation had revealed numerous hidden truths.

Old Wang, that fellow, still doesn't quite trust me. He didn't explain these matters clearly at all.

The Formation Heart Little Immortal Honglian found in the Formless Purgatory likely has nothing to do with Cheng and his lot. There must be an influential figure from the Saint Demon clan lurking within the Enlightenment God Palace as well. Wait... could Old Wang have been a member of the Saint Demon clan before his reincarnation?

Fang Chen's gaze landed on the five souls. "You all know of Wang Chongsong, don't you?"

He saw a flicker of agitation in their eyes. As expected, these people knew Wang Chongsong. They likely knew he was a reincarnated demon and that he possessed the Inverse Immortal Demonic Embryo.

"It seems Wang Chongsong has already been in contact with you. Then again, it's only natural for a traitor like him to associate with your kind," said Core Disciple Cheng, his voice grim.

When discussing Little Immortal Honglian, he had been mostly mocking and annoyed. But at the mention of Wang Chongsong, his voice carried a bone-chilling killing intent. The two attitudes were worlds apart.

Fang Chen asked with a smile, "Oh? How did Wang Chongsong become a traitor?"

"His identity is very mysterious. We don't know his rank or status within the Abyssal Region. We only know that a Key, one that is vital to us, is in his hands. But he has always avoided meeting us and clearly had no intention of handing over the Key."

"Compared to the Saint Demon clan, a pure traitor like him should have long since been utterly destroyed, body and soul," spat Core Disciple Cheng. Then, a trace of gloating flickered in his eyes. "Fortunately, he isn't doing well these days. He's like a rat scurrying across the street, hiding everywhere. The moment he shows the slightest flaw, we'll catch him!"

"Oh? Then Senior Sister's ambush back then was also related to this, wasn't it?"

Fang Chen rather appreciated these people's attitude toward Wang Chongson. The more they despised Old Wang, the more likely Old Wang would stand firmly on the human side.

Core Disciple Cheng's tone was icy. "We're not certain of the exact details, but we know the causes and consequences, and we've made some deductions. Most likely, it was to lure Wang Chongsong out, since he has a very close relationship with Xie Aman. Perhaps he betrayed our race because of Xie Aman. Damn it. He was bewitched by beauty and forgot that our people are already at the brink of death!"

Xu Kun sighed, a faint trace of admiration in his eyes. "What a pity. Senior Sister's methods are simply too formidable. Even with such a setup, they couldn't gain the slightest advantage over her. Instead, they even lost an Ancient Immortal in the process."

"Actually, this time you've most likely fallen into Senior Sister's trap again," Fang Chen said. "I'd wager there's someone outside anxiously waiting right now, thinking I've already been killed. Otherwise, why would Senior Sister publicly announce that Fifth Senior Brother and I would become Xie Zhi cultivators? You really don't understand her."

She had most likely spent a long time with Old Wang. Naturally, she would have learned a few underhanded tricks from him. Additionally, she herself was no simple figure. Just her becoming the chief core disciple of the Enlightenment God Palace spoke volumes about her brilliant mind. How could she possibly reveal such an obvious flaw for the demon race to exploit?

Besides, his reasoning was also based on what these people had said about the Taicang Realm.

"You mean... we've still fallen into a trap?"

The five wandering souls glanced at one another, their expressions strange.

"Tell me more about the detailed situation in the Taicang Realm," Fang Chen replied reassuringly. "Don't dwell on whether you've been tricked or not. As long as you don't think about it, it's as good as not being tricked."