"What is the Buddhist Sect up to now?"

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint replied softly, "Taking advantage of the rebellion in the Heavenly Court, they have been lavishly building temples and monasteries in the Mortal World. We still underestimate the power of the Buddhist Sect; their congregation is growing too fast."

In a short period of time, temples emerged all over Dongsheng Shenzhou, the stronghold of the Heavenly Court, and countless commoners converted to the Buddhist Sect, creating a massive Power of Faith that even the Celestial Beings of the Heavenly Court found alarming.

It was a power that could turn the world upside down.

The unchecked expansion of the Buddhist Sect could no longer continue; this was something every Celestial Being of the Heavenly Court had come to realize.

Yet how to proceed was a matter of divided opinion, for this was the Buddhist Sect, the second most formidable force in the Three Realms after the Heavenly Court itself. Not everyone had the courage to confront such a colossal entity.

Now all eyes were on the Jade Emperor, for only the Master of the Three Realms could mobilize the entire Heavenly Court into action.

The Jade Emperor remained silent, his gaze drifting to the Lower realm, seemingly piercing through the thick clouds to observe that bustling world.

A smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth as he murmured softly, "If so, let’s begin our plan, which will unfold over a long period."

Upon hearing these words, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint bowed respectfully, saying, "As you wish!"

This traitor from the Demon Court, the Jade Emperor’s closest ally, slowly faded into shadow and disappeared within the Lingxiao Treasured Palace, silently carrying out the plan devised by the Jade Emperor.

Nobody knew what impact this mysterious plan would have on the Buddhist Sect.

In the distant Luzhou in the North, not a single monster cared about the affairs of the Heavenly Court. For most of them, just surviving in these harsh times took all their effort.

Many monsters needed to struggle for survival from a young age. Years of chaos had left their race’s civilization riddled with gaps, making the thought of rebuilding seem dauntingly difficult.

At the site of the once-great Demon Court, a group of Little Monsters would start scavenging in the ruins before dawn, hoping to find some treasures in the vast ruins.

Be it artifacts, gold, or jewels, or even former iron tools, all could fetch a good price in the south part of the ruins, where there was a dedicated place to trade these items.

The reason why no Demon King had claimed this territory over the years was simply because no single one had the absolute strength to command the Demon Capital. Any Demon King who attempted to take control would surely incite collective wrath. Thus, by an unspoken agreement, the location was forsaken by all, yet not completely forgotten.

The shops established there were ceaselessly drawing wealth from the fallen Demon Court.

Little Qing was just an average monster with no extraordinary talent or the bloodline of a powerful demon, merely an average Snake Demon.

That day, early in the morning, she twisted her slim little waist and slowly made her way to the vast ruins of the Demon Court, where she needed to find supplies to sustain her family’s living.

She had a younger sister to care for, and as for their parents, perhaps they had died, or perhaps they had abandoned them. In any case, since the day their parents left, they had never returned.

Fortunately, their neighbors were kind-hearted, or else they would not have survived to this day.

However, as news of the Demon Emperor’s return spread, the occupation by some of the larger Demon Clan forces made life even harder for these Little Monsters who scavenged for a living.

Despite this, Little Qing remained optimistic. Life’s hardships had not crushed her spine; on the contrary, they had forged in her a heart of resilience.

She always imagined how wonderful the Demon Court must have been back then, and whenever she dug up something that belonged to the Demon Court from the rubble, she would wonder about the kind of life the Monsters in the Demon Court must have lived all those years ago.

They surely lived much better than her own kind, likely with endless food and without the worry of not seeing the sun tomorrow.

With a slight sigh, the Little Snake Demon began digging through the ruins with her small hands again.

Due to the uniqueness of the Demon Court, there was still residual power lingering in these ruins, which made the excavation all the more difficult. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Ordinary tools were of no use; these Little Monsters could only rely on their own two hands. It was common to end the day with hands raw and bloody. Fortunately, the Demon Clan had strong physiques and could recover quickly. Otherwise, they truly wouldn’t be able to sustain such daily digging.

From time to time, excited voices of other Monsters could be heard nearby—it seemed they had dug up some treasures. If things went as expected, their food for the next few days was secured.

Little Qing looked at her own pile of ruins, completely buried under the dust, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.

Being young and not very strong, the area she was assigned to dig did not promise much reward. The odds of finding something valuable were as slim as ascending to heaven, yet Little Qing did not give up, tirelessly digging with her hands, praying for a twist of fate.

Just digging up one valuable item could improve her family’s life, and her little sister wouldn’t have to cry with hunger every day.

This dream was the reason Little Qing persevered. Her sister was the beacon of hope in her life. Seeing that young life grow brought genuine joy from the depths of her heart.

As the sun climbed higher, the air became scorchingly hot. Drenched in sweat, Little Qing still hadn’t found anything. She looked at her mangled hands and suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to burst into tears.

But just as tears were about to escape her eyes, the strong Little Monster forcefully held them back. She couldn’t cry; she had to continue, or else her little sister would go hungry today.

It was at that moment that Feng Jiu came to this land, looking gravely at the site of the old Demon Court.

She had once believed she could establish a world where the Demon Clan was free and prosperous, but sadly, she had ruined everything.

There used to be the most splendid palaces here, the most loyal guards, and a brilliant civilization, but now all that was left were ruins and rubble.

She saw no pride on the faces of the Monsters living here, pride that used to be inherent in the Citizens of the Demon Capital. All that remained was numbness and pain.

The Demon Clan shouldn’t be like this; we are the freest Race, how could we be so numb?

Feng Jiu vaguely remembered how naive the Monsters used to be, but the damned ways of the world had transformed them into what they were now.

She walked slowly forward, through the indifferent crowd, and approached Little Qing. Looking at this determined Little Monster, Feng Jiu saw something in her eyes that she didn’t see in others—resolve and hope, and it was also what Feng Jiu was longing for.

She reached out her hand to gently stroke Little Qing’s head and softly asked, "What is your name?"