"It’s too late to leave now," Mr. Mo said with a smile.

It was only then that the Divine Exorcist Great Sage realized that Mr. Mo’s face was beginning to peel away, revealing the wooden face beneath.

"This is a puppet!"

However, by this time it was somewhat late, as endless power was gathering within the puppet’s body, followed by another earth-shattering explosion that once again sounded in the Heavenly Court.

The violent explosion caused the entire Heavenly Court to tremble, immediately attracting the attention of countless people.

The Heavenly Court was indeed in the midst of troubled times; the three consecutive explosions seemed to strip away the veil of the Heavenly Court, exposing its current vulnerability.

Struggling to stand up, the Divine Exorcist Great Sage realized that the explosion was indeed terrifying, but it was still not enough to take his life.

However, at this moment, he was in a very sorry state, his clothes having been blasted to smithereens, revealing his true monkey form. His fur had been charred black by the flames and now stuck to his body.

His robust body was covered with wounds that continuously seeped blood, staining his already pitch-black body a deep crimson.

Severe pain swept through his body, making even this usually stoic Great Saint groan quietly.

He had not expected Mr. Mo to have regained his memory at some point, let alone secretly create such a puppet.

If this was a puppet, then where had the real Mr. Mo gone?

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint pondered in agony.

Countless Immortals rushed to the scene, confronting a complete disaster and the Divine Exorcist Great Sage, who looked terribly pitiful at the epicenter of the explosion.

The power of the explosion that had put such a renowned figure of the Three Realms in such a state was unimaginable.

"What exactly happened here? Can the Great Saint explain?" an Immortal asked anxiously. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Mr. Mo has defected. The puppet he left behind exploded," the Divine Exorcist Great Saint said succinctly.

But his words struck these Immortals like a bolt out of the blue. Who was Mr. Mo? He was the leader of the Heavenly Forge Bureau, a person who had served the Jade Emperor since the establishment of the Heavenly Court.

Both the Great Formation of the Entire Sky and the recently created Treasure Ship and Cannons were his masterpieces, even the design of the Heavenly Court involved his participation.

It was unbelievable that such an essential figure would defect from the Heavenly Court without warning—it was utterly preposterous.

The Immortals of the Heavenly Court could barely believe it, not to mention the craftsmen of the Heavenly Forge Bureau. Many of them had been taught by Mr. Mo himself. Seeing the Divine Exorcist Great Saint saying such things, they were naturally furious.

"You’re talking nonsense! We know exactly what kind of person the master is. He’s dedicated his life to his research, never caring for worldly affairs. Why would he suddenly betray the Heavenly Court? It must be you who killed him and are now framing him," they accused.

No sooner had these words been spoken than suspicious glances immediately turned towards the Divine Exorcist Great Saint.

Ever since the Divine Exorcist Great Saint took charge of the intelligence department of the Heavenly Court, the Jade Emperor had granted him considerable authority, making him unpopular with many. Now, this situation seemed like the perfect opportunity to kick him while he was down.

Consequently, everyone started to clamor, calling for the capture of the Divine Exorcist Great Saint.

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint watched these people with a cold eye, not bothering to say an extra word. He knew their intentions well but was too lazy to care.

These people were just like flies, buzzing annoyingly, but useless when the blade truly met flesh.

The thing he was most concerned about now was where Mr. Mo had gone, when he had regained his memory, and how he had escaped the Heavenly Court.

The others might not know, but he was all too aware of Mr. Mo’s background. Had it not been for his formidable skills, he would have killed him at the founding of the Heavenly Court.

As it turned out, it was precisely because of him that the Heavenly Court’s development had been so rapid.

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint’s expression was complicated, his eyes revealing both regret and acceptance.

"His Majesty decrees, summon Divine Exorcist Great Saint for an audience, the rest may disperse!" a sharp voice announced, belonging to an Immortal Officer come to deliver the decree.

Upon seeing the Jade Emperor’s intervention, everyone naturally did not linger, leaving only a group of craftsmen glaring angrily at the Divine Exorcist Great Saint.

But the Divine Exorcist Great Saint paid no mind to their gazes. Taking the edict from the Immortal Officer, he said, "I understand, tell His Majesty, I will change my clothes and then come."

Without concerning himself with the craftsmen’s stares, he turned and went back to his Cave Mansion.

"Ptui, you cur, how dare you frame the master," an elderly craftsman spat bitterly.

Having changed his clothes, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint arrived at the Lingxiao Treasured Palace. Now that the court meeting was over, the hall was once again empty, with only the Jade Emperor seated on his throne.

"He’s run off?" the Jade Emperor whispered, his voice tinged with complexity.

The Divine Exorcist Great Saint nodded and said, "I do not know when he regained his memory, and as for that puppet, it was so lifelike, I failed to recognize it as a dead object at first glance."

"After all, he is the foremost craftsman in the Three Realms; I am not surprised he could make such a puppet. Do you think he has left the Heavenly Court?"

The Jade Emperor asked this because, at this point, aside from those who took advantage of the chaos to escape with their master’s soul, the four gates were sealed, and no one else had been seen leaving the Heavenly Court.

So, it was almost certain that Mr. Mo was hiding somewhere within the Heavenly Court. But Mr. Mo was not like others; as the most formidable craftsman of the Three Realms, his hand was in the construction of the entire Heavenly Court. He had even personally worked on many key structures, making it difficult to ascertain whether he had left any covert tricks.

"That puppet reacted a bit sluggishly. From what I know, if it wasn’t too far away, the puppet would not exhibit such behavior, so most likely he has left," the Divine Exorcist Great Saint sighed.

Now that he thought about it carefully, many clues had been telling him the answer, but because he was in the Heavenly Court, he had overlooked them.

"How are your injuries?"

"Severe. It seems he harbors a deep hatred for me. The explosives hidden inside that puppet were extraordinarily powerful. Perhaps he couldn’t bear to destroy the Heavenly Forge Bureau, so he deliberately reduced the explosive power. Otherwise, I could have lost my life."

The Jade Emperor quietly listened to the Divine Exorcist Great Saint’s account, his eyes deep with unknown thoughts. After a long while, he finally spoke, "After imprisoning him for so many years, he still managed to escape. I was too soft-hearted back then."

"However, it doesn’t matter now. Today, he is no longer indispensable to the Heavenly Court. Even if he were to return to the Demon Clan, he could not change the situation. Let it be, he has also done so much work for me over the years."

With the matter thus settled by the Jade Emperor, the Divine Exorcist Great Saint cracked a smile. This was the Jade Emperor; he could be ruthless when needed, yet occasionally, he showed his true feelings, which was why the Divine Exorcist Great Saint had always followed him.

It was not because he was the Heavenly Emperor, the Master of the Three Realms, but because of his unique personal charm. There were many in the Heavenly Court who shared the Divine Exorcist Great Saint’s sentiments.