As the spy was engulfed by the demonic corpses, Jiang Youyue remained unmoved.

This person was a servant sent by the Prince Rong's Manor. Jiang Youyue had people secretly investigate and finally touched upon the fringes of the Red Hook Sect - Dark Blood Witch's methods were quite good, and even Jiang Youyue couldn't find any definitive evidence.

But he never needed evidence to kill people.

The only reason he kept that spy until now was that he didn't mind these flies probing for some trivial information. Jiang Youyue knew well that this was not the only spy in the National Teacher's Manor.

In addition to the restless major sects in the jianghu, the young emperor had also never relaxed his vigilance against him. If the servants disappeared too quickly and too frequently, who knows if one day the emperor would catch on to something and cause him a delay.

Not to mention that among those spies, a few very likely belonged to the emperor himself.

Three hundred years had passed, and people seemed to have forgotten the status of the National Teacher's Manor at the founding of the nation.

The first National Teacher fought alongside the founding emperor, establishing meritorious service. According to legend, he never made a mistake, his judgment was as accurate as if possessed by an immortal, and he could even summon wind and rain on the battlefield. He was praised by the people as a star descended from heaven.

Back then, the emperor relied on the National Teacher to such an extent that he had to consult him on everything, big or small. After the National Teacher sacrificed himself to the heavens, the National Teacher's Manor was like a true divine temple in the eyes of the people, inviolable and awe-inspiring.

From then on, the position of "National Teacher", which should have been just a title, gained real power. Everyone was convinced in their hearts - after all, the National Teacher must be the heir to the sage's mantle, and the sage was a god bestowed upon Dayun by the heavens, so how could he have ulterior motives?

However, the good times did not last long. As Dayun enjoyed favorable weather and the national strength gradually increased, there was less and less need for divination. Talents emerged from all over the country, and the National Teacher's lineage, apart from some fortune-telling and managing temples, could not play a significant role.

Meanwhile, the people became more and more devout to the Divine Emperor Wu, and the temples accumulated countless gold and silver. The people firmly believed that "the National Teacher's lineage could communicate with the immortals" and attributed the prosperity of the nation to the National Teacher's Manor.

How could someone else be allowed to sleep soundly beside the emperor's couch? The reverence and reliance of generations of emperors gradually turned into wariness and precaution.

The emperors went to great lengths to sever the connection between the National Teacher's lineage and the "Divine Emperor Wu". Every generation of emperors was on guard against the National Teacher's lineage making trouble, but the National Teachers always kept a low profile and behaved honestly, as if they had accepted their fate.

Now, even the rough men of the jianghu dared to boldly infiltrate the National Teacher's Manor.

...Perhaps as mere mortals, they could only see money, power, and longevity, and engage in such petty struggles. Sparrows could never understand the ambitions of a great roc. People had lived in peace and stability for too long, and their vision had always become narrow.

Jiang Youyue thought casually as he passed through the great hall painted with magic formations and continued deeper underground.

The stone path became more and more narrow and dark, and the fragrance in the air was very strong. The light from the magic tools swept over Jiang Youyue one by one, emitting a low hum like whispers, smoothly making way for a passage. At the end of the passage was a small door, wrapped in thick darkness, like the entrance to a tomb.

Jiang Youyue picked up the lantern beside the door and knocked on the door three times in a proper manner. The door slowly opened a crack, and a turbid eye peeked out from the gap, glowing with an unpleasant green light.

As if confirming Jiang Youyue's identity, the thing made way. Jiang Youyue took a deep breath and stepped into the room for the umpteenth time.

The light from the lantern illuminated the stone chamber.

The thing that opened the door was not tall, very slender, with a figure approaching that of an overly thin youth. It wore a set of luxurious white clothes, its entire body emitting a faint green glow, like a moving jade sculpture. Upon closer inspection, although this thing had all four limbs and five senses, its features were shallow and faint, baked together like fire. Its chest also showed no signs of breathing.

After opening the door, it sat back quietly by the door, not moving at all. Jiang Youyue didn't bother with it. He raised the lantern a little higher and looked at the four walls of the stone chamber.

Several hundred headless corpses were wrapped in blood-written white cloth and hung densely on the walls. The green liquid flowed unceasingly, evenly showering each corpse, making an almost inaudible gurgling sound. Each corpse had a small wooden plaque hanging on it, engraved with short numbers. The corpses were intact and moist, while many of the wooden plaques already showed signs of decay.

Jiang Youyue took down the most rotten wooden plaque, on which the number "2698" was neatly written in cinnabar.

The immortal bodies were imperishable, but the wooden plaques would always rot. Jiang Youyue took a new wooden plaque from the shelf and re-engraved the number with true qi, then hung it back on the immortal body. Throughout the process, his expression was even gentle.

After the sage sacrificed himself to the heavens, the position of "National Teacher" he left behind was not an idle job or a cushy post - he sacrificed himself to end the natural disasters at that time. He left behind many immortal techniques, with magic like miracles, unlike anything in the mortal world. He established the Immortal Gathering to recruit talents and build temples in various places. These were all recorded in legends and passed down to this day.

...However, only the National Teachers of each generation knew that the sage had left them a room full of immortal bodies.

There were three thousand immortal bodies, their origins unknown. They were the most top-notch materials for sorcery in the world. The Immortal Gathering never used them for casting spells, but strictly followed the sage's last wishes and only used them for the "century-long great undertaking".

He used a bit of the immortal bodies to extend his master's life, which could also be considered as being used for the great undertaking, Jiang Youyue thought to himself as his fingertips touched the wooden plaques one by one.

After all, Dayun had heirs in every generation, but only his master had raised a "just right" Shi Jingzhi. So letting his master personally witness the moment when the great undertaking was accomplished could also be considered as fate, with a beginning and an end.

Not to mention that at this point, the great undertaking was like that Deity Summoning Formation, already nearing completion. Although it had not yet been officially concluded, there was nothing that could ruin it.

Jiang Youyue finished checking the condition of each immortal body, bowed respectfully to the room full of headless corpses, and closed the heavy stone door.

The atmosphere on Mount Zongwu was not so peaceful.

Yu Zikuan's explanation was unexpectedly simple - he merely hitched a ride with the Mi Mountain Sect members who regularly traded with Taiheng, and then obtained the killing formation from the Mi Mountain Sect.

Throughout the entire transaction process, Yu Zikuan had been using the fake identity of "Taiheng Elder". Logically speaking, those Mi Mountain Sect people shouldn't have known his true purpose.

Moreover, their plan was only formally determined after hearing that "Mount Zongwu had clues about the Shi Rou", so there was no suspicion of leakings. In this way, Yan Zheng first summoned the elders from all over and ordered the opening of the Fog Tomb Formation, and Yu Zikuan secretly set up the battle killing later, which could be considered as a natural course of events.

Who would have thought that such a secret plan, known only to heaven, earth, you and me, would encounter such a fatal hitch? Regardless, judging by the current situation, this ill-fated "Deity Summoning Formation" can no longer be used.

Strangely, upon realizing this, the expression of Yan Zheng, the Sect Leader, was even more unsightly than Yu Zikuan's: "Even if they were just targeting the Ling Sect, now indiscriminately killing people on Mount Zongwu, what good would it do for those who tampered with it?"

Yin Ci: "..." He felt a sense of sorrow for Yan Budu, his former rival, as the Ling Sect leader could say "even if they were just targeting the Ling Sect" with a straight face.

However, Yan Zheng indeed pointed out the most bizarre part - if they hadn't encountered Yu Zikuan by chance, a large number of people from each sect would have died. In that case, let alone framing someone, the sects wouldn't even be able to find the culprit.

By then, the small sects would be living in fear, the large sects would be suspicious of each other, and the remnants of the Ling Sect in various places would struggle in their dying breaths, further stirring up the already turbulent jianghu.

If the intention was to prevent people from finding clues, this approach didn't make sense either. The Deity Summoning Formation couldn't be activated permanently. Once this batch of people was dead, those who were meant to come would still come.

...Why would someone do such a thankless task?

Yin Ci was deep in thought and didn't notice that Sect Leader Shi's eyes were quietly watching him, his gaze growing increasingly somber. Shi Jingzhi pondered for a moment and pulled Shen Zhu aside.

"Have you witnessed the activation of the Deity Summoning Formation?" Shi Jingzhi asked in a low voice.

"Yes," Shen Zhu lowered his eyes and said, "The Immortal Gathering once set up this formation in my hometown. When the formation was activated, it was as if an invisible fire engulfed the surroundings. I watched helplessly as everyone slowly 'burned away'... The entire town was destroyed in an instant. I was fortunate to be at the edge of the formation's effect and survived."

"No survivors in the formation? Not even one?"

"Not a single person, but the plants and animals were unharmed. The Immortal Gathering only searched at the edges, killing potential witnesses. I was young at the time and feigned ignorance, thus escaping disaster."

"Hmm, the residual power of this formation is fierce. It seems like a formation of certain death." Shi Jingzhi glanced at Yin Ci from afar.

"Your Highness?" This question seemed to have a subtle deviation from the current situation.

"It's nothing, just asking."

Shi Jingzhi's tone was casual, but his heart was foggier than the Fog Tomb Formation - on this journey, he had truly rolled over mountains of knives and descended into seas of fire. If he hadn't met Yin Ci at the beginning, let alone starving to death on the barren mountain at the age of three, even considering only recent events, he would have been sliced to pieces by the mechanisms in the Ghost Tomb long ago.

Encountering the goddess of Yuanxian Village, battling Zheng Fengdao, and even the previous unsealing, he could have lost his life in any of those situations.

Now that they had arrived at Mount Zongwu, if the Deity Summoning Formation was as dangerous as Shen Zhu described, even with Yin Ci by his side, his death would be certain. All the deadly situations he had encountered so far could not be avoided simply by relying on the help of others.

The "hundred-year plan" had been going on for at least two hundred years, and as an important part of it, the National Teacher actually allowed him to run around everywhere, relying on "coincidences" to survive. Even when it could be predicted that he would face danger, they still stood by and watched...

There were generations of "Desire Children", but this was not a wasteful method. Could a plan that had lasted for a hundred years be so full of loopholes?

Shi Jingzhi touched his chest. Through the not-so-thick outer garment, he could feel the safety sachet Yin Ci had given him. Next to the sachet, his heart was beating exceptionally strongly.

At this moment, he didn't care why this formation appeared here or who it would benefit. An almost absurd thought crossed his mind.

If it were in the past, Shi Jingzhi would have definitely laughed at this seemingly crazy guess. But now, with Yin Ci by his side, he couldn't laugh no matter what.

...For some reason, the National Teacher's lineage seemed to be convinced that he "would not die by accident."