Chapter 198 : Latent Death of Different Blood

Venerable ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Palmi, who slowly rose while receiving the gazes of the people, was in a perfectly intact state.

It ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was a figure that one could never think belonged to someone who had scattered like ashes and disappeared just moments ago.

Lord ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Hwan looked at such a Venerable Palmi with heavy eyes.

“Your ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍arm… is whole.”

At ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Lord Hwan’s words, a smile settled on the lips of Venerable Palmi.

“At ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the end of enlightenment, beyond completion, perfection exists.”

“Does that mean you have attained enlightenment?”

Lord Hwan’s eyes trembled faintly as he asked.

Venerable Palmi’s realm had been the Profound Realm. If he had attained enlightenment there, it might mean he had stepped into the unknown domain—the Natural Realm.

According to the classification of realms first defined by Bodhidharma, the Natural Realm was a domain of creation said to be achievable only by gods.

Of course, that did not mean creating something out of nothing like a creator bringing life into existence.

Instead, it meant drawing water from trees, extracting metallic essence from stone, or setting fire to intact clothing.

In other words, it was a realm where one could manipulate the energies of nature according to one’s will.

For a martial artist, this was important because one who had mastered Yang-Strong Arts could emit Yin-Cold Arts, and could instantly convert the energy between heaven and earth into internal energy to refill an exhausted dantian.

Simply put, it meant possessing inexhaustible internal energy.

That was why Lord Hwan was tense.

If Venerable Palmi had truly reached the Natural Realm, then not only the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens, but no sect in this world would be able to stand proudly before him.

Under such a gaze, Venerable Palmi smiled faintly.

“If it suffices that I can finally see the door leading into the Natural Realm, would that be an answer?”

It meant he had not yet entered the Natural Realm. At those words, Lord Hwan’s expression briefly relaxed in relief, only to harden again.

Even if not the Natural Realm, it meant he had reached the extreme of the Profound Realm.

The realm of the Three Dukes was the highest peak of the Profound Realm.

They had surpassed maturity and reached the highest tier, but not the extreme. It was not the stage where there was nowhere further to advance, only waiting for the chance to ascend.

But Venerable Palmi was saying he had reached that point.

In other words, it meant there was no one in the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens stronger than him.

Seeing Lord Hwan’s stiffened expression, Venerable Palmi smiled.

“Surely an alliance would not strike another alliance, would it?”

Alliance.

He had referred to himself and the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens as being in an alliance.

But until now, the relationship between Venerable Palmi and the Assembly had been one of subordination.

The Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens had taken in Venerable Palmi when he had nowhere to go after being chased by the Vice Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult.

In fact, he had accepted Behind the Curtain’s proposal and joined the Assembly.

Yet now, he spoke of an alliance.

In other words, he was demanding a redefinition of their relationship—from subordinate to equal.

It was something that should have been immediately rebuked and rejected, but neither Lord Hwan nor anyone present from the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens could step forward.

Because both the Honor Pavilion and the Inner Directorate—the two wings of the Assembly—had been shattered.

Of course, one of the three heads, Lord Hwan, still remained, the Kirin Pavilion that supported the Assembly was intact, and the Reception Envoys who would rebuild the Assembly were unharmed.

The problem was that with just that, they no longer had the strength to realize the Assembly’s will in the world as before.

They couldn’t even do anything about Venerable Palmi standing right before them.

As Lord Hwan’s eyes turned fierce, the voice of Behind the Curtain reached him.

“Venerable Palmi can replace the position of the collapsed Honor Pavilion.”

In other words, it meant the Inner Directorate would still retain its authority.

The current crisis had arisen because the plans and assertions of the Inner Directorate had gone awry.

A surge of anger rose, but Lord Hwan suppressed it.

Because it had been the Hall of the Three Dukes that had agreed to that plan.

He knew well that his past opposition in their decision-making meant nothing now.

“Fine. So what do you propose?”

“We will use Venerable Palmi’s full power to kill him—Killing Ye Jin Tianhuang.”

At Behind the Curtain’s answer, Lord Hwan shook his head.

“With the strength of Tibet, such a thing is impossible!”

At his displeased response, Venerable Palmi stepped forward with a meaningful smile.

“I have abandoned Tibet. They are no longer my blade, but those who will serve as fertilizer.”

At those incomprehensible words, Lord Hwan’s gaze turned back to Behind the Curtain.

Explain properly what that meant.

And so Behind the Curtain began to explain.

At length.

As he listened, Lord Hwan’s eyes sank coldly.

It was not a plan he liked. Yet he did not oppose it.

Because he knew that without this plan, the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens could not remain intact.

And so, in a deep mountain valley, the sinister scheme of the Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens and Venerable Palmi was being woven.

A storm of blood swept across Tibet.

Unless Venerable Miru and the martial monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple—whom they had summoned from Kunlun—said, “They are not the ones,” every sect in Tibet was slaughtered and burned.

Despite still having tens of thousands of forces remaining, Tibet did not launch a large-scale counterattack for some reason.

Because the Potala Palace, which held the core, remained crouched in its stronghold without moving.

As a result, the Tibetan sects were unable to respond properly and were being defeated one by one.

In truth, at this time, the Potala Palace had fallen into chaos.

Because Venerable Palmi, who should have led them in resisting the invaders, had disappeared.

In the end, the Potala Palace decided to hold their fortress.

With the Potala Palace refusing to move, disaster fell upon the many Tibetan sects that had cooperated in the invasion of the Central Plains.

It was overwhelming momentum.

From the moment they crossed the border between Xinjiang and Tibet, the subjugation force of the Bright Cult carved a path of blood with ruthless hands.

Even Venerable Miru and the martial monks of the Heavenly Dragon Temple—who bore grudges of annihilation against the Tibetan sects—had to turn their heads away.

It was a battle that clearly proved why the orthodox factions of the Central Plains called the Bright Cult the Demonic Cult.

That desperate revenge of blood reached its peak.

The Bright Cult’s subjugation force had arrived at the Potala Palace.

Thirty thousand masters, intoxicated with blood and death, stared at the Potala Palace with crimson eyes.

At the very front stood the Vice Cult Leader.

If his command fell, they would rush forward as they had until now, tearing apart and killing everything in their path.

But the Vice Cult Leader’s reaction was strange.

He merely stared at the Potala Palace with deeply sunken eyes, not giving any order to attack.

As the wait grew longer, murmurs arose.

Yul Han turned to look at the thirty thousand martial artists.

Silence fell instantly.

Under the Vice Cult Leader’s eyes, gleaming with killing intent, they shut their mouths without realizing it.

It was perfect domination through fear.

Turning his gaze back to the Potala Palace, Garuk, the Left-Hand Slaughter King, approached Yul Han.

“I sense no life—only Ghostly Aura fills it.”

“…….”

Yul Han silently nodded.

“Shall I go in?”

“…….”

Yul Han shook his head.

The Ghostly Aura coming from the Potala Palace felt familiar.

‘If it’s like the Ice Palace…’

Inside was likely a trap of death.

A trap filled with jiangshi.

Thinking of jiangshi reminded him of the Ghost Demon. He recalled the times they had fought them together.

But now, the Ghost Demon was gone.

Loss and anger filled Yul Han.

‘If that’s what you want… I’ll play along.’

He drew the Lightning Cloud Blade.

Until now, whenever he drew it, he held it in his left hand, while his right held his sword.

But today, he gripped the Lightning Cloud Blade in his right hand.

Lightning energy flowed along the quietly humming blade.

Glancing at it, Yul Han stepped forward.

“No matter what happens, do not move until my command is given.”

His voice trailed behind him as he walked away.

Even the Possessed Martial Artists and the thirty thousand warriors could only watch with tense gazes.

Behind the Curtain hummed softly as she walked, looking at Venerable Palmi ahead of her with a chilled expression.

When forming this plan, she had fully anticipated what would happen.

But the tremor and fear of seeing it unfold before her eyes exceeded expectations.

A full twenty thousand lives.

And those were the monks of the Potala Palace, among whom Venerable Palmi had been born and raised.

He slaughtered them without even twitching an eyebrow.

He had even used their corpses to devise a sinister scheme.

The result of that cruelty was the fifteen jiangshi now following them.

They were not the kind she knew—those with talismans on their foreheads, hopping stiffly.

These spoke, laughed, and walked naturally like living people.

Wearing monk robes with shaved heads, the words they constantly spat were nothing but obscene chatter.

Their vulgar laughter made them look exactly like degenerates from the back alleys.

Watching them from behind, Behind the Curtain quickened her pace and approached Venerable Palmi.

“Let me ask something.”

“Go ahead.”

“Can we really trust them?”

“If not, would I have gone through such trouble to bring them here?”

“But their behavior is exactly…”

Trailing off, she looked back.

Venerable Palmi smiled faintly.

“Please understand. They are merely seeing this world again after several hundred years.”

“What do you mean… Didn’t you say they were Latent Deaths?”

“They are. But not ordinary Latent Deaths.”

At that answer, Behind the Curtain’s expression hardened.

This was completely different from the plan.

Venerable Palmi had claimed there were capable masters in Tibet—those who had reached the Transcendent Realm—and that they could replace the absence of the Honor Pavilion.

When she asked how their loyalty could be trusted, he had answered:

They would be turned into Latent Deaths.

Latent Death bound the souls into corpses, forcing absolute obedience to the caster.

Even if the caster had killed them personally.

Facing responsibility for the destruction of both the Inner Directorate’s forces and the Honor Pavilion, Behind the Curtain had seized that proposal.

The Assembly of the Beyond-Heavens had as well.

Because it meant acquiring a large number of Transcendent Realm masters who would obey unconditionally.

Yet now he spoke of something different.

“Not ordinary Latent Deaths? Then what are they?”

At her stiff question, Venerable Palmi smiled.

“They are called Latent Death of Different Blood.”

Latent Death of Different Blood.

After a moment of thought, she realized what it meant.

“Spirit Possession!”

Her eyes widened.

Venerable Palmi spoke.

“Not just Spirit Possession. Spirit Possession embedded within Latent Death. Even a Super-Peak can display Transcendent Realm power as a Latent Death, and a crude Transcendent Realm can exert power equal to one at the peak of mastery.”

“I know that.”

“Then what do you think happens when bodies strengthened like that are possessed by legendary demon heads who dominated their era centuries ago?”

Understanding his meaning, her eyes widened to the point of seeming to tear.

“T-Then they…!”

Looking back at the laughing figures, Venerable Palmi spoke calmly.

“My apologies for the late introduction. They are the Three Great Public Enemies of the world—and the Twelve Great Evildoers.”