Chapter 427: The Hidden Infiltrator

The protagonist wanted to destroy this ugly world and create a clean and peaceful new world without ugliness, one in which his will would be embedded into the laws governing the new world.

His will would become the Heavenly Dao of the new world. Going against his will would be equivalent to violating the laws of Heaven, making one incompatible with the world he had created.

Under such rules, perhaps those ugly souls would gradually become pure and beautiful through countless reincarnations.

Gou Guangming silently recalled the expectations the protagonist had held for creating a new world after destroying the old one.

"Hmph! They actually dare to scheme against the World Stone. No wonder they have surrounded the Holy City. These bastards. Even if I have to sacrifice my life and cultivation, I will never let them succeed!" a Holy City elder said furiously.

Xiao Shou had been continuously controlling the Terrestrial Fox Black Flame to devour massive amounts of demonic aura. Aside from learning about the Water Qilin’s origins from Fu Young’s explanation, he had been completely out of the loop and understood nothing else.

Only after hearing the discussion to this point did Xiao Shou finally understand what everyone was talking about.

The conclusions everyone had reached, together with the unease that had been lingering in his heart, suddenly triggered a flash of inspiration.

Xiao Shou immediately said, "Uh! I just remembered something. It might have something to do with the Demon Abyss Clan."

"Master, what is it that concerns you so much?" The moment Xiao Shou spoke, Fu Young’s increasingly cold tone instantly became several hundred times gentler.

Unfortunately, his master did not notice this at all.

Xiao Shou quickly continued, "My flame has an especially strong reaction to filthy things, such as turbid and unclean substances like demonic aura. On the day I entered the city, my flame once reacted extremely strongly while I was passing along a certain street. However, the reaction disappeared after only a short while, which clearly means that whatever triggered it was moving."

"I was curious at the time about what kind of filth could provoke such a strong reaction from my spiritual flame. After hearing what everyone has said, I thought that if the Demon Abyss Clan intends to use the same method as before to contaminate the Holy City’s World Stone, then the infiltrator would inevitably have to carry some kind of filthy object capable of evading the city’s defensive detection systems. So, the time when my flame reacted so strongly could very well have been when that infiltrator was moving through the city while carrying the filthy object."

"Are you saying that the infiltrator might already have entered the city when you arrived? But according to Senior Shanhe, the seal was broken on the day the Grand Competition began. That should be impossible, shouldn’t it? After all, something capable of contaminating the World Stone should have originated from the Demon Abyss Realm. How could such a thing exist in the Heaven Origin Realm? Even demonic cultivators should not be able to produce one," Heavenly Void Sect Master Tang Qicen said.

Xiao Shou spread his hands. "I don’t know either. I was only mentioning a possibility."

"Since Sect Master Xiao’s flame can burn filthy things, why not ask you to burn the flame throughout the Holy City? Then all the hidden infiltrators will have nowhere to hide."

At this moment, Venerable Jian Li glanced toward the distant shadows that had once again retreated into the demonic aura to escape the Terrestrial Fox Black Flame.

"They seem to have no intention of fighting at all. Instead, they appear to be waiting for something. Perhaps it really is as Sect Master Xiao said."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shou immediately shook his head.

"No, I can’t. My flame not only reacts strongly to filthy things, but also shows no mercy toward people burdened by heavy sins. I cannot control this aspect. Regardless of whether those sinful people in the Holy City became burdened with sins out of helplessness, because of certain circumstances, or because they are evil by nature, I have no right to judge them, condemn them, or execute them."

"Sect Master Xiao, what is there to pity about those sinful people? You wield a flame that judges those who commit evil, which means judging them is your duty and destiny. How could you have no right to do so? After you cleansed Yingzhou Celestial Isle and the surrounding seas, the environment in which we lived improved tremendously. A world without sinners is truly wonderful."

Upon hearing this, the newly appointed island master immediately spoke with excitement.

At the same time, a female Spirit Transformation cultivator beside him said, "Besides, they are merely some cultivators burdened by sins. How can they possibly compare to the safety of this entire world? If we can eliminate the threat of the World Stone being contaminated, then any price would be worth paying. Surely none of you have any objections?"

"But making such a decision over an infiltrator whose existence has not even been confirmed is far too impulsive."

"Moreover, the Demon Abyss Clan is attacking right now, and this is precisely when we need a huge fighting force. If Sect Master Xiao’s flame causes massive casualties in the Holy City, it would be an enormous loss for the Dao cultivators!"

"Yes, that’s right. We need to gather every bit of strength we have to fight the Demon Abyss Clan."

"We cannot turn on each other over an uncertain possibility!"

"I agree. We shouldn’t do it."

"Besides, many of them might be innocent!"

"Sometimes cultivators are left with no choice and have to strike first to survive, which is how they accumulate sins!"

"Sect Master Xiao is not the Heavenly Dao. He..."

As everyone continued speaking, they eventually fell into an eerie silence.

They all knew the intelligence from Yingzhou Celestial Isle. The reason they were standing here was because they were confident that they themselves were not burdened by sinful karma and believed they had already passed the test of the Terrestrial Fox Black Flame.

But that did not mean the disciples, elders, relatives, friends, and other important people around them could pass the test as well.