Chapter 992: Heading to the Homeland

Han Yao was incredibly busy, interrogating captives, gathering intelligence...

In the following period, due to a lack of available personnel and the proven reliability of Meng Zhang and Sun Sheng, Han Yao not only took action personally but also had Meng Zhang and Sun Sheng lead teams to eliminate several rumored strongholds associated with Demonic Cultivation.

On this side of the Crossing Severing Mountain Range, multiple sects and cultivation clans were implicated, and Han Yao decisively dealt with them.

Even some officials of the Dali Dynasty in various regions were affected, apprehended by the Five Punishments Guards and subjected to strict interrogation.

Apart from Cultivators colluding with Demonic Cultivation, Han Yao even managed to capture a few true Demonic Cultivators.

Although Demonic Cultivation was cunning and skilled at hiding and escaping, with sufficient intelligence and a powerful cultivator like Han Yao, not to mention the likes of Meng Zhang, a strong Primordial Spirit True Monarch, they were eventually apprehended.

Unfortunately, these captured Demonic Cultivators were at most in the Gold Core stage, mere minor players in the world of Demonic Cultivation. They weren't the big fish Han Yao was aiming for.

The Demonic Cultivators who were captured alive not only failed to provide any useful information under Han Yao's interrogation, but many of them even died by their own hand shortly after being captured.

The sinister arts of the demonic path were truly elusive, making it difficult to guard against.

Han Yao's true target held a high position and wielded immense power within the Dali Dynasty.

Without solid evidence, it was challenging for Han Yao to deal with them.

Although on the surface, just like other parts of the Cultivation World, the Dali Dynasty strictly prohibited the demonic path and harshly suppressed Demonic Cultivation, in reality, due to the deep collusion between the Dali Dynasty and Demonic Cultivation, there were high-ranking individuals within the court who practiced demonic cultivation methods. This wasn't regarded as an unforgivable crime.

Even though Han Yao knew that his formidable enemy was Demonic Cultivation, he couldn't openly confront them as a result.

The Demonic Cultivators handled within the Dali Dynasty were either those without background or origin, wild Demonic Cultivators, or those who violated Dali Dynasty's laws and harmed the dynasty.

Demonic Cultivators who harmed the people and caused chaos within the Dali Dynasty would be dealt with by the dynasty itself without Han Yao's intervention.

However, when it came to high-ranking individuals practicing Demonic Cultivation within the Dali Dynasty, Han Yao had no way to deal with them unless they betrayed the dynasty or openly committed evil deeds.

After all, no Demonic Cultivation would be foolish enough to openly admit their allegiance.

If they denied it, and Han Yao lacked sufficient evidence, he would naturally be powerless.Han Yao's only option was to first deal with the Demonic Cultivators without backgrounds or peripheral forces colluding with Demonic Cultivation.

Of course, Demonic Cultivation was an enemy of the entire Cultivation World, and no cultivation sect would admit to colluding with them.

Han Yao's high-profile pursuit of Demonic Cultivation received support from all levels of the Dali Dynasty, at least on the surface.

Even within the Dali Dynasty's system, Han Yao couldn't act recklessly; he had to follow certain rules.

It was only natural that Han Yao took down Wang Xibei and Qin Can, both Primordial Spirit cultivators, when they openly attacked the Five Punishments Guards.

Based on the information extracted from them during interrogation, Han Yao led the Five Punishments Guards to destroy several cultivation sects and clans.

Afterward, numerous items related to Demonic Cultivation were discovered within the residences of these sects and clans, serving as concrete evidence.

However, reaching this point was also the limit of what Han Yao could accomplish.

Leading the Five Punishments Guards to make such significant moves on this side of the Crossing Severing Mountain Range triggered a series of bloody battles.

Local officials within the Crossing Severing Mountain Range had long been discontented.

Even the powerful Grand Court Chief of Justice couldn't act recklessly and arbitrarily infringe upon local interests.

Under the pretext of hunting down Demonic Cultivation, no one would openly oppose Han Yao.

However, in private, a multitude of officials used various channels to report back to the Dali Dynasty's mainland, employing various means to criticize Han Yao.

Despite Han Yao's extensive efforts in the Crossing Severing Mountain Range, it seemed like he had achieved a lot. However, he was still far from his ultimate goal.

Although he had captured several Demonic Cultivators and eradicated some cultivation forces colluding with Demonic Cultivation, he had not gathered sufficient evidence to prove that his target was engaged in activities harmful to the Dali Dynasty.

Furthermore, he didn't even have complete confidence to accuse them of being Demonic Cultivators.

Relying solely on the confessions of his captives wouldn't be enough to bring down the high-ranking officials within the court. He needed more detailed evidence.

The seized items related to the demonic path were also difficult to tie directly to his targets.

Of course, Han Yao understood that evidence or lack thereof wasn't the key issue; the key was that Ba Wudi still trusted the other party and they had significant value.

All the evidence and confessions held little weight without Ba Wudi's approval.

Unless Han Yao could produce ironclad evidence proving that his targets posed a threat to the Dali Dynasty, he wouldn't be able to convince Ba Wudi to support his actions.Meng Zhang and Sun Sheng had been busy following Han Yao for this period, experiencing quite a journey.

Not long after, an order came from the mainland of the Dali Dynasty, and Ba Wudi summoned Han Yao back to the court.

It's unclear whether Ba Wudi felt that Han Yao had done enough or if the local officials on the Crossing Severing Mountain Range had complained.

Being a loyal subject, Han Yao naturally wouldn't defy Ba Wudi's command.

Sun Sheng, having redeemed himself through his service, received Han Yao's forgiveness. Before sending him away, Han Yao also bestowed some rewards upon him.

The Cultivators detained by the Five Punishments Guards had all faced some degree of difficulty. Once it was proven that they had no connection to Demonic Cultivation, they were released.

A group of important captives, including several Primordial Spirit True Monarchs, were personally escorted by Han Yao back to the mainland of the Dali Dynasty.

Meng Zhang's main purpose for this journey was to evade Zhang Weineng's arrangements.

By now, he would directly return to Jiuqu Province, revealing his identity as an honorary member of the Five Punishments Guards. Zhang Weineng wouldn't dare to continue forcing him.

Han Yao's stance against Demonic Cultivation was well known within the Dali Dynasty.

Even if Zhang Weineng had considerable influence, he wouldn't hand over evidence of his collusion with Demonic Cultivation to a member of the Five Punishments Guards.

Troubles from Zhang Weineng were thus easily resolved.

This could be considered a significant benefit of Meng Zhang's membership in the Five Punishments Guards.

Of course, Meng Zhang had initially intended to journey to the mainland of the Dali Dynasty. Even though he had shaken off troubles from Zhang Weineng, he still decided to stick to his original plan and travel there.

Moreover, this time he had Han Yao and the Five Punishments Guards accompanying him. It wouldn't be easy for adversaries like the Great Trade Alliance to directly trouble Meng Zhang.

After swiftly concluding matters on the Crossing Severing Mountain Range, Han Yao embarked on the journey back to the mainland of the Dali Dynasty.

Naturally, Meng Zhang followed suit.

Sun Sheng still had many official matters to attend to and needed to stay for a while.

There was a long-distance teleportation formation directly connecting the Crossing Severing Mountain Range and the mainland of the Dali Dynasty.

Han Yao led the Five Punishments Guards to the location of the formation and initiated the long-distance teleportation process.

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