Heavenly Demon Mimicry!
Chen Kuang's pupils shrank sharply.
This was undeniably a terrifyingly powerful passive ability.
Though it was explained in only a single, short line, the potency it suggested was incredibly overwhelming.
There was no need for an elaborate explanation as just a glance was enough to understand how fearsome it was:
Any method an enemy uses against him, he can immediately replicate!
What kind of horrifying ability was that?
If Chen Kuang had acquired this passive earlier, all the myriad techniques and methods used against him throughout his journey..
Including the killing intent from Huo Hengxuan when he once killed Chen Kuang in an illusion, Li Hongling's Martial Saint-level secret arts, Wei Yan's "Stealing Heaven, Swapping Sun" technique...
And even the divine finger of that Saint just now which sealed an entire region, he could have instantly replicated all of them.
However, one had to note:
This passive only lasts for that single instant, during which he can perfectly replicate the opponent's ability.
Once the effect ends, he immediately loses the ability.
Even so...
If paired with his Martial Prodigy passive, that brief moment could be enough to actually learn and internalize the ability.
Because during that instant, Chen Kuang fully possesses the ability, and comprehends the cultivation method behind it.
And since "Martial Prodigy" grants him an instinctive understanding of anything he sees even just once, it would also activate during this brief window.
If that moment happened to be during a life-or-death crisis, he could further trigger Bullet Time, extending the duration of that instant!
That sliver of time... might be the key to complete mastery.
The more passives Chen Kuang accumulated, the more they synergized in unexpected ways, producing effects far greater than the sum of their parts.
Naturally, he was elated by this newly unlocked passive.
But, "You have awakened a Heavenly Demon Lord..."
"...What the hell is that supposed to mean?!"
Chen Kuang tried retracing everything he'd done today yet found nothing that seemed even remotely connected to this so-called Heavenly Demon Lord.
The last time he encountered such a puzzling notification... was when he "rescued" fifty thousand people through a steamed bun.
And even that mystery remained unsolved.
Chen Kuang sighed internally.
Chances were, he wouldn't figure this one out either.
Still, since the Karmic Power system was based on cause and effect, this passive log, with its daily updates, probably factored in karmic links too.
Maybe... it was just the flap of a butterfly's wing from his side, but on some unseen thread of fate, a worldline had shifted, and this system tallied the resulting karmic ripple back onto him.
He didn't consider that a bad thing.
The status screen refreshed his passives based on his experiences each day.
The broader the system's "interpretation" of an event, the greater its potential.
For Chen Kuang, this was nothing but beneficial.
Looking back at the fight just now, he realized:
He had also gained 1 Good Karma and 2 Evil Karma.
The realm of Wujian Between was becoming increasingly vibrant.
Up ahead, Yu Xiangsi had already stopped walking and turned around, saying softly, "Come in. I'll take you to meet the Alliance Leader."
Chen Kuang lifted his head in silence, gazing at the small, secluded rear gate in front of them.
This back courtyard entrance was unobtrusive in the darkness, but the grand building it led to was no smaller than Xuni Pavillion.
Even amid the chaos enveloping Zangfeng Prefecture, the building was brightly lit and bustling.
Inside, he could hear many people discussing the strange events of the night, some among them clearly cultivators who'd lost their powers due to the seal.
He glanced at Yu Xiangsi and couldn't help but ask, "So... your Mountain-Sea Alliance runs brothels?"
Because that was exactly what it was, another brothel.
Even with only two days of experience at Xuni Pavillion, Chen Kuang immediately recognized this place:
The Golden Phoenix Pavilion, the largest brothel in Zangfeng Prefecture.
The name might sound tacky, but it was without question the most famous and most well-established brothel in the city.
Xuni Pavillion had risen to prominence only because of Liu Qingcheng, while the Golden Phoenix Pavilion had always been hailed as the true sanctuary of pleasure.
The reason was simple: it employed actual female cultivators.
Though most weren't very powerful, it was said a few had even reached the Innate Realm.
To commoners, that was an elite martial expert.
And who among men could resist such temptation?
Obviously, the Golden Phoenix Pavilion had powerful cultivators backing it.
Some even whispered that the "Phoenix" (Feng) in Zangfeng Prefecture's name came from this very brothel.
Manu tales of mystery surrounded it.
But apparently, no one had imagined that this place was the main base of the demon race.
No... the now-dead Wang Yangbo definitely knew.
Chen Kuang thought to himself:
"With Wu Man as his mole, how could Wang Yangbo not know where the Mountain-Sea Alliance's stronghold was?"
He had likely turned a blind eye, hoping to profit long-term from the alliance's secret operations.
Even Liu Qingcheng looked stunned.
"You mean... The Golden Phoenix Pavilion is full of demons?"
Yu Xiangsi shook her head.
"Not entirely. Only some. Most of the Alliance's elders don't show themselves, they each have their own roles and territories."
"But after everything that happened tonight, even without Spiritual Energy to communicate, they'll definitely gather here."
"The Alliance Leader should be here too."
Chen Kuang nodded.
That made more sense, if everyone had been gathered in one place from the start, it would've been too obvious.
The three of them entered the courtyard.
Yu Xiangsi asked them to wait, and walked into one of the managers' rooms within the pavilion.
The manager inside was also a demon and had clearly been expecting her.
Even seeing Yu Xiangsi bring two strangers, he didn't spare them a second glance.
Now that all Spiritual Energy had been sealed across Zangfeng Prefecture, any enchantments or arrays had lost their function.
This so-called secret chamber was just a physical room.
While the front remained loud and lively, the back courtyard was still and quiet.
Liu Qingcheng sat down in a corner, hugging her knees and staring blankly into space.
So much had changed in a single night, it all felt like a dream.
Chen Kuang had a feeling they wouldn't be waiting for long.
And within the illusion realm of Wujian, he had already gleaned detailed information about Wangfu, Zangfeng Prefecture, and Prince Jingnan through the accumulated evil karma of Wang Yangbo, Han Shan, and Tong Shi.
As he suspected, the most important value of their evil karma was intelligence.
Department of Shennong, Mountain-Sea Alliance, Royal Palace, Martial Saint Pavilion...
A map of the interwoven powers now formed clearly in his mind.
It was vital for the plans ahead, perhaps even decisive.
Chen Kuang's gaze darkened.
A Saint had sealed the heavens, but beneath that sealed sky, this was still a sandbox war of ants.
"If you want to fight a group of ants in a sandbox... all you have to do is rally another swarm."
He murmured, "The only problem is... the Martial Saint Pavilion and I are enemies. Convincing them won't be easy but with the passive 'Reasoned and Convincing', it's just a matter of effort."
"As long as they don't attack me on sight..."
He turned his head, and from the corner of his eye, noticed, a green headscarf draped over the door frame.
This was the servant's quarter behind Golden Phoenix Pavilion.
So naturally, the scarf belonged to a servant.
Ordinarily, such a thing wouldn't have caught his attention.
But the pattern on that scarf...
Was very familiar.
Chen Kuang had excellent memory, thanks to the Photographic Memory passive.
Anything he'd seen once, he could never forget.
And what he recognized wasn't just the pattern on the scarf, but also the smudges and tears upon it.
Which meant, he had definitely seen this scarf before.
And then it hit him.
He had seen it on the Martial Saint..
Or rather, on the youth whose body had been possessed by the Martial Saint!