Beneath Qingxiao Pavilion, an enormous underground palace lay hidden from the world.
At the very center of the palace stood a towering platform, more than ten meters high. Hovering above that platform was the sect's treasured immortal artifact—the Di Chi.
It was an immense measuring ruler, and legend had it that with the Di Chi in hand, one could survey all the land under heaven in a single day.
Now, the Di Chi was enshrined within Qingxiao Pavilion, serving a vital purpose—it suppressed the sect's Luck.
Before immortal artifacts were used to anchor such forces, Luck drifted and waned unpredictably. No sect could maintain lasting dominance.
But the Di Chi changed that.
With its power, Luck could be tightly sealed. It was through this force that the Four Holy Lands rose above all other sects. They even learned to allocate and control Luck, subtly manipulating the power dynamics of every sect under heaven.
In that regard, all Four Holy Lands were beneficiaries.
"The Di Chi is right here. If you want to inspect it, go ahead," said Lin Xiao, stepping back with a look of bitter anguish on his face.
"Master Lin, proving your innocence is more important than anything else," someone offered in a consoling tone.
Lin Xiao forced a weak smile. "I only hope you truly return a clear name to Qingxiao Pavilion. Even the sect's immortal artifact is at your disposal. If you still harbor suspicions after this, then there's really nothing more I can do."
As he spoke, his expression grew despondent, like a man carrying an unbearable grievance.
Ji Wusi cast a glance at him, a faint furrow forming between his brows.
He was nearly certain now.
Lin Xiao had a problem.
And yet, from beginning to end, Lin Xiao carried himself with unshakable calm.
Qingxiao Pavilion was, after all, one of the Four Holy Lands. That they had flung open their doors and allowed a full investigation was already a sign of remarkable cooperation.
Now, they were even permitting scrutiny of their immortal artifact.
If no issue was discovered this time...
Then they would no longer have the grounds to keep pursuing the matter.
Ji Wusi turned back toward the Di Chi.
The Di Chi was the lifeblood of Qingxiao Pavilion.
If something had gone wrong with the sect, then the Di Chi had surely been corrupted as well.
Or perhaps it was the other way around.
The Di Chi's corruption might have caused the problems within Qingxiao Pavilion.
Either way, this time, they would get to the bottom of it.
Before arriving, Ji Wusi and the others had already resolved to investigate Qingxiao Pavilion's immortal artifact.
Their method had been discussed in detail.
They quickly arranged a high-level detection formation, with Ji Wusi himself, the most advanced among them, serving as the core.
Despite the fact that they were deploying a ninth-tier detection formation, the object of their investigation was still an immortal artifact. Even with their combined power, they would need at least ten days before any results could be drawn.
During this period, Ji Wusi and his group shut out all external influences and focused solely on their examination.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiao slipped away in silence.
A cold smirk curled at the corner of his lips.
This had turned into a surprising delight.
He hadn't expected it at all.
A fragment of the Devourer Demon God had somehow ended up here. Over the long years, it had developed its own consciousness—and now, it coexisted with one of the demon race's Demon Sovereigns.
That was the Devourer Demon God.
Lin Xiao couldn't help but think back to ten thousand years ago, when he had still lived in the Demon Realm. Those were carefree days.
Back then, he was just one of the most ordinary demons, completely unremarkable.
Then he encountered a once-in-a-billion-years spatial upheaval. All the other demons caught in the phenomenon were torn to pieces the instant it occurred.
Only he, inexplicably, was swept into the chaos and flung into this world.
He had been a nobody in the Demon Realm.
But in this realm, the local demon race was weak. Their cultivation methods were crude, even shallow. Here, the techniques he brought with him were considered top-tier.
During the spatial transit, his physical body was shredded completely, leaving only his soul behind. He found a nearby unfortunate soul and seized his body without hesitation.
That man would go on to become the first Sect Master of Qingxiao Pavilion.
Later on, to avoid drawing suspicion, after a thousand years passed, he selected a young disciple from within the pavilion and swapped bodies once again.
And so it continued, year after year.
He had lived in this world for ten thousand years.
The bodies he discarded were handled carefully—some were made to appear as though they had ascended, others were said to be traveling the world, and a few simply disappeared.
In the cultivation world, such erratic movements were not uncommon. No one ever questioned it.
Lin Xiao was just one of many bodies he had chosen over the centuries.
Over time, he had nearly forgotten.
Forgotten that he was once a demon from another realm.
Then, just a few days ago—
He received a divine message from the Devourer Demon God.
In the Demon Realm, he was a lowly foot soldier.
But the Devourer Demon God? One of the Eight Demon Gods, a figure of unimaginable power. For reasons unknown, the Devourer Demon God had remained dormant for countless years.
Now awakened, it had immediately sensed Lin Xiao's presence and issued a direct command through a secret technique. Even after all these years in a position of power, Lin Xiao still shivered at the memory of the Eight Demon Gods' overwhelming might.
The outer-realm demons were not a force anyone in this world could comprehend. The last time a spatial rift appeared, even without a Demon God stepping through, the Wushuang Sect—then the strongest sect—was driven to the brink of annihilation.
If a true Demon God descended, annihilating the entire realm would be a mere flick of the hand.
And the Eight Demon Gods were the strongest of their kind.
Even lesser Demon Gods could not last a single exchange against them.
The Devourer Demon God was one of the highest-ranked among the Eight.
Even though he knew the current presence was just a soul fragment, its pressure alone made Lin Xiao instinctively submit.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement.
A soul fragment was still a part of the Devourer Demon God. For all he knew, there might be a mysterious link between fragment and source. If the Demon Realm invaded this world again, and he had already pledged allegiance to the Devourer Demon God—
Then glory and power would be within reach.
The order given to him wasn't even difficult.
He only needed to delay Ji Wusi and his group—and take the chance to eliminate Yun Jin.
Lin Xiao had never had any fondness for Yun Jin.
Never mind the countless issues she already presented.
Now she had inherited the Wushuang Sect? That sect had been the only thing preventing the outer-realm demons from launching a full-scale invasion. If not for Wushuang Sect, his kind might have already claimed this world.
Instead of this humiliating existence—
Outwardly enjoying luxury, but inwardly suffocating. For ten thousand years, he had lived cautiously, always terrified of revealing his demonic origin.
The demon race in this realm was utterly pathetic, always trampled under the human cultivators' feet. If he hadn't been careful, he would have died long ago. Thankfully—
A few decades ago, he acquired a precious artifact that allowed him to perfectly conceal his aura. It had saved him considerable effort. Before that, he had to employ countless tricks to avoid detection. It was only after obtaining the artifact that he dared to transform all of Qingxiao Pavilion into a haven for demons.
He wouldn't have dared move so openly before.
A gift from the heavens.
A soul fragment of the Devourer Demon God.
It seemed that fate itself was favoring his people's conquest of this world.
Lin Xiao's lips curled into a smile once more.
===
If you have been reading my historical translations, you probably know I keep a private glossary of ancient China terms in Google Docs. I usually share the link in the chapter comments. I realized some of you read on the app, and copying links there can be a hassle (´･ᴗ･`).
So I am officially uploading the glossary here on Webnovel under The Imperial Handbook: A Practical Guide to Ancient Chinese Society. This will make it easier to access, and I can keep updating it whenever I meet a useful term, office, rank, or cultural note. Whether you are new to history novels or want deeper context, I hope it makes your reading smoother and more fun. (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ
If it helps, please add the handbook to your Library and give it a read. While you are there, feel free to add the rest of my handbook series as well:
• The Xianxia Handbook: A Guide to Cultivation and BeyondIn short: for all things Cultivation, Realms, and Daoist magic.
• The Imperial Handbook: A Practical Guide to Ancient Chinese SocietyIn short: for historical topics, courts, bureaucracy, and daily life in the past.
• The Webnovel Handbook: A Guide to Slang, Tropes, and Inside JokesIn short: for community slang, inside jokes, and fun tropes. The cover is ready, chapters will follow soon.
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