Jiang Li truly wanted to laugh. When had he ever cultivated the demonic path? The demonic path was a prime target of the Emperor's sect. Anyone who dared to cultivate the demonic path must be prepared to oppose the entire cultivation world.
The path to becoming an immortal had many routes, with dozens of methods, including the Body Refining Dao, the Gu Cultivation Dao, the Qi Refining Dao, the Rune Dao, and more. However, there was one method that was forbidden in the cultivation world: the demonic path.
The demonic path emphasized no taboos, using any means necessary, sacrificing countless lives without concern as long as one could become stronger.
While the cultivation world did not heavily oppose the demonic path while ascending, as even the demonic path led to ascension and fell within the scope of the Nine Provinces, after the severance of ascension, those on the demonic path sought to use the blood of the Nine Provinces to raise an immortal. This could even lead to incidents where an entire dynasty would have no survivors.
For this reason, a tacit rule in the Nine Provinces was established: anyone who practiced the demonic path must be exterminated.
"Aren't you surprised?"
"No evidence, no reason to be surprised."
"Of course there is evidence! Have you not heard a certain rumor? Before becoming the Emperor, Jiang the Emperor fought with an extraterritorial demon without considering the consequences, resulting in the deaths of an entire city's inhabitants, with no survivors. Furthermore, the number of infants stolen by the Jiang family has passed a hundred already. What could the Jiang family do with so many infants? They must be using them for blood sacrifices, aiding others in breaking through to the infant stage. This is truly a demonic method, and could the Emperor not be aware of this?"
"With Jiang the Emperor's capabilities, assisting others in reaching the infant stage is simple, yet he does not stop the Jiang family from using demonic methods. This shows that not only does he indulge the Jiang family, but he is likely one of them. Only a practitioner of the demonic path would allow the use of such extreme demonic methods by one's own family!"
"Senior Zhang, if my speculation is true, and the current Emperor is a practitioner of the demonic path, then the Nine Provinces will face a catastrophe! I implore Senior Zhang, please inform this to your sect's master!"
Yuan Wuxing was about to kneel down after speaking, but found himself unable to do so, as if he were being prevented from kneeling by a pair of large hands.
"Senior Zhang..."
Yuan Wuxing wanted to say something more, but saw Jiang Li with a stern look on his face as he walked out of the house.
Jiang Li's anger was hard to contain, as his divine sense spread hundreds of miles around him, including the situation in several cities, including Qingcheng. However, he found nothing.
The absence of any discovery itself was a problem.
He found no trace of the infant sacrifices, nor any evidence of missing infants. Jiang Li also thoroughly scanned the Jiang family mansion with his divine sense, which remained unchanged, with no underground rooms or hidden passages.
In this situation, either Yuan Wuxing's claims were all false, or someone had hidden the infants in another space.
There were two ways of using space in the Nine Provinces. One could use a storage ring as a container, allowing entry into the space at any time, but such spaces could not accommodate living creatures. The other method was to find a fixed space node, which could house living creatures but was not movable. This was the method used by secret realms.
The location of the space node was extremely concealed, making it undetectable from the outside unless someone entered or exited the space.
"Do you have concrete evidence of these matters? For example, a recording crystal showing the conversation between the head of the Jiang family and the city lord?"
Upon seeing Jiang Li re-enter the house, Yuan Wuxing's expression became calm, without the previous gloom.
"I don't. Using a recording crystal at the time would cause a fluctuation in spiritual energy that the infant-stage city lord could not overlook. As for other evidence... there is none."
Yuan Wuxing seemed a bit dismayed at this point, but then continued, "The frequency of the Jiang family's ancestral offerings is similar to that of the infant sacrifices. I suspect that the Jiang family is simply feigning ancestral offerings, while actually performing infant sacrifices. However, the Jiang family is too heavily guarded during the ancestors' worship. The few times I tried, I couldn't get in."
"At this moment, the Jiang family is worshiping their ancestors. Senior, you can try..."
Jiang Li shook his head. "I have been to the Jiang family and found nothing abnormal... Hm?"
Jiang Li's lips turned slightly upward, as if he had discovered a clue, but it was also a cold smile.
"As I talk, I have discovered something."
Jiang Li did not follow the old man in linen to the Jiang family, instead dragging Yuan Wuxing to the spatial node outside Qingcheng.
With a light tap, ripples spread in the space, eventually forming a stable portal.
The space was very small, only the size of a cave. As soon as Yuan Wuxing entered the space, a strong smell of blood assaulted his nostrils, causing him to cough.
After adjusting to the smell of blood, Yuan Wuxing was shocked by the scene in front of him.
Hundreds of skeletons, each no longer than the length of a small arm, were piled on both sides of the cave, as if they had been casually thrown aside. The skulls were separated from the spine, and the hand bones, leg bones, and torso bones were all scattered, extremely disorderly.
At the end of the path was an altar stained red with blood, where a dozen complete infant corpses were laid out. The blood was seeping from the skeletons into the air, and the flesh was dissipating at a visible speed, adding to the nauseating smell of blood. Before long, it was possible to see the bone at the fingertips.
Yuan Wuxing couldn't help himself and stumbled to the wall, dry heaving. However, as he didn't steady himself against the wall, his hand slipped and he fell into the pile of skeletons.
He didn't have the strength to get up, so he lay among the bones, vomiting and crying, "Beasts, the beasts of the Jiang family, how could they do this? Don't they have children?"
Jiang Li remained silent, but his expression was cold and frightening.
Jiang Li did not follow the old man in hemp robe, knowing that the other party couldn't escape. He came here to see if there was still a possibility of rescuing a few people.
Now it seemed that none of them could be saved.
The tranquil and peaceful rebirth chant echoed in the small space. The magical chant, which had been inaudible and murmured, gradually became loud and clear.
The final few syllables shook the space, causing the stones to fall and the space to tremble as if it could collapse at any moment.
"Senior Zhang."
Yuan Wuxing looked at the angry Jiang Li, dumbfounded.
Just by the sound, the space could be shaken to the brink of shattering, which obviously wasn't something that could be done in the Yuan Ying stage.
Jiang Li turned to look at the middle-aged man with red eyes, revealing his white teeth and said, "Let's take a stroll at the Jiang family."