"Benevolent Emperor Pavilion's sixth-grade official Zhang Kaiqiang, who was once tasked with investigating the Southeast Division, amassed more than thirty thousand Spirit Stones and twelve treasures. He turned a blind eye to the affairs of the Southeast Division, deceiving superiors and misleading subordinates. He must be held accountable for his crimes!"

"Benevolent Emperor Pavilion's sixth-grade official Chen Xizi was responsible for auditing the accounts of the Southeast. However, he repeatedly ignored the embezzlement cases of the Southeast Division and even facilitated connections for the Southeast Division with higher-ups. He is implicated in the Southeast grain scandal!"

"Benevolent Emperor Pavilion's seventh-grade Southeast commanding envoy Gao Yang, who has the authority to mobilize the Southeast Immortal Soldiers, is implicated in the Southeast grain scandal!"

"Vice Pavilion Master Wang Jian of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion accepted a gift of one hundred sixty-two treasures from Mi Zhong and has built a separate palace and garden in the Southeast, where he keeps many female cultivators captive. Now, that garden has been sealed, and the witnesses have been brought here, along with guards and attendants, totaling over six hundred people, all of whom have identified Wang Jian! Wang Jian has on several occasions recommended officials of the Southeast Division to the Main Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion. A total of thirty-two people involved have been verified as implicated in the case."

...

One voice after another, one wave after another.

In front of the Southeast Division, upon those multiple layers of steps.

Figure after figure stood holding scrolls, reciting aloud, the voices of men and women echoing between Heaven and Earth.

Continuously, Immortal Soldiers entered the hall behind Wu Wang, and just as continuously, people were dragged out, taken before the hall, stepping over dried pools of blood, their Primordial Spirits shackled and immobilized on the spot.

The surrounding cultivators were initially furious.

After an hour, the hall, which had originally been filled with people from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, had emptied by more than a fifth, and they began to secretly worry whether the Human Domain would be harmed in its vital essence.

Then, their gazes toward Wu Wang grew increasingly tinged with awe.

He truly showed no mercy.

He truly had no concerns whatsoever.

This Wu Wangzi was truly...

Why did he just start fighting directly? Without giving any preparation time to the other high-ranking officials of the Human Domain?

The Sleep god sat on a small stool, stretching out his legs, his eyes filled with frustration.

He had considered that Wu Wang might take the path of 'the sword in the hand of the Human Emperor,' but he didn't expect Wu Wang to be so resolute.

It was quite, quite as if... he was forcing the Human Emperor to make an appearance.

"Hey, baldy?"

Yang Wudi turned his head, his eyes brimming with concern, "What's up, what's going on?"

"What do you think your Sect Master is thinking right now?"

"What's he thinking..."

Yang Wudi was momentarily at a loss for words. Looking down at the spectacle unfolding below and feeling the surges of hidden energy from all around, he whispered in complaint, "I reckon the Sect Master probably wants to resign and return to his hometown. He's cutting off his own future... Those guys from the Punishment Hall, ah, they don't know how to be a bit more tactful and phrase their words less rigidly!"

"Pfft," the Sleep god chuckled, a trace of thought in his eyes.

Suddenly, the Sleep god called out to someone in the cabin, summoning Lin Suqing, who had returned to read in silence.

The Sleep god spoke very politely to Lin Suqing, "Miss Suqing, I have a message. Could I trouble you to deliver it to your young master? There are too many experts here; it's inconvenient to send a voice transmission."

"A message?"

Lin Suqing pondered for a moment before saying, "In such a situation, given that you are a god of the Heaven Palace and officially detained on behalf of the Human Domain, it might be best to keep silent. After all, only the young master and a few high-ranking officials know of your circumstances."

The Sleep god laughed, "Miss Suqing, you are very thorough in your consideration. It's just that I suddenly felt a touch of enthusiasm, seeing how awe-inspiring Brother Wu Wang is, which rekindled a bit of my old heroic spirit. No matter, let's forget it. It's not proper for me to get involved."

He smiled calmly, "Let's just watch how he stirs up the storm."

Lin Suqing sighed slightly but said nothing more. She listened to the ongoing recitation of charges, took the book back into the cabin, and continued her reading.

She was quite at ease.

She didn't want to understand these great matters. She only needed to know that the young master would surely not be in any danger, and there was no need to bother with the rest.

If it came to it, they could just return to the Northern Wilderness.

On those endless grasslands, building a couple of little wooden houses also seemed very comfortable.

Finally, the chanting voices came to a stop.

Wu Wang looked down at the additional more than one hundred and thirty people below.

Most of them had solemn expressions, their heads raised looking up at Wu Wang; a good number were already trembling, as if one could hear the shivering of their Primordial Spirits.

A Vice Pavilion Master, six high-grade officials in charge of the spiritual, legal, equipment, formation, and military authority of the Southeast, twenty-nine sixth-grade, one hundred six fifth-grade.

"The Main Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, how many high-grade officials does it really have altogether?"

Wu Wang supported himself on the wooden chair's armrest, looked up into the sky, and sighed softly as he asked again, "The Main Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, how many high-grade officials does it really have altogether?"

The crowd around remained silent.

The atmosphere was unbearably heavy.

The people from the Sects looked upon these criminals of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion with complicated expressions, for this was something that made them feel deeply shamed.

The internal environment of their Sects was relatively simple and untainted by such filth. The direct connection between the Sects and the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion was usually through the various regional inspection immortal envoys, and these envoys were typically merely an external part of the Pavilion.

Suddenly, someone murmured, "How could the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion have the audacity to give those orders, demanding us to provide manpower and Spirit Stones, only to have the Pavilion itself embroiled in such scandal."

"Indeed, the issues within the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion must be addressed!"

"Alas, how are we going to explain these incidents in the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion to our disciples back in our Sects?"

"We cultivate for the Human Domain and ascend to immortality to protect it. Is the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion now dragging us down?"

"It's good that Wu Wangzi stood up; otherwise we'd have been played for fools."

Such voices grew louder and louder, with many elders already filled with righteous indignation, hurling abuse at the sinners standing in the center.

Inside the main hall, various Pavilion Masters and Vice Pavilion Masters kept frowning.

This was exactly what they feared the most.

The loss of credibility for the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion would inevitably lead to turmoil in the Human Domain.

But once Fire Plume appeared, Wu Wang had already represented the attitude of the Human Emperor. They couldn't stop Wu Wang and could only stand by and watch as events unfolded.

They kept sending voice transmissions to Liu Baiyi, asking what Wu Wang would do next.

Liu Baiyi smiled wryly to himself. How would he know how this Little Golden Dragon, having turned the tables, would manage to quell the storm this time?

Suddenly, a loud roar came from outside the hall, "Hall Master Wu Wang! What exactly do you want to do?"

The experts of the Human Domain inside the main hall immediately looked up, only to see Wang Jian, his body wrapped in black chains, stand up. Step by step, he walked to the front of the staircase, berating Wu Wang, "Are you satisfied now? This could have been dealt with behind closed doors, resolved amongst ourselves! You removing me from office or even killing me wouldn't have affected the current Human Domain. You're nothing but a spy sent by the Heaven Palace! Seeing that the Human Domain is about to take up arms against the Heaven Palace, you came here to seize the opportunity to destabilize the foundation of the Human Domain and weaken its vitality!"

Wu Wang remained silent, simply looking down at this Vice Pavilion Master.

He didn't even feel like bothering.

Wang Jian's reaction was really fast. Despite being charged with a heavy crime, he still managed to counterattack, trying to confuse the public and leverage the threat of the Heaven Palace to bite back at him.

To have risen to this position, he indeed wasn't a pushover.

"Continue."

Wu Wang slightly lifted his chin, "If you can speak, say more."

"You!"

Wang Jian feigned great anger and cursed, "You're so insolent! I ask you! I am of the same rank and standing as you, by what right do you order my capture?!"

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow.

The Yan Emperor's command is the token of the Human Emperor's trust, the key to unlocking the Dao of Fire, but indeed, it is not the Emperor's seal.

In truth, His Majesty Shennong had promised Wu Wang that with the Yan Emperor's command, he could do so and so. But Wu Wang didn't want to dwell on that.

He looked at Wang Jian and said indifferently, "By the command of the previous Pavilion Master, the Punishment Hall can oversee all members of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, the Pavilion Master included, let alone a Vice Pavilion Master like yourself."

"Hall Master Wu Wang," Wang Jian shouted angrily, "you've been scheming all along, constantly amending the rules of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, expanding the power of the Punishment Hall. It was all for today! It was to make a move against us! You truly have gone to great lengths..."

"If you're going to speak, get to the point," Wu Wang said calmly. "Simply venting your emotions is useless.

Your guilt is already confirmed today; you're bound to die. Struggling is futile.

Turn around and look. Look at these Sect Masters, look at these warriors of Military Families!

I ruined the credibility of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion?

If you hadn't been so audacious and reckless, why would the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion have come to this, and why would it be in such a situation today!

Don't drape the words 'overall situation' over yourselves as an excuse to find a way out of guilt and escape death!

If the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion is rotten, the entire Human Domain will rot!

The crimes you've been caught for today are enough for half of you to die three or five times over. And those sins still hidden in the shadows—even if you were burned to ashes, not even scattering your ashes could cleanse them!

A fifth-grade official of the Main Hall, and you dare to take a hundred thousand Spirit Stones from someone?

Even more, the treasures of the Four Seas Pavilion flowing into the black markets everywhere—you all have a share in this murky affair. What should be investigated is ignored. When someone reports it in indignation, they're either covertly forced to join you or they simply vanish from the Human Domain!

Everyone, if we had won against the Heaven Palace, and these problems arose, I wouldn't find it so absurd.

You can't even ensure your own safety, yet you begin to degrade yourselves this way.

How did Qiong Qi fail to find you?

Oh, right, your Dao Hearts are so resilient that Qiong Qi can't see. What's invisible is your conscience! Your spoiled conscience!

Officers!"

A large group of the Fire Emperor's Immortal Soldiers surged forward.

Wu Wang's eyes narrowed slightly, and his lips twitched as he deliberately exaggerated his anger, shouting loudly, "For those whose crimes warrant death, drag them out and behead them! Obliterate their Primordial Spirits and expose their corpses for a hundred days!"

A group of Immortal Soldiers immediately moved to act.

"You wouldn't dare!"

Wang Jian's eyes bulged with fury as he roared, "I am the Vice Pavilion Master of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, personally appointed by His Majesty! Am I someone you can just execute on a whim?"

Fire Plume frowned slightly, turning his head to look at Wu Wang. The Immortal Soldiers also halted their movements for a moment, each one eyeing Wang Jian.

From the main hall, several figures hurriedly exited, each raising their voice:

"Hall Master Wu Wang, for officers above the sixth grade, please inform the Pavilion Master and wait for the Pavilion Master's order to convict and execute!"

"Vice Pavilion Master Wu Wang, things can't be done this way... Though it would greatly satisfy people's feelings, there must be a process..."

"Moreover, Hall Master Wu Wang, please think thrice. Vice Pavilion Master Wang Jian is also a long-standing elder of the Human Domain, who has made many contributions. To kill him directly because of this affair..."

"This matter should even alarm His Majesty and be reported to His Majesty."

More and more figures flew out of the hall, continually persuading Wu Wang.

Some mentioned that the Transcendent Realm is a precious combat force of the Human Domain.

Others suggested that the Punishment Hall wields too much power, which is not conducive to the internal balance of the Human Domain and would make cultivators of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion uneasy.

There are also those who feel that Hall Master Wu Wang needs to consult His Majesty, and only with His Majesty's formal decree can everyone be convinced.

Wu Wang listened and watched.

It was as if he saw walls standing tall before his eyes, blocking his path.

And these...

All were within his previous thoughts, all within his previous hopes.

The people who stood out at this moment may not be familiar with Wang Jian. They might even hold grievances against him.

What they said was not to plead for Wang Jian, but to have Wu Wang report the matter to Liu Baiyi, so Liu Baiyi could consult with His Majesty Shennong, instead of Wu Wang directly ordering the execution of a Vice Pavilion Master.

The logic was actually quite simple:

These people were beneficiaries of the old order. Holding power, they subconsciously sought to maintain the original order of the Human Domain. What Wu Wang was doing at this moment was bypassing that old order. Aided by the authority of the Yan Emperor's decree and the power of the Punishment Hall, he was overstepping Pavilion Master Liu. It was this very process that generated true authority.

"Heh."

Wu Wang suddenly let out a cold laugh, slowly stood up, turned his head to look inside the hall, and said in a slow voice, "Pavilion Master, please forgive my rudeness today. Wang Jian is a long-time associate of Pavilion Master Liu. I cannot hand Wang Jian over to Pavilion Master Liu for disposition."

Liu Baiyi immediately realized what Wu Wang intended to do.

He followed up on Wu Wang's words, asking, "Then what would you like to do?"

Wu Wang stood upright, raising his hands high to his left side, clasping them together and said, "I call upon His Majesty to appear!"

A smile almost broke out at the corners of Liu Baiyi's mouth, but he quickly suppressed it, his expression stiffening as he stood up and glared angrily at Wu Wang.

"Do you think I do not exist?!"

"Pavilion Master Liu, could it be that you truly intend to save Wang Jian!"

"This matter should be considered with utmost caution. The prestige of our Benevolent Emperor Pavilion—is it to be utterly destroyed today? Wu Wangzi, you've gone too far!"

"Prestige like that? What use is it!"

"You! How dare you!"

Liu Baiyi shouted angrily, and the table and chairs beside him suddenly exploded!

Wu Wang grabbed with his left hand, seizing the Yan Emperor's command, and shouted aloud, "I call upon His Majesty to appear! To deliver justice for the soldiers of the Human Domain who died and could not rest in peace! To deliver justice for the orphaned and widowed who perished in the East Sea!

His Majesty!

Now the Human Domain is riddled with crises—will you continue to watch from behind? Can you only guard the gates of the Human Domain?

Everyone is waiting, everyone is watching!

I call upon His Majesty to appear!"

As Wu Wang's voice fell, the many officers of the Punishment Hall behind him shouted in unison:

"I call upon His Majesty to appear!"

Their voices echoed like shockwaves, and representatives of forces from all over the Human Domain within the Military Families and the Sects harmonized their call after just a few sentences.

"I call upon His Majesty to appear!"

"I call upon His Majesty to appear!"

"I call upon His Majesty to appear!"

The whole city was shouting, the Southeast was shouting!

Upon the East Sea surged towering waves; clouds scattered high in the sky.

Inside the Starry Sky Temple, Cang Xue's elegant brows were tightly knit, but now her face revealed realization, understanding her son's painstaking efforts for the Human Domain.

In the depths of the Heaven Palace, Emperor Shun pondered for a while, a faint smile appearing on his lips, although he spoke words of praise.

Within that great city, on the hovering building-ship, the Sleep god's expression was peculiar. Staring at Wu Wang, he couldn't help but voice his admiration, "He actually! Marvelous Wu Wangzi! What a brilliant move!"

At that moment, a trace of a smile crossed Wu Wang's lips. Listening to the countless calls of the powerful, his heart remained tranquil.

At this point, things had taken shape.

Where does the problem of the Human Domain lie?

Corrupt officials are one aspect; this is the greed of human hearts. Inadequate oversight is another. This is a flaw caused by the relatively primitive ecology of the Human Domain, but it can also be gradually remedied.

Wu Wang had actually thought about this for a long time, pondered it for a while.

Initially, he felt that the Human Domain was like the so-called 'great harmony under heaven,' a state of 'false harmony' created under the heavy pressure of the Heaven Palace.

But gradually, Wu Wang saw all kinds of maladies of the Human Domain.

Sect struggles, Military Family worries, corruption problems, the Heaven Palace's afflictions.

The Human Domain fundamentally is an extension of the tribalism of the Northern Wilderness, without any essential progress.

But Wu Wang couldn't express these thoughts within the Human Domain.

He could only keep thinking, keep searching, searching for ways to help the Human Domain.

And today, he had found one, and he had accomplished it.

Utilizing the incident in the Southeast, fueled by his own rage, he set the Human Domain's sky ablaze, punching a hole through it.

He caused the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion to lose its credibility, induced a brief power struggle within the Human Domain, and even intentionally confronted Liu Baiyi head-on!

Luckily, Liu Baiyi understood Wu Wang, and also supported him in doing this.

Otherwise, with Liu Baiyi's temperament, he would have definitely taken a step back proactively, and such an effect would not have been achieved.

What did he want to do?

What was his goal?

It was simple: to effectively force the Human Emperor's hand from below, compelling him to reclaim full authority over the Human Domain, to have the Human Emperor stand up, call out and gather the entire Human Domain, to make the Human Emperor not just a spiritual symbol, but the core of the Human Domain's authority!

Centralization!

It was imperative to centralize power!

The flaw of the Human Domain lay in the dispersion of power!

With the Human Emperor's prestige and reputation, only such an opportunity was needed to reclaim the power held by the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion.

This would make restructuring the Military Families or harmonizing the Sects much easier, reducing resistance by more than half, and enabling the Human Domain to swiftly cleanse its ills once more!

Previously, the Human Emperor needed to focus on cultivation, to serve as the ultimate deterrent against the Heaven Palace.

But now, the situation had changed.

Wu Wang took a deep breath, clutching the Yan Emperor's command, flames leaping from his fingertips, and once again he shouted aloud, "Your Majesty, please show yourself!"

CLANG—

A bell chimed. Wu Wang looked up and saw that familiar figure.

He was dressed in a straw cape, his expression serene. A trace of helplessness showed on his aged face as he looked down at Wu Wang, softly speaking just one word, "Execute."

Wu Wang bowed to receive the order.

In that moment, countless cultivators clenched their fists, numerous Immortal Soldiers' Dao Hearts were uplifted, and half of the cultivators nearly forgot to pay their respects.

Wang Jian and others were pale, unable to utter a word.

Those high-ranking officials from the Human Domain who had advised Wu Wang earlier now bowed their heads in respect, their eyes filled with unease.

After Wu Wang stood up, he turned to look below and bellowed, "By the Emperor's decree! Those who are to be executed, be executed without exception!"

The multitude of Immortal Soldiers thunderously complied, swarming in from all around.

「A moment later.」

Several dozen heads flew outside the gate, and several dozen corpses hung from the city walls.

Transcendent Realm cultivators had their Primordial Spirits' seals erased, their bodies collected by the Fire Emperor's Imperial Guards, which was more terrifying than being killed outright.

The Human Emperor sat in front of the main hall, with his officials paying their respects, and the old bones of the Human Domain greeting him from a distance.

Wu Wang, however, stood to the side, watching all this unfold.

His Majesty Shennong, the senior, naturally knew what to do next, and Wu Wang did not need to say more.

The Benevolent Emperor Pavilion would be restructured; all departments would reform opportunistically.

The Human Emperor would attend the Main Hall of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion to govern. Liu Baiyi and Feng Zhizi would serve as his left and right chief ministers. Additionally, the officials of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, who were originally outside the influence of the Human Domain's power, would also return in due course.

Although this made it seem like the Human Emperor was still the Human Emperor and the Human Domain appeared unchanged, the mentality of the cultivators within the eight pavilions of the Human Emperor was beginning to subtly shift.

It was done.

Next, it was time for His Majesty to directly implement some reform measures.

Wu Wang felt light, quietly standing in the corner.

Once everything had settled down, he stepped forward, quickly drawing the attention of those around him, and placed three items in front of him.

The Yan Emperor's command, the seal of the Punishment Hall Master, and the token of the Vice Pavilion Master.

"Your Majesty!"

Wu Wang declared loudly, "I, Wu Wangzi, have overstepped and exceeded my bounds countless times. Due to my own impulsive temperament, I have severely damaged the credibility of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion.

I beg Your Majesty to punish me, take back these three items, and demote me back to the mountains."

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty..."

Immediately, someone at his side wanted to intercede on Wu Wang's behalf, but Shennong raised his hand slightly, speaking slowly, "Leave the Yan Emperor's command behind."

Wu Wang bowed deeply in a Daoist salute. He looked at the Yan Emperor's command and, without saying anything further, pressed the item back against his chest.

"Your Majesty, I shall go and rest now," he said.

Shennong replied softly, "Don't rest for too long."

Wu Wang smiled, greeted the people around him with a bow, his robe and headband fluttering in the wind. He turned and strode away, crossing the land soaked with blood, yet not a speck of blood stained him.

With the Blue Bird as his companion and the Fairy Immortal at his side, a few good friends were already waiting to greet him on the road ahead.

Thus, he rode the wind away.

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