Chapter 2316: The Trouble Encountered by the Demon

Such secret intelligence usually isn't transmitted in the human world. When Jiu You heard this news, his expression and pupils were relaxed, indicating he had indeed known about it long ago. The greatest possibility, then, is that he also has reliable intelligence sources in the demon world. Given his status and power, it's perfectly normal for him to have informants in the demon world, perhaps even high-ranking Celestial Gods.

However, he was mistaken this time; it wasn't a Celestial God who first brought this important information, but Shuang Ye. He Lingchuan, of course, wouldn't correct him, only asking, "And then?"

"They have already left Fu State and are heading west," Shuang Ye said softly. "I can tell you their objective, and the latest progress of the Celestial God Descent experiment."

The condition, of course, was to exchange it for a golden core.

He Lingchuan's gaze finally showed a hint of surprise: "You dare to say all this? Are you still the Grand Tutor of Beijia?"

Shuang Ye said nonchalantly, "Even if I say it, it's not treason."

When he said this, others might have been confused; but He Lingchuan, being well aware of Beijia's internal conflicts, instantly understood the hidden meaning: Selling out Beijia's intelligence is what constitutes treason. But these demonic puppet experiments were conducted by the Heavenly Palace, not Beijia. How could Shuang Ye's actions be called "treason" against the "state"?

He Lingchuan tilted his head, looking at him. "Can't the Jindu Ghost Mother monitor your every word and action, even communicate directly with others through her ghost offspring as vessels? Won't your current conversation be overheard by her?"

Shuang Ye's eyes flickered slightly. "How do you know?"

This kind of detailed information is even more secret than the legends of the Abusers. Jiu You might have found related information about the Abusers in ancient texts, but details like the Jindu Ghost Mother using her offspring in the human world as conduits for communication would be almost impossible to have been passed down. Jindu Ghost Offspring have appeared rarely in the human world, and naturally, few ancient texts record them. So, how did Jiu You know?

He Lingchuan said leisurely, "I also heard it from someone, a long time ago."

"You needn't worry," Shuang Ye said, lightly tapping his temple with his index finger. "Shortly after I was born, this area was injured. The Ghost Mother can no longer sense me empathically, nor can she spy on my actions."

"That's quite a coincidence?" He Lingchuan pressed, "How did you get injured?"

"Just an accident."

The more nonchalant Shuang Ye was, the more convinced He Lingchuan became that there was more to the story. But the Grand Tutor didn't seem inclined to elaborate, so He Lingchuan had to change his line of questioning: "You've broken free from her control, yet she's allowed you to live until now?"

Shuang Ye said grimly, "What she says doesn't count."

There are too few Abusers in the world; perhaps this was Shuang Ye's early value.

He Lingchuan mused.

The progress of the Heavenly Demon's descent experiment was, of course, his top priority. Trading vital intelligence for a mere golden core was actually very cost-effective for him and for Cang Yan, as Shuang Ye was right: a golden core wasn't of much use to He Lingchuan. So he didn't hesitate for long before nodding and saying: "Alright. As long as your information is substantial, the golden core is yours."

"Jiu You truly is a straightforward person." Shuang Ye smiled faintly, then asked, "Did you know that Jialou Tian captured the Hidden God Monarch many years ago?"

"I know," He Lingchuan hummed. "The Hidden God Monarch clearly didn't have the same good fortune as True Person Qian Huan."

"The Hidden God Monarch thought it could defeat its enemies by transforming into thousands of avatars," Shuang Ye shook his head. "It was mistaken."

"After capturing the Hidden God Monarch, the Heavenly Palace's demonic puppet experiments entered a new phase."

He Lingchuan asked opportunely: "Are they planning to use the Hidden God Monarch's characteristics to mass-produce vessels for divine descent?"

"'Mass production'—those four words capture the essence," Shuang Ye said, knowing instantly that Jiu You was fully aware of the danger posed by the Hidden God Monarch falling into enemy hands. "Over the past few years, the Heavenly Palace has exhausted every means and finally, a few months ago, achieved complete divine descent success. This means Celestial Gods can now remain in human bodies for extended periods, no longer having to return to the divine realm after just a quarter-hour or so as before."

"That sounds very encouraging. Is there a problem? I heard the demon world was also overjoyed by this news." He Lingchuan had to admit that his heart had sunk when he first heard about it. Although he knew this day would come sooner or later, still...

"Blessings never come in pairs," Shuang Ye said bluntly. "You also oversee a nation's affairs; you should know that behind all the jubilation lie hidden anxieties. It's true for the human world, and the heavens are no exception."

He Lingchuan knew the crucial point was coming: "What kind of hidden anxieties?"

"Trouble from the Hidden God Monarch," Shuang Ye said, looking up at the sky and letting out a long breath. "The idea of using the Hidden God Monarch to mass-produce vessels for divine descent was first proposed by Sacred Venerable Ling Xu."

He Lingchuan also admired this: "Truly worthy of someone possessing a divine life-aspect."

"I won't go into the arduous and convoluted research process over these past few years. But there's a major problem that, to this day, remains unresolved." Shuang Ye shifted his posture. "The uniqueness of the Hidden God Monarch's true form is unparalleled among True Immortals."

"Indeed, two types of creatures that have battled for generations ultimately merged into one."

"The Hidden God Monarch is actually a vast aggregation of two types of tiny creatures, which then awakened into a single, integrated consciousness, its 'true self'," Shuang Ye smiled. "While it might sound a bit strange, all living beings in the world—whether birds, beasts, or even you and I—are similarly formed by the aggregation of smaller organizations. Each of these small organizations has its own life cycle, but when they gather and function together, they form a primary consciousness, that is, 'you' and 'I'."

He Lingchuan also leaned back on the large stone behind him, supporting himself with his hands. "But the Hidden God Monarch is different after all." The two types of creatures that compose its body were inherently not species that could coexist peacefully.

"The difference is that once a human's primary consciousness, their 'true self,' perishes, the body becomes ownerless, loses vitality, and slowly decays. However, even though the Hidden God Monarch's 'true self' was annihilated by Jialou Tian, its body still maintains vigorous activity, just as it did when alive. This is also the most crucial characteristic the Celestial Gods need for creating divine descent vessels." Without vitality, a divine body would be nothing but decaying flesh.

He Lingchuan murmured, "But that's because it was originally an integrated consciousness. Without its 'true self,' the various parts of its body will act on their own."

"Exactly. The originally most powerful 'true self' was able to suppress other consciousnesses, and that's how the Hidden God Monarch existed. Once the Hidden God Monarch died, managing its body became a difficult and critical point, because other consciousnesses began to proliferate and emerge, attempting to regain control and mastery over the Hidden God Monarch's body."

He Lingchuan raised an eyebrow. "The Heavenly Palace is teeming with talent; they wouldn't be completely at a loss, would they?"