In the Great Wilderness Realm, in Dongzhou, stands the Qingyun Sect.
Nestled amidst a range of ethereal peaks, it cuts a figure of serene and picturesque tranquility at first glance. Yet beneath this tranquil surface lies hidden an immense and ferocious peril.
As many are well aware, the Qingyun Sect is a renowned sect in Dongzhou, and in a secluded spot in its back mountains resides a Demon Suppressor who perpetually wields a Demon-Suppressing Pagoda.
This pagoda comprises eighty-nine levels and can freely expand or contract, with each level imprisoning countless fiends.
Countless ages ago, these fiends rampaged across the Great Wilderness Realm, cutting down anyone in their path—human or Buddha alike—with terrifying might. Later on, the founding patriarch of the Qingyun Sect united countless righteous figures, exhausting countless days and nights to finally forge a divine pagoda capable of pulling all these fiends within, sealing them away forever.
Yet now, countless millenia have passed, and the seals within the pagoda are gradually loosening.
The founding patriarch and that generation of fellow daoists have long since passed away, and the Qingyun Sect has now been passed down to its fifty-second sect master, a woman named Su Yanran. The fact that she cultivated to the realm of a Great Emperor over the long years speaks volumes of just how much time has elapsed.
Ever since the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda captured those countless fiends, the founding patriarch laid down a strict rule:
A Demon Suppressor must be chosen to take this pagoda into his custody, dedicating his life to guarding it at all times. Otherwise, should the fiends break out and the sect fail to mount a timely response, the consequences would be utterly unthinkable.
Successive sect masters have faithfully followed the patriarch's behest, shrinking the divine pagoda and entrusting it to the Demon Suppressor for safekeeping. Should the Demon Suppressor perish, a successor is chosen in his stead.
The Demon Suppressor's duty is to guard the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda and report any abnormalities upward immediately, alongside various other precautions.
The current generation's Demon Suppressor is named Ye Qingtao, marking him as the one thousandth Demon Suppressor.
***
At this very moment, in a quiet corner deep within the sect, two individuals are speaking.
One of them is Jiang Zhenhe, an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, who wields immense power and holds a lofty position. The other is his disciple. Both wear abnormal expressions, speaking in hushed tones for fear that the walls might have ears.
"How did the matter entrusted to us by the Divine Son go? Can we begin executing the plan?" Jiang Zhenhe asked in a low voice.
Not long ago, the Divine Son assigned Jiang Zhenhe a secret mission: dispatch agents to investigate Ye Qingtao in secret and immediately compile any suspicious findings if Ye Qingtao showed any anomalies.
The purpose behind this was to seize leverage on Ye Qingtao and wrest the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda from his hands.
Ye Qingtao had guarded the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda for a full century now, and the Divine Son coveted the treasures held by the demons within, terrified that those treasures might one day fall into Ye Qingtao's possession.
It was not that the Divine Son had never entertained this notion regarding the previous Demon Suppressor, but his authority was insufficient—successive Demon Suppressors could only be appointed by the sect master, leaving outsiders with no right to interfere. But now, he could wait no longer.
At the mere thought of the boundless treasures and legacies belonging to those fiends, the Divine Son felt a burning heat in his chest, coupled with intense anxiety. Should these items truly fall into Ye Qingtao's hands, he would let slip the opportunity of a lifetime!
"Master, it has been settled. I have gathered a great deal of material recently—please have a look." With that, the disciple handed over a stack of documents.
Upon reviewing the documents, joy welled up in Jiang Zhenhe's heart.
According to the investigation, Ye Qingtao was frequently shrouded in an oppressive, dense aura of demonic energy—a terrifying sight. This could only mean he had accepted an empowerment of demonic arts from the fiends!
For a cultivator, personal cultivation is an extremely protracted process, but should another entity perform an empowerment, one's cultivation would advance at a blistering, miraculous speed. Consequently, many were willing to accept cultivation passed on by others!
Since the fiends were locked away, they would undoubtedly beg Ye Qingtao to loosen his grip on them, and Ye Qingtao, unable to resist the temptation, would inevitably accept.
In addition, the disciple discovered that the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda surged with demonic energy, especially on gloomy and rainy days when the demonic aura raged unchecked, accompanied by an endless barrage of ghostly wails and howling spirits.
"Hahaha! Armed with a Demon-Warding Jade Pendant, yet failing to purge the demonic energy for all these years, letting it surge to the heavens and foul the air—what on earth is he doing? It's hilarious!" Jiang Zhenhe stroked his beard, his face wreathed in smiles.
To every generation of the Demon Suppressor, the sect would issue a "Demon-Warding Jade Pendant." True to its name, this item possessed the property of warding off demons, gradually diminishing demonic energy over time.
In Jiang Zhenhe's view, far from banishing demons over all these years, Ye Qingtao had actually allowed the demonic energy to grow worse—it was nothing short of appalling, sheer absurdity!
"Master, with these pieces of leverage in hand, Ye Qingtao is finished!" the disciple declared.
"Indeed. Not only has he accomplished nothing over all these years, but he has also colluded with the Demonic Path—a crime compounded! Come, let us go find the sect master right now, confiscate the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda from his hands, and confine him to the Cliff of Reflection!" Jiang Zhenhe cackled heartily.
The disciple suddenly furrowed his brow slightly and said, "But Master, Ye Qingtao has accepted the empowerment of demonic arts; his cultivation power must have surged dramatically. What if he goes berserk?"
"Fear not. The sect master is immensely powerful—aside from dreading those fiends breaking out, what else is there to fear? So what if he goes berserk? Are you afraid the sect master cannot handle him?" Jiang Zhenhe asked dismissively, an indifferent look on his face.
"You are right, Master."
***
Jiang Zhenhe did not go to lodge a complaint before the sect master in person; instead, he sent this disciple alone. Some matters were best left for others to execute, keeping his own hands clean.
This was identical to how the Divine Son operated.
Soon enough, the disciple arrived at the Sect Main Hall.
At this moment, Sect Master Su Yanran was cultivating upon the elevated primary seat, with no one else by her side.
The disciple looked over and said respectfully, "Sect Master, the current Demon Suppressor has some issues. These are suspicious points that this disciple uncovered by chance; I ask that you deign to review them."
Su Yanran furrowed her brow, took the materials, and glanced through them. Her expression changed instantly.
The Demon Suppressor was actually colluding with the Demonic Path suppressed within the tower?
This was no trivial matter! It was far more serious than betraying the sect. The Qingyun Sect was inherently a righteous sect; if word got out that someone had colluded with the Demonic Path, the entire sect would become a laughingstock!
Over the long passage of time, Ye Qingtao must have proved unable to resist the enticements of those fiends, accepting their cultivation transfer and falling into the Demonic Path!
Su Yanran was furious, yet she still inquired, "I recall that he has always been conscientious. Is this situation verified?"
"Verified!" the disciple, whose name was Sima Zhao, declared with absolute certainty!
As he spoke, Sima Zhao produced an Image-Recording Stone and said, "This is the demonic energy swirling around him—far denser than that of any previous Demon Suppressor. Please examine it, Sect Master."
Su Yanran took it, inspected it, and flew into a towering rage!
Sima Zhao seized the opportunity to fan the flames: "I only hope the sect master will confiscate his Demon-Suppressing Pagoda and confine him to the Cliff of Reflection for all eternity. Nothing less will appease the fury of the numerous disciples."
Without a second thought, Su Yanran issued her decree: "Your thoughts are somewhat too naive. That is not enough—first confine him to the Cliff of Reflection for a hundred years, and when the hundred years are up, expel him from the sect directly!"
Shocked and delighted, Sima Zhao hurriedly said, "Brilliant judgment, Sect Master!"
"You shall handle this matter!"
***
Stepping out of the Sect Main Hall, Sima Zhao felt a thrill of exhilaration he could hardly contain. He never expected things to go so smoothly; the sect master did not even bother with an investigation before moving directly to pass judgment on Ye Qingtao.
Yet upon reflection, it made sense. Who wouldn't be enraged by a crime as grave as defecting to the Demonic Path? No explanations needed—direct punishment!
***
Sima Zhao swiftly returned to Jiang Zhenhe's side and recounted the situation. Jiang Zhenhe was overjoyed; he pointed to a few trusted subordinates, waved his hand grandly, and ordered, "You few shall accompany him on this trip. Our good days are about to begin!"