Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 402 The Soul Master's Trail

When the three arrogant demons were swallowed up without a trace by the small black banner in Chen Ye's hand, Princess Hongyu was completely stunned.

She stared blankly at Chen Ye, as if she had never met him before.

The three unharmed Nascent Soul cultivators were at the height of their power, exuding a terrifying aura. Each of them was ten times stronger than the old demon Tianwu who had driven her to the brink of despair.

As a result, Chen Ye absorbed it into the Ten Thousand Souls Banner in the blink of an eye.

Princess Hongyu couldn't help but wonder if the Taoist priest Chen before her was the same person she had met in Cui County that day.

If he had possessed such extraordinary abilities earlier, he could have reduced Tianwu the Old Demon to ashes with a single palm strike. Why would he have needed to sacrifice himself to set up this scheme and end up in this predicament?
Chen Ye could clearly see the fear in Princess Hongyu's eyes, but he did not explain.

The dramatic change in his cultivation level in such a short period of time, the causes and fortuitous encounters behind it, were things even he couldn't explain, so how could he explain them to her?

He simply put away the Myriad Souls Banner, looked at her calmly, and asked, "Since you are in charge of the Arrow of Time, you must know about the Soul Lord's plan. Please tell me frankly, Princess."

Princess Hongyu's long eyelashes trembled as she recovered from the enormous shock.

She met Chen Ye's gaze and said with a hint of nervousness, "What if I say I don't know?"

"It doesn't matter if you don't know." Chen Ye's tone remained unchanged, as if he had already expected it. "Tell me exactly what the Soul Master instructed you. Perhaps I can save you from this sea of ​​suffering."

"Escape from suffering?"

Princess Hongyu suddenly let out a short, shrill laugh and asked, "Will you destroy my body like before, leaving me a lonely ghost to wander the world?"

The questions were like knives, but Chen Ye remained silent.

Seeing that he was silent, the sharpness in Princess Hongyu's eyes slowly faded, and she apologized to Chen Ye instead: "Daoist Master, please don't be angry. I was just talking nonsense. I have been wandering since childhood and have suffered a lot. Only you, Daoist Master, have treated me sincerely. I owe you my life, and this is what I should repay."

Chen Ye paused for a moment, then changed the subject, his voice softening: "I think your father treats you quite well."

"good?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Hongyu revealed a meaningful smile.

"Indeed, it's quite impressive. Old Demon Tianwu made quite a show of it back then, making me the 'Auspicious Omen of the Nation.' Afterwards, he went to great lengths to ensure that the country enjoyed favorable weather for many years, which solidified my status as the 'Auspicious Omen.'"

Her eyes deepened, as if she were recalling the past.

"But just a few days ago, a plague swept across the Central Plains, leaving bones exposed in the fields, and not a rooster crowed for miles. Popular uprisings broke out everywhere, and the imperial court failed to suppress them effectively. Then, my father, the emperor, arrived."

He came to ask me why I didn't bless his kingdom to last for thousands of generations?

Princess Hongyu's smile deepened, but her eyes were already red.

"I still remember his angry face as he questioned me, 'I've given you fine clothes and sumptuous food, and the utmost honor, why isn't that enough?' At that moment, I finally understood that there is no such thing as good without a reason in this world. However, I've died once, so I'm always able to learn a thing or two."

Princess Hongyu said with great pride, "I told my father that it was because of my auspicious omen that Heaven used me to suppress most of the plague. Otherwise, ten times more people would have died. Perhaps it was Heaven's help, because not long after, the plague actually subsided, and there were even rumors of immortals sending down grain. When my father saw this, he believed my name as an 'auspicious omen' again."

Chen Ye knew this was true.

Although the plague caused by the Tiger-Chang Lord was mainly in the Western Regions, it also appeared in the Central Plains and the Northern Frontier. Otherwise, a large number of people from the Central Plains would not have migrated to the Northern Frontier, and the Tiger-Chang Lord would not have been able to create a million Tiger-Chang ghosts in such a short time.

Unexpectedly, this incident became the reason for Princess Hongyu to be blamed.

Among the nobility, kinship is truly nonexistent; it's all about naked self-interest.

Chen Ye didn't interrupt, but listened quietly.

Hongyu felt as if she had found her only listener, and poured out all the bitterness that had been building up for so long.

"My father treats me as an auspicious omen, which is why he tolerates me so much. Once I am no longer of use, the cold palace and the white silk will be my final resting place. The Soul Lord granted me a new life, but he also placed a restriction on me, forcing me to do things for him. If I disobey even slightly, I will be tortured and my soul will be scattered."

She raised her head, looked directly at Chen Ye, and asked the question that had lingered in her mind for so long: "Daoist Master, why was I born with such a bitter fate?"

Chen Ye thought for a long time, then finally shook his head and answered softly:

"The princess is not free to do as she pleases, and so are most of the people in the world. A plague can leave hundreds of thousands dead; an emperor's anger can cause rivers of blood to flow. A demonic cultivator can sacrifice thousands of souls with a flick of his finger. If you ask me why, I can only say that all living beings suffer, and there is no reason to explain the suffering in this world."

"All beings suffer...that makes no sense..."

Princess Hongyu chewed these eight words repeatedly between her lips and teeth.

It's unclear what principle she gleaned from this, but Princess Hongyu knelt before Chen Ye and said devoutly, "I truly do not know the details of the Soul Lord's grand plan. However, he ordered me to plant the Arrow of Time in the bodies of court officials and members of the royal family. I then used the guise of 'auspicious omens' to trick them into participating in a blessing ceremony, taking the opportunity to carry out my plan. Those people suddenly gained ten years of enlightenment and knowledge, and thus they revered me as a god, believing me without a doubt."

She raised her eyes, looked directly at Chen Ye, and continued, "I can make a copy of the list of all those who have been planted with the Arrow of Time and give it to you, Daoist. Besides that, if you need anything from Hongyu, please don't hesitate to ask."

Chen Ye was not surprised, as this largely matched the information he had extracted from other villains.

Soul Master's plan was known only to himself; others merely carried it out without understanding its underlying principles.

He then asked, "Was the human face on the jade plate in the hidden compartment that day the true appearance of the Soul Lord?"

Hongyu shook her head: "I don't know if that is his true appearance. The Soul Lord bestowed the jade plate upon me, saying that this plate is the embodiment of his will and that I can only use it in times of life and death. I have never seen the Soul Lord's true appearance before. What I have seen in the past were either illusions or a ball of ghost fire."

Chen Ye nodded. This was indeed the style of the Soul Master. Not to mention Hong Yu, even Chen Ye himself had never seen this person's true face.

Chen Ye opened the hidden compartment, took out the jade plate and the Time Arrow, and said to Princess Hongyu, "I have decided to thwart the Soul Lord's plan. Therefore, I will take away all the civil and military officials, members of the royal family, and anyone who has been hit by the Time Arrow."

Princess Hongyu's pupils suddenly contracted, almost thinking she had misheard.

Chen Ye continued, "In this way, the court will inevitably be in turmoil, and the world will be in turmoil as well. If the princess can help ensure a smooth succession to the throne, she will save the lives of all the people under heaven, which is a great merit."

"Replace the emperor, and the court officials too?" Princess Hongyu's voice trembled with extreme shock.

She finally understood Chen Ye's plan; he wasn't trying to deal with the Soul Master or counter his moves.

He intends to overturn the chessboard.

“That’s right.” Chen Ye nodded, saying matter-of-factly, “I don’t know what kind of conspiracy that demon is plotting, and getting entangled with him is too exhausting. Let’s just cut off the source of the problem and replace all the pieces he has corrupted, and be done with it.”

"I have sent people to all parts of the Nine Provinces to find all those who have been infected with the Arrow of Time, whether they are high-ranking officials or famous figures. They will be sent to the Northern Frontier for safekeeping until the threat of the Arrow of Time is completely eradicated."

Princess Hongyu was completely stunned; Chen Ye's plan was even more violent and domineering than that of the Soul Master.

What terrified her even more was his nonchalant remark, "I've already sent someone over."

In such a short time, that ordinary rogue cultivator at the Qi Sea Realm has now managed to command countless cultivators and lay out a vast and inescapable net across this immense world? This sounds... this sounds like someone on par with a Soul Venerable!
An absurd thought began to grow in her mind: Could it be that everything she had learned in the past two years was fake? Was the Soul Master not as powerful as he boasted? What about the Lord of the Demonic Sect, what about the number one Void Returning Realm cultivator in the world? Were all these titles just a joke in front of this Daoist Chen?
Princess Hongyu had no way of knowing the truth. She had been controlled by the demon since childhood and had only a superficial understanding of cultivation. She had only heard of the Qinghe Sword Sect because she had overheard Old Demon Tianwu mentioning it. She knew that the demonic sect was extremely wary of this sect, which was why she risked bringing Su Chunyi to slay the demon.

As for the true identity and status of Tianwu the Old Demon, and whether Soul Venerable or Chen Ye was superior, Princess Hongyu had no clear idea.

Now she only felt that Chen Ye was mysterious and unpredictable, seemingly even more powerful than the Soul Master. For some reason, Princess Hongyu suddenly felt that if she could submit to Chen Ye, perhaps she could escape this nightmare that haunted her day and night and truly enjoy freedom.

A storm raged within her, but she forced herself to calm down. She knew that this was a turning point in her life; a single word could save her from misery, or it could condemn her to eternal damnation.

She took a deep breath, suppressing all her shock, and advised Chen Ye, "Daoist Master, the change of the throne concerns the very foundation of the nation; a single move can have far-reaching consequences. If we wish for a peaceful transition, we must plan carefully. If we have six months to strategize..."

Chen Ye interrupted her by holding up three fingers.

"I only have three days."

"..."

Princess Hongyu was at a loss for what expression to use to respond.

To replace an emperor within three days and expect a "smooth transition"? That's utterly absurd!

She sighed helplessly, her mind racing, searching for the only possibility among the impossible: "Then...then we can only support the Crown Prince. If Father Emperor 'suddenly passes away,' the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne will be legitimate, which will maximize the stability of the court and appease the people..."

Before she could finish speaking, Chen Ye interrupted her again.

"Your Highness, you must have also been struck by the Arrow of Time."

“Impossible!” Princess Hongyu immediately retorted, “On the day of the blessing ceremony, the Crown Prince claimed to be ill and did not participate. I remember very clearly that the Arrow of Time was never planted on him!”

"Just because you don't have one doesn't mean the other demons under Soul Lord's command don't." Chen Ye's tone left no room for argument. "I hope the Eighth Prince will succeed to the throne."

Princess Hongyu exclaimed in astonishment, "But...but the Eighth Prince is only twelve years old!"

Chen Ye said matter-of-factly, "It is precisely because he is young that we can confirm that he has not been planted with the Arrow of Time."

Princess Hongyu murmured to herself, "A twelve-year-old emperor, and he still has to replace the entire court of officials, and he still has to ensure a smooth transition... This is simply..."

Chen Ye smiled and said, "Princess, there is no need to worry so much. For mortals, it is difficult to stage a coup within three days and do so quietly. But with the help of magic, it should not be so difficult. It just so happens that you are familiar with all the civil and military officials and know who has been hit by the Arrow of Time. So please lend me a hand."

Chen Ye took out the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, shook it gently, and summoned Yang Chongguang, the commander of the Yin soldiers.

The once battle-hardened veteran is now almost unrecognizable as human. His armor is covered with a thousand faces, and his long sword is forged from bones, making him look extremely ferocious.

Chen Ye knew that this was because Yang Chongguang was not bound by physical constraints, and the murderous aura he had developed on the battlefield not only did not diminish, but instead grew day by day as he became a commander, gradually becoming what he is today.

However, following Chen Ye's orders, Yang Chongguang would periodically undergo the tortures of hell to ensure that his murderous aura wouldn't spiral out of control. This burning rage was only directed at sinners, never harming the innocent.

Now summoned by Chen Ye, Yang Chongguang respectfully asked, "What are your orders, Sect Master?"

"Please have Commander Yang assist this young lady and follow her orders for the next three days."

Chen Ye handed the Ten Thousand Souls Banner to Princess Hongyu and said to her, "Princess, my Ten Thousand Souls Banner contains a thousand Yin soldiers, far more powerful than any mortal army, each capable of fighting a thousand men. Moreover, they all possess the art of interrogating souls, making people reveal everything they know. With the help of this banner, are you confident that you can help me change the entire court and its surroundings within three days?"

Princess Hongyu looked at the ferocious and terrifying Yin soldier commander. Although she was so frightened that her face turned pale, she was someone who had seen life and death before. She quickly regained her senses, reached out and took the Ten Thousand Souls Banner. Although she felt that it weighed a thousand pounds, she still held it firmly.

Chen Ye smiled approvingly and encouraged, "Once this matter is settled, you may be truly free. By the way, Lan Shi... she's at the Qinghe Sword Sect. If she knew you were still alive, she would be very happy."

The little girl, who had only gotten a little emotional and her eyes reddened at most, finally couldn't hold back her tears when she heard the news about her sister.

Princess Hongyu did not inquire about her sister's whereabouts, but firmly told Chen Ye, "Rest assured, Daoist, I will definitely put my eighth brother on the throne within three days."

This time, she will never be utterly annihilated like before.

Chen Ye nodded slightly, and left Princess Hongyu's boudoir with the box of Time Arrows and the jade plate.

Riding the clouds and mist straight into the heavens, Chen Ye stopped his figure ten thousand feet above the sky.

A fierce wind howled, making his clothes flutter. Looking down, the lights of the entire imperial city were like tiny beans, resembling a galaxy in the mortal world.

With a solemn expression, he took out the cold jade plate from his sleeve and held it in front of him.

The next moment, Chen Ye closed his eyes slightly and his mind sank into his sea of ​​consciousness.

The phantom of the Fengdu Emperor appeared, and the divine powers of Heavenly Punishment and Hell were activated.

In an instant, the world in Chen Ye's eyes completely changed.

All physical entities in the world lost their color, turning into gray silhouettes. In their place came countless, slender, and dazzling rays of light, surging in from all directions, piercing through heaven and earth, and connecting all living things.

The intangible cause and effect transformed into tangible threads that fell before Chen Ye's eyes.

Princess Hongyu appears to have been reborn, but her soul was nurtured and cultivated using the Arrow of Time; her physical body was personally crafted by the Soul Venerable using the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts.

If the civil and military officials who were struck by the Arrow of Time might become puppets of the Soul Lord, then Princess Hongyu was the puppet most deeply manipulated.

If she doesn't sever this deepest causal connection, she will never be able to escape the demon's control.

Using the jade plate as a "beacon," Chen Ye's causal connection with the Soul Lord became several times clearer.

Guided by his divine sense, the irrelevant and fragmented threads of cause and effect in his vision began to disappear rapidly.

However, when the fog cleared and the scene that unfolded before Chen Ye shocked even this man who had seen many storms.

It was neither the main storyline he had envisioned, nor a few or dozens of branches.

Instead, it was a vast, densely packed ball of threads, tangled and twisted like a spider web, connecting every corner of the nine provinces of the world.

"These are all fragments of that demon's soul?!"

Chen Ye was utterly shocked. He had thought that the Soul Venerable's ability to split his soul into tens of thousands of parts was already an astonishing feat. But the causal threads displayed before him were intertwined and tightly packed, numbering far beyond a hundred thousand!

How could he possibly withstand splitting 100,000 souls and scattering them across the mortal realm? What kind of conspiracy does the Soul Lord have?
Suppressing his shock, Chen Ye focused his mind and concentrated all his attention on the jade plate. He had to find the connection directly to the jade plate in this mess, which was very likely the location of the Soul Lord's "main consciousness" used to issue commands.

Time passed slowly, and after an unknown amount of time, Chen Ye finally opened his eyes.

At the core of that massive ball of yarn, there was a seemingly inconspicuous thread that perfectly matched the aura of the jade plate, and he had now firmly locked onto it.

His consciousness traveled upstream along this line of cause and effect, trying to trace its source.

Then Chen Ye was shocked to discover that the point where this thread of cause and effect connected was the brightly lit imperial city beneath him.

This old devil has actually been hiding in the imperial city all along?

(End of this chapter)