Can be processed

Northern Jambudvipa, the Land of Swirling Clouds and Mists.

Cui Hao stood on the cliff at the mountaintop, his gaze calm as he looked down at the incense gods of Northern Jambudvipa, long renowned, arriving in droves to seek Yunze and discuss matters of great importance.

In truth, what they called matters of great importance were nothing more than requests for greater support from the Land of Swirling Clouds and Mists.

After all, the connection between this land and the Cloud Pavilion was an open secret in Northern Jambudvipa, backed as it was by the authority of the Celestial Pole Star. Sometimes, a single word from this land could deter the covetous intentions of all evildoers.

The Evil Spirit Sect, while lacking the ability to truly command all the incense gods of Northern Jambudvipa, was unmatched in its capacity for sheer nuisance—a boundless, wearying pestilence.

As matters pushed toward a final showdown, the identities of all parties had become essentially clear.

With the Evil Spirit Sect’s identity now laid bare, their actions had grown bolder and less restrained, allowing them more means to strike.

A united Northern Jambudvipa was naturally something the Evil Spirit Sect could not resist. Yet, sowing discord from within to dismantle these incense gods was precisely their specialty.

Coaxing, framing, suspicion, betrayal.

If the incense gods had once rallied to Cui Hao’s call, now they would scatter under the weight of that same suspicion.

The incense gods of Northern Jambudvipa had a history spanning a thousand years, their relationships deeply tangled and entrenched. Favoritism had always been the key to entry. This system had held steady for a millennium—not because it was unassailable.

Rather, under this system, the beneficiaries possessed the power to silence all dissenting voices. And with time, their strength only grew greater.

Just as the slightest imbalance could tip the scales entirely, without an external force to intervene, the balance could never be restored from within.

Where some profited, others naturally felt resentment.

Cui Hao had received word that the Evil Spirit Sect was beginning to absorb those demons—those who had already reached the Golden Core stage but, due to suppression under the incense gods’ system, could not open their own shrines and had thus grown bitter.

And there were also those demons attached to the manor gods, lacking only a slight tilt in resource allocation to break into the Golden Core stage and open their own shrines. Yet, for various reasons, they always fell just short.

The methods of the Evil Spirit Sect could not be called especially clever, yet precisely like this, they struck upon the sore points.

Most importantly, since the Evil Spirit Sect could never hope to rule all of Northern Jambudvipa, their involvement took on a different appearance in the eyes of those demons long suppressed by resentment.

The Evil Spirit Sect was just passing through to take advantage of the turmoil. But those incense gods overhead—they had been real oppressors for a thousand years.

If one was to judge who was more detestable, the Evil Spirit Sect, from this angle, didn’t seem so odious after all.

A new slogan rivaling Cui Hao’s own had begun to spread—A thousand years of incense, yet broken; eternal oppression, without end.

When the point of departure shifted, right and wrong seemed to depend entirely on the angle from which one viewed them.

What began as resistance against an external enemy had gradually spiraled onto an entirely different course.

Many things, once set in motion, naturally triggered a chain reaction.

Suspicion does not end with the conflict; it begins anew as the conflict itself draws to a close.

If the incense gods had once been united like solid iron, now, under the targeted strategies of the Evil Spirit Sect, their spirit was beginning to dissolve.

After all, the enemy they now faced had shifted from men to demons.

Before long, no matter how fiercely the incense gods had been fighting the Evil Spirit Sect, the moment this spark ignited, they immediately turned and came to the Land of Swirling Clouds and Mists for aid.

Zheng Zhaoling stood beside Cui Hao, watching the Mountain Overturning King—his face dark as still water—stride into the hall of deliberation. She spoke calmly:

"The Evil Spirit Sect truly has some methods. I thought the incense gods might be able to hold the line, but as you predicted, they did not."

Cui Hao chuckled lightly upon hearing this:

"Holding the line? Right now, those incense gods’ own homelands are nearly torn apart by the Evil Spirit Sect. If they could turn back time, they would probably just shut their eyes and let the Evil Spirit Sect do whatever it wants—pretend they never saw a thing."

Zheng Zhaoling’s expression turned puzzled. She looked at Cui Hao and asked:

"If it’s as you say, then why don’t these incense gods just stop fighting and go back to their own domains? Why come all the way to the Land of Swirling Clouds and Mists?"

Cui Hao glanced at her, saw the genuine confusion in her eyes, and explained:

"Because they cannot stop now. At least, not until this is resolved—and they dare not, and cannot, stop."

"At first, the Evil Spirit Sect likely never wanted to light this fire. To ignite such a flame meant an irreconcilable war to the death with the incense gods. They were probably forced into a corner."

"What truly drove the incense gods to come here is not the Evil Spirit Sect itself—it’s the demons who, feeling their injustice, joined the Evil Spirit Sect because they were denied their own shrines."

"The flame of grievance has already been kindled, and the fuel is a thousand years of pent-up resentment."

"The Evil Spirit Sect might hesitate and withdraw because of its losses, but this rage burning in these hearts—it will not stop until everything is thoroughly consumed."

"This is no simple conflict. This is truly a fight to the death."

"Right now, the Mountain Overturning King and his kind have no choice but to continue their attacks on the Evil Spirit Sect—even to intensify them—because as long as the war against the sect goes on, they still hold the banner of righteousness for Northern Jambudvipa before them."

"If they were to stop targeting the Evil Spirit Sect now, that mantle of righteousness would instantly vanish."

"The original justification that held all the incense gods together collapses. The Mountain Overturning King and his allies would then have to face this burning resentment head-on."

"You can’t put out such fires with mass slaughter, nor can you find any above-board excuse to justify yourselves."

"The war against the Evil Spirit Sect—that is their best shield to handle this mess."

"So, the incense gods dare not stop, and cannot stop."

At these words, Zheng Zhaoling nodded lightly, her expression now fully understanding. She said softly:

"Thank you for the lesson."

Cui Hao waved his hand dismissively: "It’s hardly a lesson. I just happen to know more about these matters."

Zheng Zhaoling furrowed her brow slightly and asked in a lower voice:

"Then, coming to the Land of Swirling Clouds and Mists today—do they intend to use our reputation to calm this storm?"

Cui Hao gently nodded:

"That’s likely on their minds. After all, our land has a certain reputation. But settling this by relying on us won’t work. In the eyes of those aggrieved demons, this place is not much better."

"Even if Yunze were to speak on behalf of these incense gods, it would be useless."

"Perhaps the incense gods know this themselves. What they really want—when it comes down to the critical moment—is for the Cloud Pavilion to step in and solve the problem."

Zheng Zhaoling let out a soft sigh:

"So the reason these incense gods, despite holding an overwhelming advantage, abandon all principle and rush here for aid the moment this spark appears—it’s because they cannot bear the thought that this fire, which could truly burn them all to ash, is already smoldering."

"Even if it is, for now, only the faintest whisper of a flame, they want it utterly extinguished."

Cui Hao clapped lightly at this:

"As expected of you. A clear hint and you immediately grasp the whole picture."

Zheng Zhaoling thought for a moment and asked again: "So what do you plan to do?"

"Nothing," Cui Hao said, his tone suddenly growing colder. His voice was calm as he stated, "The incense gods being severely crippled is already an inevitability."

"What we have to deal with..."

"is the Cult of the Boundless Evil, which wrought all of this."