Several Vice Pavilion Masters had left the Human Emperor Pavilion, but the one who returned was Liu Baiyi, a veteran and influential official of the Human Domain.

Not just Liu Baiyi, but six Pavilion Masters from the eight Human Emperor Pavilions arrived. With Liu Baiyi and Feng Zhizi leading, they visited Qiong Qi, who was now caged and coiled into a ball, stripped of all dignity and might.

With such an assembly, even Xiao Jian Daoist didn't dare to say much and honestly went to squat in a corner. He didn't dare to speak or ask anything.

After observing Qiong Qi, now devoid of its former prestige and curled up in the cage, the Pavilion Masters were all full of emotions.

The Human Domain had pursued Qiong Qi several times, and the Human Emperor himself had attempted to kill it, yet it managed to escape time after time. It was said that this was because Qiong Qi was extremely cautious by nature and that whenever it fled, it headed straight for Heaven Palace. But now, seeing Qiong Qi captured brought forth many sentiments.

Wu Wang took the six Human Domain ministers back to his own cave dwelling and sat at the head seat with ease. The six Pavilion Masters sat down on the left and right in order of seniority.

Lin Suqing, leading a team of 'cross-species, cross-layer of life' maidens, stepped forward to offer hot tea. Jingwei and Immortal Mu peeped out from the inner cave entrance, curiously examining the situation within the dwelling. Immortal Mu whispered, asking who this or that was, and didn't dare to go forward and greet his own master.

Miao Cuijiao and the Grand Elder appeared outside the dwelling, standing by the door on either side, maintaining their Annihilation Sect's dignity.

"Wu Wang," Liu Baiyi began, getting straight to the point, "is Qiong Qi still of use to you?"

Wu Wang answered seriously, "I have some use for its Great Dao, but the rest doesn't matter much to me."

"In that case, do you have a way to erase its Divine Soul while preserving its Great Dao?" Liu Baiyi said in a deep voice.

"Although Qiong Qi is not a Main God of Heaven Palace, to our knowledge, its Great Dao has already been incorporated into the Divine Court of Heaven Palace. If we kill it, Heaven Palace could recreate a new Divine Spirit named Qiong Qi in the Divine Pool, and the new Divine Spirit would become a Main God of Heaven Palace. The Great Dao still wouldn't stay with us."

"Indeed, that is also why I didn't immediately kill Qiong Qi after capturing it," Wu Wang spoke earnestly.

"As everyone knows, the Transcendent Heavenly Punishment is composed of several, or even dozens of Great Daos, one of which is Qiong Qi's. Now that Heaven Palace has locked this Great Dao, it's extremely difficult to take it over. If we spare Qiong Qi's life, we can control such a Great Dao through it. It can lure inner demons and spy on the darkness in the hearts of living beings. If it wasn't for its extreme misconduct leading to the backlash from the Great Dao, and nearly being consumed by its inner demons, it wouldn't have been suppressed by us at every turn.

But let me clarify my position here. If the Human Domain wants to kill Qiong Qi, I am all for it. If the Human Emperor Pavilion also can't find a way to erase its Divine Soul while preserving Qiong Qi's Great Dao, then it's okay for us to just kill it. I can do without its Great Dao; it's not a loss for me."

Having it would be nice, but it's also okay without it.

Liu Baiyi exchanged glances with the other Pavilion Masters, all deep in thought, pondering their strategy.

The sleepy-looking Yun Zhongjun slowly made his way beyond the writing table.

Wu Wang shifted his gaze, and Yun Zhongjun also shook his head slightly.

He was just an Ancient God who had lived only slightly longer, gathered a tad more junk, accumulated a bit more knowledge, and had a slightly deeper artistic accomplishment—not some all-knowing, almighty deity.

The cave dwelling became quiet for a moment.

Liu Baiyi said, "To seize the Great Dao, one must confront the fundamental order of Heaven Palace, something beyond our ability."

"If we can't think of a suitable method, then just kill it," Wu Wang said gravely.

"Before we kill it, extract its memories and keep a few copies. That can serve as a remedial measure. This creature knows many secrets of Heaven Palace."

"How about this," Feng Zhizi suggested, "Since Qiong Qi is still useful, we could let it nominally face death, but secretly imprison it. That's not unacceptable."

Liu Baiyi countered, "Fabrications are unacceptable. Either we do not announce this matter publicly, or we kill Qiong Qi outright and let everyone see, to avenge the spirits of the Human Domain who died at the hands of the Ten Evil Gods. Only in this way can we truly delight the people. If there's one set of rules in public and another in private, then we're bound to lose the people's hearts."

Feng Zhizi smiled as he stroked his beard, and all the Pavilion Masters nodded in agreement.

Wu Wang laughed and said, "Then let's settle it this way; I will hand over Qiong Qi to the Human Domain for disposal, and I will be fully involved in the matter of dealing with Qiong Qi. What do you, Pavilion Masters, think?"

Liu Baiyi spread his hands with a smile and said, "Since you've brought it up, let's just decide it like this! Handing over Qiong Qi to the Human Domain, which in the future you will lead, isn't it? You really know how to clear yourself of involvement!"

Wu Wang responded seriously, "Master Liu's words are a bit inaccurate. I'm merely the executor of the Yan Emperor's edicts and the Yin and Yang Path, not the Human Emperor."

"It's much the same," Liu Baiyi picked up his tea and gargled, "Speak plainly. We won't mind if you just give the orders directly. His Majesty has, in fact, made things quite clear."

Black lines appeared on Wu Wang's forehead.

My father-in-law is in quite a hurry to retire and enjoy his twilight years...

Wu Wang looked around, having already a solid plan in mind, and slowly said, "Then today, I will overstep my bounds just this once. If it's been decided to kill Qiong Qi, we can't just simply hang it up and chop it down, as that would be a complete waste of this excellent opportunity. These past few days, I've given it a lot of thought. If we're to kill Qiong Qi, we need to make a spectacle of it, make it impactful!"

The six elders all looked at Wu Wang, some stroking their beards, some frowning, curiosity in their eyes.

Wu Wang continued, "Qiong Qi is a complex being. It is a Great Wilderness beast, the leader among the Ten Evil Gods, an active Divine Spirit in Heaven Palace, and, ahem, the close confidant of the Head Manager. If we were to drag Qiong Qi to some corner and chop its head off, that wouldn't mean much, just a release of resentment. But if we hang Qiong Qi up high, make the act known to the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness before the execution, and let all the gods of Heaven Palace be fully aware, then crown the execution with righteousness, denouncing Heaven Palace's sins through the act of killing Qiong Qi. Killing Qiong Qi to destabilize Heaven Palace's rule over all creatures and races, that's when the killing will be meaningful. In this great conflict between humans and gods, I traversed Central Mountain and realized that our previous thoughts were too simplistic. Most of the Hundred Races are content under the rule of Heaven Palace."

All the Pavilion Masters deeply agreed.

Liu Baiyi laughed and said, "Haven't you prepared everything already? You've purposely beaten around the bush with us, don't tell me you also have a way not to kill?"

Wu Wang gave a smile but said nothing.

Actually, he truly wanted to get a mount for the whistling snake...

However, Qiong Qi had committed heinous crimes in the Human Domain, and it would be improper for him to handle it as a private punishment.

"So be it, I leave Qiong Qi in the hands of you Pavilion Masters. I will stay by its side until it is executed."

Having said this, Wu Wang picked up his teacup.

The Pavilion Masters, shrewd with age, each got up and bowed to Wu Wang, who in turn stood up and returned the gesture.

After all, I'm not at the level to calmly accept such formalities yet.

「…」

The announcement soon spread: "The leader of the Evil Gods, Qiong Qi, will be publicly executed at the north gate of the main Human Emperor Pavilion in the Human Domain half a month from now." This news quickly spread throughout the Human Domain and, with the Four Seas Pavilion's promotion, swiftly diffused to the Nine Wildernesses of the Great Wilderness.

Upon hearing such news, the gods of Heaven Palace who had not yet gone into slumber were furious, seeing it as a great humiliation.

When the Hundred Races heard such news, most remained silent, with only a few families and tribes near the Human Domain in the Southeastern and Southwestern Regions expressing jubilation, saying it was gratifying.

Subsequently, the Human Emperor Pavilion of the Human Domain formally issued an edict condemning Qiong Qi, listing its numerous crimes, and took this opportunity to lambaste Heaven Palace.

There was one line in the edict that Wu Wang personally revised: "If Heaven Palace continues to uphold the principle that the gods rule over everything of the living beings, how can it represent the Heavenly Dao, and how can it command the Great Dao!"

That was the critical first step in challenging Heaven Palace's legitimacy over the Great Wilderness. Consider it a small paving stone laid for the rise of the Heavenly Dao.

Wu Wang had thought that Heaven Palace would take this matter seriously, even organizing strong gods to raid and snatch Qiong Qi to demonstrate Heavenly might and maintain its own ruling foundation.

But he never expected…

He had waited by Qiong Qi's side for half a month until there was just an hour left before the execution was to begin, and not a shadow of the gods of Heaven Palace had appeared.

Wu Wang couldn't help feeling a bit conflicted.

Did Heaven Palace look down on Qiong Qi, or did it fear the grand formation left by Fu Xi?

This was akin to swinging an axe at the roots of Heaven Palace, that great tree—could it be that they weren't aware of the gravity of the situation?

Looking up at Qiong Qi, who was hung high on the rack, Wu Wang couldn't help but raise his hand to rub his temples.

Even if the Head Manager couldn't wrap his head around it, the Earth God should at least understand the deep meaning hidden herein. So why…

「Meanwhile, inside Heaven Palace.」

"Go rescue Qiong Qi?"

The Earth God frowned at the more than ten Divine Spirits in front of him and said with a sense of helplessness, "With the array that the Human Domain has put up, they are just waiting for us to come and deliver merits to them. Head Manager, haven't you said that Qiong Qi's Great Dao has been left in Heaven Palace, and Qiong Qi today is not the Qiong Qi from decades ago, and is no longer irreplaceable? We wait for the Human Domain to kill Qiong Qi, transform Qiong Qi's Great Dao into a god position, and bestow it upon a capable Divine Spirit—isn't that a win-win situation?"

"Hmph!"

Head Manager threw the dark red scroll in his hand onto the ground and scolded, "Earth God, look what this says! The mere Human Domain with their wolfish ambitions and unending thieving hearts, dare to discuss Heaven Palace and boast about their great righteousness! They even say, what right does Heaven Palace have to represent Heavenly Justice? Heaven Palace *is* Heavenly Justice! Heaven Palace *is* the rules of the Great Wilderness! This is simply disrespectful to His Majesty!"

The Earth God drew the scroll into his hands, spread it out, and carefully read it, soon letting out a laugh.

"This must be Wu Wangzi's handwriting, or Wu Wangzi changed the words in it," the Earth God laughed and said.

"The Human Domain wants to achieve a status on an equal footing with Heaven Palace by sentencing Qiong Qi to death. They have started to penetrate into the southern border of Central Mountain, so how does this title benefit them? If we talk about losing face, what does this count for? Head Manager, everyone, I think we should be more practical and steady. At this moment, we should just sit tight in Heaven Palace and watch the Human Domain bustling around. The Flower of Life, no matter how brilliant it is, is just a fleeting moment. Only the Great Dao and you and I are eternal."

Head Manager's expression fluctuated, and these more than ten Divine Spirits actually found Earth God's words reasonable.

"Forget it."

Head Manager shook his head, and before he had even completed the turn, his figure had already vanished, leaving only a sentence behind, "When the day comes that the Human Domain raises their arms in a call to arms and the Hundred Races of the Great Wilderness respond in kind, then Earth God, you may slowly dispatch troops to suppress them."

The Earth God smiled and shook his head, shattering the scroll in his hands, pondering for a moment without saying another word.

The more than ten Innate Gods bowed their heads to pay homage and each retreated.

After the Temple settled into quiet, the Earth God's palm swept over the jade table in front, and a yellow whirlpool emerged on it, revealing the situation in front of the Human Emperor Pavilion.

A sea of people, flags fluttering. This place had gathered countless Human Domain cultivators, and in a corner, there was also a small group of beings from the Hundred Races.

The Earth God stared at those beings from the Hundred Races for a while, then his gaze was drawn back by the clamor of the crowd.

The cultivators shouted the word "kill," with each call echoing between heaven and earth.

The sun was high in the sky, and not a cloud was in sight.

Wu Wang sat in front of the array formed by the elite of the Human Domain, his eyes glinting with Divine Light, and the Star Sword that he wielded today was accompanied by a new scabbard, lying quietly on the low table beside him.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

The calls rose wave upon wave, like surging tides.

"My Lord, the time has come."

A whisper entered Wu Wang's ears, and he nodded calmly, rising to his full height and grasping the Star Sword in his hand.

Today, he had dressed specially in a black robe, with a simple crown atop his head, jade rings hanging at his waist, golden ribbons binding his wrists, and two spread-winged Azure Dragons embroidered on his boots.

The drums began to sound.

Xiao Jian Daoist, leading forty-eight high-ranking officers, started to beat the forty-nine war drums.

Wu Wang tread the air step by step, moving forward towards the high platform.

The surrounding cheers became even more thunderous, drowning out the sound of the drums with the word "kill".

Over Qiong Qi's head began to appear characters, each one documented in the Human Domain, listing the crimes Qiong Qi committed in the Human Domain, from before the birth of the Ten Evil Gods until the complete destruction of the Ten Evils Hall.

They were too numerous to count, too many to calculate.

Wu Wang took a hundred steps forward, arriving beside Qiong Qi, his left hand holding the scabbard, his right gripping the hilt, and with a faint sound of a sword's cry, he slowly drew out the Star Sword.

Under the sunlight, the blade shimmered like the surface of water, the sword raised high.

The drumming ceased, and the cries of "kill" paused.

Countless eyes were locked onto this place, numerous cultivators clutching their fists anxiously.

Qiong Qi raised its head to look at Wu Wang, and within its numb and weary eyes, there was a trace of serenity, and even a hint of joyful relief.

Wu Wang closed his eyes and concentrated, the Star Sword in his hand shining with a brilliant light, and his right hand came down in a cleave, as if a great star was falling from the heavens.

Qiong Qi's gaze reflected the star, and suddenly its body trembled violently, its face showing signs of fear, and it cried out, "Spare, spare my life!"

SWISH!

Before the word "life" was finished, the sword's light flashed, and a head flew off, its twisting face plummeting towards the ground below the platform, impaled by a long spear.

Qiong Qi's headless corpse was enveloped in a bloody glow, transforming into a headless beast's body over three hundred yards long, which began to slowly sink.

Immediately, more than a dozen figures rushed forward, laying down rune imprints and scattering chains to imprison the Divine Power within Qiong Qi's divine body, to be used later.

It was killed, after all.

For some reason, Wu Wang felt a bit of regret in his heart.

He had previously thought about using Qiong Qi to plot against Heaven Palace.

However, considering the feelings of the vast clanspeople in the Human Domain, as well as his cooperative relationship with them, the relative importance was clear to Wu Wang.

Moreover...

Wu Wang glanced at the Treasure Bead in his sleeve.

Qiong Qi's memories, the scandals of Heaven Palace, were already in my possession.

「…」

WHOOSH—

A plump figure stepped out from the colorful mist of the brilliant pool, immediately attended by two maidens who draped a soft, golden silk dress over her.

This figure walked to a bronze mirror a yard in diameter, raised her hand to swipe over the scene reflected in the mirror—Wu Wang beheading Qiong Qi—her somewhat sharp phoenix eyes revealing a playful smile.

"Lu Wu?"

That light and magnetic voice floated from her full, red lips.

Immediately, a response echoed from outside the door, "Master, please command me."

"Take a trip to the Human Domain and invite Wu Wangzi to the Kunlun Ruins for a visit. Tell him if he wants to win over Emperor Shun, he should come and see me."

"As you wish." The Divine General outside responded softly and vanished gracefully.

The goddess standing before the mirror lightly tapped her finger, and the projection within disappeared, now reflecting her perfect body that could drive ninety-eight percent of the men in the world to madness.

Divine Punishment, Queen Mother of the West.