Li Yaotong seemed to sense everyone's worries and despair and began to reassure, "Don't worry, there is nothing in this world without a solution."
"Hmm? What do you mean?"
San Liu turned his head to look at Li Yaotong and asked.
Li Yaotong said, "The demon slave Dante has transformed into isn't your ordinary demon slave; in fact, it's not much different from a regular demon. After all, he was originally at the Pseudo Divine Realm, so it's natural for the transformed demon to be stronger. Don't worry that ordinary people would turn into something this terrible!"
"I see."
Upon hearing Li Yaotong's explanation, everyone felt much more relaxed. The feeling of despair about the future wasn't as intense anymore.
After all, if just any ordinary person were transformed into a demon slave by the Tide of Chaos and possessed such formidable abilities, then the world could practically be declared beyond saving.
But since Dante was an exception and ordinary people wouldn't be as strong, there was still hope.
"Alright, now everyone cut your fingers and look at your blood to see if there's any abnormality, turning black, turning purple, or other colors..."
Before people could fully relax, Li Yaotong spoke up again.
"Hmm?"
Upon hearing Li Yaotong's words, the crowd guessed that he probably wanted to test whether there were any other demon slaves among those present.
After all, when Dante transformed into a demon earlier, Mu Jinyu had said something about his blood turning black.
The situation was urgent at the time, and people didn't have time to think more about it. Now that Li Yaotong brought it up, everyone understood that after becoming a demon slave, one's blood might undergo a mutation, turning black or purple, or some other color, but certainly not the red of a normal human.
Although everyone felt they hadn't been planted with a Demon Seed, who could be sure that was true? After all, there was still the Tide of Chaos, which could tamper with memories.
Thus, after some thought, everyone, without hesitation, cut their fingers to check whether there was anything wrong with their blood.
This included Mu Jinyu, who had just arrived not long before.
"No, my blood is red."
"Mine is red too..."
After checking, the crowd found that their blood was indeed red, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Ren Xiaoyao said, "The baldy's blood is red too, no issues."
"Amitabha," Sheng Rulai replied with a touch of helplessness.
After all, he was busy spinning his Zen Staff on the demon's head and couldn't check for himself, which is why he had Ren Xiaoyao help him.
Seeing that no one had any issues, San Liu complained to Li Yaotong, "If such a method of detection exists, why didn't you bring it up during the meeting? Why didn't you check everyone then? Really!"
Li Yaotong, with a touch of helplessness in his voice, explained, "Because I didn't know about the demon slave until it appeared. My Heavenly Eye can only glimpse parts of the truth; it's not truly omniscient."
Upon hearing Li Yaotong's explanation, everyone's heart was struck with a chill.
So the detailed information Li Yaotong knew was not from any records but what he saw with his own eyes?
Omniscient, truly enigmatic and unpredictable!
San Liu said, "If that's the case, then this ominous disaster you speak of isn't really that terrifying. After all, we have detection methods and can easily root it out!"
"It's not as simple as you think," Li Yaotong sighed. "Now that we have checked and everything is fine, none of us is controlled by the ominous disaster, but can you be certain that you, who were fine a second ago, will still be fine the next?"
Upon hearing this, everyone couldn't help but feel a shiver down their spine.
Li Yaotong continued, "So, as long as the ominous disaster is not successfully contained, we must live in constant unrest, on guard at every moment against anyone—family, friends, even ourselves."
The crowd fell silent, then someone asked, "It's strange, among us, there are many Energy Transformation Warriors who have not been controlled by the ominous disaster, but Dante, who is considered in the Pseudo Divine Realm, how could he be controlled by it?"
Everyone was curious about this question, all looking toward Li Yaotong.
Waiting for his explanation.
With a furrowed brow, Li Yaotong pondered for a while before he slowly spoke:
"Indeed, if the ominous disaster had to erode someone among us, it should have chosen San Liu, Nameless, Jian Ruyan first—after all, they are weaker. But now, it's Dante, who is in the Pseudo Divine Realm, that's been controlled. This suggests that the ominous disaster doesn't control people based on their cultivation..."
"If not based on cultivation, then based on what?" asked San Liu.
His face didn't look too good, but he also felt somewhat relieved. After all, Dante, who was supposed to be stronger than him, was the one who fell victim, while he, being the weaker, was spared, a fact that he couldn't help but find frightening.
Li Yaotong replied with some uncertainty, "It's possibly based on willpower, or spiritual power."
Upon hearing Li Yaotong's words, Mu Jinyu instantly felt enlightened and said:
"Oh, I understand now. The ominous disaster and the Tide of Chaos are both intangible, bodiless demons, which suggests they are very likely the residual Spiritual Thoughts, Divine Sense left behind by some ancient Demon Cultivator after passing away.
As they are only Spiritual Thoughts, they constantly seek physical bodies, aiming to seize souls for rebirth.
If the ominous disaster wants to seize a soul, it must necessarily leave some of its Demon Yuan with the host, just to assure if that host can be seized. If the seizing fails, then it abandons the host.
The body abandoned by it, due to the residual Demon Yuan and disturbance of Spiritual Thoughts, would be completely unaware that something has gone wrong."
As she said this, Mu Jinyu looked at the somewhat enlightened crowd and added:
"And since we have cultivated to the God Realm, we have also birthed our own Divine Sense and Spiritual Thoughts, naturally we are not afraid of being eroded by the ominous disaster. As for people like San Liu, even though they're just at the peak of Energy Transformation, their spiritual power is highly concentrated from the journey of cultivation. They're only a step away from breaking through to the God Realm, so they won't be easily eroded by the ominous disaster either!"
"What you're saying makes sense!" Li Yaotong and a few others, hearing Mu Jinyu's explanation, their eyes flickered a few times before they nodded in agreement.
The so-called Divine Sense and Spiritual Thoughts are special soul techniques born only when Martial Artists reach the peak of their cultivation — when Essence, Qi, and Spirit unite and spiritual power highly condenses.
Divine Sense can be projected outward to survey the surroundings, while also allowing the casting of Spiritual Thoughts transmission, Soul Projection, and other unforeseeable techniques.
Warriors of the God Realm are called Terrestrial Immortals precisely because they possess such abilities, which can tap into the forces of heaven and earth, perceive the nearby through Divine Sense. And those who mainly practice Taoist Law can even summon wind and rain; how could they be considered mere mortals?
Ren Xiaoyao glanced at Dante, who had been immobilized by Sheng Rulai with his Zen Staff, and said: "So, does it mean that because Dante, created through Withered Tree Quest for Spring, is a man-made Pseudo Divine Realm being, lacking Divine Sense, and different from us who have tempered through step-by-step cultivation, his insufficient spiritual power cultivation is the reason why, when we all were close to the source of the dark turmoil, only he was eroded by the ominous disaster?"
"Although the explanation is somewhat forced, at least we have a direction, not blindly flailing like a headless fly, clueless," Le Le said.