The copy has 0 error tolerance, and the last words on the ground are all wrong for me.

Chapter 441 Hidden Side Quest
Before the Radish Spirit could recover from the damage from the Heart Inflammation, it was struck by Wu Chang's elbow and rolled away with a wail.

Affected by the heart inflammation, it didn't have time to use its root power to transfer the damage from this elbow strike, and its radish head almost exploded.

A strong fear of death spread through Radish's heart, making it want to escape. But the more fearful it was, the more intense the heart flame burned within it. The more intense the heart flame, the more pain and fear it felt.

In this vicious cycle, the heart inflammation quickly burned through the radish spirit's willpower, causing it to lie motionless on the ground.

Wu Chang came to the radish spirit's head, took out the "Mind Resonance" which was about to be degraded due to the acquisition of Heart Flame, and said to himself.

Whether you survive or not depends on your luck.

After saying that, he activated the Mind Resonance technique and attempted to mentally control the Radish Spirit.

The success rate of the mind control effect of Mind Resonance decreases as the difficulty of the dungeon increases. In many cases, even elite monsters in the dungeon can resist mind control.

The targets that can be controlled have too little energy, they are all small karami; targets with some energy that can play a role, even if they are killed by the mental impact transformed by mental control, cannot be successfully controlled.

This makes the effect of mind resonance increasingly ineffective, and it seems that a certain balance needs to be struck to achieve mind control over higher-level targets.

What Wu Chang is doing right now is one last attempt at Mind Resonance. If that doesn't work, then this item can be considered for retirement.

The light of mind control shone on the radish spirit, but the weak light could not penetrate the skin and enter the body. It seemed to be another failure.

But at that moment, whether it was the Heart Flame that shattered the Radish Spirit's will barrier or its fear of death that led it to cooperate, the skin of the area illuminated by the light broke open on its own, allowing the light of mental control to enter.

A moment later, Wu Chang felt that the skill had been successfully activated and the radish spirit had been successfully controlled, so he put away the Heart Flame.

Having escaped the burning sensation of the heart flame, the radish spirit shrunk its body, reducing its height to half a meter, and respectfully prostrated itself on the ground, calling out:
“Hongxin has seen my Lord.”

Wu Chang nodded in satisfaction and, while the Demon-Suppressing Stele was in effect, inquired about the Demon Realm through Hong Xin.

He had too little information from his own memories, and the intelligence about the Demon Realm was all in the hands of the Human Alliance, which made him uneasy.

Although the Humanitarian Alliance was extremely enthusiastic and seemed very friendly towards the Celestials, the fact that the world dungeon's higher-ups colluded with the Light Society was always a thorn in his side, making him uneasy about the Humanitarian Alliance.

Now that he has the information source of the Hongxin Radish Spirit, he no longer needs to rely on the Human Alliance to grasp the true situation of the Demon Realm.

The demon kings in the demon realm clearly did not have the same methods as Mercury. Hongxin did not need to hide anything from Wu Chang's questions and told him everything directly.

Hongxin looks as plump as a ginseng root, but in reality, she is a mutant ginseng spirit.

It originally grew on a sacred mountain that contained a celestial abode. By absorbing the faint spiritual energy dissipating from the celestial abode, it became so well-nourished that it developed a large stomach that was rare among ordinary ginseng. Before the spiritual energy recovered, it was already close to becoming a spirit.

After the spiritual energy revived, he transformed into a demon and used the nutrients accumulated in his stomach to replenish his brain, instantly awakening his intelligence.

As a ginseng spirit, it lacked combat power in its early stages and could not grow as quickly as other demons like Zhuyin Hai. However, by digging into the immortal abode and absorbing the blessings scattered from the outer perimeter of the immortal abode, it also grew to the level of a demon general.

According to Hongxin, unlike the information available to human cultivators, the Demon Realm did not form suddenly.

A month before the appearance of the Demon Realm, all the demon generals and quasi-demon generals of the Great Xuan were drawn by instinct to gather around Liuyun City. It was a gathering of wise men and women to celebrate this grand event.

This is why, at the very beginning of the turmoil in the demon realm, many top-tier demons exerted their power simultaneously, allowing Liuyun City, one of the three great cities, to be captured by the demons with almost no resistance.

Then, relying on their superior combat strength, the demons expanded the demon realm to such a vast extent before the Human Alliance could react.

Within the Demon Realm, the actual rulers are the Four Demon Kings, who are the four strongest among the demons and gained great benefits when the Demon Realm was created.

Their attributes are earth, wind, water, and fire, respectively. Among them, the Fire Demon King is the Zhu Yin Hai that Wu Chang killed.

The Earth Demon King, also known as the Soil Demon King, is Hongxin's leader. Its true form is a giant rock-armored rhinoceros. Like the Mountain-Suppressing Beast, it is a strange beast within the Great Xuan Realm. It is rumored to possess the Xuanwu bloodline.

Regarding the memories of the inherited body, Wu Chang also inquired about the terrifying demonic power that shocked all cultivators within the Great Xuan Realm at the beginning of the Demon Realm's birth.

Hongxin didn't know much about this, only saying that it was probably because at the beginning of the birth of the Demon Realm, all the demons were blessed by the Demon Realm and their strength collectively increased by half a realm, which caused that fluctuation of demonic power.

As for any further information, Hongxin relied on hearsay and had never personally witnessed it.

Although the four demon kings are all demons, there are also factions among demons, just as there are countless sects within the Human Alliance, and each sect has its own agenda.

The four demon kings were not on good terms; some were even irreconcilable enemies. They could only barely reach a consensus on certain major decisions, such as the battle against the Human Alliance.

As the two exchanged questions and answers, the Demon-Suppressing Stele existed for more than an hour.

Under the influence of the Demon-Suppressing Stele, the human spirit prevailed over the demonic spirit, and all the demonic energy within the territory of Cuiyang County was dispelled.

As the demonic energy dissipated, the oppressive feeling that had been binding Wu Chang's body also vanished, leaving him feeling exceptionally refreshed and as if he had lost two pounds.

He didn't feel it when he first entered the instance, but now that he has entered Cuiyang County and felt the suppression of demonic energy, and is back under the spiritual energy of the human realm, he can clearly feel the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

Bathed in spiritual energy, he felt energy unconsciously flowing into his body, enhancing both the knight's invulnerability shield and his energy recovery speed to some extent.

This is the benefit of humanitarian protection. Even though Wu Chang is not primarily based on the spiritual energy system, as long as he is human, he will receive the benefits of spiritual energy.

Conversely, Hongxin, surrounded by spiritual energy, became extremely uncomfortable. It was already on the verge of a mental breakdown and its spirit was weak. Now, its entire skin was shriveled and wrinkled, almost completely dried up.

Since Eileen wasn't with Zhenwo, he could only take Hongxin away from Cuiyang County and throw her into an area shrouded in demonic energy adjacent to Cuiyang County, letting her heal on her own.

Fortunately, Hongxin is a ginseng spirit with extremely strong vitality. After being buried in the soil for three to five days, the injury will heal.

After burying Hongxin in the ground, Wu Chang returned to Cuiyang County. In accordance with the requirements of the trial mission, he took down the demon-avoiding plaque hanging in the Cuiyang County government office, purified it with the humanistic aura of the demon-suppressing stele, and then rode a white crane back to Zhenyue City.

On the way to Cuiyang County, Wu Chang made use of his good habit of setting up many teleportation arrays along the way, which made his return journey extremely fast. With the help of the white crane, he returned to Zhenyue City in just half an hour.

Wu Chang completed the trial and traveled back and forth in about three hours.

According to the Humanitarian Alliance's procedure for completing the trial, cultivators must first scout the area around the target location, investigate the situation of the demons, set up formations, and prepare various elixirs.

When necessary, it may even be necessary to erect the demon-suppressing monument multiple times and engage in a war of attrition with the demons.

The preparations take anywhere from three to five days to ten days to half a month.

Wu Chang returned too quickly, and when he saw Tao Hexuan again, the latter thought that he had not yet started his operation.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have any questions about the trial mission, or is there anything you need?"

Wu Chang took out the demon-repelling plaque from Cuiyang County and said, "I have successfully cleared away the demonic energy from Cuiyang County."

Tao Hexuan: "Huh?"

He took the demon-repelling plaque from Wu Chang's hand, his expression momentarily dazed, wondering if he had been too absorbed in his midday cultivation, cultivating for two or three days straight.

He knew that Wu Chang was extremely lucky to have chosen the flying mount, the white crane, but he was very familiar with the speed of the white crane. During the time Wu Chang was away, it would not have been enough to make a round trip to Cuiyang County, let alone complete the trial.

The aura within the demon-avoiding talisman was perceptible; it was steady and substantial, with no trace of primordial demonic energy remaining, indicating that it had been completely purified.

"So fast?" He looked at Wu Chang in disbelief.

Wu Chang said, "The culprit in Cuiyang County is a ginseng spirit. Its method of burrowing underground is quite troublesome, but as long as we guard the Demon-Suppressing Stele, we can defeat it with a heavy punch when it leaves the ground and tries to destroy the stele."

Upon hearing this, Tao Hexuan was momentarily at a loss for words. What did he mean by simply guarding the Demon-Suppressing Stele and waiting for the ginseng spirit to appear and be defeated?

It's as simple as eating and drinking. Didn't the Grandmaster who went to Cuiyang County before see that their problem was that they couldn't be defeated?

According to intelligence gathered by previous cultivators who purified demonic energy, the monsters entrenched in Cuiyang County possess immense strength, thick hides, and are elusive.

They usually lurk underground, but once they emerge, they launch a violent impact that is impossible to withstand.

Even using the strongest technique, it can only shatter the monster's outer stone armor and cause some damage. The monster only needs to lie underground, and it will recover completely in half an hour.

Several cultivators went there in succession, including that grandmaster, but they were all blasted out of Cuiyang County by endless impacts before they could even see the true form of the demon.

Seeing Wu Chang speak so casually, Tao Hexuan instantly understood that the celestial being before him was definitely a master.

His strength is probably no less than that of the three Earthly Immortals of the Human Alliance. As expected of a Celestial Being, he has indeed preserved the inheritance that allows him to break through the limitations of a Grandmaster.

A flicker of longing flashed in Tao Hexuan's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and said:
"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment while I return to the alliance to report."

Wu Chang cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Master."

Tao Hexuan left in a hurry, and returned after an incense stick had burned, saying:

"Fellow Daoist, please follow me. The elders of the Human Alliance wish to meet with you."

The reason why Zhenyue City is the central hub of Tianlan Province is not because of its geographical location or its economic development, but because Zhenyue City has been a place for worshipping the earth since ancient times.

Because of Zhenyue City's sacred status, the center of the entire city is a huge temple dedicated to the rites of the land.

As the core of Zhenyue City, Lidi Temple has been used as the headquarters of the Human Alliance's Demon-Slaying Army since the emergence of the Demon Realm, coordinating all actions in Tianlan Province.

Inside the main hall of the Lidi Temple, Wu Chang met the twelve elders of the Humanity Alliance.

The twelve elders are not all grandmasters, but each of them is backed by a powerful sect, representing the twelve most powerful forces in the Great Xuan Dynasty besides the imperial court.

A sect like the Tang Sect, which has suffered severe damage and is depleted of talent, can only be regarded as a protector of the Human Alliance, not an elder, even if its sect leader is at the Grandmaster level.

Wu Chang glanced around and already had a general idea of ​​their skill level.

Simply put, only nine out of the twelve have reached the Grandmaster level, and only six of them can consistently defeat Hongxin.

Without the help of the player's avatar, this level of combat power would be enough to overwhelm even the four demon kings in the demon realm, let alone defeat the demon generals who were expanding their demonic energy in various places.

The only things that caught his attention were the two people sitting in the middle of the hall.

One of them had a knack for preserving his youthful appearance; although his hair and beard were all white, he looked to be only in his early forties.

He had a resolute face with sharp features, wore a blue outfit, had a broad back and a narrow waist, and stood beside him with an exaggeratedly large heavy sword. Although he was not holding the sword and the heavy sword was in its sheath, he and the sword seemed to be a single entity, with their energy still connected.

Wu Chang had seen the swordsman before him in the memories of the Tang Clan leader. The swordsman was Lu Changgeng, the leader of the Divine Sword Sect, one of the hidden sects. He was skilled in both swordsmanship and sword forging, and his sword skills were astonishing.

In Eileen's backstory, she came to Da Xuan and challenged all the masters in the world. The only swordsman she lost to was Lü Changgeng.

The Divine Sword Sect has many experts, and Lü Changgeng is highly skilled in cultivation. He is also a public-spirited and righteous person who makes many friends. As a result, the twelve elders jointly elected him as the leader of the Humanity Alliance.

Wu Chang paid attention to Lü Changgeng not because of Lü Changgeng's identity, but because he sensed a divine aura in this alliance leader that was similar to divinity, yet slightly different from divinity.

An Rong once said that three people from the Human Alliance had obtained the opportunity to become immortals, and Lü Changgeng in front of him was clearly one of them.

Judging from his aura, Lü Changgeng, who had cultivated for decades, was far superior to An Rong.

The leader of the Humanitarian Alliance was a big name, but Wu Chang paid more attention to the middle-aged man in a dragon robe sitting to Lü Changgeng's right.

The fact that someone could wear a dragon robe in Da Xuan meant that the person in question was none other than the Da Xuan Emperor, Emperor Zhaoning.

Wu Chang did not sense any aura of divine destiny in Emperor Zhaoning, but he saw a fortune in him that was no less than that of An Rong.

It was a five-clawed dragon radiating golden light. Within the dazzling golden light, there was not only the power of destiny comparable to that of a chosen one of the planes, but also the human destiny of the Great Xuan Dynasty.

Under Tao Hexuan's introduction, Wu Chang met with a group of high-ranking members of the Dao Alliance. After a brief exchange of pleasantries and Lu Changgeng, representing the Dao Alliance, thanking Wu Chang as a Celestial Being for his willingness to help Da Xuan eliminate the demon, Lu Changgeng and Emperor Zhaoning got down to business.

Before summoning Wu Chang, they had already learned of his amazing achievements from Tao Hexuan, and now they treated Wu Chang as an equal.

To demonstrate the Humanitarian Alliance's sincerity, Lü Changgeng explained the Demon-Slaying Army's operational plan in detail to Wu Chang.

Through Lü Changgeng's description, Wu Changcai learned that the true nature of the Ziwei Exorcising Array was not a simple formation; rather, it was more like a sacrificial ritual.

The Demon-Slaying Army chose Zhenyue City as its headquarters not because it was a large city, but because it was the core of the sacrificial land.

Since ancient times, when the country was prosperous and the people were at peace, the emperor would come to Zhenyue City to offer sacrifices to the earth, in order to express his gratitude for the blessings of the land.

The most important matters of a nation are sacrifice and war. Among them, the sacrifice to the earth is one of the most important, as it can unite the spirit and fortune of the people.

Humans and demons are irreconcilable enemies. After discussion, the Human Alliance decided to borrow the identity of Emperor Zhaoning, the ruler of the world, and defy past traditions to forcibly gather human fortune in the chaotic world where demons roam, in order to break the demonic energy in the demon realm.

Completing the Ziwei Exorcising Array is equivalent to completing the Earth Worship Ceremony.

The initial formation of the Earth Worship Ceremony requires two prerequisites. The first is to ensure that Tianlan Province is temporarily stable, that is, to prevent the demon realm from expanding further.

If more than half of Tianlan Province is under the influence of the demon realm, and the demonic forces in some areas outweigh the human forces, then the earth-worshiping ceremony will naturally be difficult to succeed.

The second prerequisite is that completing the Ziwei Exorcising Array is different from a simple earth-worshiping ceremony. In order for the array to cover Tianlan Province, seven array eyes must be set up.

Each of the seven array eyes is located in a celestial abode. The array eyes can only be completed by thoroughly exploring the celestial abodes and relying on the remaining blessings within them.

Lu Changgeng and Emperor Zhaoning summoned Wu Chang this time to ask him to help them explore one of the immortal abodes.

Exploring the Immortal Abode is a more difficult challenge than the Trial. If exploring the Immortal Abode were easy, the twelve elders of the Human Alliance would not be sitting in the Lidi Temple chatting with Wu Chang, but would be living in the Immortal Abode exploring day and night.

The higher-ups of the Humanitarian Alliance made the dangers of exploring the Immortal Abode very clear, but they were not afraid of Wu Chang's refusal.

Because it is associated with danger, exploring the Immortal Abode is undoubtedly a great opportunity. Whether it is the blessing or the destiny to become an immortal, it all comes from the Immortal Abode.

Given Da Xuan's current state, he must rely on the help of celestial beings to fight against the demons.

But there's no such thing as a free lunch. Celestials aren't fools. They might be kind enough to help Da Xuan for a moment, but if you want them to risk their lives, you have to offer them something in return.

The seven immortal mansions were the reward offered by the Human Alliance to the Celestials.

According to Lü Changgeng, once the Immortal Abode is successfully explored, the Human Alliance will only take the most basic blessings to ensure that the array core can be established. The Human Alliance will not concern itself with how much benefit Wu Chang or other celestial beings can gain from it.

After listening to Lü Changgeng's description, a prompt popped up in Wu Chang's eyes.

"Hidden Side Quest: Explore the Seven Immortal Abodes and help the Human Alliance complete the corresponding array eye of the Ziwei Exorcising Array. There is no penalty for failure. Accept the quest?"

(End of this chapter)