Lin Yuan had already arrived at the Research Institute of Emperor Dragon City, where he met the director.

Inside the laboratory, the director fixed a piercing gaze on Lin Yuan and asked, "Are you sure about this?"

Before engraving the Eighteen Layers of Hell onto Lin Yuan’s soul, the director wanted to confirm with him once more.

This time, the director’s success rate, at best, was only about eighty percent, which meant there was still a twenty percent chance of failure.

If it failed, Lin Yuan would definitely die on the spot.

At this point, Lin Yuan had no way out.

Unless he was willing to be stuck at Tier Four for life, there was no way to gain greater power or break through without risking danger.

"Do it!"

"Director, I trust you!" Lin Yuan said sincerely.

Even though the director was a Good Corpse transformed from the World Honored, Lin Yuan still believed in him.

Since Lin Yuan himself was not afraid of failure, the director had nothing more to say.

The engraving of the Eighteen Layers of Hell required filthy Power of Faith as ink.

This was entirely different from carving the Ten Yama Kings tattoos onto the soul; this time, every step demanded utmost caution and care.

In the Real World, as Lin Yuan was engraving the Eighteen Layers of Hell tattoo onto his soul, in the Mysterious World, a cataclysmic change was unfolding.

...

...

Within the Mysterious World.

Wu Nengsheng used Guangmu Heaven and Zengzhang Heaven to provoke internal strife within the sect, and his plan worked remarkably well.

The infighting within the sect, coupled with sabotage from natives who escaped the City of Sin, was growing more and more intense.

These were old monsters and demons who had cultivated for a thousand, even several thousand years—who among them didn’t have relatives or friends?

Those who died in the infighting, their relatives and friends would certainly seek vengeance.

Thus, the covert backstabbing escalated into open, large-scale brawls.

It must be known—the World Honored One Sect was the number one sect in the Mysterious World.

Back when the World Honored reincarnated, his followers scattered like tossed beans all throughout the Mysterious World.

Now, the fighting was not confined to any one region—it was chaos everywhere in the Mysterious World.

In a short span, at least thirty percent of the sect members of the World Honored One Sect had died in the infighting.

Things had reached this point, and Wu Nengsheng was very satisfied.

If this kept up, the World Honored One Sect would be destroyed, and become a major obstacle on the World Honored’s path to enlightenment.

Moreover, Wu Nengsheng was not afraid of the World Honored taking action against him.

First, the chance of his involvement being exposed was slim; even if he was exposed, the World Honored might not dare to genuinely act against him.

If the World Honored revealed his true form, he would surely be besieged by the masses.

So, before making a move on Wu Nengsheng, the World Honored had to consider whether killing Wu Nengsheng at the cost of ruining his own path to enlightenment was really worth it.

Wu Nengsheng’s dojo.

At this moment, Lian Huasheng stood in front of Wu Nengsheng, pleading, "Honored One, the brothers of the sect have already fought themselves into madness."

"Who knows how many brothers have already fallen to mutual slaughter."

"The World Honored once decreed that our sect brothers must not kill each other—such infighting is our gravest taboo!"

"I beg you, Honored One, please intervene and put a stop to it!"

Lian Huasheng was regarded as one of the more rational and clever ones within the sect.

Although he was on good terms with the four brothers of Chiguo Heaven, he did not participate in the carnage.

Seeing the absurd conflict spin out of control, he immediately came to seek out Wu Nengsheng to quell the infighting.

Lian Huasheng’s mind was clear; he knew that with the World Honored not showing himself, only Wu Nengsheng and Peacock Great Ming King could stop the conflict.

Lian Huasheng had already been to Peacock Great Ming King; after all, this battle started due to Chiguo Heaven’s four brothers and Tiger Robe Ming King.

Nominally, both Chiguo Heaven’s four brothers and Tiger Robe Ming King were under the management of Peacock Great Ming King.

Unfortunately, Peacock Great Ming King had sealed his mountain and refused to meet anyone.

Lian Huasheng waited outside Peacock Great Ming King’s dojo for a long time, but was not admitted at all.

Helpless, Lian Huasheng could only come to beg Wu Nengsheng.

He was right to seek out Wu Nengsheng.

The entire conflict was started by Wu Nengsheng; in fact, Guangmu Heaven and Zengzhang Heaven were still trapped inside his bowl.

If Wu Nengsheng wanted to stop the fighting, he could resolve it in a matter of minutes.

However, he had worked so hard to incite the internal struggle—why would he let it end so easily?

Lian Huasheng had come all the way to his dojo; Wu Nengsheng obviously could no longer feign ignorance.

If he continued pretending to be deaf and indifferent, it would look very suspicious.

"Alas!"

"This internecine strife is bizarre beyond measure and difficult to unravel. Peacock Great Ming King sealed his mountain out of fear of entangling with karma."

"Lian Huasheng, you should know—at our level, the stronger one’s power, the more wary of karma one must be."

"Even the smallest speck of karma can become a mountain on our path of cultivation!" Wu Nengsheng said slowly, his tone heavy.

Upon hearing Wu Nengsheng’s words, Lian Huasheng’s face changed; he wondered if Wu Nengsheng, like Peacock Great Ming King, would refuse to intervene.

But having come this far, Lian Huasheng could not easily give up.

"Honored One, we’re all brothers!"

"We did not die to the enemy, but to fratricide—my heart cannot bear it."

"Besides, when the World Honored returns, how will we answer to him?" Lian Huasheng pleaded word for word, his tone earnest.

Wu Nengsheng thought to himself, always invoking the World Honored—if you have the guts, why don’t you ask him to mediate?

Although Wu Nengsheng had long known that Lian Huasheng was a diehard fan of the World Honored,

still, hearing Lian Huasheng invoke the World Honored thrice in three sentences, Wu Nengsheng felt annoyed.

Annoyed as he was, Wu Nengsheng could not show it.

"Since you have come to me, I cannot ignore this."

"Take my decree and order both sides to cease fighting and return to their dojos."

"Let this matter be wholly erased!" As he spoke, Wu Nengsheng pressed his fingers together, sword-like, and wrote in the Void.

Burst after burst of golden light shimmered, forming a decree in Lian Huasheng’s hands.

This decree was Wu Nengsheng’s official edict, representing his position.

"Thank you, Honored One!" Lian Huasheng was overjoyed upon receiving Wu Nengsheng’s decree.

In his eyes, Wu Nengsheng was the sect’s second-in-command; with the World Honored absent, his word was law.

Now with Wu Nengsheng’s decree, he could use it to order both sides to stop fighting.

Wu Nengsheng kept a straight face and waved his hand, "All right! You may go!"

"The reading of the decree will be your responsibility."

His purpose achieved, Lian Huasheng did not linger; holding Wu Nengsheng’s decree, he went forth to announce the order and command both sides to cease fighting.