Mysterious Figure Behind the Scenes

In Zhongzhou, the land where the four great imperial dynasties reigned supreme, it was vast and boundless, with outstanding people and fertile land, rich and powerful.

Between a spiritual vein that stretched for a thousand miles, the Extreme Yin Sect was situated on the most resource-rich mountain peak.

At the summit of the immortal mountain, within the most magnificent palace, Zhang Huan sat on a luxurious main seat crafted from gold, silver, jade, and stone, gazing indifferently into the sea of clouds.

Dozens of figures stood respectfully below, their faces expressionless, as if their souls had been ripped out, mechanically awaiting orders.

This was the lair of the Old Saint that Zhang Huan had encountered in Saint City.

The higher-ups of the Extreme Yin Sect below had all had their minds refined and had become puppets. Zhang Huan had also perused their memories.

Thousands of years ago, another orthodox sect had been located here, a significant power within a thousand-mile radius.

When the Sect Master of the Extreme Yin Sect became a Saint, he took a liking to this place, used his power to oppress them, forcefully seized the land, annihilated the orthodox sect, and established the Extreme Yin Sect here.

It had continued ever since, with the Extreme Yin Sect growing increasingly powerful, annexing dozens of orthodox sects, and firmly occupying the thousand-mile territory until this day.

The Sect Master's identity had never been revealed to anyone, and his actions were mysterious. He had been continuously amassing resources, taking some away from time to time.

Although the higher-ups had questions, none dared to speak. A trace of their primordial soul had long been controlled by the Old Saint, their lives not their own, leaving them no choice but to let the Old Saint act as he pleased.

"This Extreme Yin Sect has long been controlled by the Ruthless Bloodline, held by the Old Saint, who has been plundering resources for over a thousand years."

From the Old Saint's memories, Zhang Huan knew that this single force alone had provided an immense amount of supplies, with countless Origins and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, more than a thousand times the Old Saint's personal wealth.

And the Ruthless Bloodline controlled an unknown number of forces. The old monsters of Saint City knew of three or four such forces, and the resources they plundered were beyond measure.

These controlled forces were collectively referred to as branch sects, their primary task being to occupy territory and plunder local resources.

With so many resources piled up, it was no wonder the mysterious Saint King's strength was so formidable. Zhang Huan even suspected that there were more Saint-level powerhouses within the Ruthless Bloodline.

"I've already buried all the useful things I have on me on the hills surrounding the Desolate Ancient Forbidden Land, so I'm not afraid of any accidents."

Zhang Huan muttered to himself. Before coming here, he had given everything he had cut from Saint City, along with a portion of his wealth, to his main body, creating a ruin that only he knew how to open.

Although he had an Emperor Weapon to fall back on and no worries about his life, he had still left some life-saving items for his future main body as a precaution against future trouble.

Zhang Huan sought out the Ruthless Bloodline to get them to cooperate in revealing the method of forming a Demonic Embryo and the secrets of the Indestructible Heavenly Art.

Such a demand, which touched upon fundamental principles, made Zhang Huan realize that even he wouldn't agree if he were in their shoes, so the Ruthless Bloodline would naturally react the same way. Therefore, a fight was inevitable, and Zhang Huan had no intention of resolving it peacefully.

The Demonic Jar originated from the Ruthless Emperor. Zhang Huan wondered if the Ruthless Bloodline had a method to awaken the Emperor Weapon's spirit. If there was a blood sacrifice or something similar that caused the spirit to rebel, the situation would be completely reversed.

However, he presumed they wouldn't have such a method. If they did, they would have already seized it from the Great Bandit and others in later generations, so why would they allow others to wield the Ruthless Emperor's Emperor Weapon so arrogantly?

"They're here!"

Zhang Huan's heart stirred. The inscription on the black ancient token became deeper, emitting a dark luster and exuding wisps of demonic energy, forming a few words.

This was a communication method from the Old Saint's memories. Every time the mysterious person arrived, the token would react, informing him of the location, and the meeting place was different each time.

"They're quite cautious. They must have already made preparations to flee."

Watching the small words formed by demonic energy dissipate, Zhang Huan imagined that the other party was so cautious likely because they had suffered losses in this regard before and were prepared.

The old monsters of Saint City had mentioned things like this.

If he couldn't capture them with overwhelming force at that moment, some unforeseen event might occur.

Zhang Huan transformed into the appearance of the Old Saint, concealing the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar in his sleeve, his eyes flickering.

Skimming over mountains and rivers, a beam of holy light flew through the air and landed in a peach orchard.

This place was sparsely populated, with peach trees covering the mountainside, their blossoms in full bloom, creating a scene of falling petals, an ideal place for seclusion.

"Esteemed senior."

A withered old man with a hunched back walked over, leaning on a cane.

"Are you the one who accepted the appointment? A senior asked me to give you something."

The old man showed no trace of magical power fluctuations. He spoke to Zhang Huan with a trembling voice, appearing to be a victim caught in the middle.

"Heh, it's a puppet after all."

Zhang Huan sneered inwardly. The mastermind behind this was indeed cunning.

His eyes pierced through, discerning that the old man had long since become a puppet, controlled by someone else. His frightened demeanor was merely an act; his eyes were dead and devoid of any panic.

Taking out a storage bag, Zhang Huan didn't act rashly. He scanned the surroundings with his spiritual sense, trying to locate the other party's whereabouts.

"Ah, thank you, senior, thank you, senior."

The old man quickly bowed and thanked him, then slowly began to walk down the mountain.

Normally, at this point, the Old Saint's transaction would be complete. To avoid revealing any flaws, Zhang Huan didn't linger and transformed into a beam of holy light, disappearing into the sky.

He split off a divine being from his palace and ordered it to return to the Extreme Yin Sect. Zhang Huan stood tens of thousands of miles in the sky, observing quietly.

He suspected that the other party was still confirming his movements, otherwise, they wouldn't have remained hidden. They were likely still being wary.

"It doesn't matter. As long as I keep a close watch, I'll eventually find an opportunity."

Zhang Huan believed he hadn't shown any flaws. As long as he waited, the other party would eventually reveal themselves.

The clone also took the form of the Old Saint, suppressing its cultivation to the Saint realm. The clone was as conspicuous as a great sun, its saintly might rumbling, and it swaggered back to the palace.

The old man was still walking with his cane at this moment. He looked up in the direction of the Extreme Yin Sect, opened the storage bag to check its contents, and then suddenly leaped into the air, flying towards the Eastern Wasteland.

"Catch him!"

Seeing this, Zhang Huan immediately concealed his figure and quietly followed behind.

After constantly winding and weaving, and flying for a day and a night, the puppet entered a cliff face.

Sensing with his Spiritual Sense, he found that a Saint King was indeed hidden inside, along with over ten puppets, all like the old man. The resources in their storage bags were casually dumped in the cave, piled up like small mountains, emitting brilliant colors.

Just in Zhongzhou, there were so many branch locations, which made Zhang Huan gasp. He knew that the Big Dipper was under the watch of Supreme Dao forces. To develop to this extent, it was no wonder the Ruthless Bloodline rose in later generations; they truly had their unique methods.

"That old bull-nosed Daoist from Green Ox Temple is getting more and more out of hand. Relying on some contributions, he even dares to demand the Indestructible Heavenly Art. Does he have such a big appetite that he's not afraid of bursting!"

The middle-aged man in the cave cursed with a frown, clearly displeased.

"This beast, he's just a dog I raised, and now he dares to bite his master. I can't let him live."

The man sneered, as if he had already figured out how to kill the other party, his eyes full of killing intent.

Green Ox Temple, Zhang Huan remembered that this was also a major force in Zhongzhou. There was a Saint who was the old Daoist Green Ox mentioned by the man in the cave.

However, he had heard that this Saint specialized in Daoist magic, was close to nature, and would break through whenever he reached the end of his lifespan. His cultivation technique was divine and mysterious, yet he didn't expect it to be the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art.