Flickering candlelight swayed within the hall, and dim shadows slowly slithered across the coiled-dragon stone pillars, as though ancient dragons sleeping within a dream had turned over.
Qin Gu raised both hands high above his brows, respectfully presenting a roster made of beast hide.
His movements were exceedingly slow, as though what he held was not a list, but the lifeblood of the entire Dark Blood Jiaolong Clan.
"Clan Leader, these are the names of the various Demon Cultivators who have recently applied to join our Dark Blood Jiaolong Clan. Please review them personally." Qin Gu's voice was calm.
"There are one hundred and fifty-eight Demon Cultivators in the Ancestral Return Realm, and twelve in the Demon Saint Realm."
As he said this, Qin Gu slightly raised his head, and a complex expression flickered through his eyes.
If it had been before, why would the Dark Blood Jiaolong Clan need to make such a grand show of recruiting outside Demon Cultivators?
The young men of the clan possessed pure bloodlines and extraordinary gifts. When had it not been other Demon Cultivators breaking their heads to cling to them? But now...
Qin Gu sighed inwardly and did not voice those sorrowful thoughts.
Above, Ao Jianlie rose from his throne, his towering body casting a long shadow beneath the candlelight.
He took the roster and gently traced the patterns on its jiaolong-hide cover with his fingertips. After a moment of silence, he slowly opened it.
Every name on the roster had been meticulously recorded in tiny, neat script. Beside each was a line of smaller text noting that Demon Cultivator's origins, cultivation, past achievements, and the conclusions several clan elders had reached after investigating their background.
Ao Jianlie read very slowly, his gaze moving line by line, while his brow drew tighter