Chongming Sect.
Inheritance Hall.
Above the Vast Blood Sea, hundreds of thousands of Life Soul Lamps burned in silence.
The faintest were no bigger than beans; the brightest blazed like the midday sun. Some hung high, others low, some near, others far, like a mighty river of stars or an endless ocean of light.
The hall stretched into profound depths, swallowed by darkness with no end in sight.
A dozen or so portraits hovered silently. Their subjects looked lifelike, but only indistinct outlines could be made out.
A throne formed from countless resentful faces hovered in midair. The figure seated upon it was hazy and indistinct; one could only vaguely sense that he had his eyes closed in meditation. The aura around him was like the Star Sea, unfathomable.
Many Grand Elders stood beneath the blood throne. Si Hong Hanrong was among them.
A moment later, Su Dai entered with Su Lijing and bowed beneath the throne. "Patriarch, the Sect Master has arrived."
Su Lijing bowed and said, "Su Lijing, Sect Master of the Sacred Sect in this generation, welcomes Patriarch 'Netherblood' out of seclusion."
"I am unworthy of the honor of having led the Sacred Sect for more than two hundred years. I have been constantly on edge, as if treading on thin ice. Fortunately, I have not tarnished the sect's reputation."
"I humbly await your instruction, Patriarch."
Patriarch "Netherblood" did not even open his eyes. He merely nodded faintly.
The two took the hint, fell silent, and stepped aside.
A little while later, two figures, one old and one young, appeared at the entrance.
The old man had a gaunt face and eyes as black as a Specter's; the youth kept his aura restrained and his expression calm.
They were Li Xin and Pei Ling.
The instant they