Taking Over the Faction, Di Tong Arrives

The news of the deaths of Sang Mo, Bai Yin, and the other three protectors had not yet ceased to ripple through the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion when Yun Ce, under the guise of "cleansing the house and stabilizing the order of the mansion," submitted a formal request to the guards of Cha Hong's seclusion chamber to take over the forces and resources left behind by the five. Knowing that Cha Hong was fully committed to his seclusion and had no interest in the trivial affairs of the mansion, and considering Yun Ce's status as the Great Protector and his Void-Piercing Realm cultivation, the guards tacitly approved the request without obstruction.

That very day, Yun Ce took Qin Yu, Black Feather, Zhao Hu, and Li Bao to the cave mansions and guard camps of the five deceased, formally taking control of their forces. Sang Mo had three hundred guards under his command, while the other four controlled twelve hundred; combined with the one thousand guards Yun Ce already managed, he now held sway over twenty-five hundred guards. This accounted for nearly half of the total guard force in the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion, making him a figure of true power within the mansion.

Beyond the guards, Yun Ce also seized the cultivation resources the five had hoarded—vast quantities of spirit stones, medicinal pills, low-grade spirit artifacts, and numerous demonic beast cores and pelts. Among these, what Yun Ce valued most were the corpses of the five, along with those of their twenty guards, as well as their Golden Cores and Nascent Souls. The five were all demonic cultivators; while their original forms were not top-tier beasts, they were all at least at the Golden Core stage. Combined with the remains of the twenty guards, these corpses contained dense demonic power, which would undoubtedly serve as excellent nourishment for the cultivation of Qin Yu and Black Feather.

Upon returning to his own cave mansion, Yun Ce organized all the demonic beast corpses and placed them in the cultivation room. He said to Qin Yu and Black Feather, "Xiao Yu, Xiao Hei, these corpses contain pure blood essence, and with these Golden Cores and Nascent Souls, you two can use them to cultivate and push toward higher realms. Xiao Yu, you can refine and absorb these Golden Cores and Nascent Souls to convert them into Nebula True Qi. Xiao Hei, Dragon Rock, Red Phoenix, you are divine beasts by nature; absorbing demonic power will yield twice the result with half the effort. Strive to break through as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Master!" "Thank you, My Lord!" Qin Yu's eyes were filled with joy, and Black Feather, the Dragon Rock Lion, and the Red Phoenix also sent excited cries and roars through spiritual sense. Qin Yu immediately entered the cultivation room, sat cross-legged, and began to circulate his technique, absorbing the demonic power from Sang Mo's Nascent Soul. A faint Nebula True Qi swirled around Qin Yu, enveloping the Nascent Soul. As the demonic power slowly flowed into his body, the Stellar True Fire produced by the Stellar Transformations technique refined the impurities, leaving only the essence of the Nascent Soul to be converted into his own Nebula True Qi. Meanwhile, Black Feather spread his wings, faint lightning flickering around him; the demonic power flowed into his body like a stream, nourishing his form as his aura slowly climbed.

The Dragon Rock Lion and the Red Phoenix stood guard outside the cultivation room, vigilantly scanning the surroundings to prevent anyone from disturbing Qin Yu and Black Feather. Yun Ce had promised that once they finished refining, the others would be allowed to refine the remaining Golden Cores and beast corpses to boost their own strength. Yun Ce sat in the front hall, contemplating his next moves while secretly circulating his technique to stabilize his own cultivation. Hidden within him was a system, and it came with a core perk: the Master's cultivation would always be two major realms higher than the disciple's. Previously, with Qin Yu at the Golden Core Mid Stage, Yun Ce had been at the Void-Piercing Mid Stage; as soon as Qin Yu broke through, he would be able to advance in sync via the system's benefit.

In the days that followed, Cha Po and Cha Ge began to secretly undermine Yun Ce. First, they tampered with the cultivation resources, intentionally withholding spirit stones and pills from the guards under Yun Ce's command. Then, they sowed discord among the guards, spreading rumors that Yun Ce intended to seize the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion for himself, inciting suspicion against him. They even secretly contacted the Three Black Turtle Brothers and Teng Bi, among other powerful protectors, in an attempt to isolate him.

Zhao Hu and Li Bao reported these matters to Yun Ce one by one, their voices filled with indignation: "Great Protector, Cha Po and Cha Ge have gone too far! They are actually withholding our resources and spreading rumors to sow discord. We should just go and confront them directly!"

Yun Ce smiled faintly and shook his head: "No need. They are merely unwilling to accept the situation and want to cause us some trouble; they dare not truly make an enemy of us yet. With Qin Yu and Xiao Hei currently in seclusion, we should not stir up further trouble and risk disturbing them. We shall endure these minor annoyances for now."

He had his own calculations—with Cha Hong currently in seclusion, Cha Po and Cha Ge, despite their dissatisfaction, lacked the strength to contend with him. This temporary forbearance would allow Qin Yu and Black Feather to cultivate in peace while lulling Cha Po and Cha Ge into a false sense of security. Meanwhile, he could secretly consolidate his own power. Once Qin Yu broke through and he advanced via the system's benefit, he could resolve all these troubles at once.

Subsequently, Yun Ce instructed Zhao Hu and Li Bao to ignore the provocations from Cha Po and Cha Ge for the time being and focus on managing the guard teams. At the same time, he secretly screened for loyal and reliable guards to expand his own personal guard unit. On another front, he quietly reached out to the protectors Yan Qing and Xi Yan. These two were of moderate strength, kept to themselves, and were also quite dissatisfied with the arrogance of Cha Po and Cha Ge. By promising them sufficient benefits, Yun Ce successfully brought them into his fold, further solidifying his position.

Time passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had gone by. During these six months, Qin Yu and Black Feather's cultivation improved steadily, nourished by the demonic beast corpses. Inside the cultivation room, the Nebula True Qi around Qin Yu grew increasingly dense, reaching the threshold of the Golden Core Late Stage. He held his breath, focused his mind, and exerted the Stellar Transformations technique to its limit, converting the last trace of demonic power from Sang Mo's Nascent Soul into his own true qi. He successfully broke through the shackles and officially stepped into the Nebula Late Stage (Golden Core Late Stage).

A flash of wild joy crossed Qin Yu's eyes. Feeling the thick Nebula True Qi within his body, a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth; this breakthrough not only elevated his realm but also brought a qualitative leap in his combat power. Beside him, Black Feather also broke through his shackles at the same time, successfully reaching the Golden Core Late Stage. His physical form became even more formidable, and his lightning power grew sharper; even without releasing his divine beast aura, he could easily crush other demonic cultivators of the same realm.

Almost at the exact moment Qin Yu broke through, a crisp system notification sounded in the mind of Yun Ce, who was in the front hall: [Ding! Detected that disciple Qin Yu has broken through to the Golden Core Late Stage. Triggering the system's core perk—the Master's cultivation is always two major realms higher than the disciple's. Automatically elevating host Yun Ce's cultivation!] [Ding! Congratulations to host Yun Ce for successfully advancing from the Void-Piercing Mid Stage to the Void-Piercing Late Stage!] [Ding! Activating aura-masking function to shield the host's breakthrough fluctuations, preventing exposure and detection by the outside world.]

Yun Ce felt a stir in his heart as he sensed his internal true qi surge instantly. A power far more profound than before swept through his entire body, and his Void-Piercing Late Stage cultivation took firm root. The pressure around him grew heavier, yet it was firmly suppressed by the system, not leaking a single shred. He slowly opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. The system's benefit had indeed taken effect as promised; as Qin Yu broke through to the Golden Core Late Stage, he had synchronized to the Void-Piercing Late Stage, exactly two major realms higher than Qin Yu.

Although the Dragon Rock Lion and the Red Phoenix were guarding nearby, they only vaguely sensed a change in Yun Ce's aura without perceiving the fluctuations of a breakthrough, nor did they know his specific realm. Yun Ce was secretly delighted; with his current strength, he had the power to fight even against the core members of the Nine Sha Hall.

The guard teams under Yun Ce's command, managed by Zhao Hu and Li Bao, became increasingly disciplined, and their combat effectiveness improved significantly. The twenty-five hundred guards had become an elite force, loyal to Yun Ce. The provocations from Cha Po and Cha Ge were gradually neutralized by Yun Ce. Though the two were unwilling to accept this, they were helpless and could only slowly restrain themselves, not daring to provoke him easily—they still assumed Yun Ce was at his previous Void-Piercing Early Stage and had not noticed that his cultivation had quietly risen.

Just as the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion was gradually returning to calm and Yun Ce was preparing to further consolidate his control over the mansion's forces, a powerful wave of demonic power emanated from the sea area outside the Crimson Blood Territory. This wave was extremely overbearing and carried a cold pressure that instantly enveloped the entire Crimson Blood Territory, causing every demonic cultivator within the mansion to feel a sense of trepidation.

"What is this aura? So powerful!"

"This pressure... it is definitely not from an ordinary demonic cultivator. Could it be that a powerhouse from another faction has come to provoke us?"

The guards and protectors within the mansion looked at each other with fear, whispering in confusion. Cha Po and Cha Ge also felt this powerful aura; their expressions turned grave instantly, and they hurried out of the mansion, looking toward the outskirts of the Crimson Blood Territory.

Yun Ce stood with his hands behind his back at the mansion window, gazing toward the outskirts of the Crimson Blood Territory. A flash of realization crossed his eyes—this aura carried the dominance of a flood dragon and contained dense Sha Qi; it was certainly not an ordinary demonic beast. It was likely that someone from the Nine Sha Hall had arrived. He deliberately suppressed his own aura, maintaining the facade of the Void-Piercing Early Stage to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

Before long, a figure stepped across the seawater and slowly flew toward the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion. The man wore a deep blue robe and had a handsome face, yet he carried a cold, murderous air. His body radiated demonic power fluctuations of the Void-Piercing Mid Stage, even more overbearing than Cha Hong's aura. Around him, faint purple spiritual light swirled, and one could vaguely see the phantom of a flood dragon. This was the eighth brother of the Nine Sha Hall, Di Tong.

The Nine Sha Hall was named for the nine Purple Sha Flood Dragons. These dragons were creatures extremely close to divine beasts, gifted with innate talent and formidable combat power. A single Purple Sha Flood Dragon could easily crush five or six immortal cultivators of the same realm, and the nine of them working together were unstoppable, making the Nine Sha Hall one of the three major powers of the seabed, dominating the surrounding sea area.

Di Tong had not come to the Crimson Blood Territory to provoke them, but rather because he had heard rumors—it was said that Cha Hong, the master of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion, had obtained a clue to the key of the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion, specifically the black jade box that held the jade sword. The Nine Swords Immortal Mansion was a place of opportunity left behind by an immortal, containing endless treasures and techniques. The nine brothers of the Nine Sha Hall had been searching for the key to the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion for a long time, hoping to obtain the opportunities within. Upon hearing the news, Di Tong had rushed over to investigate.

Di Tong landed slowly in front of the main gate of the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion, his gaze sweeping over the mansion with a hint of disdain—in his eyes, the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion was merely a small force under the Nine Sha Hall and was not worth his attention. However, just as he was about to force his way into the mansion to search for clues regarding the key, he sensed two different demonic power fluctuations within, along with an underlying atmosphere of conflict.

He quietly spread his divine sense, instantly grasping the situation within the mansion—Yun Ce controlled the majority of the guards and appeared to be at the Void-Piercing Early Stage (as Yun Ce had deliberately hidden his strength), while Cha Po and Cha Ge, despite being deputy masters, were isolated. The two harbored dissatisfaction toward Yun Ce and were secretly guarding against each other, clearly in the midst of an internal struggle. He did not notice that Yun Ce had already broken through to the Void-Piercing Late Stage, nor did he know that Qin Yu and Black Feather had also quietly advanced, or that the Dragon Rock Lion and the Red Phoenix had significantly improved their power through refining Golden Cores.

A playful smile curled the corners of Di Tong's mouth, and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes: "I didn't expect such a good show of internal strife in a tiny Crimson Blood Cave Mansion. Very well, I shall see what interesting things this internal struggle might trigger."

The guards outside the mansion gate were already trembling with fear under Di Tong's pressure, lacking the courage to even step forward to block him. They could only watch helplessly as Di Tong stood before the gate, looking over the mansion with a mocking expression.

Cha Po and Cha Ge rushed to the gate. Seeing Di Tong, their faces turned pale instantly. They hurriedly bowed and saluted, their tone excessively respectful: "Subordinates Cha Po (Cha Ge) pay our respects to Prince Di Tong! We did not know of your arrival at the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion and failed to welcome you properly. We beg for your forgiveness, Prince!"

They knew well the terror of the Nine Sha Hall and were even more aware of Di Tong's strength. Even if Cha Hong were not in seclusion, he might not be a match for Di Tong, let alone the two of them. Facing Di Tong, they could only bow their heads in submission, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Di Tong glanced at them coldly, his tone filled with disdain: "No need for formalities. Tell me, where is Cha Hong? I heard he obtained a clue to the key of the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion. Is it true?"

Cha Po and Cha Ge felt a chill in their hearts; they had not expected Di Tong to come specifically for the key to the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion. The two exchanged a glance, their faces showing signs of distress—Cha Hong was currently in seclusion breaking the Dust-Removing Restriction. If they told Di Tong this, it would likely invite even greater trouble, but if they did not, they would certainly offend him.

Just as the two hesitated, Yun Ce walked over slowly. He stood with his hands behind his back beside them, looking at Di Tong with a calm gaze, his tone gentle yet neither humble nor overbearing: "Lord Di Tong, the Cave Master is currently in seclusion and is not receiving guests. As for the clue to the key of the Nine Swords Immortal Mansion, it is merely a rumor from the outside world with no factual basis. I ask that you investigate the matter clearly."

Di Tong's gaze fell upon Yun Ce, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes—he could sense that Yun Ce's cultivation was at the Void-Piercing Early Stage. To hold such a high position in the Crimson Blood Cave Mansion and possess such a composed demeanor was indeed not simple. He had no idea that the Great Protector before him, who appeared to be at the Void-Piercing Early Stage, was actually a powerhouse at the Void-Piercing Late Stage, one minor realm higher than himself.

The mockery at the corners of Di Tong's mouth deepened as his gaze swept back and forth between Yun Ce, Cha Po, and Cha Ge, his tone playful: "Oh? The Cave Master is in seclusion, the Great Protector holds power, and two deputy masters are harboring dissatisfaction... It seems the good show in this Crimson Blood Cave Mansion has only just begun."