Myriad Demon Sect

Chapter 13: Myriad Demon Sect

Aboard the Flying Skiff, the many ferocious beasts trembled with fear and unease. Fortunately, they remained peaceful with one another, and Chen Lin was able to set his mind at ease for the moment. He closed his eyes and entered a meditative state to cultivate. At least for now, the two men showed no intention of taking their lives. From what they had said, it even seemed that a considerable opportunity awaited them.

And so, two days passed in darkness inside the gaunt man's sleeve. They were let out several times along the way, and each time, more ferocious beasts were captured and brought aboard the Flying Skiff. Finally, after two days, the Flying Skiff was released once more. This time, however, they seemed to have arrived somewhere special.

Clouds and mist swirled around them, and towering cliffs rose like walls!

Everywhere he looked, countless sheer peaks and precipices pierced the clouds. Cliffs jutted out like halberds, ancient trees clung to their sides, and verdant green covered the mountains. Atop the cliffs, several enormous waterfalls, like jade dragons, plunged down from the sky like rivers of silver, roaring thunderously. And in the deepest reaches of the clouds above, splendid towers and jade palaces loomed in and out of sight. Strangely, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed deep within the clouds, as if an unparalleled ferocious beast lurked there.

It was majestic and imposing, its presence overwhelming!

A sense of awe welled up in Chen Lin's heart. Behind him, every ferocious beast was so frightened it scarcely dared to breathe. Though their intelligence was low, instinct told them to fear and submit.

The Myriad Demon Sect!

"All of you, get down!"

Wu Lan paid no mind to the ferocious beasts' astonishment. He shouted, green flames flickering in his eyes. Under his threat, the creatures aboard the Flying Skiff obediently disembarked and prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to move.

Nearby, Qiu Ming slapped his waist, sending a silver jade slip flying out. His lips moved as he said something to it, and then the slip transformed into a streak of silver light and shot through the air.

Half an incense stick later, an enormous black staircase suddenly descended from the deepest reaches of the clouds, extending all the way to Qiu Ming's feet.

The two men paid it no mind and drove Chen Lin and the other ferocious beasts up the staircase.

Once all the beasts had stepped onto it, the entire black staircase suddenly billowed with clouds and mist, shrouding everything. Chen Lin's heart lurched. He felt the wind howl past his ears, and after a few breaths, his vision suddenly brightened. They had arrived atop a vast structure resembling a plaza.

The plaza covered nearly a hundred mu and was paved with blue-gray stone, arranged in a pleasing pattern. It was grand and imposing! At regular intervals, strange statues stood scattered across the plaza, and at its very center towered a structure resembling an altar.

Below the altar lay an enormous blood pool. Blood churned within it, faintly tinting the entire sky red!

The plaza was packed with ferocious beasts, nearly filling it to capacity. These creatures, normally so savage, could only crouch on the ground in terror and submission, not daring to make the slightest move.

"Haha! I was wondering who had arrived. Turns out it's two good-for-nothings from the Nether Spring Branch!"

The moment Chen Lin and the others arrived, an odd, grating voice rang out nearby.

Wu Lan and Qiu Ming's expressions darkened at the sound. They turned their gloomy gazes toward the speaker.

The one who had spoken was a dwarf of a man, barely five feet tall. He looked bizarre and wore a flippant expression, while purple patterns writhed across his face. Two companions stood beside him, and behind them was another group of ferocious beasts of varying cultivation levels.

Qiu Ming looked deeply displeased. The dwarf's mockery had drawn the attention of the other disciples on the plaza. When they saw the two men, every face was filled with contempt or eager anticipation of a spectacle. This made Qiu Ming's already gloomy expression look even worse. He immediately shouted, "Zhuo Long! The Nether Spring Branch may be in decline, but your Nine Yin Branch is no better. We're both at the very bottom of the Seventy-Two Branches of Myriad Demon. What gives you the right to call my brother and me good-for-nothings?"

"Hmph! Even in decline, my Nine Yin Branch is still far stronger than your Nether Spring Branch. You two are nothing more than a mongrel hyena and a green-haired mastiff who became demons. The Heavenly Demon blood in your bodies is nothing but common-grade blood, yet the Nether Spring Branch still took you in. It seems the Nether Spring Branch, once famed across the Nanli Continent centuries ago, has truly fallen. Haha!"

Zhuo Long's gaze was vicious as he mocked them loudly, clearly harboring some grudge against Qiu Ming and his companion.

"Little worm, you really think you're a dragon just because they call you Zhuo Long? You merely possess a trace of the Heavenly Demon 'Kui Water Thunder Dragon's' blood. What gives you the right to look down on us?"

Wu Lan sneered. Green flames danced in his eyes, and green fur rapidly sprouted across his palms. His aura grew even more imposing.

"What did you say?"

At the words "little worm," the mocking expression on Zhuo Long's face immediately darkened. His hands, clasped behind his back, shifted slightly, and a streak of Sword Qi rose into the air like a coiling dragon. Sword winds hissed, silver arcs crackled around it, and its aura was astonishing. It seemed that if they failed to see eye to eye, he would strike at once. "Hmph! Wu Lan, Qiu Ming, you stole my fortune during the Demon Prison trial. Last time, you got lucky and escaped. If you have the guts now, settle this on the Life-Death Arena! Do you dare or not?!"

Wu Lan and Qiu Ming's expressions changed slightly. The Life-Death Arena was where disciples of the Myriad Demon Sect settled matters to the death. If disciples had an irreconcilable feud, either could challenge the other to a match there. Life and death were both at stake.

Chen Lin was secretly alarmed by Zhuo Long's presence. His Sword Qi was so sharp that a single strike could kill Chen Lin without leaving a trace. Zhuo Long seemed even stronger than Wu Lan and Qiu Ming.

Wu Lan and Qiu Ming looked grim, but they dared not answer. They clearly knew that stepping onto the Life-Death Arena meant risking death, so they kept silent.

"Cowards!" Zhuo Long's eyes showed contempt. His two companions burst into laughter, while jeers rose all around them. Everyone looked at Wu Lan and Qiu Ming with arrogant disdain and mockery.

Qiu Ming's face turned deathly pale with fury. Wu Lan's hair bristled with rage, and he was about to shout when a low command suddenly rang out from the altar, choking off the words in his throat.

"Silence!"

On the altar stood a man with a towering bearing, thick black brows, and long hair tied high. As his eyes opened and closed slightly, cold light flashed within them!

He appeared to be a man past fifty, yet his bearing was extraordinary. "The Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony will begin in half an hour. The leaders of the Seventy-Two Branches and all the grandmasters will gather here then. If you have grievances, settle them afterward on the Life-Death Arena. Do not make a disturbance here!"

"Elder Chu Duanyu of the Punishment Hall!"

At the sight of the man, the disciples below fell silent, not daring to make a sound. Even Zhuo Long quickly extinguished his arrogance, his imposing aura vanishing completely as he bowed his head respectfully. Still, his eyes remained vicious as he glanced sidelong at Wu Lan and Qiu Ming.

Chen Lin stared at the imposing man on the altar, feeling that the man's aura was as profound as an abyss. A single breath from him could snuff out Chen Lin's life. But what occupied Chen Lin's thoughts was the "Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony" he had mentioned. Clearly, that was why Wu Lan and Qiu Ming had brought them here.

"The Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony..."

Chen Lin's eyes flickered as he quietly turned the words over in his mind. His gaze settled on the strange blood pool in the center. Clearly, this was the blood pool they had been talking about.

A little while later, black clouds suddenly gathered above the altar. Nearly a hundred figures appeared there one after another. They were all different in appearance, but every one of them was unfathomable, surrounded by an oppressive aura that soared skyward, as if it could scatter the clouds above!

After exchanging a few words, they each took their seats.

At the very front of the altar sat several figures. Their unfathomable eyes were fixed steadily on the densely packed ferocious beasts below.

"Hmph! Our Demon Race has truly fallen. With so many ferocious beasts here, not a single one has broken through to the Sea Opening Realm through its own cultivation!"

At the very front, a middle-aged man who looked gaunt but radiated an imposing aura gave a cold snort. He was clearly dissatisfied with the beasts below.

"Heh, though there are no ferocious beasts in the Sea Opening Realm, there are still a few promising ones. That little scorpion looks quite extraordinary to me. It even seems to carry the aura of the Heavenly Demon 'Mystic Bone Poison Scorpion.' If its aptitude is good, my Bone Sealing Branch will claim it first. I hope none of you will contend with me."

The speaker was an old man. He was tall, with a head of silver hair, yet showed none of the frailty of age. A silver sigil gleamed between his brows, and his aura was extraordinary.