Myriad Demon Sect

Chapter 13: Myriad Demon Sect

Aboard the flying vessel, the various fierce beasts trembled in terror, filled with unease. Fortunately, things remained peaceful, and Chen Lin finally set his mind at ease. He closed his eyes, entered a meditative state, and began to cultivate. At the very least, it seemed the two men had no intention of taking their lives for now; judging by their words, there was even a significant opportunity awaiting them.

And so, two days passed in the sunless darkness of the thin man's sleeve. They were released a few times during the journey, and each time, more fierce beasts were snatched up onto the vessel. Finally, after two days, the vessel was released once more, though this time, they seemed to have arrived at a peculiar place.

Clouds swirled, and thousands of sheer cliffs stood like walls!

As far as the eye could see, countless towering peaks and precipices vanished into the clouds. The cliffs were like spears, tangled with ancient trees, the mountains lush and verdant. At the summits, several massive waterfalls, like jade dragons, hung inverted like the waters of the Milky Way, roaring with thunderous sound. In the deepest reaches of the sky, jade towers and pavilions were faintly visible, hidden within grand palaces. Strangely, deep within the clouds, there were faint flashes of lightning and rumbling thunder, as if some peerless, ferocious beast lay in wait.

Grand and majestic, the atmosphere was overwhelming!

A sense of awe welled up from within Chen Lin's heart. Behind him, all the fierce beasts dared not even breathe; though their intelligence was low, they instinctively felt fear and submission.

Myriad Demon Sect!

"All of you, get down!"

Wu Lan cared little for the shock of the beasts on the vessel. He let out a sharp shout, his eyes glowing with eerie green flames. Cowing to his intimidation, the creatures on the vessel obediently disembarked and prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to move.

Beside him, Qiu Ming tapped his waist, and a silver jade slip flew out. He muttered something to it, and the slip transformed into a silver rainbow, piercing through the air.

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

The two men didn't hesitate, driving Chen Lin and the other beasts onto the stairs.

Once all the beasts had stepped onto the staircase, it suddenly erupted with billowing clouds and mist, obscuring everything. Chen Lin felt a jolt of alarm, hearing only the whistling wind in his ears. After a few more breaths, his vision cleared, and he found himself on a massive, plaza-like structure.

The plaza covered nearly a hundred acres, paved with blue-gray stone, arranged in an orderly and magnificent fashion. At regular intervals, strange statues stood tall, and in the very center of the plaza, a sacrificial altar-like structure loomed high.

Beneath the altar lay a massive blood pool, where waves of blood churned, faintly dyeing the entire sky a crimson hue!

The plaza was packed with a dense throng of fierce beasts, nearly filling the entire space. Yet, these once-ferocious beings could only prostrate themselves with trembling caution, terrified and not daring to make the slightest movement.

"Haha! I wondered who had arrived—so it's the two pieces of trash from the Nether Spring Branch!"

No sooner had Chen Lin and the others arrived than a discordant, strange voice rang out from nearby.

Wu Lan and Qiu Ming's expressions darkened as they looked gloomily toward the source of the voice.

The speaker was a dwarf only five feet tall. He wore a flippant expression, his appearance bizarre, with purple veins writhing across his face. Beside him stood two companions, and behind him, a group of fierce beasts of varying cultivation levels.

Qiu Ming's expression was unsightly. The dwarf's mockery had attracted the attention of other disciples on the plaza, and upon seeing the two, everyone wore looks of contempt and amusement. This made his already grim face even uglier, and he shouted, "Zhuo Long! My Nether Spring Branch may be in decline, but your Nine Yin Branch is no better. We are both at the very bottom of the seventy-two branches of the Myriad Demon Sect. What right do you have to call us trash?"

"Hmph, no matter how much my Nine Yin Branch has declined, it is still far stronger than your Nether Spring Branch. You two are nothing but a mongrel hyena and a green-furred mastiff who attained demonhood. Your Heavenly Demon bloodlines are nothing but mortal grade, yet you were actually taken into the Nether Spring Branch. It seems the Nether Spring Branch, which shook the Nanli Continent hundreds of years ago, has truly fallen. Haha!"

Zhuo Long's eyes were vicious as he mocked them loudly, clearly harboring some past grudge against the pair.

"Little lizard, just because we call you Zhuo Long, do you really think you're a dragon? You merely possess a faint bloodline of the Heavenly Demon 'Kui Water Thunder Dragon.' What right do you have to speak to us like that?"

Wu Lan sneered, green flames dancing in his eyes. Green fur rapidly sprouted from his palms, and his aura became even more oppressive.

"What did you say?"

Upon hearing the words "little lizard," the mocking expression on Zhuo Long's face vanished. His hands, which had been clasped behind his back, moved slightly. A streak of Sword Qi rose into the air like a coiling dragon, the wind whistling with silver arcs, its momentum astonishing. It seemed as if he would strike at the slightest provocation. "Hmph! Wu Lan, Qiu Ming, you two stole my fortune during the 'Demon Prison' trial. I let you escape once before, but if you have the guts, let's settle this once and for all at the Life-Death Arena! Do you dare or not?!"

Wu Lan and Qiu Ming's expressions shifted. The 'Life-Death Arena' was where disciples of the Myriad Demon Sect settled their fatal grudges. If there was an irreconcilable enmity, disciples could challenge each other to a duel there, where life and death were left to fate.

Chen Lin was secretly alarmed by Zhuo Long's aura. He felt that the man's Sword Qi was so sharp that a single strike could kill him without a trace; he seemed far stronger than both Wu Lan and Qiu Ming!

Wu Lan and Qiu Ming looked terrible, but they dared not respond. Clearly, they knew that stepping onto the 'Life-Death Arena' meant death. They remained silent.

"Trash!" A look of contempt crossed Zhuo Long's eyes. His two companions laughed heartily, and a wave of hisses erupted from the surroundings. Everyone looked at Wu Lan and Qiu Ming with arrogant disdain and mockery.

Qiu Ming's face was livid, and Wu Lan's hair stood on end, ready to shout, when a low, commanding voice suddenly echoed from the altar, choking the words back in his throat.

"Quiet!"

On the altar stood a man with a majestic bearing, thick black eyebrows, and hair tied high. His eyes were half-closed, yet cold light flickered within them!

He was a man who appeared to be over fifty, exuding an extraordinary air. "In half an hour, the Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony will officially begin. At that time, the masters of the seventy-two branches and our martial uncles and grand-uncles will gather. If you have grudges, settle them at the Life-Death Arena afterward. Do not make a scene here!"

"Elder Chu Duanyu of the Punishment Hall!"

Upon seeing the man, the many disciples below fell silent as cicadas in winter. Even Zhuo Long quickly extinguished his aura, his presence vanishing completely. He bowed slightly in respect, though his eyes still glared viciously at Wu Lan and his companion.

Chen Lin stared at the imposing man on the altar, feeling as though his aura were an abyss; a single breath from him could annihilate him. Yet, his mind was occupied by the mention of the "Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony." Clearly, this was the reason Wu Lan and the other had brought them here.

"Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony..."

Chen Lin's eyes flickered as he silently chewed on the words, his gaze fixed on the strange blood pool in the center. This was clearly the blood pool they had spoken of.

After a while, black clouds gathered above the altar, and nearly a hundred figures appeared one after another. These people varied in form, but each one was unfathomable, their pressure pervasive and their auras soaring to the heavens, as if they would scatter the very clouds in the sky!

They exchanged a few words before each took their respective seats.

At the very front of the altar sat several figures, their unfathomable eyes steadily fixed on the dense mass of fierce beasts below.

"Hmph! My Demon Race has truly fallen. Among so many fierce beasts, not a single one has broken through to the Sea-Opening Realm on its own!"

At the very front, a middle-aged man with a gaunt frame but an oppressive aura snorted, clearly dissatisfied with the beasts below.

"Heh heh, while there may be no beasts at the Sea-Opening Realm, there are still some good seedlings. I find that little scorpion quite extraordinary; it faintly carries the aura of the Heavenly Demon 'Mystic Bone Poison Scorpion.' If its aptitude is excellent, my Bone Sealing Branch would like to claim it first. I hope you all will not contend for it."

The speaker was an old man, tall with a mane of silver hair, showing no signs of age. A silver rune flickered between his brows, and his aura was extraordinary.