Southern Border, the All Living Demon Sect, the Founders' Hall.
The Founders' Hall was the foundation of a sect's fortune. Generations of forebears were enshrined there, incense burned year-round, and disciples worshipped them with devout hearts.
Great cultivators of the sect stood guard within throughout the year. Even among the Demon Sect's forbidden grounds, few places were more heavily guarded.
Today, however, something was amiss.
The atmosphere in the already solemn Founders' Hall grew heavier still.
It was noon, with the sun blazing overhead.
The weather was sweltering.
Yet when many Demon Sect disciples looked up, they felt as though vortex-like storm clouds hung above them. A faint pressure seeped down, chilling their spines.
Cultivators trusted their sense for unseen omens above all else.
And this omen was not mistaken.
Deep within the Founders' Hall, the great hall presented a sight unlike any ordinary Demon Sect stronghold.
Though this was the heart of the foremost sect of the Devil Dao, there was not a trace of sinister demonic aura. Instead, a lakeside courtyard had been carved out within the restrictions.
The lake was small, roughly forty mu across, with a single-story courtyard of upturned eaves and black tiles at its center.
To reach the island, one had to row a boat from shore—that was the rule.
Even sect masters such as the Ultimate Dao Elder and Blood Sea High Person had to observe it.
This was where the Devil Lord of All Living cultivated in seclusion.
Today, banks of purple thunderclouds churned above the island courtyard.
The air grew ever more oppressive.
Several grapevines grew in the courtyard. They had not yet borne fruit, and their green tendrils wound all over the wooden trellis.
Three people sat around a stone table.
The one speaking was a bare-chested young man with