Blood Skull Cave lay within the heart of Black Wind Mountain's main peak. The cavern dwelling had been crudely excavated, its stone walls inlaid with phosphorescent stones and crystal ores that gave off sickly green or scarlet light, casting bizarre shadows through its ghostly depths. The air reeked of blood and old decay, clearly the residue of years spent practicing sinister arts and slaughtering countless lives.
Deep within the cavern, the throne that had once belonged to Blood Skull Old Man stood empty, built from countless beast bones and draped in thick pelts. Ye Chen did not sit in that seat of power. He merely stood casually in the center of the cavern, surveying his surroundings. Emperor Xuanwu stood silently beside him, like his most faithful shadow.
Blood Skull Old Man stood respectfully below them with his hands lowered, scarcely daring to breathe. His former arrogance had vanished, leaving only relief at having survived and a profound sense of awe. Ye Yun, Shi Meng, and the others were stationed at the entrance and key points inside the cavern, quietly holding the situation under control.
"Tell me about the Blood Skull Stronghold's situation, and... the Demon-Burying Abyss." Ye Chen withdrew his gaze and looked at Blood Skull Old Man. His tone was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
Not daring to conceal anything, Blood Skull Old Man hastily bowed and answered, "Master, the Blood Skull Stronghold currently has two hundred and thirty-seven core members, including three at the Spirit Transformation stage. Aside from this old servant, there are two deputy chiefs, Blood Python and Poison Dove, both at the middle Spirit Transformation stage. They oversee the stronghold's daily affairs and the perimeter watch around the Demon-Burying Abyss respectively. There are twenty-eight leaders in the Nascent Soul Realm, and the rest are golden core cultivators."
He paused, stole a glance at Ye Chen's expression, and continued, "As for the Demon-Burying Abyss... it is both a forbidden ground and a death trap on Black Wind Mountain. According to the scattered records passed down by our ancestors, it is a fragment of a battlefield from an ancient war between gods and devils. Beings beyond imagination fell there, and their resentment and Demonic Aura lingered through the ages, creating the deadly domain that exists today. The baleful energy within the abyss is dense enough to corrode the soul and warp the mind. All manner of vicious creatures mutated by Demonic Aura also lurk there. It is extraordinarily dangerous."
"Our stronghold's predecessors made many attempts to explore its depths, but they could reach no farther than the middle section. Countless skilled cultivators perished within. The only certainty is that the deeper one goes, the stronger that ancient pressure and sense of foreboding become, as though... something is sleeping there, or perhaps sealed within."
A trace of lingering fear appeared on Blood Skull Old Man's face. "This old servant has also investigated the outskirts several times, gathering materials steeped in yin and baleful energy for cultivation, but I never dared venture truly deep. That place seems alive, devouring all who trespass."
Ye Chen listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping a cold stalagmite beside him. An ancient battlefield of gods and devils? Fallen beings? Something sealed away? These details faintly aligned with the ancient, extraordinary auras of the Nameless Fragment and the Black Iron Piece, and with the way they pointed toward this place.
"Have you ever found anything like these in the Demon-Burying Abyss?" With a turn of his hand, Ye Chen brought out the Nameless Fragment and the Black Iron Piece.
Blood Skull Old Man focused his gaze on them and examined them carefully for some time before finally shaking his head in bewilderment. "Master, these objects are made of unusual materials. This old servant has never seen them before. Ancient fragments occasionally surface around the outskirts of the Demon-Burying Abyss, but they are mostly broken weapons or skeletal remains, utterly unlike these."
Ye Chen was not surprised. Had these objects been so easy to find, they would never have ended up in the Ye Clan's Myriad Laws Abyss, nor would the fragment have stirred in this world. He put away the fragment and iron piece, then continued, "Has the Sacred Emperor Palace made any unusual moves lately? How much does that Inspector know about the Demon-Burying Abyss?"
Blood Skull Old Man's expression grew tense. "Master, after Inspector Jin Sheng arrived, he did secretly send people to inquire about the Demon-Burying Abyss. He seems particularly interested in the spatial anomalies there. This old servant suspects they may have noticed something as well. However, the Sacred Emperor Palace has always been at odds with us, and they have made no contact with the stronghold."
Ye Chen nodded. It seemed the Sacred Emperor Palace was not entirely oblivious either. This game of chess was becoming more interesting by the moment.
"From this day onward, the Blood Skull Stronghold will be renamed the Heavenly Star Pavilion." Ye Chen issued his first command in a calm voice, yet it carried a will that could reshape heaven and earth. "You, Blood Skull, will serve as acting steward of external affairs. You will reorganize the stronghold's affairs, inventory its resources, and keep your subordinates in line. I can overlook what happened in the past, but from now on, anyone who slaughters innocents or seizes people for blood sustenance will be punished without mercy."
Blood Skull Old Man—no, he should now be called Blood Skull Steward—felt his heart tighten at those words and hastily replied, "Yes! This old servant obeys! I will strictly discipline my subordinates and follow your decrees, Master!"
He understood that these were the rules his new master had laid down, and the key to whether he could retain his position and his life.
"Ye Yun." Ye Chen looked at the stern young man.
"Young Master."
"You will reorganize the existing personnel and weed out those of vile character whose evil habits cannot be corrected. Those willing to stay must swear a soul oath of loyalty to the Heavenly Star Pavilion. Those unwilling will have their cultivation crippled and be driven out of Black Wind Mountain." Ye Chen's tone was detached. Handling such matters weighed little on his conscience. Troubled times called for harsh laws; swift control of a force required thunderous measures.
"Yes!" Ye Yun accepted the command, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes. He already excelled at command and slaughter, making him the perfect choice for the task.
"Shi Meng, Mo Yu."
"Here!" both answered.
"You two will assist Ye Yun and clear out the surrounding area. Make certain no other bandit forces remain within fifty li of Black Wind Mountain. Those who submit will prosper; those who resist will perish." Ye Chen's words carried the taste of iron and blood. What he wanted was a secure rear base, entirely under his control.
"Heh, leave it to me!" Shi Meng rubbed his hands excitedly.
Mo Yu nodded without a word.
"Ye Ling, Xiaoshan."
"Young Master." Ye Ling and Ye Xiaoshan stepped forward.
"Ye Ling, you will regulate this mountain's spirit veins, attempt Baleful Intent Purification, cultivate spirit plants, and improve the environment. Xiao Shan, continue studying the fragment and the map. Combine them with Blood Skull's information about the Demon-Burying Abyss and work out a safer entry route and possible locations of fragments as soon as you can."
"Yes!" They too accepted their orders and departed.
Command after command was issued in orderly succession. Black Wind Mountain, once chaotic and bloodstained, seemed to have been infused with a new force of order, and quietly began to change.
Watching Ye Chen arrange everything in the blink of an eye, with each subordinate performing their duties at astonishing efficiency, Blood Skull Steward felt even greater awe. His new master not only possessed heaven-reaching strength, but was also remarkably seasoned in managing his followers. No ordinary faction could have nurtured someone like him.
Once everyone had departed to carry out their orders, only Ye Chen and Emperor Xuanwu remained in the cavern.
"Young Master, establishing initial control here will not be difficult, but truly putting down roots and uncovering the Demon-Burying Abyss's secrets will likely take some time," Emperor Xuanwu said.
Ye Chen walked to the cavern entrance and gazed at the dim sky and mountains wreathed in baleful energy, his eyes deep and unreadable.
"Uncle Xuan, do you know why rushing rivers flow around mountains and fill the ravines they encounter?" he suddenly asked.
Emperor Xuanwu paused briefly before answering, "Because their momentum never ceases, and their strength endures."
"Precisely." Ye Chen nodded. "Momentum and strength. Newly arrived in this world, we are like rootless duckweed. Though we possess thunderous strength capable of razing cities and taking strongholds, it is difficult to gather lasting momentum. Taking control of Black Wind Mountain is not about this small corner of land. It is about gathering momentum. Only with this place as our foundation can we shift a larger chessboard."
He paused, then continued, "This Primordial World is like a stagnant pool. The Great Dao is incomplete, resources are exhausted, and all living beings struggle. The Sacred Emperor Palace appears legitimate, but is rotten within, oppressing others with its tyranny. The Blood Demon Sect runs rampant like maggots clinging to the bone. Righteous factions such as the Heavenly Sword Pavilion struggle to hold on, yet cannot reverse the decline. And forces like the Netherworld Palace lurk in the shadows... the seeds of chaos have already sprouted. All that is missing is a spark."
"And we will be that spark." Ye Chen's lips curved into a smile of complete control. "The Demon-Burying Abyss's secret may be the key to stirring this stagnant pool. Only when the winds and clouds surge will we see this world's true face, and only then can we find the 'variable' we seek."
As Emperor Xuanwu looked at Ye Chen's back, still youthful yet already showing the bearing of a mighty ruler, emotion stirred in his heart. His young master had never concerned himself with the gain or loss of a single city or stronghold, but with the shape of the entire world.
"This old servant understands." Emperor Xuanwu bowed. "Whatever you decide, Young Master, I swear to follow you unto death."
Ye Chen turned, patted Emperor Xuanwu's sturdy arm, and smiled. "Uncle Xuan, our road has only just begun. This Primordial World is merely one stop along our journey."
His gaze seemed to pierce the barriers of this world, reaching into the far vaster, boundless depths of the universe, and toward what the Ye Clan had sought for countless epochs... the path to transcendence.
Outside the cavern, Black Wind Mountain was undergoing a silent transformation beneath its new master's will. And an even greater storm was quietly brewing deep within the Demon-Burying Abyss, and in the distant Sacred Emperor Palace.
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