The forty or fifty people on the reef, men and women, young and old alike, all had their eyes tightly shut and appeared sunk in unconsciousness.
Not a single strand of hair remained on their heads; all they lacked were ordination scars.
Among them were Celestial Persons of the Outer Dao, scions of the Aristocratic Clans, disciples of Thunderclap Manor, several men and women who were transformed spirits of the Demon Race, and even people from the Eight Sects and Six Schools.
But the most conspicuous of all.
Was a youth with a lean, strong, slender body and cold, stern features.
His looks were ordinary, with nothing remarkable about them, yet a keen edge lay hidden within him, swift as a shadow or shooting star, startling as a flash of lightning, its sharpness extreme!
One glance told anyone that his origins were extraordinary, that he was no ordinary figure!
"He Lian, that madman from the Xiantian Demon Sect who delights in torturing living people to death. As it happens, I made a point of reading this issue of the New Year's Day Appraisal, so I recognized him. He's on the list, ranked twentieth among Purple Mansion cultivators."
Zhou Ji smacked his lips, cast an interested glance at the cold-featured youth, and said:
"Of all these people, I suppose he has the greatest aptitude and potential...
"I thought you'd been beaten into this miserable state because you abducted a gifted disciple of the Blood River Sect and offended them.
"Now it seems it wasn't just the Blood River Sect. You provoked the Xiantian Demon Sect too?"
"Lu Man of the Blood River Sect truly is a fine seedling, with a special karmic affinity with this monk. I couldn't help cherishing his talent. But the lad has close ties with several Celestial