In the air, the long saber on the back of the man wearing a pure silver mask hummed and flew into his hand on its own. He gripped its hilt and roared, "Heaven and Earth One Saber Slash!" In an instant, he slashed a cross through the air. The cross-shaped saber Qi pierced the firmament, and even the darkened sky began to brighten.
The saber Qi broke through the blockade and slashed toward the enormous finger in an instant. A thunderous crash resounded throughout Golden Mountain Temple, and the entire temple complex began to shake. The mountain-protecting formation activated automatically, while the temple's many chief monks circulated their cultivation arts at full strength to protect the temple.
The blockade in the air vanished instantly. Seizing the opening, the black-clad men broke through and fled Golden Mountain Temple, disappearing without a trace.
Several chief monks came to the main hall. The abbot sat cross-legged on a prayer cushion, and the chief monk of the Sutra Lecture Hall pressed his palms together as he looked at him.
"Abbot, those thieves escaped. There were eight of them, and we failed to hold a single one." After saying this, even the chief monk of the Sutra Lecture Hall, an accomplished eminent monk, could not help feeling a little shamefaced. Golden Mountain Temple was one of the five great sects, after all. Although they had been caught unprepared, they had actually failed to hold even one of the eight intruders.
A tall, burly man in martial monk robes, standing over two meters tall, stepped forward from the side. Any outsider who saw him would surely recognize him as the holy monk Wufa, ranked second on the Earth Ranking. He said loudly, "Senior Brother Wuwо, every one of those thieves was at the Martial Emperor Realm or above. The one wearing the pure silver mask could even break through your blockade, Abbot. It is truly hard to imagine what force could have nurtured them."
"Abbot, there is another suspicious point. How did they get through the mountain-protecting formation? Could there be a traitor in our Golden Mountain Temple?"
The abbot sitting on the prayer cushion coughed lightly and invoked the Buddha's name. "There is something very strange about this. Wufa, go and check whether any of the monks on patrol today are suspicious."
Wufa acknowledged the order and stormed out. He cultivated the Wrathful Vajra Art and already had a bad temper. When the black-clad men came to cause trouble today, he had intended to hold a few of them there, only to be tied down by three of them. Later, they had all seized the opportunity to slip away. His belly was truly full of pent-up anger.
After everyone had left, Abbot Wuwо sat on the prayer cushion with a grave expression. He raised his right hand, revealing a distinct cross-shaped saber cut on his index finger. "His cultivation was clearly only at the peak of the Martial Emperor Realm, yet he unleashed a Martial Sovereign's attack. What an extraordinary figure."
On a barren mountain three hundred li from Golden Mountain Temple, several black-clad men gathered around a man wearing a silver mask. The man spat blood as he circulated his cultivation art to heal his injuries, while those beside him looked anxious.
Half an hour later, the man's breathing began to steady, and he slowly opened his eyes. Everyone asked worriedly, "Chief, are you all right?"
"I won't die. Send the information we gathered tonight to the Sect Master immediately."
In the main hall on Heavenly Demon Peak, the Demon Sect's headquarters, Zhou Qiong still sat upright on the demonic dragon throne. A man wearing a pale yellow mask knelt on one knee below him. He was Di Er of the Earth Division stationed at headquarters.
"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Profound Division has sent word. Abbot Wuwо is in Golden Mountain Temple. There are twelve Martial Emperor Realm cultivators in the temple, and the holy monk Wutian, ranked eighth on the Earth Ranking, is seriously injured. Abbot Wuwо discovered the Profound Division during their investigation, and the chief of the Profound Division suffered some injuries."
"Mm, understood. Send word for all the senior members to assemble in the main hall tomorrow."
Di Er acknowledged the order and slowly vanished from the hall.
Seated upright on the demonic dragon throne, Zhou Qiong sank into thought. Golden Mountain Temple had been founded over a thousand years ago, giving it an even longer history than the Demon Sect. Its foundations were indeed deep. Had he not transmigrated here and increased the Demon Sect's strength in such a short time, there would have been no telling who would win or lose if they truly fought.
But things were different now. The Demon Sect had dozens of Martial Emperors, both in the open and in the shadows, and three Martial Sovereigns besides Zhou Qiong. Eradicating Golden Mountain Temple would not be difficult. But it could easily trigger a chain reaction, so they had to finish as quickly as possible. Once Zhou Qiong recovered from his injuries, he could rest his head high without worry.
Early the next morning, the Demon Sect's many senior members gathered in the Demon Hall. This time, they were not kept waiting. The moment they entered the hall, they found Zhou Qiong already seated upright on the demonic dragon throne. His imposing presence within the Demon Sect was now unrivaled.
The moment the senior members entered the hall, they could feel Zhou Qiong's commanding presence. No one dared chat or say anything unnecessary, and they stood quietly on either side of the hall. A red figure also slowly appeared beside Zhou Qiong.
"I came today to assign you a task. I wonder whether you have the confidence to complete it."
"Give us your orders, Sect Master. We will complete them even at the cost of our lives." The Second Protector stepped forward from the side and spoke with a bow. With Zhou Qiong's forceful rise, the Elders' Council had been completely dissolved, and the Second Protector had recently been drawing closer to the Twelve Demon Kings.
Although the others felt some contempt for the Second Protector, most of the Demon Sect's senior members were utterly devoted to Zhou Qiong. They declared in unison, "We are willing to die for the Sect Master."
"Enough. I could not bear to send you to your deaths. I still intend to lead you to supremacy over the world."
"I have seen all your breakthroughs. Hall Master Wan, tell me how strong our sect is now."
"Reporting to the Sect Master, our sect currently has four at the Martial Sovereign realm, thirty-one at the Martial Emperor Realm, two hundred and forty-three at the Martial King Realm, and over a thousand at the Martial Marquis Realm."
Everyone from the Demon Sect standing nearby was shocked. Although they knew the sect's strength had recently advanced by leaps and bounds, seeing the actual figures was still hard to believe. This was several times stronger than the Demon Sect had been before.
After all, each of the continent's three great dynasties had decreed that a Martial Marquis Realm cultivator could become a general, while a Martial King Realm cultivator could become a lord guarding a region. A Martial Emperor Realm cultivator was more than qualified to be granted a royal title, answering military deployments but not summons to court.
"Our Demon Sect grows ever stronger. It is time we made a move."
"White Tiger Hall, Vermilion Bird Hall, Black Tortoise Hall, the Seven Great Protectors, and the Twelve Demon Kings," Zhou Qiong said in a deep voice.
"Your subordinates are here," everyone below answered with a bow.
"I order you to take Golden Mountain Temple within one day and destroy its thousand-year legacy. Do you have the confidence?"
"Yes!" everyone shouted in response. Although they did not know why the Sect Master wanted to destroy Golden Mountain Temple, he had his reasons. Some of the more warlike members were already rubbing their fists and flexing their palms, eager to act immediately.
"For this operation, Azure Dragon Hall will remain behind to guard headquarters. Liansheng will command everyone else. I will not act. Everything will depend on you alone. I hope you will not disappoint me."
"We will not disappoint the Sect Master," everyone declared, their spirit soaring like a rainbow.
Liansheng also bowed in acknowledgment at his side.
Only Li Changsheng, the hall master of Azure Dragon Hall, looked glum. A major operation had finally come along, yet his Azure Dragon Hall had been assigned to stay behind. He would not earn any merit this time and could only pin his hopes on the next opportunity.
"Good. I await your good news."