At the Demon Sect headquarters, Zhou Qiong opened his eyes as he cultivated the Heaven-Devouring Demon Art.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. Your sect has exterminated Golden Mountain Temple, completing half the mission."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zhou Qiong's mouth. He tapped his seat, and a figure wearing a pale yellow mask appeared before him and dropped to one knee.
"This subordinate, Di Er, greets the Sect Master."
"Tell me what's happening outside."
"The Head Steward and the others have exterminated Golden Mountain Temple. From its abbot, Holy Monk Wuwo, and Holy Monk Wufa down to the ordinary novices, none survived. Our Demon Sect's casualties amounted to less than one-tenth of our forces. The Grand Protector was wounded by Holy Monk Wuwo's dying counterattack. The Head Steward is currently leading everyone toward Hanging Void Hall."
"What about the other four great sects?"
"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and Hanging Void Hall are reportedly seething with righteous indignation. They likely hate our Demon Sect to the bone and have already begun gathering their disciples. The Talisman Sect has stayed out of worldly affairs for a thousand years and will not take any action. As for Yellow Sand Fort, it is far away in the northernmost desert and probably hasn't even received the news yet."
"Mm, a good analysis. Pass down my orders: the Earth Division and Profound Division will accompany me to Hanging Void Hall."
At Hanging Void Hall, ten thousand miles from Golden Mountain Temple, the voices in the council hall had erupted like a boiling pot. Even the Daoist acolytes standing guard outside could not bear it and covered their ears.
One said to the slightly older acolyte beside him, "Senior Brother, what on earth happened? Why did the Hall Master summon all the grand-uncles? It sounds like they're fighting in there."
The other acolyte whispered, "You mustn't spread this around. I heard Golden Mountain Temple was wiped out."
"How is that possible?" the young acolyte cried out in fright, only for his senior brother beside him to immediately clamp a hand over his mouth.
The young acolyte immediately lowered his voice. "Golden Mountain Temple was one of the five great sects, just like our Hanging Void Hall. How could it have been wiped out?"
"How would I know? I heard the Demon Sect wiped them out."
While the two young acolytes whispered outside, the scene inside resembled a battlefield. Several men who appeared immortal-like and otherworldly outside, like living immortals, were now bristling and glaring as they shouted, their vicious gazes looking capable of killing.
"The Demon Sect actually dared to destroy Golden Mountain Temple! Do they think they rule the world?"
"Those Demon Sect fiends are far too brazen! We must unite the sects and destroy the Demon Sect to avenge Golden Mountain Temple."
"If we'd destroyed the Demon Sect sooner, Golden Mountain Temple wouldn't have fallen. My poor old friend Wuwо."
"That brat Zhou Qiong actually killed Wuwо. He really is formidable."
They argued loudly, as though they were about to slaughter every member of the Demon Sect right then. "Senior Brother Chongxu, tell us what we should do now."
Seated at the head, Hanging Void Hall's aged master, Daoist Chongxu, took a sip of tea. "Since the Demon Sect has made its move, it won't stop easily. Chongtian, send word to Ximen Tian. Have him come to Hanging Void Hall so we can discuss when to attack the Demon Sect."
"Senior Brother, should we notify the Talisman Sect, Yellow Sand Fort, and the three great dynasties?" A slightly plump Daoist with a round face bowed to Chongxu.
"No need. The Talisman Sect has always stayed out of worldly affairs, and Yellow Sand Fort is too far away. The three great dynasties have never looked favorably on our sects, so there's little point in notifying them."
"Very well, Senior Brother. I'll send word to Sect Master Ximen right away." Chongtian turned and left the council hall.
"The rest of you should steady your minds for now and go reassure the disciples. It is time for the Demon Sect to disappear from this continent."
Hanging Void Hall still did not know that it had not been Zhou Qiong who killed Holy Monk Wuwо, but Liansheng and Bai Haotian. In fact, the whole world believed Zhou Qiong had killed Holy Monk Wuwо. No one outside knew that Bai Haotian had broken through to the Martial Emperor Realm. In outsiders' eyes, he was merely someone at peak Martial Emperor cultivation. Even Wuwо had been startled to see that Bai Haotian had broken through to Martial Sovereign.
As a result, Hanging Void Hall misjudged the Demon Sect's strength.
In a bamboo grove on Hanging Void Hall's rear mountain stood a small hut built of bamboo. Chongxu walked to its entrance and knocked.
"Youngest Martial Uncle, we may need you to come out of seclusion."
An aged voice came from inside. "What is it? Is there still a problem Hanging Void Hall cannot resolve?"
"Martial Uncle, Golden Mountain Temple has been wiped out."
The sound of a cup shattering came from inside the bamboo hut. "Which faction did it?"
"The Demon Sect. Wuwо is dead too. Zhou Qiong killed him."
"Zhou Qiong. To think Zhou Shentong fathered such a fine son." A bitter chuckle came from the bamboo hut. "You are the Hall Master. Whatever you decide, simply give me the word."
Before Chongxu could reply, a flash of disbelief crossed his eyes. The bamboo hut's door instantly opened, and an aged figure emerged, looking like a hundred-year-old man and wearing an old Daoist robe.
The old man looked up at the sky and said, "They're here." His figure vanished instantly, and Chongxu disappeared from the bamboo grove right after him. When the two reappeared, they were already at Hanging Void Hall's main hall.
Figures kept rushing toward the square outside the main hall. Chongtian appeared in the main hall and shouted, "Senior Brother Chongxu, terrible news! The Demon Sect has surrounded Hanging Void Mountain!"
"What a Demon Sect! To think they'd come so quickly. They're here before we've even made a move. Did taking Golden Mountain Temple not sap their strength?"
"Chongtian, is that brat Zhou Qiong leading them?"
"Ah, Martial Uncle Qingping, you've come out of seclusion! I haven't seen that brat Zhou Qiong. Leading them are the Demon Sect's Head Steward Liansheng and Grand Elder Bai Haotian," Chongtian said, first startled, then continuing.
"Who is Liansheng?" the old man asked, somewhat bewildered.
"Martial Uncle, Liansheng is another rising talent of the Demon Sect, about the same age as Zhou Qiong. He is now the Demon Sect's Head Steward and has already reached early-stage Martial Sovereign cultivation," Chongxu explained from beside him.
"He's actually broken through to Martial Sovereign, and at such a young age! Chongtian, look at him, then look at yourself. At your age, even a dog would have broken through after cultivating for so long, yet you're still stuck in the Martial Emperor Realm."
Chongtian pursed his lips but did not dare argue. Saying he would go organize the disciples, he turned and fled the hall.
Daoist Qingping and Daoist Chongxu walked to the square together. Hanging Void Hall's several thousand disciples had all assembled there, each wearing a resolute expression and holding a longsword.
Demon Sect figures filled the sky, as though they had trapped the entire Hanging Void Temple inside a jar.
"Old Daoist Qingping, you're still alive!" An astonished voice came from the sky, and a figure carrying a longsword on his back appeared in Qingping's sight.
"Bai Haotian, you're not dead yet. How could I bear to die? Why has your Demon Sect surrounded my Hanging Void Hall? Don't tell me you intend to attack us?" Daoist Qingping asked gravely.
"Hahaha!" The many Demon Sect leaders in the sky sneered, as though mocking Daoist Qingping's ignorance. Bai Haotian glanced at Daoist Qingping. "By the Sect Master's command, first destroy Golden Mountain, then slaughter Hanging Void. After today, Hanging Void Hall will be struck from the Cangwu Continent."