Chapter 2025: Back to the Sect
All demonic energy in the sky above Xingluo City, along with the sense of suppression, vanished in the blink of an eye.
In the city, cultivators looked up and fixed their eyes on Zhang Ruochen with shock in their eyes. That was Du Mosheng, an infamous great demon from the Blackdemon Realm. He was the most ruthless, yet Zhang Ruochen had effortlessly apprehended him. Unbelievable.
“Zhang Ruochen is so strong, more terrifying than the rumors describe. Du Mosheng has shot himself in the foot this time.”
“Even the threats of Zhou Yu and Ming can’t stop Zhang Ruochen. He has no intention to hide.”
“The Shangguan family got lucky this time. Zhang Ruochen is in Xingluo City in a time of crisis. This really exceeded everyone’s expectations.”
…
Many cultivators looked at Zhang Ruochen with awe. Zhang Ruochen was a stalwart figure in their eyes as if he was an invincible God of War.
With Du Mosheng apprehended, Zhang Ruochen took him and performed a Dimensional Shift to come to the top of the sacred hill within the Saint King Que Palace.
King Haiming and three others quickly descended on the top of the sacred hill and went down to their knees in front of Zhang Ruochen.
“Lord, I was disillusioned. Please forgive me this time. I will swear allegiance to you and never have two minds again.” King Haiming begged for mercy in fear.
“Please, Lord, for the sake of our contributions to the sect in the past, spare us our lives.”
Jiang Tianhe and three others knocked their heads on the ground, begging Zhang Ruochen for their dear lives.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen capturing Du Mosheng with ease, they were quaking in their boots for fear that Zhang Ruochen would kill them.
Jiang Tianhe, Xu Jie, and Mo Qianqiu were only Saints in their cultivation bases, while King Haiming was a One-Step Saint King. If Zhang Ruochen really wanted to kill them, he could have done it with the snap of his fingers.
“You traitors still have the nerve to beg for mercy. Lord, they absolutely must not be forgiven.” Elder Yuan Zhou came to the top of the sacred hill, looking furious.
Not only Elder Yuan Zhou but Shangguan Yong and Shangguan Xianyan had also arrived.
They would not have dared to trespass into the place of retreat of the arch patriarch on normal days. But today was anything but normal. When they saw Shangguan Que’s condition, they had to come here to check out his health.
Zhang Ruochen turned his gaze to Elder Yuan Zhou. “What happened?”
He had already almost guessed what had happened, but he still wanted to hear the detailed account from Elder Yuan Zhou’s mouth.
“Lord, the Blackdemon Realm and many other evil forces joined hands to besiege us. They were coveting the four Demonstone Engravings and the Blood God’s body. We could not stop them and many of our men lost their lives.”
“When Xianyan and I escaped, most of our men had retreated to the Yingzhu Peak. But even with the Divine Marks left behind by the Blood God, I am afraid we could not hold on for long.”
“The hateful thing is that in the face of assault from the Blackdemon Realm and many powerful evil forces, scumbags among us have defected to the Blackdemon Realm. These very scumbags killed our men to show their loyalty to their new master. King Chengxu died at their hands of King Haiming.”
Elder Yuan Zhou clenched his fists with great distress.
The scenes that took place in the Sect of the Blood God earlier reminded Elder Yuan Zhou of many years ago, when the Sect of the Blood God was facing threats from the Immortal Vampires. They were full of confidence in the battle of Moyou Valley and had never expected that one elder would betray them. That incident had caused the lives of two other elders.
If it weren’t for Zhang Ruochen’s intervention at a critical juncture, using the sacred portrait talisman of a supreme elder, the Sect of the Blood God Sect would have been wiped out.
Elder Yuan Zhou could not hate traitors more. How he wished he could kill King Haiming and three others right here, right now.
After listening to Elder Yuan Zhou’s account, a horrifying cold light flashed in Zhang Ruochen’s eyes along with a chilling, murderous intent coming out of his body.
He knew very well why the Blackdemon Realm had to single out the Sect of the Blood God. It was because the Blackdemon Realm had been vassal to the Sect of the Blood God for 10,000 years. From the Blackdemon Realm’s perspective, it was the greatest humiliation.
100,00 years had passed, and the Darkdemon Realm was no longer as it used to be. It had since become one of the top 1,000 powerhouses. How could it tolerate such a tainted past?
As long as the Sect of the Blood God was eliminated, no one would mention this matter in the future.
King Haiming trembled and repeatedly knocked his head on the ground in front of Zhang Ruochen. “Lord, forgive me, forgive me. For the sake of me letting you join the sect back then, step by step, you became a Shenzi of the sect, please forgive me. I was disillusioned and made the grave mistake of apostasy. I ask for a chance of redemption.”
“King Haiming, what was on your mind when you let me join the Sect of the Blood God back then? You should know very well, and I have not even settled the account with you. Yet you still have the nerve to beg me for mercy?” Zhang Ruochen Leng snorted.
Zhang Ruochen did not like King Haiming even a bit since he first came into contact with King Haiming.
Having said that, Zhang Ruochen casually waved his hand and performed a Dimensional technique to lock up King Haiming and the other three, so they could not move or speak.
Immediately afterward, he took out some Spring of Life and had Elder Yuan Zhou drink it.
Elder Yuan Zhou’s injury was severe. He lost a lot of blood. It was Du Mosheng who had devoured his blood.
“Lord, we cannot afford to lose what the Sect of the Blood God has achieved for the past hundreds of thousands of years.” Elder Yuan Zhou looked intently at Zhang Ruochen.
He could only pin his hopes on Zhang Ruochen, the leader of the sect, to defeat the Darkdemon Realm and other evil forces.
“The former servant of the Sect of the Blood God wants to kill his master. Do they really think no one in the Sect of the Blood God can do anything about them?” Zhang Ruochen had a stern look in his eyes.
Back then, the ungrateful Darkdemon Realm betrayed the Kunlun Realm. Sooner or later, this account would have to be settled with them.
If he could repel the Blackdemon cultivators who attacked the Sect of the Blood God, or better still, subdue and kill them, it should be able to send a painful message to those buggers higher-up in the Darkdemon Realm. That would knock some sense into them.
At this moment, Mu Lingxi, Kong Lanyou, and others had arrived at the top of the sacred hill.
“Junior Brother, are you going to the Sect of the Blood God?” asked Bao Lie.
Zhang Ruochen nodded. “Since I am in this position of leadership of the Sect of the Blood God, I have a duty to fulfill. How can I stay out of it when the Sect of the Blood God is in trouble? Besides, I happen to have a personal account to settle with the Darkdemon Realm, too.”
“Don’t act on impulse, Junior Brother. Be careful to fall into the trap of the Blackdemon Realm,” warned Luo Chen.
“Don’t worry, Fourth Senior Brother. I know what I am doing. I have got to rush back to the Sect of the Blood God, and then I will roll with the punches,” said Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen waved his hand and kept Du Mosheng, King Haiming, and three others into an Exquisite Dimensional Orb.
He would first keep these five people alive. Who knows, they would be of value someday?
With a slight hesitation, Zhang Ruochen took out a communication talisman, recorded his message, and cast it out at once.
The talisman faded into a stream of light, flying across the sky, and disappeared into the horizon.
“Teacher, take a good rest. Please allow me to make a move first.”
Zhang Ruochen released circles of Saint light to wrap Mu Lingxi and others in them. Along with Elder Yuan Zhou and Shangguan Xianyan, they left Xingluo City by performing a Dimensional Shift.
The northern part of the All-Saint’s Land was cold all year round. Covered by ice and snow, the land had few plants growing. It was a quiet, lifeless place.
This area was the territory of the Sect of the Blood God, one of the seven ancient religions in the Central Region. The Sect of the Blood God had been operating here for hundreds of thousands of years, a place where not even the imperial court could exert its influence.
But now, the mountain gate of the Sect of the Blood God had been breached. Many disciples had died, and there were bloodstains all over the snow and ice. Everywhere was a horrible sight.
Such a thing had never happened since the Sect of the Blood God was established here.
Powerful demonic energy enveloped the entire Sect of the Blood God as if it were about to turn into the soil of the demon.
There were some Saint-level cultivators from all over the Heavenly Realm and the Infernal Court had come to investigate and monitor the movement of the Darkdemon Realm here.
Of course, among them were some native Kunlun Realm cultivators who had been keeping an eye on the news of the Sect of the Blood God. Their ancestors had lived in this land for generations and were attached to the Sect of the Blood God. Due to their low cultivation base, they had been spared the holocaust.
“The Sect of the Blood God is being targeted by the Blackdemon Realm. After today, the seven ancient sects in the Kunlun Realm will be reduced to six.”
“The Sect of the Blood God has long since declined. Even if the Kunlun Realm revives, it will only produce a few Saint Kings. How could they fight against the powerful Blackdemon Realm with such a level of cultivation base?”
“The Blackdemon Realm has been playing it extra safe; they have sent an army of powerful cultivators just to deal with a group of weak cultivators from the Sect of the Blood God.”
“The Sect of the Blood God is a force established by an immortal, no matter what. No one knows if that immortal has left behind any room for maneuver. You can never be too careful.”
“Legend has it that the Blood God was an extremely powerful immortal in the Middle Ages. He cultivated his body to a level beyond imagination. The blood Qi he possessed was unmatched by many other immortals. The Blood God might have died, his body has always been kept in the Sect of the Blood God. If the Blackdemon Realm and those evil forces were eyeing the Blood God’s body, it won’t be that easy.”
…
Facing the relentless attack from the Darkdemon Realm, the Sect of the Blood God has only three places that have not been breached. They are Yingzhu Peak, Qianyuan Mountain, and the Blood God Altar.
Yingzhu Peak was the center of the Sect of the Blood God. It was engraved with ancient formation patterns that were as solid as a rock.
Qianyuan Mountain was extraordinary in that there was a Canvas of the Blood God left behind on the top of the mountain by the Blood God himself. It contained the remnant of the power of the Blood God.
Both Yingzhu Peak and Qianyuan Mountain had undergone tremendous changes after the Kunlun Realm was revived. They had become more mysterious and provided the Sect of the Blood God with many self-cultivation resources.
On the other hand, the Blood God Altar was the most mysterious place of the Sect of the Blood God. It comprised the bones of countless bodies of disciples of the Sect of the Blood God, and the body of the Blood God was in the underground chamber below the Blood God Altar.
If anyone dared to attack the Blood God Altar, he would wish he had never come.
The dignity of the immortal must not be trampled on.
At this time, a group of powerful demonic masters from the Darkdemon Realm had gathered outside the Yingzhu Peak. They were trying to break through the defense of the Yingzhu Peak, kill all the followers of the Sect of the Blood God, and plunder the four original collections of the Demonstone Engravings.
The remaining cultivators of the Sect of the Blood God gathered in the Guiyuan Shrine on the top of Yingzhu Peak.
There were originally nine Saint Kings in the Sect of the Blood God. Unfortunately, one had defected, and another was killed, while Elder Yuan Zhou and Shangguan Xianyan escaped.
So now, there were only five Saint Kings in the Guiyuan Shrine. They were Elder Yuanxing, King Tianji, Kunzi Temple’s master Jie Wuji, Hai Lingyin, and Sun Dadi. Among them, Sun Dadi’s cultivation base was the highest in the realm of Three-Step Saint King.
The atmosphere in the Guiyuan Shrine was depressing. No one spoke as everyone could not think of an effective countermeasure.
“Are we just sitting there waiting to die? The formation of the Yingzhu Peak won’t last long,” said Sun Dadi.
He might be the most junior here, but he had become a member of the council of elders. His status was equal to that of Elder Yuanxing.
“The Sect of the Blood God is too weak now. Even if we want to fight the Blackdemon Realm, we are still powerless.” Elder Yuanxing sighed.
“What the Blackdemon Realm is after is nothing more than the Demonstone Engravings. If we hand over the four Demonstone Engravings, we might avoid the total extermination of the sect,” said Mingzi Temple in a whisper.
King Tianji shook his head. “It’s not that simple. I once saw some records about the Darkdemon Realm in an ancient book. In a distant Middle Ages, the Darkdemon Realm seemed to have crossed paths with us, the Sect of the Blood God. At that time, the Blackdemon Realm was the weaker side. I am afraid that they are here for revenge.”
“If they are just after the four Demonstone Engravings, why do they have to bring out an entire army? They could have just sent a Saint King to ask for it.”
“Furthermore, the black market has collected nine pieces of the Demonstone Engravings. Why didn’t the Blackdemon Realm start with the black market? Instead, they target us. Apparently, they want to destroy the foundation of the Sect of the Blood God. Unless we choose to bow to the Darkdemon Realm as King Haiming did, we might live.”
Sun Dadi immediately jumped to his feet and shouted, “I will absolutely not bow to those demons from the Blackdemon Realm.”
With Sun Dadi’s temperament, he would rather stand to die than kneel to live.
After a moment of silence, Sun Dadi continued. “If the sect leader is here, no one would have bullied us like this.”
“The sect leader is now having a problem saving himself. Zhou Yu from the Heavenly Realm and Ming from the Infernal Court want him dead. I am afraid he might not show up again under this circumstance.”
“Yeah, both Zhou Yu and Ming are too strong even for our sect leader. It is precisely this reason that the Blackdemon Realm has chosen this time to attack us. They have calculated that our sect leader will not intervene.”
“Besides, the Blackdemon Realm has dispatched many powerful cultivators and joined hands with other evil ones. Even if our sect leader returns, he may not be able to defeat them.”
“Sigh, I didn’t expect the Sect of the Blood God would be destroyed in our hands. I am ashamed of facing our ancestors now.”
Everyone spoke, all thinking that Zhang Ruochen could not possibly return.
In their views, the relationship between Zhang Ruochen and the Sect of the Blood God was anything but close. They did not expect Zhang Ruochen to treat the Sect of the Blood God as he treated the former officials of Shengming.
Sun Dadi clenched his fists. “Our sect leader isn’t that kind of person. He will definitely rush back as soon as he gets the news.”
“Even if it is exactly what you said, can we still hold on until our sect leader returns?” Huangzi Temple’s master was pessimistic.
In fact, not just him, but also the others. There was no reason for them to be optimistic.
“Unfortunately, the supreme elder has gone to the Endless Abyss, and now his life and death are still unknown. Otherwise, the Sect of the Blood God would not have to be bullied by those thieves.” Elder Yuanxing sighed.
Everyone’s eyes brightened up and quickly dimmed again upon hearing that.
Who was the supreme elder? That was the tenth emperor 800 years ago. He almost attained Supreme Sainthood in his physical body, his strength was unmatched.
If the supreme elder were here with a Blood God Mace in his hand, no one would be his match.