The Spiriting Demon Gates’ Ancestor Gao Yuan turned his attention back to Huang Xiaolong, “Runt, what are your last words? Today, this Ancestor’s mood isn"t bad, I can give you a chance to say your last words.”
But Huang Xiaolong shook his head silently and struck out with his palm. In the next second, the good mood of Ancestor Gao Yuan disappeared as he was sent flying across the hall, half embedded into a stone pillar.
Huang Xiaolong had excellent control over the amount of force he exerted in that palm strike, so it didn"t instantly kill the Spiriting Demon Gates’ Ancestor in one strike, merely shattering all of his bones and internal organ.
This abrupt change in front of them dazed Patriarch Fan Yuxiao and Zhao Yucheng who was still immersed in the joy of the Spiriting Demon Gates Ancestor’s promise of ten items from the treasury.
The hall fell into a strange, heavy silence.
A dozen of breaths later, Patriarch Fan Yuxiao and Elder Zhao Yucheng recovered from their shock, finally registering what just took place.
Their faces were ashen gray and their bodies started shaking unknowingly. Unprecedented fear seized their hearts.
Zhao Yucheng’s legs weakened in fear, dropping to his knees and pleading, “Se-Se-Senior, have mercy ah, I, I, just n-now, I wasn’t...!”
“Wasn’t what?” Huang Xiaolong’s eyes gleamed with coldness.
Zhao Yucheng’s mouth opened and closed, unable to come up with a suitable answer, causing his trembling to worsen.
Huang Xiaolong’s eyes narrowed with renewed iciness, “I hate ungrateful people like you the most.”
After all, Huang Xiaolong had saved him from being ripped apart by ghost beasts, and now, Zhao Yucheng was quick to repay kindness with evil without hesitation.
With that said, Huang Xiaolong’s Absolute Soul Finger, combined with a fraction of the Black Tortoise Divine Fire, shot out, penetrating Zhao Yucheng’s forehead. The Black Tortoise Divine Fire incinerated his soul, then spread throughout his body. In a split second, only a pile of gray ash was left of Zhao Yucheng.
However, Huang Xiaolong kept the Spiriting Demon Gates’ Patriarch and Ancestor alive, giving them the option of submitting to him.
After witnessing Huang Xiaolong’s horrifying strength, both men chose to submit. This result came as no surprise to Huang Xiaolong.
He threw a rank nine tribulation grade Myriad Cure Holy Pill to the Spiriting Demon Gates Ancestor to heal his injuries, then he branded their soul seas. When this was done, Huang Xiaolong had them a.s.semble all Grand Elders and Elders in the hall.
Under the joint orders from the Patriarch and Ancestor, all of the Spiriting Demon Gates’ Grand Elders and Elders a.s.sembled in the hall under ten minutes.
However, when they arrived at the hall and saw that the person sitting in the Patriarch’s chair was a strange black-haired young man while their Patriarch and Ancestor were respectfully standing at both sides, their hearts drummed with astonishment and suspicions.
No one was able to guess Huang Xiaolong’s ident.i.ty, and at the same time, no one dared to reprimand him for sitting there. But the tension finally exploded when their Patriarch and Ancestor referred to Huang Xiaolong as ‘Master’, telling them to submit to Huang Xiaolong.
“What?! You want us to submit to an Eighth Order HighG.o.d Realm snot-nosed kid? Calling him Master? That"s impossible!” Almost immediately, an early Ninth Order HighG.o.d Realm Grand Elder thundered in fury.
“My words exactly! An Eighth Order HighG.o.d Realm brat, what qualifications does he have to want us to submit to him? This is literally the biggest joke in the universe! Since it’s like this, I would rather withdraw from the Spiriting Demon Gates!” Another early Ninth Order HighG.o.d Realm Grand Elder took offense.
More and more Grand Elders echoed the same sentiment, the hall turned rowdy in an instant. The Elders remained quiet, standing where they were, planning to act according to the situation.
Although the Spiriting Demon Gates was one of the Path to h.e.l.l’s first-rank forces, many of these Grand Elders were rogue cultivators to begin with, joining the sect at one point or another in their lives. Therefore, their sense of belonging to the sect wasn’t strong at all.
For these Grand Elders, withdrawing from the Spiriting Demon Gates and joining other prominent sects was the same thing. After all, with their strength, any sect they went to in the Path to h.e.l.l was sure to welcome them with open arms.
Huang Xiaolong shot a glance at the Spiriting Demon Gates Patriarch Fan Yuxiao and Ancestor Gao Yuan, who had ugly expressions on their faces. Sensing Huang Xiaolong’s gaze, they lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
At this point, the first early Ninth Order HighG.o.d Realm Grand Elder who spoke out in objection turned and flew out from the hall, planning to leave.
Huang Xiaolong didn’t even look at his figure. His palm pressed down in the air and the early Ninth Order HighG.o.d Realm Grand Elder was smashed to the floor, causing the entire main hall to violently shake.
The others in the hall saw that the Grand Elder who wanted to leave had lost his human shape. He was absolutely dead; flesh, blood, bones, and internal organs were smeared across the floor, causing those who were about to do the same feel gooseb.u.mps down their necks, trembling quietly.
“Anyone else wants to leave?” Huang Xiaolong’s indifferent voice sounded like the devil’s whisper in their ears.
Those who were clamoring they wanted to leave dared not move an inch.
One hour later, other than a few Grand Elders who thought they were luckier than others and were killed by Huang Xiaolong as they tried to sneak away, the rest submitted without any suspense.
After reigning in these Spiriting Demon Gates’ Grand Elders and Elders, Huang Xiaolong sent them away, leaving only the Patriarch and Ancestor in the hall. He took this time to understand more about the Ghost Refining Sect and the upcoming Sect Master succession ceremony.
Alas, what they knew was similar to what Huang Xiaolong had already heard from Zhao Yucheng.
According to Fan Yuxiao and Gao Yuan, the Ghost Refining Sect’s order was to wait at a place called Blood Rain Valley five months later together with other first-rank forces’ heads and ancestors.
When the time came, a Ghost Refining Sect disciple would lead them where they need to go.
“Five months….” Huang Xiaolong repeated to himself, this was the fastest and easiest method for now. He could only wait. At that time, he would change his face into the Spiriting Demon Gates Ancestor’s and attend the ceremony with Patriarch Fan Yuxiao.
Then, Huang Xiaolong inquired about the Ancient Devil Clan’s Ancestor, Mo Yis.h.i.+.
“The Ancient Devil Clan’s Ancestor Mo Yis.h.i.+!” At the mention of Mo Yis.h.i.+’s name, Fan Yuxiao and Gao Yuan had an incredulous expression.
“What is it?” Huang Xiaolong urged after seeing their reaction.
“Replying to Master, this Mo Yis.h.i.+ did appear in the Path to h.e.l.l some years back.” The Spiriting Demon Gates’ Ancestor was the one who answered Huang Xiaolong. “At that time, a Fifth Nether Sect’s Grand Elder wasn’t aware of his ident.i.ty and offended him. Later on, in fury, he slaughtered his way to the Fifth Nether Sect alone, gravely injuring their Chief and Ancestor. He also killed half of the Fifth Nether Sect’s masters. If it wasn’t because they had help, I’m afraid the Fifth Nether Sect would have been uprooted on that day by Mo Yis.h.i.+!”
“Following that incident, Mo Yis.h.i.+ disappeared. Some say he had entered the deepest region of the Path to h.e.l.l, the Sea of h.e.l.l!” Gao Yuan added.
Huang Xiaolong’s brows were locked tightly together.
This Ancient Devil Clan Ancestor actually entered the Sea of h.e.l.l!
He knew of this place. According to rumors, as long as one crossed the Sea of h.e.l.l, they would arrive at the sealed entrance of h.e.l.l’s Ghost Plane.
However, the Sea of h.e.l.l was an extremely dangerous place. Although countless years had pa.s.sed, there hasn’t been anyone who succeeded.