Chapter 749: Look Behind Me
Three figures with deep and powerful auras stepped into the pavilion, prompting the Sea Master to rise immediately in greeting.
"Celestial Master!"
"Sea Master!"
The elder on the left wore a coarse linen robe. His hair and beard were completely white, and his face was deeply lined with age. Nevertheless, his eyes gleamed with warm divine light, and his smile was full of kindness.
On the right stood a burly man with a fierce and sinister appearance. He had narrow piercing eyes, a sharp, hooked nose, and tightly furrowed brows. It was the kind of look that would make a child stop crying at first glance. A pair of black-gold wings were folded neatly behind him, shrouded in swirling black flames.
This burly man walked right next to the elderly man, but another figure followed slightly behind. It was a middle-aged man who looked like he had been through a lot. He was giving off this lazy demeanor and seemed very impatient and annoyed.
This was someone that the Sea Master was actually familiar with. It was Huo Tianya, an important member of the Celestial Charm Sect, and he had always been the person of contact for the Ruins of Return.
"This is..." the Sea Master said hesitantly, glancing at the burly man with a pair of black wings. He could tell that the man possessed formidable cultivation and dared not show even the slightest sign of disrespect.
"Just call me the Wing Master," the burly man simply responded.
Upon hearing this, the Sea Master looked surprised. "Oh? Could you be the Black Golden Crow, the Demon King of the Desolate Plains, also known as the Wing Master?"
"Indeed," the Celestial Master said with a smile. "I made a special trip to the Far West to convince the Demon King of the Desolate Plains to join our ranks."
The name of the Black Golden Crow was rarely mentioned in the four sSeas and nine provinces these days. However, in the era when the Sea Master grew up, it was a name that once shook the world.
Back then, he was one of the Four Great Generals under the Demon God, slaying countless powerful cultivators in his youth and making a name for himself. But after the Demon God fell, the land demons were driven to the Far West, and of the Four Great Generals, only one remained.
Of the six great demon kings ruling over the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings now, he was widely acknowledged as the strongest. Back when several major immortal sects laid siege to the Mountain Range of the Seven Kings, the Demon King of the Desolate Plains only made one move, but that move contained terrifying power.
For the Sea Master, the feats of a greater demon like that were things he had only heard of as legends when he was growing up.
The Black Golden Crow raised his hand slightly and smiled proudly, as if telling them there was no need for such formality.
The Sea Master regarded the Celestial Master of the Celestial Charm Sect as an equal, but in the presence of this legendary demon, he instinctively took half a step back and respectfully gestured for him to take the lead.
The Black Golden Crow did not stand on ceremony. He simply strode forward and took his seat as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Seeing that the Celestial Master, the Sea Master, and the Wing Master were all together now, Wang Xuanling nodded to himself.
Chu Liang’s plan of baiting them all together was currently going smoothly. As of now, even the big fish had taken the bait and it was time to reel them in.
Wang Xuanling gripped the Circle of Immortal Friends Token in his sleeve and sent a message out.
This token contained a soul formation designed specifically for this operation, linking only the select few involved. As a result, the message Wang Xuanling sent did not leave the hidden realm but was transmitted solely between the tokens within the Ruins of Return.
"It truly fills me with joy to have so many demons and diabolical members here together," the Sea Master said as he laughed. "With great figures like the Demon King of the Desolate Plains and Grand Ancestor Fuyou among us, I should hardly be the one to speak first. However, as the host representing the Divine Cult of the Ruins of Return, I shall fulfill my duty.
"For years, the imperial court of the human world and the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten had suppressed us demons as well as the diabolical cultivators. Today, we stand together to form an alliance and overthrow those self-proclaimed righteous forces! We shall unite and carve out a new world!"
"Well said, Sea Master!" Lin Bei was the first to chime in. "A new world! A new world!"
Though Lin Bei was much weaker than everyone else here, his ability to hype up a crowd was unmatched. Naturally, none of the major figures would lower themselves to shouting slogans, so his enthusiastic response ensured Sea Master’s words didn’t fall flat.
The Celestial Master of the Celestial Charm Sect spoke at just the right moment, "The world can exist because many Daos coexist. But now, the sects in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten enforce only their own and deny ours. That is not very reasonable."
"Unreasonable! Unreasonable!" Lin Bei shouted again.
Meanwhile, Wang Xuanling and Xu Ziyang quietly lowered their heads into their black robes, as if hoping that they wouldn’t be associated with Lin Bei. As members of the Dark King Sect, it was only natural for them to be a little more withdrawn...
Up in the third-floor room, Di Nufeng leaned against the window and listened to the speeches outside. Feeling increasingly agitated, she commented, "Hearing all this is making me excited."
Both Chu Liang and Grand Ancestor Fuyou turned to look at her in confusion.
Chu Liang said inwardly, Esteem Teacher, please don’t forget your mission. We’re here as undercover agents.
Please don’t get so caught up in the moment that you actually go down there and swear an oath of brotherhood to overthrow the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten...
Then again, you’ve probably had that idea for a while now.
But please, for the love of everything, take a good look. The Celestial Master is among them. That man is a great enemy that indirectly gave you life.[1]
...Wait a minute.
Now that I think about it, why does everything sound reasonable?
Di Nufeng noticed their gazes. She ignored Chu Liang but cast a glare at the well-behaved Grand Ancestor Fuyou. "What are you looking at?"
"I..." Grand Ancestor Fuyou answered timidly, "Young lady, I was not looking at you. I am looking in that direction because I can sense that... Wuchao is here."
...
Rumble!
A pitch-black storm erupted without warning, sweeping through the Ruins of Return like an unstoppable force. Wherever it passed, darkness reigned, shrouding the heavens and devouring everything in its wake.
It was as if an endless tide of black ink had spilled into the ocean, spreading relentlessly and swallowing everything in its path as it advanced toward the pavilion. Against this boundless darkness, the once-sturdy pavilion now seemed fragile and insignificant.
There were many powerful figures in the pavilion. The moment Grand Ancestor Fuyou sensed Wuchao’s presence, the others felt it too—a terrifying and oppressive force, like a black cloud looming over an entire city.
The Demon King of the Desolate Plains, the Black Golden Crow, was the first to rise. His gaze sharpened as he looked into the distance and spoke in a deep voice. "He’s on the brink of ascension."
"Grand Ancestor Wuchao has been lying low in the Ruins of Return all these years because he has been waiting for this opportunistic encounter of Dao, " the Celestial Master said with a relaxed smile as he sat firmly on his seat. "If he were easy to deal with, the Sea Master wouldn’t have needed to gather so many people."
"Indeed!" the Sea Master stood up and declared loudly, "I will head out first to welcome him. The rest of you, stay hidden. When the time comes, we will all strike with full force! Today, we will make sure that he will never return to where he came from!"
Lin Bei instinctively started chanting, "Never return! Never return!"
Borrowing the courage of those behind him, the Sea Master soared forward, facing the boundless ink-black sea head-on.
He snorted forcefully and thought, No matter what, I am still a master of the Heavenly Origin.
As he thought of this, his presence became stronger and almost on par with that of Wuchao.
Throwing his head back, he let out a resounding laugh, "Hahahahaha! Grand Ancestor Wuchao, welcome! It is truly an honor to have you visit me. Forgive me for not giving you a proper welcome."
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From the inky sea, a pitch-black tentacle emerged, twisting and shifting before morphing into the upper body of an elderly man. It was indeed the ancient and murky-eyed Grand Ancestor Wuchao.
Grand Ancestor Wuchao chuckled and said slowly, "Heh, I was the one who approved of you leading the Ruins of Return Cult back then. Turns out, I misjudged you. I thought you had ambition and sharpness... but I never expected you to want to drag all the sea demons down with you."
"Grand Ancestor, what are you saying?" the Sea Master yelled. "Everything that I do is for the Ruins of Return. Even if I have made mistakes, you should not doubt the intention and how it all started.
"You released Fuyou, that devil who killed countless of our fellow sea demons, for the sake of the Ruins of Return?" Grand Ancestor Wuchao asked.
"Grand Ancestor..." the Sea Master said, his expression darkening and his gaze turning icy. "What we sea demons truly need is a leader with ambition—not one who hides away in the Ruins of Return."
Grand Ancestor Wuchao laughed again. "Hah. You do have ambition, and you might be just the person to lead the sea demons. However, are you truly qualified to say that?"
"Whether I’m qualified or not, you’ll understand once you see who stands behind me! Come out!" Sea Master declared, suddenly spreading his arms wide.
But silence followed.
His voice echoed through the pavilion, yet the silence remained. The heavy restrictions he had put in place were meant to block any aura from escaping. While those outside wouldn’t be able to hear a sound from within, those inside should have heard his call loud and clear.
After a brief pause, Grand Ancestor Wuchao let out a doubtful murmur, "Hmm?"
"Ahem!" the Sea Master cleared his throat. "The time has come, my allies! Today, we will carve out a new world!"
A heavy silence followed. The Ruins of Return was drowned in silence tonight. Even that Dark King Sect disciple who would always cheer was nowhere to be found.
The Sea Master felt this wave of awkwardness. He turned back and raised a hand at Wuchao while saying, "Hold on a moment, let me go check what’s going on."
"Heh." This time, Wuchao actually laughed. With that chuckle, a sharp brilliance suddenly burst forth from his murky, aged eyes.
Do you really think I’d let you go back and call for reinforcements at a time like this? Do you think I cultivate the Great Dao of Politeness?!
As the beams of light shot out, the endless ink-black sea roared to life, surging wildly as it rushed toward the Sea Master in an instant. It was like a monstrous abyss finally opening its gaping maw to swallow the heavens and earth whole!
Rumble!
1. Referring to the Celestial Charm Sect pushing Di Nufeng’s parents to do the deed and give birth to her. ☜