152: Chapter 152 Acting Sect Master
Blood Fiend Sect, the pitch-black great hall.
The ceiling of the hall was incredibly dark, with eerie black mist churning like an endless abyss hanging upside down above everyone's heads, full of oppressive weight.
Eerie blue ghost-fires burned upon the stone pillars on both sides, the flames flickering and stretching the dozens of shadows within the hall, making them wax and wane.
Jiang Hongyuan's face was enchanting.
She sat regally upon the high seat.
The chair was entirely pitch-black, its back carved with a blooming Ember Lotus, its petals layered upon each other as if every single one was burning.
Today, she wore dark red robes, her hair tied up to reveal her slender neck.
Dozens of black-robed Elders stood respectfully on either side.
The lowest among them were at the Early Stage of the Soul Transformation Stage.
At this moment, they all kept their heads lowered, hardly daring to breathe.
Jiang Hongyuan's gaze swept across the hall as she spoke, "How are those people from the immortal sects doing now?"
As her voice fell, a black-robed Elder stepped forward, cupping his hands with a low, raspy voice:
"Reporting to the Sect Master, most immortal sects are recalling their Disciples from abroad, while the three major immortal sect forces led by the Xuanxiao Immortal Sect, Tianyan Dao Sect, and Qingyun Sword Sect have already activated their sect-protecting arrays."
"And..."
He paused, "They show signs of forming an Alliance."
The hall immediately broke into a commotion.
"An Alliance?"
"The three major immortal sects joining forces? This..."
"It hasn't been seen in many years."
Whispers rose and fell; some faces showed worry, while others had eyes flashing with excitement as they licked their lips.
Whenever either the Immortal or Demonic Paths formed an Alliance, it signaled the beginning of a great war.
And once a war began, it would be a life-and-death struggle with everything on the line.
Ever since the news of the Dao Seeking Demon Venerable's resurrection spread throughout the Five Domains, undercurrents had begun to surge within the various immortal cultivation forces.
After all, that man's reputation was simply too resounding.
He had suppressed an entire era, beating the Cultivators of the Five Domains until none dared to raise their heads.
When he was alive, the Demonic Path was truly the Demonic Path, and the immortal sects could only cower in their shells, trembling.
Now, he had returned.
Furthermore, as soon as he appeared, he had defeated the renowned Immortal Venerable Han Yao.
This news spread across the Five Domains as if it had grown wings, further fueling the perceived truth of the rumors.
Some believed it, some did not, but everyone was making preparations.
Jiang Hongyuan's eyes swept across the room.
The commotion in the hall instantly subsided, and everyone lowered their heads.
She clearly only had a cultivation at the Nascent Soul Peak.
Any one of the Soul Transformation Stage Elders present could have slapped her to death with ease.
Yet, not a single person dared to breathe loudly.
This was because although Jiang Hongyuan had lost her original body's cultivation, she could still manipulate the Restrictions her original body had placed on these people.
Those Restrictions were carved into their Divine Souls like nails, pinning down their very lives.
With just a single thought from her, everyone present would be at her mercy.
In the Demonic Path, the strong were respected.
Otherwise, with Jiang Hongyuan sitting in the position of Sect Master now, surely no one would have been submissive.
Jiang Hongyuan withdrew her gaze, "From today onwards, my Blood Fiend Sect will also begin to seal the sect."
Her voice coldly brushed past everyone's ears.
"Also, do not call me Sect Master anymore."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall broke into a commotion once again.
This time was even more intense than before; the Elders looked at each other, not understanding what Jiang Hongyuan was planning.
Even if Jiang Hongyuan's cultivation had fallen, as long as she was still there, no one in the Blood Fiend Sect would dare to defy her.
Hei Wang was the first to stand out.
He was Black Demon's Elder brother, with a build even more stalwart than Black Demon's, and his voice was deeper, "Sect Master, this must not be! Please, Sect Master, rescind your order!"
He cupped his fists and bowed, his waist bending very low.
Everyone else also began to cup their fists and bow in unison, their voices synchronized, "Please, Sect Master, rescind your order!"
The corners of Jiang Hongyuan's mouth curled up.
She waited for a moment, until the voices in the hall gradually died down, before speaking again.
"The Sect Master of my Blood Fiend Sect will always be Dao Xun."
"Now that he has returned, he should naturally reclaim his position."
"And I, until Dao Xun returns, shall temporarily take the position of Acting Sect Master, leading the entire sect on Dao Xun's behalf."
The hall went silent for a moment.
Then, all the Elders realized the situation simultaneously.
This was leveraging his influence!
In the eyes of outsiders, the ones who resurrected the Dao Seeking Demon Venerable were the Blood Fiend Sect, and currently, the Sect Master's cultivation had fallen, leaving them without top-tier combat power.
If they were attacked by the Nine Great Immortal Sects in a group, the sect would surely be destroyed and its legacy extinguished.
But with the Dao Seeking Demon Venerable and the Blood Fiend Sect bound together...
Those immortal sects would have to carefully weigh whether they could afford to provoke an Ascension Realm Demon Venerable.
And in fact, the Dao Seeking Demon Venerable was indeed the previous Sect Master of the Blood Fiend Sect, so there was nothing wrong with saying so.
They cupped their fists and shouted in unison: "We respectfully obey the Sect Master's command!"
No one corrected the title 'Acting Sect Master.'
Just as a deputy director is always addressed as 'Director' when out in public.
They were not stupid.
Jiang Hongyuan nodded slightly, a cold light blooming in the depths of her eyes.
That cold light was faint, but whoever it fell upon felt a chill down their spine.
The joy in her heart grew more and more intense.
Jiang Hongling was finally dead.
That woman had occupied her body, shared her memories, and loved the same man.
Now she was finally dead.
Now that she was no longer suppressed, Dao Xun was hers.
She could faintly sense that Jiang Hongling's Ascension Origin was with Dao Xun.
As long as she found Dao Xun, she could take Jiang Hongling's cultivation for her own.
Perhaps she could even catch a glimpse of that Great Dao of Ascension.
Jiang Hongyuan licked her red lips, her tongue slowly gliding over them.
Her gaze became dreamy, as if she were in a dream, or perhaps reminiscing about something.
"Dao Xun..." she murmured to herself, her voice like a sleep-talker's.
"Now only I am left; from now on, I am both Jiang Hongling and Jiang Hongyuan."
"You don't need to distinguish between us so clearly anymore."
The ghost-fires flickered, casting her shadow onto the wall behind her, eerie and terrifying.
...
The Imperial Capital.
Deep within the Imperial Palace.
Golden clouds and smoke filled the entire space, as thick as if they were solid, yet as light as mist.
The clouds churned, occasionally revealing the white jade floor below and the faintly visible vermilion pillars in the distance.
Li Shutang was suspended high amidst a patch of golden clouds.
She sat cross-legged, her body half-hidden and half-visible, her silhouette hazy and ethereal like an undried ink wash painting.
Her long hair was loose, cascading behind her, the tips merging into the golden clouds, making it impossible to tell which was hair and which was mist.
In her hand, she held a registration form.
The edges of the paper were somewhat curled, looking as if it had been repeatedly flipped through.
A small portrait was attached to it.
A bronze mask covered the left half of the face, leaving only the right half exposed.
Sword-like brows, thin lips, and a clear, cold jawline.
This was the archive left behind when he joined the Demon Suppression Division.
She had someone have it transferred from Qinghe County.
Li Shutang stared at that small portrait for a long time.
The mask covered most of the face, but she could still recognize him.
This face, this person, was the one from the depths of her memory.
Dao Xun.
Tears fell silently.
One drop, then two, streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto the golden clouds, splashing tiny ripples.
"You really have come back."
The golden clouds churned around her as if responding to her words.
She closed her eyes and pressed the small portrait to her chest.
...