196: Chapter 196 Gradually Stabilizing, the Kunyuan Secret Realm Reopens!

Spring departs and autumn arrives; cold and heat alternate. Six years of time are but sand in an hourglass, quietly slipping away.

In these six years, the situation in Youzhou of the Liang Kingdom has been treacherous and unpredictable. The Xuanshui Sect turned Taizhen Prefecture upside down, searching everywhere for the rampaging Demonic Cultivators.

They also captured many Loose Cultivators to use as scapegoats, committing countless acts of killing the innocent to claim credit. As for the true culprit, the Holy Blood Sect, they had not even managed to touch a corner of its robe.

Ever since they wiped out the nest of the Darksteel Gang, the entire Sect had retreated from the limelight and concealed its edge.

In the Lin family mansion in Luoye County, inside a dark secret chamber, a bronze beast-headed lamp flickered with a ghostly green flame.

Ancestor Cang Ya leaned back in a grand master chair, his fingers flipping through a thick ledger; the sound of paper rustling was exceptionally clear in the quiet space.

After six years of painstaking management, the black market in Panlong Valley had already taken shape.

The underground trade of Taizhen Prefecture was now completely under their control. Loose Cultivators from the two neighboring prefectures, seeking a safe place to fence stolen goods, flocked here by reputation, bringing in vast wealth.

On the books, just from the previous month's commission, over ten thousand Spirit Stones had entered the treasury. All sorts of Yao Cores, broken Magical Artifacts, and even the illicit trade of Cauldrons were being conducted in an orderly fashion within Panlong Valley.

The number of Sect members had once seen a surge. Ancestor Cang Ya, decisive in his actions, ordered strict control, setting three thousand members as the limit.

Those with weak Heart-Nature, loose lips, or those who acted too ostentatiously were all sent away to execute missions with zero chance of survival, serving simply as cannon fodder to fill the gaps.

Through the washing of the great waves, the three thousand remaining people were all die-hard loyalists who were extremely dependent on the "Holy Blood" and possessed fierce combat power.

The door hinge turned, emitting a faint sound. Bi Luo stepped over the threshold and shut the door tightly behind her. Several cyan Jade Slips left her hand and landed on the rosewood desk.

"Clan Leader, everything you wanted is here."

"The incomplete chapters of the 'Wandu Manual' from the Wandu Sect, the 'Yin and Yang Dual Cultivation Technique' from Hehuan Valley, plus a few Blood Path techniques commonly practiced by the demonic Cultivators of the Jin State."

Ancestor Cang Ya picked up a Jade Slip, probed it with his Divine Sense, read through it carefully, and nodded slightly.

"Well done. Copy these Cultivation Techniques a few hundred times and distribute them to the low and middle-level members of the Sect. Pass down the word that as long as they perform meritorious service, they can choose one to Cultivate."

Bi Luo pulled over a yellow pear wood chair and sat down, her brows slightly furrowed.

"We have the 'Marrow Cleansing and Saint Transformation Art' bestowed by the Old Ancestor; why waste money buying these Demonic Path techniques? Although these incomplete Demonic Path scripts are of high grade, practicing them makes one extremely prone to Qi Deviation, and they are of little use in improving our overall strength."

Ancestor Cang Ya lined up the Jade Slips and tapped his knuckles on the table.

"What do you know? The Cultivation Technique bestowed by the Old Ancestor is our core secret."

"If we really let three thousand members all turn into half-human, half-bear monsters, anyone could guess that we have ties with the Yao Race. How can we let such a handle fall into the hands of others?"

"What we need to do is package the Holy Blood Sect as a cesspool of the Demonic Path, a hodgepodge where truth and falsehood are mixed; only then can we deceive the world."

"Let some of our subordinates practice the poison techniques of the Wandu Sect or the dual Cultivation Techniques of Hehuan Valley. In the future, when they go out to handle matters or are captured by Righteous Path Cultivators, the means they reveal will be those of pure Demonic Cultivators."

"From the outside looking in, the Holy Blood Sect has poison Cultivators, blood Cultivators, and lecherous dual Cultivators. They will only assume that we are remnants who fled from the demonic Sects of the Jin State, or perhaps a wild Sect established by a few Loose Cultivators of the Demonic Path huddling together for warmth."

Ancestor Cang Ya sneered a few times and picked up his teacup to skim off the foam.

"The more mixed and chaotic things are, the less others will be able to figure out our background. Who would ever suspect that behind this group of Human Race scum practicing demonic arts, it is our Green Ape Clan pulling the strings? And who could ever trace the source directly back to White Cloud Temple in Qingcang Kingdom?"

Bi Luo heard this and was suddenly enlightened.

"Clan Chief is brilliant! In this way, even if the Xuanshui Sect or even the four great Righteous Path Sects of the Liang Kingdom investigate, they will only end up bickering with the demonic Sects of the Jin State. We can hide in the shadows, sit securely on the fishing platform, and muddy the waters."

"Not only that." Ancestor Cang Ya put down the teacup and cast his gaze toward the map of Youzhou hanging on the wall.

"In these past few years, I have secretly recruited a dozen or so true Loose Cultivators of the Demonic Path and let them serve as branch leaders within the Sect. With this group of genuine demonic Cultivators providing cover, the 'Demonic Path' signboard of the Holy Blood Sect is thoroughly established. In the future, even if an investigation arises, these people will be the best shields."

"The chess game in Taizhen Prefecture has been played alive by us. What we should consider now is how to infiltrate outwards."

Ancestor Cang Ya's finger slowly slid across the map, crossing the boundary of Taizhen Prefecture, and stopped at an area marked with lush mountains.

"Guangling Prefecture."

Youzhou of the Liang Kingdom has a peculiar terrain, with many mountains and waters. Taizhen Prefecture is located in the south of Youzhou, and to the north is the more prosperous Guangling Prefecture. The overlord of Guangling Prefecture is called Changqing Valley.

Within its gates, there are three Golden Core Masters presiding, with a deep foundation. It is far from comparable to the Xuanshui or Gangyuan Sects.

"Changqing Valley Cultivates wood-element Cultivation Techniques, and their Disciples are extremely skilled at cultivating Spirit Medicine."

"Sixty percent of the Spirit Medicine business in Guangling Prefecture is controlled by them. Our Holy Blood Sect has three thousand mouths to feed; the daily consumption of blood-food and Spirit Medicine is a bottomless pit. Relying solely on the Panlong Valley black market will be unsustainable in the long run. We must expand our industries further."

Ancestor Cang Ya pointed out the crux of the matter.

"Go to Guangling Prefecture to seize territory? Three Golden Core Masters, that is too thorny of a problem." Bi Luo looked troubled.

"A dragon from afar cannot crush a local snake; fighting head-on is a poor strategy. We will use the old method: first plant nails, then weave a web."

"One must eat rice mouthful by mouthful, and walk the road step by step. Some things cannot be rushed."

Speaking of this, Ancestor Cang Ya was already calculating the future plans for the Holy Blood Sect in his mind. However, just then, Ancestor Cang Ya suddenly thought of something, and he silently calculated the time in his heart; the time for that place must also have arrived.

"Bi Luo, calculate the time; it has been a hundred years, right?"

Upon hearing this, Bi Luo was slightly stunned, then she regained her senses and said: "It is about time... Calculating the days, there should be a few years left until the once-in-a-century opening of the Kunyuan Secret Realm."

"I heard that this time, the Jin State does not have the qualifications to enter the Secret Realm, and the Shangqing Sect intends to block the Jin State's access to resources... However, White Cloud Temple has been allocated a full twenty spots this time!"

"The Sun Clan's Sun Yao, Sun Lin, and Sun Qiyan, as well as the Zhao family and the Yun Clan, will all be entering; they are surely going to fight for the heaven and earth qi..."

"And in the Old Ancestor's hands, there are also ten spots. I just do not know which lineage these ten spots will be given to..."

Ancestor Cang Ya smiled at this and took out a jade token, handing it to Bi Luo.

"Rest assured, for this trip to the Kunyuan Secret Realm, the Old Ancestor has given our clan one spot, and this spot will be given to you, Bi Luo."

"The Holy Blood Sect is now gradually stabilizing. I will stay here to keep watch. The future of the Green Ape Clan rests on you and Qing Qi, but Qing Qi is young and there is no rush for this time."

"You, however, are different. Your cultivation is already at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and you are not far from the Late Stage. Even if you do not obtain the heaven and earth qi on this trip, using this Opportunity to gain some Opportunity to break through your Bottleneck is also a good thing... Are you willing to go on this trip to the Kunyuan Secret Realm?"