Chapter 510 - 253: Past Grudges! Top-tier Demon Fire

Chapter 510: Chapter 253: Past Grudges! Top-tier Demon Fire

At the same time.

Just as Chen Sheng was in his room, pondering the shocking secrets Lady Lan had revealed.

In another hidden pavilion within the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, a conspiracy concerning the very survival of the sect was silently brewing.

Great Elder Song Zhe dismissed his attendants and stood alone in a dimly lit quiet room.

On the table before him, a palm-sized Sound Transmission Magical Artifact, shaped like a disc of black jade, was emitting a faint, eerie glow.

A moment ago, Song Zhe had relayed a detailed report to Elder Gu in the distant Profound Yin Valley—Lady Lan’s unusual reaction during the day’s meeting, the arrival of Chen Sheng and Sun Yuzhi, and even his speculation that Lady Lan might have reached some tacit understanding with the Nie Family.

Now, he was awaiting the other party’s instructions.

After a few breaths of silence from the Magical Artifact, a hoarse voice slowly emanated from within:

"What’s there to panic about? This is just a minor squall; it can’t overturn the heavens. Song Zhe, your most urgent task right now is to use every means at your disposal to thoroughly investigate if the Nie Family has any other experts lying in wait within the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, besides Chen Sheng and that Sun Yuzhi.

This matter must be confirmed beyond all doubt."

"You mean..." A sharp glint flashed in Song Zhe’s eyes as understanding seemed to dawn on him.

Elder Gu gave a cold laugh, his tone turning sinister:

"Since when does the Nie Family from Yunzhou have any right to meddle in the affairs of Nanzhao?

If you confirm there are no hidden Nie Family soldiers within the sect, then there’s no need to wait any longer.

When the time is right, strike immediately. Purge the Ouyang Lineage with the force of a thunderbolt and help you ascend to the position of Sect Leader.

When that time comes, even if the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect submits to my Profound Yin Valley in the future, your share of glory and benefits will not be small."

"Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Elder Gu!!"

Song Zhe hastily replied to the Sound Transmission Magical Artifact with reverence, a flicker of suppressed excitement crossing his face.

"Mm... Remember, act with caution. Don’t alert the enemy."

Elder Gu gave the indifferent command, and then the eerie glow on the Magical Artifact suddenly extinguished, cutting off the connection.

The quiet room returned to darkness and silence.

Song Zhe slowly straightened up. He didn’t leave immediately, but instead paced to the window. With his hands behind his back, he gazed out at the sprawling complex of halls and pavilions shrouded in twilight, his expression complex and unreadable.

He was of two minds about the sect’s legacy, passed down over hundreds of years. He couldn’t bear to part with it, yet he was also filled with years of pent-up resentment.

The reluctance was because he had cultivated and grown up here since he was a child; his master, his fellow disciples, every blade of grass and every tree—they all carried memories of the past.

The Ten Thousand Poisons Sect was his root, his sense of belonging.

Now, colluding with an external enemy and committing this act of betraying the sect, he would wake from his dreams in the middle of the night, his heart pierced by pangs of guilt.

The resentment, however, stemmed mainly from Lan Yufei.

It stemmed from the sect’s seemingly unshakeable rule.

The Master of Ten Thousand Poisons had always been controlled by the Ouyang Clan!

No matter how high one’s Cultivation or how great their contributions, a person with a different surname could, at most, become an elder, forever unable to touch that highest seat of power.

But thinking back, when the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect was first established, the Ouyang Clan had not been the sole dominant power.

It was only later that a certain generation of Ouyang Clan Members fortuitously ascended to the position of Sect Leader. They then began to purge all dissent, gradually turning this unwritten custom into an iron-clad law.

Song Zhe detested this but was powerless to change it.

What made it even harder for him to accept was that when Sect Leader Ouyang Lun died suddenly years ago, the sect was plunged into internal strife.

It was he, Song Zhe, who had used his prestige and skill, uniting with a few old friends, to barely stabilize the situation and prevent the disaster of the sect falling apart.

But what was the result?

Those old bastards from the Ouyang Family had unanimously nominated Lan Yufei—who was of unknown origin and only at the Innate Realm of Cultivation at the time—to take over as Sect Leader!

They even spent a massive amount of resources to aid her Cultivation, pushing her to the Profound Mastery realm in just a few short years and solidifying her position.

On what grounds?!

Just because she carried the title of the late Sect Leader’s widow?

Just because she was one of the Ouyang Family’s own?

The resentment and indignation in Song Zhe’s heart had not subsided for many years.

For this reason, he had meticulously schemed and plotted, wanting only to bring Lan Yufei down.

But he watched as her position grew ever more stable, while Ouyang Ke had grown up to be an exceptionally talented individual, even earning a spot on the Dragon and Tiger List. Barring any accidents, the next Sect Leader would inevitably be from the Ouyang Family again!

How could Song Zhe ever accept that?

If it were only this, with Song Zhe’s cunning and experience, he might have continued to endure it, engaging in open and secret struggles with the Ouyang Lineage while maintaining the fragile balance.

What truly drove him to make up his mind and fully side with the Profound Yin Valley was another, even crueler reality.

His Blood Qi had begun an irreversible decline.

The three realms of Foundation Establishment, Innate, and Profound Mastery offered a lifespan of around 120 years at most.

Only by forming a Golden Core and transcending the mundane could one enjoy a lifespan of several hundred years, truly break free from mortal shackles, and glimpse the Path to Immortality.

This was his life’s pursuit.

But Core Formation was incredibly difficult!

Across the vast expanse of Yunzhou, Golden Core Grandmasters could be counted on one hand.

With his aptitude and resources, without a heaven-sent opportunity, Core Formation was hopeless for him in this lifetime.

And the price offered by Elder Gu of the Profound Yin Valley was precisely the help he needed for Core Formation.

Resentment, combined with his desire for long life, finally devoured the last vestiges of attachment he had for his sect.

With these two factors combined, Song Zhe had finally thrown his lot in completely with the Profound Yin Valley.

"Ouyang Family... Lan Yufei... Don’t blame me."

Song Zhe muttered to himself, the last trace of hesitation in his eyes replaced by cold resolve.

In his view, if he couldn’t seize back power in the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect and control his own destiny, then it was better to use an external force to overturn it completely.

Even if it meant mutual destruction, he would still fight for that sliver of a chance at the Golden Core!

.....

「In a remote corner of Nanzhao Prefecture.」

A small, once-peaceful family settlement had now been turned into a bloody hell.

Amidst the rubble and ruined walls, corpses littered the ground. The cloying stench of blood, so thick it felt tangible, filled the air, making one want to retch.

Figures clad in dark red Blood Robes moved silently and efficiently among the ruins, using a wicked Secret Technique to extract pure Blood Qi from the still-warm corpses.