Chapter 814: Evil Cultivator Among Evil Cultivators

Chapter 814: Chapter 814: Evil Cultivator Among Evil Cultivators

Becoming an evil cultivator seemed to have no barrier to entry—as long as you were sufficiently deranged and possessed a moral baseline deep enough to be unseen, that was enough.

Theoretically, this was true, but upon closer examination, becoming a qualified evil cultivator actually had an extremely high barrier. After all, the mortality rate of cannon fodder evil cultivators was absurdly high.

Evil cultivators who joined the path and learned forbidden arts had to be wary of the righteous iron fist of orthodox cultivators when venturing out, but even more so of the "kind greetings" from fellow evil cultivators.

After all, they were all evil cultivators, all possessing a moral baseline deep enough to be unseen, and murder and robbery came as easily as flipping a hand.

One moment they could sweetly call you "fellow Daoist" with a smile, the next they might stab you clean through.

The most helpless part was perhaps knowing you had to be wary of evil cultivators, yet in the end still having to cooperate with them.

Naturally, there was also one wonderful thing every evil cultivator had to mention—the Evil Spirit Sect.

A loosely structured organization with almost no hierarchy, yet with the largest number of members—a top-tier evil sect you could join just by shouting.

The nominal leader was an expert at escaping, rarely seen year-round. Additionally, upon joining, you’d receive a copy of a blood qi cultivation technique, compensating for the weakness of cultivators being easily "whitewashed."

Once you cultivated a blood qi technique, even a slight use of force was like hanging a red, blood-scented eternal lantern on your forehead—virtually inscribing the words "evil cultivator" on your brow.

Just a shallow cultivation of one or two techniques meant you were basically a lifelong enemy of righteousness in this life, with only one path to walk into darkness.

The Evil Spirit Sect was as inclusive as the sea receiving rivers—you could join other evil sects while being part of it. This meant when you hit a bottleneck and lacked techniques, you’d always encounter Evil Spirit Sect seniors in other organizations who would provide the missing techniques while ripping you off. In the future, you could do the same to the next Evil Spirit Sect newcomer.

Sometimes the closed loop was just that miraculous.

And when you did something bad and needed to shift blame, saying "Evil Spirit Sect" was extremely convenient.

Central Continent, Eight Directions Terrace.

Chu Xingchen received the intelligence and looked around this vibrant, prosperous great city of immortals and mortals—not at all like a key intelligence hub for the Evil Spirit Sect.

However, with joint intelligence from three immortal sects confirming it, one could only say these evil cultivators were exceptionally good at hiding.

Bai Xuanling walked lazily alongside Chu Xingchen:

"I thought you’d leave the matter to your second disciple."

Chu Xingchen raised an eyebrow. "His cultivation is still somewhat lacking, and his ability to adapt isn’t quite on par with mine. For major matters, it’s more reliable if I handle them personally."

The Evil Spirit Sect was loosely organized. Back then, both Donggua and Xigua had connections with them and even held notable positions.

If they really wanted to investigate the blood qi matter, starting with the Evil Spirit Sect would be the most convenient.

Chu Xingchen stopped and looked at the lavishly decorated tall building before him, its signboard reading—Gathering of Worthies Pavilion.

"Tsk tsk, truly a fine name." Chu Xingchen sighed softly. "It really does follow the rules of naming."

Bai Xuanling asked in confusion: "What rules?"

"Name it for what it lacks."

Chu Xingchen smiled as he answered, then stepped inside. It was fairly lively within, with many people eating. As soon as he entered, a waiter hurried to greet him.

"Two guests, dining or lodging?"

"I’m from the owner’s side." The smile on Chu Xingchen’s face didn’t fade. He lifted his sleeve slightly, and a strangely shaped token flashed before the waiter’s eyes.

The waiter’s eyes swept over it, then his smile became even brighter: "Two lords, please come upstairs."

After speaking, the waiter hurried to lead the way, his steps quick as he cleared a path ahead, first taking Chu Xingchen and his companion to the third floor, then pushing open a room marked "East" and opening a hidden door inside the wardrobe.

The waiter stood beside the hidden door, his expression humble:

"Two lords, this humble one isn’t qualified and can only bring you this far. Going all the way down leads to the old home."

Chu Xingchen didn’t even lift his gaze, merely saying calmly:

"Going all the way down really would mean going back to my old home."

The waiter looked bewildered, as if not understanding:

"What do you mean, my lord?"

Chu Xingchen glanced over, and the waiter suddenly felt his blood boiling and spinning, blood seeping from his arm out of nowhere. The intense pain instantly made his face go white.

"Spare my life, my lord." The waiter made no struggle, immediately prostrating on the ground. "If you’re one of us, please go to the west room upstairs and use this wardrobe to go down."

The next moment, the severe pain throughout his body vanished, leaving a pool of blood before the waiter.

Chu Xingchen walked lightly to the waiter and teased:

"Do I look that easy to bully?"

"You’re unfamiliar, my lord... That’s the rule."

"Rules are for people like you. I deal in reason. Now that I have reason, you should follow the rules, right?" Chu Xingchen bent slightly. "Understand?"

The waiter nodded repeatedly. Someone who cultivated blood qi to such an unfathomable level must have at least tens of thousands of lives on his hands. He said fawningly: "This one understands. Whatever this humble one has, I’ll provide to my lord."

Even if this ruthless man casually twisted off his head in the next second while chatting and laughing, the waiter wouldn’t be surprised. At this moment, if he wanted to live, the only way was to prove his worth.

The Evil Spirit Sect’s rules were almost non-existent—after all, with such a loose structure, no one enforced rules.

Chu Xingchen looked at the waiter before him:

"Has anyone been collecting blood qi recently?"

The waiter nodded quickly: "Yes. They were here looking for accomplices to operate on other continents. However, if you want to know exactly who they are and where they went, you’ll need to give this humble one some time."

"You’d better actually know." Chu Xingchen straightened up, a slight smile curling his lips. "I will really come to ask you. Next time if you say you need time, I’ll give you plenty of time."

"This one understands." The waiter pressed his forehead hard against the ground.

Chu Xingchen said nothing more, naturally leading Bai Xuanling upstairs.

Bai Xuanling gazed calmly at the waiter.

Chu Xingchen turned back and saw this, naturally understanding Bai Xuanling’s meaning—killing him would be more like a true evil cultivator.

However, seeing Chu Xingchen didn’t act, Bai Xuanling didn’t finish him off either, instead following Chu Xingchen’s steps.

From the start, all the building’s structures were like blank paper before two Tribulation Transcendence cultivators.

The defenses meant to withstand ordinary cultivators were almost useless against Tribulation Transcendence cultivators.

They just needed to go through the motions to avoid seeming too abrupt.

The west wing on the fourth floor had no guards. Pushing straight through the door and opening the wardrobe revealed a unique hidden passage leading deep underground beneath the building.

The Evil Spirit Sect’s personnel were loose—those who knew the way didn’t need it, and those who didn’t know didn’t need it either.

After all, being an evil cultivator also meant being prepared to be wiped out in one fell swoop.

However, according to intelligence, this building didn’t only do business with evil cultivators.

Chu Xingchen stepped in, and in one stride crossed all the hidden passages to reach the extraordinary underground of the Gathering of Worthies Pavilion.

A somewhat luxuriously decorated space, with a formation ritual providing illumination that lit up the vast square below.

However, it was like a vegetable market here—some squatting in corners selling things, others gathering in groups of three to five whispering to each other with divine sense.

There was no bloody or nauseating scene as one might imagine.

In the center of the venue, an eight-sided counter was enclosed, with eight cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm sitting inside handling affairs.

The arrival of Chu Xingchen and Bai Xuanling attracted everyone’s attention.

Nothing else—they were unfamiliar faces with no acquaintances to bring them.

Amid the wary gazes of the crowd, Chu Xingchen lightly stepped inside.

Clearly, there was no spiritual energy fluctuation.

But everyone felt a surge of blood qi attacking them, their own flesh beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

Chu Xingchen raised his head slightly, a smile on his face, but his words were extremely arrogant:

"Everyone, who dares look up at me now?!"

As his words fell, no one dared look toward this evil cultivator among evil cultivators again.