Chapter 573 - 573: Demons Do Not Coexist
Li Muyang’s gaze instantly locked onto the direction of the nine-layered black tower not far away.
That place was the Dao training ground of the Sect Master of the Refinement Demon Sect, complex, bizarre, mysterious, and grand, composed entirely of secret realms.
But now, within this nine-layered black tower, suddenly rose four strong presences.
Each one was comparable to the deceased Gong Yanghong, each one a Heaven Permanent realm!
At this moment, Li Muyang felt a chill in his heart, yet a feeling of “as expected” surged within him.
—The Ancestor of Demon Refinement, this old demon, was indeed not so easy to deal with!
And those four suddenly rising violent presences also attracted the attention of everyone within the Refinement Demon Sect.
People looked towards it in astonishment, including the second-in-command of the Sect, the Soul Refinement Elder Si Jianping, who was also clueless.
No one could have imagined that after the Sect Master’s death, there would still be strong presences appearing within the nine-layered black tower!?
Who were these four strong presences?
Their aura, originating from the same source as the Refinement Demon Sect, felt incredibly familiar to the disciples.
The next second, without waiting for the Sect disciples to ponder,
a gloomy, hoarse, aged voice resonated through the entire Refinement Demon Sect.
“…A single strike to annihilate Gong Yanghong.”
“Good lad, I underestimated you!”
As the old voice sounded, an aged figure surrounded by vast Demonic Qi rose from within the nine-layered black tower and appeared in the night sky.
The other three figures, following him rising up and clustering around him, were obviously led by this elder.
And after these four presence, vast and powerful demonic shadows appeared, all the cultivators within the Refinement Demon Sect were dumbfounded and immensely shocked.
“Ancestor… Ancestor?”
“And the past Sect Masters…”
The aged figure that rose from the nine-layered black tower was none other than the Sect’s founding Ancestor, the infamous Ancestor of Demon Refinement from over a thousand years ago!
And clustering around him, the other three dark shadows were respectively the second Sect Master Hu Qingshan, the third Sect Master Feng Jianming, and the fourth Sect Master Yan Xiren!
Along with the recently deceased fifth Sect Master Gong Yanghong… The five generations of Sect Masters since the founding of the Refinement Demon Sect were all alive?!
At the sight of this scene, the cultivators of the Refinement Demon Sect all widened their eyes.
They had all seen portraits of the past Sect Masters, offered incense to them during festivals, and recognized the identities of each Sect Master.
But this was impossible!
From the era of the Ancestral Master to the present, spanning over a thousand years, all five generations of Sect Masters being alive… Even those with the longest Lifespan Realm couldn’t live past five hundred years!
Could it be that within the nine-layered black tower passed down from the Ancestral Master, there lay some secret of immortality?
For a moment, countless people in the Refinement Demon Sect looked eager and were extremely excited.
They were shocked by the simultaneous appearance of the historical Sect Masters, astonished that these old demons were still alive.
But standing on top of the Cui Dagger Mantis, Li Muyang sneered as he watched the four figures rise into the sky from the nine-layered black tower, saying,
“Ancestor of Demon Refinement! You’ve finally come out!”
“So it turns out you didn’t really die! Not only did you not die, but you also turned the past Sect Masters into puppet vessels, relying on possessing the Sect Masters after you, your Primordial Spirit has been lingering on.”
“I didn’t expect the infamous Sect Master Gong Yanghong to be merely one of your incarnations!”
“The real Sect Master Gong Yanghong, I fear, had already perished on the day he became the Sect Master!”
Li Muyang eyes were stern as he loudly revealed this truth.
Li Muyang’s words had barely left his mouth when the disciples of Refinement Demon Sect all changed their expressions drastically.
The faces of the sect elders were particularly spectacular.
The greatest secret of the sect had been publicly exposed… It was utterly horrifying.
Was being selected as the Sect Master synonymous with death?
Did the successive Sect Masters not exist at all?
Was the Ancestor of Demon Refinement the only one alive from the beginning to the end?
Were those chosen as Sect Masters merely vessels for his possession?
The disciples, who had just been eager, now bowed their heads and bristled with cold sweat, as if afraid of attracting the notice of that frightening old demon by looking his way too much.
In front of everyone’s eyes, the old man surrounded by three Sect Masters at the center remained calm despite Li Muyang revealing his darkest secret and even causing the entire Refinement Demon Sect’s disciples to become restless.
There was no violent reaction.
He calmly looked up at Li Muyang atop the giant monster and said, “Yes, they were all victims of my possession, turned into external avatars for me and means to avoid the ravages of age.”
He righteously admitted his evil deeds, not only not concealing them but even openly extending his arms.
“But from today, I will no longer hide.”
“From today, I will reclaim the reputation of the Ancestor of Demon Refinement and take control of the sect with this body!”
“This sect was founded and maintained by myself alone.”
“The so-called merits of the past Sect Masters were all my own doing!”
“The foundation and influence of the Refinement Demon Sect are solely due to my efforts!”
Boastfully claiming his achievements, the Ancestor of Demon Refinement coldly announced to the entire Refinement Demon Sect.
“Younger generations, go and spread the news that I want to reemerge in this world.”
“From now on, I will personally control the Refinement Demon Sect!”
“And the first thing I, myself, will do in control of the sect is to cleanse our ranks!”
His tone suddenly changed as the Ancestor of Demon Refinement fiercely turned to Li Muyang.
At that moment, the old demon’s face no longer bore a friendly smile, his eyes turned ice-cold.
He coldly gazed at the demonic man atop the mantis, saying, “So the Startling Swan Immortal Sword ended up in your hands, you must have received the legacy of that ancient Immortal from Demon Sword City?”
“Is that Immortal’s body the Jade Maiden?”
The Ancestor of Demon Refinement glanced at the strikingly beautiful woman in the distant void, saying, “Her appearance is exactly the same as the Jade Maiden I saw in the portrait.”
“Unexpectedly, you boy, with a heart and hand as ruthless as your descent, have turned the Immortal who passed their secret techniques to you into a puppet.”
“You lad are even more ruthless and brutal than I was at your age, truly born to be a demon leader!”
The Ancestor of Demon Refinement coldly chuckled, shaking his head, “Sadly, heaven does not harbor two suns, nor can there be two demons!”
“Since you have forsaken the sect, today I will use all my strength to kill you, this arrogant boy, in an instant!”
“I’ll take your Martial God Domineering Body for myself!”
The Ancestor of Demon Refinement coldly laughed.
As his words ceased, the three Sect Masters surrounding him immediately leapt forward.
The second generation Sect Master, Hu Qingshan, moved in a flash, instantly appearing before Li Muyang.
Even though the emerald-bladed mantis retreated in time, Li Muyang was still struck by a palm and spat out blood.
Meanwhile, the third-generation Sect Master, Feng Jianming, and the fourth-generation Sect Master, Yan Xiren, simultaneously intercepted the body of the Ink Immortal, entangling her.
In an instant, three figures with power comparable to eternal realms, struck out, and the once unrivaled Li Muyang was immediately put at a disadvantage!