Chapter 582 - 578: Dark Holy Sect
Chapter 582: Chapter 578: Dark Holy Sect
In the deepest hall, a figure sat upon the Ink Jade Throne.
He was a tall man, his body completely enveloped in a black robe with dark gold patterns. He wore a golden mask.
The mask was exquisitely crafted, the eyes and brows outlined with blood-red lines as fine as hairs, giving it an indescribably demonic aura.
This was the Sect Hierarch of the Dark Holy Sect. No one knew his real name, nor had anyone ever seen the true face beneath his mask.
In the hall, the female Grandmaster codenamed Blood Butterfly stood with her head bowed.
Her red robes shimmered with a dark luster under the glow of the Luminous Pearls. A silver mask concealed her face, revealing only a pair of ice-cold eyes.
"Sect Hierarch."
Her voice was hoarse, tinged with a suppressed reverence.
"Our sect’s subordinate organization in Qingyang County... the Tiejiang Gang, has been exposed."
On the Ink Jade Throne, the Sect Hierarch did not move in the slightest. Only the eyes behind the mask, as deep as dark pools, shifted slightly to fall upon Blood Butterfly.
"Speak."
Just one word. His voice was not loud, yet it carried the weight of a mountain.
"While Qi Zhen, the Gang Leader of the Tiejiang Gang, was secretly capturing experts affiliated with the Seven Sects to cultivate the Holy Skill, he was discovered by a True Disciple of the Qingxuan Sect and ultimately exposed."
"The Seven Sects immediately joined forces and uprooted the Tiejiang Gang in a single day. Our sect’s plan to infiltrate Qingyang County..."
Blood Butterfly paused before continuing.
"...has failed."
A brief, deathly silence fell over the hall.
The light of the Luminous Pearls washed over the golden mask, reflecting a cold gleam.
After a long moment, the Sect Hierarch finally spoke, his voice betraying no emotion.
"What about Yan Wuji?"
He lifted his chin slightly, the gaze in his eyes narrowing as if recalling something.
"I have some impression of him. He has already broken through to become a Grandmaster. A Grandmaster can be considered a core member of the sect. With the Tiejiang Gang destroyed, did he manage to escape?"
"Reporting to the Sect Hierarch, Yan Wuji... is dead."
Blood Butterfly fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
"When the Tiejiang Gang was besieged by the Seven Sects, Yan Wuji was lucky enough to escape, but the Seven Sects did not give up the pursuit."
"A few days ago, the Seven Sects found and killed him in the northern mountains of Qingyang County."
"Dead?"
The Sect Hierarch’s voice remained level, but the air in the hall seemed to freeze for an instant.
It was not a deliberately released pressure, but a deeper chill that rose from the very depths of one’s soul.
Blood Butterfly lowered her head further, not daring to speak.
"Why did you not intervene to save him?"
The Sect Hierarch spoke. His voice was not loud, one could even call it placid, as if he were inquiring about a trivial matter.
But Blood Butterfly knew that the calmer the Sect Hierarch appeared, the more dangerous he was.
"I attempted a rescue, but the attempt failed."
Blood Butterfly said in a low voice.
"I even clashed with the Grandmasters of the Seven Sects. I was outnumbered and sustained some minor injuries, so I had no choice but to retreat."
She raised her right hand and lifted a corner of the red robe at her right shoulder.
There, a wound was bandaged.
The Sect Hierarch said nothing. He simply leaned back on the Ink Jade Throne, his right index finger tapping twice on the armrest.
TAP. TAP.
The dull sound echoed in the empty hall, each tap like a hammer blow to Blood Butterfly’s heart.
"The Seven Sects..."
After a long pause, the Sect Hierarch slowly uttered these two words.
His voice was still level, but in those pool-like, deep eyes, a cold glint flashed and vanished, like the sudden glint of a cold blade beneath deep water.
"Even with the accelerated path of the Holy Skill, it is not easy to cultivate a Grandmaster... and now one is dead, killed at the hands of the Seven Sects."
Blood Butterfly kept her head bowed, silent.
She knew the Sect Hierarch’s killing intent was stirred.
That killing intent was not released, nor did it cause the slightest stir in the air, but having followed the Sect Hierarch for many years, she knew all too well what this calm signified.
"Sect Hierarch."
She spoke tentatively, her voice tinged with deliberation.
"Should we move against the Seven Sects..."
"No rush."
The Sect Hierarch raised his left hand, stopping Blood Butterfly’s words.
The hand was long and fair with well-defined knuckles, appearing no different from an ordinary man’s. But Blood Butterfly knew that this very hand had easily crushed the throats of more than one Grandmaster.
"The Holy Sect is currently in a dormant period. It would be unwise to cause a major disturbance."
The Sect Hierarch spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an unquestionable finality.
"If we move to annihilate the Seven Sects now, it will inevitably shake the world, which is detrimental to the Holy Sect’s grand plan."
He paused, his deep eyes narrowing slightly.
"For now, we will simply note this debt."
He raised his eyes, his gaze landing on Blood Butterfly.
"The day the Holy Sect truly emerges will be the day the Seven Sects are annihilated."
A chill ran through Blood Butterfly’s heart. She said respectfully, "The Sect Hierarch is wise."
Silence once again descended upon the hall.
The glow of the Luminous Pearls fell on the Ink Jade Throne, illuminating the figure in the golden mask, making him appear both distinct and hazy, like a slumbering Demon God awaiting the day of its awakening.
...
「Qingxuan Sect.」
Fang Han’s life returned to its usual rhythm.
Every day, he would cultivate his Inner Qi with the *Cyan Profound Technique* in the morning, practice the *Sky-Splitting Sword Technique* before noon, and train in the *Xuanwu True Skill* and *Wind God Step* in the afternoon.
In addition, he would set aside some time each evening to cultivate the *Netherworld Guide* and *Ghost Shadow*, but he no longer poured most of his energy into the *Netherworld Guide* as he had before.
After all, a Secret Technique was ultimately just an aid. What truly determined how far one could walk on the Martial Dao was one’s own strength.
Time flowed by quietly amid his day-after-day cultivation.
Before he knew it, it was already the twelfth month.
The weather turned cold abruptly. The wind in the mountains carried a bone-chilling cold, whistling like a mournful cry as it swept through the forests.
Although the bamboo forest in the True Inheritance Courtyard was still verdant, it shivered in the cold wind.
Qiu Lan and the maids in the courtyard had all changed into thick winter clothes.
Fang Han, however, remained in his thin cyan robe.
With his current cultivation at the Middle Stage of Second Grade, his blood and qi were as abundant as a blazing furnace, making him impervious to heat and cold.
Even the cold wind of deep winter felt no different from a summer breeze on his face.
Afternoon.
The rear courtyard’s Cultivation Field.
Fang Han stood in the center of the open space and took out a Jade Bottle from his robes.
He uncorked it and tipped out the last Vajra Pill.
It was the size of a longan, pure gold in color, and pulsed with a gentle luster. A scorching, domineering aura emanated from the Elixir’s surface, seeming to ignite the cold air around it.
’The last one.’
Fang Han muttered to himself and then popped the Elixir into his mouth.
The Elixir melted the moment it entered his mouth, and a scorching, magma-like energy surged down his throat into his abdomen before exploding violently.
The searing Medicinal Power, like an unbridled wild horse, charged through his meridians to every corner of his body, seeping into every inch of muscle, every segment of bone, and every strand of fascia.
HMMMM—
Fang Han focused his mind, and the Inner Qi within his body moved in response.
The Cultivation Method of the *Xuanwu True Skill* flowed through his mind as his body twisted slightly into an extremely strange posture.
His muscles tensed, and his bones emitted soft cracking sounds.
The scorching Medicinal Power was refined and absorbed bit by bit, merging into his muscles, bones, skin, and membranes.
He could clearly feel his physical body being reinforced, layer by layer.
His skin was gradually becoming fairer—not a pale white, but a healthy white that gave off a lustrous sheen.
His muscle fibers grew tougher, each one like repeatedly forged refined iron, containing astonishing power.
The jade-like luster on the surface of his bones grew brighter, and the increase in density produced a subtle, continuous hum, like countless tiny hammers striking an anvil.
A couple of hours later, as evening approached.
Fang Han slowly withdrew his skill. The bulging muscles all over his body gradually relaxed, and his contorted posture returned to normal.
He exhaled a long breath of turbid air. The breath condensed without dispersing, tracing a white trail in the cold air that shot out several feet before slowly dissipating.
’I’ve improved a bit more.’
Fang Han perceived the changes in his body, a faint smile gracing his lips.
Supplementing his daily cultivation with the Vajra Pill, his progress in the *Xuanwu True Skill* was far beyond his imagination.
Compared to when he had just reached Minor Achievement, his physical strength had now improved by leaps and bounds. The lustrous sheen beneath his skin was almost solid.
’In a few more months at most, I should be able to break through to the Mastery Realm.’
Fang Han estimated in his mind.
The cultivation of a Body Hardening Technique was often slow, with each breakthrough to a new realm taking a very long time. However, the improvement brought by each new realm was enormous.
If his *Xuanwu True Skill* reached Mastery, he would break through the "Essence" gate of the Three Gates of Essence, Qi, and Spirit. At that point, his physical defense would reach a level where he would be difficult to injure by anyone below the Grandmaster Realm.
That meant that even when facing a Breaking the Three Gates expert among First Grade Martial Artists, he could rely on his physical body to withstand their attacks without suffering severe injuries.
This would be his life-saving trump card and the foundation for his future attempt to reach the Grandmaster Realm. This was also why, typically, only sects that possessed Grandmaster Martial Arts could produce Grandmasters.
The day’s cultivation was over. Fang Han stepped out of the Cultivation Field.
Remembering that he had used up all the Vajra Pills he had exchanged from the Sect Treasure Vault, he summoned a servant.
"Have Qiu Lan come here."
"Yes, Senior Brother."
The servant bowed and quickly departed.
Before long, Qiu Lan approached from under the covered walkway.
She was wearing a thick, light-cyan dress with a collar trimmed with white fur. Her hands were tucked into her sleeves, and her steps were light.
"Senior Brother, you were looking for me?"
She walked up and asked with a bow.
Fang Han took his Identity Token from his robes and handed it to her.
"Take my Token, go to the Sect Treasure Vault, and exchange it for fifteen bottles of Vajra Pills."
Qiu Lan took the Token with both hands and replied,
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Fang Han nodded slightly and added a reminder,
"Go quickly and come back soon."
"I understand."
Qiu Lan bowed, then turned and walked briskly out of the courtyard. The sound of her footsteps soon vanished into the cold wind.
Watching Qiu Lan leave, Fang Han retracted his gaze.
If he wanted the *Xuanwu True Skill* to break through to Mastery within a few months, he couldn’t be stingy with the Vajra Pills.
An hour later, footsteps were heard outside the courtyard gate.
Qiu Lan walked briskly into the courtyard and presented the Identity Token and a cloth bag with both hands.
"Senior Brother, the Token and the Elixirs."
Fang Han reached out and took them. He put away the Token first, then opened the cloth bag. His eyes swept over the fifteen Jade Bottles arranged neatly inside.
Each Jade Bottle was inscribed with the two words "Vajra Pill." They were warm to the touch, and a faint, warm aura seeped out from them.
After confirming there was no issue, he tied the bag shut again.
"Thank you for your hard work. You may go and rest."
Fang Han said.
"Yes, Senior Brother."
Qiu Lan bowed and retreated.
’Four Great Merits, and now only three are left.’
Fang Han muttered to himself, a sense of wistfulness rising in his heart.
The merits had seemed plentiful, but they were spent all too quickly.
Fifteen bottles of Vajra Pills cost one whole Great Merit.
And under normal circumstances, even an Upper Three Grades Martial Artist might not be able to earn a single Great Merit in half a year.
’If it weren’t for this tumultuous time for the Sect, I never would have been able to earn so many contribution points.’
Fang Han shook his head.
First, he had discovered Qi Zhen cultivating a Demon Skill. Then, he had succeeded in Tracking Yan Wuji, allowing the Seven Sects to join forces and kill him. Both acts were rewarded with a Great Merit.
Adding the contribution points accumulated from previous missions like exterminating the Black Crow Thieves and killing You Xin, he had amassed his current fortune.
But opportunities like these were rare.
With the Tiejiang Gang destroyed and Yan Wuji dead, Qingyang County had temporarily returned to peace.
In the days to come, it would probably be difficult to encounter another mission that awarded a Great Merit all at once.
’But that’s fine too.’
A faint smile appeared on Fang Han’s lips.
No missions meant he could devote himself completely to his cultivation.