CHAPTER 372: CHAPTER 372: FANNING THE FLAMES

"What did you say?"

Unable to hear the young man’s muttering clearly, Liu Ruyan looked at him nervously, fearing that the capricious Duke Yu still had thoughts of killing to silence a witness.

But the feared event did not occur; the handsome, sinister youth in black merely chuckled, pursed his lips, and shook his head meaningfully.

"Nothing, let’s go."

Carrying two curious babies in his arms, Zhu Haomiao strolled forward, turned the corner, and a breathtaking and magnificent scene immediately came into view.

An endless sea of pure white clouds stretched to the horizon, sometimes swirling like a thin veil, sometimes surging like waves, resembling a moving ink painting.

Looking down on that rolling, undulating, ethereal ocean felt as if standing atop the nine heavens, giving an illusion of transcendence and being in a fairyland.

In a daze, Zhu Haomiao understood why those "Immortals" in ancient times all retreated to the peaks of famous mountains and rivers.

Only such an environment fits people’s imagination of "Immortals."

"Wow!"

"Chirp~"

The little creatures in his arms were still exclaiming in delight, but Zhu Haomiao quickly returned from the magnificent scenery with an unperturbed look, discreetly observing the surroundings.

The Holy Hero Hall, established at the peak of the Heavenly Summit, was the headquarters of the Demon Sect. However, limited by the mountaintop area, this architectural complex was not large in scale.

Yet, aside from its scale, the level of luxury and refinement here surpassed even the Imperial Palace of Da Zhen.

Every corner was adorned with intricately detailed reliefs.

Dragons, phoenixes, celestial maidens and gods, auspicious clouds and waves...

All kinds of auspicious reliefs and patterns were vivid and lifelike, the smallest not even the size of a grain of rice, requiring a closer look to see them clearly.

The entire Holy Hero Hall complex was like a stunningly exquisite work of art, causing Zhu Haomiao to feel a sense of awe.

What a material and cultural heritage... it would be a pity to destroy it...

Admiring the beautiful architecture, Zhu Haomiao strolled leisurely, with Liu Ruyan sending away all Demon Sect guards along the way, allowing them to roam the Holy Hero Hall undisturbed.

Soon, passing through the intricately carved and painted back courtyard, they arrived at the front courtyard of the Holy Hero Hall, hearing a noisy commotion from afar.

On a small square at the mountaintop, a dense crowd of hundreds had gathered.

They were the heads and trusted disciples of major black path sects, led by a dignified and deep middle-aged man seated in a high-backed chair.

Blending into the crowd, Zhu Haomiao looked around with interest and quietly asked Liu Ruyan beside him.

"Is that your master, the Demon Sect Hierarch, Shangguan Yi?"

Glancing at the dignified man seated at the top, Liu Ruyan nodded bitterly.

"Yes."

If her master discovered her betrayal, there were ten thousand kinds of cruel tortures within the sect that could make her wish for death.

But the problem was, if she didn’t obey the youth in black, she would die on the spot!

As if seeing Liu Ruyan’s worry, Zhu Haomiao laughed it off with a wave.

"You’re not needed for now, step back."

Her eyes shone as Liu Ruyan couldn’t believe Li Lin was letting her off so easily, looking at the youth with surprise and suspicion, seemingly wanting to see through his real intentions.

However, the deep, dark eyes of the youth in black were like an ancient well, revealing not the slightest hint.

Tentatively backing up two steps and finding the youth didn’t stop her, Liu Ruyan immediately took off in a flash.

On the other side, without minding Liu Ruyan’s departure at all, Zhu Haomiao focused all his attention on the center of the bickering crowd, watching with interest as a group of black path magnates exchanged verbal spats like street vendors.

The crowd on the small square was distinct in layers, with the innermost circle consisting of leaders from various sects, as they were the only ones entitled to pound the tables and exchange barbs.

Behind them were the elders guest ministers of each sect, and at the outermost were the core disciples brought along to broaden their horizons.

The slothful Extraordinary Power draped around him like a thin veil, Zhu Haomiao mixed in among the young disciples, making his presence almost negligible, as his pitch-dark eyes scanned everywhere, counting each target.

Soon, the youth in black raised a genuine smile, subconsciously licking his lips.

"So many talents gathered here, all ages, putting my efforts to lure them to good use..."

In the crowd center, unbeknownst to them, the subject of their discussion was right beside them, as they "cordially" debated on how to kill Duke Yu, Li Lin.

"Why make it so complicated? Just kill him outright!"

"That’s right! A sixteen-year-old brat, no matter how much he’s hyped up, is just a Third Grade. If we set aside our pride and all attack together, can he withstand an onslaught from a dozen First-grade Masters?!"

"Fool! You have no idea how terrifying the Heavenly Destiny People are! They are monsters born of the Qi Fortune!"

"It’s you who’s the fool. I think you’re just scared out of your wits by that little brat."

"Exactly. Some people get more cowardly as they live. If you’re scared, go home and drink your mother’s milk!"

"Hu Yong! I’ve had enough of you!"

"Ding Haoyu, you think I’m afraid of you? If you dare, let’s fight it out!"

......

Watching coldly as these antagonistic "heroes" almost came to blows, Shangguan Yi sat at the top with his eyes lowered, his pupils hidden in shadows flickering with an indecipherable glint.

He had long expected that these unruly black path magnates would be hard to unite, but Shangguan Yi never expected they would bicker nonstop just upon meeting.

Originally thinking that under the pressure of Duke Yu and the Jinyi Guard’s execution knives, these people could temporarily set aside their feuds and unite externally, however, reality proved these strong-willed, unruly guys had no sense of ’taking the bigger picture into account.’

The knives were almost on their necks, yet they were still scheming against each other!

Watching them getting more and more heated, Shangguan Yi slammed the armrest of his seat hard.

Thud~

Like a gavel falling, a dull thud pierced everyone’s hearts, causing their insides to feel numb as their heads buzzed.

"I invited you here to discuss how to respond to the court’s threats, not for you to harm each other."

Speaking in a low tone, Shangguan Yi swept his gaze around, a flicker of cold light shining in his otherwise calm, well-like eyes, instantly extinguishing the anger in everyone’s hearts.

The weight of his name, like the shadow of a tree, as one of the few peak First-grade grandmasters in Jianghu, when Shangguan Yi spoke, an invisible intimidation enveloped the entire venue, like a mountain pressing down on the crowd.

The people below had their eyes cleared instantly, glaring at their enemies with indignation, coldly snorting before quieting down.

Seeing this, Shangguan Yi restrained his aura, his expression softened, and just as he was about to speak, he heard a whisper emerge from the crowd.

"To repulse foreign aggression, we must first settle our internal affairs! I believe those opposing the direct killing of Duke Yu are all undercover spies, perhaps already in secret collusion with the court to sell us out for wealth and glory!"

Upon hearing these words, everyone’s faces subtly changed, with a hint of caution in the glances they exchanged.