CHAPTER 90: CHAPTER 88 SECT MASTER’S REVENGE! [FOUR UPDATES, LOOKING FOR INITIAL SUBSCRIPTIONS!]

"Brother Wuwang, you really are heartless..."

In a corner of the Annihilation Sect Mountain, beside the babbling brook, two new male Disciples, on their probationary period, rolled up their sleeves. They sat beside a stone platform, pounding on dirty clothes with stone sticks, with several buckets full of filthy garments set beside them.

Ji Mo sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead, sluggishly beating the laundry. Lin Qi, on the other hand, was much more serious, carefully pounding the clothes in front of him, his expression showing no sign of slack. Even with a chore as rough as washing clothes, he strived to do his best, aiming to become the top Disciple!

"The teacher is testing us," Lin Qi said calmly. "I advise you to cherish this opportunity and not to fail the teacher’s kindness."

Ji Mo glared. "How is this kindness? Wu Wang obviously wants us to realize the difficulty and give up."

"No," Lin Qi said, a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "The teacher is trying to convey a truth to us, which I happened to have read in a scripture before: the Way is hidden in flowing water and dust, concealed in filth and muddy grime. The teacher previously had the Grand Elder bring us diapers to wash, just to awaken us to this realization. It’s a pity—the Demonic Cultivators here don’t understand the teacher’s intentions and, considering our status, they’ve merely given us some dirty clothes."

Ji Mo: ...

Did Wu Wang really knock this guy senseless? He doesn’t seem to be very bright anymore.

"Alas," Ji Mo sighed softly. "When will these days end? We’ve already been washing clothes for twenty-two hours."

Lin Qi shook his head and chuckled, continuing to beat the camisole in front of him. Find joy in it, and therein lies endless cultivation.

Not far away, in a wooden hut, Wu Wang and several Elders of the Annihilation Sect sat around a round table. The Grand Elder had activated a Cloud Mirror, which displayed the two scions from Military Families in question.

Elder Miao looked with great interest at this scene, laughing. "These two guys can actually help with my cultivation."

A few Heavenly Immortal Realm Elders sitting beside them wore expressions of exasperation.

An Elder hastily said, "Little Miao, don’t be reckless. Both of these young masters are big shots that we cannot afford to provoke. Ji Mo and the Ji Family are known for their loyal and brave lineage, guardians of the border of the Human Domain. The head of the Ji Family, Ji Mo’s grandmother, once repelled an Evil God and was a renowned figure of great prominence ten thousand years ago."

"The Lin Family is quite similar. Lin Qi is the only son of the Furious General and even holds the Yan Emperor’s Order... Sect Master, if we continue to pressure them like this, could there be, might there be..."

CRACK.

Lin Suqing’s delicate hand paused, pinching a sunflower seed into the small plate in front of Wu Wang.

Wu Wang said indifferently, "I called everyone here today to discuss whether we should keep these two."

The Grand Elder said, "Sect Master, that’s ultimately for you to decide."

"No, I can’t be the one to decide; it concerns the safety of our Sect." Wu Wang leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the Elders of the Annihilation Sect. Excluding the two Elders who had already departed with their people to the border, those present were the core of the Sect’s power. "Keeping them, versus not keeping them, will result in two different paths of development for our Annihilation Sect. Suqing?"

"Yes, Young Master." Lin Suqing responded from the side. She took out a stack of white papers from her storage bracelet, handed them out to the Elders, and then returned to her seat.

Wu Wang spoke slowly. "This predicts the scenarios that may occur after we decide to keep them. Among them, the likelihood of a sneak attack by the Ten Evils Hall reaches 99 percent—they certainly won’t let Lin Qi, the bearer of the Yan Emperor’s Order, off easily. On the other hand, the two of them can bring us many benefits, enabling us to quickly expand our Sect’s influence using the prestige and power of the Ji and Lin Families."

The Grand Elder did not look at the paper and said sternly, "Sect Master, I feel that protecting the bearer of the Yan Emperor’s Order is indeed an inescapable duty for us."

"Yes, Sect Master," an Elder said, a flush of excitement on his face. "This is a rare honor, an opportunity that other Sects could not obtain even in eight generations."

Another Elder spoke in a sonorous voice, "The Ten Evils Hall is like a rat crossing the street that everyone shouts to beat. Why should we fear them?"

Wu Wang reminded them, "This implies that we might suffer huge losses, and many of our Sect members and Disciples may be lost as a result."

Miao Cuijiao raised her hand and yawned lazily, speaking softly, "Sect Master, it’s useless to discuss these things with us; just tell us the countermeasures directly. Even if all the Disciples from the three branches of the Annihilation Sect were to choose, in the end, they would be the ones to stay. They would also be given decent treatment, which is common for most Sects in the Human Domain. If there’s an exception, then there’s an eighty percent chance that there’s something wrong with the Sect."

Wu Wang’s gaze swept over the faces of the Elders again, and they each nodded, their attitudes surprisingly unanimous.

"It seems that I have overthought," Wu Wang revealed a slight smile. "Since that is the case, let’s keep them. Elder Miao, would you please bring those two over?"

"Why should I go?" Elder Miao huffed lightly, walked towards the wooden door, and leaned against the doorframe, saying, "You two, over there."

Ji Mo and Lin Qi were both taken aback. The former swiftly stood up, habitually revealing an elegant smile and gently tapping his palm with the stone rod in his hand. Lin Qi casually wiped his palm on Ji Mo’s back and quickly headed towards the wooden house.

Shortly after, two more chairs were added beside the round table in the wooden house. Ji Mo and Lin Qi sat calmly at the end, neither showing any stage fright. Wu Wang gestured, and once again the room was enveloped by a Formation.

Clearing his throat, Wu Wang spoke slowly. "I have read the letters from your family Elders, and the Elders here have discussed it. We will allow you two to cultivate with our Annihilation Sect. As for your positions, let’s set them to be Left and Right Protectors. How about it?"

"Thank you, Brother Wuwang! Ah, no," Ji Mo clasped his hands together in a fist salute. "Thank you, Sect Master!"

Lin Qi said happily, "Thank you, Teacher!"

"We should still address each other as before," Wu Wang said. "Since you have joined our Annihilation Sect, you are now part of our Sect. Our Sect provides a stipend every month..."

"How much do you need?" Ji Mo took out a Storage Magic Treasure from his sleeve and smiled as he pushed it towards Wu Wang. "Is this enough?"

Wu Wang glanced at it and, with a slight squint and a chuckle, indicated for Lin Suqing to take it away. After that, Wu Wang laughed. "Your stipend and benefits will temporarily be the same as that of the Elders of the Technique Teaching Hall. You’ll also be able to claim quite a few things every month."

"Claim?" Ji Mo stared at Wu Wang. "Isn’t it for making tribute to the Sect? My treasures!"

Elder Miao gently fiddled with her long, dark hair.

Ji Mo instantly regained his graceful demeanor and said warmly, "Consider it support for the Sect’s development."

Lin Qi remained unfazed and put the ring he had just taken off back on his finger.

"Alright, let’s get down to business." Wu Wang tapped on the table, and a gleam gradually emerged in his eyes. "I can tell you frankly that in this encounter with the Ten Evils Hall, we have suffered heavy losses, and I feel quite aggrieved."

The Elders showed solemn expressions.

Lin Qi said, "The death and injury of thousands this time is indeed quite heavy."

"I’m not referring to that. I’m not arrogant enough to feel guilty about that matter. I am speaking from a personal point of view." Wu Wang threw several Treasure Sacks onto the table, gritted his teeth, and cursed, "See? They’re flattened! Damned Ten Evils Hall’s doing!"

The Elders still looked somewhat puzzled.

"The contents previously in these, their value could compare to us running dozens of Elixir promotions!"

"This!"

"Ten Evils Hall truly deserves to die!"

"AAARGH, it infuriates me! The Sect Master has suffered such heavy losses!"

Wu Wang raised his hand, signaling for the Elders to quiet down for a moment. He said, "The wool comes from the sheep’s back. The purse emptied by the Ten Evils Hall must be replenished from their own hides."

A moment of silence ensued in the wooden hut.

The Grand Elder whispered, "Sect Master, we don’t even know where the Ten Evils Hall is based."

"Couldn’t we just capture a few of their Elders and ask?" Wu Wang replied calmly.

Ji Mo muttered quietly, "How do we capture them?"

Wu Wang said indifferently, "Ever caught a bird? Set a trap, lure them in, then with the force of thunder, block their escape."

"But the Ten Evils Hall..."

Everyone suddenly turned to look at Lin Qi.

Lin Qi immediately said, "This Disciple will fully cooperate."

Elder Miao asked, "The Ten Evils Hall employs unpredictable and malicious methods, and it is said they even have secret arts that boost their strength in a short time. Our single Sect alone is nowhere near a match for them."

"Exactly," Wu Wang revealed a slight smile. "Which is why Brother Ji needs to step forward."

"Me?" Ji Mo suddenly had an ominous premonition.

"All Elders and Protectors, heed my command!" The Elders immediately stood up, with Ji Mo and Lin Qi also rising to their feet.

Wu Wang instructed, "Grand Elder, you are in charge of guarding the Sect gate. You must arrange for people to search within a thousand miles every day, give gifts to the surrounding Sects as needed, host banquets when required, and ensure the safety of our gate!"

"Yes!" The Grand Elder saluted and took the order, his expression quite solemn.

"Elder Miao!"

Miao Cuijiao responded, "Subordinate is here."

"You are in charge of running the Treasure Hall at full capacity, responsible for spreading news and gathering information during this operation."

"Yes!"

"Elders of the Technique Teaching Hall!"

"Subordinate is here."

"Withdraw thirty Cultivators of the True Immortal Realm and above to form a demon—ahem, evil-expelling force. Mobilize any Heavenly Immortals you can. Below the True Immortal Realm, if there are any Immortals skilled in sneak attacks, call them as well."

"Your subordinate obeys."

"Protector Lin, you may face danger later. But with the border affairs currently pressing, your family’s experts need to guard the frontier. Do you have confidence in us?"

Lin Qi’s eyes blazed as he declared, "I will not disappoint my teacher! The Ten Evils Hall—do they possess the might of an Evil God?"

"Good!" Wu Wang let out a light shout, his gaze falling on Ji Mo. "Protector Ji, perhaps you... well..."

Ji Mo hurriedly said, "Brother Wuwang, Sect Master, although my cultivation may be inadequate, I am also willing to do whatever is within my power."

"That’s good," Wu Wang took a deep breath, his words full of earnest concern. "Then, the task of contacting the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion to request the establishment of an evil-expulsion supervision team, and to send one or two Transcendent experts and as many Heavenly Immortals as possible to assist us—I’ll leave that to you."

Ji Mo couldn’t help but tremble all over, feeling as though he was being targeted by his dearest friend! Was it so easy to request the help of Transcendent experts?

Elder Miao whispered, "Sect Master, isn’t this a bit too hard on Protector Ji?"

"What’s so hard about it?" Ji Mo puffed out his chest, confidently took out a folding fan, and gently waved it in front of himself. "My second maternal aunt is the Vice Pavilion Master of the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion. Leave this matter to me!"

Elder Miao gently blinked, and Ji Mo quickly averted his gaze. Lin Suqing’s shoulders trembled slightly beside him; she barely held back a laugh.

Unable to resist a counterattack, Ji Mo smiled and said, "Sect Master, what will you be doing?"

"I, of course, have important matters at hand." Wu Wang fished out a broken Storage Magic Treasure from his sleeve and said earnestly, "Whether we can identify those villains hidden among the ordinary Cultivators and reduce the losses our side incurs during Duels depends entirely on my ability to unravel the secrets within the Evil God’s blood."

Everyone couldn’t help but show their respect, performing a Daoist salute to Wu Wang in unison.

"Send this letter to Elder Mao," Wu Wang handed a Jade Talisman to the Grand Elder. "And make sure to credit the Inspection Immortal Envoys for their part in this operation."

"Certainly."

"Also, regarding tactics, consider Yang Wudi’s advice extensively."

A few of the Technique Teaching Hall’s Elders were somewhat puzzled. What constructive ideas could that simpleton, Yang Wudi, have? But since the Sect Master insisted, they dared not take it lightly. After the meeting, they grabbed Yang Wudi and returned to the Technique Teaching Hall with him.

A simple meeting had suddenly escalated the tension within the Annihilation Sect. Driven by the conviction to "make the Ten Evils Hall pay for their surprise attack," Wu Wang, Ji Mo, and Lin Qi, without resting for even a few days, began their retaliatory action.

Wu Wang secluded himself in the attic, laying out several samples of ’diluted Evil God’s blood’ before him and meticulously studying the properties of the substance.

Lin Qi sent a letter home requesting help and welcomed two Heavenly Immortal Realm family guards, both at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Immortal Realm, to be stationed at the Annihilation Sect’s location.

Miao Cuijiao ordered her people to move about, collecting information and spreading news everywhere.

Yang Wudi finally had a stage to display his ’talent,’ day after day enthusiastically advising the Sect’s True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals on Dueling tactics, sharing all his feinting strategies.

Ji Mo became rather busy, leaving behind scenes of him acting coquettishly with old women and ladies at the Main Hall of Benevolent Emperor Pavilion and the nearby branch pavilions in the Northern Region. The scenes were incredibly moving, enough to bring a tear to the eye.

In the end, Ji Mo did indeed return with over a dozen experts to the Annihilation Sect, among them an old lady who seemed like an ordinary mortal. This old lady introduced herself as Old Lady Meng. Though her strength was far inferior to the Pavilion Master of Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, she had made it clear before coming that if the situation in the Northern Region escalated, she must first attend to the north. But finally, their side also had a Transcendent expert to oversee matters.

In the Sect Master’s attic, Wu Wang sat in meditation, his body faintly showing patches of golden scales, with strands of bloody qi floating around him. Soon, Wu Wang opened his mouth to inhale, and wisps of white smoke flew out of the bloody qi, entering his nostrils. The next moment, Wu Wang’s aura slowly rose, the golden scales shimmered with a soft luster, and a multitude of realizations dawned within him.

Huh? The essence hidden within the Evil God’s blood seemed to enhance the power of the Star God’s bloodline? Although the amplification was slight, it was indeed an increase; and even more pronounced than when breaking through one or two minor realms in cultivation.

"This?" This was an unexpected boon.

「Meanwhile, in a certain underground palace.」

"Everyone open your eyes and commit this ’Lin Qi’s’ face to memory! According to the information we’ve got, he will appear in Floating Jade City in half a month."

"Second Elder, are you sure this isn’t the Lin Qi we know?"

"Did you hear me when I asked you to memorize it? Are you questioning our great father? This is the ’Lin Qi’ that father has ordered us to eliminate! Killing him is your primary mission!"

A robust Elder with flying hair and beard forcefully slapped the stone table beside him, while dozens of dark figures below each nodded their heads. On the stone table, the outline of Wu Wang’s face... was exceptionally clear.