Chapter 49: The Struggle for the Demonic Sect Leadership

Yang Nan always loved beating a dog that had fallen into the water. Without any hesitation, he immediately manipulated the purple and black rays of light to encircle the long-bearded Daoist. Seeing the Yin and Yang Dual Qi approaching with immense ferocity, the long-bearded Daoist let out a roar like a spring thunderclap and shouted: "Break!"

Instantly, the Dragon and Snake Dual Qi seemed to have been swept by a violent gale, freezing in mid-air and unable to advance even an inch, as if an unbreachable wall of copper and iron stood right before them!

The fact that even the sharpest Yin and Yang Dual Qi of heaven and earth could be frozen like this sent a chill straight down Yang Nan's spine. He had already exhausted all his divine abilities and methods, yet this Venerable Miaofu still seemed to possess boundless magical power. If the battle continued like this, how could he possibly hope to gain any advantage?

Seeing a chance to profit, Ni Cai shouted loudly from the side: "Old bastard, look at my Dragon-Slaying Stakes! Trap him!"

He slapped the Undying Thunder Boat, causing the seventy-two Dragon-Slaying Stakes beside the Yang Thunder Pool to soar high into the air. Dozens of exotic flames intertwined to form a massive fiery net, descending to shroud the long-bearded Daoist. These seventy-two exotic flames dyed the entire sky a blazing red; if the net were to fall, Venerable Miaofu, whose magical power had already been heavily depleted, would surely find it impossible to escape!

Under normal circumstances, Venerable Miaofu would not have placed the Dragon-Slaying Stakes in his eyes. However, having had the majority of his magical power worn away by the thunder-罡 lightning net and having fought a grueling battle against Yang Nan, no matter how powerful Venerable Miaofu was, he could no longer treat this magical treasure as nothing!

"Junior, I will settle today's score with you another day!" As the seventy-two Dragon-Slaying Stakes plummeted straight down, Venerable Miaofu let out a cold laugh, suddenly transforming his body into tens of thousands of talismans that burst into a dazzling brilliance and shot westward. Those countless talismans vanished in an instant like shooting stars.

Facing such divine power, even if Yang Nan managed to intercept one or two talismans, it would be of no use!

Yang Nan beckoned and recalled the Dragon and Snake Dual Qi, feeling a deep sense of shock in his heart. It was truly difficult to contend with experts of the Venerable level by sheer force. If not for the immense power of the thunder-罡 lightning net and the two divine arrows, he and his companions probably would have perished with lifelong regrets.

Since Venerable Miaofu was determined to leave, there was simply no way Yang Nan could keep him. Having exhausted all his means just to send this plague god on his way, Yang Nan exchanged a glance with Ni Cai and let out a long breath of relief: A Venerable was indeed not something a Grandmaster realm practitioner could withstand.

With Venerable Miaofu gone, Chiyang and the other three finally broke free from the talismanic restraints, though a bone-chilling cold still lingered in their hearts. A Venerable was truly terrifying!

Although the Four Incarnations were dead, the remaining talisman soldiers still refused to retreat even in death. As Yang Nan's Dragon and Snake Dual Qi swept past, countless talisman soldiers were instantly slashed into pieces. Seeing his young master display such divine might and drive away even a Venerable, Old Crab led the remaining personal guards in launching wave after wave of charges against the remaining talisman soldiers.

With one side's morale soaring like a rainbow and the other's military morale completely shattered, Yang Nan's demonic soldiers quickly slaughtered the remaining talisman soldiers to the last.

Talisman soldiers were domestically raised demonic monsters and would never surrender to others, leaving Yang Nan with no choice but to annihilate them entirely rather than attempt to recruit them.

Once all the talisman soldiers were dead, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated. The ground beneath Tianfang City was littered with flesh and shattered corpses, looking precisely like a living hell. Regardless of how fierce the battle in the sky had been, the citizens within the city simply closed their doors and refused to step outside. Over four hundred of the two thousand personal guards had died, and civilian casualties within the city were countless. Filled with deep sorrow, Yang Nan said: "All of you, go down there and consume all that flesh and blood." The personal guards were overjoyed; more than a thousand of them flew down to the ground, some gathering the remains, others devouring them on the spot, and before long, the flesh and blood on the ground had been completely devoured.

Aside from arduous cultivation, monsters relied on consuming spiritual energy, flesh, and blood to increase their magical power. Ever since following Yang Nan, they had been forbidden from eating humans, so having such a massive pile of flesh and blood to feast upon now naturally made them endlessly happy.

Only the Five Incarnations of the Heavenly Talisman Sect had appeared in Tianfang City, while the Heavenly Demon Sect was mysteriously nowhere to be seen. Yang Nan felt deeply puzzled by this. If the Heavenly Demon Sect had joined forces in a coordinated attack earlier, he might not have won. What reason could have made the Heavenly Demon Sect flee without a fight?

Just as Yang Nan was deep in thought, a cloud of black smoke flew over from a distance. A figure standing in the air smiled and said: "Trust you have been well since we last met, Daoist Brother Yang? Your display of divine might today to annihilate the Heavenly Talisman Sect truly commands my admiration."

Yang Nan focused his gaze and saw that this person possessed an eerie and handsome appearance, with a warm smile hanging at the corners of his lips and two demonic rings radiating a monstrous aura worn on his hands. Dressed in a black robe that accentuated his slender figure, he appeared aloof and stood far above the crowd!

This person... was none other than Ai Muyun?

"Why has he come here as well?" Though filled with countless doubts, Yang Nan cupped his fists and said: "Thank you for your concern, Daoist Brother Ai. I am ashamed; how can this be considered displaying divine might? It was merely a stroke of luck."

Ai Muyun flicked his Blood Demon Ring, revealing six human heads strung together and dangling from his hand, and smiled at Yang Nan: "The heads of the six disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect are right here, so Daoist Brother Yang need not guess further. I did this on a whim and specifically intended to offer the heads of these six individuals to you."

The faces of these six heads were ferocious, their lifeless fish-like eyes still wide open as if they had died with eternal grievances. Judging by their appearance, they truly were disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect!

"What is Ai Muyun's intention by doing this?"

A thought flashed through Yang Nan's mind, and he instantly understood. Ai Muyun had indeed come to bestow a favor! The people of the Heavenly Demon Sect must have been intercepted by him earlier, which was why they were unable to come and aid in the battle! Having even killed disciples of his own Heavenly Demon Sect, Ai Muyun's actions were aimed at nothing less than ingratiating himself with Yang Nan!

When someone presents heavy gifts without an obvious reason, they undoubtedly have a request in mind!

"Brother Ai, please speak your mind freely; I accept this favor." Regardless of Ai Muyun's underlying motives, the fact that he offered assistance meant he had done a favor. The cultivation world was simply that realistic, and returning this favor to him was only right.

A look of "just as expected" appeared on Ai Muyun's face, and he nodded with a smile: "Talking with Brother Yang is always so straightforward. The Heavenly Demon Sect has already sworn allegiance to Yang Lan; although I killed six of their disciples, their true sect headquarters is not located here. If Brother Yang holds a grudge against them, you will surely have the opportunity to make them pay in the future. I heard that Yang Lan is your own uncle, and I assume your relations with him are rather strained. I wonder why Brother Yang flew into such a rage to completely exterminate the Heavenly Talisman Sect?"

Having rushed to the Southern Continent with the original intention of discussing a matter with Yang Nan, he had coincidentally arrived right on time and seized the opportunity to do Yang Nan a favor, remaining completely unaware of the underlying cause of the incident.

Yang Nan sighed and said: "Brother Ai, you may not know this, but the Heavenly Demon Sect resorted to despicable means, using Soul-Devouring Orchid to secretly poison my wife, and now she is afflicted beyond cure. This deep hatred is simply intolerable! Otherwise, with my humble magical power, how would I ever dare to annihilate an entire sect?"

Ai Muyun asked in astonishment: "Soul-Devouring Orchid? Impossible! How could the Heavenly Demon Sect possess such an ancient demonic flower? That is absolutely impossible!"

With a gloomy expression, Yang Nan said: "Brother Ai, this matter is absolutely true. I was just on my way to search for the Profound Ice Silken Thread Fruit. Soul-Devouring Orchid is extremely rare in this world; how could a minor sect like the Heavenly Demon Sect possess such a miraculous flower? It really defies understanding."

A thoughtful look crossed Ai Muyun's face, and only after a long while did he say: "Brother Yang, please forgive my bluntness, but this matter is likely not as simple as it seems. The Heavenly Demon Sect secretly plotting against your wife was probably instigated by someone else. I know a thing or two about the background and resources of the twelve sects of the Demonic Path; this Soul-Devouring Orchid is definitely not an item belonging to the Heavenly Demon Sect. Its origins are peculiar and it has long been extinct in this world—how could the Heavenly Demon Sect simply pull it out whenever they please?"

The Demonic Path and the Demonic Realm were two distinct concepts: the Demonic Realm was inhabited by savage monsters, whereas the Demonic Path was composed of humans. Since Ai Muyun was a member of the Demonic Path, he naturally knew everything about his own sect's affairs inside and out. Hearing him speak with such earnestness, Yang Nan grew secretly suspicious: If someone was truly manipulating this behind the scenes, could it be Yang Lan? But why would Yang Lan target Qingyan instead of scheming against him directly? Could it be that he wanted to shake his Dao heart so that he could never break through to the Venerable realm?

"Brother Ai, let us discuss this matter later. Since you came looking for me, I wonder what important business you have?" Yang Nan promptly set aside the affair with the Heavenly Demon Sect; after all, he would go to Chang'an sooner or later, and settling accounts then would still be in time.

Ai Muyun nodded and said: "Brother Yang, to speak the truth without reservation, I am indeed looking for you to discuss a matter. The twelve sects of the Demonic Path will soon hold their rotating grand ceremony. This rotating grand ceremony is a major event held once every thirty years, and I wish to invite Brother Yang to attend it together with me. I wonder what your thoughts are on this, Brother Yang?"

"The rotating grand ceremony of the Demonic Path requires inviting a practitioner of the Daoist Path to attend? Isn't that rather bizarre?" Yang Nan calmly asked: "Could Brother Ai explain more clearly?"

Ai Muyun said sincerely: "During the rotating grand ceremony, practitioners are allowed to invite Daoist friends from all directions to lend support. Whichever sect emerges victorious becomes the Sect Master of the Demonic Path, with the authority to issue orders to all twelve sects of the Demonic Path. Furthermore, the Sect Master is chosen exclusively from among young disciples; experts at or above the Venerable level are not permitted to intervene. What is contested in this rotating grand ceremony is a congenital spiritual treasure of the Demonic Path—the Demonic Sealing Edict. This treasure is an heirloom passed down through generations within our Demonic Path, and only the Sect Master is qualified to possess it!

This matter concerns the fortune of my entire life. If you are willing to lend me a helping hand, Brother Yang, I will throw my full weight behind helping you find the Profound Ice Silken Thread Fruit! And if you wish to see the Heavenly Demon Sect completely eradicated, once I become Sect Master, I can accomplish it without the slightest effort! You help me once, Brother Yang, and I will help you for a lifetime! How does that sound?"

Driven purely by self-interest, he acted as though he didn't care about his fellow disciples in the Heavenly Demon Sect at all. Yang Nan was not surprised in the least; the Demonic Path was simply like that—valuing profit over righteousness, where even fellow sect brothers would kill each other, let alone mere sect-mates!

Ai Muyun was likewise a person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. If he could secure Yang Nan's assistance, what did slaughtering a few fellow disciples matter?

The Demonic Sealing Edict, the Ten Thousand Demons Talisman, and the Divine Demon Sword were all congenital spiritual treasures passed down within the Demonic Path for thousands of years. However, the whereabouts of the latter two were unknown, leaving only the Demonic Sealing Edict still in the hands of the Demonic Path. This Demonic Sealing Edict was illustrious and renowned, concealing a world of demons within itself. It could both capture demons and release them to harm enemies, and it was suffused with overwhelming demonic energy. If one could cultivate within the Demonic Sealing Edict, it could multiply one's cultivation gains several times over—truly an supreme lethal weapon.

A supreme treasure of the Demonic Path, comparable to the guardian treasures of the Daoist sects, its power was truly terrifying to the extreme!

The Sect Master of the Demonic Path governed all twelve sects of the Demonic Path, holding a prominent position and transcendent strength!

Thoughts raced through Yang Nan's mind like lightning, and he felt quite curious about this item of the Demonic Path. However, he had pressing matters on his hands at the moment: he needed to return to Kunlun to seek reinforcements to help Prince Chun purge the cultivation forces, and he also needed to hunt for the Profound Ice Silken Thread Fruit. How could he possibly have the spare time to meddle in such idle affairs?

Seeing the expression on his face, Ai Muyun guessed a portion of his thoughts and spoke up: "Brother Yang, your esteemed wife has been poisoned beyond cure, and since you have no leads, you must also be completely unaware of the whereabouts of the Profound Ice Silken Thread Fruit. Though I am untalented, this item is frequently recorded in the secret scriptures of the Demonic Path across thousands of years. I can at least inform Brother Yang of three locations where the Profound Ice Silken Thread Fruit might potentially be found. If you are willing to assist me, Brother Yang, I will personally guarantee the acquisition of this Profound Ice Silken Thread Fruit for you in the future."

Yang Nan shook his head and said: "The world today is in utter chaos, with numerous cultivation forces defying heavenly laws to enter the mortal realm. I have made a grand vow as a Venerable to assist Prince Chun in sweeping through the world to keep my Dao heart clear and untainted. Such a massive mobilization will likely take more than a single day; how could I have the spare time to assist you in seizing the Demonic Sealing Edict?"

Contending for the position of Sect Master would inevitably be a bloodbath. Although obtaining Ai Muyun's assistance was important, even without Ai Muyun, Yang Nan could still drive all the cultivation forces out of the mortal realm!

Furthermore, although Yang Nan did not fear any treacherous schemes from Ai Muyun, Qingyan was currently severely injured; how could he possibly have the state of mind to help Ai Muyun seize the position of Sect Master?

Ai Muyun clapped his hands and laughed: "I admire your grand ambition, Brother Yang, but this matter is actually quite easy to resolve. On the righteous path, you can seek the assistance of Kunlun experts. If you can help my Myriad Demon Sect achieve the position of Sect Master, a single talismanic decree from me will cause all the demonic forces of the world to withdraw from the mortal realm. With both righteous and demonic paths retreating, apart from a few stray monsters, who in the mortal realm would dare to cause chaos? And if any blind monsters show up, Brother Yang can simply capture them to refine using our sect's soul-control secret arts, which will also become a major asset for you in the future. This is the ultimate strategy! Since Brother Yang is supremely intelligent, you certainly will not refuse this mutually beneficial business deal!"

According to the intelligence gathered by the large crab scout, the Demonic Path across the world did indeed occupy quite a few prefectures and commanderies. If he could secure Ai Muyun's assistance, it would be equivalent to saving a third of the arduous effort!

Moreover, the whereabouts of the Profound Ice Silken Thread Fruit still depended on information from Ai Muyun; how could Yang Nan possibly refuse?