Chapter 91: First Steps on the Demonic Path (3) |
"Primordial Remnant Clan?"
Su Chen understood at once. This must be the assistance brought by those five hundred points in Family Background. And it came in the form of a quasi-Saint.
Zhou Yi nodded solemnly. "With the awakening of the Primordial King Bloodline, Sovereign, you are naturally the master of our Primordial Remnant Clan."
Su Chen asked, "How many clan members remain in the Primordial Remnant Clan today?"
Zhou Yi's gaze dimmed. "Fewer than thirty…"
Su Chen frowned.
"So few?"
A single clan reduced to less than thirty survivors… An ominous premonition settled over him.
Zhou Yi nodded. "At our peak, the Primordial Remnant Clan numbered far more than this. Back then, the entire Sun-Devouring Sacred Land lay under the control of my Zhou Clan!"
Zhou Hao… Su Chen had heard that name before. In the war between the Southwestern and Southern Domains, this figure had been a legendary prodigy, bearer of a divine physique. Countless Southern Barbarian Lands geniuses had fallen beneath his blade.
Su Chen never imagined that behind that inter-domain conflict lay such deep scheming. He fell silent. His premonition had been spot on. Out of nowhere, he had become an enemy of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land's Sacred Lord.
Zhou Yi sensed Su Chen's concern and continued, "Sovereign need not worry. We possess secret arts to conceal our aura. Even if Zhou Hao himself came in person, he would detect nothing. As long as you refrain from exposing the Primordial Body, the day will come when we reclaim the sacred land's authority!"
Su Chen paused, then asked, "Do we have any Saint Ancestors overseeing us?"
Zhou Yi shook his head. "The Saint Ancestors fell during the Southwestern Domain war."
Su Chen: "…"
Zhou Yi pressed on. "Sovereign, someone approaches. This jade token contains the inheritance of the Primordial King Bloodline, along with our clan's aura-concealing technique. You must cultivate diligently. One day, you will surely lead us—the remnants of the old and the young—back to seize control of the sacred land!"
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A black token appeared in Su Chen's hand. Ancient script was etched across its surface. He stored the token away.
Outside the courtyard, Zhou Hanchan had already returned with the demon beast meat. The brother and sister prepared a feast from the meat, cooking it into a variety of delicious dishes and enjoying a hearty meal together.
Listening to Zhou Hanchan chatter about trivial matters and outer sect gossip, Su Chen felt a long-absent warmth and tranquility. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously.
When night fell and Zhou Hanchan retired to her small room, Su Chen finally took out the token to study it. He dripped a drop of blood onto the surface. A beam of light surged from the token and shot straight into his mind.
"An ancient-era cultivation method…"
Su Chen was mildly surprised. The technique recorded in the black king token was called the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art. Its grade surpassed every cultivation method he had ever encountered… though it appeared to be an incomplete volume, capable of cultivation only up to the Saint realm.
"Devour the heavens… devour the earth… devour people. Truly domineering! Even with its flaws, if it can lead me to become a Saint, then even death would be worth it!"
Su Chen did not hesitate. The Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art matched his life's Primordial Taotie Physique perfectly. It would be a shame not to cultivate it.
Thirty years of dazzling glory, or a hundred years of mediocrity. Su Chen's choice had always been… thirty years of glory!
One month later, Su Chen successfully advanced to inner disciple status. As his dependent, Zhou Hanchan entered the inner sect alongside him.
Not long after Su Chen joined the inner sect, the sect assigned him a mission.
"Interesting…"
The task was straightforward: hunt down a demon beast. But among the listed participants was a name Su Chen knew all too well.
Ye Wushang!
Ye Wushang was a veteran inner disciple with deep seniority, on the verge of being promoted to a true disciple. The grudge between him and Zhou Chen was rather melodramatic. Ye Wushang coveted Zhou Hanchan as a concubine and wanted to seize the inheritance left behind by Zhou Chen's parents.
Naturally, Zhou Chen had refused. He was no fool. Although the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land leaned toward the demonic path, it still enforced basic rules: inner disciples were not permitted to casually attack outer disciples. Moreover, as the child of fallen elders, Zhou Chen had drawn at least some attention and protection.
So Ye Wushang had decided the simplest solution was to eliminate Zhou Chen entirely—removing every obstacle. Now that Su Chen had entered the inner sect, that layer of protection no longer existed.
Ye Wushang could hardly wait. His cultivation had already reached the Spirit Soul realm.
Su Chen accepted the mission without hesitation. If Ye Wushang was so eager to die, Su Chen had no qualms about escorting him on the journey.
Several days later, the hunting team set out fully prepared. Besides Su Chen and Ye Wushang, the squad included two other inner disciples.
"Junior Brother Zhou, we meet again."
Ye Wushang was an exceedingly effeminate man. Though he wore a smile, everything about him screamed the cunning of a venomous snake.
Su Chen's face remained expressionless.
Seeing himself ignored, Ye Wushang's expression darkened. "Junior Brother Zhou, demon beasts are ferocious and treacherous. I do hope you won't end up dying in one's jaws!"
The other two inner disciples watched the exchange with keen interest. A feud between the two was, for them, nothing but good entertainment.
Su Chen gave a faint smile. "Ye Wushang, I hope your life proves as tough as your tongue."
Ye Wushang froze. That line should have been his. His face twisted into an ugly scowl. He let out a cold snort, his icy gaze fixed on Su Chen, killing intent laid completely bare.
The four of them departed from the sect.