Chapter 371: Qi Wangchuan

Xu Sanyan emerged from the mountain cave into the full light of day. The sun hung high in the sky, bathing the land in a warm, comforting glow.

As he journeyed toward Thousand Autumns City, Xu Sanyan mentally reviewed everything that had transpired within the secret realm, summarizing the information he had gathered.

The Secret Realm World was neither vast nor small, but certainly larger than the giant city and ghost city within the Hundred Saints Secret Realm.

The Southern Mountain Range bisected the world, dividing it into two halves: one inhabited by the Dog Clan and other tribes, and the other by different tribes.

Xu Sanyan currently lacked detailed information about the tribes beyond the mountain range, but he had gained a thorough understanding of the Dog Clan’s side.

The most powerful tribe was undoubtedly the Stone Clan. Though he hadn’t encountered them personally, Xun Ancai had described them as having bodies as hard as stone, possessing exceptional defensive capabilities and unmatched individual strength. Their numbers were also substantial.

However, the Stone Clan resided far from the Dog Clan, with no direct interactions between them.

Next in power were the Eagle Clan and the now-extinct Snake Clan, their strength roughly equal. The Eagle Clan, like the Stone Clan, resided in the same direction, far from the Dog Clan.

Following them were the Dog Clan and the Bear Clan.

If ranked by strength, the tribes would roughly be: Stone Clan, Eagle Clan, Snake Clan, Dog Clan, Bear Clan.

Among the clans, the Snake Clan, Dog Clan, and Bear Clan were relatively close to each other, while the Stone Clan and Eagle Clan bordered each other.

Now that the Snake Clan and Bear Clan had been annihilated, the Dog Clan’s strength had surged. Although their elite combat power still lagged somewhat, their mid-tier forces, those who had received the fourth blessing, had grown significantly.

Previously, they had only six or seven such individuals, including Xun Ancai, Xun Shitou, and Xun Hua. But Xu Sanyan now observed over a dozen more, a clear sign that the Dog Clan was already digesting the spoils of war from the destroyed Snake and Bear Clans.

The swords and blades Xu Sanyan had brought further enhanced the Dog Clan people’s combat capabilities.

Xu Sanyan silently calculated his next moves. After killing Xun Shitou on this trip, he would eliminate the clan elders on his next visit.

Following that, he would begin his fourth blessing. Once he had drained the Dog Clan’s resources, he would turn his attention to conquering the Eagle Clan and Stone Clan.

By then, if Xun Ancai remained obedient, he would spare her. But if she defied him…

Hmph!

A cold glint flashed in Xu Sanyan’s eyes.

As for Lin Fan…

Xu Sanyan lowered his head in thought, unsure how long Lin Fan would remain trapped inside. He decided to leave him be for now.

The flock of sheep had left a deep impression on him. If Xun Ancai’s account was true, it confirmed the Old Clan Chief’s earlier claims.

The Old Clan Chief had once said that she and the Seven-Headed Dog were essentially the same, merely different forms of the same species.

So, were they truly demons?

In all his years of cultivation, Xu Sanyan had never encountered a true demon, only demon beasts.

Though the difference was just one character, the distinction was vast.

At least he could be honest with Xun Ancai, sharing a bond like Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya. But if he were asked to harm his Companion Dog…

He simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.

And what of the gods worshipped by the various tribes? Whether they were true deities remained uncertain, but they could devour each other to evolve!

He recalled how the Dog God statue had devoured the Snake God and Bear God statues, undergoing a dramatic transformation. Not only did its details become more refined, but the power of its blessings had also increased significantly.

Previously, it could grant a maximum of seven blessings; now, it could bestow up to eight.

Xu Sanyan pondered deeply. If he annihilated the Eagle Clan, the Stone Clan, and even all the other tribes on the opposite side of Southern Mountain,

and offered their god statues to the Dog God for consumption, what would happen in the end?

Could he truly cultivate a genuine ‘god’?

“Too much speculation. Let’s focus on successfully obtaining the fourth blessing first,” Xu Sanyan muttered, shaking his head. He gazed at Thousand Autumns City before him and stepped forward, entering its gates.

Harmonious Heart Demonic Sect, Main Peak, Harmonious Heart Mountain Summit

Qi Yuanzhu stopped before the grand hall, carefully adjusting his robes before entering.

Qi Yuanzhu was not only the Sect Leader’s son but also the last surviving holy son of the previous generation, holding a status even higher than Qi Liang’s. This dual status granted him unrestricted access to all the sect’s hidden sanctums.

The hall was empty and cavernous, its towering stone pillars carved with depictions of unknown divine beasts. Eternal Flame Lamps hung overhead, occasionally emitting soft crackling sounds.

Without glancing around, Qi Yuanzhu strode purposefully toward the depths of the hall, bypassing the Sect Leader’s throne and the stone wall behind it to enter a long, dimly lit tunnel.

The tunnel sloped gradually downward. After about a hundred steps, a massive stone gate loomed ahead, its surface etched with swirling, pale purple lines that seemed chaotic at first glance. Upon closer inspection, however, the lines revealed a hidden order, resembling a complex seal imprinted on the gate.

Qi Yuanzhu curled two fingers into a mudra, pressing them lightly against the gate. With a thunderous rumble, the massive stone doors slid open, releasing a wave of pungent, metallic stench.

Beyond the gate lay a vast, silent cavern, its darkness so profound it seemed to have hollowed out the entire Harmonious Heart Mountain.

A faint light flickered in Qi Yuanzhu’s eyes. The darkness posed no obstacle to him as his gaze fixed on the massive Blood Pool at the center of the cavern, the source of the overwhelming stench of blood.

Countless stalactites hung upside down above the Blood Pool. Originally white, they had been stained crimson by the pool below, creating an eerie spectacle.

Qi Yuanzhu stood motionless as the once-still Blood Pool rippled slightly.

Splash!

Suddenly, something surged from the depths of the pool, like a colossal whale breaching the surface, sending countless droplets of blood flying.

Whoosh!

A crimson figure erupted from the Blood Pool, materializing before Qi Yuanzhu with phantom-like speed. The figure stood with its back to him, hands clasped behind its back.

The figure’s speed was so astonishing that even Qi Yuanzhu, with his Soul Refining Realm cultivation level, couldn’t clearly discern its movements.

Qi Yuanzhu quickly glanced at the figure before lowering his head, his gaze fixed on his own toes, daring not to look up.

Though the man before him was his biological father, Qi Yuanzhu felt no familial warmth, only overwhelming fear.

The man’s aura of savage violence sent shivers down Qi Yuanzhu’s spine. In his hurried glance, he had only glimpsed his father’s naked body, covered in festering sores that seemed slightly fewer than the last time he had seen them.

The man was none other than Qi Wangchuan, the current Sect Leader of the demonic sect, father of Qi Yuanzhu and Qi Liang. He was also known by another title:

Sage!

“What is it?”

His majestic voice carried a hint of weariness and suppressed pain, as if he were enduring some torment.

Qi Yuanzhu bowed respectfully. “Father, Venerable He Yu returned a few days ago. Since his son’s death, he seems even more restless.”

Qi Wangchuan remained silent, the air growing heavy with tension.

Qi Yuanzhu dared not press him, standing motionless and waiting.

After a long pause, Qi Wangchuan finally spoke. “Ignore him. He’s just an ambitious fool with no real talent. Once they break away from the Holy Sect, those bald donkeys from the Heaven’s Will Demon Subduing Temple won’t let them off easily.”

“Father’s wisdom is unparalleled.”

Qi Yuanzhu hesitated before adding, “Father, the Hundred Saints Secret Realm recently opened. Rumor has it that someone obtained the Heavenly Dao Jade Scroll of the Yaotian Holy Sect from within. It’s said to contain secret methods for achieving immortality…”

The rumors had grown increasingly wild. The jade slip in Xu Sanyan’s possession had transformed into a secret technique of the immortal dao, supposedly capable of granting immortality.

Qi Wangchuan shook his head. “Nonsense.”

As a sage, he was among the closest to achieving immortality. How could he not know if there were secret methods for attaining it?

This was likely just another baseless rumor. There was no need to pay it any attention.

(End of the Chapter)