Chapter 163: Great Elder
This time was different from the previous one at the Southern Border Qingzhou stronghold. That time, whether it was the disguised Thunder or the Fat Elder, they were basically among the highest-status one or two people, requiring no excessive communication. He only needed to assume a superior posture to avoid most troubles.
But this time, Ghost Face had quite a few people at the Demonic Sect Headquarters with whom he could converse.
Ning Qi had also made psychological preparations and inquired from Ghost Face about quite a bit of information on this aspect, but after all, saying more led to more mistakes. He just hadn’t expected to encounter someone before even stepping into the Myriad Flame Grotto.
And it was a Candidate Holy Son of no low status.
He could only stop; otherwise, dodging would seem deliberate.
Ning Qi’s eyes beneath the mask were somewhat indifferent, and he didn’t speak.
Jiang Tianlong had already arrived before him. He cupped his hands slightly and smiled with a trace of respect:
“Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master, why be like this? Do you know how you’ve considered the matter I mentioned to you last time?”
Ning Qi was stunned in his heart.
Who knew what you actually said to Ghost Face!
But immediately after, he reacted. Previously, if including Qin Yun, the Demonic Sect had three Candidate Holy Sons in total. Now that Qin Yun had lost power, only Ye Qin and Jiang Tianlong were left competing, and it had reached a white-hot stage. Ghost Face, who originally supported Qin Yun, had naturally become a hot commodity.
He still didn’t speak, but his gaze showed some change, no longer so indifferent.
As expected.
Jiang Tianlong immediately struck while the iron was hot and said:
“Qin Yun is after all an outsider. Why be so obsessed with helping him? If you’re willing to help me ascend to the Holy Son position, then in the future, if I become Sect Master, the Great Elder position will be yours.”
He smiled and painted a pie.
Ning Qi smiled coldly:
“Qin Yun is someone the Great Elder values.”
He said it very simply, but Jiang Tianlong’s expression immediately changed.
Ning Qi stepped forward and continued downward.
A wave of heat immediately swept over him. Faint black qi surged from his body, blocking it all out. Within the grotto, there were various fire-attribute rare flowers and exotic grasses, not very useful but emitting light that could resist the scorching high temperatures.
Looking ahead, the grotto was vast and high, with numerous crisscrossing paths branching in all directions, intricate and ingeniously crafted.
Ning Qi was slightly amazed in his heart. He recognized the Demonic Sect’s exclusive marks left behind, constantly identifying directions, occasionally stopping to wait and avoid surging flames. Although it was his first time here, he moved as if he were very familiar with the place.
Jiang Tianlong followed at his side. After a few times, he began to take the lead proactively.
This was a convention of the Demonic Sect. If entering together, regardless of status, one had to demonstrate the ability to identify marks, as one of the means to prevent outsiders from sneaking in.
Jiang Tianlong said in a low voice:
“Deputy Sect Master, I know you went out this time for the matter of Lin Ruhua. Now that you’ve returned alone, there must have been some mishaps. Why not reconsider? Help me suppress Ye Qin, and you name the conditions.”
He quietly revealed his own methods. This matter was originally extremely confidential.
Ning Qi’s brows twitched. He suddenly realized that this Candidate Holy Son might not have encountered him by coincidence but was specifically waiting here.
Ning Qi was about to speak.
A fluctuation came from ahead again. Jiang Tianlong’s expression changed, and he saw a bald youth stepping over from the other side. There were several black lines on his head, giving him a fierce and murderous look. It was the other Candidate Holy Son, Ye Qin.
Ye Qin smiled darkly:
“What a coincidence. I didn’t expect Brother Jiang to return together with Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master. It seems my sincerity is still insufficient.”
He implied something. Jiang Tianlong just snorted lightly.
The three proceeded forward.
Ye Qin respectfully saluted Ning Qi, then said:
“Was the Deputy Sect Master’s trip smooth? Did you see my Ye Family Elder?”
He smiled and mentioned it, while also showcasing his strength. This was a roundabout way of telling Ning Qi that he already knew the entirety of this mission’s plan, including Elder Ye leading the team to capture Lin Ruhua and Jiang Baishan, with Qin Yun assisting, and Ghost Face supervising in secret.
The two had come now probably to inquire about the results of this trip. After all, if Qin Yun returned, it would be three-way competition again from now on, introducing variables.
But they didn’t know that Ghost Face had already been secretly replaced by Ning Qi.
Ning Qi glanced at the two emotionlessly:
“Do the two Holy Sons want this seat to report to you? That’s perfect. Why not come with me to see the Great Elder.”
Hearing the icy anger faintly in those words, the two hurriedly bowed:
“We dare not.”
No matter what, Ghost Face was now the Deputy Sect Master. Except for a scant few, everyone else had to show respect upon seeing him.
Ning Qi snorted coldly and strode forward.
After such a long journey through the paths, they had probably burrowed dozens of li into the ground. Occasionally erupting flames were even more ferocious, but after passing a certain turn, it gradually became safe. This was the safe zone excavated by the Demonic Sect’s ancestors of past generations.
Suddenly, bright light appeared before Ning Qi’s eyes. Crystals as brilliant as luminous pearls hung from the ceiling, like stars. In the vast and distant underground world, majestic underground palaces appeared one after another, exquisitely beautiful and densely packed. The closer to the center, the more luxurious the palaces became.
He had already heard Ghost Face describe it before, but seeing it with his own eyes now, he couldn’t help but be somewhat amazed.
What he saw before him was like an underground imperial capital.
There weren’t few people inside; on the contrary, there were many.
Upon seeing Ning Qi and the two others arrive, someone immediately came to receive them. These people were of course not the Demonic Sect’s core high-level members but their servants. Their ancestors were initially brought here and forbidden from leaving. Generation after generation, they had multiplied, and by now, most no longer knew what the outside world was like, or even that there was an outside world at all.
Their only mission was to serve well those extremely few Demonic Sect experts.
“Greetings to Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master and the two Holy Sons!”
A group of beautiful women in palace attire gracefully approached.
Ning Qi ignored them and only said indifferently:
“Where is the Great Elder?”
The leading female official prostrated on the ground:
“The Great Elder was in secluded contemplation in Wangyou Palace yesterday and said he would emerge tomorrow.”
Ning Qi’s gaze flashed:
“Good. If the Great Elder emerges early from seclusion, come inform this seat.”
With that, he headed toward the underground palace belonging to Ghost Face without looking back.
After Ning Qi’s figure disappeared, Jiang Tianlong and Ye Qin exchanged a glance, both somewhat puzzled. Jiang Tianlong suddenly said:
“Have you noticed that today’s Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master seems a bit strange?”
Ye Qin nodded:
“You noticed it too? He seems unwilling to converse much with us.”
He smiled meaningfully, the black lines on his bald head seeming to writhe:
“What do you think… could something unexpected have happened in this mission? I see Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master seems quite anxious to see the Great Elder.”
Jiang Tianlong said coldly:
“Your Ye Family snatched this mission this time; wouldn’t you know what happened?”
Ye Qin spread his hands:
“I really don’t know. Clearly, Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master returned alone ahead of time. Tsk tsk, could it be that Qin Yun flipped sides again?”
Jiang Tianlong’s gaze flickered:
“How about cooperating? This time, we absolutely cannot let Qin Yun return to the Candidate Holy Son ranks. The two of us are at least direct descendants of generations from the Sacred Sect. What right does a halfway joiner like him have to stand equal with us? Two competing is always better than three.”
Ye Qin grinned, revealing stark white teeth:
“Exactly my intention. I don’t know what the Great Elder is thinking, actually supporting Qin Yun. This time, we’ll join forces and crush Qin Yun!”
The two figures crossed and left as if nothing had happened.
In the distance.
Ning Qi’s mouth curved slightly.
With his strength, even if the two had used telepathic communication, he could hear it.
“It seems the internal struggles in the Demonic Sect are indeed fierce.”
Everything he had seen and heard along the way left him deeply impressed.
It was said that the Demonic Sect’s predecessor was remnants of the previous dynasty, always seeking to overthrow Great Yan. But after two thousand years, how many still retained their original intent was hard to say. But this was also good; everyone having their own schemes made things easier for him.
He hadn’t forgotten the purpose of this trip.
Returning to the palace belonging to Ghost Face, Ning Qi dismissed everyone and was left alone.
“The key this time is to prevent the Demonic Sect from producing a Martial Saint, and that Great Elder is the only one who knows the secrets involved. The best method is to silently subdue him and then ask everything. But he’s currently in contemplative seclusion, not so easy to approach.”
“Good thing he’ll emerge tomorrow. If delayed a few more days, with no intelligence coming back from Fifth Senior Brother’s side, it would inevitably raise suspicions.”
“Perhaps… after nightfall, I can go scout.”
Ning Qi prepared for the worst case, which was nothing more than forcing a battle.
As long as it was confirmed that the Great Elder was here, it was better than blindly searching like a headless fly before. But best to conserve some energy.
He slowly closed his eyes, comprehending the reason, nourishing his spirit and accumulating energy.
…
Night fell.
There was no sun or moon underground, but here in the underground palace, someone controlled the ceiling crystals to dim the light, simulating day and night cycles.
Ning Qi abruptly opened his eyes.
He circulated the Serenity Art and silently stepped out of the palace.
The underground palace was now pitch black, with only everlasting lights. Ning Qi locked onto the direction of Wangyou Palace, moving lightly like a cat. There were occasional patrols, but they couldn’t detect Ning Qi’s traces at all.
Though the underground palace was large, these servants serving the Demonic Sect’s core high-level members didn’t have high cultivation.
Not long after.
Ning Qi had already stopped outside Wangyou Palace.
He concealed his figure in the darkness and didn’t continue entering. The guards were secondary; mainly, he had sensed that within this palace, there was a mysterious gate array formation set up in secret. If he rashly entered, the person inside would inevitably be alerted.
Then, it would only lead to a hard fight afterward.
The idea of sneaking in secretly to subdue the Great Elder immediately fell through.
“As expected, it’s not that easy. These Demonic Sect people are truly cautious.” Ning Qi thought to himself.
This was much harder than acting at the Southern Border Qingzhou stronghold before. Only Ning Qi had this capability; otherwise, others couldn’t even find the door to the underground palace.
He wasn’t discouraged.
Since it wasn’t possible now, he’d wait to see the Great Elder tomorrow and look for an opportunity then.
For now, he’d make some other preparations.
Ning Qi’s eyes flashed, and he silently moved toward other parts of the underground palace.
Moving stealthily along the way, he carefully perceived the auras around him from time to time.
Not long after.
Ning Qi had circled the underground palace once.
He stopped, somewhat shocked:
“In this underground palace alone, the Heavenly Human Realm auras I’ve perceived number over thirty people. If including the few I didn’t sense, it might exceed forty? And these people’s auras aren’t weak; they’re probably not simple early Heavenly Human Realm either.”
This number was indeed astonishing.
After all, this was only the Heavenly Human Realm experts at the Demonic Sect Headquarters. If adding those from the Demonic Sect’s various branches and sub-helms, it would be even more terrifying, perhaps doubling the number again.
“In the Thirteen Prefectures of Great Yan, the total Heavenly Human Realm experts in the world are probably just a few hundred. That means Heavenly Human Realm is almost one in a billion absolute prodigies. Among them, the Imperial Court occupies at least thirty percent, with the rest distributed among the world’s many martial arts sects.”
“No wonder the Demonic Sect can contend with the Imperial Court for so long; its foundation is indeed deep.”
Ning Qi became increasingly cautious.
With so many Heavenly Human Realm experts, including no lack of those who could rank at the top of the Heavenly Human Ranking, he also had to be careful. If a melee broke out, it wouldn’t be easy to resolve.
If he wanted to leave, there wouldn’t be much danger, but if this trip failed, it would be hard to have such a good opportunity again later.
After careful thought.
Ning Qi already had a plan.
He quietly moved through various parts of the underground palace, avoiding patrols, and then implanted gang yuan sword seeds one by one. For insurance, it was better to set up a few formations, lest someone slip away later.
After doing all this.
Ning Qi returned to his own palace.
Now, he just had to wait for tomorrow.
…
The next day.
After having breakfast served by numerous servants, the female official from yesterday gracefully arrived:
“Deputy Sect Master, the Great Elder has already emerged from seclusion in Wangyou Palace. He instructed this servant to have you go to Chao Tian Hall to see him.”
Chao Tian Hall?
Ning Qi paused slightly, then nodded:
“Got it.”
This Chao Tian Hall was the Great Elder’s residence. If the Great Elder was in long seclusion, it was here. This was the Great Elder’s private domain; normally, he absolutely wouldn’t summon other Demonic Sect high-level members there. They had other places for council meetings.
This was a sign of trust.
One could tell from the increasingly respectful attitudes of the surrounding servants.
But Ning Qi’s heart tightened slightly.
Following Ghost Face’s habits, he straightened his robes and said:
“Lead the way ahead.”
The female official respectfully lowered her head and led the way in front.
Jiang Tianlong and Ye Qin, whom he had seen yesterday, actually appeared together. There was even a trace of envy in their eyes as they congratulated in unison:
“Congratulations to Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master for gaining the Great Elder’s favor!”
In the Demonic Sect.
The two most important people were the Sect Master and the Great Elder. The authority and secrets they held were incomparable to others; both were passed down orally. The Holy Son inherited the Sect Master position, while the Great Elder selected from among the Deputy Sect Masters.
Now that Ghost Face had been summoned by the Great Elder into Chao Tian Hall, this attitude already showed a strong inclination.
Ning Qi was thoughtful and nodded, continuing forward.
He heard the two telepathically communicating:
“This Ghost Face Deputy Sect Master is truly lucky. Speaking of which, back then, like Qin Yun, he was also an outsider who joined the Sacred Sect. Could it be that the Great Elder…”
Both pupils contracted, and they didn’t continue.
But Ning Qi had already guessed a bit.
Moments later.
Ning Qi strode into Chao Tian Hall and said with slight respect:
“Ghost Face pays respects to the Great Elder!”
He saw a silver-haired elder slowly turn around, a smile rising on his face.
