The Witch Ghost Secret Realm, the main altar of the Listening Nether Cult. Unlike other places in the secret realm, as the main altar of the Listening Nether Cult, there were ghost messengers of all kinds clearing out the Witch Ghosts, and over time, a city was even built. Its name was the 'City of Wrongful Death'.
In the center of the majestic city, a divine statue pierced the clouds. Almost eighty percent of the secret realm's population was gathered in this 'City of Wrongful Death', and every minute of every second, they could see this towering divine statue.
Its appearance was none other than that of the Listening Nether Patriarch, and beneath the divine statue stood a magnificent, resplendent grand hall. It was the seclusion place for the eight elders of the Listening Nether Cult. The Listening Nether Cult had no cult master, only venerating the Patriarch.
Therefore, all matters were decided jointly by the eight elders. On normal days, only one of the eight elders would be on duty, while the other seven were all in a state of slumber. After all, the Listening Nether Cult's system was to feed ghosts with their own bodies, resulting in extremely short lifespans.
If they didn't use this method to extend their lives, they would suffer a backlash from the Witch Ghosts within a few years. However, at this moment, a full six elders had entered a state of revival. The First Elder, White Impermanence, was seated in the head position.
His appearance was extremely youthful, dressed in white robes, with a tall and slender build. A creepy smile was always on his face: "The Patriarch's divine statue has been destroyed. This is no small matter."
"Before the divine statue was destroyed, the Patriarch's decree came down, ordering us to find the person who destroyed the statue at all costs. That is why I have awakened all of you, my junior brothers."
Speaking of which, White Impermanence looked at the two empty seats and frowned: "Where are Junior Brothers Wen and Wu." A stalwart man wearing armor and holding a sharp weapon, with an ox head hanging from one of his pauldrons, stood up and said, "They have just returned to their positions. Their revival will still take some time."
Hearing this, White Impermanence nodded.
"Very well, the matter is not urgent."
Before he could finish speaking, another black-robed Daoist stood up. His face was fierce, his body broad and stout, and he said in a vicious tone, "If you ask me, why wait for them to revive?"
"According to the cult's scriptures, although the outside world has many powerful experts, those who have truly reached the Patriarch's level dare not enter. And the strongest cultivators below the Patriarch's level are, at best, on par with us. Weren't those outsiders who trespassed on the main altar a few days ago, calling themselves 'disciples of the Divine Martial Sect', just like that?"
"Instead of waiting bitterly here, we might as well go ahead."
"In any case, the Day and Night Patrol Gods have both returned to their positions. They can monitor everything inside and outside the secret realm. No matter how that outsider hides, he will certainly not escape from the palms of our hands."
"Senior Brother is absolutely right."
The one who spoke in agreement was a handsome youth with a third eye on his forehead. He said with a smile, "A mere unorthodox practitioner from the outside world, how can he be our match?"
The eight great elders of the Listening Nether Cult might have had their own names before becoming elders, but after becoming elders, they would only use the names of the red-robed ghosts they controlled as their public titles. They were Black and White Impermanence, the Civil and Martial Judges, Ox-Head and Horse-Face, and the Day and Night Patrol Gods.
Each possessed their own unique and strange abilities. The three-eyed youth who spoke was the 'Day Patrol God' among the Day and Night Patrol Gods. As his name implied, his Witch Ghost was the third eye in the center of his forehead.
It was golden-yellow in color, shaped like a great sun, and when he opened it, he could see all manifest things within the secret realm. The other, the 'Night Patrol God', was the complete opposite, able to see all hidden things within the secret realm.
When the two joined forces, everything that happened in the Witch Ghost Secret Realm was like looking at the lines on their own palms to the Listening Nether Cult. No matter how formidable someone was, they could not escape their Dharma eyes. Clearly, the eight elders were vaguely divided into two factions.
White Impermanence, Ox-Head, and Horse-Face were one faction, advocating for caution. They wanted to wait until all eight of them were present before searching for the person who destroyed the Patriarch's divine statue.
On the other hand, Black Impermanence and the Day and Night Patrol Gods were full of confidence, believing that the outsider was nothing special and that they could easily handle him by themselves.
"Junior Brother is being too rash."
The First Elder, White Impermanence, shook his head, the smile on his face unchanging.
"This matter is not just about the Patriarch's divine statue being destroyed and our cult losing some face."
"It is because the person who destroyed the divine statue is related to a grand plan of our cult."
"All of you junior brothers know well that although this place is good, it is ultimately a cage. If we wish to live longer, or even reach a higher realm, we must leave."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Black Impermanence's eyes flickered slightly, but he said in disbelief, "Senior Brother means to say that person can help us leave this place?
Impossible.
Who can break the Heavenly Sword?" As soon as these words were spoken, the other elders also showed looks of fear. The so-called "Heavenly Sword" was, of course, the Golden Core sword qi hanging high above the Witch Ghost Secret Realm.
For a thousand years, it had long since become a nightmare in the hearts of everyone in the secret realm. No one dared to even think of contending with it.
"Just because we cannot break it does not mean no one in the outside world can."
White Impermanence let out a light laugh.
"The Patriarch has long had a plan. As long as we find a way to capture this person, we can naturally use his strength against him to break that damned Heavenly Sword."
White Impermanence spoke with firm conviction, appearing extremely confident. And though Black Impermanence and the others still had their doubts, since White Impermanence had clearly stated that this was the Patriarch's plan, they no longer insisted on their own opinions. Just then, two more auras appeared in the grand hall.
In the empty seats, two illusory figures appeared. One held a brush and a book, the other held a bright mirror high. They were precisely the last two elders.
"The Civil and Martial Judges have also revived!"
Seeing this, White Impermanence laughed heartily.
"Good. I'll trouble the Day and Night Patrol Gods to act. Once the target is located, Ox-Head and Horse-Face will help us rush over."
The Day and Night Patrol Gods nodded upon hearing this, and then both opened their Dharma eyes. However, in the next second, they were stunned.
"My two junior brothers?"
White Impermanence frowned and said in a low voice, "Could it be that the person who destroyed the Patriarch's divine statue is extremely good at hiding, and you cannot find his whereabouts?"
"That's not it."
The Day and Night Patrol Gods showed expressions of disbelief, and then said hesitantly, "He is not hiding anywhere else... He is right outside the City of Wrongful Death." Outside the City of Wrongful Death, Lu Yang's true body held the Myriad Spirits Banner, standing with his hands behind his back.
How could he allow others to sleep soundly by his bedside? Since he wanted to turn the Witch Ghost Secret Realm into his own base, Lu Yang would naturally not allow the Listening Nether Cult to exist. Moreover, he also wanted to meet that remnant of the Witch Ghost Dao behind the Listening Nether Cult.
"Let's say hello first."
With a thought from Lu Yang, a round light appeared behind his head, as clear as a mirror. Using the status of The Sage's Theft, he looked down upon the city from above. Almost at the same time, nearly all the cultivators of the Listening Nether Cult felt something.
However, no one understood what was happening. They only saw the Witch Ghosts within their bodies suddenly start to riot, letting out indescribably miserable shrieks. The next second— "Profound Yin Form-Seizing Great Art."
Lu Yang brought his fingers together and slashed, and the round light that reflected the entire city quietly shattered. Then, a terrifying killing curse power spread out.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Without any warning, inside the City of Wrongful Death, the mortals were completely unaffected. Only the cultivators suddenly revealed terrified expressions and then clutched their own necks. And on their necks, a fissure appeared.
Immediately after, blood gushed out like a fountain.
"Thump!"
The sounds of countless heads hitting the ground gathered together, perfectly synchronized, becoming a world-shaking thud that instantly spread throughout the entire city! In an instant, countless Witch Ghosts lost the cultivators who constrained them and shot into the sky. Yet, as if uncontrollably, they swarmed towards Lu Yang outside the city.
Lu Yang was seen opening the Myriad Spirits Banner, swallowing them up like a whale drinking the sea, refusing none who came. In less than an hour, he had taken in hundreds, even thousands of Witch Ghosts!
"Audacious fiend!!!"
Only then did eight streaks of scarlet, blood-like escaping light suddenly rise from the center of the City of Wrongful Death. Within the escaping light, the eight elders of the Listening Nether Cult looked on, their eyes wide with fury. They did not care about the near-total annihilation of their cult members.
However, Lu Yang's act of taking in the Witch Ghosts instantly enraged them. Every single Witch Ghost was crucial to the Listening Nether Cult. This was digging up their very roots!
White Impermanence immediately took a step forward.
"You are the scoundrel who destroyed our cult's Patriarch's divine statue?"
Lu Yang ignored White Impermanence's question. He just looked around, as if sensing something, then looked towards the towering divine statue inside the City of Wrongful Death.
"So that's where it is."
In the next second, Lu Yang's figure vanished from where he stood.
"What!?"
The eight elders' expressions changed drastically. They subconsciously looked around, finally seeing Lu Yang's seated figure atop the head of the towering divine statue in the city center. He was seen looking down at the divine statue, a faint smile on his face: "I have come as invited.
Where is Senior?"
(End of this chapter)