"Junior Brother Hong, after you!"
The muscles on Hong Renjie's face twitched, and his expression turned frigid as he ground out the words.
"Hahaha, Senior Brother Hong, you're too kind!"
Hong Yu let out a hearty laugh, his hands clasped behind his head, and strode past with his head held high.
This caused the already grim expressions on Hong Renjie and his group to darken even more.
Hong Long stepped forward and whispered, "Brother Jie, should we...?" He made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand.
Hong Renjie narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly. "Not yet. That man, Tie Shou, is one of Feng Xue Xin's most loyal followers. Their Wind and Snow Association is at odds with our Heaven and Earth Alliance. If he gets any leverage on us now, it could affect the battle for the True Disciple spots in six months!"
"Brother Jie, are you really confident you can defeat Feng Xue Xin in six months?" Hong Long asked, hesitating.
Where there are people, there is conflict.
The Inner Sect of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect was an incredibly cruel place. To vie for their own interests, the Inner Sect Disciples had long ago ford a tradition of creating alliances. This tradition had evolved over hundreds of years, gradually solidifying into distinct factions within the Inner Sect.
For instance, there were two major disciple alliances in the current generation: the Wind and Snow Association, led by Feng Xue Xin, and the Heaven and Earth Alliance, led by Hong Renjie!
Between them, these two alliances comprised over eighty percent of the Inner Sect Disciples.
The Heaven and Earth Alliance held six of the ten Great True Disciple positions.
If not for Feng Xue Xin monopolizing the title of First True Disciple, the Heaven and Earth Alliance would have already beco the number one faction in the Cyan Nether Sword Sect's Inner Sect.
Over the years, Hong Renjie had challenged Feng Xue Xin many tis, but he had never once won!
With the next battle for the True Disciple positions only six months away, Hong Long found it hard to believe that Hong Renjie could make a sudden breakthrough and surpass Feng Xue Xin.
Hong Renjie glanced at him and said calmly, "After this trial in the Eight Desolates Mansion ends, I will enter Life and Death Seclusion. In six months, I'm ninety percent certain I can break through to the Celestial Soul Realm!"
"What? The Celestial Soul Realm?"
Hong Long's eyes widened in utter shock.
In the Fengyue Kingdom, the Celestial Soul Realm represented the absolute pinnacle of power. Among all the Inner Sect Disciples of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect, only the Chief Disciple had reached that level of cultivation!
Hong Long's shock turned to wild joy and excitent. "Hahaha, Brother Jie, you're a beast! With your foundation, once you break through to the Celestial Soul Realm, you'll definitely be able to defeat even veteran Mid-stage Celestial Soul Realm experts. At that point, forget the position of First True Disciple—even becoming the Chief Disciple will be child's play!"
"That's why I told you not to be so hasty. We'll let that Hong Yu run his mouth for a few more days. I have plenty of ways to deal with him!"
A sinister, cold glint flashed through Hong Renjie's eyes.
The two groups entered the Eight Desolates Mansion.
Behind the enormous Stone Gate lay a vast, empty expanse.
THOOM!
Once all twenty people were inside the Eight Desolates Mansion, the massive door swung completely shut.
A faint light flickered to life in the darkest corner of the First Layer. It then spread with the speed of ants swarming over a bone, one fla igniting the next. In the blink of an eye, the light had traced the periter of the entire space. Finally, the streams of light converged in the center, forming a brilliant glow high above Hong Yu and the others.
The dark cavern was instantly bathed in light, as bright as day.
RUMBLE... GRIND...
The cavern began to tremble violently.
The ceiling in the center of the cavern suddenly split apart, and a torrent of blood-red liquid poured down from the newly ford gap.
RUMBLE, RUMBLE!
It was as if a river of blood were falling from the Nine Heavens!
The crimson flood cascaded from above, crashing onto the ground before them.
HISS! SIZZLE!
The instant the blood touched the ground, plus of white smoke hissed into the air as the soil was eaten away.
After a good ten minutes, a Sea of Blood more than ten ters deep and four hundred ters across had ford before them. Plus of white smoke drifted lazily over its surface, obscuring a clear view. Vaguely, however, they could make out strange creatures moving about within the mist.
"Welco, everyone, to the Eight Desolates Mansion. This old one is known as the Eight Desolates Old Demon. I departed from this land long ago, leaving behind this mansion to await one who is bound by fate."
The Eight Desolates Old Demon's voice echoed throughout the vast space.
From his explanation, Hong Yu and the others began to understand their predicant.
First, the Eight Desolates Mansion had been left behind by the Eight Desolates Old Demon before he departed the Southern Ten Nations. He was waiting for a worthy successor to inherit his legacy.
The entire Eight Desolates Mansion was divided into five layers, each requiring them to pass a trial to proceed.
For instance, the first trial before them was called the "Misty Sea of Blood"!
This Sea of Blood had been created by the Eight Desolates Old Demon, refined from the blood of more than a dozen Tier Four Desolate Beasts—Poison Dragon Horn Pythons. The Poison Dragon Horn Python was lethally venomous, and its blood possessed a powerful corrosive property.
Even an ordinary Primordial Weapon would be corroded to nothing if it fell in. Furthermore, layers of poisonous fog hung in the air above the vast Sea of Blood. Unless one had reached the Primordial Core Realm and could traverse the void, crossing it would be no easy feat. However, from what the Eight Desolates Old Demon implied, his mansion was protected by a powerful Prohibition. If any Primordial Core Realm expert tried to force their way in, the entire Eight Desolates Mansion would self-destruct.
Of course, in a place like the Southern Ten Nations, Primordial Core Realm experts kept each other in check and would not rashly set foot in another's domain.
"All who pass the trials will receive a Treasure left behind by this old one!"
The Eight Desolates Old Demon's voice grew hoarse. "Juniors, if any of you can reach the Fifth Layer, you may be fated to receive my legacy. You might even have the chance to obtain a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity that even I coveted but was never destined to have! Hahahaha... but all things are left to fate. It cannot be forced..."
The Eight Desolates Old Demon's voice faded, growing more distant until it disappeared completely.
But Hong Yu and the others remained shaken for a long ti.
The fact that the Eight Desolates Old Demon could leave a remnant of his will in the mansion for a century without it fading was truly astonishing. But of course, what excited them even more was the ntion of Treasures on every layer. The allure of such rewards was irresistible!
However...
This Sea of Blood before them was terrifying. Staring at the bubbling, crimson waves, it felt as though a single misstep would an being corroded into nothing.
Everyone hesitated.
"Hong Renjie, why don't you send one of your n to test the waters?" Ding Yuanshan suggested.
Hong Renjie frowned. "How about you go first!"
The two sides went back and forth, but no one dared to take the first step.
From within the crowd, Tie Shou walked to Hong Yu's side and smiled. "Junior Brother Hong, hello!"
"Hello, Senior Brother Tie Shou!"
Hong Yu replied with a smile. He had a favorable impression of this Senior Brother Tie Shou, who had just helped him out.
Tie Shou nodded, a curious look in his eyes. "Junior Brother Hong, that Spear Technique you used earlier seed quite profound. May I ask where you learned it?"
Hong Yu was taken aback.
'He'd just been wondering about that himself. He had never t Tie Shou before, so why was the man willing to risk offending Hong Renjie to help him?'
'Now, hearing his question and seeing the eagerness in the man's eyes, it seed Tie Shou had helped him because of the move Destruction. At this thought, an idea struck him: 'Could it be? Did Tie Shou recognize that Destruction is one of Feng Xue Xin's techniques?''
He imdiately replied, "This is just a little sothing I picked up from observing Senior Brother Feng Xue Xin's profound Spear Technique!"
"Hahaha, I knew it!"
Tie Shou let out a great laugh. "I knew it! The move you just used had the distinct style of Brother Xin's Divine Luo Spear Technique. I figured you had to know him. Looks like I made the right call again!"
"Brother Xin?"
'Hong Yu blinked. That nickna sounded a little gang-like.'
Tie Shou clapped Hong Yu on the shoulder, a sincere smile on his face. "Brother Xin is the Chairman of our Wind and Snow Association, and I'm one of the three vice-chairn. If Brother Xin let you study his Divine Luo Spear Technique, it ans he already considers you one of our own. Once this mission is over and we're back at the Sect, I'll formally induct you into the Wind and Snow Association!"
"What's the Wind and Snow Association?" Hong Yu asked.
Tie Shou explained, "The Wind and Snow Association is an Inner Sect faction founded by Brother Xin. Right now, the entire Inner Sect of the Cyan Nether Sword Sect is dominated by us and Hong Renjie's Heaven and Earth Alliance."
"I see!"
Hong Yu nodded. His thoughts turned to Liu Liyun and the others he had sent back to the Sect. Concerned for their safety, he asked, "Senior Brother Tie Shou, a while ago, I rescued a group of new disciples, including Liu Liyun. I had them take a captive from the Thief Gang back to the Sect to call for reinforcents. Do you know what happened to them?"
"Hm? You're the one who saved that group of new disciples who went back to deliver the ssage?" Tie Shou asked, startled.
Hong Yu was dumbfounded. "I did save them. Didn't Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie explain what happened?"
Tie Shou shook his head, looking puzzled. "I never t them. The story I heard was that Hong Renjie secretly sent his n to protect your group of new disciples. They supposedly found them in grave danger and rescued them. That's how their lives were saved, the captive was taken, and the information about the Eight Desolates Mansion was extracted."
"How could that be? Didn't Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie vouch for ?" Hong Yu's brows knitted together, a flicker of anger rising in his eyes.
He was suddenly struck by a feeling of betrayal.
'Whether it was Liu Liyun or Gao Zijie, he had trusted them with such an important task. And this was the result?'
Tie Shou noticed the change in Hong Yu's expression. He frowned and said in a low voice, "I don't know the Liu Liyun and Gao Zijie you're talking about, but I heard that as soon as the ten survivors got back to the Sect, they were taken away by mbers of the Heaven and Earth Alliance. Since we weren't clear on the details, and the rumor was that Hong Long's n had saved them, the Wind and Snow Association didn't investigate further."
After a mont of thought, Tie Shou said, "If you're the one who really saved them, then the only explanation is that Hong Long and his cronies are pulling strings behind the scenes. They must have detained those ten surviving new Outer Disciples and taken all the credit for themselves."
"What? They dare?!" Hong Yu gritted his teeth, barely able to contain his rage.
Tie Shou patted his shoulder and gave a wry smile. "Don't be rash. This is all just speculation for now. Once we're done here and back at the Sect, we'll make sure you get the justice you deserve!"
Hong Yu nodded.
His fists clenched, and a cold, sharp glare shot toward Hong Long and Hong Renjie, filled with a rage that seethed like a volcano.
The cold fury in his gaze made Hong Renjie and Hong Long, the targets of his stare, feel their skin crawl.
The two n looked over, drawn by the feeling. Six eyes t, and a silent battle erupted between them.
Hong Renjie's frown suddenly vanished, replaced by a wide smile. A venomous glint flashed in his dark eyes as he let out a laugh and started walking toward Hong Yu. "I've always heard that Junior Brother Hong Yu is exceptionally talented," he said as he walked, "especially when it cos to surviving desperate situations."
He paused, his snake-like gaze sweeping over the crowd...
"I propose we have him test the power of the Sea of Blood!"
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