Some days later, at a pavilion in the Clear River Sect:
Song Pingsheng looked at the declaration of war in his hands with narrowed eyes. A First Song Sect disciple stood behind him extremely respectfully.
Clack! Song Pingsheng closed the declaration of war with a sullen expression.
“Sect Master, this disciple already took precautions and hid myself well. However, I still got discovered for some reason. Gu Han brought a group of evil men and surrounded me, then gave me this to pass to Sect Master. As this disciple did not dare to delay, I immediately returned,” that First Song Sect disciple said with a frown.
“A declaration of war! Ha! Hahahaha! Just an inexperienced kid, and you dare to be so impudent towards me after almost one year?!” Song Pingsheng revealed a ferocious expression.
“Sect Master, Gu Hai laid the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array around the Gu Residence. This disciple did not dare to get close, so I do not know much about the Gu Residence!”
“Humph! The Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array? It’s one thing to lay it around the Gu Residence. To think that he dares to challenge me? Well, I’ll wait here at the Clear River Sect. Let’s see how you are going to lay a large ritual array in front of me. Humph!” Song Pingsheng sneered.
Bang!
Song Pingsheng immediately crushed Gu Hai’s declaration of war into powder.
“From today on, send everyone to patrol the surroundings. Immediately inform me the moment Gu Hai and his three thousand men arrive!” Song Pingsheng ordered coldly.
“Yes!”
Merchant City, Chen Nation:
“Giddy-up! Giddy-up!”
Rumble…!
A group of armored mounted soldiers rushed towards Merchant City, leaving dust clouds behind.
The Merchant City Lord stood at the entrance, waiting respectfully with some people to receive the soldiers.
“City Lord, who are these people? To think that you have to receive them in person?” a subordinate asked, feeling curious.
“These are the emperor’s palace guards. They are going to the south on business. They even carry the emperor’s imperial edict, so stop complaining,” the City Lord crooned coldly.
“Oh!”
The mounted soldiers traveled quickly. The soldiers found their commanders unfamiliar. Moreover, a group of people was hidden in the middle of the soldiers. They were Gu Hai, Gao Xianzhi, Chen Tianshan, Scar, Shangguan Hen, and the other evil men.
“Milord, we should be able to deceive the First Song Sect disciples by disguising ourselves as we travel south, right?” Chen Tianshan asked worriedly.
“There’s no need to worry. Since we managed to get out, no one will discover us. Furthermore, we now hold the identity of the Chen Nation’s palace guards. With the imperial edict in our hands, no one will suspect us!” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” Chen Tianshan answered.
“How much longer to the First Song Sect?” Gu Hai asked.
“Five days. We will see the First Song Sect in another five days!” Chen Tianshan said with certainty.
“Alright. We will do our best to find Long Wanqing first!” Gu Hai nodded.
“Giddy-up!”
The horses broke into a gallop.
Three days later, the group arrived at a small town.
“Milord, this small town is so quiet!” Gao Xianzhi’s expression changed.
“You’re familiar with this town?” Gu Hai looked at Gao Xianzhi.
“Yes. This subordinate led soldiers here and camped here for a period before. This small town has a few thousand people; it should be bustling. Why are there no signs of people at all?” Gao Xianzhi asked, feeling startled.
“Search the area!” Gu Hai instructed.
“Yes!”
The three thousand evil men quickly spread out and started searching the place, checking every house. However, there were no traces of anyone.
“Milord, it’s deserted!” Gao Xianzhi frowned.
“Let’s stay here first. Send people to search the vicinity. We will continue on our journey tomorrow!” Gu Hai said.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
Gu Hai’s group camped here and rested for now. Late in the night, some sounds came from outside his door.
“Milord, there’s news!” Gao Xiaozhi called out from outside.
Whoosh!
Gu Hai immediately stood up and opened the door. He saw Gao Xianzhi and a dusty evil man outside, with anxious expressions.
“Milord, we found the townspeople. They are in a valley in front. However…” That evil man showed an unsightly expression.
Two hours later:
Gu Hai and his three thousand-odd evil men arrived above a sizable valley.
Everyone lay prone above the valley, looking into it.
The valley was brightly lit. There were about five hundred ordinary people tied on the ground, their chests and bellies ripped open.
About one hundred cultivators of both genders were cackling wildly in the valley. Crimson auras surrounded these cultivators as snakes wriggled on their heads instead of hair.
“Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!”
The snakes hissed as they grew longer and dug into the chests of the ordinary people, eating their hearts and livers. The scene looked extremely horrifying.
The five hundred ordinary people were already dead, their faces showing despair and horror. Some had tried to resist but failed.
“Hahahahahaha! First Senior Brother, I offer a toast to you!”
“First Senior Brother, we managed to get altered ahead of the rest because of you. Now, I feel full of strength.”
“First Senior Brother, this feels great. Previously, I was afraid to see blood. Now, I feel that human hearts are the most delectable things in the world. With just one bite, I feel my entire body relaxing!”
“No, I feel that human livers are better!”
“Human heart!”
“Human liver!”
“First Senior Brother, the rest were sent to the sect. Thanks to First Senior Brother, we managed to keep these five hundred. This meal was excellent!”
“What if I still want to eat more?”
“We can go search for more tomorrow. Hahaha! Another meal tomorrow!”
The group of demons below cackled as they drank wine.
“This is a bonfire party?” Gao Xianzhi’s eyelids twitched.
“Eating humans? A party to eat humans? This great me already felt disgusted at having to eat rats. This group of people is actually eating humans?” Anger flashed in Scar’s eyes.
“First Song Sect disciples? They are First Song Sect disciples!” Chen Tianshan said with an unsightly expression.
“Half-human-half-spirit, bodies of demons. The more humans they eat, the more addicted they will be. It looks like that small town didn’t escape this calamity,” Shangguan Hen sighed.
As Gu Hai looked into the valley, his eyelids twitched as well.
“Rejoicing because they ate humans? Haha!” Gu Hai’s eyes gleamed with ferocity.
“Milord…”
“Kill them, but leave a few alive to interrogate,” Gu Hai ordered as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
“Yes!”
The evil men immediately took out bows and arrows.
“Who is it?!” Suddenly, a loud voice came from the valley.
“Release!” Gu Hai shouted coldly.
Boom!
Three thousand arrows immediately flew down.
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
“Argh!”
Loud screams immediately came from the valley.
“Quickly run!”
“Quickly run!”
“Save me!”
“Fire again!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The evil men immediately launched another volley.
After shooting the arrows, the evil men picked up their weapons and charged at the First Song Sect disciples.
Ten-odd of the one hundred First Song Sect disciples could still move. However, so what? Despite fivefold their previous strength, they still faced three thousand evil men—evil men who could fight against ten each.
Rumble…!
In the blink of an eye, only ten First Song Sect disciples remained alive.
“Who are you?”
“We are First Song Sect disciples! Are you seeking death?!”
“Let go of me! Let go of me!”
The ten surviving First Song Sect disciples pleaded for their lives. However, the evil men’s eyes were already filled with a deep disgust for them.
Gu Hai’s group slowly made their way into the valley.
“Scar!”
“Present!”
“Bury these five hundred ordinary people!” Gu Hai sighed.
“Yes!” Scar answered.
The Profound Legion members quickly started digging pits. After that, they tidied up the corpses and buried them.
Gu Hai coldly watched these cannibalistic First Song Sect disciples as Gao Xianzhi and Chen Tianshan interrogated them.
“We don’t know. We were unconscious at that time. When we woke up, we were already altered!”
“Sect Master brought back a black-clad man when he returned from the Great Feng Mafia Family more than a month ago!”
“We don’t know, either. We did not use to eat humans. However, I cannot stop myself from wanting to eat their hearts and livers when I see humans now!”
“We don’t want to do it, either. Please spare us!”
The First Song Sect disciples did not dare to hide any information during the interrogation.
“Where is the Elite Hall Master locked up?” Gu Hai asked.
“We don’t know! We really don’t know!” all the First Song Sect disciples replied anxiously.
Gu Hai narrowed his eyes as he looked at these half-human-half-spirit monsters. Then, he ordered coldly, “Gao Xianzhi, do the same as at the Great Feng Mafia Family. Make sure they spill everything they know. Find out all about the territory of the First Song Sect and everything else they know!”
“Yes!” Gao Xianzhi answered.
By dawn, Gu Hai’s group had already obtained all the information. Now, he held a map of the First Song Sect.
“Milord, there is a defensive ritual array in the First Song Sect. Everyone who enters has to verify their identity. Furthermore, although Song Pingsheng is not in the sect, there is still that mysterious black-robed person, no, mysterious snake animal spirit commanding the First Song Sect. We…” Chen Tianshan said, appearing worried.
“We need to rescue the Elite Hall Master, Long Wanqing!” Gu Hai said seriously.
“Yes!”
“Milord, what about these half-human-half-spirit monsters?” Gao Xianzhi asked.
Gu Hai looked at the First Song Sect disciples coldly. “Burn them, like the other monsters!”
“Yes!”
“No! Spare us! We don’t dare to do that again!” the First Song Sect disciples pleaded.
However, no one pitied them. Eating humans? They deserved death!
Phish! Phish! Phish!
The evil men chopped off the demons’ heads before burning them.
After dealing with the First Song Sect disciples, Gu Hai’s group resumed their journey.
Along the way, the three thousand-odd evil men showed incredibly sullen expressions. As they approached the First Song Sect, they found that all the cities, towns, and even villages were empty.
All the ordinary people had been sent into the First Song Sect.
Everyone felt a chill in their hearts. The First Song Sect? Do they really not fear anything? How many are they going to eat?
After arriving at a deserted place, everyone removed their armor and set off again, rushing through the mountain forests.
One day later, everyone stopped and looked into the distance.
A boundless fog entered their sight, with multicolored light encasing a region. Some First Song Sect disciples could be seen entering and leaving, as well as groups of ordinary people being whipped as the First Song Sect disciples herded them into the ritual array.
“Milord, that is the First Song Sect. Their defensive ritual array is the Gold Armor Water Crystal Ritual Array. It is incredibly strong. Even one hundred Nascent Soul Realm cultivators attacking together cannot break it. It is the strongest defensive ritual array on Nine-Five Island!” Chen Tianshan said sullenly as he looked into the distance.
