396: Chapter 393 The Third Elder of the Demon Clan

Before Qin Changsheng could respond, Chen Erniu spoke to himself, his tone filled with sorrow: "Back then, the Yao Race launched massive construction projects to build the walls of this capital city, capturing countless Human Race Cultivators and Human Race Mortal laborers."

"Every inch of these impregnable Yao rock walls is soaked in the blood of the Human Race. When they were built, countless Human Race Cultivators died miserably here. Their bones were used to fill the foundations of the walls, and their Divine Souls were imprisoned within the ramparts, never to be reincarnated for eternity."

As his voice fell, Chen Erniu let out a long, soft sigh.

The sharpness and calmness in his eyes faded away completely, replaced by a deep sense of loneliness and bitterness. His gaze was fixed tightly on the cold city walls, his eyes dazed and pained.

Qin Changsheng only needed one glance to see through it. Chen Erniu's emotional reaction to the scene must surely be because his friends or family had also been reduced to forced laborers for the Yao Race, dying miserably during the construction of this city wall, becoming stepping stones for the rise of the Yao city.

This deep-seated blood feud, buried in the depths of his heart, was likely the fundamental reason he was willing to risk everything and insist on assassinating the Third Elder of the Demon Clan.

Just at this moment, a rapid and domineering sound of breaking through the air suddenly came from above the firmament. Rolling winds of Spiritual Power suddenly swept through all directions, the sky was filled with churning Demonic Qi clouds, and the air Pressure of the entire world dropped instantly.

Hum—! An extremely luxurious black streak of light sped over from the end of the horizon. Its Speed was extreme, crossing a thousand miles of airspace in an instant and arriving above Yaoling City.

It was a luxurious Spirit Horse Carriage carved with purple-gold Yao patterns, pulled by eight high-order Spirit Horses with majestic physiques and wings that covered the sky. Their hooves trod on the air, accompanied by wind and thunder, and their bodies were surrounded by incomparably heavy, top-tier Pressure from the Yao Race, noble, domineering, and majestic, shocking all directions.

All eight Spirit Horses were exotic breeds of the Yao Race with profound cultivation. Each radiated the formidable aura of a Peak Golden Core. Pulling the carriage side-by-side, their aura was monstrous, fully displaying the might of the top-tier nobility of the Yao Race.

The moment the Spirit Horse Carriage appeared, all the Yao Race soldiers stationed below the city, including the leading Yao generals, completely withdrew their Evil Qi. No one dared to raise their heads to look directly at the sky. They all knelt heavily on both knees, their heads pressed tightly against the ground, and their uniform, resounding cries of worship shook the area below the city, reaching the pinnacle of respect.

"Greetings to the Grand Elder!"

"Welcome back to the city, Grand Elder!"

The rising and falling sounds of worship roared, echoing through the entire city gate. Countless Yao soldiers trembled, not daring to make the slightest move. The Demonic Qi in the entire area submitted completely, and only the rumbling sound of the carriage remained in the world.

Far away in the small courtyard of the Heavenly Sword Sect, Qin Changsheng felt a deep sense of curiosity and apprehension in his heart.

He had long heard about the power structure of the upper echelons of the Yao Race.

The Great Elder of the Demon Clan was one of the top giants of the Yao Race and the only existence in the entire Yao Race capable of truly standing toe-to-toe and contending with the hegemon Shen Guhong.

The two were equal in power and strength, each holding half of the authority of the Yao Race, secretly checking and balancing each other, and playing a game that supported the top-level structure of the entire Yao Race.

Above the firmament, the eight Spirit Horses walked on the wind, and the luxurious black carriage hovered slowly above the city gate. The curtains were tightly closed, obscuring any figure inside, yet a massive, indifferent Pressure that looked down upon all living beings slowly enveloped the entire Yao city, making all Yao Race creatures submit in their hearts.

Not long after the Grand Elder entered the city, the wind and clouds surged again on the distant horizon. Streaks of Yao light, each with different forms and formidable auras, broke through the sky one after another, converging from all directions and landing at the gates of Yaoling City.

For a time, streaks of light crisscrossed the firmament, and the Demonic Qi surged endlessly. Each streak of Yao light that landed represented the arrival of a high-ranking member of the Yao Race.

There were Yao generals clad in heavy armor with monstrous Evil Qi; there were Yao Race civil officials with fluttering robes and deep auras; and there were many reclusive Yao Race Elders who all appeared, all of whom were top-tier figures with high status and great power in the Yao Race.

Clearly, for this grand sacrifice that occurred once every twenty years, all the high-ranking members of the Yao Race had rushed to the capital city, gathering in Yaoling City to prepare for the sacrificial ceremony.

Qin Changsheng and Chen Erniu, not far from the city gate, quietly watched the continuously arriving Yao Race experts.

Each strand of formidable aura spreading out in the surroundings represented a Golden Core level Yao Race expert. Such a foundation was enough to glimpse the terrifying strength of the Yao Race in dominating the region.

Just then, a thick cloud of Demonic Qi slowly broke through the air. Within the cloud stood an old woman dressed in a purple robe.

The old woman had white hair hanging to her shoulders and a face full of wrinkles. She looked like an ordinary old person, but her eyes were murky and deep, occasionally flashing with a sharp light when they opened and closed. Her Demonic Qi was restrained without a trace; she appeared unremarkable, but in reality, her foundation was unfathomable.

The old woman walked toward the city gate unhurriedly. Along the way, the various high-ranking members of the Yao Race stepped aside, showing full etiquette and displaying utmost respect.

Chen Erniu raised his hand to point at the old woman and lowered his voice: "This person is the Third Elder of the Demon Clan, and also the host of this Yaoling Grand Sacrifice."

Far away in the small courtyard, Qin Changsheng also curiously sized up the Third Elder of the Demon Clan.

This Third Elder of the Demon Clan was a confidant of Shen Guhong and the key to Shen Guhong being able to contend with the Grand Elder.

She was also the core organizer of this Yao Race sacrifice.

Qin Changsheng's gaze pierced through the Void Realm and landed on the purple-robed old woman. Without the slightest hesitation, he moved his mind and directly activated his inherent ability, triggering the Golden Trait [Insight].

An invisible golden gaze quietly locked onto the Third Elder in the distance. The layers of Demonic Qi Disguise, cultivation barriers, and Physical Body shackles were all penetrated and analyzed by the Golden Trait, leaving no secrets whatsoever.

In an instant, a crystal-clear white light screen appeared on Qin Changsheng's attribute panel.

[Third Elder of the Demon Clan] [Weaknesses: Seven Inches, Fear of Fire]

These two simple lines of text encompassed the fatal shortcomings of the Third Elder.

A flash of understanding and sharpness instantly crossed Qin Changsheng's eyes.

He had originally been wary that this powerful Yao Race Elder was hiding her true capabilities and would be difficult to deal with. Now, with the weakness information from the Golden Trait [Insight], the difficulty of the assassination dropped by more than half instantly.

The "seven inches" was the vital point of her Physical Body; one strike could destroy her vitality. The Innate fear of fire meant that all fire-element Divine Abilities and fire-elemental Qi attacks could cause doubled damage to her.

With these two flaws in hand, as long as the timing was controlled properly and he struck during the chaos of the sacrifice, killing the Third Elder of the Demon Clan would be no difficult task.

Not long after the Third Elder of the Demon Clan entered, a terrifying Pressure, far exceeding that of the Grand Elder from just before, enveloped the entire gate of Yaoling City.

At the end of the horizon, an extremely luxurious black carriage with Dragon patterns sped through the air. Its Speed was as fast as thunder. The carriage flowed with deep, dark Yao light, and its patterns were ancient and domineering. The carriage body was crafted from ten-thousand-year Yao Mysterious Wood, inlaid with countless Yao crystals, shining with flowing light, and extremely noble.

Unlike the majesty of the Grand Elder's spirit carriage, this carriage carried an aura of a hegemon who looked down upon the world and slaughtered thousands. Merely the momentum of it breaking through the air caused the surrounding Demonic Qi to flow sluggishly and stagnate.

Even more shocking was that around the carriage, a full dozen top-tier Yao Race experts hovered in the air, guarding it, arranged on all four sides.

Each was at the Golden Core cultivation level, their auras thick and violent, surrounded by Evil Qi, their eyes as sharp as blades, vigilantly scanning all directions, displaying strict guard, with a lineup that was extremely luxurious and majestic.

The moment this carriage appeared, all the Yao soldiers and leading Yao generals stationed at the city gate instantly stiffened. Without the slightest hesitation, they all knelt on both knees, their heads pressed tightly against the ground, their posture respectful to the extreme, and their uniform, resounding cries of worship shook the heavens and earth: "Welcome back to the city, Leader!"

The roars sounded, layer upon layer, echoing through the entire city gate, with awe and reverence overflowing in their expressions.

Far away at the Heavenly Sword Sect, Qin Changsheng saw this scene through Hu Nan's vision, and his heart instantly understood.

In the entire Yao Race, there was only one person who could make all the Yao soldiers in the city kneel in such reverence and possess such a terrifying entourage and supreme Pressure. It must be Shen Guhong!

Chen Erniu looked at the carriage speeding toward the city gate, his eyes full of apprehension.

"Let's go, we are entering the city too!" Chen Erniu walked toward the city gate.

Hu Nan quickly followed behind Chen Erniu.

The Yao soldiers guarding the gate swept their gaze over the pure Demonic Qi lingering on the two, and seeing that their Yao tokens were correct, they had no suspicions and directly let them pass, allowing the two to enter the city calmly.

The moment they stepped into Yaoling City, a completely different scene came into view.

This Yao Race capital city was far more prosperous and magnificent than the outside world imagined.

Wide and level bluestone avenues crisscrossed, with buildings and pavilions standing in rows, arranged in a staggered and orderly fashion. Countless Yao Race creatures of various forms shuttled through the streets and alleys, coming and going endlessly.

There were Fox Yao with light figures, swaying as they walked; there were Bear Yao with burly physiques and heavy footsteps; there were flying Yao Race who had transformed into human form, shuttling through the marketplace.

The entire street was bustling with noise and excitement, with carriages and horses flowing endlessly. All kinds of shouting and hawking rose one after another, noisy and ceaseless, a scene of an extremely lively and prosperous age.

But behind this prosperity and liveliness, there was a chilling gloom and cruelty.

The shops and stalls on both sides of the street were dazzling, and Yao Race merchants competed to shout and hawk their wares. But the goods they were selling were not Spiritual Plants or exotic stones, nor were they Magical Artifacts or Medicinal Pills; they were all living Human Race.

Inside the wooden racks and cages by the street, countless Human Race Cultivators and ordinary Mortals were imprisoned, young and old, male and female.

They were all dressed in rags, covered in scars, their complexions pale and lusterless, their eyes filled with endless fear and despair. Their shoulder blades were pierced by chains, their limbs locked, and they were placed arbitrarily and displayed wantonly like livestock.

The surrounding Yao Race gathered in front of the stalls, wantonly looking and picking, their words frivolous and mean, viewing the Human Race as goods available for selection, cold and indifferent.

Chen Erniu looked at this jarring scene before him, and his steps paused slightly: "These are all Human Race commoners, and there are also many distressed Cultivators. They did not die in battle on the Secret Realm battlefield, but in the end, they were reduced to private property of the Yao Race, blood food that the Yao Race keeps in captivity and devours wantonly on a daily basis."

Inside the Heavenly Sword Sect, Qin Changsheng's expression instantly sank to the extreme.

He had long known about the opposition between the two races, that the Human Race and the Yao Race were in constant conflict, and he had seen with his own eyes the Yao Race capturing the Human Race to serve as sacrificial offerings. Yet he had never imagined that within the core capital of the Yao Race, the Human Race had already been reduced to such a lowly state.

In the eyes of the Yao Race in Yaoling City, the Human Race was no longer an equal living being, no longer an opponent in a game, but merely blood food that could be bought and sold at will, slaughtered wantonly, and used to satiate hunger for cultivation, just like pigs, sheep, and livestock, without any dignity, their lives as cheap as grass.

The marketplace remained noisy, the Yao Race's laughter, hawking, and bargaining were endless. But every laugh sounded like a sharp blade, piercing Qin Changsheng's mind.

Beneath the prosperous Yao city, the blood, tears, and bones of countless Human Race were buried.

Qin Changsheng's gaze was heavy, and endless coldness and awe-inspiring killing intent surged in his heart.

Currently, the Human Race could still hold the Southern Territory, stand toe-to-toe with the Yao Race, and the Human Race beings could still cultivate steadily and multiply.

But if Shen Guhong were allowed to lead the Yao Race to break through the defense line, flatten the Southern Territory, and invade the Human Race territory, then the fate of the entire Human Race would only be even more miserable than what he was seeing before him.

By then, hundreds of millions of Human Race commoners and countless Cultivators would all be reduced to blood food wantonly harvested by the Yao Race, with every household displaced, everyone's fate out of their own control, and no dignity or way of survival left.