360: The Fall of the Qinglan Sect

In the deepest part of the Qinglan Sect, before the Demon Suppressing Cave.

This place had long since become unrecognizable.

The Demon Suppressing Cave square, which the Qinglan Sect originally used to suppress underground demons and purify filth,

had at this moment been completely transformed into a massive abyss ritual site.

Dazzling, sanity-defiling dark purple runic Magic Formations were etched into the ground.

The Magic Formation exceeded a hundred meters in diameter, with the edges of the runes flowing with a viscous, blood-like Evil Energy glow.

In the center of the Magic Formation stood a massive altar constructed from pitch-black stones and twisted crystals.

A dark purple Evil Energy core hovered at the top of the altar, pulsating and emitting heart-pounding fluctuations.

Like a beating heart, it continuously drew ten thousand years of accumulated resentment and Evil Energy from beneath the ground.

Currently, thousands of Disciples and nearly a hundred deacons and Elders were gathered in the square.

They were uniformly dressed in deep purple Taoist robes embroidered with twisted abyssal runes.

Their faces no longer held even a hint of the clarity and righteousness of a righteous Cultivator.

In its place was a strange expression—a mixture of fanaticism, numbness, and faint unease.

Every one of them emitted a thick abyssal aura, with dark purple light faintly swirling in the depths of their eyes.

Clearly, they were no longer pure practitioners.

Instead, they were Fallen ones deeply eroded by the power of the abyss, having even proactively accepted the infusion of Evil Energy.

On their periphery, thousands of Abyssal monsters with even more hideous forms and powerful auras prowled back and forth.

Their crimson eyes scanned the surroundings, guarding against any possible intrusion.

The air was thick with the nauseating stench of Evil Energy decay and blood.

A grayish-black mist, so thick it almost solidified, swirled at low altitude.

Atop the high platform, the current Sect Master of the Qinglan Sect—Sect Master, stood with his hands behind his back.

His originally transcendent and sage-like face was now shrouded in an ominous dark purple halo.

His eyes were sunken, his pupils crimson and dark, emitting cold yet fanatical glimmers.

He wore a purple-black Sect Master's robe embroidered with blasphemous runes, with Evil Energy surging around him.

His aura had impressively broken through to the Early Stage of Rank 9.

However, his Foundation was shaky, filled with the violence and instability of a forced advancement.

“Fellow Disciples!”

Sect Master's voice, amplified by Evil Energy, echoed throughout the square.

It carried a beguiling raspiness and passion.

“A thousand-year Foundation, transformed today!”

“The abyss grants us supreme power to break free from mortal shackles and enjoy eternity!”

He spread his arms as if to embrace the pulsating Evil Energy core on the altar:

“Look at this power—pure, vast, and supreme!”

“Far superior to the meager spiritual power we gained from decades of bitter Cultivate!”

“This is evolution! This is transcendence!”

Hearing this, the fanaticism on the faces of the Disciples and Elders below intensified.

They raised their arms one after another, letting out chaotic and excited shouts:

“Abyss eternal! Blessings from the Lord!”

“We wish to follow the Sect Master to eternity together!”

“Discard mortal bodies, become Demon Gods!”

Sect Master was very satisfied with the scene before him.

He continued his incitement, his voice growing higher and higher:

“Those hypocrites of the Spiritual Energy Bureau are stuck in their ways, jealous of talent, and view our pursuit of power as heresy!”

“They suppress, monitor, and restrict! When have they ever truly given the Qinglan Sect the respect and status it deserves?!”

“But today is different!” He looked at the altar's core. “The Abyssal Overlord has handed down an oracle. As long as we complete this 'Demon Summoning Return to the Abyss' grand ritual and usher the Abyssal Emissary into this world, we shall achieve unparalleled merit!”

“By then, we will all be founding officials, receiving personal empowerment from the Dominator, and our cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds! The entire Jiangzhou, even the Dragon Kingdom, will become the territory of our Qinglan Sect!”

His words were full of fawning toward the abyss and greedy longing for the future.

The Disciples' blood boiled as they listened, as if they could already see themselves holding great power and deciding the fate of others.

The origin of the matter could be traced back ten years.

At that time, the Qinglan Sect suffered heavy losses during a Secret Realm exploration.

The Sect's high-end combat power was nearly halved, resource reserves were in short supply, and its status in the cultivation world was precarious.

Sect Master, to break the deadlock, took a risky path and secretly contacted a mysterious force.

He obtained several 'secret methods' that could quickly increase cultivation and a large amount of resource assistance.

Initially, the effects were significant; the Sect's strength recovered quickly and even surpassed its previous state.

But soon, Sect Master and the core Elders discovered something.

The deeper they practiced these 'secret methods,' the stronger their dependence on that eerie power became, and their Heart-Nature gradually twisted.

And the 'mysterious force' providing assistance gradually revealed its true face—the Gloomy Abyss.

By the time they wanted to withdraw, it was already too late.

The power of the abyss had long since become like a cancer, infiltrating their Cultivation Technique Foundations and the depths of their Soul.

Even more terrifying, the abyss side held numerous pieces of evidence of them practicing evil arts and harming living beings to obtain essence blood.

Once exposed, the Qinglan Sect would be ruined and executed by the Righteous Path of the world.

Out of desperation, they could only sink deeper.

From initial secret cooperation to later complete defection, until now, the entire membership had fallen.

They could only sacrifice the entire Sect's Foundation to the abyss in exchange for power and protection.

They knew this was like drinking poison to quench thirst.

They knew this act was equivalent to betraying the entire Human Race.

But there was no turning back.

The Evil Energy surging in their bodies constantly reminded them—turning back meant death!

Moving forward, perhaps there was still a sliver of life.

Even if that chance belonged to demons.

And late last night, the abyss side sent an emergency command through a special channel.

Soul Burial Valley suffered a great defeat, and the Lord of Curses fell.

The threat level of the human guardian deity, Chen Nian, had reached its peak.

The abyss high-level launched an ultimate contingency plan, requiring 'sleeper agents' and 'collaborators' everywhere to fully mobilize immediately.

To create large-scale chaos and cover the core operations.

At the same time, the command mentioned that in the Forbidden Ground of the Qinglan Sect, there was actually an Abyssal demon cave that had been sealed for many years.

And the existence within the demon cave was no ordinary Abyssal Demon.

But rather an 'Abyssal Demon General' who had been wounded and slept since an ancient war, along with his powerful and massive Abyss Legion.

If he could be awakened, he would surely become a powerful combat force that could counter any human forces that might come to purge them.

And what the Qinglan Sect had to do was immediately start the 'Demon Summoning Return to the Abyss' ritual at any cost.

To usher in the arrival of the Abyssal Demon General and stabilize the passage to this world, preparing for a subsequent larger-scale abyss invasion.

In return, the abyss would grant Sect Master and others a more pure infusion of Evil Energy.

And promised that after occupying this world, Jiangzhou would be designated as the autonomous territory of the Qinglan Sect.

Sect Master and the others were both shocked and terrified.

They had originally planned to prepare for a few more months.

They would wait until the entire Sect had been completely transformed and the Mountain-Protecting Array had been modified before taking this step.

Starting so hastily now carried immense risk and would inevitably trigger a strong reaction from the Spiritual Energy Bureau.

However, the commands of the abyss were not to be questioned.

The abyss side even directly threatened them.

If they disobeyed, it would be treated as betrayal, and the abyss would immediately cut off all power supplies.

By then, they would simultaneously face spiritual power backlash and the encirclement of the Spiritual Energy Bureau; they would surely die.

There was no choice.

Sect Master could only grit his teeth and give the order.

Everyone was to enter the Demon Suppressing Cave square, set up the ritual site at the fastest speed, and forcibly start the 'Demon Summoning Return to the Abyss.'

However, just as the ritual reached its critical stage and the summoning of the abyss was about to begin—

“Report—!!!”

A Disciple with a weak aura rushed into the square, scrambling on all fours, his voice distorted by extreme terror:

“S-Sect Master! This is bad! The Spiritual Energy Bureau's troops have arrived outside the mountain gate!”

“Elder Yun Song tried to stop them, but was... killed with a single finger by one person!”

“The Disciples stationed at the mountain gate... are a-all dead!”