200: They outwardly comply but inwardly defy them! They hold back!

After Ye Wushuang left, the atmosphere inside Senluo Palace was oppressive.

After a long while, Soul Extinguisher slowly sat back on his throne, his voice low: "Everyone, you all felt it, right?"

"Sect Master, that pressure... I fear it really is the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path returning!"

An Elder spoke with lingering fear.

"The return of the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path is a grand event for the Demonic Path. By rights, we should be overjoyed."

Another Elder pondered, "But the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path ordered us to bring all our Sect's Magic Treasures... That word 'all' carries a profound meaning."

Soul Extinguisher's cold eyes swept over the crowd: "Are you worried that these treasures... will be gone forever?"

"We must take precautions!"

"The Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path has been silent for tens of thousands of years and suddenly returns, and the first decree is to demand the Magic Treasures of every Sect. Although it is called an 'audience,' who can guarantee it isn't a confiscation? The Foundation of our Ten Thousand Souls Hall, besides our Cultivation Technique, is our Town-Sect Soul Artifacts and the Soul Crystal essence accumulated over ten thousand years! If we hand it all over, even if the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path grants rewards later, the Foundation of our Ten Thousand Souls Hall will be severely damaged, and our status within the Demonic Path will likely..."

Once these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

Competition in the Demonic Path is cruel, and strength is respected.

If the core Magic Treasures are lost, the Sect's strength will inevitably decline. At that point, let alone competing with other great Sects, even self-preservation would be a problem.

Furthermore, the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path, who previously only existed in legends, had suddenly appeared. No one could say for sure what the future of the Demonic Path would look like. In times of such uncertainty, it is indeed more prudent to keep something in reserve.

"The decree of the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path cannot be defied."

Soul Extinguisher said slowly, "But... how is 'all Magic Treasures' defined? Our Ten Thousand Souls Hall has a Legacy spanning tens of thousands of years; how vast is our treasury? Some treasures are so old that even we might not remember them clearly... Moreover, some core items used to suppress the Sect's Luck and maintain the mountain-protecting array could cause disaster if moved easily."

"The Sect Master is right!"

"The Sect Master's words are extremely correct."

The Elders understood tacitly.

Soul Extinguisher continued: "Pass down the order to select a batch of rare and powerful treasures, but none that are tied to the Foundation of our Ten Thousand Souls Hall. Also, bring a few substantial Soul Artifacts to show our respect to the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path."

"As for the 'ten thousand souls banner' itself, the Yellow Springs Map, and our stock of top-tier Soul Crystals... seal them into the Forbidden Ground for now. Tell the outside world they are being nurtured or are used to suppress vital areas and are inconvenient to move."

"Even if the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path notices we have held something back, I imagine... she wouldn't severely punish our Ten Thousand Souls Hall for such a minor matter? After all, the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path has just returned, so she surely won't make a big fuss."

Pretending compliance while acting in opposition, hiding selfish motives.

Caught between the deterrence of absolute power and the core interests of the Sect, Ten Thousand Souls Hall chose a compromise with controllable risks.

...

Blood Sea Sect.

By the side of the boundless Blood Sea.

The Blood Sea Sect's mountain gate was built on the edge of a vast, boundless sea of blood.

The seawater was thick and scarlet, with a pungent smell, yet it contained violent blood-evil Spiritual Qi.

The Sect Master, Blood Without End, was a burly man with a full beard. His body surged with blood Qi, like a war god from a blood prison. His cultivation base was slightly weaker than Soul Extinguisher of the Ten Thousand Souls Hall, but he was still at the Late-stage Soul Transformation.

The arrival of Hehuan Sect Peak Master Liu Ruyan also went through the process of being suspected, then intimidated by the Jade Slip, and finally forced to submit.

After Liu Ruyan left, Blood Without End summoned his trusted aides to the Blood God Hall to discuss matters.

"The Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path returns and demands Magic Treasures..."

"This might not be a bad thing for our Blood Sea Sect!"

Blood Without End stroked his chin, his eyes flashing with fierce light and calculation.

"What does the Sect Master mean?"

An Elder asked with his eyes.

"Our Blood Sea Sect grows by war, relying on plundering and devouring. The Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path wants Magic Treasures? We can give them! In fact, we can give even more!"

Blood Without End sneered: "But since the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path has taken our benefits, she can't take them for nothing, right? Currently, the Righteous and Demonic Paths seem calm, but there are undercurrents surging. The Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path has returned, and she has appeared formally, so we have to suspect that she might want to reorganize the Demonic Path, or perhaps... she has an even greater scheme! This is the perfect opportunity for our Blood Sea Sect to perform a meritorious service, grow stronger, and perhaps even replace the Ten Thousand Souls Hall as the leader of the Demonic Path!"

He looked at the churning Blood Sea outside the hall: "We present these treasures not only to show our loyalty but also as an investment! As long as the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path finds us useful, in future conquests, our Blood Sea Sect can serve as the vanguard, plundering more resources and devouring the essence and blood of more experts! At that time, what we give away now will be recovered ten, even a hundred times over!"

"Then, do we really have to bring all our treasures?"

"How is that possible!"

A sharp light flashed in Blood Without End's eyes. He said: "Take the useless items from the treasury, or those chicken-rib treasures that require specific Cultivation Techniques to unleash their power, as well as the hot potatoes we plundered in the last few hundred years that haven't been fully refined and still bear the marks of their original owners—gather them all up and present them as precious treasures!"

"This way, it makes us look generous, solves our troubles, and allows us to curry favor with the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path!"

"As for the most important Magic Treasures, hide them well! Since the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path has appeared for the first time, we should be respectful, but we can't hand over our very underwear to her!"

Blood Without End's consideration was more about speculation and calculation.

Clearly, he viewed this pilgrimage as an opportunity for investment and clearing out inventory, attempting to fish in troubled waters and seize greater benefits amidst potential future turmoil.

This was not wrong; after all, Cold Moon had never truly appeared in the long history of the Demonic Path as the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path. Now that she had suddenly appeared and demanded everyone bring all their treasures to meet her, it was inevitable that people would be worried.

...

Myriad Skeletons Sect.

Land of Buried Bones.

The Myriad Skeletons Sect Cultivates a bizarre Cultivation Technique of manipulating corpses and refining bone demons.

Its mountain gate is located beneath the ruins of a massive ancient battlefield, with white bones scattered across the ground and a complex network of bone caves beneath.

The Sect Master of the Myriad Skeletons Sect, Nether Bone, was a pale skeleton that looked like it could fall apart at any moment. Within its eye sockets, a ghostly green Soul fire flickered, and its aura was mysterious and unpredictable.

After the intimidation by the Jade Slip, Nether Bone agreed to the pilgrimage request.

But after the Peak Master of the Hehuan Sect left, Nether Bone, like Soul Extinguisher and Blood Without End, had his own considerations.

"The order of the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path cannot be defied. However, our Myriad Skeletons Sect has a special Legacy; many of our Magic Treasures are the remains of our ancestors, bones that form the Foundation of the Sect, connected to the earth's veins and integrated with the Sect's great array. How can they be easily taken away?"

Nether Bone's voice echoed directly in the Soul fires of several core Elders, cold and rational.

"Sect Master, do you mean... we only bring those movable bone puppets, bone soldiers, and some of the treasured remains of exotic beasts?"

An Elder understood the implication.

"Not just that."

"The Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path demands treasures, but her intentions are unfathomable. Perhaps she wants to integrate resources after returning, or perhaps there is a deeper meaning."

"Our Myriad Skeletons Sect should bring more elite bone demons and unique bone artifacts to demonstrate our Sect's strength and value. As for the Ancestral Corpse that truly involves the secret of our Sect's immortality, the Ten Thousand Bones Source Pool, and other such items... they must absolutely not be moved."

"Even if the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path blames us, we can argue that these are the Foundations of the Sect's survival; moving them would destroy the Sect and kill everyone. I imagine the Holy Venerable of the Demonic Path will be understanding."

"Understood!"

"Let's proceed according to the Sect Master's wishes!"

The Myriad Skeletons Sect was also engaged in deceptive practices.

The seven Peak Masters of the Hehuan Sect, seven Jade Slips, seven similar scenes of intimidation and negotiation.

The various Sects of the Demonic Path were superficially obedient and submissive, but secretly, each harbored their own thoughts and calculated their own plans.

Pretending compliance while acting in opposition, holding back strength—this became the unanimous choice of all the Demonic Sects.

None of them understood what terrible punishment they were about to face...