After talking for a bit longer, Xue Zhuang left and went to his war chamber to talk with the elders and guardians of his sect.

“Sect Master, is what you said true?”

“If this is confirmed, this will immediately cause a stir.”

“No one can find out about this, even if it’s not confirmed!”

Xue Zhuang sat in the master’s seat, leaning with his cheek resting on his knuckle as he listened to the ramblings of the high-ranking members of the Blood Crypt Sect, his expression inscrutable.

“Even if it’s not true, the possibility alone is enough for us to make a move,” Xue Zhuang finally spoke. He stirred in his seat before looking in a particular direction.

“Old Bai!” he shouted.

Upon his call, an old and decrepit-looking man hobbled out. His robes were tattered in many places, and his face was wrinkled to the point where it resembled the bark of a tree. His eyes had sunken in so far that they could barely be seen.

His blood qi was nearly dried up as well, signifying that his life was coming to an end.

The way he walked made it appear that the gentlest breeze could topple him. “Sect Master, are you ready to hear this old man’s advice?”

“That’s not why I called you here,” Xue Zhuang coldly advised.

Because of the cultivation techniques and arts of the Blood Crypt Sect, knowledge and research weren’t their area of expertise.

This old man who went by the name Old Bai was someone who had been around since the last two sect masters, something set up by the great grand disciple of the Patriarch of the clan.

His responsibilities lay in being an advisor, however, Xue Zhuan had spurned his advice ever since he took the Sect Master’s seat. He believed that this old man was too conventional and cautious, causing the sect under the leadership of the last two Sect Masters to stagnate.

“Sir, that sect should not be disturbed. There are reasons why it still stands even no—”

“I said I don’t need your advice, Old Bai!” Xue Zhuang growled. “Just carry out my orders!”

“This old man will carry out the Sect Master’s command,” Old Bai swallowed his warning and left under the disdainful glare of the rest of the elders and guardians. They never placed too much stock in knowledge and research, and the mere fact that this was what the old man specialised in placed him in a position of ridicule and scorn.

When he finally left, everyone turned their attention back to the Sect Master.

“When do we leave Sect Master?” One of them asked.

“Fastest will be in two months. If we’re late, then 3 months.”

“So long!?”

They were shocked!

Their knowledge of this Sect Master of theirs was summarised as being brash and impatient. What was causing him to wait for so long?

“Don’t question my decision on this,” he didn’t want to talk about his son’s situation. “You can all leave now. Get everything ready. The day of slaughter will signify the rise of the Blood Crypt Sect.”

“Yes, Sect Master!” They all bowed and left the war chamber, leaving Xue Zhuang alone.

“You’re stepping in deep waters here,” a ghostly and silky voice that seemed to be dripping with voice drifted out from somewhere within the room.

Xue Zhuang’s expression turned ugly when he heard this voice. “You were the one who told me to go after the Scarlet Flame Long-Tailed Hawk in the first place.”

“Perhaps…” the voice responded. “Your sect is… enough for this I guess.”

“Y—You knew this would happen!” Xue Zhuang’s expression changed once more when he realised.

“Be careful. Your use is still convenient,” it replied.

“What do you mean by that!?” Xue Zhuang looked all over in a hurry trying to find the course of the voice. The shadows of the war chamber seemed to close in on him and they sent a chill up his spine.

“It’s just a warning.” the voice responded.

“A fool’s caution!” He yelled, trying to bolster his own courage. “It is a nameless sect harbouring a treasure, and that is their crime! I better not hear about this at all!”

“Hehehe, don’t worry. I’ll just watch the fun in silence. Remember to use the ingredient to concoct the pill needed. This will allow you to gain a connection with ‘them.’”

“Yes,” Xue Zhuang answered, glad to have finally left the issue about his sect behind.

“Concoct the pill soon so they can see the benefits, I implore you,” The voice advised him. “After all, an Abyss ghost is a race of tragedy after all, hehehe…”

The voice trailed off with a chuckle into oblivion. Leaving the Sect Master of Blood Crypt in true silence.

...

“Why did you do something so foolish Di Yi Lingdao!?”

“I—I wanted to prove that our arts weren’t lost….”

“Our arts cannot be haphazardly performed! Especially for you, you’re not meant to use it in such a way! Look at the state of your body! In addition, you could have possibly brought destruction to the village!”

In the first elder’s quarters were first elder Di Yi Lingdao and Uncle Tian Lu. The former’s body was bloodied, and the healing process was painfully slow as well.

The backlash of the skill he executed was terrifying, to say the least. However, even though he was in immense pain, there was still a trace of excitement in his eyes.

“Was it not you who told me that it was the time to make bets for our sect to rise? To make its existence known to the world once more!? Are you not the lega—”

“Do not call me that!” interrupted Uncle Tian Lu, forcing Di Yi Lingdao to swallow whatever it was that he was about to say.

Uncle Tian Lu calmed himself down before continuing. “I will not take that moniker until our sect has truly revived. Besides, my disciple would be the one to hold it.”

Sadness dotted his features as he said, “However, you are truly a genius. How were you able to execute it when you don’t even have the accompanying cultivation technique?”

Di Yi Lingdao only managed to eke out a wry smile when he heard this question. “I had to do something with all this time. This doesn’t mean you’ll allow me to practice ‘that,’ will it?”

Uncle Tian Lu’s expression became complicated faced with this question. “You know it’s not that simple. Bear with it a little more. You said that Shen Ling felt a fate-changing power within that little demon of mine. Then let’s go through with this gamble of ours then.”

“You should tell him to be wary of the things he says,” Di Yi Lingdao stated when he saw Uncle Tian Lu readying himself to leave.

“Pfft. That little demon doesn’t have to be wary of anything. However, I will warn him so that he will learn to be careful,” said Uncle Tian Lu, without turning back.

“Nevertheless, because of you over-drafting yourself. We’ll need some medicinal herbs to help with those injuries of yours. I’ll have the third elder send the disciples into the city to get what we need. It’ll make things rough for a while, but we can’t have you in that state for long. So blame yourself for that.”

As these words echoed out, the first elder delved into a deep rumination. “Can we really have a good ending with the guiding words of the race of tragedy?”