Chapter 520 - 259: Treasure Embryo: Thunderstruck Horn

As Mao Shengjie and Ren Beichen departed separately.

Liou Yuan could clearly feel several strands of Foundation Establishment Divine Sense that were spying on the dock quietly retreat.

"Within the Demon Dao sects, cultivators are more like competitors, fighting over resources and territory."

"As soon as a fellow Foundation Establishment dies, it means his resources are now available, and those in the Foundation Establishment Realm will devour them cleanly."

"Each of these Foundation Establishments spying on me from the shadows doesn’t have good intentions, all of them hoping I’d die in the Blood Prison Department."

Liou Yuan’s lips curled into a cold smile, knowing the situation in Nightmare Demon Palace clearly before coming here.

Thinking of this, Liou Yuan exchanged a glance with Wei Miaomeng beside him, then headed straight towards the tallest mountain on this island.

When he mentioned visiting the Sect Leader earlier, he wasn’t just making an empty promise.

Proactively going to see the Sect Leader is much more beneficial than being summoned by the leader.

The first thing that came into view was the majestic palace gates, towering at a height of a hundred zhang, all constructed from giant stones as black as ink.

On either side of the gate stood two massive statues of Demon Gods, holding giant axes that gleamed with a chilling light, clad in black armor, their eyes exuding endless killing intent and cold indifference.

Above the gate hung a large plaque, bearing the three blood-like characters "Nether Hall," the striking color seemingly dyed with the blood of living people.

Nether Hall is the main peak of Nightmare Demon Palace, the residence of Sect Leader Huo Qinsa.

Today, Liou Yuan and his companions were not so lucky.

Just as they were about to walk straight into the hall, an old man in an ash-black robe blocked their path before the Nether Hall.

"You’re unlucky; the Sect Leader went into closed-door cultivation after the Autumn Equinox."

"If you want to see the Sect Leader, you’ll have to wait for a while."

The old man’s back was hunched, his body withered like a dying candle in the wind.

His eyes were cloudy like dust-covered jewels, occasionally flashing a chilling gleam.

He wore a tattered ash-black robe, its fabric long faded to a dull white, with edges worn to threads like a broken cobweb.

The jade crown that should have fixed his hair was long lost, his gray-white hair draped casually over his shoulders, with strands sticking to the corners of his mouth, trembling slightly with his labored breathing.

This old man had been following Sect Leader Huo Qinsa since his days as an Inner Sect Disciple.

As Huo Qinsa ascended to the position of Sect Leader, his status rose significantly as well.

Now in the late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, despite his frail appearance, Liou Yuan’s Evil Eyes saw a chilling coldness in his Qi Mansion comparable to a deep pool.

Upon hearing Yang Hai’s words, Liou Yuan politely folded his hands, then recounted the injustices he faced at the dock in an aggrieved voice: "Mr. Yang, Fu Lin and I have fought life and death for the sect, only to be slandered by the Blood Prison Department upon our return."

"I am not resigned, please, Mr. Yang, uphold justice for us."

Yang Hai was no ordinary servant; though he held no official title, serving close to the Sect Leader meant he was near the very core of power in Nightmare Demon Palace.

Sometimes, a word from him could carry more weight than the head of the Blood Prison Department.

This is why Liou Yuan aired his grievances before him.

"I saw what happened to you at the dock," Yang Hai replied expressionlessly, his voice still as deep as ever.

"I’ll report it truthfully to the Sect Leader once he emerges."

"As for the Blood Prison Department matters, I cannot intervene."

Yang Hai made it clear that he had no intention of meddling in Liou Yuan’s affairs, motioning for them to leave.

"I trust the Head will handle it fairly; you may go now."

"Old fellow, not taking the bait!" Liou Yuan muttered to himself, pursing his lips in frustration at not gaining Yang Hai’s support.

But with Huo Qinsa still in closed-door cultivation, there was no point staying at Nether Hall.

They had no choice but to leave wisely.

Before departing, Liou Yuan glanced back into the depths of Nether Hall, his slightly sunken eyes narrowing.

"Closed-door cultivation! According to sect intelligence, Huo Qinsa has long been at the Peak of Foundation Establishment; such careful seclusion this time, could it be for breaking through to the Golden Core?"

Yet breaking through to Golden Core is no easy feat.

With decades past, not a single Golden Core has emerged in that period, else Nightmare Demon Palace would not have fallen to its current secondary status.

Liou Hexuan and Wang Zhuoqun of Five Extremes Mountain, each one a dazzling talent, have also been stuck at the brink of the Golden Core for over twenty years.

Reflecting on this, Liou Yuan’s heart gradually settled.

"Still, I must document this and report it to our sect."

The ultimate mission for Liou Yuan and his companions was to replace the leadership in Nightmare Demon Palace, yet crucial intelligence about Huo Qinsa still required proper reporting.

Liou Yuan and Wei Miaomeng left the Nether Hall.

On their way out, Wei Miaomeng worriedly sent a voice transmission: "What now? Without seeing the Nightmare Demon Palace Sect Leader, Ren Beichen will definitely keep causing trouble."

"We haven’t even established our footing yet; lest we eventually get handed over to the Blood Prison Department."

Liou Yuan responded with a calm smile: "Perhaps it’s not necessarily a bad thing."

"With the Sect Leader absent, Nightmare Demon Palace currently answers to three lead forces: the Blood Prison Department, Slaughter Blade Camp, and the Yama Army."

"A leaderless regime is chaotic but also presents opportunities for us."

Liou Yuan hadn’t forgotten their mission to Nightmare Demon Palace.

The more chaotic Nightmare Demon Palace becomes, the better it is for them.

Mediating between these three factions and taking advantage of the chaos fares far better than timidly navigating the unknown.

Lastly, Liou Yuan added: "Didn’t Mao Shengjie say he’d handle it? If pushed, we can join Slaughter Blade Camp; I don’t believe Blood Prison Department people can simply snatch individuals from there."