Ye Chen was now ordering him to take over the Cold Wind Sect. In truth, he wanted him to consolidate the sect's remaining forces to be at his beck and call.
He had neither the ability nor the courage to defy Ye Chen.
Mu Shanhong felt deeply conflicted. He could only manage a bitter smile. "I... I'll give it a try."
"You're on your own now." Ye Chen gave Mu Shanhong a profound look, then turned to leave.
"Saint Heir Ye, where are you headed?" Mu Shanhong couldn't help but ask.
"I'm making a trip back to the Luoyun Sect."
"There seems to be something there that requires my attention." With that, Ye Chen's figure streaked away.
Within the Cold Wind Sect, the Elders and disciples watched Ye Chen disappear into the distance, remaining deathly silent, too terrified to utter a single word.
...
Following the successive deaths of Lei Province's Commander Yan Qiushi, Vajra Temple's Thunder Sound Battle Buddha, and the Nine Nether Sect Leader, Yang Yan, the turmoil in Lei Province seemed to grow ever more turbulent.
The fall of these Great Powers left countless people both shocked and curious.
'Who on earth could be so capable? Could a hidden Demon Dao Great Power have made a move?'
But the ripples spreading through the outside world had nothing to do with Ye Chen.
His only goal was to become stronger so he could uncover the truth behind the Qin family's annihilation.
Inside the Luoyun Sect.
Waves of Demonic Qi now surged to the heavens from the mountain peak. Numerous Demon Dao masters, having broken free from their prison shackles, were drinking with wild abandon within the sect gates.
As for the Elders and disciples who had narrowly escaped Ye Chen's wrath, they had since been tortured until they were no longer recognizable as human. They had been dead for a long time.
The entire Luoyun Sect had become a veritable nest of Demon Dao experts.
"What's going on?"
"Why hasn't our savior returned yet?"
In the main hall, the surging Demonic Qi nearly blotted out the sun. Many of the Demon Dao experts wore doubtful expressions, clearly growing impatient with the wait.
When Ye Chen left, he had instructed them to stay and guard the sect, saying he would be back soon.
But three days had passed, and there was still no news of Ye Chen.
SWISH!
Just then, a streak of light shot over the mountain peak, and Ye Chen's figure appeared within the Luoyun Sect.
Seeing this, the eyes of the gathered Demon Dao experts lit up, and they all rushed forward to greet him.
"Savior, you're finally back!"
"Hm?" Ye Chen stared at the vast crowd before him, momentarily taken aback.
'I was just speaking casually back then. I can't believe these strangers actually stayed here to wait for me.'
"Savior! I thought you had abandoned us!"
A Demon Dao expert shouted excitedly, "We have no home to return to! The sects we once belonged to have long been destroyed. Please, Savior, take us in!"
"That's right! Savior, if you can unite all of us, I believe it won't be long before we become a formidable force again! No one will be able to bully us then!"
They had all witnessed the methods Ye Chen used to annihilate the Luoyun Sect and were completely won over by his strength.
After all, the factions of most of the Demon Dao experts imprisoned in the dungeons had long since been annihilated by the Righteous Dao.
They had nowhere else to go, and if they were out in the open, they would be easy targets for the Righteous Dao.
Their only hope was to rely on this ruthless but extraordinarily powerful young man. They hoped he could lead them to rally their forces so they would no longer have to fear the threat of the Righteous Dao.
Even Ye Chen hadn't expected that by simply annihilating the Luoyun Sect, he had become the focus of everyone's hopes.
'Having a faction of my own wouldn't be a bad thing.'
Ye Chen mused for a moment. This was precisely what he had in mind when he ordered Mu Shanhong to consolidate the Cold Wind Sect.
But the people of the Cold Wind Sect were divided. Now that their cornerstone, Shen Yanyue, was dead, the faction was likely to be wiped from the map of Lei Province.
But this group of Demon Dao masters before him was different.
They had been tortured in the dungeons for many years, and now that Ye Chen had personally rescued them, they were naturally overwhelmed with gratitude.
Combined with Ye Chen's immense power, they submitted to him willingly.
"Fine."
"Don't those hypocrites always like to call us remnants of the Demon Sect?"
"From now on, we will be called... the Demon Sect!"
Ye Chen clasped his hands behind his back and smiled faintly.
At his words, the crowd of Demon Dao experts erupted in cheers, beside themselves with excitement.
But a small minority among them were worried.
"...Sect Leader, I'm afraid the name 'Demon Sect' is somewhat problematic."
A figure stepped out from the crowd. His hair was completely white, and he looked like an old man with one foot in the grave.
"Is that Old Man Wushan?"
"I can't believe even he stayed here!"
Everyone was astonished to see this figure.
Old Man Wushan was a Demon Dao expert who had been famous for a long time. His cultivation was above the Third Realm of the Spirit Sea Realm.
If not for a great battle with an expert from the Vajra Temple that left him severely injured, how could he possibly have been subdued by a minor power like the Luoyun Sect?
"What's problematic about it?" Ye Chen glanced indifferently at Old Man Wushan.
"According to legend, the Demon Sect was a colossal power handed down from ancient times, a truly deserving titan of the Demon Dao!"
"But later, for some unknown reason, the Demon Sect fractured and shattered into countless factions. From then on, the name 'Demon Sect' became an empty shell."
"This is also why those Righteous Dao people always like to call us remnants of the Demon Sect! In their eyes, the Demon Dao has only one true power, and that is the Demon Sect! All other factions are just splinters of the original!"
Old Man Wushan explained.
"The Demon Sect actually has such a history?"
At his words, many of the Demon Dao experts also showed expressions of disbelief.
Apparently, even they were hearing about this for the first time.
'The Demon Sect has existed since ancient times?'
Ye Chen's gaze flickered. This ancient faction with its long and storied history suddenly sparked a strange, inexplicable feeling within him.
"Who was the founder of the Demon Sect?" he asked.
"A top expert of the Demon Dao! The world seems to prefer calling him... the Demon God!"
Old Man Wushan spoke slowly.
But the words he spoke made Ye Chen's eyes widen.
"Hahahaha, very good!"
"From this day forward, our faction will call itself the Demon Sect!"
He threw his head back and laughed, a boundless, heroic ambition surging through him.
The crowd looked at each other, confused and bewildered by Ye Chen's words and actions.
"Sect Leader, although I am grateful to you for saving my life, the Demon Sect is an ancient titan of the Demon Dao. I don't think we have the right to call ourselves by that name!"
Old Man Wushan gritted his teeth. He intended to leave Ye Chen and descend the mountain to find his own way.
Just at that moment, a powerful aura suddenly descended, blanketing everything.
An icy voice echoed across the entire Luoyun Sect mountain.
"Who is Ye Chen? Get the hell out here!"