“What is Brother Zhang looking for?” Lin Feng asked softly from the cart.
“A slogan.”
“What slogan?”
“Build quality projects, pursue an extraordinary life.”
“?”
Zhang Ze really was looking for a slogan, because the Demon Sect Stronghold before him looked far too much like a construction site.
Normally speaking, since the Demon Sect were rats hiding in the gutters,
their entrances would be stone walls that required all kinds of complicated and secretive means to open.
Their locations also generally could not escape deep canyons, caves and rocky caverns, or dense forests and mountains.
It was said that the Hundred Demon Sect, the Demon Sect to which Spirit Snake Blood Lion and the others belonged, had its Headquarters inside an Earth Vein.
Legend had it that unless the Demon Sect Personally summoned someone, no one could find it.
The six Righteous Sects had searched for this Demonic Cave for so many years without finding it.
Thus, in the stereotypical impression of every Righteous cultivator, a Demon Sect Stronghold had to be hidden, damp, gloomy, and nauseating.
It had to be the sort of place where one would encounter eight hundred Mechanisms with every step.
But at this Moment, the Spirit Snake Flotilla’s new Stronghold was brimming with vitality, with All Things flourishing and competing to emerge.
They were building towering structures and putting up storefront signs.
They shouted work chants as they carried bricks.
Two Spirit Snake Flotilla Cultivators were driving wooden stakes deep into the ground with the help of Demonic Beasts.
Although this place was indeed secluded and difficult to discover,
once these buildings were completed in the Future, even a Golden Core Realm Cultivator would be able to see this place from the air.
Anyone who did not know better would Thought they were some newly established Righteous Sect.
Or that the Beast Taming Sect was opening a branch base.
This was simply unreasonable.
The latest edition of the 《Demon Sect Elimination Guide》, carried by every Righteous cultivator, clearly stated:
The Spirit Snake Flotilla under the Hundred Demon Sect had been destroyed and risen again, risen and been destroyed again, while also suffering Inside infighting and annexing among the other demon flotillas. The current Spirit Snake Flotilla Leader was already the one hundred and third generation.
But their branch had always specialized in poison.
To them, Demonic Beasts existed solely to dig out their cores and refine poison.
They would then use it to Refine their own Poisonous Cultivation Technique.
Their goal was to reach the Realm of transforming their bodies into Snake Demons and poisoning their way into becoming dragons.
Although not a single one of those one hundred and three Flotilla Leaders had succeeded,
they had hunted Demonic Beasts in large numbers.
Ever since the Spirit Snake Flotilla was Born, they had been a primary target of the Beast Taming Sect’s crackdown.
Now, the Spirit Snake Flotilla’s domestication of Demonic Beasts constituted forgetting its Sect and ancestors, Reversing the Heavenly Dipper.
Zhang Ze directly dragged over a Qi Refining Stage Demonic Cultivator from the roadside, pointed at the City Gate towers and wooden posts, and asked:
“I haven’t been back for half a month. What are you doing with these things?”
Apparently, the Cultivator had been hurt by the dragging, and he was extremely displeased.
“What the hell does it have to do with you? Who the hell are you? Get lost, bro—bro, I was wrong.”
“You’re my own brother. Calm Down. Don’t use Self-detonation.”
Only after seeing Zhang Ze put away the starting Gesture for the Blood Fiend Technique did the Demonic Disciple breathe a sigh of relief.
His Eyes darted about as he licked his lips and began to speak.
“Big Brother, you probably haven’t been back for quite a while.”
“A while ago, when they were digging the Stronghold Dungeon, they dug up something new.”
“I only took one look. It was a Statue of a Great Serpent.”
“I heard it was a Secret Treasure from the Ancient Times.”
“The Flotilla Leader said that with that thing, our Spirit Snake Flotilla would be able to infiltrate the Inside of the Righteous Path in the Future.”
“Become a Mole!”
“I don’t know what happened, but a few Righteous cultivators really did fly over our heads a few days ago.”
“They didn’t discover us at all. It was incredible—I was scared half to death at that time.”
“Now, the Flotilla Leader gives us lessons every night.”
“He’s spent several days teaching us how to speak with those idiots from the Sword Sect, those Senior Brothers.”
“Not to criticize you, bro, but you’re Somewhat unlucky. With your face turned into this, you probably can’t be a good person anymore.”
“But don’t worry. Follow your bro properly from now on, and I’ll help you steal a few Sword Sect sword manuals.”
“Father, father, you’re my brother and I’m your son. Please don’t Self-detonate whenever you disagree.”
After letting the talkative Demonic Cultivator go, a Prompt for Mission Progress appeared before Zhang Ze.
【Hidden Quest unlocked: Unawakened Spirit Snake. Mission Progress: 30 percent】
As for why Wang He did not know about such a major matter, it was probably because his unlucky teammates all wanted to wait until they had been Whitewashed before taking him down.
Zhang Ze really wanted to turn around and leave, then report this matter to his Master.
However, on the way in, he had shouted no fewer than twenty times that he would Torment Lin Feng for three days and three nights.
If he did not play the role through, it would be troublesome if he exposed himself here.
It would be best not to use that Trump Card unless necessary.
Forget it. He would take things one step at a time.
Spirit Snake Flotilla, Council Hall.
The hall was dim and unlit.
It was not that Spirit Snake Daoist was deliberately trying to create a Demonic Path atmosphere. He was simply short on funds lately, so anything unnecessary was cut wherever possible.
Calculating his recent expenses and income In Their Hearts, Spirit Snake Daoist’s headache grew worse.
Because of the intensive training and construction Project, most of the Disciples were working at the construction site.
With more Beasts of burden at the construction site, fewer people were available to run business in the Outer Sect.
Recently, not only had there been no tributes coming in, but they also had to distribute Spirit Stones to those people.
Fortunately, the Spirit Stones needed to maintain the Statue could still last for a long time.
The Hundred Demon Sect Main Headquarters had issued him a death order: he had to infiltrate the Inside of the Righteous Path. The Crucial point of the plan lay with that Statue.
He did not know how far the experiment involving the living blood sacrifice had progressed.
If it succeeded, it could save a huge amount of expenses.
After all, a Mortal’s life was not really a life.
“We’re conveniently short about a hundred mouths to feed. Heh.”
Spirit Snake Daoist left the Council Hall in the darkness, drifting deeper inside with his hands behind his back.
In the hall at the end of the Corridor, Spirit Stones covered the ground. These were all the Spirit Snake Flotilla’s savings from his generation.
A partially ruined Spirit Snake Statue had been placed in the center of the hall.
Faint points of light glimmered inside the serpent’s mouth as the Spiritual Energy within the Spirit Stones was slowly drawn into it by the Giant Snake.
Several Demonic Cultivators were processing the Spirit Stones whose Spiritual Energy had been exhausted in a corner of the hall.
Although it cost a great deal, this strange Spirit Snake Statue was truly an ancient treasure.
It could not only weave an Illusionary Realm, but also Control Demonic Beasts and even assist its Master in deducing Cultivation Methods.
Spirit Snake Daoist stroked the Spirit Snake Statue he had completely Refined and smiled with satisfaction.
In about half a month, the entire Valley would be concealed by the Illusionary Realm woven by this Statue.
Then he would have a very, very long time
to turn the Spirit Snake Flotilla into a Righteous Sect that had suddenly risen to prominence.
“Are these people for the experiment?” Zhang Ze asked.
“Y-yes, Adult.” The Jailer rubbed his hands and nodded obsequiously.
The Dungeon had been converted from a deep pit. At this Moment, at least a hundred Mortals were imprisoned inside.
As they descended along the way, Zhang Ze used his excellent negotiation skills, combined with a little personal Threat, to understand the general course of the entire matter.
He knew that there was a Spirit Snake Statue in a room filled with Spirit Stones.
He knew the fate of the Commoners here.
The Jailer stationed here still Thought that this hideous-looking Adult was the Flotilla Leader’s Confidant.
He continued chattering endlessly about everything he had done over the past few days,
hoping that this Adult would put in a good word for him before the Flotilla Leader.
And assign him Somewhat more Perverted tasks.
【Hidden Quest unlocked: Unawakened Spirit Snake. Completion Progress: 50 percent】
【City of Thousand Mechanisms-related Side Quest refreshed （Hidden）】
【Hidden Quest: Lurk】
Zhang Ze fell Silent.
After a long while, Zhang Ze Opened his Mouth.
“Blow it up. Blow this whole damn place to hell.”