Within a hundred li, hearing Ji Zhen’s roar, Long Tutian could not help but freeze for a moment. Then Then, he could not contain his joy. “It seems Lin Xiao has succeeded.”
In a short time, the news of the Ji family Elder Bei’s fall spread in all directions.
It also reached inside Spirit Pool Island.
“What? Lin Xiao has already left Spirit Pool Island and killed the Ji family’s Martial Saint?”
On one of the islands, Lü Xiang, one of the important elders of Spirit Pool Island, was somewhat unable to recover after receiving the news.
“Wasn’t Guan Yu guarding the periphery of the island where Lin Xiao was?
When Lin Xiao left, did he not notice anything at all?”
Lü Xiang then asked.
“This subordinate does not know!”
The middle-aged man reporting the news replied.
At that moment, an elder’s figure hurriedly entered the room and urgently reported, “Reporting to Elder Lü, the figure of Lin Xiao inside has disappeared. I have been guarding the periphery the whole time, but I never saw him leave. It was as if he vanished suddenly.”
“What!”
Lü Xiang was shocked. A cold expression appeared on his face. “This was Elder Tuoba’s direct order. You have actually bungled it for me!”
“This subordinate is incompetent!”
Both men lowered their heads.
“Humph!”
Lü Xiang snorted coldly and smashed the tables and chairs into powder.
On another island within Spirit Pool Island, Ximen Haoyue stood atop a tall building, gazing over the lake as if trying to see across its ten thousand li expanse.
After learning that Lin Xiao had slain the Ji family’s Martial Saint, Ximen Haoyue looked into the distance and could not help but let out a long sigh. “Slaying a saint against all odds. He can already slay saints now?”
“It seems this young man may be one of the most pivotal figures of this era!”
Ximen Haoyue sighed thoughtfully. Suddenly, two sharp gleams flashed in his eyes.
The Shengzhou region is extremely vast. Among the three holy lands, Spirit Pool Island lies to the south, Tianji Holy Land to the northwest, and another to the northeast.
After heading southeast to destroy the Ji family branch, Lin Xiao used the resources plundered from it. Wearing a mask, he passed through various large and small teleportation arrays until he reached a point in central Shengzhou, slightly towards the northwest.
His destination lay in the far northwest of Shengzhou, towards the west, at the border with Northwest Youzhou and Western Haozhou.
To reach that area quickly from here, he had to use a massive teleportation array controlled by Tianji Holy Land.
One could say this place was already within Tianji Holy Land’s sphere of actual control.
Of course, the array itself was not too close to Tianji Holy Land proper. It was merely under their jurisdiction.
With Lin Xiao’s current strength, capable of killing a first-level Martial Saint, he had little to fear unless he stormed the lairs of major powers.
Still, to avoid trouble, he kept an extremely low profile.
This time, he again disguised himself as a middle-aged man.
The face differed from the one he had used at the Ji family Shengzhou branch.
At around thirty years of age, with fifth-level Martial Emperor cultivation deliberately revealed, he attracted no particular attention.
Of course, if he displayed his true combat power, that would be another matter.
Anywhere he went, sweeping all below Martial Saints or erupting with strength to rival a Martial Saint would immediately make people think of him without a second thought.
Unless absolutely necessary, he had no reason to reveal excessive power.
The area was a forest without high peaks, yet filled with layers of towering ancient pines.
After flying over the pine forest, Lin Xiao arrived at a modestly sized city.
Outside the city, many people were streaming in.
“The teleportation array should be here.”
Glancing at his map, Lin Xiao murmured softly.
He put the map away, continued flying forward, landed near the city, and walked alongside a group heading towards the gates.
“Brother, are you also going to slay demons?”
During the walk, a thin middle-aged man with a sharp mouth and monkey-like cheeks turned his head and greeted Lin Xiao.
“Slay demons?”
Lin Xiao asked, puzzled.
“Could it be you are not going to slay demons?”
The man looked surprised.
“No, I only want to use the teleportation array to pass through.”
Lin Xiao shook his head.
“Then brother, your luck is excellent this time!”
The sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked middle-aged man glanced around, then lowered his voice to Lin Xiao. “Lately, Tianji Holy Land is preparing to eradicate the Blood Sect at Cold Demon Ridge. They are recruiting large numbers of experts. Anyone going to slay demons can use the teleportation array for free.”
“On the contrary, if you kill Blood Sect members and earn merit, Tianji Holy Land will reward you. If brother does not want to pay, you can join them and slip away later. No one will know.”
“Otherwise, using this large teleportation array once costs a fortune. Anyone heading northwest will surely seize this chance.”
“Oh?”
At these words, Lin Xiao’s eyes brightened slightly.
With his strength, he could force his way in, but to avoid drawing attention, he had already spent considerable sums along the journey.
Each use of a teleportation array consumed vast wealth.
For a large one like this, saving the cost was naturally ideal.
In any case, he would simply travel with the others.
Of course, he was not one to take petty advantages, but he would certainly take them from enemies.
Moreover, this time he could even secretly weaken Tianji Holy Land’s forces.
“By the way, what is the Blood Sect? Are all these people going to deal with it?”
Lin Xiao asked curiously.
A force that could prompt Tianji Holy Land to mobilise troops was no small matter.
“The Blood Sect, from what I hear, emerged in recent years.”
Mentioning the Blood Sect excited the man, and he began speaking enthusiastically. “The Blood Sect primarily cultivates the path of blood refinement. They kill and refine blood, using cruel methods, roaming near Cold Demon Ridge.”
“Anyone entering that region, the stronger they are, the more likely they become targets. Even forces like Tianji Holy Land are not spared.”
“Cold Demon Ridge lies at the border of three states, a lawless zone. Add to that its extreme dangers and the unknown location of the Blood Sect’s main stronghold. In the past, the Hong family of Youzhou, Tianji Holy Land of Shengzhou, and the Jiang family of Haozhou all shirked responsibility. Each wanted the others to act, allowing the Blood Sect to grow ever stronger.”
Lin Xiao understood these major powers’ thinking all too well.
When benefits were at stake, they all rushed forward. When trouble arose, they wanted others to handle it.
If it occurred within one state, the Hong, Jiang, or Tianji forces would intervene if offended.
But at a three-state border, each hoped another would bear the cost, even secretly supporting the Blood Sect to weaken rivals.
This was the true reason the Blood Sect had grown so large.
It had become a genuine no-man’s-land.
Major powers might even be backing it.
Such were the ways of great forces. To consume opponents and compete for dominance, they employed any tactic.
“It is said the Blood Sect was founded by a woman who possesses the Blood Demon Physique.”
The sharp-mouthed, monkey-cheeked middle-aged man continued.
