It could be said that the Empyrean Sword Sect was brimming with fear right now.
Over the past three years, although terrifying demons had, likewise, made numerous appearances, all those demons ended up being driven back into the mist. Demons rarely got to kill people within the Empyrean Sword Sect. They would not appear within the Empyrean Sword Sect unless a disciple was dispatched to the outside and lured them back!
However, this very morning, they had discovered the bodies of two of the sect's disciples!
They both had a small hole in their chest. Their hearts were missing, and their blood had already dried up by the time they were found. From head to toe, they looked like dried bodies that had been emptied of Qi and blood.
To have died in such a peculiar way, it had to be the work of demons!
But now, people were dead and demons were nowhere to be found.
Could it be that...
The demon was hiding right here in the Empyrean Sword Sect?
As soon as they thought of this possibility, everyone could not help but shudder.
Some kind of fear began to spread gradually.
"Why are you panicking?"
At that moment, a voice imbued with a stabilizing force slowly echoed. The crowd separated immediately while Zhang Sanjian walked over from a distance with a pair of chilling eyes.
"Yes, great master…"
"The great master is here. Great master, you have to find that demon and avenge our brothers!"
Zhang Sanjian approached at a slow pace wearing an expression of great solemness.
He was well aware of his current physical condition.
If some kind of demon were to appear right now, it was highly possible that he would not be able to hold it off!
He stared at the bodies of the two disciples.
Unhurriedly, he walked to the front of them and inspected them with great caution.
All of a sudden, his eyelids twitched.
"What is this?"
Some of the surrounding disciples promptly came over. With his ragged hand, Zhang Sanjian pressed against the corpse's head and then turned it slightly to the side, only to see that behind the ear of the body, there was a grey… handprint?
The handprint could not be considered big.
It looked just like a baby's handprint.
It was greyish blue in color, and exuding faint wisps of sinister aura…
The wrinkling on their skin was severe.
With no exception, there was a baby's handprint behind both of their ears.
Zhang Sanjian's heart sunk. However, on the surface, he still seemed very relaxed.
"We're fine. There must be some demons lurking nearby. These two happened to be the ones in charge of morning duty today and were hence ambushed by the demons inside the dark mist. Demons will never appear within the Empyrean Sword Sect. Tell everyone to raise their alert."
Zhang Sanjian left and the disciples dispersed.
Admittedly, in a place shrouded in dark mist like this one, every day alive was a gift from the heavens.
Shen Changge walked out of his dwelling sluggishly.
Before he could stretch out, the old geezer called him over.
"Changge."
The geezer's face was extremely solemn.
"What is it, old man?" Shen Changge asked.
"The Empyrean Sword Sect is about to perish."
Shen Changge was puzzled. "???"
What was going on?
Why was the old geezer singing songs of grief today as well?
"That won't happen. The Empyrean Sword Sect will never perish," Shen Changge said apathetically.
Zhang Sanjian was stunned for a moment, obviously taken aback by Shen Changge's uncharacteristic response. "I'm being serious here. I can't hold on anymore," he replied.
"No, you can," Shen Changge said.
"No, I can't."
"You have to hold on."
"Let's write a suicide note together. Teach me some sentences," the Sect Lord said.
"Inauspicious! Very inauspicious! Did you come to me so early in the morning just to say this, you old fart?!"
The two were acting like they had taken the wrong lines. With each being a pain to the other, they got into a fight.
After they were done.
"You stupid little gnat!"
"You stinky old fart!"
Someone outside heard them, and they were all used to it.
Their senior brother would often fight with the great master. This was already a norm the way they saw it.
After quite some time.
Zhang Sanjian sighed.
"You know my condition. If a demon infiltrates, I'll be powerless against it. Now, as long as I cycle my Qi, I'll plunge into a stagnated state. I can no longer be on the offensive…" the Sect Lord said.
Shen Changge knitted his eyebrows as his heart sank a little. It seemed that his master's injuries were more serious than he had imagined.
Looks like I can't depend on this old geezer anymore.
On the other hand, while Zhang Sanjian was looking at his eldest disciple, he could not help but sigh as well. He was seemingly hoping to receive some comfort.
"Let's just proceed with caution. Some of the younger ones have not returned, and those who were dispatched have not returned as well. We are isolated and helpless. Besides, we're about to run out of resources, so it's not just the demons that are a threat to us." Shen Changge was being extremely serious.
"Can't you say something that is comforting? Let me live in a dream for a moment…"
"It's not like you're a young girl or something. What kind of comfort would an old geezer like you need?" Shen Changge said.
His face was full of disdain.
At that moment, he saw some scrolls on Zhang Sanjian's table.
"What are those?" he asked.
"The History of the Empyrean Sword Sect," Zhang Sanjian replied.
"Back in the days, even the side sects of the Empyrean Sword Sect owned large pieces of land. No one would dare to offend us in the past!" While reminiscing, Zhang Sanjian grabbed a map scroll and spread it out on the table.
Shen Changge looked at Zhang Sanjian helplessly.
This geezer…
He's still in the mood to reminisce about this kind of stuff?
However…
He promptly cast his eyes on the map.
Scripture Repository, Cleansing Pool, Furnace, Assaulting Sword Pavilion, Styling Sword Pavilion, Riding Sword Pavilion…
Sword Qi Mountain, Sword Intent Mountain, Sword Clout Mountain…
These places!
If I was to check in at these places…
Immediately, Shen Changge grabbed the map, quickly rolled it up, then turned around and left.
"Brat! What are you doing?!" Zhang Sanjian called.
Without saying a word, Shen Changge left!
"This kid…" Zhang Sanjian sat in the same spot. He was so pissed that he began laughing, saying, "Changge, Changge. If there's really no hope, I'll ignite my own life to open up a path for you. We shall see if you can find another sect that has fortunately survived amid the dark mist…"
Zhang Sanjian sighed. Shen Changge's temperament was too similar to his own. He loved to make his power be felt by acting tough, slacking off, and playing with words.
That was why he favored Shen Changge.
When he looked at him, it felt for him as if he was looking at his once incompetent self.
If not, why would a rotten fish like Shen Changge live so happy within the Empyrean Sword Sect with such an intense atmosphere?
…
Above Empyrean Peak.
A figure was staring chillingly into the distance with his hands placed behind his back.
After quite some time, perhaps because he was tired of standing, he sat down slowly and rolled out a map.
"This is where we're at."
He pointed his finger at a corner of the map. Who could have imagined that the once-abandoned training ground would become the place where nearly one hundred disciples of the Empyrean Sword Sect now lived?
The place next to the training ground is…
The Assaulting Sword Pavilion…
However, rumors had it that there was a massive, terrifying demon in the Assaulting Sword Pavilion that even the past masters have almost fallen to!
Shen Changge quietly memorized the locations on the map.
These were the locations that could be bound for check-in in the future!
Shen Changge stretched his body.
Suddenly, he could not resist rubbing his ears.
Confusion emerged on his face.
Behind his ears, a piece of his flesh gradually turned grey, forming what seemed like a strange mark.
Shen Changge shivered.
"The wind today sure is cold."