As a lowly disciple of Bones Devouring Sect, he is just a grunt who does a lot of errands for his superiors. To his inferiors, however, he is like a god. That's why he likes being in a demonic sect. It has been a decade since he joined the demonic sect, and so far, he hasn't met any misfortune of the sort.
That's why he is getting more and more ambitious lately. If he manages to raise his rank. The sect will funnel more resources to him thus increasing his life span. The longer he lives, the more chance he will get to enjoy the pleasurable dying screams of his inferiors.
That's why in the spur of the moment, he decides to partake in a rather dangerous mission. That is to infiltrate the King's Challenge and observe all of the sects of the Biron Kingdom.
The Bones Devouring Sect wishes to know all of the sects in the Kingdom. Their initial plan was to invade the kingdom through the sects. Their sect members of relatively high rank have long infiltrated the famous sects in the Biron Kingdom like the Sun's Scripture Sect, Wolf Lightning Sect, etcetera.
But lately, there has been weird movement in the Sun's Scripture Sect. This makes the elders panic as more of their agents might be compromised, thus the need to advance their plans.
That is what he, a grunt, is here for… In the King's Challenge, every Sect would certainly attend which would give him the chance to collate information about them. The Bones Devouring Sect cannot infiltrate the less unknown sect for obvious reasons— they are unknown.
Though these lesser sects are of unknown renown, the Bones Devouring Sect doesn't dare to underestimate these lower sects. Who knows what the Heavens' plans are… It is not an impossibility for heroes to suddenly appear in these unknown sects.
Donning the disguise of a curious merchant from the Southern Lands, he arrives by the booth selling tickets. "One, please!" He asks the clerk with his impudent fake smile.
"Looks like you have come from afar! The King's Challenge would certainly be an eye-opening experience for you!" The clerk gives him a ticket.
He arrives by the bleachers where all the commoners gather. He snickers at how simple the joy of these people is. To watch cultivator battles for the entertainment of mortals? What is the Biron King thinking?
He can understand if it is to keep the sects under his rule in check. But does he really have to go this far to bully the weaker cultivators?
Though he is just a grunt, he is privy to some things. Like how the Biron King is in the 8th stage! It is a mystery how he can even reach that stage in this qi-forsaken land. The thing is… the sects of Biron Kingdom don't know the King's exact cultivation.
So, this King's challenge simply appears as a farce! He, a simple grunt, feels a sense of superiority to the sect masters of the Biron Kingdom as he knows this truth.
The event finally starts, and hosting it is the familiar figure of the Prime Minister, Bao Zeming.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Today, we gather to celebrate the King's Challenge and see our heroic cultivators who always have maintained the peace of our small but humble realm!"
It is high noon, and the sweltering heat is getting on the mortals' bodies. The grunt can tell as the mortal beside him looks like he just dipped from the river with his outpouring sweat. However, that didn't kill the enthusiasm of the mortal.
The royal couple seats on the high pedestal where the royal family is designated. This time, there is an additional throne where an old man seats just beside the King. The grunt takes note of this. The grunt looks just below the pedestal and sees two more princely thrones… Their seats were occupied by the should-be-missing Princess Yin Shu, and an unknown young man.
"WOoohoo! Bao Zeming we love you!"
"For the Kingdom! Please look at me, your majesty!"
"It's the Little General! Fuck, he is alive!"
"Little General! Get away from the princess!"
"Hey! Who was that? It should be the other way around!"
"Princess! Get away from the scammer!"
"My god! The sects and the royal family's situation aren't that bad!
"WOOOOOOHOOOO BAO ZEMING WE LOVE YOU!!"
It is total chaos out there. For a grunt like him, this is too much. He takes note of the character that goes by the 'Little General'.
Shortly after, Bao Zeming calms down the crowd with his soothing voice. He sings a ballad of the King's tale when he was but just a young ignorant prince. Of how he survives the encounter with a Perfect Immortal. The singing was solemn and dignified.
It is the Biron Kingdom's national anthem at this point.
"Now, for our challengers!"
In his booming voice, Bao Zeming introduces the challengers. It seems that the Sun's Scripture Sect wasn't able to attend as they have internal matters to take care of.
It seems the rumors are true, the grunt muses to himself.
The Wolf Lightning Sect, Life Revival Sect, Sword Praying Sect, and the Earth Embracing Sect weren't able to attend the event too for these sects recently closes their gates to the outside world. Their sect masters who are secretly elders of the Bones Devouring Sects decide to play it safe, and close their doors for the meanwhile and not attend the King's Challenge.
This necessitates spies like him, the grunt, to attend in their stead and research the enemies.
After introducing the lesser unknown sects and the grunt taking information from them, Bao Zeming finally introduces a famous sect. One that all of the mortal men would go ballistic for.
"For the great moon! Let's applause for the all-women sect— The Moon Heart Sect!"
The mortal men shouted their cheering!
"Immortal fairy! Please look at me!"
"Please accept me in your sect!"
"We love you!"
Leading the group of woman cultivators is a beautiful fairy whose skin is as white as the moon, and her freckles resemble the stars. For cultivators, freckles are like embellishment, however, for the sect master of Moon Heart Sect, it seems that these embellishments only contribute to her charm.
She arrives by the pedestal in dedication to her sect and takes her seat on the throne with carvings of the moon and stars. Her aides stay behind her. All of her lackeys seem to be at the 3rd stage. For a backwater country like Biron, this is impressive.
The grunt takes note of this and emphasizes that the Moon Heart Sect should be on par with famous sects like the Sun's Scripture Sect.
Bao Zeming continues his introductions, and then when he arrives at another famous sect. The mortal audience begins to go ballistic again. To be specific, the women this time seem to be possessed.
"To the great Buddha, they pray. Let's clasp our hands in prayer for the warrior monks of Void Contentment Sect!"
The women start shrieking as if they were a flock of birds in heat for mating season.
"Kyaaa~ he looked at me!"
"Receive my baby! Handsome hero!"
"Please, just be my buddha!"
Leading the group of manly bald cultivators is a handsome hero that seems to come out from legends. Despite not having any hair, and only his shiny bald head, his handsome and masculine exterior radiates an irresistible charm.
Even he, a grunt, that usually doesn't have any feelings of envy anymore starts having envy towards this bald monk. 'You are so handsome, but you waste it on being a monk! Are you nuts!? Wait… They really look like nuts… Look at these bald heads… Still, but, why… Why do they still look so handsome despite being bald?'
The members of the Void Contentment Sect collect themselves to their pedestal.
The grunt takes note of this famous sect that didn't even appear in their initial reports. Looks like this sect doesn't like being in the spotlight. Their fame is quite restricted in the King's Challenge.
Still, the grunt makes sure to emphasize this particular sect. He honestly isn't doing this because he is jealous of them handsome baldies.
The grunt feels a tiny bit of temptation to shave his head.
This time, the crowd falls into immediate silence. The grunt looks over. Bao Zeming introduces another sect, one whose fame supersedes the other sects. It was the only sect that their Bones Devouring Sect wasn't able to infiltrate because of their unique and strict rules.
"Ladies and gentlemen! Prepare yourselves for the unspeakably mightiest sect of Biron Kingdom! We present them to you!"
The grunt waits in bated breath as the sound of 'mightiest' rings in his ears. There is no way a sect in a backwater country like this will excite him, right? 'Damn, I wonder how strong this sect is?'
This sect is so ferocious stories of them reach even the other kingdoms. They are like demons, and monsters that come out from folklore. They are the root of the fear of many clans and sects!
"Ladies and gentlemen! I introduce to you the Beautiful Berserker Sect!"
There is no cheering, loud hooting, or any sort… Even the grunt falls into silence as dread oppresses the area. The members of the Beautiful Berserker Sect are certainly demonic.
The shape of their bursting beefy muscles takes shape under their qipao. Their long hair drapes over their shoulders. Their lips are as red as blood, but instead of beauty, the grunt can only feel disgusted as these lips belong to a ferocious face that emulates demons.
"No… They are not demons… Aren't they just men?"
The mortal beside him scampers to his side and forcefully places his palm over his mouth in a panic. The grunt didn't violently react as he is in disguise.
The mortal whispers to him. "They are women! Ok? It is an all women's sect too! Okay? Just be reminded brother… You can never call them men! You can call them demons, but never men! The last man who shouted this in the King's Challenge a decade ago was forced to join their sect as a servant! Do you see that guy being surrounded by those buff… umm… beautiful cultivators? Yes, that guy might become you!"
The grunt of the Bones Devouring Sect shudders. "Wait, aren't they the demonic sect here?" He yelps.