Yang Ji and Li Changxiao transformed into two streaks of flowing light and returned once again to the high tform of the Sect''s Main za.


    At that moment, Sect Leader Qing He was announcing the rankings.


    Wu Xilong had won first ce among the Outer Sect, Fan Haihong had taken first ce among the Inner Sect, and Xing Dao had secured first ce among the Core disciples.


    The three stood below the tform, admired by all, spirits soaring high, proud andcent.


    "As per tradition, the disciples who have imed first ce in thepetition are granted an audience with the Supreme. The three of you, follow me." Sect Leader Qing He, along with Yang Ji and Li Changxiao, led the three towards Deliberation Peak.


    At this moment within the Deliberation Hall, the Supreme Bai Mei was seated at the head, nked by a multitude of Nascent Soul True Monarchs on both sides.


    Xing Dao and the other two stood at the center of the great hall.


    "We pay our respects to the Supreme!" The three bowed and said in unison.


    "Haha, excellent, excellent! The three of you exhibit upright spirits, high fighting will, and vigor. It''s truly fortunate for our Sect to have such talented individuals like you," the Supreme Bai Mei praised.


    He then made a promise, "The three of you are indeedmendable disciples. Should you reach the pinnacle of the Golden Core, I shall grant you the spots to go to the Dao Sect."


    Exchanging nces, the three eximed ecstatically, "Thank you, Supreme!"


    "Haha, I am pleased when the disciples excel. It''s what you deserve. I hope that you will not be arrogant or rash in the future and that you will cultivate diligently. Furthermore, you should learn from your senior brothers, Li and Yang, and strive to stay in the Dao Sect forever,"ughed the Supreme Bai Mei.


    "What Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Yang managed to do, we will surely aplish as well, guaranteeing not to disappoint the Supreme," Xing Dao said haughtily, ncing at Li Changxiao and Yang Ji.


    "Heh, Senior Brother Yang used to have nothing but Lower-grade Root Bone; even with such talent he could join the Dao Sect and pass two assessments. I, Fan Haihong, possess a Supreme Root, and will definitely pass three assessments with ease to remain in the Dao Sect forever," Fan Haihong said with augh, ncing at Yang Ji, with an air of ''disdain'' hovering above his head.


    "That kid really doesn''t know how high the sky is or how deep the ocean is. He''s been favored by the ''Heavenly Demon'' with a little advantage and has lost sight of his own weight. I''d really like to show myself right now, crush him to within an inch of his life, reveal his true form, and see if he has the nerve to be so arrogant," the Buddha Child said with a coldugh.


    "Their minds have been subtly influenced by the Heavenly Demon; their reason swallowed, their demonic natures amplified. Had this been in the past, they would never dare to speak such words," Yang Ji nced at them and said through telepathy.


    Upon hearing this, the assembly of Nascent Soul True Monarchs also frowned.


    Guan Xiao True Monarch, known for his fiery temper, immediately chastised, "Your Senior Brother Yang was not epted into the Dao Sect because of his Root Bone, but because of his astonishingprehension abilities."


    "When he joined the Dao Sect, he was barely over a hundred years old, yet he had fullyprehended all of the Sect''s Great Divine Abilities," he continued.


    "And you have only learned a few top-level spells. You still have a long way to go," he concluded.


    "One must never be arrogant or conceited on the path of cultivation, understand?" Guan Xiao True Monarch looked at them sternly.


    Although triumphant, the three sobered considerably under the pressure of the Nascent Soul True Monarch and their expressions changed, pulling themselves together and replying with restraint, "Yes, yes, the Elder speaks the truth."


    "Elder Guan Xiao is right. You must take his advice to heart if you want to achieve greater things in the future. Alright, you may leave now. Over the next three months, at the end of each month, I will lecture you on the Dao. I hope you prepare well for this," said the Supreme Bai Mei.


    "Thank you, Supreme!" The three bowed once more and then, exchanging nces, they left the hall.


    ...


    "Hmph! This Elder Guan Xiao dares to scold us in front of so many, just wait till we be Nascent Soul True Monarchs and we''ll show him," Fan Haihong said with a vicious expression.


    "What Elder Guan Xiao said is also true to an extent. Yang Ji''sprehension is astounding, allowing him to join the Dao Sect. Compared to him, our understanding indeed falls short. Did not the Demon Monarch say that he possesses a special Medicine Pill that can improveprehension abilities when consumed?


    How about we ask the Demon Monarch to bestow three upon us?" suggested Xing Dao, his eyes flickering with thoughts.


    "The task assigned to us by the Demon Monarch has beenpleted; we''ve all be the top of thepetition. Now is the perfect time to ask for a reward during our audience," Wu Xilong said with a slyugh.


    "Xilong is right; it''s an excellent opportunity," agreed Xing Dao and the others, smiling at each other before flying out of the Sect together.


    "Those three are quite cautious, still speaking through telepathy when there''s no one around," Li Changxiao said, frowning.


    "I wonder what they were whispering about," the Supreme Bai Mei looked indifferently at the departing trio.


    "They are now off to meet with their patron Demon Monarch," Yang Ji suddenly said.


    "Demon Monarch? That''s an existence on par with human Divinity Transformation. If this were in the past, I might have some reservations. But now, I can suppress him with my absolute realm," said the Supreme Bai Mei, his robes billowing as his killing intent leaked out.


    "Let''s follow them and see what''s happening before we make a move," Yang Ji said.


    "Let''s go!" Bai Mei the Supreme and the other two immediately revealed themselves from the clouds and followed the trio as they flew off.


    ...


    Xing Dao and the other two were cautiously circling over an area of the sea before finallynding on Snake Stench Ind and flying straight into a pitch-ck fissure.


    "This Snake Stench Ind is teeming with poisonous snakes and reeks unbearably; could it be that the Demon Monarch is hiding beneath this crack?"


    "I''ll follow them down to have a look; you guys just stay up here."


    "There''s no need, Supreme," Yang Ji extended a hand to stop Bai Mei the Supreme. "I have a way to know what''s happening inside."


    "Oh, Xiao Ji, you have a way!" Bai Mei the Supreme''s eyes flickered with curiosity, but he did not ask further.


    Li Changxiao nced at Yang Ji but did not inquire further, knowing that disciples of the Dao Sect all had their own secrets and it was normal to possess a few mysterious arts unknown to others.


    Yang Ji sat cross-legged on a cloud, his gaze probing into the pitch-ck fissure; instantly, a multitude of information appeared,plex and vast.


    He meticulously filtered through the information, quickly locking onto three keywords: ''Blood River,'' ''Heavenly Demon,'' and ''Demon Monarch.''


    ...


    Beneath the fissure.


    A castle constructed entirely from human bones towered above a stinking, crimson blood river.


    On the throne in the middle of the castle sat a young man with a sinister and handsome appearance, dressed in a blood-red robe and a crown, emitting an extremely powerful aura.


    Around the throne, globs of pitch-ck Demonic Qi floated about, asionally emitting cacklingughs.


    At this moment, Wu Xilong, Fan Haihong, and Xing Dao were kneeling before the throne.


    "Hmm, you three havepleted the task I assigned you quite well, each bing the top of the outer, inner, and core ranks respectively. Now, I''m giving you a second task; use your influence to lure the disciples of the Cann Sect here one by one for me to devour," the young man said with an evil smile.


    All three were startled and hastily looked up, "Lord Demon Monarch, if the disciples of the Sect go missing, I fear it might attract the attention of the Sect''s higher-ups."


    "Who said they would be missing? I devour one, and my offspring will transform into their likeness, undetectable even by the supreme Divinity Transformation masters of your Sect," the young man said with a sinister smile.


    "Xing Dao, guess who I am." Suddenly, a creepy, sinisterugh echoed from a glop of Demonic Qi, and as Xing Dao looked up, the Qi churned and transformed into an exact replica of him in an instant.


    Xing Dao was startled, "This?"


    "Xing Dao, can you see anything amiss?" the Heavenly Demon transformed into Xing Dao asked with a craftyugh.


    "I can''t detect anything; your transformation technique is incredibly exquisite, even mimicking human aura," Xing Dao eximed in admiration.


    "With this, you won''t have to worry about our ns being discovered," the young man said with an evil grin, "After I''ve devoured all the Cann Sect''s disciples, my power is sure to greatly increase, and then you''ll bring Bai Mei to me, so I can devour him too."


    "As for the three of you, don''t you desire to go to the Dao Sect? The spots are naturally yours. I''ll even help you get there since my n has people in the Dao Sect as well."


    "Additionally, you three just mentioned Medicine Pills that improveprehension. Such Medicine Pills have side effects when consumed by humans; I will directly strip the Great Divine Powers practiced by the geniuses from your Sect and transfer them into your Primordial Spirit. You''llprehend a host of profound abilities in one go. Wouldn''t that be delightful?"


    Xing Dao and the other two exchanged nces, overwhelmed with joy, and knelt repeatedly, "Thank you, Lord Demon Monarch!"


    "Mm, off you go. I await your good news," the young man said with a smile, waving them away.


    As Xing Dao and the others departed, a Heavenly Demon spoke, "Lord Demon Monarch, do you truly intend to consume Origin Demonic Qi to strip the Divine Skills for these humans?"


    "Heh heh, how could that be possible? Once Bai Mei is devoured, these three will be devoured as well," the young man licked his lips andughed wickedly, "I''m also curious about how Tian Xie and Tian Luo are faring. Have they dealt with Changqing Gate and Nanyuan Sect?"


    "They are proceeding with the n as well, but it''s notpleted yet," the Heavenly Demon said, pausing for a moment before continuing, "Lord Demon Monarch, I always feel this is too time-consuming. With our strength, why do we need to be so cautious? We could simply obliterate their Sect at night and have the offspring rece all of Cann Sect''s disciples by day."


    "There are many experts among humans. If discovered, our situation could be very grim. It''s better to be cautious," the young man said with a sinister smile, "Once I''ve devoured all of Cann Sect''s disciples, I estimate I''ll be able to break through to Demon Emperor, hahaha."


    "In that case, I''ll congratte the Lord Demon Monarch in advance," the Heavenly Demon said with a low chuckle.