NOVEL NEXT Chapter 40: This Oath
The three Honorable Realm cultivators were momentarily stunned.
"So... the senior cultivators of the Rinsing Spirit Sect have long been members of the Demon Race?" Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable murmured.
"No wonder, no wonder... Ten thousand years ago, the Rinsing Spirit Sect was the weakest among our six top sects, yet in the end, it was precisely they who rose against the tide at an unimaginable speed to become the Taoist Sect," Taoist Master Li Xing sighed softly.
Many doubts were answered once this truth was understood.
The Demon Race had gathered the strength of an entire domain to elevate the Rinsing Spirit Sect to the position of the Taoist Sect.
Now, with the truth uncovered, the three Honorable Realm cultivators had only one question left in their hearts.
"How exactly did you manage to do it?" Martial Emperor Qingfeng was lost in thought, his eyes narrowed sharply, staring intently at the two unmoving Rinsing Spirit Sovereigns opposite him.
The four Rinsing Spirit Sovereigns, along with many high-level cultivators, were part of the Demon Race, hidden within the Human Realm, even standing openly under the Taoist Sect's name, yet over the years, not a single person had shown the slightest flaw.
This was not due to the Human Race's lack of vigilance, but because the Rinsing Spirit Sect cultivators were outwardly indistinguishable from humans.
They practiced human Cultivation Techniques, used human Spells, and wielded human Magic Artifacts.
Even now, although Taoist Master Li Xing, Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable, and Martial Emperor Qingfeng were convinced that White Tiger Sovereign and Xuanwu Sovereign were Abyss Demons, they still could not detect a trace of the Demon Race in them.
Such methods were chillingly strange.
"Heh heh heh..." White Tiger Sovereign laughed unrestrained, "As expected of the Honorable Realm cultivators of the Human Race, clever indeed, you caught on quickly."
"But, it's too late," he said dismissively and confidently, "Now that you understand, what use is it?"
By now, White Tiger Sovereign was completely unafraid of having his Demon Race identity exposed.
Because, even if Taoist Master Li Xing and the others had not uncovered their identities, they would have revealed themselves next without any intention to continue hiding.
Above the Heaven's Vault, under the bright moon.
White Tiger Sovereign laughed arrogantly and unrestrainedly.
Xuanwu Sovereign remained silent, but his gaze held intense mockery.
They did not rush to kill Taoist Master Li Xing and the others.
Because they wanted to savor the joy of a victory earned through centuries of meticulous plotting.
Without a doubt, the enemy's shock was the best fuel to elevate their pleasure to its peak.
"Is it really that amusing?" Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable, who had been silent all along, finally spoke.
"At least I"ve earned the right to laugh," White Tiger Sovereign said, "You people, who guarded the Central Spirit Domain for ten thousand years, now see it on the brink of being overrun and conquered by us; I doubt you find it amusing."
"Conquer the Central Spirit?" Unexpectedly, Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable immediately laughed, "You have overestimated yourselves and underestimated us humans. We will perish, Dragon City Pass will fall. But..."
"The Central Spirit will never fall."
"As for today, although we cannot hold Dragon City Pass, we will surely make you pay the heaviest price," Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable declared firmly.
Taoist Master Li Xing, Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable, and Martial Emperor Qingfeng exchanged glances.
Their expressions gradually shifted from initial anger, perplexity, and confusion to the present calm, like a pool of dead water.
"Do you remember the oath we swore when we entered Dragon City Pass?" Taoist Master Li Xing asked his fellow warriors, filled with emotion.
Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable and Martial Emperor Qingfeng nodded expressionlessly.
"This oath," Taoist Master Li Xing said.
"This oath," Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable stepped into the void, each step made a dull noise.
It was not like stepping into the void, more like treading on a war drum, resonating loudly, shaking one's soul.
Where he passed, lotuses bloomed with each step.
"This oath," Martial Emperor Qingfeng roared low, power surging from his being like an ancient dragon awakening.
"Born from the fluke of taking a life from Vermilion Bird Sovereign, now full of unfounded confidence," White Tiger Sovereign did not receive the desired reaction, his pleasure was abruptly halted, and he spoke darkly, "Our Demon Race army has many who have not entered Dragon City Pass, in the Central Spirit Domain above, we still have..."
In any case, with Incessant Domain united in purpose, with far-reaching plans, how can we not conquer the Central Spirit?"
Incessant Domain, thus was the Heart Demon's territory named within the Abyss.
"Your Demon Race army has much that hasn't entered Dragon City Pass, but you should know that the Central Spirit Domain's defenses are not limited to Dragon City Pass alone."
"This battle at Dragon City Pass cannot decide everything," Taoist Master Li Xing said.
"I believe... in them."
As for who "they" were, perhaps only Taoist Master Li Xing knew.
White Tiger Sovereign's face finally turned ashen at this point.
He spoke no more, brilliance in his hand intensified, and under the vault of sky, the moonlight rose again.
Xuanwu Sovereign coordinated.
This time, the two of them would unleash the full power of the Bright Moon Formation, with not a hint of reservation.
Watching the sky once again lit with countless moon swords, feeling the mighty pressure reverberating through Heaven and Earth, Taoist Master Li Xing and the others frowned slightly.
Ancestral Daoist Xia's formation was indeed profoundly strong.
"Hold on a bit longer, wait for it." Nine Lotus Spirit Venerable urged the two.
Then, the three released their Law Domains, performed Secret Techniques, wielded Qi-Blood, and commanded Magic Artifacts as they charged forward.