The immortals who Lu Yun had saved from the Blithe Entrapment Formation broke out of their stunned stupor and sat down cross-legged to recover their inner energy.

……

“He’s just putting up a front. I’ll bet he has nothing left after scaring away that wuss Beigong Xuan.” The Witherdew celestial emperor paused when he saw Lu Yun’s next moves. The seventeen lesser cannons were melting. Some had even cracked and were close to shattering.

“However, Lu Yun extended an olive branch in not destroying the formation. It would seem that he isn’t willing to erupt in open hostilities between us. I, Tuoba Jie, have a penchant for killing, but I’m not an unreasonable man.” This was a tall and slender man with fair and clean cut looks, but a beastly bloodlust twinkled in his eyes. He eagerly shifted his gaze to the arcane dao immortal of House Donglin.

“Let us continue, Donglin E.” [1]

Swoosh!

The celestial emperor brandished his sword and advanced on the Donglin dao immortal.

Donglin E had been prepared to go after Lu Yun and settle the feud between the Dusk lord and House Donglin, but Tuoba Jie’s sudden attack caught him off guard and forced him to devote his attention to defense.

Meanwhile, numerous other Donglin immortals were converging on Lu Yun.

“Those seventeen cannons can’t be used, but no one said anything about the one Situ’s carrying. Why do you guys never learn?” Lu Yun shook his head with disappointment.

Bam!

White light shot out of the cannon on Situ Zong’s shoulder and decimated the aether dao immortal closest to him. The Donglin immortals shuddered and hurriedly back away.

Donglin E glared so hard that the corners of his eyes threatened to split. Rage translated into enraged roars as he attempted to lunge at Lu Yun, but was blocked by the Witherdew celestial emperor every time.

“We are your opponent, Donglin E!” Tuoba Jie laughed heartily. “Wuss, blast a few more of those Donglin wimps to pieces and I’ll kill old man Donglin E. We can split the treasures here!”

Lu Yun turned to Tuoba Jie in surprise. “Who’re you talking about, wuss?”

“Who are We… piss off, milksop. You’re the wuss here!!” Tuoba Jie cursed loudly, almost having fallen for Lu Yun’s verbal trick.

Lu Yun shrugged and had Situ Zong aim the cannon at the celestial emperor.

“What are you doing?!” Tuoba Jie’s expression twisted. What the hell was Lu Yun thinking?!

“The Star Demon Sect is mine.” Lu Yun pointed at himself. “You made it suffer great losses, so I’m getting payback!”

“What? You’re saying you’re the sect head of the Star Demon Sect?!” His claim stunned the crowd into stillness.

The Star Demon Sect had suddenly emerged twenty thousand years ago and had since grown to become the most powerful demon sect in the world of immortals. But suddenly it was... Lu Yun’s? He was the sect head?

The sect was shrouded in mystery and its inner structure unusually complicated. Many factions in the world of immortals had attempted to infiltrate the sect, but to no avail. Almost everyone entering the sect ended up wholeheartedly devoted to it, cutting themselves off from their original factions. Quite a few even became counterspies and sold their old factions out.

One thing was confirmed, though, and that was that no one knew who the sect head was. But here Lu Yun was, claiming to own the sect!

Situ Zong was caught by surprise as well. He hadn’t expected that Lu Yun would publicly spell out his relationship with the Star Demon Sect.

If the young lord becomes our sect head, then we’ll.... Situ Zong’s eyes lit up. Supplemental paths as king!

Dusk Province was emerging as the sacred land of both immortal dao and supplemental paths. Thus, Lu Yun needed to exert his dominance!

Since the Star Demon Sect had volunteered themselves, there was no reason for him to turn them away. Even if the sect didn’t end up as his, he needed the boost of reputation.

The Lu and the Chen Clans were effectively destroyed, and the Skandha Range too loosely-organized a faction to properly support him. As for the Panorama Pavilion, it consisted of only a group of merchants, and merchants pursued nothing but profit.

Thus, the Star Demon Sect was his only option.

Situ Zong quickly called upon his nascent spirit to transmit Lu Yun’s declaration back to the Star Demon Sect, sending a ripple of shock through its members. The five heavyweights that led the sect were overjoyed.

“Finally, the seat that has been empty for twenty thousand years will be filled!” A magnificent figure burst into delighted laughter.

“I always thought our sect head would be the Divine Willow,” rang out a woman’s lilting voice, “but it turns out to be our young lord!”

The five heavyweights had established the Star Demon Sect under mysterious instructions, but the faction had never possessed a single, ultimate leader.

“Announce it to the world at once that Lu Yun of Dusk Province is our sect head!” rasped a hoarse voice.

“Wouldn’t that be unwise, First Sovereign?” the woman said hesitantly. “We’re notorious in the world of immortals. With the young lord’s limited cultivation, he won’t be able to deal with the many enemies the declaration will make for him.

“Besides… disciples who don’t know the truth of the matter won’t accept him.“

“Does the young lord… sect head lack for enemies in the world?” asked the hoarse voice. “He wishes to borrow the sect’s influence, and with him as our sect head, the wandering cultivators of the Skandha Range will flock to us in due time as well.

“If you’re worried about the punks, we’ll let the sect head deal with them when he returns. The young lord was handpicked by the will of the demon sovereign...”

The dim space they were speaking in abruptly lit up, illuminating a gargantuan altar, on which sat four giant coffin-statues in the place of worship. There were the Enneawyrm Coffinbearers, the Nine-Phoenix Casket, and two other obscured statues.

……

Reactions took the world of immortals by storm. After suddenly declaring that Dusk Lord Lu Yun was head of the Star Demon Sect, the infamous faction fell dead silent.

Factions and sects who had beef with Lu Yun made no comment, and the enemies of the Star Demon Sect kept mum as well.

In the Skandha Range, hearty chortles resounded. The desolate willow’s black, jade-like branches swept through the mountain and isolated it, beginning a surprise house cleaning. Executions were on the docket for the many spies that’d managed to infiltrate the faction.

“Pass down my orders,” said the desolate willow. “The Skandha Range will henceforth consolidate into the Star Demon Sect and serve Lu Yun, our sect head!”

1. This guy’s given name is pronounced like ‘eh’.