Only the outer area of the sect was destroyed by the tribulation. The inner area of the sect was still intact.

“Now how shall I handle this?” the Grand Preceptor asked himself.

****

Copper Seat Tong quickly stepped forward with a slight bow. “I hope that the Grand Preceptor can be munificent this time around and allow the Iron Body Forge Sect to take ownership of the Blood Crypt Sect’s assets.”

“Oh?” The Grand Preceptor raised a brow in response to this.

The expressions of the other experts changed when they heard this.

Another expert stepped forward with a cupped fist before commenting. “Copper Seat Tong, the Iron Body Forge Sect is already a behemoth of a sect. Is it right for you to hoard for yourselves the mere wealth of an insignificant Blood Crypt Sect?”

Copper Seat Tong frowned at this. Truthfully, what he wanted from the Blood Crypt Sect was the Blood Flame Ascension Pill’s pill recipe and all the necessary accompaniment that such a pill’s creation entailed.

However, he couldn’t say this out loud, as this would allow certain things to come to light. But at the same time, he couldn’t just give up. The entire sect needed this pill no matter what.

The problem was that if he continued to push for it, the other powers would grow suspicious as to why such a prominent sect as the Iron Body Forge Sect was so adamant about claiming the resources of a relatively small sect.

All of these factors now placed him in a tough position.

Of course, these other experts wanted a piece of the pie as well. The Iron Body Forge Sect was so large that the wealth of the Blood Crypt Sect couldn’t possibly matter much to them, but to others, it was possibly a game changer.

The Grand Preceptor didn’t answer any of them but instead turned his attention to the inner section of the Blood Crypt Sect.

The other experts turned their gaze in the same direction and wondered what he was looking at when before long a lone figure emerged from the sect and quickly hobbled over to the Grand Preceptor.

The figure soon came before the Grand Preceptor and fell to his knees with his head down.

Upon closer inspection, it was Old Bai, the elderly advisor of the Blood Crypt Sect. This position, which used to have a very high and prominent place in the Blood Crypt Sect was made useless by Xue Zhuang.

When Old Bai saw the end results of the Blood Crypt Sect, the old demon’s heart ached. He had been with the Blood Crypt Sect for most of its run and saw it through its ups and down. When he saw what became of it and how these powerful demons eyed it with greed, he knew it was over and done for.

“You’re that young scholar from back then.”

“Y-You know of me!?” Old Bai looked up in shock that the Grand Preceptor would recognise someone as insignificant as him.

“How could I not know of the gifted scholar who was worthy to learn from our imperial library?” The Grand Preceptor stated with a smile.

Old Bai smashed his head back on the ground in deference, stating, “This humble one was lucky back then to receive your grace!”

“No need to undersell yourself,” the Grand Preceptor waved his hand, causing a gentle gust of energy to lift up Old Bai’s body.

The old demon wasn’t expecting this and shook as he stood before the Grand Preceptor of the demon race, the second in command and right-hand man of the King.

Old Bai was a scholar by trade and possessed great knowledge. His knowledge was so great that at one point in his younger years he was invited to learn at the imperial library of yuan demons.

Eventually, he was invited for a position there but refused, as he wanted to build his own power.

He then settled with the Blood Crypt Sect, seeing their less-than-capable minds as a means for him to manipulate them and rise to greater heights. Of course, this eventually backfired, for as their minds grew more dense and vacuous his status fell instead of rose.

Of course, he couldn’t just leave either as the leaders and elders of the sect deemed him to be in possession of knowledge that would be detrimental to the sect if it was ever found out. So he was effectively trapped in the sect with an empty position to cling to.

The years had ground him down and made him a demon that simply wanted to live a peaceful life with his books. That was where his love for it started after all.

It was he that built up the library of the Blood Crypt Sect where he also lived. Aside from the cultivation techniques that were stored there, it saw less and less use as the years went by save for him as its only user.

The Grand Preceptor felt a bit sorry for the old demon, but there was very little he could do about how his life turned out.

“You are the sole survivor of the Blood Crypt Sect. If we are to go by adhering to the traditional course of action, you, being a camp of the loser, would be killed or ousted from the Blood Crypt Sect and the entirety of said property would be handed over to the winner.” the Grand Preceptor declared.

When everyone heard this, their pupils shrank to the size of a needle’s point.

Then… didn’t this mean that!?

They then looked to Long Di who was quietly cultivating in Long Zhe’s claws.

“However…” the Grand Preceptor’s continuation instilled a sense of hope in them. “This is far from traditional.”

Once again everyone’s attention turned to Long Di.

He got that right. This was about as far from traditional as Yaomu Shou’s skin is as close to ashy.

“Screw you!”

Yaomu Shou’s sudden outburst drew a look of confusion and incredulity from everyone present.

Was she telling the Grand Preceptor to screw himself? Was this appropriate again?

“S-Sorry about that,” she said with a blush of embarrassment. “I thought I heard something annoying for a second there. Carry on.”

The Grand Preceptor shook his head at this successor of theirs.

“As I was saying,” the Grand Preceptor went on. “I believe this warrants new consideration.”

“I-I wonder if I may be allowed to keep the books and scrolls I’ve amassed over the years for safekeeping.”

The experts here felt their heartbeats quicken at the prospect of this happening. They actually wanted the Grand Preceptor to agree with this arrangement.

“Do you truly believe you’ll be able to keep such precious things safe on your own? I have an idea that I think may work out for you if the victor is willing to cooperate.”

The powerhouses that hoarded intentions for those scrolls and books cursed inwardly at the Grand Preceptor’s wiles.

“W-What do you recommend esteemed sir?” Old Bai asked.

“I was thinking we could-”

Boom!

Without warning, the void exploded as a four-armed demon stood imperiously in the air. His face wore a scowl that did nothing to smooth his facial; features.

He also didn’t notice anything else save for Zhen Yong who lay lifeless on the ground. Rage soon took hold as his body shuddered in response to the inadvertent circulation of his monstrous somatic essence.

“It’s Zhen Ta, the previous head of the Zhen family and the current chief elder.”

A knowledgeable demon pointed out.

“Zhen Yong!!!!!”

D-D-Dum!

Zhen Ta then unleashed his cauldrons in fury before he roared something that caused everyone, and I mean everyone to violently face-palm themselves due to its shocking stupidity.

“Which dog dares to kill the leader of the Zhen family!?”

“I must have gotten quite old to not remember my identity as a dog.”

An aged voice drew Zhen Ta’s attention and rage as he snapped his gaze in the voice’s direction to face the speaker.

When he saw who it was, however, both his enraged expression, and the colour drained from his face.

“G-Grand Pre-”

Ta!

Bam!

The grand Preceptor tapped his cane on the void, causing a powerful force to bear down on Zhen Ta, which sent him crashing to the ground!

“Now, I’m pretty sure I’m a dog. So I would appreciate it if you don’t call me something I’m not,” the Grand Preceptor advised, choosing to embrace his identity as a dog.

“I-I… Ack!” Zhen Ta was being crushed by the same powerful pressure and he even found talking a chore as he coughed up blood for simply trying to get a word out.

“I w-wouldn’t… Ack! Dare! D-Dare to call the Grand Preceptor a DOG!!” Through several bouts of blood-filled cough, Zhen Ta managed to say this, and the force that held him down quickly disappeared.

He then stood up on unsteady legs as an intense blush covered his face. There was nothing more embarrassing for an expert on his level of strength and seniority than to be suppressed immediately after appearing whilst riding a tiger.

A massive shadow on the ground caught his eye, and he looked above to see a larger-than-life dragon staring at him with no small amount of disdain.

However, what surprised him even was the boy the dragon had in his claws, cultivating.

“Y-You!” He held a trembling finger in Long Di’s direction.

“Former head of the Zhen family, you still dare to ignore me?” the Grand Preceptor asked.

“I wouldn‘t dare to do so, Grand Preceptor!” At the moment, the Zhen Ta didn’t have any of the arrogance he came here with.

“It’s just that this child and I-”

“Have nothing more between each other as he is to leave the Demon Region,” the Grand Preceptor finished for him.

When Zhen Ta heard what the Grand Preceptor said he could scarcely believe it. He was going to allow Long Di to leave!?

So not only did he lose his grandsons, but he also lost his only son. How could he swallow his loss?

This all started when they got involved with that village for a rumour that had been floating around for the longest time. One that he paid attention to.

Then what of the rumour!? Was there nothing to come of it? No! How could this possibly be swept under the rug as if it didn’t matter!? In his rising anger, he roared after Long Di, “Where’s the abyss ghost you brat!?”

Boom!

A magnificent pressure unfurled as the muddled eyes of the Grand Preceptor took slow steps forward.

Every tap of his cane brought with it an unreal surge in energy!

Beads of sweat dripped down Zhen Ta’s forehead when he realised that the Grand Preceptor took slow steps towards him.

He couldn’t even move. The pressure of the grand Preceptor unleashed stripped him of all means of resistance.

Bang!

When he was a few inches from Zhen Ta, he stopped and brought his cane down with a resounding crash that shook the land before asking in a grave tone that sent chills up the spine of every person present.

“Come again?”