Chapter 145
Chapter 145
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 145
Chapter Title: New North Sea Sect Leader
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The ice fragment was anything but ordinary.
"Millennia Ice Crystal...!"
"Ah! In the end, the Sect Leader—"
It was the divine relic passed down exclusively to the leaders of the Demonic North Sea Sect through the generations.
Since it was a demonic treasure bound to the North Sea Sect Leader's soul, enabling the Descent of the Sovereign, I carefully picked it up.
The Millennia Ice Crystal let out a fierce wail.
Curses and grudges burrowed into my skin like it was a living creature.
Tzzzzz!
I let out a sneer.
Did this thing think it could act up here, of all places?
I pushed the Black Dragon Energy into it.
The Black Dragon Heart Formula, now fused not just with my lower and middle dantians but also the shamanic power of my upper dantian after achieving the Three Essences Convergence.
Just like the Thousand-Year Ice Crystal, this Millennia Ice Crystal would prove immensely useful.
And sure enough.
Zzzzziiing!
The Millennia Ice Crystal resisted for a brief moment before yielding with a clear chime.
It shattered into fine particles and was fully absorbed into my body.
My internal energy surged once more in quantity.
One Jiazi—a full sixty years' worth, the benchmark for elite masters—now filled my three dantians.
I spread my palm wide and circulated the Black Dragon Heart Formula, incorporating several incantations from the Crimson Lotus Hell Art.
Shhhh—
Whoosh!
Ice fragments clung to my palm, forming the shape of a blade.
A pure ice blade—an Ice Saber.
"Huh! Even the North Nether Blade—"
It was another divine treasure of the North Sea Sect's leaders.
"With a new master, its appearance has changed from old man Gu's time! Much darker and more transparent!"
"It looks like it's carved from black obsidian."
Commonly known as the Ghost Blade for its elusive nature, like a specter that rarely showed itself.
That was because the North Nether Blade was a parasitic demon that dwelled in its owner's dantian or meridians.
Without periodic infusions of internal energy from its host, it couldn't survive.
Thus, depending on usage, the North Nether Blade could serve not just as a main weapon but as a trump card.
Imagine unleashing a flurry of strikes, then suddenly drawing the North Nether Blade.
A blade appearing out of nowhere would catch any foe off guard.
That was why I planned to use it like a hidden dagger.
A stiletto to sever enemies' throats from the shadows.
Its size and power could be freely adjusted with my internal energy supply.
"From now on, you shall serve the Divine Transformation Sect as the North Nether Dagger."
Ziiiiing!
The North Nether Blade—no, the North Nether Dagger—trembled as if in assent.
I withdrew it back into my body and turned around.
There stood the old North Sea Sect's faithful, staring at me in dazed expressions.
Having witnessed their leader's end, they seemed utterly lost.
Then, suddenly, Number Sixteen—Gu Min-chae—stepped forward, dropped to his knees, and bowed deeply.
"Heavenly Demon Supremacy, All Demons Bow in Reverence! Your humble servant Gu Min-chae greets the Lord, who is the Young Leader of our Divine Cult, Sovereign of the Fierce Demon Divine Transformation Sect, and now the new Leader of the Demonic North Sea Sect!!"
An abrupt outburst.
The North Sea specters panicked, unsure how to react.
Number Sixteen snapped his head up and barked at them.
"What are you all doing? Bow to the new Leader at once!!"
"Th-this young master!?"
"How can you tell us to submit to the one who assassinated the Leader!"
"Fool—! Who said it was assassination? This was nothing more than a succession battle for the leadership!"
"!!"
"!!"
The North Sea specters were thrown into disarray.
They could overlook his prior attitude, but this was a complete turnaround.
Had Number Sixteen mourned instead, they all would have followed him—but no such luck.
Meanwhile, the existing specters admired Number Sixteen, nodding approvingly.
"That punk—"
"Unlike his old man, the kid's got killer instincts?"
"Riding the winning horse like that? Nice!"
"Being the second son, maybe? Reads the room perfectly."
"Hey, baby bro! Keep slacking, and the newbies will all get snatched up!"
"N-Number Sixteen, you bastard! You strike first again like this!?"
Whether Number Fifteen jumped in rage or not, Number Sixteen maintained a solemn face (at least outwardly) and spoke.
"Look! Whose hands hold the Millennia Ice Crystal and the North Nether Demon Blade now?"
"Th-that is—"
"Even so!"
"And the Descent and Hell Arts passed only to leaders through generations?"
"It's true the Little Heavenly Demon seized the Leader's secrets and treasures! But that's mere theft!"
"We cannot accept this!"
The North Sea specters protested, but Number Sixteen scoffed openly.
"And if you don't accept it? Can you even take the leadership back from the Young Leader?"
"……."
"……."
"Even if you did? Could you restore the two lost arts?"
"……."
"…The eldest young master is still—"
"Apologies, but even he only inherited fragments of the Leader's arts—incomplete ones. The Young Leader, however, has fully restored them. If he claims his rights later, who do you think holds the advantage?"
"……."
"……."
"Above all, the Demonic North Sea Sect is a subordinate sect of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. Have you all forgotten our Cult's foremost doctrine?"
Silence fell over them.
As demonic cultists before North Sea faithful, they could never forget it.
—Supremacy of the Strong.
Only the strong may claim all.
It was why the Cult, forsaken by the world and rooted in the barren wastes of Heavenly Mountain, had thrived for over a millennium.
"Even your father, the former Leader, was the same, no? Born the sixth son with no claim to leadership, he crushed his brothers through sheer strength alone."
"……."
"……."
"Go further back—similar upheavals aren't unheard of. Our North Nether Gu Clan began as vassals to the North Sea Ice Palace, yet the disciple of the twenty-fourth Palace Lord, the North Nether Demon Lord, overthrew his own children to elevate us to ruling house."
"……."
"……."
"So a change in surname changes nothing. As long as the North Sea Sect's spirit endures, the Young Leader is qualified."
"……."
"……."
"Anything more to say?"
"……."
"……."
"Guess not."
"……."
"……."
"Then what are you waiting for? Bow to the new Leader!!"
"…The faithful of the Demonic North Sea Sect bows to the new Leader—"
"B-B-Brother of the North Sea Sect greets the new Leader—"
The North Sea specters exchanged glances before kneeling one by one, heads bowed.
Only after all pledged fealty did Number Sixteen resume his solemn demeanor and bow to me.
"The faithful here acknowledge the Young Leader's rights. You alone are now the true Leader of the North Sea Sect!!"
His words rang with the gravitas of a loyal retainer.
Yet the eyes looking up at me screamed, *Did I do good? Promote me, right?*—pure sycophant.
"Was Number Sixteen always that silver-tongued?"
"Less silver tongue, more survival instincts and reading the winds."
"Hah! Not just anyone inherits the Young Leader's cunning!"
As the old specters marveled and Number Fifteen fretted,
I let out a light chuckle.
Truth be told, I'd planned to turn any holdouts into specter souls and keep only a few—but them bowing willingly was fine by me.
It even gave me insight into integrating the leadership.
* * *
With the specters sorted,
I withdrew the Wicked Ghost Hell Formation and Crimson Lotus Hell Formation.
*Next time, I could blend Crimson Lotus traits into the Wicked Ghost Hell. Should experiment when I have time.*
The Wicked Ghost Hell was my interpretation of legendary hells from myths.
Built on specter arts, it focused on handling specters and grudge spirits, but adding Crimson Lotus elements could reshape terrain and environment.
Like the North Sea Leader's ice gorge, or burying foes in blizzards.
*And I could incorporate grudge spirits' power too, depending.*
Since specter arts stemmed from yin energy, Crimson Lotus yin would amplify it.
Whoooosh...!!
Pondering management as I sealed the shamanic formation completely, suddenly the sorcery canceled.
"What the—?"
I tilted my head, trying to reactivate the Violet Net again.
But.
Pahk!
"Urk...!"
My eye throbbed like it might burst.
"Young Leader, are you alright!?"
"B-Blood from your eye—"
I quickly dispelled the sorcery and touched around my eye.
It was smeared with red blood.
What in the world?
An ominous feeling stirred.
The Crimson Lotus Hell, which should have been under my control...
Was undergoing a transformation.
Rumble rumble!
The shattered ice plain rose again, encircling me like a cage.
The dim sky filled with white blizzards, and the air, once heated by the Crimson Dragon Energy, plunged to absolute zero.
My breath frosted. Pale rime settled on my skin.
"What the hell is—"
"Protect the Young Leader!!"
The specters sensed the peril and moved swiftly.
All manifesting solid grudge spirit forms to shield me—but
*''Lowly drifters unfit even for the afterlife dare block this Great King's path?''*
A chill gale swept in with light laughter, washing the grudge spirits away like dirt.
Now, only I remained in this hell.
In that moment, I realized.
This wasn't the North Sea Leader's Crimson Lotus Hell.
Nor my Wicked Ghost Hell.
—Cold Ice Hell.
The third of the Ten Great Hells, ruled by the King of Hell.
And not some sorcery facsimile, but the *real* Cold Ice Hell!
Tzzzzzt—
Snakes of every kind burst from the ice ground, flicking tongues.
They slithered along floor, walls, gorges—all fixated on me.
A chilling intent to strike and kill if I slipped.
And...
Fwoosh!
Piercing the distant gorge's blizzard, someone approached slowly.
To his left, a judge with a scroll and an attendant boy.
To his right, atop a palanquin borne by four shirtless corpses.
His disheveled, half-unbuttoned robes and languid, decadent gaze clashed with the crown on his head.
He exuded an almost perverse allure, yet hid an majesty no mortal could defy.
A god.
This one.
A familiar presence...
"...Songje the Great King."
The King of the Cold Ice Hell had descended to the living world.