Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 242 The Shadow Appears
The black whirlwind carried Chen Ye across the sea and landed atop the Rift Sky Mountain.

All around was a barren mountain, a desolate place where even birds wouldn't bother, but with these five people in front of them, this barren mountain became a blessed land.

After all, these are the leaders of the five major sects, one of whom is the number one person in the world who has dominated for thousands of years.

Chen Ye landed in front of the five sect leaders and respectfully bowed, saying, "Junior Chen Ye greets the five sect leaders."

Seeing Chen Ye's golden aura and his humble yet arrogant demeanor, several sect leaders were somewhat surprised.

Lu Xingzhou showed no politeness to Chen Ye, as if he wanted nothing more than to embarrass the young man.

However, Chen Ye, who was merely at the Tongxuan Realm, managed to withstand Lu Xingzhou's oppressive aura.

Looking at the golden light on his body, it was somewhat similar to the Nirvana Sect's Opening Zen supernatural power, but there were also some differences. The Opening Zen required one to speak in order to enhance the golden light protecting oneself, but Chen Ye did not need to debate with them at all to withstand the pressure with his golden body.

Clearly, this is a modified supernatural power. Moreover, the "Buddha" behind Chen Ye is even more powerful than that of the Nirvana Sect.

No wonder Zhang Qi allowed the mere Yellow Springs Sect to join; this is no ordinary small sect.

Seeing that Chen Ye had held on, Lu Xingzhou also concealed his aura.

Giving Chen Ye a warning is enough; continuing to apply pressure would only make things worse.

Seeing that Lu Xingzhou had calmed down, the sect leader of Yunlu Immortal Sect, True Person Wuyun, smoothed things over by saying, "Young and promising, truly worthy of being a junior valued by True Person Zhang."

The Yunlu Immortal Sect had a special fondness for Chen Ye. Even though Chen Ye refused their offer of recruitment, True Person Wuyun still liked Chen Ye from the bottom of his heart.

Everyone exchanged a few polite words, and even Yin Xiaoshuang, the leader of the Mirage Sect, treated Chen Ye quite well.

Perhaps this is the demeanor of a great person.

Chen Ye didn't care what these sect leaders thought. Most of the big shots' moods weren't based on personal feelings. Instead of trying to figure these things out, it was better to be direct and see what use he could be to them.

This time, it was a joint invitation from the five major sects.

Up to this point, Chen Ye could only guess that this so-called grand event was a ruse to deceive those restless demonic cultivators. But he still knew nothing about the specifics.

Now that we've arrived at Rift Sky Mountain, it's time to get to the bottom of this.

Therefore, Chen Ye went straight to the point and asked, "What instructions do the sect leaders have for me to come here? If there is anything I can do to help, I will certainly not refuse."

Chen Ye originally thought Zhang Qi would answer his questions, but unexpectedly, it was the usually serious and aloof Lu Xingzhou who spoke up: "Originally, it was Zhang Qi's idea to invite you here to borrow your luck. However, you performed exceptionally well in Pearl Harbor, even managing to detect the demon's methods in advance. Sect Master Chen, may I ask how you discovered that the demon was using the secret technique inherited from the Bewitching Heart Demon Lord?"

Chen Ye met Lu Xingzhou's sharp eyes and said frankly, "I have also learned some demonic techniques, and Master Zhang already knew about this matter. Therefore, when I heard that Yu Xing was wronged, I guessed that the demons had used a bewitching technique. With what I have learned, I found the flaw in the conch shell's sound transmission."

Lu Xingzhou asked directly, "Are you a disciple of the Demonic Sect?"

Chen Ye was silent for a moment, then said, "I have learned some demonic techniques, but I am not a demonic cultivator. I have never done anything immoral in my life, nor have I ever used the demonic sect's methods of killing to practice my skills. If knowing some demonic techniques makes one a demon, then that standard is far too harsh."

Lu Xingzhou didn't argue with Chen Ye. He turned to Zhang Qi and asked, "Did you already know?"

Zhang Qi nodded and said, "He has never hidden anything from me. This kid has always been very honest and has never done anything immoral. On the contrary, among the many juniors of the five major sects, this kid's record in eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path is extraordinary. He has killed several demons at the Tongxuan Realm alone. My Qinghe Sword Sect vouches for him. Chen Ye is trustworthy."

Having said that, Lu Xingzhou naturally wouldn't raise any further objections.

"Since that's the case, let's get to the point. Sect Leader Chen, this gathering at Rift Heaven Mountain is actually a ploy to lure out the enemy..."

Lu Xingzhou briefly explained the arrangements for the grand event at Lietian Mountain to Chen Ye.

A large illusion array has been set up near Rift Sky Mountain. In a few days, an "Ascension Ceremony" will be held to create the illusion of Zhang Qi's ascension and then lure the demons into making a move.

When those demons can no longer restrain themselves and come out in full force, the five major sects will join forces to kill them.

If they really encounter those troublesome and difficult demons, Zhang Qi will be the one to deliver the final blow.

Although the five righteous sects did not include the rogue cultivators when they formed an alliance, they did not truly disregard the lives of the other side.

This gathering will bring together most of the independent cultivators at Lietian Mountain, so that if anything unexpected happens, they can be taken care of.

Baihai Valley has already arranged manpower to open the formation at the critical moment, cutting off communication from the inside and outside, and holding out until the righteous path's rescue.

However, the plan sounded rather rudimentary, and Chen Ye couldn't help but ask, "Isn't the plan too simple? What if those demons are patient enough, or have already guessed that Master Zhang's ascension is an illusion?"

Lu Xingzhou replied, "Then let's continue according to the normal procedure. While the five major sects and many independent sects are gathered, let's make the resurgence of the demonic sect public so that all cultivators can prepare in advance. That way, we won't waste this opportunity for all the immortals to gather. Besides, it's impossible for all those demons to be able to hold back."

"Upon learning of Zhang Qi's ascension, some of them will surely be unable to contain themselves and will send their demons to test the waters. If we can capture just a few, we can obtain more information. Sect Master Chen, you have the means to interrogate demons. We invited you here today hoping that you could use your skills to extract more information about the demonic sect."

It turns out that Chen Ye was brought in to be the interrogator.

Chen Ye was adept at using hellish torture methods to extract information.

However, Chen Ye felt that this plan was still too casual. What if those demons didn't just rush to Lietian Mountain to their deaths? The world is so big. If they attacked Baihai Valley or wreaked havoc in other places, how would the five righteous sects deal with it?
This was not the time for humility. Chen Ye spoke directly, asking, "Sect Leader Lu, everyone knows that the Incense Burning Sect possesses the corpse of the Demon Lord Wujiu. If those demons were to covet this corpse, is the Incense Burning Sect prepared? Currently, the elite disciples and elders of the five major sects are all at Rift Sky Mountain. If the sect were to be attacked by the demonic sects, could it handle the situation?"

Lu Xingzhou said with an air of confidence, "There is no need to worry about this. My Incense Burning Sect has already made preparations."

The corpse of the Demon Lord Wujiu is of course important, and Lu Xingzhou would not overlook this crucial element no matter what arrangements he made.

Since Lu Xingzhou had already said so, Chen Ye naturally didn't ask any more questions.

Then I might as well just be a torturer.

However, Chen Ye then remembered the demon he had captured, a strangely powerful Nascent Soul cultivator.

According to the intelligence gathered during the interrogation, there were at least twelve Nascent Soul Realm cultivators like him, and above them was a Demonic Sect Master who inherited the lineage of the Demonic Lord Wujiu. Chen Ye couldn't understand how the demons, hiding underground and living a life hidden from the light, could possibly cultivate so many Nascent Soul Realm cultivators through large-scale killing.
Demonic cultivators are the ones who need resources the most; the few corpses the imperial court throws down are not even a drop in the ocean.

They were clearly not from the same sect as the demon who attacked Pearl Harbor, which means that the Demon Sect's strength was far greater than imagined.

The main forces of the righteous path are currently concentrated in Tianlie Mountain. If the demonic sect joins forces to attack other places, their distant support will be insufficient to alleviate the immediate crisis.

Is Lu Xingzhou really ready?

Chen Ye felt a gloomy atmosphere hanging over his heart, as if there were ominous signs ahead.

Sensing danger, Chen Ye took his leave and went to the guest room arranged for him on Tianxin Island.

Chen Ye was uneasy, so he took out the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and shook it to summon his master, Mo Ci.

"Master, you've heard about the arrangements made by the five righteous sects. What do you think of them?"

Mo Ci shook his head and said, "Even a fool would know that they are hiding something from you. If the Demonic Sect were so easily outmaneuvered, how could they have possibly driven the righteous path to repeated defeats back then?"

"This is exactly what puzzles me the most. There's no reason for Master Zhang to hide it from me. They were the ones who invited me to participate." This is what Chen Ye can't understand the most.

If the purpose was simply to have him act as an interrogator, then such a formal invitation wouldn't be necessary; Chen Ye could simply be treated as another unorthodox cultivator.

Once the demon was captured, and the Qinghe Sword Sect made a request, how could Chen Ye possibly refuse?

But the fact that they told Chen Ye most of their plan, as if they really regarded the Yellow Springs Sect as an equal sixth major sect, was too abnormal.

Although it was frightening that Chen Ye had cultivated to the Profound Realm in just over a year, he was still only at the Profound Realm.

The only person the Yellow Springs Sect can boast about is their ancestor Qu Heng, who has been hiding his identity, but Zhang Qi probably wouldn't consider him a significant figure.

The excessive courtesy made Chen Ye feel very puzzled.

Mo Ci preferred to think the worst, and pondered, "Are they trying to use our Yellow Springs Sect as a target? The Yellow Springs Sect is located in the Northern Frontier, far away from the Central Plains sects, and it's newly established, making it an easy target. Are the five major sects trying to use the Yellow Springs Sect as bait to lure the demons into a siege, so that they can act as the predator?"

That makes some sense.

If word gets out that Chen Ye had a secret meeting with the leaders of the five major sects, the Yellow Springs Sect will immediately be targeted by the Demonic Sect.

The five major sects are not easy to deal with, so how could they not be able to deal with the mere Yellow Springs Sect?

Mo Ci said with certainty, "That must be it! It's better to die for a friend than for yourself. Everyone understands that principle. It just so happens that our Yellow Springs Sect has some unclear ties with the Demonic Sect. They're not just using us as bait, they're also trying to get us to pledge our loyalty."

This statement was made with absolute certainty, and it seemed to make some sense.

However, Chen Ye didn't quite believe that Zhang Qi had specifically called him over to use Huang Quan Zong as bait.

Even if Zhang Qi wanted to do that, he would have told Chen Ye directly, instead of using such roundabout methods to scheme against Chen Ye.

Perhaps, apart from Zhang Qi, no one really respects the Yellow Springs Sect.

Therefore, the arrangements made for Chen Ye seemed somewhat perfunctory.

Like a "second-generation" who's been forced into the picture to gain prestige, all they'll do is give you a position; any real details or important arrangements will never fall to an outsider like Chen Ye. Involving him is just a way to give Zhang Qi face.

This does explain Chen Ye's current treatment.

But regardless of the possibility, Chen Ye needs to prepare in advance.

Chen Ye asked Mo Ci to help protect him, and then entered the dream to tell Qu Heng about the arrangements on the side of Lietian Mountain, hoping that the old ancestor could make preparations.

However, Qu Heng gave Chen Ye very bad news.

In his dream, Qu Heng said to Chen Ye, "You don't need to remind me, but in the past few days, demons have already appeared in the northern frontier."

Chen Ye exclaimed in surprise, "Is it a demon from the Nirvana Sect?"

The Northern Frontier was the territory of the Nirvana Sect, a demonic sect that had never truly died out, reappearing countless times. Chen Ye immediately thought of these monks who chanted distorted scriptures.

However, Qu Heng said, "No, it's not the bald head of the Nirvana Sect. It's the successor of another Demon Lord. They are secretly trying to steal our incense offerings. Although they haven't done anything major yet, it's clear they are testing the strength of the Yellow Springs Sect."

"Stealing incense offerings? Apart from the Nirvana Sect, which other demon lord's legacy needs incense offerings?"

The method of becoming a god through incense offerings is not something just anyone can master. It's not difficult to make mortals worship you, but how to create a god and how to transform incense offerings into magical power are all secret techniques. The five major sects at most know a little bit about it, and it's absolutely impossible for them to directly use incense offerings to confer gods like the Yellow Springs Sect.

The same applies to the Demonic Sect; apart from the Nirvana Sect, other lineages also use incense offerings.

Qu Heng laughed and said, "You're making a fuss over nothing. Aren't you at Rift Sky Mountain now? The Azure Flood Dragon Demon Lord who died there was also a master at manipulating incense offerings. It's just that the Azure Flood Dragon Demon Lord's methods weren't as fancy as those of the Nirvana Sect; he simply swallowed the believers whole."

"Back then, this Demon Lord was said to have another small world inside his belly. He swallowed billions of living beings into his stomach, creating a world of his own. All living beings prayed devoutly within him, thus enabling him to attain his unfathomable magical power."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye exclaimed in astonishment, "A world all its own? What an impressive feat!"

"Of course he's powerful. How could he become a Demon Lord without some skill? The Azure Dragon Demon Lord's physical body is a world of its own, and no spiritual energy attack is effective against it. He can swallow even Zhang Qi's sword energy with just a snap of his mouth. I don't know how Zhang Qi managed to sever his soul and kill him back then."

"The demon that has recently appeared in the Northern Frontier is the successor of this Azure Dragon Demon Lord. Although his abilities are less than one ten-thousandth of what he possessed, it is indeed a secret of the demonic sect, capable of directly consuming incense offerings to strengthen himself."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye couldn't help but want to return to the Northern Frontier to take charge of the overall situation, but Qu Heng persuaded him to stay: "Don't worry, I'm here with the Yellow Spring Sect. These little tricks won't amount to anything. You should stay in Lietian Mountain with peace of mind. Regardless of whether the ascension is real or fake, once the ceremony is held, there will definitely be a dramatic change in the world."

(End of this chapter)