The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

"Has the news been confirmed? That guy from Taihua Sect, really succeeded?" a black-robed elder asked in a dry voice.

"Are you blind or deaf? Is there any need to question the veracity of this?" another burly man in charge gritted his teeth. "A day ago, strange phenomena covered thousands of miles, spiritual energy surged backward, and finally, the voice of the Great Dao proclaimed… 'Nine Heavens Taihua Purple Void Responding Thunder Ancestor True Monarch!' The entire continent heard it! You're the only one who didn't hear it? The Taihua Sect has produced a Golden Core True Monarch, you know that? A True Monarch! And a Thunder Law True Monarch known for his offensive prowess!"

The person in charge spoke very quickly and excitedly, even becoming somewhat incoherent.

Why are you yelling so loudly? Do you have a problem with me?

"I have a problem with it, so what? Want to fight?"

"Come on, let's fight! Do you think I'm afraid of you? My million Soul Banners haven't collected any souls at the Purple Mansion level in ages."

"Enough! All of you, shut the hell up! What kind of noise is this? Even if you win the argument, do you think you'll survive under the True Lord's hand?"

Li Qingye launched into a tirade of abuse at the crowd.

The hall fell silent instantly.

"Phew!" Li Qingye calmed down, a deep sense of apprehension and fear flashing in his eyes. "Thunder Law True Monarch... Damn it! How could the Taihua Sect produce a True Monarch so quickly?"

After thinking for a while, Li Qingye gave the order, "Now, everyone, go back and pack up immediately! In three days, we will gather at the mountain gate and retreat to the Western Land Realm! The Western Land Realm is a remote place, and most sects only have one or two early-stage Purple Mansion Elders. We can easily destroy a sect and temporarily obtain a place to stay. It is impossible for a True Monarch to conduct a carpet search of the Western Land Realm."

"Yes, Sect Master!"

The people in the main hall agreed.

"I'm not leaving."

At that moment, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.

Upon hearing this voice, Li Qingye's first reaction was anger.

What kind of time is this? Which blind bastard would dare to go against me?

He looked in the direction from which the sound came.

It was a beautiful young woman standing in the corner of the hall, wearing a blood-red long dress, the hem of which seemed to be soaked in blood, so bright and dazzling.

She was extremely beautiful, yet possessed an eerie and bewitching aura. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, while her lips were as red as if they were smeared with blood.

What's most striking are her eyes; the pupils are eerie vertical lines, gleaming with a dark red luster, like a venomous snake ready to devour its prey.

Xia Zhu, known as the "Witch" of the Di Luo Sect, is at the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm. She cultivates the sect's secret "Nine Netherworld Luo True Scripture." She has an eccentric and violent personality, but is extremely talented. She is the most promising genius among the younger generation of the Di Luo Sect to reach the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm, and is also the most beloved little disciple of the deceased former sect leader.

"Junior Sister!" Li Qingye's voice was filled with suppressed anger and urgency. "Do you know what you're saying? Are you tired of living? Staying here means certain death! As for this sect, mountains, and territory, they're all inanimate objects. It's the most foolish thing to risk your life for these inanimate objects. As long as you're alive, there's hope!"

Xia Zhu slowly raised her head, her dark red vertical pupils looking at Li Qingye. Her voice was cold and devoid of any emotion: "I know very well what I'm saying. I'll say it again."

"I'm not leaving."

"Before my master passed away, I promised him that I would protect the foundation of the Diluo Sect. As long as the sect exists, I will live. If the sect perishes, I will perish."

"You!" Li Qingye's face turned ashen with rage. "Xia Zhu! Can you stop being so foolish?! That's a Golden Core True Monarch! Not some Purple Mansion cultivator! A True Monarch's wrath can cause millions to die! What are we going to use to defend it? Our heads? If our master were alive, he would never let us stay here to die!"

"Senior brother, if you are afraid of death, you may leave." Xia Zhu's tone remained calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness. "I have promised Master that I must keep my word. The Di Luo Sect may be defeated, may perish, but it cannot perish without a fight."

"You...you're absolutely incomprehensible!" Li Qingye was furious, his finger trembling as he pointed at Xia Zhu. "Fine! Fine! Fine! You want to be a damn filial daughter of the sect and die with this damn crappy mountain? Then stay here, wash your neck clean, and wait to die! I'm not going to play along!"

He abruptly flicked his sleeves and roared at the other high-ranking officials in the hall, "Listen up, everyone here! Those who are willing to come with me, go back and pack your bags now! We'll assemble at the mountain gate in three days, and we'll retreat to the Western Lands! Those who don't want to leave, stay here and wait to die with her!"

After saying that, he rushed out of the main hall without looking back, turning into a streak of black light and disappearing into the horizon.

The remaining people in the hall looked at each other, their expressions conflicted.

In the end, most of the people clasped their hands in a fist salute to Xia Zhu and left in silence.

Only a few elderly elders and a handful of Xia Zhu's loyal followers remained.

In just three days, the Diluo Sect experienced a complete upheaval and division.

One faction, led by sect leader Li Qingye, advocated immediately abandoning the sect and fleeing to the west to avoid their advance and await the future.

Most of these people are high-ranking members of the sect, as well as the backbone of the sect.

They took away nearly a third of the sect's core strength, a large amount of accumulated resources, and the most important inherited scriptures.

Meanwhile, another faction, led by Xia Zhu and the sect's Grand Elder Cui Gu, resolutely opposed the withdrawal and vowed to live and die with the sect.

They were mostly older members of the sect with extreme personalities and deep affection for it, as well as a large number of lower-ranking disciples who were abandoned due to their large numbers and lack of time and resources to transfer.

Three days later, Li Qingye, along with those willing to follow him, boarded several enormous "bone boats" and, under the cover of night, quietly left Yanfu Mountain, heading towards the distant Western Land.

What remained were about two-thirds of the Diluo Sect disciples, led by Xia Zhu and Cui Guzhai.

-

In front of the Hall of Ten Thousand Souls, the huge square was packed with people.

Most of these people looked terrified, their eyes filled with fear and despair, but many others had fanatical eyes, revealing a kind of madness that would lead them to their deaths.

On the high platform, the sect's Grand Elder, Cui Gucha, with a hunched back and a withered face like a zombie, leaned on a skull-headed cane and announced to those below in a hoarse, unpleasant voice:

"Sect Leader Li Qingye is a coward who betrayed the sect and fled in the face of battle. He is truly a sinner of our Luo Sect for all eternity! From this day forward, he is stripped of his position as Sect Leader, expelled from the sect, and forever forbidden from ever entering Yanfu Mountain again!"

He paused, glanced at the crowd below, and his voice suddenly rose:

"After deliberation by all the elders, Xia Zhu has been elected as the new sect leader of our Luo Sect! He will lead the sect and fight against external enemies! We swear to live and die with Yanfu Mountain!"

"We swear to live and die with Mount Yanfu!"

From the crowd below, a series of uneven but tragic and desperate roars erupted.

Xia Zhu stood beside Cui Guchai, her blood-red dress standing out starkly against the gray-black miasma.

Her pale face was expressionless, except for her dark red vertical pupils, which gazed in the direction where Li Qingye and the others had left, then looked at Yanfu Mountain shrouded in gloom, and finally looked towards the location of Taihua Gate.

There, a newly promoted Golden Core True Monarch is about to arrive with thunderous fury.

She clenched her fist in her sleeve, her nails digging deep into her palm, drawing out dark red beads of blood.

"Master... I promised you, and I will definitely keep my promise."

"Taihua Gate... True Lord Zixu..."

"bring it on……"