The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Golden Crow Sect, Main Affairs Hall.

Sect Master Lu Ya sat on a black jade chair, holding a pill in his hand, turning it over and over to examine it.

The pill was small, about the size of a longan seed, with a faint pattern on its surface, like charred tree bark. He leaned closer to smell it, and his brows furrowed.

This pill was the very one used to refine Han Lie's Human Pill, which the little monster spat out in disgust.

Two elders stood in the hall, one surnamed Zhu and the other surnamed Bai. Both were in the early stages of Mahayana cultivation and had just returned from the vicinity of Cangwu Mountain.

"This is the only one we found?" Lu Ya's voice was cold, and the two elders couldn't help but shiver.

Elder Zhu bowed deeply, like a shrimp. "Reporting to the Sect Master, the incident occurred in the sky above a desolate mountain three hundred miles east of Cangwu Mountain. Elder Han Lie and his four disciples disappeared in that area. When we arrived, they were gone, and we only found this pill in a ravine."

"Where is Han Lie's life tablet?"

"It shattered," Elder Bai replied. "It shattered the day before yesterday afternoon, along with the life tablets of those four disciples."

"That means all four of them are dead!"

Han Lie, a peak Nascent Soul cultivator and an outer sect elder of the Golden Crow Sect, was on a mission with four mid-Nascent Soul disciples when they were ambushed and killed along the way.

All five people died, leaving no bodies behind, only a single pill.

"Have you found out who did it?"

Elder Zhu and Elder Bai exchanged a glance, but neither of them spoke first.

Lu Ya glanced at them and said, "Speak."

Elder Zhu swallowed hard. "Sect Master, there are traces of black flames at the scene. Those four disciples were burned to ashes by the black flames, and... and those black flames were created using techniques from our Golden Crow Sect."

"How did Han Lie die?"

"Elder Han Lie's death... was a little different." Elder Zhu took out a recording stone from his storage bag, infused it with spiritual energy, and an image appeared in mid-air.

The image was blurry; all that could be seen was a raging fire burning, with a twisted black shadow in the middle that gradually disappeared.

"Black Flame." Lu Ya brought the pill to his nose again and smelled it, his brows furrowing even more. "It's Black Flame from our Golden Crow Sect."

Elder Bai nodded, "Sect Master, you are wise. The residual aura at the scene is indeed black flame, and its grade is not low, at least above the sixth level."

"Apart from the elders of the Golden Crow Sect, no one outside the sect knows how to use the Black Flame Sixth Level or higher." Lu Ya placed the pill on the table, his voice neither loud nor soft, but every word pierced the ears of the two elders like nails. "Han Lie led people out to investigate Chen Yunhe's whereabouts. All five of them died, and their bodies were not even left behind. A pill was left at the scene."

"Tell me, who refined this elixir?"

Elder Zhu's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat. "This... Sect Master, the aura of this pill... it has traces of our Golden Crow Sect's techniques, but it's not entirely the same. I dare to say that there's something else mixed in this pill."

"What is it?"

"Demonic energy."

Lu Ya had already noticed something was wrong with the pill. Based on the image displayed by the recording stone and the aura emanating from the pill, he knew that Han Lie had been refined into a human pill!

As for demonic energy, he also discovered it, and he sensed that it was a characteristic of demonic energy that only existed in the Tribulation Transcending stage!

This basically confirms that Han Lie and his group died at the hands of the demons, and that the demons were experts at the Tribulation Transcending Realm!

However, the only thing he couldn't figure out was who created this black flame.

He thought of Chen Yunhe, who had disappeared without a trace since then.

Now it seems there is only one possibility: Chen Yunhe has already defected to the Demon Clan!

"Demonic energy." He repeated the word, a slight downward smirk playing on his lips. "Demonic energy of the Tribulation Transcending stage."

Elder Zhu bowed even more deeply. "Sect Master, you are wise. I dare not make a rash judgment, but that aura... it certainly doesn't seem to be something an ordinary demon could possess."

"It seems that Chen Yunhe has already sided with the Demon Clan."

Elder Bai hesitated for a moment, "Sect Master, Elder Chen has been loyal to the sect for many years. For him to defect to the Demon Clan is..."

"Then give me an explanation." Lu Ya looked up at him. "Who attacked the Black Flame? Who killed Han Lie? Who refined the elixir?"

Elder Bai and Chen Yunhe were always on good terms, and he would never believe that Chen Yunhe would betray the sect and join the demon race.

As the number one sect in the world, the Golden Crow Sect could never have any dealings with the Demon Clan!

Lu Ya said in a deep voice, "It seems that the Demon Clan has already begun to make a move. When all things emerge, demons cry, chaos arises, and the path to becoming an emperor begins! It seems that the prophecy from back then is about to come true."

After he finished reading the four prophetic lines, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

Elder Zhu cautiously glanced at him, then quickly looked down again. Elder Bai did the same; the two of them stood there like two pillars, completely motionless.

Lu Ya stood up, walked to the palace entrance with his hands behind his back, and looked at the gray sky outside.

"Who do you think will become emperor, as this prophecy foretells?"

Elder Zhu, quick-witted, bowed even lower and said, "Reporting to the Sect Master, in the world today, in terms of cultivation, power, and prestige, I can't think of anyone else besides you, Sect Master."

Elder Bai was a beat slower, but he chimed in, "Elder Zhu is right. The Sect Master is at the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, just one step away from ascending to immortality. At that time, who in the world will be his match?"

Lu Ya didn't turn around, but chuckled twice. He found those words agreeable.

"It seems this is a chance given to me by heaven. Demons, humph, it's good that you've appeared now!"

Elder Zhu and Elder Bai looked at each other, wondering what Lu Ya meant.

Lu Ya turned around and sat back down in his chair. "The Golden Crow Sect will be holding an alliance conference a month from now."

"The Alliance Conference?" Elder Zhu was taken aback.

"Hmm! With the appearance of the demon race, chaos is imminent. The cultivation world cannot be left leaderless. I must summon all sects to discuss a grand plan to eliminate the demons."

Elder Zhu and Elder Bai exchanged a glance, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.

"Sect Master, the matter of the Demon Clan is currently only our speculation..." Elder Bai was interrupted by a look from Lu Ya before he could finish speaking.

"Whether it's speculation or not, I'll decide. Go back and prepare to send out the invitations. Don't miss any sects with even a little reputation."

"Yes," the two replied in unison.

Lu Ya thought for a moment, then added, "The invitation clearly states that this is an alliance conference, concerning the well-being of all people. Anyone who doesn't attend..."

He paused, then tapped his fingers twice on the table. "Anyone who doesn't come is considered to be colluding with the demons. The Golden Crow Sect will be the first to wipe out their entire family."

Elder Zhu and Elder Bai's backs were soaked with sweat again.

"Go."

The two left the main hall and walked quite a distance before daring to catch their breath. Elder Zhu wiped the sweat from his brow. "Elder Bai, what do you think the Sect Master is up to?"

Elder Bai shook his head and remained silent.

He knew perfectly well that the sect leader intended to use the pretext of exorcising demons to seize control of all the sects in the world. Anyone who dared to disobey would be labeled an accomplice of the demons, a label that no one could bear.

But he dared not say it aloud; he could only think it to himself.

Elder Zhu sighed, "It seems the world is about to descend into turmoil."