Chapter 697: The Map is Revealed (Bonus chapter for the mysterious mentally-challenged alliance leader!)

Aaron strolled out of Shen Le's Cave Abode and announced to the circle of cultivators outside: "My beloved disciple has departed before me, leaving me, an old man, to bury the young... My heart is in great pain... I am in agony... *Cough, cough*... *cough, cough*..."

The Family Cultivators below all squeezed out expressions of grief in unison, yet in their hearts, they almost simultaneously rolled their eyes: 'You old immortal... why don't you just drop dead already?'

'Isn't the greatest regret before death for Elder Shen that he didn't manage to send you, this old immortal, off first?'

……

What had just occurred inside the Cave Abode was known only to Shen Le and Aaron, and naturally, it would not be leaked.

As for the outside world, Aaron still maintained his image as a benevolent elder quite well.

After directing a group of people to finish handling Shen Le's funeral arrangements, Aaron returned to Hou Shan to continue consuming Spirit Pills and cultivating.

"Such high-level movement technique, no... this movement technique... why does it seem familiar? It seems I've heard of it somewhere..."

"We've finally waited for it, signal quickly!"

Of course, the cultivation base he revealed at this time was still the False Core stage of Foundation Establishment Perfection.

After half a cup of tea's worth of chasing and fleeing, they finally intercepted Aaron!

"Good fellow... Song Zhong... you have indeed secretly formed a Golden Core, just like your old immortal Master; your lineage is truly good at biding its time!"

"A spy from the Yaowang Sect passed on the news that this person is traveling in Wu Country and is about to be recalled... We set up surveillance at the border of the two countries early on... we finally caught his trail this time."

An invisible, massive net was cast...

……

What a pity... it is truly a great pity!

Within his Divine Sense, he had already discovered several streaks of Demon Light closing in!

"A Golden Core Cultivator? Coming to trouble me, Song Zhong, a False Core? Has the Yuanchen Black Demon Sect... finally lost its patience?"

The first step of this plan was naturally to finish off Fang Laoguai's closing-door disciple, the future leader of the Yaowang Sect!

Furthermore, in the later stages when the sunk costs were too high, in order to help Shen Le outlive Fang Laoguai, he even bestowed upon the other party an incredibly precious Longevity Blood Spirit Pill!

Another Demon Cultivator riding a black cloud saw this scene, let out a strange cry, and charged toward Magic Calculator, wanting to rendezvous with this mid-stage cultivator for self-preservation.

And... the other party's limit was definitely not far off; they might not even have many days left to live. If one were to be dragged down as a cushion at the moment of death, wouldn't that be a huge loss?

According to the plan of that Golden Core Demon Cultivator who was seeking to atone for his crimes, the first step was naturally to finish off Song Zhong first, then wait for Fang Laoguai to die of old age, and then mobilize a portion of the subverted Family Faction cultivators to seize power!

By then... they would still be able to hold the Yaowang Sect in their hands.

But when he heard the news of Shen Le's passing, he still nearly vomited blood!

"Hehe... I am the third-generation Magic Calculator! In order to plot against your Yaowang Sect, I nearly went bankrupt and was turned into a 'human lamp' by the Rudder Master... I will settle this account with you slowly."

What he did not know was that shortly after he left, several black streaks of light, harboring ill intent, followed closely behind.

The Lin Family was naturally the descendants of Lin Ye. Although Lin Ye failed to form a Golden Core and had long since passed away, out of respect for him, the Yaowang Sect took good care of the Lin Family, and the current Lin Family was also a well-known Foundation Establishment family.

*Whoosh! Whoosh! *

Moreover, because of the Blood Contract, Xiaoqing was fundamentally unable to betray him; if its master were to die, it would die immediately as well.

While leisurely steering his light, Aaron was still letting his mind wander: "Hmm... when the time comes, this position of Supreme Elder, the Yaowang Sect, and even Xiaoqing... I will have to hand them all over to 'Song Zhong'... Uh... then what does that make Xiaoqing? An ancestral divine turtle? A three-surname family turtle? I always feel its reputation is going to be ruined... This is truly a bit of a grievance."

Even if a cultivator could slay the Skull, they would still be burned by the extremely venomous lightning fire!

Within the light, a Black-robed Friar said coldly.

Once Shen Le died, the investment the Yuanchen Black Demon Sect had made by selling everything they owned became a joke!

This young man was naturally the sixth disciple he had fabricated—Song Zhong!

Several months ago, after issuing the appointment, he used the excuse of closed-door cultivation to actually sneak out of the Yaowang Sect and come to Wu Country.

……

This Sword Qi was as agile as a dragon, yet it shifted and moved, flexible to an unbelievable degree, actually passing directly through the gaps in the Skull to reach the Demon Cultivator!

*Puff! *

This Demon Cultivator was scared out of his wits, and a pitch-black shield appeared around his body.

"A mid-stage Golden Core Demon Cultivator?"

It was also time to let Song Zhong form his Golden Core and come to send me on my way.

Aaron's figure suddenly appeared beside him, the Invisible Sword Qi in his hand surging out, carrying wind and thunder, unstoppable by ten thousand men!

Aaron sighed, and an Invisible Needle Dharma Treasure had already secretly appeared in his palm.

*Clang! *

Only to hear a sword hum, sounding like a dragon's roar, suddenly erupt!

It was a pity that the previous Song Zhong's whereabouts had always been a mystery, and it was only recently that he had made a high-profile return to the sect.

As for Magic Calculator, he was brandishing a three-pointed, double-edged Demon Treasure, his offensive momentum astonishing; even ordinary Dharma Treasures would likely struggle to withstand a few strikes!

The Demon Light converged, revealing one of the Demon Sect's Golden Core Cultivators in black robes with a red sash, his aged face full of hatred.

"Hehe... you people in the Far West, are you even worthy of being called the Immortal Cultivation World?"

Yaowang Sect branch.

Magic Calculator's expression was mysterious: "What's more... the Thousand-Year Covenant will soon mean nothing at all!"

Under the siege of these three Demon Cultivators, a cultivator who had just formed a Golden Core would definitely find it hard to resist!

*Boom! *

Then... he discovered that in the void opposite him... there was actually no one there?!

Many Family Faction cultivators were as if mourning their parents... the old fellow was so prepared, it seemed he really was at his end!

*Woooo! Woooo! *

As soon as his voice fell, without waiting for Song Zhong to react, he struck ruthlessly!

However, it was already too late.

Accompanied by the sound of ghosts wailing and wolves howling, a three-pointed, double-edged Demon Treasure appeared in his hand, its surface covered in faint blood veins, resembling human blood vessels.

Several hours later, Aaron, who was traveling along at a leisurely pace, had his expression change.

Unknowingly, Aaron had still influenced the subsequent development of those old acquaintances...

Then, his entire body was likewise slashed in two, his corpse mixing with blood as it fell from mid-air...

Even at this time, the Black Demon Sect branch had no plan to launch a full-scale assault on the Yaowang Sect.

That Demon Cultivator, who was spewing a large number of ghost skulls, immediately retracted three skulls, which hovered in a triangular formation to guard his side.

Aaron disguised himself as a heroic young man, swaggered out of the branch, transformed into a streak of cyan light, and sped toward the Yaowang Sect.

Magic Calculator felt a great sense of alarm in his heart.

"Hmm?"

Aaron's expression was grave: "Yuanchen Black Demon Sect?! Do you want to break your oath and stir up a war in the Immortal Cultivation World again?"

'Or perhaps it should be said that the possibility of Dong Wenying returning after reaching the Golden Core to fight for the position of Sect Master is several times higher than Bai Caiwei advancing to Nascent Soul...'

Thinking of this, the Demon Cultivator's eyes turned cold, and he sent out several Transmission Talismans in quick succession.

'That's not right... If Caiwei doesn't form her Nascent Soul, she'll likely die of old age, right?'

He prided himself on having a foolproof plan and had long guessed the possibility of Song Zhong secretly forming a Golden Core, so for this ambush, not only did he, a mid-stage Golden Core Demon Cultivator, take action himself, but he even brought along two junior brothers at the early stage of Golden Core!

With the three of them joining forces, even if that old turtle came out to provide support, he would have to drink the cup of hatred on the spot!

At this moment, all this overflowing hatred fell upon Song Zhong...

This place had also been 'contracted out' by him, though not to the original Wanshang Market, but directly managed by an immortal cultivation family—the 'Lin Family'.

Heaven have mercy!

When passing the border between Wu Country and Lin, Aaron even took a special detour and circled above Dongmen Valley.

After all, Fang Laozu was already over six hundred years old; even ordinary Golden Core cultivators couldn't live as long as he could!

A trace of coldness appeared on his face.

He muttered a complaint to himself, and when the pursuers got closer, he suddenly changed direction, exposed his early-stage Golden Core cultivation and escape speed, and fled at 'full strength'!

Looking at his authentic demonic arts, he was clearly a Demon Sect cultivator from the Black Demon Sect branch!

Seeing this, those few streaks of demonic light, also harboring ill intent, suddenly accelerated, carrying wisps of blood-colored light.

Then he disguised himself as Song Zhong, swaggered about to check in at several locations, and then went to the Yaowang Sect branch to sign in... creating the illusion that Song Zhong had been traveling in Wu Country all along.

Those demonic flames, skulls, and dark clouds... all ended up striking nothing but air...

The Golden Core Demon Cultivator in charge of this matter was almost torn apart by the new Rudder Master!

Fortunately, that new Rudder Master was still somewhat rational and gave a strict order: such a long-term investment could not go down the drain!

And the only way was to intercept and kill Fang Laoguai's successor—Song Zhong!

Yes...

A sense of vengeful satisfaction gradually spread across Magic Calculator's old face.

He prepared to return to the main mountain of the Yaowang Sect, then reveal his early-stage Golden Core cultivation in one fell swoop to shock everyone and successfully take over the throne.

How much had the Black Demon Sect branch paid to plot against the Yaowang Sect?

'It's perfect that Shen Le has been sent away... As long as Song Zhong forms his Golden Core, he will be the rightful successor to the Yaowang Sect... If Bai Caiwei doesn't return, no one can compete with him!'

'A decision must be made early; it cannot be delayed any longer...'

Using the Blood Sacrifice Secret Technique to help Shen Le form his Golden Core... the resources invested were immense.

However, Aaron had never cared about the reputation of a spirit pet.

The next day, Aaron dragged his sickly body and announced the recall of his sixth disciple, Song Zhong, who was traveling in Wu Country, to return and take over the position of Sect Master!

After contracting the Dongmen Valley market, it brought in money every day, and the family flourished and prospered.

Behind another Demon Cultivator, three terrifying black shadows emerged, then exploded into clusters of dark clouds, responsible for surrounding and preventing Song Zhong from escaping.

After all, under the protection of a perfect Array Formation, forcibly killing a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator and a Ten Thousand Longevity Turtle was truly a bit difficult for those demons.

It was just a little bit, just that tiny bit more; if only he could have held on for a few more years... Ancestor Le could have fulfilled his wish!

Magic Calculator's eyes were blood-red, his long blade pointed forward, demonic flames soaring to the heavens...

In the heart of this new Magic Calculator, he even wished that Aaron would come to save his disciple, so the two could have a grand battle, then kill the great enemy and completely vent the frustration of the past hundred years!

'Looks like they're playing for real...'

Aaron exclaimed: "You are from the Black Demon Sect?!"

Even he, the third-generation Magic Calculator, had never eaten this Blood Spirit Pill!

And the result?

That good-for-nothing Shen Le couldn't even live as long as that old turtle!

Although Magic Calculator knew that this matter couldn't be blamed on Shen Le, only on that old turtle for being able to endure so long...

Wu Country.

Clearly, this was in preparation for a full handover of power.

The next instant, the shield was sliced through with extreme smoothness, revealing a cut with a surface as smooth as a mirror.

At the same time, he was also considering the question of when he should die.

Therefore, Aaron was relatively at ease with it; at least it wouldn't talk nonsense.

Furthermore... the consumption and losses would also be reduced to a minimum.

The three Golden Core Demon Cultivators transformed into three streaks of dark light, pressing in fiercely as the radiance of Dharma Treasures erupted!

One of the cultivators suddenly opened his mouth and spat out white skulls, each one with a ferocious and terrifying appearance, even containing Yin Thunder within.

But the next moment, Aaron plunged into the void, turning into a streak of Invisible Sword light with astonishing speed, piercing into the dark clouds.

In the snap of a finger, countless Sword Qi hissed, the dark clouds dissipated, and another Golden Core Demon Cultivator had been slain!

At this moment, Magic Calculator seemed to finally react, letting out a shriek: "Invisible Sword! Formless Sword Escape... You... you are actually... a Golden Core True Disciple of the Shushan Sword Pavilion?!"

(End of this chapter)