Chapter 364: The Divine Sect

Within the ancestral land, the Sacred Clan's emissary Ju Zhang, accompanied by over a hundred seventh-rank cultivators and over a hundred sixth-rank ones, stood in strict formation, divided into two groups, their coverage spanning the full range of star-art power, fixedly watching the two altar sky-paths.

They were led by his two trusted subordinates, Ju Ling and Ju Rong.

They waited only for the instant the two altar sky-paths connected successfully with the ancestral land's cave heaven—then they would unleash a devastating barrage!

Though thoroughly prepared, Emissary Ju Zhang was still tense.

The reason was simple: if the current-world humans were truly using the altar sky-paths to launch a counterattack on the ancestral land's cave heaven, then they were in grave danger—and so was the ancestral land's cave heaven.

If such an operation existed, the attackers would surely be the pinnacle Qiangzhe of the current world.

Though cosmic laws imposed limits, there were still ways to circumvent them.

If even a few top-tier eighth-rank cultivators arrived, their group might not hold.

Should that happen, his death would be trivial—but if the ancestral land's cave heaven fell, it would be catastrophic, for there was no second such place.

It would even bring eternal, unforgivable shame upon his family lineage.

Thinking of this, Emissary Ju Zhang hated the human who had destroyed the two altar sky-paths—Xu Jin—even more.

He longed to tear the man's flesh raw and devour him.

If the two altar sky-paths succeeded in connecting to the ancestral land's cave heaven, his cultivation base would surely be unsealed and restored to eighth-rank.

Once he entered eighth-rank, everything would be different.

Unfortunately,

At the edge of the ancestral land's cave heaven, the two altar sky-paths drew ever closer—when suddenly, their connection speed slowed simultaneously.

Two elderly humans from the current world appeared at the very top of the altar sky-paths, gazing up at the elite forces of the ancestral land's cave heaven, fully arrayed.

Now, both sides had detected each other's presence.

Both were fully prepared.

The moment the connection succeeded, bloodshed would begin!

Suddenly, one of the elderly humans on an altar sky-path pulled out a token—it was the Sacred Ancestor's Golden Command.

Through the Sacred Ancestor's Golden Command, communication was possible.

Emissary Ju Zhang immediately understood the old man's intent.

Negotiation?

"May I ask if you are Emissary Ju Zhang?" As Ju Zhang drew out his own Golden Command, the old man's voice emerged from within it.

"I am. Who are you?" Ju Zhang asked.

"Emissary Ju, I am Fan Kai, Left Protector of the Blood God Sect, sent by our Sect Master to propose a deal with you," the old man said.

Upon hearing this, Emissary Ju Zhang exhaled a deep breath of relief—thankfully, it wasn't a counterattack by the current world's pinnacle Qiangzhe —but he did not lower his guard.

"Oh? What kind of deal?" Ju Zhang asked.

"Emissary Ju, first, I must state this: we share a common enemy."

"A common enemy?"

"The human race and the Eight Wilderness barbarians are sworn foes—your mortal enemies.

And our Blood God Sect? We are the thorn in the human race's side, the parasite in their flesh—every time they discover us, they eradicate us. For over a thousand years, we've been forced to flee, hiding in the star realms to survive and grow.

The current-world humans are also our enemies.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend!

By this logic, our Blood God Sect and you, Emissary Ju, are the most natural, most trustworthy allies!" Left Protector Fan Kai smiled.

Emissary Ju Zhang pondered for several breaths, then slowly nodded. "Indeed."

"So you agree there is a foundation for cooperation between our two sides?"

"Of course. What kind of cooperation do you propose, Protector Fan?" Ju Zhang asked directly.

"Emissary Ju, our gift of introduction is these two star realms. What do you think?" Left Protector Fan Kai smiled.

Upon hearing this, Ju Zhang clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Excellent. I like it."

"Glad you approve! Once these two star realms are merged into the ancestral land's cave heaven, they will remain under the rule of our Blood God Sect—but obey orders, not edicts. How does that sound?" Left Protector Fan Kai proposed his first condition.

Ju Zhang considered for several breaths, then agreed. "Agreed."

It meant gaining two vassal states that answered only to military orders—internal affairs, finances, personnel—he could not interfere.

But why refuse two free star realms?

More importantly, integrating these two star realms into the ancestral land's cave heaven held immense significance and benefit—for the cave heaven, and for him.

"Second point: during future campaigns in the current world, all corpses on the battlefield—friend or foe—shall be handed over to our Blood God Sect for disposal," Left Protector Fan Kai proposed his second condition.

"Both friend and foe?" Emissary Ju Zhang asked.

"Precisely."

"Agreed—but add one condition: no one with Sacred Clan bloodline. Not even our own high-ranking officers." Ju Zhang said.

"Fine, but add one condition: no one with Sacred Clan blood, and no high-ranking members of our side." Envoy Ju Zhang said.

Left Protector Fan Kai let out a long laugh. "My conditions are done. Emissary, do you have any demands of your own?"

This meant it was now Ju Zhang's turn to speak.

But Ju Zhang did not speak immediately. After several breaths of thought, he said, "This cooperation seems mutually beneficial—but so far, aside from this grand gift you've offered, I see no tangible advantage for me.

Protector Fan, you must know: without lasting value, cooperation cannot endure."

"Emissary, you likely have very little intelligence on the current-world humans, don't you?

Especially regarding their pinnacle Qiangzhe and various factions?" Left Protector Fan Kai smiled.

Hearing this, Emissary Ju Zhang's gaze sharpened instantly—this was indeed a critical weakness of the Sacred Clan.

Over the years, only a few star realm kings with long-term vision had manipulated human moles—but with negligible results.

As for him, he had only just descended into the ancestral land's cave heaven, which had only recently been unsealed—he had zero intelligence infrastructure.

Cultivating future assets would be extremely difficult.

The Eight Wilderness races differ greatly in appearance from humans; even planting spies is hard. Only a few female barbarians, favored by humans for their beauty, have yielded any results.

Thus, intelligence was his weakest weakness.

Planning for the future in this area would be exceedingly difficult, requiring years of patient groundwork to yield even minor gains.

In short, this Left Protector had struck him squarely on his softest spot with a single sentence.

"Then… do you have arrangements in this area?"

"Emissary, we don't merely have arrangements—we might as well say that in our eyes, the current-world human elite are as porous as sieves!" Left Protector Fan Kai said.

"So confident? I find that hard to believe," Emissary Ju Zhang said, puzzled.

If Fan Kai claimed to have hidden agents among the current-world elite, capable of gathering limited intelligence, he might believe it.

But to say the entire human elite were as transparent as a sieve? He found that implausible.

It sounded like boasting.

"Emissary, don't doubt me. I'll tell you one thing—you'll understand immediately."

"Please continue, Left Protector." "Do you know about human cultivation talent?"

"I know this: unlike our Sacred Clan, where every individual possesses cultivation talent—only bloodline density affects speed—humans are different.

Many humans have no cultivation talent at all, or extremely low talent.

Yet despite their low talent, humans can pursue nearly every cultivation path. Our Eight Wilderness races, by contrast, are restricted by bloodline." Emissary Ju Zhang said.

"Exactly! Then do you know that among humans, even imperial royalty, nobility, and many aristocratic heirs lack cultivation talent?

Even some imperial direct-line descendants have no talent—or so little that they cannot break through to high-rank cultivation later?

Emissary, you know that for a vast empire or family, if no high-level cultivators stand guard—or if the direct line is weak while the collateral line produces a powerhouse—what does that mean?" Left Protector Fan Kai asked.

"Power slips away—or is lost entirely. The entire lineage may be purged."

Emissary Ju Zhang understood this well.

The same occurred within the Sacred Clan: if a lineage failed to produce a pinnacle Qiangzhe, it declined.

If a collateral branch produced a pinnacle Qiangzhe while the main line did not, the collateral branch would swiftly replace the main line.

"Now it's clear! Emissary, our Blood God Sect can solve these problems for them—and become their honored guests!

Tell me, are the current-world elite not sieves in our eyes?"

Emissary Ju Zhang stared, then burst into laughter, clapping his hands. "Indeed! They're sieves—with holes as big as buckets!

Then intelligence matters are yours!

From now on, you remain Left Protector—but as our clan's Left Protector in this world. How?"

Upon hearing this, Envoy Ju Zhang froze, then burst into loud laughter, slapping his palms, "That's right—it's a sieve, and one with huge holes!"

"But I have one more question." Emissary Ju Zhang asked.

"Given the magnitude of this matter, why did you two Protectors come, not the Sect Master himself? Has your Sect Master been sidelined?"

"Emissary, you misunderstand. I already said I came under the Sect Master's orders.

The reason he hasn't appeared is simply that it's inconvenient.

Should opportunity arise, our Sect Master will personally meet you." Left Protector Fan Kai said.

After speaking, he paused for several breaths, then added, "Let me clarify: our Blood God Sect's Sect Master is supreme. There is also a Deputy Sect Master, whose status is equally exalted—he handles affairs on the Sect Master's behalf.

Only then come we two old men."

"I understand. I look forward to the day I meet your Sect Master."

After speaking, Left Protector Fan Kai paused for a few breaths, then added, "To make it clear to the emissary, our Blood God Sect's Grand Master is supreme, and there is also a Deputy Grand Master whose status is equally exalted, routinely handling affairs on behalf of the Grand Master.

We two elderly ones come after them."

"I understand. I look forward to the day when I may meet your sect's Grand Master."

【98】 Having finished, he paused for a few breaths, and Left Protector Fan Kai added, "To make it clear to the envoy, our Blood God Sect's Grand Master is supreme, and there is also a Vice Grand Master, whose status is equally exalted, routinely handling affairs on behalf of the Grand Master.

【99】 Only then come the two of us old men."

【100】 "I understand. Then I look forward to the day I may meet your sect's Grand Master."

"If that's the case, then the Envoy must honor our earlier agreement and swear an oath using the primordial source of the Ancestral Realm!" said Left Protector Fan Kai.

This surprised Envoy Ju Zhang slightly. "Your Blood God Sect even knows of this? Your roots are deeper than I thought."

"Not to conceal it from the Envoy, our Blood God Sect has been passed down for thousands of years—we do have some depth," said Left Protector Fan Kai.

"Very well. Then I shall invoke the primordial source of the Ancestral Realm to swear the oath."

Half an hour later, the Sacred Clan Envoy Ju Zhang, before his subordinates and the Blood God Sect members, invoked the primordial source to swear the oath.

Half a day later, the two altar sky-paths successfully linked to the Ancestral Realm's cave heaven.

After cautious contact, the forces of the Blood God Sect and the Sacred Clan finally lowered their guard.

After the fusion, not only did some of the alien races within these two star domains and many of the Blood God Sect members break through to the Seventh Rank, totaling over a dozen individuals.

More astonishingly, as the two star domains merged into the Ancestral Realm's cave heaven, the seal previously placed upon the Ancestral Realm by a powerful being was once again unsealed—and at the same time, Envoy Ju Zhang's cultivation base was also unsealed.

He directly shattered the limit of Seventh Rank peak and became the Ancestral Realm's first Eighth Rank cultivator.

Simultaneously, the cultivation bases of Ju Zhang's dozen or so close followers also rose due to the fusion of the two star domains.

But the cultivation bases of most Seventh Rank alien races remained unchanged.

Because their cultivation had already reached its natural limit, they could not ascend further.

Afterwards, Envoy Ju Zhang ordered that the two star domains led by the Blood God Sect's two Protectors be established as two cities: Blood Cloud City and Blood Moon City—obeying orders but not receiving imperial edicts.

Notably, after the two star domains merged into the Ancestral Realm's cave heaven, the celestial wills of the heavens and stars within those two domains were not absorbed into the Ancestral Realm—they were taken away by the Left and Right Protectors of the Blood God Sect.

Ju Zhang, though displeased, said nothing.

Within the Chaotic Seventh Rank Star Domain.

All Four Phases of the Worship of the Dipper Sect were present.

No, more accurately, only five were seated.

The sixth was bound to the ground.

The one bound to the ground was Vermilion Phoenix True Person.

Suddenly, three starlight shadows descended from the heavens. The two True Juniors, the Four Phases, and all the Star Officials present rose simultaneously to greet them with full reverence.

"We pay homage to the Sect Master."

"We pay homage to the two Divine Sons!"

After the full ceremonial bow, the Sect Master's shadow waved his hand and took his seat; the others—including the two Divine Sons, the True Juniors, and the Four Phases—stood respectfully beside him.

Then, the Four Phases from each faction presented jade tablets one by one.

Today was the New Year's Day of the Worship of the Dipper Sect, and also the annual Worship of the Dipper Assembly.

It resembled a court assembly!

All the Four Phases were required to report their deeds, achievements, and gains over the past year to the Sect Master.

The Sect Master, though merely a shadow, with a massive seal hovering above his head, glanced briefly at the reports—yet he did not even look at Vermilion Phoenix True Person, bound on the ground.

"My Lord, during Vermilion Phoenix True Person's term, he lost one Star Official's seal! After losing it, he concealed the incident and attempted to flee before New Year's Day. He was discovered and captured by my men, and is now brought before this star domain. Please, my Lord, render judgment," reported the Black Robe, Black Crown True Junior of Punishment and Execution.

"Hmm."

The Worship of the Dipper Sect Master merely glanced at Vermilion Phoenix True Person, then said, "Recently, the Ancestral Realm of the Eight Directions Sacred Clan has been unsealed and successfully linked to many scattered star domains. The celestial patterns and heavenly signs have become utterly chaotic, and the qi fluctuations across all star domains are in extreme disorder. What are your thoughts?"

At these words, the two True Juniors, the Four Phases, and all eligible Star Officials present grew solemn.

After a long silence, the eldest among them, Black Tortoise True Person, suddenly spoke: "My Lord, if so, might this not be understood as a once-in-a-millennium opportunity?"

"You may say so."

"If so, could we not use the sect's secret rites to summon the True God's will to descend, strengthening our sect and opening our sect's cave heaven?" asked Black Tortoise True Person.

"Alas, we lack a sacrifice," the Sect Master chuckled, his gaze falling upon the bound Vermilion Phoenix True Person on the ground.

The latter trembled like a sieve.

"Prepare the altar!"

(End of Chapter)