"Direct Disciple Ye!"

"Senior Brother Ye..."

The next day, dozens of Green Cloud Sect disciples, including Fa Zhen, gathered together. When they saw Ye Chen walking up the mountain path, their eyes lit up, and they quickly rushed to meet him. Seeing that Ye Chen still hadn't figured out the situation, they hurriedly shared the clues they had discovered with him.

"Senior Brother, if we unite and kill all the Misty Sect disciples that entered, we can definitely open the main hall at the summit."

"Senior Brother, you're the strongest. We'll follow your command!"

"That's right, I'm willing too!"

Even Fa Zhen was willing to follow Ye Chen's lead. After all, Ye Chen's strength was clear to everyone. He had been able to tie up the witch, Su Yuxuan, like that. There was nothing to question.

Ye Chen furrowed his brows upon hearing this. Was it really that sinister?

Ye Chen looked at everyone, then after a moment of thought, turned to Fa Zhen and said, "In that case, you go and deal with Su Yuxuan first..."

Fa Zhen was dumbfounded. "Me?"

Big brother, are you trying to get me killed?

Ye Chen wasn't joking anymore. After all, he was a disciple of Green Cloud Sect. He had enjoyed all the benefits that came with being a direct disciple, and he hadn't been shortchanged in any way. If something had to be done, he was more than willing to take the responsibility. He decided to lead everyone with him. They began their ascent.

As news spread, most of the Green Cloud Sect disciples gathered. Whenever they encountered a lone Misty Sect disciple, they swiftly killed them. However, even after all the Green Cloud Sect disciples had gathered, there were still only sixty of them.

Clearly, many had died during the previous night. But in the end, the Green Cloud Sect disciples were finally assembled. Under Ye Chen's command, they began to hunt down the Misty Sect disciples.

On the Misty Sect side, however, there was no leader. Su Yuxuan had disappeared. Several direct disciples had mysteriously died. There was no one left to take charge.

The Misty Sect disciples were scattered, easily being hunted down. The two sects had harbored grudges for a long time.

The Green Cloud Sect disciples were filled with excitement as they slaughtered their enemies. In the span of three days, nearly all of the Misty Sect disciples present had been killed. The blood-colored mist on the giant mountain grew even denser.

However, the main hall at the peak still showed no signs of opening. This caused Ye Chen to furrow his brows. The Green Cloud Sect disciples, who had been united, now looked at the tightly closed hall doors with changing expressions, growing increasingly wary.

The Misty Sect disciples had been mostly wiped out, but it still wasn't enough. Could it be that more must die before the hall would open? For a moment, the atmosphere shifted…

At that moment, Su Yuxuan's silvery laugh rang out. "Senior Brother Ye, we had an agreement to kill our Misty Sect disciples first, and if that wasn't enough, we'd start killing your Green Cloud Sect disciples. I've personally taken care of those few Misty Sect direct disciples. With the leadership gone, it was easy to kill them, wasn't it? But since the doors still haven't opened, it seems it's your turn now, Senior Brother. Hee hee, should I help you out?"

As Su Yuxuan's words fell, the disciples who had been gathered around Ye Chen instinctively took a few steps back, eyeing him with suspicion.

Ye Chen sighed helplessly. In truth, the reason the Misty Sect disciples were so easily killed earlier, Without even a semblance of organized resistance, Ye Chen had already suspected that it was likely Su Yuxuan's doing.

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Now it was clear. To open the main hall, she had sold out over a hundred of her fellow disciples. Now, realizing it wasn't enough, she was trying to sow discord again. Truly, the little demoness with the fifty-fold multiplier.

"I did not cooperate with Su Yuxuan, and I will not act against everyone here."

Ye Chen said seriously.

However, Su Yuxuan's voice rang out again. "Senior Brother, if you don't kill them, the doors won't open, and the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method won't appear. No one will be able to leave. Senior Brother, you have such a bright future ahead of you. Are you really going to stay in this secret realm and wait to die?"

As Su Yuxuan's words provoked the disciples, they instinctively began to distance themselves from Ye Chen. When a leader was needed, Ye Chen's strength made him the most reliable. But when it came down to it, who would want to be trapped in the secret realm for the rest of their life?

Infighting was inevitable. In such a situation, it was naturally better to stay as far from Ye Chen as possible. So, the disciples, once united, now split into small, wary groups, moving further away from Ye Chen.

Ye Chen shook his head. Splitting up was nothing more than seeking death. Aside from anything else, Su Yuxuan would not let them off. And sure enough, that very night, screams echoed from several corners of the main peak.

Sounds of battle rose and fell.

Ye Chen sighed deeply and closed his eyes to rest. The blood mist that enveloped the giant mountain grew denser and denser. It seemed as if it could affect one's mind, stirring the deepest desires within human hearts.

The sounds of slaughter grew louder.

The next day, a few disciples even looked at him with greedy expressions, And came charging at him. The outcome, of course, was clear. But it was also evident that the blood mist had completely clouded the minds of many disciples.

A few hidden disciples from the Misty Sect even emerged voluntarily to join in the killing. In no time, blood flowed like a river.

After three days had passed, the giant mountain seemed to settle into a complete silence. The peak's main hall, which had been eerily quiet, finally began to open slowly.

...

Ye Chen stood before the hall doors, a sense of unease lingering in his mind. He was about to enter when a blood-red shadow suddenly shot past him and into the hall.

"If Senior Brother isn't going in, then I'll go first..."

Before a single breath had passed, the shadow rushed back out.

Su Yuxuan stood next to Ye Chen. "Senior Brother, let's go in together! It feels... a little off inside. I'm scared..." she said with a sweet smile.

Ye Chen's lips twitched. Having come this far, there was no turning back, no matter what. He glanced at Su Yuxuan, then stepped forward to enter. Su Yuxuan followed closely behind.

The hall inside was vast. The dim lights flickered, casting an eerie glow. Once the two of them entered, the hall doors automatically shut behind them.

Neither Ye Chen nor Su Yuxuan paid much attention to it. At the far end of the hall was a table. A blood-red figure sat at the table. In its hand, it casually tossed a jade slip, quietly waiting for their arrival.

As Ye Chen and Su Yuxuan approached, both narrowed their eyes.

The figure was incredibly faint. It wasn't human; it was a ghost. But its soul was red and purple, as if solidified into something tangible. The stench of blood was overwhelming.

As soon as Su Yuxuan saw the figure's face, her eyes widened in shock. "You're Senior Brother Bai?"

Upon hearing Su Yuxuan's words, the red figure immediately grinned. "I didn't expect you to recognize me. Looks like you're Junior Sister! I've been watching you for a long time, Junior Sister. You're so cute and clever. Later, I'm definitely going to enjoy you thoroughly," he said, his grin widening.

Su Yuxuan's expression darkened. "He is Bai Xunhuan, the previous sect master's direct disciple. His talent was monstrous. He entered the secret realm ten years ago and never came out. Everyone thought he was dead..."

"I recognized him from the portraits I've seen," she continued, her voice slightly strained. "Not only was his cultivation level high, but he was also a master of array formations."

Ye Chen nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this. It didn't surprise him that there were survivors from the previous group. After all, it had only been ten years. For cultivators, that was nothing. But what had happened to him? How had he ended up in this form? And more importantly, he had the Earth-Dao Foundation Establishment method. Why hadn't he left?

Bai Xunhuan, noticing their confusion, seemed eager to explain, perhaps from having been alone for ten years. After greedily eyeing Ye Chen's body, he began to share the details of how he had spent these ten years. The incredible things he had done. The slaughter outside had only been to pave the way for him.

In short, Bai Xunhuan had a lot to say. He was eager to share everything with the two of them. To enjoy their shock, awe, and fear.

"You must be really curious about me..."

However, before Bai Xunhuan could finish, Ye Chen slammed his hand forward, sending a massive force into the air. "Shut up! I'm not curious!"

Bai Xunhuan had imagined many things he would say when the moment came for this encounter. But before he could even begin to speak, Ye Chen's interruption crushed his words back down.

Bai Xunhuan clenched his fists in frustration...

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