Chapter 72: The Demonic Minions

In the underground chamber beneath the banks of the Black Dragon River, the blood-red face upon the altar had grown dim.
“Damn it! That young black dragon would rather destroy the last shred of its spiritual consciousness than let me seize it!”
The blood-red visage was furious, its rage surging.
Just a moment more, and it would have snatched the dragon pearl, using it to escape its confinement and descend upon this land once more.
Alas, the dragon pearl’s final resistance had shattered its manifested blood-red hand, leaving it weak and depleted—the energy within the blood pool had been drained by more than ninety percent. It could no longer manifest, nor traverse the dozens, even hundreds, of miles to retrieve the dragon pearl.
Moreover, its consciousness had reached the limit of breaking the seal; without the power of the blood pool, it could not hold out much longer.
The next moment, the demon lord suppressed below gazed at the master of the Dark Demon Cult and said, “I grant you power. Bring back the dragon pearl, and you shall be richly rewarded!”
Suddenly, the blood-red face dissolved into a streak of crimson light, crossing the short distance and surging into the body of the cult master.
“Ah…”
The master of the Dark Demon Cult was first delighted, then overwhelmed as the terrifying blood-red energy flooded his form.
In that moment, strands of crimson energy forcefully opened new acupoints, transforming them into blood-colored spiritual cavities. His physical body changed visibly: locks of crimson hair fell, his eyes reddened, his nails sharpened, and a terrifying aura emanated from him.
In the blink of an eye, the demon lord had used the remnant blood energy to open hundreds of spiritual cavities within the cult master.
These cavities vaguely formed a sinister, twisted demonic pattern, refining a stream of pure demonic essence.
When his aura finally settled, he had been forcibly elevated to a human-demon, his demonic energy vast as the sea, reaching the level of a human-tier powerhouse.
Though this forcibly ascended human-demon lacked the skills and techniques of true human-tier experts, he was nevertheless the weakest of their rank.
“Thank you, Demon Lord. I will seize the dragon pearl and present it to you, wishing your escape and your return to dominance over the world.”
After pledging his loyalty, the master of the Dark Demon Cult strode out of the underground chamber, pursuing the direction in which the dragon pearl had fled.
Meanwhile, at the site where the dragon pearl had fallen…
When the leader of the Black Dragon Society revealed his identity, all the warriors and representatives of the various factions fell silent.
They were shocked to learn that the Black Dragon Society was a force of the Heavenly Wind Empire.
Though the dragon pearl was a treasure that drove all the warriors mad with desire, in the face of the Heavenly Wind Empire, they were but ants, unable to contend with such a power.
To seize the dragon pearl and break through the encirclement was a feat beyond any faction.
Even should one escape by luck, they would face relentless pursuit from the empire.
Openly, few dared provoke the Heavenly Wind Empire or fight for such a peerless treasure.
Of course, if someone could exterminate the Black Dragon Society and all the other factions present, taking the dragon pearl for themselves, the empire might never learn of its fate.
Otherwise, only those unaffiliated warriors would dare such a reckless gamble, disregarding the pursuit of the empire and its allies; the other great clans and factions would not risk incurring such catastrophic wrath.
The leader of the Black Dragon Society already regarded the dragon pearl as his own.

He believed no faction dared challenge the Black Dragon Society for the pearl.
The millstone-sized dragon pearl was heavy, weighing at least several hundred or even a thousand pounds, shrouded in mysterious energy that prevented it from being stored in a spatial ring.
“Carry it away!”
He ordered two covert guards to lift the dragon pearl.
The other factions and warriors could only watch helplessly as the peerless treasure was taken away.
“Stop right there!”
A thunderous voice suddenly rolled across the scene.
Those warriors of lesser cultivation found themselves dizzy and their true energy agitated, their chests so stifled they nearly spat blood.
A streak of blood-red light shot from the distant horizon.
The master of the Dark Demon Cult arrived, striding through the air, each step spanning dozens or hundreds of yards, his aura boundless.
In that instant, he felt a surge of pride and exhilaration.
This was the power of a human-demon.
He savored the sensation of walking through the sky, as if the world were in his grasp, towering above all.
He looked down upon the thousands of warriors below as if they were ants.
“Hand over the dragon pearl!”
At this moment, the cult master’s presence carried a hint of majesty—the aura of a true powerhouse.
“You are the leader of the Dark Demon Cult!”
The Black Dragon Society’s leader asked gravely.
“Indeed.”
The cult master nodded, sizing up the leader. “And you must be the mysterious head of the Black Dragon Society. Who would have thought we’d meet at this moment?”
The distant warriors and factions watched with fear and anxiety.
None had expected the cult leader to be a human-tier powerhouse.
Such a person could sweep through all the warriors present single-handedly; resistance would be futile.
This was the terror of a human-tier expert!
Some factions and warriors tried to flee, afraid of being caught in the conflict.
Others paled, knowing that the dragon pearl was such a sensational treasure that, if news spread, the cult leader might slaughter them all to silence witnesses.
Just then, a figure like lightning raced in from afar.

The next moment, Yi Tian appeared before everyone, startling the gathered factions.
Such speed—it was terrifying!
Even the Black Dragon Society’s leader and the hovering cult master took note of Yi Tian’s arrival.
After all, Yi Tian’s full display of his Feather Flight technique was shocking.
Even the cult master’s pupils contracted.
Though he could stride through the air, catching up to Yi Tian’s speed was impossible, even if Yi Tian was running on the ground.
“It’s him—the strongest in Black Dragon City now, Yi Tian!”
The warriors of the eight great clans immediately recognized him.
Others soon realized his identity as well—this was the warrior who, just months ago, had shaken the city by single-handedly killing several peak ninth-tier experts.
“Yet now the title of Black Dragon City’s strongest must pass to another!”
Some warriors who resented Yi Tian took pleasure in his predicament.
Now, the undisputed strongest in Black Dragon City was the master of the Dark Demon Cult—a human-tier powerhouse.
But neither the cult master nor the Black Dragon Society’s mysterious leader paid Yi Tian much attention, merely glancing at him and dismissing him from their thoughts.
“Are you certain you want to seize this dragon pearl? The Black Dragon Society acts for the Heavenly Wind Empire, on a mission personally set by the Heavenly Wind Emperor. You dare not provoke us—leave at once!”
The Black Dragon Society’s leader, deeply wary, was forced to invoke the empire’s name once more.
He believed that no human-tier powerhouse would dare challenge the Heavenly Wind Empire; after all, the empire had two or three dozen generals of human-tier rank, stationed across the various provinces, borders, and the imperial capital—a formidable foundation.
The only thing that concerned him was that the cult leader might ruthlessly slaughter everyone present, sealing the secret, so even the empire would not know who took the dragon pearl.
“Hahaha… What is the Heavenly Wind Empire to me? This dragon pearl is mine—Canglang claims it!”
Suddenly, the cult master’s aura shifted; a terrifying black demonic energy surged forth, sweeping across several miles, as if a demon god had descended.
The Black Dragon Society’s leader was aghast and exclaimed, “You’ve succumbed to the demon!”
“Hahaha, indeed!”
The cult master declared with wild pride, “Behold—the power of the demon! It is exquisite!”
“Damn it!”
The leader of the Black Dragon Society’s face darkened to an extreme.
The cult master had succumbed to the demon, joined the demon race, becoming its servant—a human-demon, a traitor to humanity, a willing claw of the demon race.