Quinn Shepherd's face darkened—only to realize he had no flesh, and thus no face to darken.
It seemed the Cult of the Heavenly Demon’s traditions were nothing like what he’d imagined. Ambushing the Cult Master wasn’t punished—on the contrary, it was considered a time-honored ‘virtue,’ and every generation of Cult Masters took pride in seizing the throne by treachery!
"I never ambushed anyone. I was chosen directly by the Heavenly Saint Patriarch, who appointed me as Cult Master." Quinn replied, holding his temper.
"Master! Master!"
Cult Master Yulian waved to a young girl and laughed, "The Young Cult Master is here—a real oddball! He didn’t even ambush the previous Cult Master, just sat straight down on the throne!"
The girl stepped out from her own palace, walking over in surprise. "Is that true? You didn’t seduce your master, break his Dao-heart, and make him lose to you in a duel?"
Quinn shook his head. "No. The Heavenly Saint Patriarch made the decision and passed the position to me."
"Ruining the traditions of our Cult of the Heavenly Saint!"
The girl was bright and striking, wearing two large, gleaming silver earrings. She looked at Quinn with some disdain and said, "Outsmarting and outwitting your master—that’s the true tradition of our Cult of the Heavenly Saint! You’ve lost that legacy, how dull! If you don’t challenge your master, how can each generation surpass the last? Your claim to the Cult Master’s seat is illegitimate!"
Quinn was left speechless, unable to utter a word.
This girl must be from the Sykes Family. Judging by the line of succession among the Cult of the Heavenly Demon’s past Cult Masters, she was likely Si Yuanwei, an ancestor of Granny Sue.
Few members of the Sykes Family ever became Cult Master, but there were one or two—Si Yuanwei was one of them.
Si Yuanwei said, "I was originally the Saintess of the Holy Cult. Later, I seduced the Floating Cloud Cult Master, broke his Dao-heart, and he was so moved he declared the Holy Cult would be stronger in my hands than his, so he performed the Crown-Sealing Initiation and passed the teachings to me. You only got the seat thanks to the Patriarch’s backing—your claim is neither proper nor justified!"
Cult Master Zuyang sneered, "Patriarch, the one who passed the position to him was my little martial uncle. Now do you see what a mistake it was to hand the seat to my little uncle? He became the Heavenly Saint Patriarch and ruined our Cult of the Heavenly Saint’s time-honored traditions! This Young Cult Master didn’t even kill or cripple his predecessor, yet still has the face to stand before us!"
Si Yuanwei’s cheeks flushed slightly. "I always thought Wenyuan was handsome enough to tempt me into heart-deviation, so I could seize the Cult Master’s seat. But it turned out your master ambushed me instead. Honestly, Wenyuan’s actions broke my heart—didn’t he die? Call him over so we can ask… Cult Master Hu Jun, have you seen Wenyuan?"
A strikingly handsome, otherworldly man walked over and laughed, "I just saw him—he was being clung to by a big skeleton, claiming to be from the living world, bawling and wailing until he wrung out a flood of tears. By now, who knows where he’s gone to blow his nose. And this is…"
"Our Holy Cult’s new Cult Master."
Si Yuanwei said carelessly, "The Cult Master’s seat was gained improperly—not won in battle, but handed down. How shameful!"
"Is that true?"
Cult Master Hu Jun’s face turned cold and he sneered, "So it’s true—talent comes and goes, but each generation is worse than the last! People’s hearts aren’t what they used to be. If you didn’t win the Holy Cult’s throne by force, can you really hold it?"
“Big words for someone so shameless!”
More former Cult Masters strutted over. One handsome man sneered, "Flourishing, are you? Word is the Everpeace Empire runs the show now—swallowed up the world. How did you make the Holy Cult 'prosper'? What, did you sell us out for glory, playing the emperor’s pet Cult Master?"
Quinn swallowed his anger and smiled, “And who might you be?”
The handsome man snapped open his folding fan with a flourish. "Never visited my Sacred Descent Mountain, the Hall of Yueguang? I am Cult Master Yueguang!"
Quinn burst out laughing. “Never bothered to pay respects in that rotten hall. On Sacred Descent Mountain, I only honor the Woodcutter Sage, the Founding Patriarch, and the Three Kings. The rest of you? Just petty schemers—hardly worth my bow.”
"Such audacity!"
More former Cult Masters arrived—each one a handsome man or stunning maiden. Clearly, the Cult of the Heavenly Demon plays by different rules than the Human Emperor Hall.
The Human Emperors, man or woman, could take the throne, but they never cared for appearances—let their faces wrinkle and fade, rarely chasing eternal youth.
But the Cult Masters of the Heavenly Saint were a different breed. Thanks to the Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra’s Seven Creation Chapters, they could keep their looks forever young—even revert to their teenage selves if they fancied.
Quinn looked around at these Cult Masters—every one of them a youth, radiant and fresh-faced. Even the so-called ancestral founders appeared as teenagers, their vanity on full display.
"I suppose you never paid respects at my Thousand Bones Hall, either?"
Cult Master Wind Qiangu stepped forward, lips curled in a cold sneer. "Your seat was handed down, not seized by your own strength. Illegitimate, and you dare call us petty schemers, unworthy of respect? What exactly do you have that's worthy of respect?"
"That's right! You're not properly enthroned—how do you have the face to meet us, to face our ancestors?"
"You don't respect the rules of the Holy Cult or honor us—the ancestral masters. At your age, isn't that just betraying your teachers and ancestors?"
"Little Cult Master..."
...
“Silence!” Quinn’s anger boiled over as he suddenly barked out a command.
The hall fell quiet.
Quinn burst into laughter, his robe flaring out as he declared, “I inherited the Cult Master’s seat at barely twenty. When I took the throne, the Holy Cult was a wreck—livelihoods ruined, everything in shambles, left to me by Tyson Li. After I took charge, I reformed the laws, allied with Everpeace, drove the Buddhists west, smashed the Daoist gate—two great holy lands bowed their heads!”
“I changed the law, broadened the doctrine, founded academies, created Heavenly Saint Academy, gathered every sect’s divine arts and abilities, and restored the Holy Cult’s good name!”
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“I created the Eighteenth Sword Form, forged my primordial spirit in the Six Directions.”
“Under my leadership, the Cult’s disciples now stride across a hundred thousand li, with millions of cultivators—from the Imperial Preceptor down to street sweepers—members of our Holy Cult in every corner of the empire!”
“And I did all this while still in the Seven Stars realm!”
"I honor the Founding Patriarch, who preached and taught, who founded our cult and established its doctrine."
"I honor the Three Kings Hall’s three virtuous Cult Masters, who sacrificed themselves in crisis and preserved our legacy."
"As for the rest of you?"
Quinn Shepherd sneered, "What merit have you achieved? What doctrine have you established? What cult have you built? You twisted the teachings, corrupted the arts, and left the Holy Cult with the infamy of a demon sect! How could I face our ancestors with such shame? Are your so-called achievements even worth a finger of mine? Are you worthy to be Cult Master? Worthy to be Saint? I did not come here for you. You are nothing but mediocrities, not even worth a glance!"
The hall fell into dead silence.
There were more Holy Cult Masters in Nether City than Human Emperors in the Hall of Sovereigns, but many of them had died violently, their power at death too weak to reach Nether City, so the number here did not actually surpass the emperors.
Even so, nearly thirty Cult Masters had gathered here, forming Nether City’s other great faction—few dared provoke them.
Quinn’s tirade left the crowd reeling, but the atmosphere grew colder than a grave.
Suddenly, the Young Heavenly Demon Patriarch’s voice rang out, laughing, "What’s this? Everyone’s here! I’m late, I’m late!"
Quinn turned to see the Young Patriarch hurrying over, sweat beading on his brow, while the skeletal Dragon Qilin trotted behind, tail wagging with affection.
The Young Patriarch pushed his way through the crowd, sweat pouring down his forehead as he greeted everyone with nervous laughter. "Cult Masters, why so heated? This is the current Holy Cult Master—an outstanding figure of our age, bearer of the Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra from the Stone-Preaching itself. He mustn’t be allowed to die. Quinn came to see me—come, come, let’s go to my place and sit! The disciples have burned all sorts of good things for me."
None of the Cult Masters budged.
Sweating harder, the Young Patriarch tugged Quinn’s sleeve and muttered through clenched teeth, "You went too far—just bow your head, admit your fault to the ancestors…"
"Apologize? Not happening."
Cult Master Zuyang burst out laughing, his voice lazy: "Quinn Shepherd, you’re a tiny thing with thunderous words—left us all stunned, I’ll admit."
The Young Patriarch’s expression shifted—Zuyang’s laughter only meant he was furious.
Quinn smiled, "Cult Master Zuyang, you’re hinting at something. Why not just say it outright?"
The Young Patriarch grew anxious. Zuyang smiled thinly, "A Holy Cult Master earns the throne by force, not by words. Yours was not won properly. Since Tyson Li is dead and you never defeated him, let us old bones stand in his place—let’s see if you have the strength to be Cult Master and Saint!"
The Young Patriarch tugged Quinn’s sleeve, signaling him to refuse.
"Are we fighting at the same realm? To be honest, I just sparred with the Hall of Sovereigns."
Quinn gently brushed his hand away, smiling, "The Human Emperors of the Hall of Sovereigns were legends of their time. Fighting them was no picnic. As for you former Cult Masters, if it’s a contest at equal realm…"
He said coolly, "All of you may attack at once."
Sweat poured down the Young Patriarch’s face like rain.
The old Cult Masters’ faces changed dramatically. Cult Master Yulian chuckled, "Quinn Shepherd, you’re in high spirits, but asking us all to attack at once—aren’t you a bit too cocky? How about I test your skills first?"
Quinn shook his head, "Seems your realm isn’t enough. Each realm is a new sky, every heart a new gate. From the heights, I see you below as clearly as words on my palm, as plain as fire. Letting you all attack together is just respect for my elders. If Yulian wants to go solo, he’s overestimating himself."
The Young Patriarch sighed, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, "Cult Masters and Saints, as Holy Cult Masters, you must keep your word. Please seal your Heaven-Person, Life-Death, and Divine Bridge Treasuries. Whether you fight together or one-on-one, do as you like—I'm not the Cult Master. Do whatever you please."
Yulian was first to seal his Divine Treasuries. He stepped forward, roaring as demonic power exploded from him—his Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra followed the extreme demonic path, a true master of the dark arts. With one stride, he unleashed a string of shadowy demon figures!
"The Grand Fostering Heavenly Demon Sutra is just a fragment of my Overlord Three-Core Art—and you turned it into a demonic path."
Quinn narrowed his eyes, struck out with a lightning-fast palm—"Grand Firmament Star-Palm!"—shattering the demon shadow.
Boom—
Yulian was blasted backward, smashing a man-shaped hole through Zuyang Hall. The thunderous impacts echoed as he crashed through a dozen palace walls, finally erupting in a mushroom cloud miles away, where he came to a stop.
Before anyone could react, Quinn sidestepped behind Zuyang. Zuyang was quick—he lunged forward, turning into a black shadow clinging to the ground.
Quinn stomped the earth—cracks split the ground with a snap! Zuyang was jolted out of his shadow form, just in time to see Quinn’s blade descend. With a roar, Zuyang revealed his Black Tortoise body, but his shield shattered under the blow, sending him flying with his broken shield halves.
Quinn plunged into the crowd of old Cult Masters, his form flickering like a ghost. Each thought they were the target and struck back desperately.
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Bang! Bang! Bang! Explosions echoed as Yueguang’s spell slammed into Wind Qiangu, Wind’s demonic sword pierced Si Yuanwei’s chest, and chaos erupted among the crowd.
The Young Patriarch hurriedly retreated to avoid getting caught in the fray—just as the ground split open and Zuyang Hall shattered under the barrage of divine arts. The broken palace fragments floated into the air, and the combatants leapt among the drifting ruins, sometimes upside-down, sometimes clinging to pillars, transforming into beasts and birds mid-fight!
"You’re using Daoist sword arts, you traitor!" one former Cult Master roared, impaled by hundreds of swords as he crashed headfirst toward the ground.
"Damn it, that’s Great Thunderclap Temple’s technique!"
"Little Jade Capital’s divine arts!"
"What sword form is that?"
Bang! Bang! Bang—
Figures fell, the shattered palace soared higher. On the rooftop’s shattered tiles, Quinn and Cult Master Hu Jun’s figures tangled—Quinn sealed Hu Jun’s five senses with the Human Emperor’s Seal Character Formula, then spun and unleashed the Heaven-Turning Yin–Yang Palm, blasting Hu Jun off the roof, blood spraying as he crashed down.
The jade tiles split apart as Cult Master Yanji tried to ambush Quinn—only to be met head-on by Quinn’s divine art: Sky-Cavern Milky Way Hanging High!
A torrent of stars, powered by Quinn’s palm, crashed down like a galaxy, smashing through Yanji’s technique and slamming both Yanji and the hanging Milky Way into the ground.
Kaboom!
Countless fragments of palace and stone crashed down at once, shaking the earth. The fallen Cult Masters formed a massive palm-shaped crater in the ground.
"Paltry old thieves—can’t even take a single blow."
Quinn landed, brushed off his robe, and smiled at the stunned Young Patriarch. "Patriarch, shall we go to your residence and have a chat?"
—— Four thousand one hundred words in this chapter. Happy New Year to all!