The words "sect leader" slipped out, and both of them froze. At the same time, they looked toward the portrait hanging on the wall of the hall.

The painting showed only a back view. The figure stood with hands clasped behind his back, as though wielding a flying sword against an enemy. Sword qi poured down like a waterfall, his bearing extraordinary. On his thumb was an iron ring, particularly eye-catching.

The person in the portrait was the legendary founding grandmaster of Devilish Flame Sect. Even Mei Gu had never seen the grandmaster’s true appearance. She could only imagine it and paint a back view for worship.

"I wonder where the sect leader is now... and whether he is safe," Mei Gu said softly.

Zhao Shanran sighed. "The sect leader has not shown himself for so long. He is probably already... Even if he is still alive, he has surely forgotten us completely. Back then, the sect leader merely gathered a few rogue cultivators like us on a whim to establish this sect. We have never even seen his true face. One can imagine what attitude he had toward us."

"Junior Brother, watch your words!" Mei Gu frowned, and she rebuked him sternly without holding back. "Back then we were nothing but rogue cultivators, living day to day, with almost no hope of reaching the Foundation Building Realm. It was the sect leader who passed down cultivation arts and pills, guided us, and allowed us to successfully reach the Foundation Building Realm. He established this sect here and laid down a top-tier array so that we could have a place to survive in the immortal cultivation world.

"Later, during the chaos of Sin Abyss, it was entirely because of the artifacts and pills the sect leader left behind that we managed to kill that Sin Abyss cultivator and obtain the Soul-Chiseling Pill. This kindness is equivalent to giving us a second life. Have you forgotten it all?" Mei Gu flew into a rage.

Zhao Shanran was startled and quickly admitted his mistake. "I misspoke. Please calm down, Senior Sister."

"Go apologize to the sect leader. Don't make this mistake again!" Seeing him admit his fault, Mei Gu waved her hand. "You may go now. Make the necessary arrangements as soon as possible. I will send messages to several friends to ask them to look after things a little. As long as you do not easily leave the sect gate, there is no need to worry too much. Even if Junior Brother Lu has formed a Golden Core, his strength cannot be very great. Yinquan Sect would not dare directly attack our protective array."

After watching Zhao Shanran leave, Mei Gu let out a faint sigh.

Although everything she had said was true, the sect leader had placed the heavy burden on her while acting like a hands-off manager, leaving the sect completely unattended. How could she not harbor some resentment?

But for the sake of maintaining the sect’s morale, she had to stand on the side of righteousness and would never allow anyone to openly criticize the sect leader.

Mei Gu closed the hall and walked toward her cave dwelling. A moment later, Qin Sang quietly appeared inside the hall and admired his own portrait.

These four people had been carefully selected by Daoist Jiupao from among rogue cultivators and possessed exceptional talent. Even so, Qin Sang had not expected that two of them would successfully form Golden Cores.

This was also the first time he had heard of the Soul-Chiseling Pill. It was probably a pill used by the Sin Abyss cultivators to assist with forming a Golden Core. In chaotic times, some people actually benefited from misfortune.

With Qin Sang’s insight, he naturally saw the resentment within Mei Gu's and Zhao Shanran’s hearts. That was only human nature. What truly mattered was their character.

Since he had nothing pressing to do, Qin Sang decided to observe them for a while longer. He already had a plan in mind.

He had to take care of matters in the demonic domain as well and could not divide himself.

The sect leader of Devilish Qingyang Sect currently enjoyed great prestige and was not someone easy to deal with. Unless necessary, Qin Sang did not wish to use special methods and make an enemy of him.

Absorbing the Ancestral Sacred Flame also could not be done secretly the way it had been last time.

Knowing both oneself and the enemy ensured victory in every battle. It would be better to first understand the background of Devilish Qingyang Sect before visiting its sect leader. Since Devilish Flame Sect was subordinate to Devilish Qingyang Sect, Mei Gu would find it easier to interact with their cultivators and gather information.

***

After receiving the orders, Devilish Flame Sect began preparing in full swing.

One month later, a sharp sound of air being torn apart echoed, and several figures descended before Earth Fire Mountain.

Leading them was a Daoist with white hair and a youthful face, the sect leader of Yinquan Sect. Beside him stood a cultivator wearing a hooded cloak.

"This is not the first time I have come to visit," said the sect leader of Yinquan Sect as he sent a command token into the array. His eyes burned with interest as he looked at the Array Eye. "But every time I see your sect’s protective array, it is still so astonishing."

The hooded figure replied calmly, "As long as you help me eliminate those two, Devilish Flame Sect will be under our control. I will naturally honor our agreement."

As he spoke, the mist shifted, revealing a path that led directly to the mountain peak. From afar came Mei Gu’s voice. "Sect Leader Dong has come to visit. Forgive me for not coming out to welcome you sooner."

"It is I who intruded abruptly!" Sect Leader Dong replied loudly. Then he said quietly, "Daoist Lu and Elder Wu will come with me. The rest of you wait outside."

The hooded figure and a burly man followed Sect Leader Dong into Devilish Flame Sect. At the mountain summit, Mei Gu personally led the sect’s disciples to receive them.

"Sect Leader Dong, Daoist Wu..." Mei Gu stepped forward and greeted them one by one. Then her gaze shifted to the hooded figure, and she asked with a smile, "May I ask who this Daoist is?"

"He is an old friend of mine," Sect Leader Dong said. "But he also has deep ties with your sect..."

Before he finished speaking, the hooded figure suddenly ignored everyone and walked straight toward the sect leader’s hall.

"Stop!"

"How dare you!"

Zhao Shanran and the disciples of Devilish Flame Sect erupted in anger. They blocked the hooded figure and drew their swords.

Mei Gu’s expression turned cold. "Sect Leader Dong, this friend of yours seems to lack basic manners! Or do the three Golden Core cultivators among you believe you can act however you wish within our array?"

Sect Leader Dong simply smiled in response. The hooded figure snorted and suddenly removed the cloak. When the disciples of Devilish Flame Sect saw his face, they cried out in shock.

"I have come to pay respects to my master. And you dare block me?" Lu Xing suddenly shouted. The aura of a Golden Core expert burst forth without restraint.

The disciples of Devilish Flame Sect turned pale and were forced back by his pressure.

Zhao Shanran hated him to the bone and cursed angrily. "So it really is you, you heartless traitor! You coveted wealth, murdered your fellow disciple, and still dare return!"

"A mere Foundation Building cultivator dares bark before me." Lu Xing sneered with disdain. "What evidence do you have? I could just as easily say that the two of you murdered Junior Brother Redleaf for the Soul-Chiseling Pill and framed me first to cover your crimes. Fortunately, I was vigilant enough to escape your clutches."

Sect Leader Dong had waited until this moment and stepped forward to smooth things over. "The rights and wrongs of that year will probably never be fully clarified. Only those directly involved know the truth. It is truly regrettable that fellow disciples have become enemies like this. Still, Daoist Lu has never forgotten the sect that raised him. Not long ago, he personally went to Devilish Qingyang Sect to request that the number of disciples demanded from Devilish Flame Sect be reduced by half. This alone proves his sincerity. I believe this at least allows him to pay respects to his master, does it not?"

Lu Xing’s anger instantly turned to a smile. In a gentle tone he said, "I watched all of you grow up. How could I bear to send you to your deaths?"

Hearing this, Zhao Shanran’s face changed drastically. With only a few sentences, Sect Leader Dong and Lu Xing had muddied the truth of the past and now pretended to offer favors. Their malicious intentions were obvious.

Mei Gu remained relatively calm and was about to speak.

At that moment, the doors of the sect leader’s hall suddenly opened on their own. From inside came a calm voice, "When did I ever remember accepting you as my disciple?"