In the dimly lit hall, the Howling Demon Sect Master, draped in a black robe, lounged comfortably upon a throne of bones. The skeletal throne was adorned with countless palm-sized human and animal remains, each gleaming with an eerie luster.
The Howling Demon Sect Master sat there, his pale fingers lightly tapping the armrest of the throne, producing a rhythmic *dong-dong-dong* that echoed through the silent hall.
“Come.”
“Again.” Finally, the Howling Demon Sect Master steadied his emotions, sitting upright on the throne before beginning to perform an arcane ritual.
Instantly, his face—covered in fine, scaly armor—twisted in agony. Shadows began to emerge from beneath his black robe, one after another—figures of men, women, demons, and monstrous beasts. Though silent, their screams reverberated through the hall, distorting the very space around them.
His black robe bulged and writhed as if something were struggling beneath, even forming the vague outlines of heads.
“Ahhh!” The Howling Demon Sect Master groaned in pain. This secret technique was truly excruciating to cultivate!
“You wish to refine us?”
“Die.”
“You will never succeed.”
“Perish.”
“I curse you with my life—DIE!”
Nine spectral figures surrounded the Howling Demon Sect Master, each snarling in fury. Among them was a white-haired man—Chi Qiu Bai. Though still conscious, he was consumed by rage and killing intent. Amidst the struggle of countless souls, he had endured to this day, becoming one of the nine strongest wills.
“Keh keh keh, you think you can threaten me?” The Howling Demon Sect Master let out a grating laugh. “You weaklings dare oppose me? Soon, I will refine all of you into my flesh. My Bloodfiend Body will be perfected, and then I—ARGH!”
He cried out in pain once more.
“*The Bloodfiend Codex* truly lives up to its legendary reputation. The agony of cultivation is unbearable.” Yet madness burned in his eyes. To reach the Fourth Heaven God realm in a place like the Abyss of Darkness, one had to be utterly ruthless, with a will beyond ordinary.
“You will die.”
“You *must* die.”
The nine wills—including Chi Qiu Bai—hated the Howling Demon Sect Master with every fiber of their being. The torment they had endured over thirty thousand years was something they never wished to recall.
“Keh keh keh…” Despite the unbearable pain, the Howling Demon Sect Master felt exhilarated.
Because he was cultivating *The Bloodfiend Codex*.
Of course, he only possessed the first volume.
In the Abyss of Darkness, only the second volume had ever surfaced, claimed by the ‘Annihilation Emperor.’ Yet without the first volume, he could not even begin mastering it. However, the Annihilation Emperor was a genius beyond compare—he actually developed his own supreme technique based on the second volume alone, even ascending to the level of a Paragon. His infamy spread throughout the Abyss, and some even considered him the closest to becoming a Sovereign.
Though his achievements were largely due to his own talent, *The Bloodfiend Codex* gained immense fame because of him.
“In my search for transcendence, I ventured into countless perilous realms. Never did I expect to find the legendary first volume of *The Bloodfiend Codex*!” The Howling Demon Sect Master was overjoyed. “Though incomplete, it is enough for cultivation below the True God level. More importantly, the first volume allows one to *begin*—unlike the Annihilation Emperor. *This* is the true path of the Bloodfiend Body!”
“But cultivation is truly difficult.”
The Bloodfiend Body was notoriously arduous to master. After thirty thousand years, the Howling Demon Sect Master had reached the final step—only the nine strongest wills remained out of countless souls. One last push, and he would succeed.
“The Annihilation Emperor’s self-created technique may possess the Bloodfiend Body’s brutality and evil, but it lacks its undying nature.” The Howling Demon Sect Master mused. “Though his talent is extraordinary, his technique still falls short compared to the ancient *Bloodfiend Codex*.”
“If I can reach the level of a Great Power, the first volume alone will allow me to dominate among True Gods. Then, I can seek the second volume from the Annihilation Emperor and unify the two.” He dared not approach the Annihilation Emperor now, but the first volume was sufficient—the second volume was for post-True God cultivation.
“ARGH!”
The Howling Demon Sect Master halted his ritual. The nine spectral figures—including Chi Qiu Bai—were swiftly absorbed back into his body. His face and hands, once covered in scaly armor, were now torn and skeletal. The pain of cultivation was beyond ordinary suffering.
“Almost there. If all goes well, another thirty thousand years should suffice.” He knew the final step was the hardest. According to *The Bloodfiend Codex*, haste could lead to disaster—his divine heart might be devoured by the nine wills! Though he would only lose a clone, the countless souls and materials gathered would be wasted. Starting over was possible, but success was far less likely the second time. The records stated that no one had ever succeeded after a third attempt.
—
A black ship sailed through the Abyss of Darkness, descending deeper into its layered worlds.
Dongbo Xueying stood at the prow, transmitting a message through the ring on his finger via the Bloodblade Tavern’s internal network:
“I need intelligence on the Howling Demon Sect Master—especially the locations of his true body and clones.”
A flood of information arrived instantly.
“He is a Fourth Heaven God, the ruler of the 37th layer of the Abyss. His surroundings are shielded from detection. Currently, we have no data on his true body or clones.”
“Can you investigate further?”
The Bloodblade Tavern also dealt in intelligence.
“A master of the Karmic Dao must be hired for tracking. The cost is 10 million contribution points or the equivalent in divine crystals.”
“Agreed.”
As a Bloodblade Hall Master, Dongbo Xueying received a salary every hundred million years—using contribution points was more economical.
Just as the Nine Suns Palace Master had once tracked down Palace Master Mo Xue, locating the Howling Demon Sect Master required someone who knew him personally and was skilled in the Karmic Dao.
After over half an hour, the Bloodblade Tavern replied:
“The Howling Demon Sect Master has two bodies—one resides in his lair, the ‘Sea of Bones,’ while the other is exploring the ruins of ‘Three-Headed Divine Mountain’ in the Abyss of Darkness.”
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