The Supreme Elders exchanged glances and smiled faintly.
One of them said, "Indeed. We are a cultivation sect, cultivation spans long years, our control over disciples has never been strict. Many disciples who venture outside encounter fortuitous opportunities. Since Yun Jin has obtained one, we naturally welcome it."
"That's right. WujI, there's no need to cling to such trivial matters."
"Lin Ya, bring out some good wine, let's continue watching. I'd like to see just what kind of background this Wushuang Sect has."
"Very well." Lin Ya immediately took out the wine. The elders sat down comfortably, drinking while watching the projection.
Not one of them invited Zhao Wuji to join.
Zhao Wuji's complexion shifted slightly.
He let out a cold laugh.
He indeed no longer had a place in this Tianxing Sect.
His father had only encountered a minor accident, and these people already treated him, the Sect Master, as nonexistent.
Very well.
When the time came, he would have no mercy!
Zhao Wuji coldly snorted and left Heavenly Sword Peak.
Yet beneath his calm exterior lay a sense of urgency.
Who knew what tricks this Yun Jin was playing now?
His plans had failed time and again because of her.
This time.
While Yun Jin was absent from the sect, it would be best to eliminate Lin Ya and the others before her return.
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes.
Fortunately, he hadn't tied himself to a single pillar and still had options left. Otherwise, he would really be cornered with nowhere to go.
He didn't even bother watching the projection in the sky any further. Returning to his chambers, he changed clothes and quietly departed Tianxing Sect.
Everything was nearly prepared, it's time to act.
A hundred kilometers from Tianxing Sect.
Deep within a mountain.
Zhao Wuji circled the mountain once before stopping at a stone wall.
After manipulating something upon it, the wall split apart, revealing a pitch-black tunnel.
Zhao Wuji entered.
After walking some distance, a staircase leading downward appeared.
Zhao Wuji expressionlessly descended step by step.
At the very bottom, a heavy stench of blood assaulted him, the cavern glowed with eerie red light.
Before him stretched a vast open area.
In that space stood numerous pillars.
Each pillar had a person bound to it.
Some had veins bulging violently across their bodies, screaming in agony.
Others were entirely blood-red, writhing and howling.
They were originally human, but none could retain a human appearance any longer. They resembled monsters more than men.
Across the open ground, dozens of cultivators practiced an unknown technique.
Each bore an expression of extreme pain, letting out cries from time to time.
But if any dared to stop, black-clad figures would lashed them mercilessly with whips.
"Continue cultivating! Who allowed you to stop?!" The black-clad figure said furiously.
The cultivators had no choice but to resume cultivating.
Occasionally, their eyes flickered toward the bound "monsters" upon the pillars, fear deepening in their expressions.
They all knew...
That would be their future.
"How is this batch of experiments progressing?" Zhao Wuji asked coldly, utterly accustomed to the scene.
"Deacon Zhao." The black-clad figures cupped their fists in greeting. "The Blood Qi Art is too difficult. The one who endured the longest lasted only three days, with most perishing within a few hours. This batch is new and has just begun cultivation, but it doesn't look promising."
Zhao Wuji sneered, "Their aptitude is simply too poor."
He did possess one successful case.
And that was Gu Jinghong.
Compared to these wandering cultivators that were captured at random, Gu Jinghong's talent was far superior.
That was Zhao Wuji's first time experimenting on a sect disciple. For secrecy, he had personally taken Gu Jinghong as a disciple.
Gu Jinghong also didn't disappoint him and actually managed to cultivate the Blood Qi Art successfully.
Zhao Wuji meticulously recorded the entire process. In the end, he discovered that although Gu Jinghong hadn't exploded to death, he suffered immense negative emotional backlash. The later stages became increasingly difficult to advance.
It fell short of Zhao Wuji's envisioned perfection.
He had originally wanted to continue experimenting on Gu Jinghong.
Who could've thought, a Yun Jin appeared and ruined his entire plan.
By directly exposing Gu Jinghong's cultivation of the Blood Qi Art, Zhao Wuji wanted to eliminate that experimental subject and prevent future complications.
Unexpectedly, Yun Jin actually preserved Gu Jinghong's life through a master-servant contract.
But it didn't matter.
Cultivating such a sinister method had already destroyed Gu Jinghong's foundation, his lifespan wouldn't be long.
It's only unfortunate that Zhao Wuji had lost a research subject.
As for these wandering cultivators that were caught from everywhere, their fates were far more miserable.
Zhao Wuji had secretly researched the Blood Qi Art for centuries, although he had gained some insights, not a single truly successful case had emerged.
"These wandering cultivators are useless now," Zhao Wuji said coldly. "Since Gu Jinghong succeeded, then selecting disciples of higher talent for experimentation is the best approach."
The black-clad figures exchanged uneasy looks.
One said cautiously, "Deacon Zhao, our Lord wants to develop Canglan Kingdom as a base, it is best to keep these actions discreet. Capturing wandering cultivators goes unnoticed. But if we seize sect disciples, exposure risks attracting the Demon-Destroying Alliance."
Zhao Wuji laughed coldly, "Didn't our Lord say this region is under my full authority?! Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. We won't touch disciples of other sects for now. But do you recall my identity?"
The black-clad figures paused.
They naturally knew.
Zhao Wuji was also the Sect Master of Tianxing Sect.
For years, that identity had granted them immense convenience.
A cruel light flashed in Zhao Wuji's eyes, "This time, I will sacrifice the entire Tianxing Sect! In this region, there are only two mid-tier sects, and they are far apart. If we move quickly, the others won't be able to react in time. We will sacrifice part of Tianxing Sect and take the most talented disciples as experimental subjects. Afterward, I will abandon this place and head directly to headquarters to meet our Lord!"
"With an entire mid-tier sect as tribute, surely our Lord will not mind my actions."
At that moment, Zhao Wuji's aura turned utterly sinister.
The several black-clad figures looked at one another.
They too were demonic cultivators, but most sought power for themselves. Although ruthless toward strangers, none dared to face former acquaintances.
Zhao Wuji was different.
He wanted to use his entire sect as stepping stones.
"Well? Any objections?" Zhao Wuji asked coldly.
They all shook their heads in silence.