Chapter 26

In the middle of the night, people are usually sleeping, and if not, they’re probably meditating. Opening the back mountain gates didn’t alert anyone, so Bai Yang and his team were able to swiftly enter the Black Cloud Gate.

From there, Bai Yang followed the marks left behind by Elder Qiu, toward the North. After seeing a map of the Black Cloud Gate, he knew that north led to the sect’s Forbidden Grounds, which wasn’t open to outsiders.

The boundary pillar should be there.

Bai Yang brought people to break into the Forbidden Grounds because there are formation arrays in the area as well. Someone else might not be able to get past the arrays. However, the one who came was Xie Ze Tian, one of the Four Demon Generals. He was not only knowledgeable on arrays but, more importantly, he’s strong, so he’ll be able to forcefully break the arrays.

Thus, the group of people smoothly entered the Forbidden Grounds.

However, the Forbidden Grounds were forbidden, after all. Forcing things would be noisy, and would probably alert the sect.

After Bai Yang entered, he found the Forbidden Grounds filled with graves. They should be the tombs of Sect Leaders or elders. If an uninformed person walked in, they might think the Forbidden Grounds were just filled with tombs of elders, without thinking much about it. They might even directly turn and leave.

Bai Yang knew, however, that the boundary pillar was buried in one of the graves.

“Sorry.”

He wouldn’t do it, but he wouldn’t stop it, either. The situation was urgent, and Xie Ze Tian, in accordance with his character, would destroy everything. Bai Yang ordered, “Destroy the graves!”

When the group received his order, they began to break everything.

For a time, every quiet grave was turned upside down.

“Who dares disturb the Forbidden Grounds?”

Just as Bai Yang was about to help, a grave in the middle cracked open. A figure burst out and rushed to attack Bai Yang.

Bai Yang fell back, but several graves busted open in succession around him, and human figures leaped out.

Seeing people leap from the graves, Bai Yang’s pupils contracted—When did they hide inside?

Elder Qiu didn’t mention that, but he didn’t know if it was a mistake or sabotage.

“It’s a demon!” Those who had burst from the graves were alarmed. “Not good. The Demons are invading! They want to destroy the boundary pillar!”

“I will protect the boundary pillar with my life!”

Those people screamed in unison and attacked Bai Yang together, recognizing him as the leader and the strongest of the group. Only by working together to kill him could they even think of killing the rest of the group.

Bai Yang finally got a good look at them. He’d been ambushed by ten old men with receding lines of white hair and old, wrinkly skin. They wore ancient Black Cloud Gate attire.

Suddenly, Bai Yang remembered a forbidden technique. Legend had it that a kind of forbidden technique could allow powerful people to seal their vitality when on the verge of death. They would seal the last of their vitality and skills in their bodies. Later generations would bury their bodies in graves and become a part of the formation, guarding the things the sect wanted to protect. When the formation was touched, these people would briefly come back to life, acting as the formation’s guardian.

Bai Yang never expected that the guardians of the formation would be past generations of Black Cloud Sect Heads.

If you want to protect the formation, then you must sacrifice yourself.

In other words, these ten people volunteered to become a part of the formation in order to protect the boundary pillar.

Bai Yang was touched.

If he could, he would express his admiration and then let them go, but, sadly, his identity was that of one of the Four Demon Generals, Xie Ze Tian. Xie Ze Tian would not allow them to escape, and most certainly would not show admiration for them.

Thus, Bai Yang decided to put forth his best effort. The Forbidden Grounds was in a squall of demonic magic and spiritual energy blew about in the air. Weaker people couldn’t resist the dissipation of their energy.

It was one against ten, but he wasn’t overpowered. This is Xie Ze Tian’s strength.

For a time, they were helpless and stuck in a deadlock. They were equal.

Those ten people were very powerful, but they were still dead, after all, so they wouldn’t be able to maintain that strength for long. When they ran out of energy, they would return to dust and return to the soil.

Bai Yang decided to drag the fight out. After the amount of time it would take to burn a stick of incense, those ten corpses started to become anxious.

“Why has the current Head still not arrived yet?” One of the ten shouted, “The boundary pillar is about to be destroyed! Why are they so indifferent?”

“Could it be that the Black Cloud Gate has already turned to the demons? Are they the ones who let this group of demons in?”

The ten past heads discussed as they fought.

“Don’t waste your energy.” Bai Yang laughed. “Your men let us in, so why would they come to help you? I’d advise you save your energy and obediently return to your graves. I’m willing to let you die with your body intact.”

In fact, Bai Yang admired them, so he was willing to let them die intact. However, the group didn’t appreciate his sentiments. After hearing his words, they attacked even more ferociously.

Yet, when their time was up, the ten corpses instantly disintegrated into drifting ash.

The Forbidden Grounds quieted down and the graveyard was destroyed. Bai Yang couldn’t keep going for much longer himself. If those ten people continued fighting, the one who died would have been Bai Yang.

“Where’s the boundary pillar?” Bai Yang asked, panting.

“Found it!” Someone in the far distance shouted.

Bai Yang flew to them and saw a grave being cut open. Instead of a coffin, there was a black stone tablet in its place.

The boundary pillar was hidden in the grave.

Bai Yang didn’t hesitate to lift a hand and hit the stone tablet. The black tablet cracked, shattering into thousands of shards.

Voices could be heard outside of the Forbidden Grounds, and the formation was broken. About four or five people rushed in, probably the elders and the sect Head who felt a change in the Forbidden Grounds.

When they arrived, they found the Forbidden Ground had been completely destroyed. They were mad enough to go crazy. Without a word, they rushed to attack Bai Yang.

“Demon bastards, hand over your lives!”

Bai Yang had little strength left, so he fell back. His subordinates stood in front of him, beginning battle with the opposing four men.

“The boundary pillar has been destroyed, retreat!” Bai Yang ordered. Their mission was to destroy the boundary pillar, so, with that completed, there was no need to kill more people.

Of course, that was Bai Yang’s wishful thinking.

“You’re not allowed to leave! Give us your lives!” The four people didn’t comply nor forgive.

Bai Yang didn’t want to hurt them, so he didn’t give it his all. He backed away as he fought, seeking an opportunity to escape.

In the midst of chaos, Bai Yang saw a suspicious figure at the entrance of the Forbidden Grounds.

A vague idea flashed through Bai Yang’s consciousness, so he shouted: “Be careful!”

This sentence was said to the four people, but unfortunately, they regarded him as an enemy and didn’t take his words to heart.

In the dark, four silent lights of silver flashed through the air and quickly embedded themselves into the backs of the four people.

They gave out horrific screams as they fell from the air to the ground and died.

“Lord Xie, are you okay?” The person who attacked them asked in a concerted manner, flattery stretched across their face. It was Elder Qiu.

“Why did you come from behind like that?” Bai Yang was furious and was disgusted with the sneak attack.

“Lord Xie, I was saving you!” Elder Qiu said.

Bai Yang took a deep breath. Considering everything, it was stupid to ask Elder Qiu something like that. It was out of Xie Ze Tian’s character. Why would Xie Ze Tian question Elder Qiu for four irrelevant enemies?

“I didn’t need your help!” Bai Yang resisted his own anger. “With this Lord’s skills, would this Lord not be able to handle those few people?! Are you implying that this Lord is incompetent by needing your help?!”

Elder Qiu was shocked, “Lord Xie, I swear I had no such intention! I just wanted to help you!”

Both people knew that Elder Qiu helped not for Xie Ze Tian, but for himself. As long as those people were dead, he could be justified in becoming the Black Cloud Sect’s Head.

“Fine. The mission’s already complete, let’s get out of here.” They were already dead and no amount of words could change that fact. Bai Yang waved his hand, ordering his subordinates to leave with him.

“This subordinate will send Lord Xie off.” Elder Qiu said, loyally.