Chapter 730: Sect Master (II)
The Evilheart Sect now belonged to him. Although Cao Hongchang had stepped down from being sect master, he had not left the Evilheart Sect. Instead, he remained as its vice sect master. He still needed Xiao Zhe's unique divine ability to deal with the yao will that would corrupt him again in the future. Even if Lin Zheyu tried to drive him away, Cao Hongchang would probably shamelessly insist on staying.
"As for you, you may obtain my help for half the usual contribution points," he said, looking at Kong Yujing.
After all, Kong Yujing was the first demonic cultivator to follow him, and her conscientious service had left him with a favorable impression.
"Yes, Master! Thank you for your favor. From now on, I will devote myself entirely to your service and brave any danger on your behalf!" Kong Yujing exclaimed, her face lighting up with delight.
"All right, you may leave now." Lin Zheyu waved his hand and said, "Have the people waiting outside come in."
It was time to deal with the corrupting yao will afflicting the members of the Evilheart Sect. Otherwise, they would be unable to bring out their true strength as demonic cultivators. Once their problems were resolved, they would also work harder on Lin Zheyu's behalf.
I'll ask Cao Hongchang about the current situation in the Chaotic Star Sea later and see if there is any chance to unite the entire region under my rule, Lin Zheyu thought.
As his strength increased, so did his need for cultivation resources. Having a powerful force behind him to gather resources and intelligence would make things much more convenient. The Evilheart Sect currently had five demonic cultivators with Golden Core realm strength, eight False Core realm demonic cultivators, and twenty-eight demonic cultivators with Foundation Establishment realm strength.
Previously, Kong Yujing had led two Golden Core realm demonic cultivators and more than a dozen Foundation Establishment realm demonic cultivators in pledging allegiance to Lin Zheyu. There were not many others left, so Lin Zheyu dealt with them quickly and finished within a few days, even though he had deliberately slowed himself down.
"Their numbers are a little low. Cultivation in the Yao Dao progresses much faster than that of ordinary cultivators. If they cultivate without regard for the consequences, large numbers of powerful demonic cultivators can be produced within several years or, at most, a little over a decade. However, that is only if they do not die along the way or have their minds completely devoured by the yao will and become demon puppets.
"If I purge the corrupting yao will from them at regular intervals, they will be able to cultivate recklessly without any reservations. That would allow me to rapidly produce a group of powerful demonic cultivators within a short time," Lin Zheyu mused.
The Evilheart Sect still had too few powerful cultivators. If he wanted to unite the Chaotic Star Sea under his rule, this handful of Golden Core realm cultivators would not be enough.
"Yun Long!" Lin Zheyu called calmly.
"At your command!"
A young man strode inside and knelt respectfully on the ground, his eyes filled with fervor. After suffering greatly from the yao will, the new sect master had finally allowed him to experience that sense of ease and freedom once more. This was something even the former sect master, now the vice sect master, had been unable to accomplish.
"Pass down my orders. Select one hundred Qi Refining realm cultivators of the Yao Dao with good aptitude and latent potential. I will personally train them," Lin Zheyu instructed calmly.
He wanted to test whether this plan was feasible and see exactly how quickly demonic cultivators could progress. If they advanced quickly enough, he would train them himself. If the results proved unsatisfactory, he would recruit them from elsewhere. In any case, there was no shortage of demonic cultivators in this world. Many cultivators who lacked sufficient natural talent or a powerful background chose the path of demonic cultivation so they could continue growing stronger and gain the means to survive more comfortably in this world.
As long as he spread the word, he would not have to worry about a lack of demonic cultivators coming to pledge their allegiance. However, the tallest tree attracted the strongest winds. If Lin Zheyu did this, he could easily draw the attention of those with ulterior motives. It would be troublesome if he aroused the curiosity of a Deity Transformation realm powerhouse who wanted to study his unique divine ability.
"Yes, Sect Master!" Yun Long replied respectfully.
He rose excitedly, then vanished from the spot with a slight blur. After arranging the sect's affairs, Lin Zheyu returned to the imitation Yao Demon Nest at the center of the island. He strolled directly into the dense black mist as casually as if he were walking through a garden. Sensing his arrival, the surrounding mist parted before him.
Fellow friend, let us continue, Lin Zheyu said through voice transmission to Cao Hongchang, who was cultivating in seclusion to recover from his injuries.
Even though the core chamber was sealed off, his spiritual sense still penetrated its barrier and carried his voice to Cao Hongchang's ears.
Cao Hongchang was speechless upon hearing that and his eyes snapped open. The moment they did, savage killing intent flickered uncontrollably in their depths, but he suppressed it as soon as it appeared. He had already grown accustomed to these interruptions, though he still could not completely rid himself of the violent instincts of a demonic cultivator.
"All right," Cao Hongchang replied in a somewhat aged and hoarse voice.
His hands rapidly formed a series of seals. The surrounding mist began churning violently once more, and the tightly sealed door to the core chamber suddenly opened.
"By the way, there is something I would like to ask your opinion on," Lin Zheyu suddenly said.
His consultative tone, as though he were genuinely seeking Cao Hongchang's opinion, made Cao Hongchang pause in surprise. Ever since their first meeting, Cao Hongchang had experienced firsthand just how insufferable Fellow Xiao Zhe could be. Hearing him speak in such a manner now immediately put him on guard.
This bastard isn't plotting something even worse, is he? Cao Hongchang narrowed his eyes and stared warily at Lin Zheyu.
Sensing Cao Hongchang's guarded stare, Lin Zheyu could not help clearing his throat. "Ahem. We are now the sect master and vice sect master of the same sect. There is no need to be so wary of me."
Cao Hongchang glanced sidelong at Lin Zheyu, a faint sneer curling his lips.
Nevertheless, he replied calmly, "Go ahead."
"How familiar are you with the current situation in the Chaotic Star Sea? If we joined forces, would it be possible to unite the Chaotic Star Sea under our rule?" Lin Zheyu asked with a smile.
This time, he truly had no intention of taking advantage of Cao Hongchang. Although Cao Hongchang had often inadvertently revealed a gloomy expression and even savage killing intent over the past few days, he had also grown increasingly cooperative. No one was a sage. A person should be judged by their actions rather than their thoughts, for no one would be blameless if judged by their thoughts alone. Since Cao Hongchang had been so cooperative, Lin Zheyu could hardly continue exploiting him at every opportunity.
Of course, Cao Hongchang had already been fleeced nearly bare, so there was hardly anything left for Lin Zheyu to take even if he wanted to continue. However, that was definitely not the main reason. The real reason was Lin Zheyu's recognition and respect, as sect master of the Evilheart Sect, for Cao Hongchang as his vice sect master. Yes, that was undoubtedly the reason.
"You want to unite the Chaotic Star Sea?" Cao Hongchang's eyes widened upon hearing this.
Good grief, Fellow Xiao Zhe's ambitions were far greater than he had imagined.
"That is impossible. Even a Deity Transformation realm powerhouse could not unite the Chaotic Star Sea. This isn't feasible unless you are powerful enough to disregard both Great Wei and the sea clans entirely," Cao Hongchang replied with a slight shake of his head.
As a buffer between Great Wei and the sea clans, the Chaotic Star Sea's current state of disorder was exactly what both sides wanted. Any powerhouse who dared establish dominion there and unite the entire Chaotic Star Sea would face the crushing might of both Great Wei and the sea clans of the Eastern Sea.
With only a brief explanation from Cao Hongchang, Lin Zheyu immediately grasped the crux of the issue. "I see. I failed to consider the matter thoroughly."
After pondering for a moment, he continued, "If uniting the Chaotic Star Sea is impossible, what about supplanting another faction and becoming one of its most powerful forces?"
"Becoming one of its most powerful factions would be difficult. Each of the three highest-ranked factions in the Chaotic Star Sea is backed by an old monster at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm. Are you confident you can withstand the fury of a peak Nascent Soul realm powerhouse, fellow friend?" Cao Hongchang narrowed his eyes and asked tentatively, his words carrying a deeper meaning.
He could not see through Lin Zheyu's true strength. During their previous battle, Cao Hongchang had sensed that he was holding something in reserve and had not unleashed his full power. That was why he was so wary of him and dared not openly fall out with him.
"The peak of the Nascent Soul realm would indeed pose some difficulty. However, if I had another few years, it would not be impossible," Lin Zheyu remarked softly.
Cao Hongchang was startled by these words, but some doubt remained in his heart. He had good reason to suspect that an insufferable bastard like Xiao Zhe was merely bluffing to draw out information from him.
Within the Nascent Soul realm, the disparity in strength between each minor realm was astonishing. If Xiao Zhe could truly attain strength comparable to the peak of the Nascent Soul realm within a few years, then he had to be at least in the late Nascent Soul realm already. For a late Nascent Soul realm powerhouse, dealing with a mere early Nascent Soul realm demonic cultivator like Cao Hongchang would be no different from bullying a child.
"If a faction had a mid-stage Nascent Soul realm powerhouse overseeing it, roughly where would it rank in the Chaotic Star Sea?" Lin Zheyu asked with a smile.