Chapter 77: The Holy Blood Sect

The rapid growth of Shaolin Temple had finally triggered a strong sense of unease in another sect on Mount Zhongyue: the Zhongyue Sect.

"Shizhi, we cannot sit back and watch Shaolin grow any further. Three days, just three days, and Shaolin already has more than thirty monks. At this rate, within two months they will have hundreds. Moreover, I've gathered that these new monks all have some martial arts skill, and their abbot even gathered them all for a sermon, drumming on the wooden fish for over an hour. And yet, each one of them is now wholeheartedly devoted to Shaolin! If this continues, it won't be long before Shaolin becomes the number one sect of Mount Shaoshi and we lose our position!" the disciple said anxiously.

The leader of Zhongyue Sect, Master Aomiao, paced back and forth in the hall, visibly shaken.

"Shaolin is not as easy to deal with anymore," he muttered. "I've heard that they've recently built the Arhat Hall, with Yue Shan as its head. He was once at the same level as I am—post-natal late stage. But recently, somehow, he has broken through to the peak of post-natal perfection. In the past, I could have handled him, but now, with him at this level and with that mysterious and powerful abbot of Shaolin, we have no chance."

"What can we do?" he sighed. "I thought of seeking the help of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, but they're busy with the new mission to track down the runaway princess Zhao Yuanji. Even Zhongyue Sect has sent people to assist them, leaving no energy to deal with Shaolin. Yet, watching Shaolin grow like this, we cannot just let it happen."

After a moment of deep thought, he slammed his palm on the table. "Send a message to the Holy Blood Sect in Henan. Tell them we'll join forces to destroy Shaolin!"

The disciple who had suggested the plan flinched. "Master, but... isn't that the demonic sect?"

"So what if it's a demonic sect?" Master Aomiao replied with a sneer. "The Holy Blood Sect is made up of people, too. They only care about money. As long as we eliminate Shaolin and give them enough gold, who would know it was us behind it?"

The disciple hesitated. "But still... this doesn't seem quite right. What if we first try inviting Shaolin to join the Heavenly Dao Alliance? If they agree, great. If not, we can use other methods."

Aomiao glanced at his disciple and shook his head. "Inviting Shaolin to join the Heavenly Dao Alliance? That would only make them more powerful. They are growing fast, and with the alliance's favor, they could easily surpass us. If we do that, it will only hurt Zhongyue Sect more. We cannot shoot ourselves in the foot like that. We will proceed with my plan."

The decision was final. Though his disciple was reluctant, he had no choice but to send someone to the Holy Blood Sect in Henan.

No matter which sect one belonged to, none could match the absolute power of the Holy Blood Sect.

People from the Holy Blood Sect never called their sect by its infamous name, 'Demonic Sect.' Instead, they called it the 'Holy Sect.'

The Holy Blood Sect, originally founded by the Blood Demon lineage, had a long and bloody history.

No one was sure why, but there could only be one Blood Demon at any given time in the martial world. The first Blood Demon appeared hundreds of years ago, and after founding the sect, he died not long after.

Each subsequent Blood Demon heir took on the role of sect leader, mastering a unique and terrifying technique called the Blood Transformation Skill. Most Blood Demons were among the world's top martial artists, and under their leadership, the sect's ranks swelled with followers.

In some regions, followers of the Holy Blood Sect even outnumbered those of Buddhism and Daoism.

The sect's methods were brutal, and each Blood Demon was known for their ruthless nature. They would kill anyone who opposed them without hesitation, which made them countless enemies. After generations of bloodshed, the Holy Blood Sect became the sworn enemy of the righteous factions.

However, the situation changed with the last generation's Blood Demon, the White-Haired Blood Demon Ding Bu'er.

Ding Bu'er was the most talented martial artist on record. After inheriting the Blood Demon mantle, he mastered the Blood Transformation Skill in less than three years, a feat that took others decades. Unsatisfied with his current strength, he continued to refine his martial arts, creating the Blood Shadow Divine Art and the Star Absorption Technique.

With these new abilities, Ding Bu'er became the undisputed number one martial artist in the world. However, his cruelty knew no bounds. He wiped out entire sects that had previously opposed him, killing over a thousand people in his wake.

His brutal reign eventually provoked a backlash from the righteous sects. The Righteous Alliance was formed, and thousands of martial artists besieged the Holy Blood Sect's headquarters on Mount Tian. After a day-long battle, Ding Bu'er was injured and forced to flee, but the damage to the Holy Blood Sect was done.

Years later, Ding Bu'er reappeared, slaughtering the top ten experts of the Righteous Alliance. It was said that, at this point, Ding Bu'er had reached the pinnacle of innate perfection.

However, after this massacre, Ding Bu'er disappeared once again. Despite expectations, no new Blood Demon rose to take his place, and discussions about his fate have continued for over a century. Was he dead or simply in hiding?

Without a Blood Demon, the Holy Blood Sect lost its central leadership, though the name of the sect remained unchanged.

The current leader of the Holy Blood Sect was Mo Tianxie, who was said to have achieved profound power in the late innate stage. He spent most of his time in seclusion at the sect's headquarters, researching ancient martial arts.

Meanwhile, the sect's day-to-day affairs were managed by his two trusted aides, known as the 'Two Saints,' both of whom were pinnacle martial artists of the middle innate stage.

In addition to the Two Saints, the Holy Blood Sect had many other powerful figures, including three Elders who ignored worldly matters and the Four Guardians, each of whom was a martial artist at the peak of the middle innate stage.

These nine individuals formed the core of the Holy Blood Sect's leadership. Beneath them were the Five Element Demon Soldiers, the sect's armed forces divided into five armies: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. Each army was led by one of the Five Extremes, the most trusted members of the sect.

Finally, the sect had numerous halls and sub-sects, spread across the provinces. Each hall was led by a top innate martial artist, and each sub-sect by a martial artist at the peak of the post-natal stage.

In Henan, the sect's sub-sect was led by Zhu Huan, known as the 'Eight-Armed Demon.' He was an expert in hidden weapons, and his subordinates included four stewards, all of whom were late post-natal stage experts, as well as several hundred disciples.

Zhu Huan had received an offer from Zhongyue Sect, promising fifty thousand taels of silver for their help in destroying Shaolin. However, Zhu Huan was reluctant to immediately accept.

"Has there been any change in Dengfeng?" Zhu Huan asked one of his stewards.

"No, Master. The Holy Maiden still lives in Lvyecun and goes to Shaolin every day to burn incense and pray. Our people have been watching, and it seems she is quite close with Shaolin's abbot."

Zhu Huan sighed deeply. "The Holy Maiden believes in Buddhism, and Shaolin has been performing miracles. Of course, she would choose to stay there. But this complicates things. If we attack Shaolin now, it will anger the Holy Maiden, and I cannot afford that."

One of the stewards suggested, "In that case, we can simply tell the Zhongyue Sect envoy that we are not interested in the deal."

"Ten thousand taels of silver, and you're backing out?" Zhu Huan scoffed. "No, we will send Mo Fenghuang. She should go to Shaolin and find a way to disgrace the abbot in front of the Holy Maiden. Once the Holy Maiden loses faith in Shaolin, we can act without worry."

"The witch Mo Fenghuang?" one steward asked, wide-eyed.

Zhu Huan grinned, "Yes, even I find it hard to resist her charms. She's certainly skilled."

"She's skilled, but I've never heard that she's been involved with anyone."

"Not yet, but she's one of the most dangerous women in the world. Be careful, or she might steal your soul."