A Farmer's Journey To Immortality

Chapter 825: Turmoil Within the Demonic Faction

Wild Devil Lands. The Blackblood Demon Sect.

Dark mountains surrounded the sect grounds from every direction.

Rivers of black water flowed through deep valleys.

Countless demonic beasts roamed the wilderness beyond the sect’s borders.

Yet despite its ominous appearance, the Blackblood Demon Sect was currently enjoying one of the most stable periods in its recent history.

The internal conflict that followed the death of Blackblood Lord had already been settled for the most part.

The ambitious elders had either submitted or been removed via various silent and violent means.

The disciples had accepted their new leader. And the sect itself continued to grow stronger.

At the center of the sect grounds stood a massive black palace.

This palace had once belonged to the late Blackblood Lord. Now it belonged to his son.

Haitin Blackblood.

Inside a spacious study room, Haitin sat behind a large desk made from ancient blackwood.

The desk itself had once been used by his father. Various jade slips, reports, and ledgers were neatly arranged on its surface.

Sunlight entered through the wide windows and illuminated the room.

Haitin quietly looked through a report while resting one hand on the armrest of his chair.

Compared to the past, his bearing had changed considerably. His face had become calmer. His gaze had become deeper.

The aura surrounding him was no longer that of a Foundation Establishment Expert.

He had already crossed the bottleneck. He was now a genuine Core Formation Lord.

A true Lord of the Dadangar Subcontinent.

Yet nobody outside a very small circle knew about it.

Across from him stood an elderly sect elder.

The elder respectfully bowed before beginning his report.

"Sect Master, this month’s resource harvest has already been completed."

Haitin nodded.

"Continue."

The elder immediately opened a jade slip.

"The southern territories produced slightly more Blood Spirit Grass than expected."

"The affiliated demon sects also delivered their annual quotas on schedule."

"The Iron Fang Sect has contributed three hundred spirit stones, twenty barrels of demon 2nd Order beast blood, and several batches of medicinal herbs."

Haitin listened quietly.

The elder continued.

"The Crimson Bone Sect has also requested additional protection against beast attacks along their borders."

"I’ve already sent several disciples to investigate."

"Good," Haitin replied calmly.

The elder nodded and moved to the next matter.

"Several disciples have shown outstanding talent recently."

He pulled out another jade slip.

"Disciple Varan has reached the peak of Spirit Gathering."

"Disciple Selka has successfully cultivated the Blood Shadow Technique to the second stage."

"There are also several outer disciples who have shown exceptional progress."

The elder handed the list over.

"I recommend increasing their resource allocation."

Haitin glanced through the names.

After a few moments, he nodded.

"Approve it."

The elder smiled slightly.

"Understood."

The report continued for quite some time.

Sect finances.

Resource production.

Disciplinary issues.

Territory disputes.

Training schedules.

Everything was discussed one after another.

Eventually, the elder’s expression became more respectful.

"Lastly, Sect Master."

Haitin raised his eyes.

The elder produced several storage rings.

"These are gifts from the inner circle elders."

Haitin immediately understood what that meant.

The inner circle elders were among the few people who knew his true cultivation level.

They knew he had become a Core Formation Lord.

And they also understood what that meant for the future of the Blackblood Demon Sect.

The elder carefully placed the storage rings on the desk.

"Various cultivation resources."

"Rare medicinal ingredients."

"Several vessel bloodline enhancement materials."

"And some congratulatory gifts."

Haitin looked at the storage rings silently.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

He had indeed benefited greatly from the recent changes affecting the Dao Paths of the Dadangar Subcontinent.

The opening of the Dao Paths had not guaranteed success.

Far from it.

The Pain Penance test still remained brutal.

The Dejection Demon test was still deadly.

Countless Foundation Establishment Experts would continue to fail.

Many would still die.

However, the final Heavenly Tribulation had become much fairer than before.

For those with sufficient talent and enough preparation, the chances of success had increased greatly.

And Haitin was exactly such a cultivator.

He had inherited his father’s talent. He had inherited his father’s techniques. More importantly, he had inherited his father’s responsibilities.

He was already talented and smart. But over the past few years, he had matured considerably. The weight of leading an entire sect had forced him to grow.

Eventually, he had crossed the final step and become a Lord. Yet instead of celebrating publicly, he had chosen secrecy.

Haitin’s fingers lightly tapped the desk.

His eyes became colder.

The Mroot Yaksha Sect.

That name still lingered in his mind.

His father’s death was not something he had forgotten.

Nor had he forgotten the external forces that had tried to interfere in Blackblood Demon Sect’s affairs afterward.

Some enemies were obvious. Others preferred to hide in the shadows. The hidden ones were far more dangerous.

That was why he had concealed his breakthrough.

If the outside world believed the Blackblood Demon Sect still lacked a Lord, certain people would eventually become impatient.

And impatient enemies often exposed themselves.

A snake hiding inside a hole was difficult to kill. But once it came out to bite, it could be crushed.

Haitin leaned back slightly.

His gaze drifted toward the distant mountains outside the window. The Wild Devil Lands looked peaceful.

But he knew better.

The entire Dadangar Subcontinent was changing.

The recent rise in successful breakthroughs was only the beginning.

Soon, new Lords would emerge. Old powers would grow stronger. Hidden powers would reveal themselves.

And conflict would inevitably follow.

The elder standing before him noticed Haitin’s silence and cautiously asked,

"Sect Master, is there anything else you wish to order?"

Haitin returned his attention to the room.

A calm smile appeared on his face.

"No."

He slowly closed the jade slip in his hand.

"For now, we continue as usual."

The elder bowed deeply.

"As you command."

After the elder departed, the study room became quiet once more.

Haitin remained seated behind his father’s desk.

His eyes slowly narrowed.

The bait had already been placed.

Now he simply needed patience.

Sooner or later, whoever was watching the Blackblood Demon Sect from the shadows would make a move.

And when that happened—

The hunter and the prey would finally reveal their true identities.

A few moments later, a faint ripple appeared in the shadows near one of the walls.

A woman stepped out.

She wore dark crimson robes decorated with black patterns. Her long black hair was tied into a neat ponytail. Her sharp eyes constantly seemed to be observing everything around her.

This woman was one of the most trusted elders in the Blackblood Demon Sect.

She was Elder Selene Bloodmist. She was in charge of the sect’s intelligence network. Her spies were spread across the Wild Devil Lands and even beyond the territories controlled by the demonic faction.

She immediately bowed.

"Sect Master."

Haitin gestured toward a nearby chair.

"Sit."

Selene nodded and sat down.

Unlike the previous elder, she did not waste time with formalities. Her expression became serious immediately.

"There are several important matters that require your attention."

Haitin’s gaze sharpened.

"Report."

Selene took out a jade slip.

"The first matter concerns the Mroot Yaksha Sect."

Haitin’s expression remained calm. However, his eyes became slightly colder. Selene continued.

"Their recent activities near our border territories have increased noticeably. They have been moving disciples around under various excuses."

"Resource inspections."

"Trade escorts."

"Joint patrols."

"Small-scale demon beast hunts."

She paused briefly.

"None of these activities violate any existing agreements."

"But collectively, the pattern is unusual."

Haitin slowly nodded.

"How unusual?"

Selene answered immediately.

"Enough that I would consider it deliberate."

Haitin had expected as much.

The Mroot Yaksha Sect had never truly stopped looking at the Blackblood Demon Sect. The death of Blackblood Lord had once made them believe they could gain influence over the sect.

Unfortunately for them, Haitin had stabilized the situation much faster than anyone expected. Selene continued.

"Two sect elders stationed near border territories have also died recently."

Haitin raised an eyebrow.

"Cause?"

"Unknown."

Selene’s voice remained calm.

"One died during a routine patrol. The other disappeared entirely. Only his broken artifact was recovered."

Haitin frowned.

"And the disciples? Several have disappeared as well."

Selene’s expression darkened slightly.

"Nothing large enough to create panic. However, the timing is suspicious."

The room became quiet. After a few moments, Haitin spoke.

"Continue monitoring them."

"Yes, Sect Master."

Selene immediately moved to the next report.

"The second matter concerns the rest of the subcontinent."

Haitin’s attention sharpened. The intelligence elder continued.

"There is turmoil everywhere. Nothing major has happened openly yet. But many unusual events are occurring simultaneously.

"Assassinations. Disappearances. Secret investigations. Political shifts. Resource movements. Unexpected alliances."

She shook her head.

"Individually, none of these incidents seem connected. But together, they paint an unsettling picture."

Haitin narrowed his eyes. Selene continued.

"The most significant incident involves Eastern Limiya Gate."

"An assassination attempt was made against White Limiya Lord Dahlia Whitejade."

Haitin immediately straightened slightly. That was no small matter. A Lord was not easy to kill. The fact that someone had attempted it was already shocking.

"The attempt failed," Selene said.

"But Dahlia was reportedly injured."

"She only recently recovered."

Haitin remained silent, allowing Selene to continue.

"Another major event concerns the Kaan Kingdom. Prince Arven is dead."

This time, even Haitin showed visible surprise.

"Arven? Wasn’t he supposed to be Kaan Kingdom’s only late-stage Expert level prince?"

Selene nodded.

"Yes."

"The exact details remain unclear. However, the deaths appear to be related to a 4th Order formation."

Haitin’s fingers stopped moving. A 4th Order formation. That was not something ordinary cultivators could casually use. Even many Lords would struggle to acquire such a thing.

"Interesting," Haitin muttered.

Selene nodded.

"The Eastern Limiya Gate is already investigating. However, the royal family appears unwilling to cooperate fully."

Haitin slowly rubbed his chin and pondered for a bit. The more reports he heard, the less normal the situation seemed.

Selene continued speaking.

"Many believe these events will eventually affect Eastern Limiya Gate significantly. However, I must emphasize something."

Her voice became slightly heavier.

"The demonic faction is not immune."

Haitin looked at her as if he already knew what she was going to say. Selene nodded seriously.

"Conflicts among smaller demon sects have increased noticeably."

"Territory disputes. Resource conflicts, and more. The usual. You must have been briefed a bit by that old foggy earlier. So you must already know what I’m talking about."

She sighed softly.

"The Three Major Demonic Sects have not suffered much so far. Neither have we. Not really. But that may only be temporary."

Haitin remained quiet. Selene continued.

"Something is changing across the Dadangar Subcontinent. Many factions seem to be moving in secret. And nobody appears to understand the full picture."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The afternoon sunlight continued shining through the windows. Outside, disciples could be seen training in distant courtyards.

Everything appeared peaceful. Yet the reports painted a completely different image. Eventually, Haitin spoke.

"Increase our intelligence operations."

Selene immediately nodded.

"I already anticipated that order. Additional agents have been deployed."

"Good. That’s why I hired you to be the head of intelligence."

Haitin slowly stood up from his chair and walked toward the window. His gaze drifted toward the distant mountains.

The Wild Devil Lands looked calm.

Too calm. He had spent enough time in politics to know that true danger often appeared during periods of apparent peace. The greatest storms often arrived without warning.

Behind him, Selene quietly waited.

After several moments, Haitin finally spoke.

"Also, keep watching the Mroot Yaksha Sect."

"Yes."

"Keep watching the righteous factions as well."

"Yes."

"Most importantly," Haitin said coldly, "find out who benefits from all this chaos."

Selene’s eyes narrowed slightly. She understood immediately. Whenever confusion spread across an entire region, someone usually stood behind it.

Someone was pulling strings. Someone was moving pieces across the board.

The real question was whether that hidden player was strong enough to threaten the entire subcontinent.

Haitin already knew that the recent turmoil couldn’t be the work of a single entity. There had to be a powerful organization working behind the scenes. However, since he didn’t know the existence of the royal faction and its true depth, he could only make some guesswork based on new findings.

Selene stood up and bowed.

"This subordinate understands."

As she disappeared back into the shadows, Haitin remained standing by the window. A cold look slowly appeared in his eyes.

The Dadangar Subcontinent was changing. And whatever was coming next—

Would likely affect every major power, whether righteous or demonic.