"Ice Demon, don't tell me you just don't like the guy and you're trying to provoke me into picking a fight with Ye She!" The bald giant glared and spoke in a foul mood.
"Hee hee! Of course not! Weren't you going to see the Sect Master? Now's the perfect time—the Sect Master just finished a blood sacrifice and hasn't started cultivating his qi yet!" The white shadow had been seen through by the giant but simply changed the subject without a care.
The bald giant knew the other party was being dishonest, but could only snort and stride into the darkness.
After winding through several turns and passing through six or seven courtyards, the giant arrived near an enormous and extremely secluded rockery. A look of reverence began to settle onto his face.
"Subordinate Tie Luo pays respects to the Sect Master!" The giant bowed deeply and called out in a loud voice.
"Tie Luo! How did you get injured?"
A middle-aged man's magnetic voice drifted up from the base of the rockery. The Black Fiend Sect Master's seclusion chamber was actually beneath the rockery—something Han Li and the others could never have expected.
"Thank you for the Sect Master's concern. I merely used the Demon Transformation Technique and suffered some depletion of my vital energy!" The bald giant replied cautiously the moment he heard the Black Fiend Sect Master speak.
After the giant finished, the Sect Master did not respond immediately. A long moment passed before his voice came again, cool and unhurried.
"So based on that, this mission was a failure! Otherwise, my In-Name Disciple should have returned with you to report."
"Please forgive me, Sect Master! I failed to protect them properly. The Young Master and Protector Wang have both fallen into enemy hands. I am willing to accept the Sect Master's severe punishment!" The giant gritted his teeth, shame written across his face.
"Punishment? Why would I punish you? If you even had to resort to the Demon Transformation Technique, it simply proves the enemy was genuinely formidable—it wasn't a matter of you not trying hard enough. It was only one disciple and one Protector; it's no great loss. It would have been a real headache if you yourself had fallen into enemy hands!"
"Thank you for the Sect Master's mercy! I will devote myself wholeheartedly to serving the Sect Master in the future to make up for this failure!"
The Black Fiend Sect Master was exceptionally skilled at winning people over. Just a few words left the bald giant deeply moved, and he immediately swore a fervent oath of loyalty.
"Good, very good! But tell me the details of the fight—I want to know which sect this cultivator belongs to, to be so ruthless!" The Black Fiend Sect Master was clearly satisfied with the giant's words, though he still asked with considerable interest about Han Li.
"As you command!" the giant hastened to reply.
"The Foundation Establishment cultivator we were supposed to capture uses a very peculiar technique. He can actually manipulate mechanical beasts like puppets, and they pack quite a punch. At the time..." The bald giant spoke at length, recounting his encounter with Han Li and the subsequent transformation in full detail.
After the giant finished, silence fell beneath the rockery. The Black Fiend Sect Master seemed to be pondering something.
After a while, his cool and emotionless voice came once more.
"The puppets this cultivator controls, based on your description, are most likely puppets from the Thousand Bamboo Sect. This person could be a cultivator of that sect. Some time ago, I heard rumors that a group from the Thousand Bamboo Sect had appeared in the Yuanwu Kingdom—he may have been among them. However, transforming and fleeing immediately on instinct was a wise choice; otherwise, you wouldn't be standing here talking to me," the Black Fiend Sect Master said flatly.
"No way! Even if the other side used a Talisman Treasure, I refuse to believe my demon form couldn't withstand it. If it weren't for the fact that I can't fully control the demon body after transforming, I would have fought them head-on! Even if I couldn't win, I could at least have gotten away unscathed!" the giant protested, unconvinced.
"Tie Luo, I know you once withstood a Talisman Treasure strike unharmed, but the power of such treasures varies enormously. Even Talisman Treasures crafted from the same artifact can differ wildly in might. And from the anomalous phenomenon alone, I can tell that with your current Fiend Demon Avatar, you still couldn't take a single blow from it. If it were Qing Wen's Wood Demon Avatar, there might be a chance," the Black Fiend Sect Master explained, seeming to smile mildly.
"Thank you for the Sect Master's guidance!" The giant still harbored some disbelief inwardly, but outwardly he nodded obediently and expressed his gratitude.
"Sect Master, how should we deal with these cultivators next? Since they're not disciples of the Seven Sects either, why don't we send all Four Blood Servants to capture this one alive and deliver him to the Sect Master for cultivation?" the bald giant said eagerly, clearly harboring plans to exact revenge on Han Li.
"No need. Saying he belongs to the Thousand Bamboo Sect is merely a guess—I can't be entirely certain. He might have companions. And I'm at a critical juncture in my seclusion; I don't want to provoke a powerful enemy. For now, restrain the sect members in the capital and have them all remain in the Imperial Palace. Everything can wait until my technique is complete! Even without Foundation Establishment cultivators for the blood sacrifice, it only delays things by a few months. By then, apart from Core Formation cultivators, no Foundation Establishment cultivator will be worthy of my attention," the Black Fiend Sect Master said, his originally calm tone now carrying a hint of excitement.
The Black Fiend Sect Master's thinking indeed matched exactly what Han Li had anticipated.
"Congratulations to the Sect Master on his technique nearing completion! I will immediately arrange for sect disciples to double their vigilance inside the Imperial Palace and ensure no one disturbs the Sect Master in the slightest," the giant said knowingly in a loud voice.
"Good. Go and make the arrangements."