"What is Brother Zhang looking for?" Lin Feng whispered from the cart.
"Looking for a slogan."
"What slogan?"
"Create a masterpiece project, pursue an extraordinary life."
"?"
Zhang Ze really was looking for a slogan because this Demon Sect stronghold in front of him was too much like a construction site.
According to common sense, as the Demon Sect are like rats in the gutter.
Nine times out of ten, the entrance is just a stone wall that requires various complex and secretive methods to open.
Their locations are mostly in deep valleys, mountain caves, or dense forests.
It's said that the headquarters of the Hundred Demons Sect, which both Spiritual Snake and Blood Lion belong to, is located within an Earth Vein.
Legend has it that unless summoned by the Demon Sect itself, no one can find it.
The Six Righteous Sects have been searching for this Demon Cave for years without success.
So, in the stereotypical impression of every Righteous Sect cultivator, a Demon Sect's stronghold must be hidden, damp, gloomy, and nauseating.
A place where you trigger 800 traps with every step.
But the new stronghold of the Spiritual Snake Helm was full of vitality and competition among all things.
They were constructing tall buildings and building gate towers.
They were shouting slogans and moving bricks.
Two cultivators from the Spiritual Snake Helm were, with the help of a demon beast, driving wooden stakes deep into the ground.
Although this place was indeed secluded, hard to detect.
But once these buildings are completed in the future, any Golden Core Realm cultivator would be able to see this place from above.
Anyone unaware might think they're a newly established Righteous Sect.
Or that the Beast Taming Sect was setting up a new base.
This was truly unreasonable.
The latest edition of "Demon Sect Annihilation Guide" clearly states.
Although the Spiritual Snake Helm of the Hundred Demons Sect has been destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly, with internal strife and annexation by other Demon Helms, the current Helm Leader is the hundred and third generation.
But this lineage has always been about poison.
To them, the purpose of demon beasts is to extract cores and refine poison.
Then use it to refine themselves with their poison skills.
To achieve the realm of transforming into a snake demon, poisoning to become a dragon.
Although none of the 103 Helm Leaders have succeeded.
But because they hunt demon beasts in large numbers.
Since the birth of the Spiritual Snake Helm, they have been the key target of the Beast Taming Sect's crackdown.
Now, the Spiritual Snake Helm raising demon beasts is like abandoning their ancestry and reversing the Heavenly Gang.
Zhang Ze grabbed a Qi Cultivation Stage demon path cultivator from the roadside, pointing at the gate tower and wooden blocks.
"I've been gone for half a month, what the hell are you guys making?"
Perhaps from being yanked too hard, this cultivator was quite indignant.
"None of your damn business, who the hell are you, get... Bro, bro, I'm wrong."
"You're my dear brother, let's calm down, don't self-destruct."
Seeing Zhang Ze retract his Blood Killing Technique gesture, the demon path disciple breathed a sigh of relief.
His eyes darted around, he licked his lips, and began to talk.
"Big brother should've been away for quite some time."
"While digging a new stronghold dungeon sometime ago, we found something new."
"I just took a glance, it's a statue of a big snake."
"They say it's an ancient secret treasure."
"The Helm Leader said with that thing, our Spiritual Snake Helm could infiltrate the Righteous Path."
"Become a mole!"
"Though not sure how, a few Righteous Sect cultivators did indeed fly over our heads a few days ago."
"They didn't notice us at all, scared me half to death."
"Now every night, the Helm Leader gives us lectures."
"Talking to us for days on how to speak with those idiots... those senior brothers of the Sword Sect."
"Not that I'm saying, but you've got it rough, buddy, looking like this, you probably can't play a good guy."
"But don't worry, stick with me, I'll help you steal a few Sword Manuals from the Sword Sect...."
"Dad, dad, you're my brother, I'm your son, please don't self-destruct at the drop of a hat."
After letting go of the chatty demon path cultivator, a task progress notification popped up before Zhang Ze's eyes.
[Hidden Task Activated, Unawakened Spiritual Snake, task progress 30%]
As for why Wang He remained ignorant of such a big deal, perhaps all those unlucky teammates of his intended to wait until they were whitewashed before taking him down.
Zhang Ze very much wanted to turn around and report this to his master.
But while coming along this path, he had feigned at least twenty times that he'd torture Lin Feng for three days and nights.
If he blew his cover by not seeing the act through, it would be very troublesome.
It's best not to use that trump card if possible.
Forget it, take it one step at a time.
Spiritual Snake Helm, Council Hall.
The hall was dimly lit, with no candles lit.
Not because the Spiritual Snake Taoist tried to affect a demonic air, but because resources were tight recently, so they saved on unnecessary things.
Calculating recent expenses and income, the Spiritual Snake Taoist felt a growing headache.
Because of intensive training and construction, most disciples were working on the site.
With more oxen and horses on site, fewer people were running business outside the Outer Sect.
Recently not only have they stopped making tributes, but they also had to distribute spirit stones to those people.
Fortunately, the spirit stones maintaining the statue could last a long time.
The headquarters of the Hundred Demons Sect has given him a strict order to infiltrate the Righteous Path, and the key to the plan's success lies in that statue.
It was unclear at what stage the living blood sacrifice experiment had reached.
If successful, it could save a significant expense.
After all, mortal lives are insignificant.
"Just right, fewer mouths to feed, huh."
The Spiritual Snake Taoist left the council hall in the dark, hands clasped behind his back, drifting deeper in.
At the end of the corridor in the hall, spirit stones were everywhere; these were all the Spiritual Snake Helm's savings for this generation.
A broken and half-finished statue of a Spiritual Snake was placed in the center of the hall.
The snake's mouth twinkled with fluorescence as the spiritual power from the spirit stones was slowly absorbed by the giant snake.
A few demon path cultivators were handling spirit stones depleted of spiritual energy in the corner of the hall.
Though costly, this eerie Spiritual Snake statue was indeed an ancient treasure artifact.
Not only could it weave illusions but also control demon beasts, and even assist the owner in calculating cultivation techniques.
The Spiritual Snake Taoist caressed the Spiritual Snake statue, which had been completely refined for himself, and smiled with satisfaction.
In about half a month's time, the entire valley would be shrouded by an illusion woven by the statue.
Then, he would have plenty of time.
To make the Spiritual Snake Helm suddenly rise as a Righteous Sect.
...
"These people are for experiments?" Zhang Ze asked.
"Y-Yes, sir." The jailer nodded with clasped hands.
The dungeon had been transformed from a deep pit and now contained at least a hundred mortals.
On the way down, Zhang Ze utilized his excellent negotiation skills, coupled with a bit of intimidation, to understand the general course of events.
He learned that amidst the spirit stone-laden room was a Spiritual Snake statue.
He realized the fate of the commoners here.
The jailer stationed here mistook the fearsome-looking man as a confidant of the Helm Leader.
He continued his incessant chatter about his recent deeds.
Hopeful that the fearsome man would speak well of him in front of the Helm Leader.
So he could be assigned some freakier tasks.
[Hidden Task Activated, Unawakened Spiritual Snake task progress 50%]
[Thousand Mechanism City relevant side quest refreshed (hidden)]
[Hidden Task, Infiltration]
Zhang Ze fell silent.
After a while, Zhang Ze spoke.
"Blow it up, blow the whole fucking place up."