The Predators’ Council

The white-robed woman stood in the void, gazing at the sprawling mountain range before her. She flipped her hand, and a bronze token appeared in her palm. As she channeled her Yuan power into it, the token began to grow hot.

“Huum~~” The token burned with heat.

This mountain range was actually the lair of the Blood God Church—the ‘Bloodlake Mountains.’ The mountain range was layered with countless restrictive formations, so dense that even the Beishan clan of Anchan could do nothing about it.

Within the mountains.

In a towering hall, a jade bed emanated faint strands of cyan light. A blood-robed man sat cross-legged upon it, his eyes tinged with a bloody light. He was the leader of the Blood God Church—the ‘Bloodshadow God’!

“Hmm?” The Bloodshadow God frowned. He flipped his hand as well, and a bronze token appeared in his palm. It, too, was growing searingly hot.

The Bloodshadow God was startled. He instantly vanished from the jade bed.

He reappeared in the air above the mountain range. Following the guidance of the token, he spotted the white-robed woman in the distance. With a single step, he arrived before her and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Envoy.”

“Another returning Void cultivator in your Anchan Commandery is undergoing his tribulation,” the white-robed woman said calmly. “It is the Returning Void Earth Immortal ‘Diancai Immortal’ of the Black-White College. This is the detailed intelligence.” She produced a beast-hide scroll and tossed it directly to the Bloodshadow God before him, who accepted it respectfully.

The white-robed woman glanced at the Bloodshadow God, then gave a cold snort before drifting away, vanishing into the distant void.

The Bloodshadow God stood in midair, holding the beast-hide scroll, watching the white-clad envoy leave with a cold gaze. “Just a white-robed envoy, putting on airs in front of me? If it weren’t for the power behind you, I could crush you with a flick of my hand.”

“Rustle.” The Bloodshadow God unfurled the beast-hide scroll. It detailed the complete route map to the Diancai Immortal’s tribulation site.

“It’s actually in a minor world, with the entrance located in the North Sea?” The Bloodshadow God trembled with a chill. “Just how all-knowing is this mysterious force? How do they even know about such a secret tribulation site?”

His contact with this mysterious force had only begun in the past thirty years.

But the more contact he had, the more terrifying he found them.

With only a small amount of assistance from this mysterious force, the Blood God Church had gained the strength to contend with the ‘Anchan Beishan clan.’ Although their foundation wasn’t as deep as the Beishan clan’s, the Beishan clan could not destroy the Blood God Church.

“They’ve already given me information on two Tribulation Transcending Earth Immortals. This is the third time,” the Bloodshadow God frowned. “How do they know?”

A spy?

The Bloodshadow God didn’t believe it.

Earth Immortals undergoing tribulation were extremely cautious. The protectors they invited were absolutely trusted! Some Earth Immortals even used spatial teleportation to bring their protectors directly to the tribulation site, so the protectors themselves didn’t know the exact location. Ji Ning and the Wufeng Immortal, for example, weren’t clear on it. The island entrance to that minor world was somewhere in the vast North Sea.

“How do they know?”

“It’s inconceivable. I’ve heard that the currents of the Three Realms are turbulent now, and the heavenly secrets are chaotic. Figuring out a tribulation site through divination is nearly impossible.” The Bloodshadow God was puzzled. Under normal circumstances, powerful figures in the Three Realms could easily deduce a thing or two with a snap of their fingers. But with the heavenly secrets in chaos now, it was impossible.

“No wonder they don’t put the Grand Xia Dynasty in their eyes. No wonder they’re stirring up the entire dynasty.” The Bloodshadow God mused to himself. “Whatever. I don’t intend to be their enemy anyway. I just need to use their power to make myself stronger, and to make my Blood God Church stronger.”

“Right. This Diancai Immortal is from the Black-White College, and the Black-White College is the right arm of the Anchan Beishan clan. Their most loyal hound! I must take this chance to eliminate him.” The Bloodshadow God nodded to himself.

Although the white-robed envoy had delivered the intelligence, she wouldn’t order the Bloodshadow God to do anything.

Whether to kill or not was entirely voluntary for the Bloodshadow God. If he didn’t want to act, the mysterious force wouldn’t care.

“Whoosh.”

The Bloodshadow God returned to his hall.

“Summon the seven Guardian Law-Kings to see me immediately,” the Bloodshadow God ordered from his high jade bed.

“Yes, Lord.” The attendant acknowledged respectfully.

Soon.

Seven black-robed Guardian Law-Kings arrived.

“Greetings,教主 (Cult Leader),” the seven black-robed Law-Kings said respectfully.

“The Diancai Immortal of the Black-White College is undergoing his tribulation. The Black-White College is the most loyal hound of the Anchan Beishan clan. This Diancai Immortal must be eliminated,” the Bloodshadow God ordered calmly. “This time, the Immortals of the Black-White College are all inside the college. His protectors are likely his disciple, Ji Ning, and the strongest of the Black-White College, the Wufeng Immortal.”

“You will accompany me to kill these three from the Black-White College,” the Bloodshadow God said. “Without these three, the Black-White College will suffer a crippling blow, effectively cutting off one of the Anchan Beishan clan’s arms.”

“Cult Leader, just the seven of us going with you? Isn’t that too few? I’ve heard that Ji Ning disappeared for over thirty years and might have become a disciple of a powerful figure in the Three Realms.”

“The Black-White College isn’t easy to mess with. Even if the seven of us and you go, even if we succeed, I fear some of us might fall.”

The seven Law-Kings hesitated.

The Bloodshadow God said calmly, “Rest assured. I, your leader, naturally have absolute certainty. Would I let the seven Law-Kings take risks?”

The seven Law-Kings all looked up at the Bloodshadow God.

“Hmph.” The Bloodshadow God let out a cold snort. He flipped his hand, and a small black boat appeared in his palm.

“This is?” The seven Law-Kings’ eyes lit up.

“I have already acquired this treasure. Now, are you reassured?” the Bloodshadow God said calmly.

“We naturally obey your orders.” The seven Law-Kings no longer hesitated.

The Bloodshadow God immediately sent a mental transmission: “Three Elders, I am leaving with the seven Law-Kings for a time. The internal affairs of the church are temporarily in your hands.”

“Rest assured, Cult Leader. Leave it to us.”

The three Elders transmitted back.

“Let’s go!”

With a whoosh, a whoosh, a whoosh!

The Bloodshadow God led the way, and the seven Law-Kings followed, transforming into eight streaks of light that shot into the high sky. They then instantly disappeared through spatial teleportation.

Far away in the North Sea.

Over the island with the volcano.

The blood-robed ‘Bloodshadow God’ and his seven black-robed Law-Kings stood in the air above the island.

“The entrance to that minor world is inside that volcano,” the Bloodshadow God said calmly. “According to the intelligence, the Diancai Immortal should have been undergoing his tribulation for two days. If he didn’t survive the Wind, Fire, and Lightning Tribulations, he’s already dead or become a Loose Immortal. Even if he did, he should be in the Heart Tribulation now.”

“We’ll do exactly as I’ve instructed.” The Bloodshadow God’s gaze swept over the seven Law-Kings.

“Yes, Cult Leader.” The seven black-robed Law-Kings said respectfully.

“Enter.”

At the Bloodshadow God’s command.

Swish! Swish! Swish!!! Eight streaks of light shot across the sky and plunged directly into the volcanic crater.

Shortly after they disappeared, the void beside the crater twisted. Twelve white-robed figures emerged, the leader bearing a blood scar on his arm.

“The Blood God Church of Anchan Commandery has entered,” one of the white-robed youths said with a grin. “The Captain truly has foresight, knowing they would go in.”

“The Black-White College has been built within Anchan City for countless eons. They have always been close with the Anchan Beishan clan! The Anchan Beishan clan has also always protected the Black-White College. Among the eight major powers, the Black-White College is the most loyal. With the Diancai Immortal undergoing his tribulation, the Blood God Church would naturally seize the chance to eliminate him,” the leading white-robed man said calmly. “We’ll use their power to make our assassination more certain.”

“Is it necessary to be so cautious about a single Ji Ning?”

“Right. The higher-ups told us to be careful of Ji Ning’s master. Ji Ning himself isn’t worth our caution. We’ve killed Celestial Immortals before. A kid who’s been cultivating for less than a hundred years, even if he’s a Daofather’s disciple, how strong can he be?”

One after another, they spoke.

The leading white-robed man, the one with the blood scar, laughed. “Ji Ning is naturally nothing to worry about. But I’m afraid of accidents that might provoke his master into acting. So this assassination must be fast! Any delay invites change!”

“Mm.” Everyone nodded.

Their greatest fear was Ji Ning’s master.

They were terrified of a True Immortal or an Empyrean God suddenly appearing and crushing them.

No one knew where Ji Ning had gone for those thirty years, but from the intelligence their Bloodcry Hall had gathered, his luck had been extraordinary.

“Execute the assassination plan.” The white-robed man with the blood scar then spoke with solemn severity.

Swish! Swish! Swish!!!

The twelve figures instantly turned ethereal, invisible to the naked eye, and entered the volcanic crater.

Within the small, scorched world full of deathly energy.

The Diancai Immortal was sitting cross-legged.

A thousand feet around him, a massive sealing formation enshrouded him, its light radiating in all directions.

Inside the sealing formation were only the Diancai Immortal and the Whitewater Hound.

Ji Ning and the Wufeng Immortal were outside the formation.

When he was enduring the Wind, Fire, and Lightning Tribulations earlier, Ji Ning and the others hadn’t dared to set up a formation. If they interfered with the Heavenly Tribulation and triggered a ‘Divine Punishment,’ it would be over. Now that the final Heart Tribulation had arrived, setting up a sealing formation had no effect. Worried that enemies might bypass their divine sense and get close, Ji Ning and the Wufeng Immortal had set up this sealing formation. With it in place, an enemy would have to break the formation or use spatial translocation to reach the Diancai Immortal.

“Master has been enduring the Heart Tribulation for two days now,” Ji Ning thought, turning to look at the Diancai Immortal, who was sitting peacefully within the formation. No one knew what his Heart Tribulation was about. Ordinary Heart Demons were easy to resist, but when they lasted a hundred or a thousand times longer, they became terrifying. The external world had only lasted seven days or so, but the world created by the Heart Tribulation would have lasted for years, perhaps millennia, or even tens of millennia…

Many cultivators, when undergoing their tribulation, would spend tens of thousands of years in the Heart Tribulation world, eventually forgetting reality and sinking into the illusion, dying in the process.

“Hmm?” Ji Ning was suddenly startled.

A vague, terrifying sense of danger was closing in on him.

“Danger!” Ji Ning sent a mental transmission. “Brother Wufeng, Uncle White, be careful. I sense danger approaching!” A cultivator’s instinctual premonition was very accurate. But for Ji Ning to feel this threat was shocking. He had been cultivating the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, and by all rights, such a sense of threat was extremely rare.

“If an enemy is targeting my master, are they sending a force strong enough to threaten even me?” Ji Ning couldn’t believe it. “If that’s the case, then we’re in serious trouble.”

Ji Ning’s eyes suddenly lit up with a candle’s glow.

The Candle Dragon’s Gaze!

He looked in all directions, probing with both his divine sense and the Candle Dragon’s Gaze.