I cultivate the Chaos Technique

The atmosphere at the headquarters of the Shadow Cult in Youzhou was as oppressive as the night before a storm.

The Great Protector's figure appeared particularly heavy in the dimly lit hall, his eyes burning with fury.

That was the anger that was reignited by the deaths of the Eighth and Ninth Dharma Protectors.

However, he also knew in his heart that this incident had far exceeded his control.

The successive defeats at Anlin Pass are like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, and the resulting ripples are sweeping towards the core of the Shadow Cult.

Left with no other choice, the Great Protector had to make a difficult decision—to go to the sect leader's secluded retreat.

That was the most mysterious and forbidden place in the entire Shadow Cult, and no one dared to approach it easily on ordinary days.

When the leader is in seclusion, no one is allowed to disturb him. This is an ironclad rule within the sect, and violators will face the most severe punishment.

When the Grand Protector arrived at the place where the leader was in seclusion, the guards at the entrance immediately stopped him.

These guards were all the leader's confidants, although their cultivation level was only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Even he, as the Grand Protector, could not survive against the combined forces of several individuals.

They carried out the leader's orders meticulously, so the Grand Elder could only treat them with utmost respect.

"Great Protector, the leader has ordered that during your seclusion, no one is allowed to disturb you."

"Great Protector, please return." The guard's voice was cold and resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

The Grand Protector was extremely anxious. He knew the seriousness of the situation; every moment of delay would worsen the crisis facing the Shadow Cult.

"Please inform everyone that I have urgent business to attend to and must see the leader."

The Great Protector spoke urgently, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead due to nervousness.

The guards exchanged glances. They could sense the Great Protector's anxiety, but they also knew the consequences of disturbing the leader's seclusion.

However, the Great Protector held an extremely high position within the sect, and his urgent expression made the guards hesitate.

In the end, one of the guards gritted his teeth and decided to risk angering the cult leader by reporting the matter to the Great Protector.

A mysterious atmosphere permeated the secluded chamber where the cult leader resided.

The surrounding walls were covered with ancient runes, which emitted a faint light and seemed to be maintaining some kind of special restriction.

The cult leader sat on a huge black lotus platform in the center of the secret chamber. His whole body was shrouded in a faint black halo, and his face was calm as water. He seemed to be one with his surroundings and completely unaware of everything outside.

Upon hearing the report from his subordinate, the cult leader showed neither surprise nor delight. He merely opened his eyes slightly, a barely perceptible glint flashing within them, like a cold star in the darkness.

"Let him in."

The cult leader's voice was deep and hoarse, yet it possessed an undeniable authority.

After receiving permission, the Great Protector took a deep breath and slowly entered the secret chamber.

Every step felt incredibly heavy. He could feel the invisible pressure emanating from the cult leader, an absolute force that made it difficult for him to breathe.

Upon entering the secret chamber, the Grand Protector saw that the leader's expression was surprisingly calm, without the fury he had expected.

But the more this was the case, the more terrified the Grand Protector became. He knew that the leader's calm often foreshadowed an even more terrifying storm to come.

In front of the cult leader, he felt like an ant, his life and death entirely in the other's hands.

"Master..." The Grand Protector began to speak, but his voice trembled slightly with nervousness. The Master raised his hand slightly, signaling the Grand Protector to remain silent.

For a moment, the secret chamber fell into a deathly silence, with only the faint light of the runes and the tense heartbeat of the Great Protector.

After a long silence, the cult leader finally spoke, his voice as cold and piercing as if it came from the deepest hell:

"Great Protector, do you know the price of disturbing my seclusion?"

The Great Protector knelt on the ground with a thud, lowered his head and said:

"Master, please forgive me. I have an extremely urgent matter that I dared not delay in the slightest, which is why I have dared to come."

The cult leader sneered:

"Hmph, what's the rush? If you can't satisfy me, then prepare to face my wrath."

The Great Protector was startled and quickly recounted everything that had happened at Anlin Pass, including the destruction of the stronghold, the failure of cooperation with the Blood Shadow Wolf Clan, and the deaths of the Eighth and Ninth Protectors.

He dared not conceal anything, describing every detail in detail, his voice carrying a hint of fear and helplessness.

The cult leader listened quietly, his face remaining expressionless. But as the Great Protector spoke, the atmosphere in the secret room grew increasingly heavy, the invisible pressure seeming to crush him completely.

"waste!"

After listening to this, the cult leader finally couldn't help but rebuke him.

“You bunch of useless trash, you can’t even take down a small Anlin Pass, and you’ve lost many of my sect’s elites and protectors.”

The Great Protector pressed his forehead to the ground, not daring to speak, his body trembling uncontrollably. The leader stood up and slowly descended from the lotus platform.

With each step he took, the surrounding runic light seemed to tremble. "Do you know what this defeat means for our Shadow Cult? Our plans of many years are in danger of collapsing because of your incompetence."

The cult leader's voice was filled with anger and disappointment. The Grand Protector said, trembling:

"Master, I know I was wrong. But there's a man named Zhang Yifan at Anlin Pass who has repeatedly sabotaged our plans, and their defenses are extremely tight, as are the guards..."

"Enough!" The cult leader interrupted the Grand Protector. "Don't make excuses for your failures. Can a mere Zhang Yifan really stop the Dark Shadow Cult? You haven't even shown your true strength."

The Grand Protector dared not speak again, knowing that any explanation would only enrage the cult leader further.

The cult leader paced back and forth in the secret room, his mind racing as he considered a solution.

The Shadow Cult's defeat at Anlin Pass has attracted the attention of various forces. If the situation is not reversed as soon as possible, the Shadow Cult's reputation and status will be severely damaged.

Moreover, they have invested a lot of resources in Anlin Pass, and they cannot let it go to waste.

"Great Protector, immediately gather all remaining forces within the sect, including those hidden experts. Withdraw them all back to Youzhou."

A ruthless glint flashed in the cult leader's eyes.

The Great Protector raised his head and said hesitantly:

"Master, please give me a chance. This time, I will personally take action and we must capture Anlin Pass."

The cult leader glared at the chief protector:

"Hmph, do you think we still have a chance to take Anlin Pass? Anlin has already reinforced its forces. I won't stop you if you want to die. But don't bring the Holy Church with you."

The Grand Protector felt a chill in his heart. He knew that once the leader made up his mind, no one could change it. But he was still somewhat unwilling. This operation was almost a desperate gamble, and it still failed. Now the Shadow Cult could only suspend its activities outside.

"Step back. Let's put Anlin Pass aside for now, and we'll talk about the rest after I break through to the Void Refinement Realm."