Villain Master, my disciples all want to backstab me

As for the only human present...

He had covered his entire body in a black robe, and one could only see that he was thin and seemed to be an old man.

"Ah."

A sinister laugh echoed from beneath the black robe. "Ling Xiuya is, after all, an eighth-grade Spiritual Transformation expert, his swordsmanship unrivaled in the world. Furthermore, the Jiang family's [Dayan Five Elements Wheel] also has the ability to transcend yin and yang. Combining the two might not be enough to fully uncover the secrets of the [Cangwu Abyss], but it's more than enough to successfully escape from it..."

"I just didn't expect that the other team also escaped. It seems that only one Blood Kite died... It really is worthy of being the Ji family."

"Oh? The brown-robed female cultivator leading the team is actually from the Ji family?"

"Yes, I would recognize the Ji family's aura even if it turned to ash. If my clan's intelligence is correct, she should be the Ji family's current generation's prodigy, Ji Kuchan's daughter, Ji Tingxue."

"Yeah……"

The eagle-faced man next to him frowned slightly, then seemed to remember something and suddenly said, "Oh right, since they successfully escaped from Cangwu County, then your Shentu family..."

"Shentu Jixue and Jialuo have been missing in Cangwu County for twenty years. The chances of them still being alive were slim to none. Now that they have fallen here, they can be considered to have done their last bit for our Shentu family. It's a worthy death."

Accompanied by this sinister voice.

The resilience beneath the black robe was revealed, revealing a face somewhat similar to Shentu Jixue's, though not as old. A pair of narrow eyes gleamed with a hook-like light that seemed to be able to draw out human flesh and blood.

"Now that they've emerged from the Cangwu Abyss, it's time for us to take action. According to the agreement, the Jiang family bloodline and the [Dayan Five Elements Wheel] belong to me, and the rest belongs to you... If we can seize this opportunity to eliminate Ling Xiuya in one fell swoop, the four righteous sects will be thrown into chaos, and we can take advantage of the situation to fish in troubled waters.

"How about it, do you want to try it?"

"It just so happens that I've already informed the Blood Origin Sect of this news via the Jade Communication Talisman. With their assistance, and the combined strength of you and me, it's not impossible to kill Ling Xiuya."

"..."

The eagle-faced man hesitated for a moment.

Emotionally speaking, he really wanted to agree.

After all, the "Sky-Splitting Black Eagle Clan" he came from was a fighting race known for its domineering temperament and love of war. It had made a great name for itself in the Eastern Wilderness Demon Territory and had only experienced a few disastrous defeats at the hands of the Divine Phoenix Clan.

——Strictly speaking, it wasn't a crushing defeat. It was more of a 6:4 split.

Although the individual combat power of the Divine Phoenix Clan is extremely strong, and one can defeat several Sky-Splitting Black Eagles, it also has an obvious flaw, which is its low reproductive capacity and small number.

The Sky-Splitting Black Eagle is best at sowing seeds everywhere. It will also forcibly abduct females from other demon tribes to help it reproduce. Therefore, the number of its members ranks among the highest in the Eastern Wilderness, almost ten times that of the Divine Phoenix clan.

It’s a pity that the Sky-Splitting Black Eagle was a little short in number of top masters, and after several attempts, they were unable to defeat the Divine Phoenix Ancestor, so they had to give up competing with the latter for the throne of "Supreme Demon Race".

Although the Sky-Splitting Black Eagles had ostensibly chosen to cease their activities, they secretly remained steadfast in their ambitions. Instead, they began expanding their influence beyond the Eastern Wasteland, particularly reaching into the human-dominated Central Continent. They intended to leverage humanity's power to defeat and annex the Divine Phoenix Clan, cementing their position as the dominant demon race.

If all else fails, he could go back to his old ways and rob strong human women to see if he could produce hybrid humans or monster offspring with better qualifications.

Closer to home.

Although they wanted to confront Ling Xiuya, the so-called "strongest righteous man," the Eagle-faced man knew that his identity was not to be revealed publicly. Just like when they participated in the battle that destroyed the Jiang family, they only brazenly participated after ensuring that no witnesses would be left.

But this time...

Ling Xiuya is not an ordinary person.

Even if he, the Shentu family, and the Blood Origin Sect joined forces and truly had the strength to keep Ling Xiuya, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't use other means to spread the news of the "demon race joining the war." That could lead to some unnecessary complications.

After all, the Divine Phoenix Clan also has people stationed in Central China.

"Why, Brother Ying, are you worried that we are no match for Ling Xiuya?"

The old man from the Shentu family suddenly said.

“…Humph, how is that possible!”

The eagle-faced man snorted subconsciously, "What do you mean by 'Number One in the Righteous Path'? He's just an eighth-grade Spiritual Transformation cultivator, two grades higher than Jiang Taixu back then... In my opinion, this person is like a head put up for sale, not worth mentioning!"

"Oh? So Brother Ying means..."

The old man narrowed his eyes slightly.

The eagle-faced man knew he had spoken out of turn, but he could only continue, "Twenty years ago, we joined forces to destroy the Jiang family, one of the eight ancient clans. Now, we can devour Ling Xiuya without any problem! If Elder Shentu is ready, please come with me to meet the Tianyuan Sect Leader!"

"but……"

"The people of Tianyuan Sword Sect must eat, and the people of Ji Family must eat too. Only then can we be considered healthy!"

"Brother Mo, please take Mingkong and go chase after the Blood Kite and the Ji Family Saintess! Among those people, the one with the highest cultivation level is the Nascent Soul Nine-Stage White Tiger Beast. The other two women are only at the Nascent Soul Three or Four-Stage. With your cultivation level, you will definitely be able to capture them easily."

"When the time comes, we can eat that white tiger directly—as a demon, he serves humans as a lackey, what a waste! As for those two women, hehe, maybe you and I can enjoy one or two. I wonder what kind of monster will be born if the bloodline of the Ji family combines with my demon race."

Hear this.

The leopard demon next to him nodded in agreement without hesitation.

Elder Shentu frowned and said, "Brother Ying, the Saintess of the Ji Family is of high status after all. If we touch her, I'm afraid the Ji Family will react. Then..."

"So what if the Ji family is so weak? Is Elder Shentu afraid?"

The eagle-faced man interrupted Elder Shentu and returned his provocation, "I know that your family has been suppressed by the Ji family for thousands of years, just like our relationship with the Divine Phoenix Clan. However, we, the Sky-Splitting Black Eagles, have never been afraid of the Divine Phoenix Clan. If the Shentu family is afraid of the Ji family..."

"Then we may have to re-evaluate our cooperation with you."

"..."

Elder Shentu complained in his heart.

In fact, he also wanted to take action against Bai Yuan and his group. After all, whether it was the Ji family bloodline, the "poisonous body", or even the white tiger beast, they were all rare treasures. If they could obtain them, it would be of great benefit to the Shentu family.

but……

He was a little bit unable to see through the true intentions of "Ji Tingxue".

The Ji family saint has three identities. The first is a junior of the Ji family; the second is a tea demon that became a spirit from the "Ancient Tea Tree of Enlightenment", the spiritual root of heaven and earth; and the third is the reincarnation of Ji Lingyun, a saint from a thousand years ago.

Most people who know Ji Tingxue only know her first identity; Tianyuanshan knows her second identity; the Shentu family knows a little more on the basis of the second identity, but it is limited to "Ji Tingxue has other secrets" and they do not know the specific details.

Therefore, Elder Shentu finally decided to give up attacking Bai Yuan and focus on dealing with Ling Xiuya instead. This would save him from having to try to get both and end up with nothing.

And now...

It's just right to let this group of ignorant monsters go and help explore the situation.

Chapter 152 Hunting

For the Shentu family, Tianyuan Mountain and the "Blood Kite Demon Lord" are both open enemies.

The Eastern Wilderness demon tribe is a potential enemy.

——An alliance built on interests will sooner or later be broken because of greater interests. The Shentu family is well aware of this.

Therefore, letting the two sides fight and consume each other's strength may not be a bad thing for them. If both sides can perish together, it will be a double blessing.

Thinking of this, Elder Shentu said:

"Alright."

"To be honest, Brother Ying, my Shentu clan has long wanted to dethrone the Ji clan from its position as the leader of the Eight Clans and replace them. Since Brother Ying is planning to help my Shentu clan relieve its worries, I am naturally happy to see it happen. Please accept this jade talisman. It can command the Shentu clan's personnel deployed along the way to be at your disposal."

Elder Shentu handed over a jade talisman and said, "As for the 'poisonous body' and the ancient beast, please do as you please. My Shentu family will not interfere."

"Heh. I didn't expect Elder Shentu to be so generous. I'd be remiss if I didn't."

The eagle-faced man smiled and signaled the other eagle demon to take the jade talisman.

At this moment, Elder Shentu and the eagle-faced man smiled at each other, and at the same time called each other "idiot" in their hearts, and then turned their gaze back to the direction where Ling Xiuya and his group left.

"Let's go."

"The flying boat from Tianyuan Mountain has already set off. Don't let them escape."

As the eagle-faced man spoke, he lightly slashed his claws, tearing a crack in space. Then he spread his wings and flew into the gap.

——This application of the laws of space is the origin of the word "Split Sky" in the name of the tribe "Split Sky Black Eagle".

Elder Shentu also fluttered his black robe and stepped in.

As the two left, they saw clouds hundreds of miles away beginning to roll like waves.

In the sky further away, a hazy blood-red hue appeared, as if half the sky was about to rain blood—that was the color of the Blood Origin Sect's "Blood Ghost Binding Formation." As soon as Elder Shentu received the news, he had already begun to take action.

This conspiracy, which had been secretly planned since Jiang Rao's identity was learned, targeting the Jiang family's bloodline and treasures, as well as Tianyuan Mountain, finally began at this moment.

……

at the same time.

Hundreds of miles away in the other direction.

Ji Lingyun finally couldn't help but turned around and glanced at Ye Shuang'er, who was sitting on the white tiger's back, hugging the black coffin and sobbing softly. She said helplessly, "Little girl, have you cried enough?"

"You don't really think your master is beyond saving, do you? Those words were only meant to deceive the people of the Tianyuan Sword Sect. Otherwise, if they knew that the 'Blood Kite Demon Lord' was still alive, we might not be able to escape from them smoothly."

"……Eh?"

Ye Shuang'er looked up as if she had just woken up from a dream, and looked at Ji Lingyun with a slightly puzzled expression, as if she still hadn't reacted. "Really?"

"if not?"

Ji Lingyun sighed.

This was not the first time she had gotten along with Ye Shuang'er, but she was still often left speechless by the little girl's amazing wisdom.

Logically speaking, those with the "Poisonous Body" constitution are often more alert, more flexible, and more vigilant than the average cultivator—because those with less flexible "Poisonous Body" bodies have long been "naturally eliminated." Someone like Ye Shuang'er, who could be tricked into having sex eight times for ten taels of silver and still successfully grow up to near adulthood, is truly an anomaly.

If "Blood Kite" had not treated her as a consumable material from the very beginning, I'm afraid she would not have developed such a simple and almost silly character.

"Alright, hurry up and get ready for the fight. It's going to be a tough one."

Ji Lingyun said.

"Accept the challenge?"

Ye Shuang'er was stunned again.

Ji Lingyun glanced back and said calmly, "Well, since we just left the Cangwu Abyss, someone has been watching us in secret... I have been out for too long this time. If I fall asleep now, I may not be able to appear again for quite some time.

"So, if I want to help you solve a little more trouble, now is the only time to do it."

As she spoke, Ji Lingyun slightly closed her eyes, as if sensing something carefully, and raised an eyebrow: "Are only the demon tribe chasing us? Well, I really was underestimated... But it's better this way, so that we don't make too much noise if we start fighting, and then attract the people from the Tianyuan Sword Sect."

It only takes a few words.

Clouds also began to roll in the sky on this side.

Ye Shuang'er turned around belatedly and saw a dark shadow appear at the end of her vision. Like an arrow shot from a bow, it flew through the sky at an extremely fast speed and rushed towards the three of them and the tiger, emitting a ferocious and frightening aura that made people's hearts flutter.

That's an eagle.

However, this eagle was a bit too big. With its wings spread, it looked to be about fifty or sixty meters wide. Its feathers reflected a metallic luster in the sunlight, and at the ends of its wings were two red lines—straight lines of red flames, burning like flames.

"what?"

When seeing these two red lines, even Ji Lingyun raised her eyebrows and looked surprised.

As the name suggests, the "Sky-Splitting Black Eagle" tribe is primarily "black," a pitch-black color. Mixed-blooded individuals are primarily gray and brown. Colors other than these three appear only when mixed with the blood of other high-level demon races of the same level as the "Sky-Splitting Black Eagle."

For example, a hybrid individual mixed with the "Thunder Falcon Spirit" will appear purple, and will most likely awaken the ability to summon purple lightning across the sky, similar to the "Thunder Falcon Spirit" clan.

For individuals mixed with the "Dome Evil Golden Eagle", the edges of their wings will appear light golden.

As for red...

"Burning Cloud Red Kite?"

"Or... is it the bloodline of the ancient divine phoenix?"

The latter is generally unlikely. This is because the individual strength of the Divine Phoenix Clan is generally very strong. Basically, as long as they can reach adulthood, they will start at the Spiritual Transformation Realm. The Phoenix Ancestor lineage is even more likely to grow to the Return to Void Realm, becoming the true ceiling of combat power.

It is extremely difficult to seize their bloodline power, whether through devouring or reproduction.

But, if there is help from the Shentu family and the Xueyuan Sect...

That's hard to say.

Since Ji Lingyun and Ye Shuang'er had already seen the pursuers, the white tiger, as a spiritual beast, of course did the same.

Sensing a powerful enemy, this guy began to flap his bone wings vigorously, speeding forward, trying to escape from the pursuit of the Sky-Splitting Black Eagle.

However, it was, after all, a beast with an extra pair of wings, and the Sky-Splitting Black Eagle's flying speed was among the fastest even among the numerous avian monsters in the Eastern Wilderness Monster Territory. With just a few flaps of its wings, the distance between the two sides was rapidly closed.

As distance approaches.

Ji Lingyun and Ye Shuang'er saw the appearance of the black eagle more clearly.