“Alright, Reverend Huo Yan, I’m aware of this matter now.”
“Perhaps this wasn’t your original intention, but as long as Wu Yuan from Summerpeak passes the Bloodforge Seed evaluation, you will be rewarded with merits.” The purple-robed man said, “At that time, what you wish to do is entirely up to you.”
“I don’t care who lives between you and Wu Yuan. But, if he passes the evaluation and the High Immortal rewards me for this contribution, I’ll remember this favor.” The purple-robed man gazed down at Reverend Huo Yan, “In the future, if you need my assistance with minor matters, feel free to ask.”
“There’s only one thing you must remember: don’t harbor any thoughts of killing Wu Yuan; you can only pray that he dies in the Bloodforge.” The purple-robed man spoke indifferently.
“I understand.” Reverend Huo Yan bowed his head respectfully.
From the moment he decided to report this matter to the protectorate, he understood that he would no longer be able to kill Wu Yuan via direct methods.
The protectorate didn’t care whether Wu Yuan lived or died. All that mattered was filling the Bloodforge Seed quota. If he could help the High Immortal solve this problem, that would be a great contribution rendered.
“You are dismissed.” The purple-robed man waved his hand.
Reverend Huo Yan departed without delay.
Once Reverend Huo Yan left, a smile surfaced on the purple-robed man’s face. What a turn of fortune. To think merits would fall into my lap, it’s like a pie dropping from the sky.
As he contemplated, the purple-robed man waved his hand, and a light screen projection appeared, showcasing the recent battle between Wu Yuan and the Huoyan Sect’s army.
The purple-robed man watched the recording over and over again, thoroughly confirming what he saw.
This is an unbelievable genius. At the Spiritual Body phase, his combat power can rival a fifth or sixth-stage Amethyst Cradle cultivator? The purple-robed man muttered to himself in awe.
Among the official members of the Bloodforge Devil Hall’s Redmoon division, Reverend Huo Yan was considered a member of the lowest tier. On the other hand, the purple-robed man had a decent status, enjoying considerable freedom and access to a wealth of information.
He recognized the rarity of such a genius.
Among the million Golden Core disciples we’ve raised over the past century in the Bloodforge Devil Hall’s Redmoon division, I fear none are as formidable as him. The purple-robed man marveled in silence. A Bloodforge Seed? With such strength, he more than qualifies to be a Bloodforge Seed of the first-tier division.
When he told Reverend Huo Yan that there was merely a chance that Wu Yuan would be a first-tier division Bloodforge Seed, it was a bluff.
If I don’t deceive him, there might be trouble in the future. The purple-robed man smiled, a trace of desire in his eyes. I can only hope that this Wu Yuan will successfully pass the evaluation and become a first-tier division Bloodforge Seed, and even — a Bloodforge King!
A Bloodforge King — that was a legend!
The Bloodforge Devil Hall’s Redmoon division hadn’t seen a Golden Core genius achieve this honor in all of its existence.
The purple-robed man only entertained the thought briefly. He didn’t dare get his hopes up. It was too difficult.
“At least, he has to survive the Bloodforge.” The purple-robed man murmured, “If he dies, it’s all over.”
“If he dies, I’ll gain a few million merits at most as the one to endorse him. If he survives and walks out of the Bloodforge alive, becoming a High Immortal in the future, I could earn billions of merits or even more.”
Just the thought of it made the purple-robed man quiver with excitement.
Billions of merits, if exchanged for ethercrystal, would amount to tens of billions of catties of ethercrystal.
This was a sum that would drive most Void Refiner Eminences mad. It could rival the wealth of some weaker Divided Soul Earth Immortals.
Such was the Bloodforge Devil Hall, rewards and punishments were clear.
Of course, the purple-robed man snapped out of his daydream soon enough. He understood that even if Wu Yuan survived the Bloodforge, the chances of becoming a High Immortal were slim. On top of that, who knew how long it would take? He might not even live to see that day.
“At least, as long as his profile is reported and he passes the evaluation, millions of merits will be mine,” the purple-robed man smirked.
Millions of merits, worth billions of catties of ethercrystal!
This alone would be enough to make him relatively wealthy among the Void Refiner Eminences.
“Hmm. In the future, if Wu Yuan comes out alive, I will assign that Huo Yan a difficult trial assignment and send him to his death. That should count as doing Wu Yuan a favor.” Another thought flashed through the purple-robed man’s mind.
Remembering Reverend Huo Yan’s favor? Lending him a hand? These were just words to appease the other party. From beginning to end, the purple-robed man was only thinking about his own interests.
“I should go meet the High Immortal.” The purple-robed man did not hesitate any longer.
With a swift movement, he flew out of his hall, heading deep into the hall cluster.
Although it seemed like a group of halls, it was actually a region of overlapping spacetimes, similar to a congregation of worldlets.
As a Void Refiner cultivator, he had a decently high status. With a token in hand, he made his way smoothly to a majestic hall after a quarter of an hour.
Powerful puppet soldiers stood guard around the hall. Their eyes were cold, scanning all directions.
“Halt, stop right there!”
“Stop.” The soldiers shouted, brandishing their weapons as though encountering an enemy.
“High Immortal, I beg your pardon but I have good news to report,” the purple-robed man called out, his voice as calm as deep water.
He’d been in such situations plenty of times before and knew the default behavior of these puppet soldiers.
The puppet soldiers exchanged glances. After a moment, one of the leaders spoke, “Protectorate Rao Jin, please wait.”
If it were an Amethyst Cradle cultivator, they’d have been kicked out by now. However, Rao Jin was a protectorate, and not just any protectorate, but one the High Immortal trusted highly. Furthermore, he had come with good news. Naturally, he had the right to request these soldiers to pass on the message.
In no time at all, the two soldiers who had entered the hall flew back out.
There was a low hum, and an invisible force enveloped the towering hall, as if cutting it off from the world outside.
With a thunderous rumble, the hall doors swung open. The light inside was dim, barely revealing what lay within.
“Rao Jin, what’s the good news you have for me?” a voice echoed from within the hall, indifferent and ancient.
The voice seemed to echo directly within the purple-robed man’s spirit, stirring within him involuntary thoughts of submission and reverence.
“High Immortal,” the purple-robed man knelt, his voice a low rumble, “I’ve confirmed a piece of news. Within the Summerpeak World under your rule, a peerless genius has been born. He has cultivated for a mere fifty years, yet already reached the Spiritual Body phase, his power comparable to those at the fifth or even sixth-stage Amethyst Cradle phase. With his talent, he is definitely a suitable candidate for the Bloodforge Se…”
“Is his name Wu Yuan?” the indifferent voice suddenly interrupted him just as he was about to go into further detail.
Rao Jin, was taken aback. How did the High Immortal know?
“Is he?” The High Immortal’s indifferent voice carried a hint of displeasure.
“Yes,” the purple-robed man said, his head bowed.
“There’s no need to go over his profile again. Two days ago, the Protectorate Xiong Yuan already reported Wu Yuan’s rough profile to me. Just now, he added some crucial updates,” the aloof voice echoed from the hall.
“He’s currently making efforts to get in touch with Wu Yuan for talent verification, there’s no need for your interference.”
The purple-robed man was stunned!
Two days ago? Had someone beaten him to it?
But how could this be possible? There was only one official member of the devil hall in the Summerpeak World.
Could it be that Reverend Huo Yan had passed the news to other protectorates too? It seemed unlikely.
In an instant, a myriad of thoughts flashed across the purple-robed man’s mind.
Suddenly, he thought of a possibility.
“Are you listening?” The indifferent voice carried a hint of coldness, “Furthermore, do not obstruct Xiong Yuan’s actions, do you understand?”
“Yes,” the purple-robed man regained his composure, replying respectfully.
However, his downcast eyes were filled with reluctance. The merits within his grasp flew away just like that?
Just ten breaths ago, he was fantasizing about the ways he would improve his cultivation once he earned millions of merits. But now, it was all lost.
“Anything else? If not, you may leave,” The indifferent voice spoke again. “Next time, if you wish to share my burden, do your homework first.”
“Understood,” the purple-robed man responded through gritted teeth.
He knew that today’s incident had somewhat displeased the High Immortal. In the High Immortal’s eyes, he was blatantly trying to steal the credit.
The purple-robed man bowed respectfully, then swiftly left.
Soon, he returned to his own hall.
Damn that Xiong Yuan, daring to steal my merits? The purple-robed man stood in the great hall, growing angrier the more he thought about it.
Not only did he receive no merits, but the High Immortal was now unhappy with him.
“No! I can’t blame Xiong Yuan! It’s that damned Reverend Huo Yan! He clearly received the news earlier, yet he didn’t inform me sooner.” The more the purple-robed man thought, the angrier he grew.
Go look for Xiong Yuan? In terms of strength, Xiong Yuan was superior, a formidable body refiner who even held a higher status than him. Now, he had even made a massive contribution in the High Immortal’s eyes.
Rao Jin was helpless against him. The only one he could blame now was Reverend Huo Yan.
Whoosh! In a flash, the purple-robed man left his hall, heading straight for Reverend Huo Yan’s residence.