Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 306 Deep in the Cold Pool
A group of disciples from the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect knelt before Chen Ye, all looking trembling with fear.

This Peng Zhiyong seems to be the one with the highest cultivation level. Chen Ye can tell that this person is at the Gang Sha Body Refinement realm, but he probably hasn't mastered it yet.

So now, when I'm feeling emotional, there's a noticeable color difference between my neck and face.

This is a typical case of being afraid of pain, so when using the Qi-Qi method to grind the skin, they were lazy and didn't practice it properly.

As for the other demons, they are probably all minor figures at the Qi Sea Realm.

No wonder they survived; they probably hid to the side as soon as the fight started, and only survived because Chen Ye killed Deng Xing's loyal followers with a single breath of golden flame.

Now that Chen Ye is the Lord of the Crimson Serpent, these people naturally want to pledge their loyalty.

In this underground demonic sect, without a powerful backer, he wouldn't even have a chance to consume blood pills; he'd probably turn into a blood pill himself.

Peng Zhiyong didn't know if this new master would be easy to talk to. He was already prepared to give up his life savings, hoping that the other party would not look down on his meager assets and would give him a way to survive.

I'm debating whether to present the storage bag now or later.

Chen Ye then asked, "Peng Zhiyong, I don't know much about the Crimson Serpent Sect. Besides you, how many other people are there?"

"If you ask about the disciples of the Crimson Serpent Sect, there aren't many left..." Peng Zhiyong glanced subconsciously at the ashes scattered on the ground. Most of the disciples of the Crimson Serpent Sect had been killed by Chen Ye's breath. Apart from them, these minor characters, there were hardly any disciples left in the sect.

That wasn't what Chen Ye asked.

“I’m asking about people, not just the disciples of the Crimson Serpent Sect, but also the slaves and prisoners you’ve brought back.”

Although the Demonic Sect cannot openly kill people and practice their skills on the surface, they also cannot simply do nothing and hide underground eating rats and insects.

They will definitely be tempted to sneak down to the ground and bring people back. Chen Ye doesn't want to know how many of these demons there are; he only wants to know how many people can still be saved.

Peng Zhiyong breathed a sigh of relief. This Venerable Master was taking stock of his assets, so he shouldn't have refined them all. He then said as if reciting a treasured list, "If Venerable Master is talking about human sacrifices, the Crimson Serpent Sect doesn't have many. They only keep a few hundred mortals. Moreover, they include men, women, and children, and their quality varies. However, our snake cave still has more than two thousand Crimson Serpents, which are the sect's most valuable assets."

Chen Ye didn't care about the mere two thousand Red Serpents, but he could save the few hundred captured mortals.

But he couldn't make it too obvious. Chen Ye thought for a moment and then said, "Peng Zhiyong, you know my identity. I am the sect leader of the Yellow Springs Sect. Unlike you, I don't need to hide underground. The Northern Frontier is my territory. If you follow me, you will naturally reap many benefits."

Peng Zhiyong quickly replied, "Of course, we are all loyal to you, Lord."

Peng Zhiyong's eyes lit up as soon as he heard the name Huangquan Sect.

Who wouldn't want to leave this dark and damp underground? Even just basking in the sun would be a good thing.

Demonic cultivators are also human, and it is very difficult for humans to adapt to this dark underground environment.

Chen Ye patted Peng Zhiyong on the shoulder and said with a smile, "No matter how many promises I make now, you certainly won't believe them in your hearts. But once you get to the Yellow Springs Sect, you'll understand. Take all the human sacrifices and all the treasures you can carry, and with my token, go to Fengdu City in the Northern Frontier. Someone will naturally come to meet you."

"The Northern Frontier is such a fertile territory; there's no need to fight amongst ourselves with other sects underground. It doesn't bring much benefit. By the way, mark the location of the cinnabar mine underground for me, regardless of which sect it belongs to."

“If you do these two things well, I will reward you handsomely. If you don’t do them well…” Chen Ye sneered, and a crimson fire snake the thickness of a thumb appeared on Peng Zhiyong’s wrist, sticking out its scarlet tongue at him.

Peng Zhiyong was startled, but dared not move at all.

Chen Ye gripped his shoulders and said, "Remember this, I am now the Crimson Serpent Lord, and everything in this sect belongs to me. Your job is to help me move everything away, empty it, and safely deliver it to Fengdu City. Whether it's human sacrifices, Crimson Serpents, or even a bottle of pills, if it's even slightly damaged, I will hold you responsible!" Peng Zhiyong felt as if his shoulders were about to be crushed, and hurriedly nodded, saying, "I will definitely follow the Lord's orders without fail."

Chen Ye nodded in satisfaction, then casually took out a bamboo token and handed it to Peng Zhiyong.

"Once you arrive in Fengdu City, hand this over, and someone will naturally come to meet you."

Peng Zhiyong quickly took it, and the weight of the bamboo plaque immediately told him it was no ordinary object. This kind of golden bamboo was extremely rare, with exquisite patterns and mysterious runes on it, clearly a very special symbol of status.

This is a signboard that Chen Ye had his disciple Li Fan make.

As the number of people in the Yellow Springs Sect increased, so did the population of Fengdu City, they simply made a complete set of identity tags for convenient daily use.

The brand that Chen Ye gave away was also unique and very easy to recognize.

The meager sum from the Crimson Serpent Sect is insignificant; saving a few hundred more people would be a meritorious act.

Once Peng Zhiyong arrives in Fengdu City, he will naturally have a way to deal with them gradually. The simplest way is to put these demons in hell for a few days. Those with serious sins will not be allowed to come out. If we encounter those who have been coerced but still have a conscience, we can give them a chance to repent and reform.

Having dismissed the group of little devils, Chen Ye prepared to leave.

But after taking only two steps, he heard Youluozi's voice.

"Get ready, we'll go find that azure dragon and kill it all."

Chen Ye looked around in confusion. Didn't Youluozi just leave? And didn't he say he would make a move in a few days? Why did he suddenly change his mind?

Upon careful consideration, Chen Ye immediately understood.

So, when you said you'd take action in a few days, it was specifically for Tiger Lord's ears?
How insidious! No wonder he's a master of psychological manipulation.

"Don't make a sound. Pretend to follow Hansha out of the main hall. I'll give you directions along the way."

Chen Ye didn't know how to use telepathy to travel thousands of miles, so he could only follow Youluozi's instructions.

The Taoist priest Hansha seemed to have been prepared, and smiled as he led the way for Chen Ye.

Chen Ye strode along, a smug smile on his face.

This performance would not arouse any suspicion. Chen Ye had gained fame and tangible benefits at this conference, so it was only natural that he was in high spirits.

Although someone was secretly observing, Chen Ye, guided by Hansha Daoren, made several turns underground and headed towards Youluozi's territory.

Those who were secretly observing shifted their attention. It wasn't surprising that Chen Ye went to Youluozi's territory; they were already open allies, so it wasn't unusual for them to gather together to discuss something.

Moreover, since the Venerable Lord Youluozi is known as "omnipresent" and "omniscient," staring at him would be impolite and could easily provoke his retaliation.

Therefore, the gazes on Chen Ye disappeared one by one. When Chen Ye arrived near You Luozi's cold pool, he was all alone. Only he was qualified to go to the cold pool and "talk face-to-face" with You Luozi.

(End of this chapter)