Serpent Ancestor

Xu Hei grumbled, but eventually set off.

There was no choice; he had to do it for the money! He and Hei Huang were now in the same boat, sharing both fortune and misfortune. They could only take the risk.

He had only heard about the Demon Extermination Assembly from Wang Qin's gossip, knowing nothing of the specifics.

It was only recently, after hearing more discussions from passersby, that Xu Hei understood the truth.

The Demon Extermination Assembly was meant to slay evil demons and temper disciples, using criminals as whetstones.

It sounded somewhat like a game, but it was a rule set by the third-generation ancestor of the Melodic Sect, and each time, some disciples would break through because of it, which is why it continued.

As for where so many criminals came from, besides capturing them themselves, the Melodic Sect would also purchase them from other forces, forming an industry chain similar to slave trading.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from ".

Xu Hei disguised himself, transforming into a half-human, half-snake form.

The Melodic Sect prohibited outsiders from entering, except today, when one could enter by presenting an invitation, but masks were not allowed, and true appearances had to be shown.

In this form, Xu Hei definitely couldn't get in.

With no other choice, he took out a Transformation Pill and swallowed it.

In an instant, Xu Hei's snake tail retracted, his dragon horns shortened, and the scales on his body all vanished, receding into his skin. He stood tall, his eyes sharp as lightning, transforming into a robust young human.

Tall as a pine, with an aura like a dragon or tiger, Xu Hei differed from those delicate spell cultivators, resembling more a body cultivator trained in external techniques. At a glance, his imposing presence was evident, with a muscular build and a strong sense of pressure.

This was Xu Hei's original form after transformation.

"Do I stand out too much like this?"

Xu Hei stood by the inn's window, looking at the crowd on the street. After some thought, he used the Ever-changing Fish and Dragon technique to adjust his physique.

In a moment, Xu Hei's body shrank, his tall stature reducing by half, making him look more like an average passerby.

After comparing himself with the passing cultivators and making several adjustments, Xu Hei was confident he had reached the average level of a passerby, ensuring he wouldn't attract attention before leaving the inn.

Before long, Xu Hei arrived outside the Melodic Sect's mountain gate.

He lay in wait, observing for a moment before targeting a lone Foundation Establishment cultivator, successfully stealing his storage bag and taking out the invitation.

Moreover, he returned the storage bag without the other party even noticing.

"Luckily, the invitation isn't named."

Holding the invitation, Xu Hei walked into the mountain gate.

Any cultivator entering the gate would feel a Divine Sense sweep over them, quickly retracting after passing over their invitation without further inspection.

Xu Hei passed the check smoothly, without any issues.

There weren't many invited, mostly standing in groups of two or three, from some big family or major force, with few lone cultivators like Xu Hei.

Before long, he arrived at the central square of the Melodic Sect.

Here stood a pitch-black high platform, named the Demon Suppression Platform, the battleground for the Demon Extermination Assembly.

Many people had already gathered, in groups scattered all around. To the east were the sect's disciples, all female, while to the west were the invited outsiders.

The eight major forces had all sent representatives to observe the assembly.

Among them, Xu Hei spotted the leader of the Whale Hunting Gang, Ye Hai.

This person sat alone, with two attendants nearby, whose cultivation levels were not high.

Normally, the leaders of the eight major forces wouldn't attend such annual events, but the Whale Hunting Gang had suffered a severe blow, with the deputy leader killed and the guest elder missing, leaving them at the bottom in strength, so he had to come personally.

Ye Hai's name was on Xu Hei's enemy list.

"Almost forgot, this guy is still alive and well. I need to find a chance to take him out!" A cold gleam flashed in Xu Hei's eyes.

Having learned a lesson from Mu Hou, Xu Hei was determined to eliminate all his enemies!

Otherwise, who knows when they might pop up to disgust you? It's necessary to root them out completely, leaving no future troubles!

Xu Hei casually found an empty spot to sit, cross-legged, observing the surrounding crowd.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Xu Hei let out a sound of surprise.

In the distance sat a group of people, occupying the territory of one of the eight major forces, the Yunhai Sect, led by the Yunhai Sect elder, Ximen Guan.

Among them, Xiao Chou's figure appeared, and from his attire, it seemed he had joined the Yunhai Sect.

Xiao Chou seemed to sense something, looking over at Xu Hei, frowning, feeling that the other's gaze seemed familiar.

But soon, Xiao Chou shifted his gaze back to the Melodic Sect, looking at a female disciple with a look of infatuation.

That female disciple was Mu Ji.

"Master, did that person from three days ago come?" Mu Ji asked in her heart.

"He came, but his concealment ability is extremely strong, and I don't know his exact location," a voice in her heart replied.

Xu Hei, wearing Hei Huang's three-piece set, couldn't be located by anyone.

Mu Ji's heart tightened, her gaze sweeping across the crowd, but she heard a warning: "Focus on yourself, don't meddle in others' affairs."

"Yes!" Mu Ji nodded.

She was inherently unclean, practicing evil faction cultivation techniques, absorbing human essence and blood, hiding great secrets. Meddling in others' affairs brought her no benefit.

Xu Hei sat in place, waiting quietly.

He also noticed that among the eight major forces, the treatment varied greatly. The Whale Hunting Gang, for instance, only got a small area, sending just three people.

While other sects got large areas, with differences over tenfold.

The disparity among the eight major forces was starkly displayed.

In truth, the Whale Hunting Gang no longer had the qualification to be on par with the other seven sects. After continuous setbacks, they were left with a lone leader, without an Elemental Infant cultivator to hold the fort. Disbandment was only a matter of time, depending on when the Sea Commerce Guild would lose patience.

As time passed, Xu Hei saw many familiar faces.

Zhang Tie had joined the Ironclad Sect. Ku Xuan and Zhao Wenzhuo had joined Longquan Temple.

Xu Qingfeng also appeared, having joined Penglai Island, tasked with investigating the Immortal Pavilion theft case, and attending the Demon Extermination Assembly along the way.

Among the many disciples of the Melodic Sect, Xu Hei also saw Huang Yu, once of the Purple Mist Sect.

Seeing so many familiar faces, Xu Hei felt as if he had returned to Wuyou City. Back then, he was still at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Now, Xu Qingfeng and Zhang Tie were at the late Core Formation stage, Ku Xuan was inscrutable, and the others were all at the Foundation Establishment level.

Unknowingly, Xu Hei's strength had already reached the pinnacle among them. And as time went on, the gap would only widen.

This gap destined that Xu Hei wouldn't have much interaction with this group.

…………

After waiting for an hour, it was noon.

Most of the attendees had arrived, mostly Foundation Establishment cultivators, with some elders at the Core Formation stage, the strongest being like Ye Hai, at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation stage.

On the Melodic Sect's side, five were at the Great Perfection of the Core Formation stage.

Having been accustomed to the Penglai Sea, Xu Hei suddenly found himself in a place where he had become a top-tier powerhouse.