The Fragmented Demonic Sect

In a crude room, the Left Envoy sat motionless on the throne, seemingly deep in thought.

Back in the days of Zongheng Valley, the Demon Lord resided in a grand palace. Now, all that remained was this shabby room.

A clear sign of how far the current Demon Lord, the Left Envoy, had fallen.

The Right Envoy arrived.

The three Demon Lords followed.

Yet, no one spoke a word.

The situation didn’t look promising.

The Left Envoy spoke slowly, "You’ve all heard, haven’t you? The Seven Stars Sword Sect is at our doorstep. You know what to do."

"I don’t," the Right Envoy chuckled, clearly displeased with the Left Envoy’s commanding tone.

The Left Envoy ignored him, his expression unchanging. "Go and kill them. The Seven Stars Sword Sect alone isn’t enough to wipe out our Heavenly Demon Sect."

"Just charge out and fight? What if we lose? Do you have a backup plan?" the West Extreme Demon Lord retorted.

"None. How could we possibly lose? Ridiculous. Jiang Ningshu isn’t even here, and this is still our territory," the Left Envoy sneered.

Their defeat at Zongheng Valley was due to a coalition of sects. This time, only the Seven Stars Sword Sect had come, perhaps with some support from the Emperor Heaven Sect.

With their current strength, they could hold their ground.

Moreover, the Nightshade Forest was no ordinary place. Ever since relocating here, they had fortified its defenses.

The entire forest was now a labyrinth of traps.

This was their domain.

How could they possibly lose?

"I still think we shouldn’t underestimate them. If the Demon Lord has any hidden cards, now’s the time to play them," the North End Demon Lord probed, trying to gauge whether the Left Envoy truly had no tricks left.

"Hmph. Since you’re all so uneasy, fine. I’ll prepare a contingency. Just don’t be shocked when you see it."

"What kind of contingency?"

"You don’t need to know. Just ensure I’m not disturbed before I make my move."

Vague as it was, did he really expect the others to take his word for it?

Impossible. These weren’t men who would blindly entrust their lives to another.

The Right Envoy opened his mouth to speak, but the Left Envoy cut him off. "Just do as you’re told. There’s no need for further discussion."

"If there’s no discussion, why summon us at all?" the Right Envoy shot back, defiance in his voice.

"I summoned you to follow my orders. Right now, I am the Demon Lord!"

As he spoke, he unleashed his aura, a clear message: the Demon Lord didn’t need to heed anyone’s opinions.

It was laughable.

His aura paled in comparison to Jiang Ningshu’s—so much so that it was downright embarrassing.

The Right Envoy and the others were inwardly amused. How had the Left Envoy become so pathetic? Who could possibly be intimidated by such a feeble display?

Outwardly, however, they remained expressionless, even feigning respect.

"Understood," the Right Envoy said before turning to leave.

The three Demon Lords followed.

Meanwhile, the Seven Stars Sword Sect had reached the outskirts of the Nightshade Forest, preparing to launch their assault.

But first, they unfurled a map—a detailed layout of the forest’s traps.

Courtesy of the North End Demon Lord.

It was genuine.

The North End Demon Lord had long since decided the Heavenly Demon Sect wasn’t worth staying with.

Repeated failures had sapped the once-mighty sect of its strength.

With the South End Demon Lord already dead, he had no intention of becoming the next casualty. He had an escape route—why not take it?

Waiting for the Heavenly Demon Sect to rise again? The North End Demon Lord saw no hope. And the Left Envoy’s growing tyranny only fueled his discontent.

So, he resolved to destroy the Heavenly Demon Sect.

This was his chance to earn merit and cleanse his name.

The Left Envoy’s attitude today erased any lingering guilt in the North End Demon Lord’s heart.

In truth, he had already begun undermining the sect.

In for a penny, in for a pound—the greater his contributions, the more valuable he’d appear.

The trap map was just the first step.

During this time, he had also been secretly poisoning his comrades.

Of course, he’d been caught—or rather, the poisonings had been discovered.

The incident caused an uproar, triggering a swift investigation.

But no one suspected the North End Demon Lord.

Opportunities grew scarce, and poisoning became too risky.

Still, his efforts had already taken a toll. Many in the Heavenly Demon Sect had died, while others barely survived. The sect’s strength had undeniably weakened.

To ensure the sect’s downfall, the North End Demon Lord was willing to go all the way.

One final step remained: a well-timed betrayal, delivering fatal blows to the strongest among them.

That would secure his greatest merit.

His primary target? The Left Envoy. Who else in the sect held more weight?

With a final glance at the Heavenly Demon Sect, the North End Demon Lord felt a twinge of nostalgia.

He’d spent many years here, reaping countless resources.

Part of him didn’t want the sect to fall—playing both sides had been ideal. But there was no turning back now.

Farewell, Heavenly Demon Sect...

On another front, the Right Envoy and the West Extreme Demon Lord led a group of sect members away in secret, slipping through hidden passages.

The Right Envoy had initially considered staying longer, even helping the sect weather this crisis.

But the Left Envoy’s arrogance had pushed him past his limit.

So, he chose to leave—and took a faction with him.

"You’re ruthless, just walking away like this," the West Extreme Demon Lord remarked casually, as if it were none of his concern.

"You’re coming too. We’re cut from the same cloth."

"Not quite. You’ve been with the Left Envoy far longer than any of us. Yet here you are, abandoning ship without a second thought. Truly a product of the Heavenly Demon Sect."

"From the start, we’ve all acted in self-interest. I see nothing wrong with that. The Left Envoy’s no different."

The Right Envoy couldn’t even bring himself to address the Left Envoy as "Demon Lord" anymore.

The West Extreme Demon Lord nodded. True enough—the Left Envoy had grown increasingly selfish in his pursuit of power.

After a few steps, the West Extreme Demon Lord asked, "So, where are we headed?"

"The Earthly Fiend Sect."

No point in hiding it now.

"Not a bad choice."

"Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of."

"I trust you."

Or so the West Extreme Demon Lord said.

In truth, his mind wandered to the Shadow Organization.

Recently, he’d received a mission from them: assassinating high-ranking members of the Heavenly Demon Sect carried substantial rewards—including one for the Right Envoy.

With the Right Envoy right beside him, the opportunity was ripe.

But the mission wasn’t mandatory.

After some thought, he dismissed the idea. Even if successful, he’d likely sustain heavy injuries, making escape difficult.

Besides, he recalled a few Shadow Organization tasks related to the Earthly Fiend Sect. This trip could kill two birds with one stone.

Patience was a virtue in assassination.

With a final glance at the Heavenly Demon Sect, the West Extreme Demon Lord felt a flicker of sentiment.

He’d spent a long time here. Now, it was time to move on.

Not that he felt any attachment—it was just a place, after all.