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Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, the true magnitude of the evil alliance operated in the shadows. The main stronghold of the Nether Fiend Sect was not a simple cavern hidden in the woods, but a sprawling, fully functional underground fortress.

Thousands of dark-robed disciples marched in disciplined formations across the courtyards. Blacksmiths forged curved sabers in massive, churning foundries, while alchemists brewed volatile poisons in dimly lit laboratories.

The base was a hive of lethal industry.

Deep within the heart of the fortress, the innermost sanctum glowed with eerie purple light. The Sect Leader of the Nether Fiend Sect sat upon a throne carved from dark crystal.

A dozen high-ranking elders and prominent figures of the evil faction occupied the stone chairs surrounding a long table.

They were currently locked in a heated debate regarding their supply chains and deployment schedules.

The heavy iron doors suddenly groaned open. A sect guard rushed into the chamber.

The elders instantly halted their conversation. Several of them scowled, visibly furious at the blatant interruption.

"Forgive my intrusion, Sect Leader," the guard pleaded, immediately dropping to one knee. "A messenger has just arrived at the outer gates. He brings urgent intelligence regarding the recent operations and demands an immediate audience with the council."

The elders exchanged confused glances.

"Did any of you dispatch a scouting unit to the outer territories recently?" the Sect Leader asked.

The elders shook their heads, mutually confirming they had ordered no such intelligence reports.

"Bring him in," the Sect Leader commanded, leaning forward on his crystal throne.

A few minutes later, the messenger entered the sanctum. He wore a simple, travel-stained gray cloak, the hood pulled low over his face to obscure his features. He offered a stiff, formal bow before handing a sealed parchment scroll to the nearest elder. The elder quickly inspected the exterior before passing it up the table to the Sect Leader.

The Sect Leader broke the wax seal and unrolled the parchment. His eyes scanned the ink rapidly.

"This is a status report regarding our infiltration forces," the Sect Leader announced aloud. "It details the recent operations executed by our forward operating branches near Tianfeng City."

The elders leaned closer, eager to hear the results of their grand scheme.

"According to this document," the Sect Leader continued, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper, "every single branch base of the Nether Fiend Sect operating in that region has been completely eradicated. There are absolutely zero remaining survivors."

The sanctum plunged into a stunned silence.

"The report further states that our strike teams failed to abduct even a single noble or royal target," the Sect Leader read, his grip tightening on the parchment until the edges crumpled. "The primary extraction mission was a catastrophic failure."

The room erupted into total chaos. The elders leaped out of their stone chairs, shouting over each other in pure disbelief.

"That is impossible!" an elder with a scarred face yelled, slamming his fist onto the obsidian table. "Our sleeper agents had bypassed all the pavilion checkpoints flawlessly! We had the guard rotations memorized!"

"This report must be a fabricated lie!" another elder shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the messenger. "Rival factions are likely attempting to feed us false intelligence to spread panic within our ranks!"

"The Azure Dragon Sect is entirely oblivious to our true numbers!" a third elder argued aggressively. "Our vanguard forces were more than enough to overwhelm their novice dormitories! Total eradication is statistically impossible!"

"Silence!" the Sect Leader roared, his dark aura flaring violently across the room.

The elders instantly clamped their mouths shut and dropped back into their seats, their faces pale from the oppressive spiritual pressure.

"The Nether Fiend Sect was tasked with a relatively simple objective compared to the grander sieges assigned to the Crimson Bone Sect, the Silent Viper Cult, and the Blood Lotus Syndicate," the Sect Leader stated, glaring at his subordinates.

"Our assignment was straightforward. We were ordered to invade the Azure Dragon Sect under the cover of a prison break, bypass their main forces, and quietly abduct the nobles and royals hidden within their ranks. Their numbers are negligible, less than one hundred high-value targets out of the tens of thousands of commoners enrolled there. Yet, our forces somehow managed to fail."

The scarred elder cleared his throat nervously. "Sect Leader, while the objective was straightforward, it should certainly not be classified as easy. The Azure Dragon Sect houses some of the most formidable martial artists in the Eastern Realms."

"Indeed. Their pavilion masters possess terrifying strength. If our strike teams encountered Sword Master Wu or Jin directly, heavy casualties were inevitable. We aren’t even taking the other pavilion masters into consideration yet."

"Casualties are acceptable," the Sect Leader shot back. "Total failure is not. The designated deadline to revive the Heavenly Demon approaches rapidly. The grand ritual demands the catalyst of royal blood. If we fail to deliver our quota of sacrifices, the upper echelons of the evil alliance will hold us entirely responsible. We will face the wrath of the other three sects."

The room grew heavy with dread. The elders shifted uncomfortably, fully aware of the brutal consequences awaiting them if they failed the alliance.

"What should we do now, Sect Leader?" the scarred elder asked quietly.

"We have no other choice," the Sect Leader declared, standing up from his crystal throne. "We cannot rely on forward operating branches or sleeper agents anymore. We must mobilize our main forces and march upon the Azure Dragon Sect ourselves."

An elder near the far end of the table frowned and pointed at the crumpled parchment. "Sect Leader, before we mobilize the entire fortress, which branch sect actually drafted that report? We must verify its authenticity."

The Sect Leader unrolled the parchment again and scanned the bottom of the page. "The designated location coordinates are completely illegible. The ink is smudged with gibberish. Furthermore, there is no official Nether Fiend crest or verifying seal attached to this document."

He slowly lowered the scroll and locked his gaze onto the silent messenger standing near the heavy iron doors.

"Who gave you this report?" the Sect Leader demanded.

The messenger remained perfectly still. He offered absolutely no response.

"I asked you a question," the Sect Leader growled, his dark aura flaring again. "Who sent this?"

The silence stretched for another tense second.

"Apprehend him immediately!" the Sect Leader roared, pointing a finger at the intruder.

The elders drew their weapons and surged forward.

The messenger suddenly threw his head back and burst into a booming, resonant laugh. A wide, mocking smirk stretched across his face visible beneath the hood.

"The report came directly from the graves of your fallen subordinates," the messenger announced cheerfully.

He grabbed the edges of the gray travel cloak and ripped the fabric away entirely. He revealed a massive, towering physique clad in dark green martial robes. Thick, corded muscles bulged across his arms, covered in intricate scars resembling the claw marks of giant beasts.

He carried the overwhelming, untamed presence of an apex predator.

"Who are you?!" the scarred elder demanded, halting his advance.

The towering man cracked his knuckles with a sound like snapping timber. "I am the Seventh Pavilion Master of the Azure Dragon Sect. My name is Zhan Bai. I run the Beast Pavilion, and I am here to tear this entire fortress apart."

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