Chapter 359: The Holy Son Returns Home

Chapter 359: The Holy Son Returns Home

Xue Canghai's attitude was genuine.

He bowed in front of the broad public gaze, just as Zhao Changhe had previously bowed to Instructor Sun, giving no thought to the matter of pride or face; it was simply what ought to be done.

While Zhao Changhe remained dazed, the cultists were the first to react, kneeling down in a rustling wave as they shouted in unison: "Greetings, Holy Son!"

In this moment, one could see the ecstasy of the crowd; they had already regarded this fellow as an idol, but that had been one-sided devotion, and for all they knew, he might have considered them fools in his heart. But now that the Cult Leader had taken the initiative to validate him, the idol truly became "one of their own"—the feeling was akin to a fan returning home for the New Year, only for their family to point at that very idol and say he was their cousin.

Zhao Changhe stood woodenly in the center of the field, looking around at the sight of ten thousand people bowing their heads, wanting very much to scratch his head but restraining himself and pulling his hand back. Now that he carried the burden of an idol, scratchy, foolish gestures were rather unseemly.

He had to admit, this feeling was quite... inflating?

No wonder everyone desired to be above others; this sensation of ten thousand people bowing before you... some would surely enjoy it immensely.

Xue Canghai: "..."

Why are you dazed? I have been kneeling for a long time.

Zhao Changhe finally snapped out of it, stepping forward to help Xue Canghai up, sighing as he said: "What if I say I will not be this Holy Son?"

Xue Canghai rose along with his guidance, then pointed at Instructor Sun and revealed a trace of a smile: "Since you still acknowledge our old bond... in truth, whether you yourself choose to be this Holy Son or not is unimportant. We consider you to be one, and as long as you do not deny it, that suffices, just as you did not deny it when they regarded you as one of their own before."

Zhao Changhe could not help but ask: "Why must the Cult Leader do this? Are you not just finding a father for your own head?"

Xue Canghai said faintly: "We already have a mother, so what does it matter if we have an extra father?"

Zhao Changhe: "?"

Xue Canghai lowered his voice: "The reason we believe is because we feel the Dao of the Blood God is truly powerful, believing it without a shred of doubt. Yet over these years, the Blood God Cult has withered to this state; while I, Xue Canghai, cannot escape blame, the lack of our complete inheritance is also a primary cause, resulting in a situation where no one can understand the intent of the Blood God. How then can we pursue that kind of powerful strength?"

Zhao Changhe nodded. Long ago, many discerning people had told him that the inheritance of the Blood God Cult was incomplete, so one could not entirely blame Cult Leader Xue for being incompetent. Seeing him in person today, Cult Leader Xue was actually quite capable...

No wonder he treated someone like himself, who could "understand the intent of the Blood God," like a long-awaited rain after a prolonged drought.

"The integrity of the Blood God's intent outweighs everything else. If you truly can do it, then you are the Holy Son, so how can there be any talk of finding a father?" Xue Canghai sighed: "Besides, the Holy Son is not a father; the directions you and I are responsible for are different."

Zhao Changhe said: "I do not even know if I can do it. I have never even seen your sacred relic, so what responsibility should I bear?"

Xue Canghai said: "Why not give it a try? You may choose not to be the Holy Son, but I believe you truly need our martial arts manuals and secret texts, as well as the comprehension of the sacred relic. After comprehending it, whatever thoughts you have can be discussed then."

"Why do I need it?"

"Because your Blood Fiend Technique is truly unrefined... If not for your integration and mastery of other martial arts, relying solely on your half-baked Blood Fiend Technique, you wouldn't even have the qualifications to walk this far today... No matter how much more you fight against me, you can only obtain flawed training." Xue Canghai said: "In the battle just now, did you feel that you were still quite a distance away, rather than the final, threshold step you originally imagined?"

"Mhm..." Zhao Changhe finally offered no rebuttal, sighing once more in his heart.

As a religious sect, its logic was entirely different from ordinary factions. For instance, a sacred relic could absolutely never be profaned by outsiders; even the Vermilion Bird had not dared to touch this taboo back then, for doing so would not be subduing the Blood God Cult, but turning them into mortal enemies, a fight to the death.

The Blood God cultists might superficially yield to your power and claim submission, but countless future troubles would await to rebel against you; they would never be as obedient as they were now.

If he wanted to touch the so-called "sacred relic," it was impossible through conventional means. He would have to join the cult, and only after being promoted and appreciated as a subordinate under Cult Leader Xue would he be permitted to observe it. Now, that was no longer necessary; as the Holy Son and the spokesperson of the Blood God, you were the one who actually had the final say on who could touch the sacred relic. The Cult Leader merely exercised administrative power over the cult, and his words regarding the disposal of the sacred relic were not even as effective as yours.

With a complicated mood, Zhao Changhe said in a low voice: "Let everyone return to their posts. What does this look like?"

Xue Canghai waved his hand with overbearing authority: "Do you all have nothing to do? How much did you comprehend from the battle just now? Get the hell back and study it! Tomorrow, this seat will test what you have gained!"

The cultists kowtowed and departed: "Yes. Infinite peace to the Holy Son."

Zhao Changhe: "..."

Sectarian faith was truly formidable; he could finally understand some of the baffling ways of thinking the Vermilion Bird occasionally displayed. For example, back when the Vermilion Bird suspected his stellar dharma manifestation was related to the Night Emperor, her attitude changed instantly, turning around to send the Winged Fire Snake to test and approach him, wanting to find out if it was true. In the end, she found out it was not, yet Miss Winged Fire Snake had already fallen in love...

In truth, deep down... they might feel the Four Symbols could be replaced, but their reverence for the Night Emperor was truly like that for a god.

"Holy Son, follow me." Xue Canghai dismissed the onlookers and personally led Zhao Changhe toward the secret cavern of the cult, asking in a low voice: "Within the secret cavern, there is also an envoy from Maitreya... What is the Holy Son's intent?"

As he spoke, a ferocious glint flashed in his eyes, and he made a chopping motion with his hand: "How about slaughtering him as a sacrifice to the god?"

Zhao Changhe was startled: "An envoy from Maitreya? What is he here for?"

"They want us to march east into Xiangfan."

Zhao Changhe suddenly realized that this place was actually a strategic military location, its geographical position being highly important.

Xue Canghai had ten thousand troops at his disposal; though they were all horseless infantry, every single one of them was a true martial artist, far more elite than the ordinary believers the Maitreya Cult fooled. If this force suddenly cut into the southern war situation, the impact it could bring would be immeasurable.

The problem was, this was the Vermilion Bird's strategic deployment, a testament to her sharp insight.

You, the Maitreya Cult, want to snatch the prize?

Zhao Changhe remained expressionless, asking in a low voice: "How does the Cult Leader himself see it?"

Xue Canghai said: "I do not want to be pressed down by the Four Symbols Cult forever, and I indeed wanted to find some way... but the Maitreya Cult is not a good partner for cooperation. I cannot see any chance of them succeeding, hence my hesitation. But since the Holy Son has arrived, there is no need to hesitate anymore; you have a deep enmity with the Maitreya Cult, so we shall just hack him down."

Zhao Changhe thought for a moment and smiled: "Is Cult Leader Xue willing to act as a faithless man?"

Xue Canghai said faintly: "We are a demonic cult. Whether we keep faith depends only on practical reality."

Zhao Changhe said: "Then agree to their terms. Arrange how to cooperate and when to dispatch troops; the more detailed the agreement, the better."

Xue Canghai revealed a trace of a smile: "Understood."

A tacit understanding passed between them.

At this moment, Xue Canghai was thinking, who the hell said this guy was a righteous hero? His heart is probably so black it oozes pus.

As expected of someone who came out of our Blood God Cult.

Zhao Changhe was also thinking at this moment that although the Blood God Cult shared an old bond with him, which now seemed even deeper, the Blood God Cult was not a good entity either. This bloodthirsty and murderous evil intent... wait... isn't that exactly what the Holy Son is supposed to manage?

Amidst their respective thoughts, the two stepped into the underground secret cavern, and Zhao Changhe clearly felt the familiar tactile sensation of traversing a spatial barrier.

"This place was once a secret realm as well; the sacred relic was discovered right here," Xue Canghai explained. "It is not that we occupied Mount Wu, but rather it was originally here."

Zhao Changhe nodded: "When the era collapsed, the formation disk protected the space, but the formation disk itself was not a single entity; it was pieced together from various objects, causing many of its components to break apart and scatter. The lack of your inheritance stems from this as well."

Xue Canghai: "?"

You still say you are not the Holy Son, yet how do you know the sacred relic is a formation disk?

And you even know that many parts broke away!

His expression once again became somewhat reverent and awed as he silently